A half-dozen quick stats that caught our attention recently ...
♦ When (sorry, but we have to use the word) "former" Flyer Jeff Carter scored at the end of the first period Monday night, it was the Kings' first lead in regulation since Game 6 of their Western Conference Final against the Blackhawks. That marked 208 minutes and 25 seconds of regulation time in which LA had not led ... yet they had manage to win three games in the mean time. Hard. To. Do.
♦ The Kings won the game, 3-0, despite registering just 15 shots on goal. That ties for the fewest SOG for a winning team in the Finals since the league started keeping shot totals in 1958 (Tampa Bay, 2004).
♦ The Heat's victory Sunday night in Game 2 of the NBA Finals marked their 13th consecutive victory following a playoff loss.
♦ Nationals starting pitchers haven't walked a batter since the sixth inning of their game on June 3 against the Phillies (Jimmy Rollins). That covers 167 plate appearances. And counting.
♦ A.J. Burnett will take to the Citizens Bank Park mound Tuesday night having allowed a major-league leading 41 walks. Since 1979, the most walks allowed by a National League pitcher in a season is 128 by the Phillies' Jose DeJesus in 1991. Burnett is on a pace for 108, so to catch DeJesus he'd have to kick it up a notch.
♦ The Phillies are 67-95 (.414) in their last 162 games. And while that does sound bad, at least it is better than Chicago, which has two teams in that same boat. The Cubs are 66-96 over their last 162 games, the White Sox (with a win Monday night) are 67-95 over their last 162. Only the Astros (58-104) are worse than the Philly/Chicago trio in their last 162.