Common Denominator: Vegas Golden Knights Goalies (So Far)

That would be Oscar Dansk, Dylan Ferguson, Marc-Andre Fleury Maxime Lagace and Malcolm Subban. Hmmmm...Problems in net? Team is 15-7-1 in their inaugural NHL campaign in 2017/18. So much for the, "Expansion team, 2 points," theory that 30 other NHL teams had.

Vegas is in 1st place in the Pacific Division. 4 points behind St. Louis for first in the Western Conference with 2 games in hand. This is all really happening!

So what's been happening in goal?

Injuries.

Not that it matters. The team has found a way to win. Somehow, the five of net guardians have provided steady goaltending. Although, the 19-year-old Dylan Ferguson has played in just one game. Care to bet that he'll appear again? Why not?

The team started the season with veteran goalie Marc Andre-Fleury. So far in his NHL career, which began way back in 2003/04 with Pittsburgh, he's got 3 Stanley Cups, including a huge role in the Pens more recent win, last season. But after posting some impressive numbers in his first 3 starts (Winning then all), Fleury was injured in a loss to Detroit on October 13. So it was Malcolm Subban, with all of just two 31-minute NHL games over the last two seasons, in between the pipes 2 nights later.

But Subban, the younger brother of the Nashville Predators' star defenceman, won the game 3-1. It was his first NHL win. It would not be his last. He beat Buffalo 5-4 in the Knights' next game, then played, but was pulled against the St. Louis Blues on October 21st. Not to worry, Oscar Dansk came in to play, and ended up the winning goalie in OT.

Dansk has since posted some amazing numbers. He's 3-0 with a GAA of just 1.78. But at the end of the month, he was placed on  the IR with an injury to his lower body. He had recorded the team's very first shutout when Oscar beat the Avs' 7-0 on the 27th.

Maxim Lagace took over for Dansk in a game against the New York Islanders on the 30th, but took the loss, allowing 4 goals in relief. Lagace lost to New York Rangers and Boston, but found his groove, going 5-2-1 since. But his S% suggest the team is playing well in front of him. It's below .900 (.887 in his 9 games, having a no-decision last Friday. Subban, with just 3 saves, won the game).

Lagace was supposed to be out tonight with an injury that has not been disclosed. However, he's backing up Subban as I write this.

Ferguson lost his only game against the Oilers, seeing just 9:14 of playing time on November 14th. It's unknown when Fleury and Dansk will return. If Vegas is to continue to impress and make the playoffs in their first year (What a story that would be!), they'll need Fleury's experience. Dansk looked like the real deal, although Subban has carried the load well. If nothing else, three of the four inexperienced goaltenders are proving they can play in the National Hockey League. Several teams are looking for goaltenders, and perhaps if the injuries continue the Knights might try to acquire Andrew Hammond from Colorado.

23 games in, 61 to go for this franchise in 2017/18. So far, Las Vegas has been the "Feel Good" story of the year. Whether or not they can sustain this remains to be seen. Goaltending is as important to hockey as pitching is to baseball. Looking at Vegas, they've got 4 pretty good starters, kind of like a pitching staff. It's working.

So far.

References

"Official Site of the National Hockey League” | NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 30 Nov. 2017. <https://www.nhl.com>

NHL.com. “Rotoworld - Fantasy Baseball, Basketball, Football, Baseball and Hockey. Draft Guide, News, Projections, Cheatsheets, Depth Charts And More.” Team News - Rotoworld.Com. Web NBC Sports, 30 Nov. 2017, <www.rotoworld.com/teams/nhl/vgk/vegas-golden-knights>

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. Web. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 30 Nov. 2017.

World Series: Did You Know

First-time-on-ballet Chris Carpenter was 3-0 lifetime, failing to lose once in 4 starts. His St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2006 and again five years later.

Carpenter made his first Fall Classic start against the Tigers, a gem!

Chris went 8 innings, gave up 3 hits, no runs, and fanned 6. What I find most impressive is he threw just 82 pitches. It was a crucial game, too. The series was tied 1-1, and St. Louis didn't want to go back to Detroit for games 6 and 7. His 5-0 win, paved the road to prevent that. The Cardinals eked out 5-4 and 4-2 wins in games 4 and 5. A World Series was won on home soil.

It would also be in 2011.

Chris had a rough ride getting there. He was just 0-1 in the next two seasons, making his 21-5 season in '05 look like a distant memory. But he bounced back in 2009, 17-4 with a National League-leading 2.24 ERA. The next season, 2010, was more of the same: 16-9, although his ERA was 3.22!

But Carpenter dipped to 11-9 the next season, and the Cardinals advanced to the Fall Classic again. But how could a win one, lose one pitcher help St. Louis beat Texas?

For starters, he beat Philadelphia once and Milwaukee once in the postseason, helping to get St. Louis there. The Texas Rangers stood in his path. Already 2-0 in the postseason, the Cardinals needed him to come through.

That, he did.

Not only did he deliver, he did so when it mattered. First, he got the Cardinals off on the right foot by allowing just 2 runs over 6 innings in the opener for the win. After getting a no-decision in game 5 (Actually, St. Louis lost the game, 4-2, but Carpenter had another great game, allowing just 2 earned runs), Chris was given the ball again for the 7th and deciding game.

The Cardinals had rallied to win game six at home, and Carpenter didn't want to see the Rangers celebrate on his terms, his field. So he made sure to put out the Texas fire.

Well, the Rangers scored twice off him in the top of the 1st, but the Cards equaled that. On the mound, however, Chris had no equals. He went 5 more innings, allowing just 3 more hits, no runs, and left after 6 with a sizable advantage.

It was 5-2 and the sixth inning was a masterful one for Chris. He retired the side in order on just 10 pitches. The Rangers got through the bottom of the frame in similar fashion, however. C.J Wilson, the Texas reliever, needed just 11 pitches of his own to retire the side (Carpenter lead off) 1-2-3.

When David Murphy opened the top of the seventh with a 2-bagger, Chris was removed for Arthur Rhodes. Arthur and some of his bullpen pals proceeded to retire the last 9 batters of the game. St. Louis scored another run, too. Not that they needed it. They won 6-2, for there second World Series win in 5 years.

Carpenter isn't going to make the Hall Of Fame, but his postseason record is one that few can match. Overall, he's 10-4 in the postseason, sporting an ERA of 3.00 lifetime. It was even better in the World Series. In 4 starts, Chris Carpenter posted a 2.00 ERA, he seemed to get better and better with every outing. Let there be no doubt, St. Louis isn't winning their two most recent World Series sans Chris Carpenter.


References


Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. (26 Nov., 2017).

Retrosheet.  www.retrosheet.org. Web. (26 Nov., 2017).

Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/. Web. (26 Nov., 2017).

World Series: Did You Know?

Buck Weaver, although he hit .333 in 1917 and .324 in 1919, collected just one RBI.

The third basemen was thrown out of baseball (Along with 7 of his teammates) after the 1920 season. It came to light that season that Weaver's Chicago White Sox had thrown the previous year's Fall Classic to the Cincinnati Reds.

Weave didn't get a hit in the 1st game of the 1917 Fall Classic, but got three plus his lone World Series RBI in game 2. The good news, for him, was Chicago won both games against the New York Giants.

New York, however, came right back at home with back-to-back shutouts in games three and four. Buck collected 2 hits in game 3 (Including a double), but none in game four. The White Sox needed game five back in Chicago, and got it. The 8-5 win included Weaver singling and scoring in the top of the sixth with his team behind 4-1. Add that run, and 6 others to the Giants' 1, and it was a fine comeback from the home team.

Game six at the Polo Grounds saw Chicago crowned World Champions. Nemo Leibold, Eddie Collins, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver and Ray Schalk were good for one hit only. Leibold, as a pinch hitter, popped out in the top of the 7th. But in the top of the ninth, with Chicago clinging on for dear life to a 3-2 lead, he scored Buck Weaver from second with a single. Red Faber took care of New York in the bottom of the frame, although they got the leadoff man on. Chick Gandil was the only other player to get and RBI for the winners, and he got 2 for good measure.

But 2 years later, Chicago faced Cincinnati in the World Series. It started off bad. A 9-1 loss in the opener must have raised some eyebrows. Weaver managed one hit, that a single in the top of the 6th, but was left stranded.

Game 2 was a little better, as Weaver was on 1st in the top of the 4th. A single by Joe Jackson and a bunt by Happy Felsch followed. Weaver was 90 feet away from scoring. Jackson, at second, was also in scoring position. Weaver tried to score on a grounded by Gandil to 1st, but was thrown out. Gandil stole second, and Jackson was now on third, but Swede Risberg popped out to end it.

The Reds were up 3-0 in the top of the sixth when Weaver doubled with one away. Jackson fanned, but pitcher Slim Sallee committed a balk. Weaver to third again. Felsch appeared to have an RBI of his own as he got all of a pitch. Edd Roush made a great catch. This was crucial as Chicago scored two runs in the top of the sixth. However, Cincinnati had added a fourth run to the tally by that time. Gandil and Ray Schalk singled in the in the 9th, but no more runs scored. The Reds won, and were up 2-0 in the 1919 World Series.

Chicago took game three at home, 3-0. Weaver was not needed, although he did get a hit. Cincinnati then took game 4, 2-0, as Weaver was held hitless, and game 5, 5-0. The series was best-of-nine, so it wasn't over.

It sure appeared to be in any event as it was quickly 4-0 Cincinnati at home in game 6. The Reds would have probably scored more in the 4th inning, but Joe Jackson made a nice catch and nailed Morrie Rath at home.

Chicago got one run back in the top of the 5th, and then Buck really helped. No RBIs for him, of course, however everything but.

He led off the 6th with a double. Jackson singled. 4-2. Felsch then came through and Jackson scored, 4-3. Two quick outs, but then a Schalk single and the visitors had tied it! Buck had been a big catalyst. He had another double in the works, and this was clutch as the game went into extras.

Buck wasted no time. Weaver led off the tenth with a double. Jackson bunted...And somehow beat it out. Gandil didn't get the ball out of the infield. No matter. It plated Weaver. And it proved to be the game winning run.

Chicago had lived to see another day. And that day, Weaver was just as good as he'd been in game 5.

Already ahead 2-0 behind the pitching of Eddie Cicotte and the hitting of Joe Jackson, Weaver didn't get a hit in the top of the 5th...But he scored.

Eddie Collins singled with one out. Weaver reached on an error. So did Jackson. Felsch came through again. His single scored Collins AND Weaver. 4-0. The White Sox then looked to add to that, but that was all they got.

It proved to be more than enough for Cicotte. Dickie Kerr had won games 3 and 6, and Chicago won the game 4-1, finally coming through in a game not started by Dickie.

But down 4-0 in game 8, and needing this one to stay alive, Weaver was at the dish with two on and no outs in the bottom of the 1st. Weaver fanned. Jackson hit a pop fly behind third, but deep enough to score Nemo Leibold. Oddly, Leibold held, and the crucial run Chicago needed was not gotten.

Weaver popped up in the 3rd. Jackson homered. But now the Reds had 5 runs, and the Sox only one. Weaver singled to start the bottom of the sixth. But the next three batters were retired, (Jackson on a deep fly, looking for another home run).

Two innings later, Eddie Collins singled, and Weaver doubled. So did Jackson. A Gandil triple and an error by Roush gave Chicago 4 runs in the inning.

The Reds didn't score in the top of the ninth, but had 10 runs to the White Sox's 5. Doublin' em up.

The White Sox, though, had to get a man on in the bottom of the ninth to keep this game going, and bring Buck Weaver back to the dish. Did they do that? Indeed.

The painful way.

Eddie Murphy (Not the actor) was hit by a pitch. Leibold, looking to atone for his mistake earlier on the basepaths, and trying to get a hit after leading off the previous inning with a deep fly for an out, did that again here. He sent one to deep centre. For an out. 1 away.

But Collins singled to put two men on. Buck Weaver was back at the dish. 2 on, 1 out. All Buck could do, however, was fly to deep right. Collins holding at first, Murphy taking third. With Joe Jackson up, Collins swiped 2nd base. Now, 2 men were on, in scoring position. And 2 were out. Jackson grounded out to Rath at 2nd. The 1919 World Series was over.

Weaver finished with a batting average of .324. Jackson's was even better, .375. No matter. Neither was in MLB after 1920. Both their careers were forever tainted, despite the fact that the best evidence against them is merely knowing about the fix.

References

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print. pp. 66-81.

Frommer, Harvey. Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. Dallas, TX: Taylor Pub., 1992. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. (25 Nov., 2017).

Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball. Vers. 1994. Portland, OR: Creative Multimedia Corp., 1994. Computer software. CD-ROM.