Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/19/2019

The NHL Playoffs are reaching a crescendo with two teams that haven't won a Stanley Cup ever coming from the West.  The St. Louis Blues were one of the worst teams on January 7, but may just punch their ticket to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970.  Led by rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington.  Binnington started his first game on January 7 and led the team to an improbable 29-9-5 streak to get a key Wild Card spot.  A spot they've parlayed into being one game away from a shot at their first Stanley Cup Title.  Binnington has been brilliant in the last 4 games, with a 3-1 record, with only 3 GA in 77 shots in the wins.  His loss, to be honest, involved what should have been called a hand pass.  Will Binnington get the job done in Game 6 (at home) or 7 (in San Jose)?  Time will tell.  But Binnington shows that a hot goalie can carry a team, and he is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 6/12/2016

Nobody would have thunk that the Pittsburgh Penguins would win the Stanley Cup with rookie goaltender Matt Murray.  Murray made his NHL debut in December, but took a stranglehold on the Pens goalie position in March.  He won his final seven starts in March and April and was established as their starter in the playoffs.  In the four wins in the Stanley Cup finals against the San Jose Sharks, he allowed five goals.  For the week, 2 goals in the 2 wins.  In the playoffs, stormed through the Presidents Cup winning Washington Capitals, the defending Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, and then Western Conference Champions San Jose Sharks.  The Pens never faced an elimination game.  Matt Murray is off to a hot start to his career, his name is on the Cup, and he is our Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/4/2014

Exciting times in sports, with both the NBA and NHL running through the early rounds of the playoffs.  Which means lots of games and lots of heroes.  None bigger, probably, than a goalie who led his team to three wins over the week, now five straight total.  Los Angeles Kings netminder Jonathan Quick held the San Jose Sharks to 2 goals over the final three games.  For the week, he won three times, with four goals in three games for a 96% save percentage.  Throw in a shutout before that (last week) and it jumps to 97%.  Suddenly the Kings are the hottest team in hockey (after being the first team to go down 3 games to 0).  And this week's Sportsman of the Week is a big reason why.