Posts Tagged ‘game’

Vokoun’s Head Injury Sends a Chill Down the Spine of the Florida Panthers

I’m sure by now, you have heard about the head injury to Tomas Vokoun. If you haven’t, the head injury was from a slash to the head from Keith Ballard (one of his own teammates).

In case you didn’t hear what happened, I’ll break it down for you. If you want to see the hit, you can check it out on YouTube. they ended up taking him out on a stretcher.

I know that Ballard was frustrated by giving up a goal, and swinging your stick against the post is something that a lot of players do. However, he does have to be more careful. This is a fluke injury, and obviously and accident, but the accident was the fault of Ballard.

Personally, I’m not even a Panther’s fan, and I was still a little upset about the hit. it wasn’t malicious, or anything like that, it was just stupid. even the location of the slash was unlucky. Like they said in the video, Vokoun was caught right in the temple.

Honestly, if I was the Panther’s coach, I probably would have kicked him off the bench for the rest of the game. There’s no excuse for it, you just can’t do that.

However, I would like to spend a little less time talking about the slash, and a little bit more talking about what’s going to happen next.

Obviously, the next thing that the Panthers are going to have to do is adjust. Hopefully, Vokoun won’t be out long and he’ll be able to start playing again soon. Early indications say that might happen, but don’t quote me on that, because I have no idea. The only reason I’m saying that is because he was alert and responsive in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. it was also announced that he had an ice pack on his head, which tells me that the injury is probably not serious.

I know that the Panther hope that’s the case. they want to get Vokoun back in net as soon as possible. However, this has definitely shaken the team a bit. It’s not every day that you have to deal with a situation like this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it distracted the Panthers a little bit.

However, they need to get back down to business, focus on playing hockey, and put this behind them. they can’t get distracted by things that already happened.

Deion Sanders 1989 Draft Day Picks

Deion Sanders was born on August 9, 1967 in Fort Myers, Florida. ever since his early playing days it was obvious that he was going to be a great performer in one sport of the other. Not only did Sanders play a great game of football, but he was also a solid performer in Major League Baseball for several seasons. this has led to him being known as one of the greatest two sport athletes of all time.

Sanders attended high school in Fort Myers, Florida at North Fort Myers High School. during his time at the school he lettered in several sports including football, baseball, and basketball. he made the all State team for each of these sports.

After high school Sanders decided to take his game to Florida State University. again, he competed at three sports; this time concentrating on football, baseball, and track. from his freshman year it was obvious that he was going to excel at all of these sports. But all in all, his best sport was football. in 1987 and 1988 he made the all American team, and he finished his career with 14 interceptions.

Sanders was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the 5th pick in the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft. during his time in the NFL he was named to the Pro Bowl team eight times, and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1994. he also won two Super Bowl rings while playing in the league.

Deion Sanders was one of the most exhilarating players to ever set foot on a football field. To go along with this he was a great all around athlete, and had a strong will to win. with all of this being said, it is safe to say that Sanders will always be remembered for his many athletic accomplishments.

Smith, Coyotes oust Blackhawks 4-0

Blackhawks statement regarding Marian Hossa. Wednesday, 04.18.2012 / 12:15 AM / News. By Chicago Blackhawks. Print. Hossa. the Blackhawks have released the following statement regarding forward Marian Hossa: Chicago Blackhawks

The Phoenix Coyotes win their first ever playoff series in Phoenix shutting out the Blackhawks 4-0. Win the series 4-2.

Andrew Shaw returns to the Blackhawks lineup for Game 6 against Phoenix. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Tribune photo) Rookie Andrew Shaw has displayed plenty of energy and ethusiasm in the locker room while the Chicago Blackhawks have played the previous three games

A recap of Game 5 in the NHL Quarterfinal Series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Phoenix Coyotes. an accounting what went right and wrong for Phoenix.

The Best Draft Picks by the New England Patriots

The new England Patriots were established in 1959, as an original member of the American Football League. the Pats joined the NFL in 1970 after the merger. Today, the new England Patriots are one of the most successful teams in the NFL. the best draft picks by the new England Patriots are Andre Tippett, John Hannah and Tom Brady.

No. 3: Andre Tippett, LB, (1982 – 1993)

Andre Tippett was drafted in the second round of the 1982 draft with pick no. 41. Tippett went on to lead the franchise in sacks with 100 and fumble recoveries with 19. He achieved 18.5 sacks in 1984, a franchise record that still stands today, and followed up with 16.5 the next season. He ranks seventh on the all-time sacks list and third in terms of linebackers. the Hall of Famer of 2008 carried with him a defensive presence and playmaking ability that is yet to be matched by any other defensive player for the franchise. Andre Tippett is easily the best pass rusher the Patriots have had.

No. 2: John Hannah, OL, (1973 – 1985)

John Hannah is regarded as one of the best lineman to ever play the game in the NFL. He played with the Patriots for 13 seasons after being drafted fourth overall in the 1973 NFL Draft. He was an immediate starter for the team and from then you could witness his very strong commitment to the game of football. Hannah led the 1978 offensive line that paved the way for an NFL record of 3,165 rushing yards in a season. a player who missed only a handful of games in his career, he carried the team to an AFC title and its first ever Super Bowl. the Hall of Famer made nine Pro Bowl appearances and was known for quickness, speed and power, making him the ultimate offensive lineman to ever play the game. He was the first Patriots player inducted into the Hall of Fame, in 1991, and it will be extremely difficult for anyone to come close to the playing level of a John Hannah.

No. 1: Tom Brady, QB, (2000 – Present)

In the 2000 NFL draft, Tom Brady was selected 199th overall, in the sixth round, by the new England Patriots. after seeing who the player is today, one must wonder why he fell so low in the draft. Brady, who is on the road toward becoming one of the best quarterbacks of all time, has three Super Bowl championships to his credit and is the face of the Patriots’ dynasty of the 2000s. Tom Brady transformed averaged players around him into incredible players. In his 12 seasons with the franchise, 10 as a starter, he has carried the team to five Super Bowls and three Super Bowl wins. He holds the record for most touchdown passes in an NFL season and has the best winning percentage of any QB in the Super Bowl era. the player who has been invited to eight Pro Bowls is the single reason for the Patriots winning any of their Super Bowls.

Tom Brady has the luxury of still being an active player in the NFL, and is easily the greatest player ever for the franchise and the best player to be drafted by the new England Patriots.

Bruins Lose More Than Just a Key Game with Patrice Bergeron, Joe Corvo Injured, Irate at Calls – Boston Bruins – NESN.com

BOSTON — the Bruins lost a crucial game Saturday at the Garden when they fell to Washington 4-3 to go down three games to two in the seven-game Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

But they may have lost even more as both center Patrice Bergeron and defenseman Joe Corvo suffered undisclosed injuries during the course of Game 5.

Corvo was hurt blocking a Marcus Johansson shot midway through the second period, while Bergeron was injured later and missed most of the third period.

There was no immediate update on their condition after the game, but they won’t have much time to heal — the Bruins face elimination in Game 6 in Washington on Sunday.

"those two guys are being looked at right now," coach Claude Julien said. "so there’s no update on them."

Corvo went down in pain after taking a Johansson shot off his right leg, but play continued and he had to try to hobble back into action on one leg and with no stick. the Capitals eventually took advantage, and Alexander Semin scored the game's first goal, leaving the Bruins down one and Julien irate that play was not stopped for the injury.

"That was the frustrating part for me," Julien said. "when we were in Washington for the last game, twice they had players go down in their own end, and we had full control of the puck, and the whistle was blown right away with no hesitation. And tonight they decided they're not. so, I was a little perturbed. is there two sets of rules or one? I know they're different referees, but it's still the same series. That was frustrating because they ended up scoring a goal on that."

Corvo was helped to the locker room. He later returned to the bench but did not play another shift. if he is unable to go on Sunday, Mike Mottau will likely make his postseason debut with the Bruins, who are already down one defenseman with Adam McQuaid sidelined all series with an upper-body injury.

Boston nearly lost another blueliner when Zdeno Chara was shaken up at the end of the opening period after being elbowed in the head by Jason Chimera. no penalty was called, and play continued in that instance as well despite Chara being down and dazed. Chara said he was fine after the game, but the fact that the referees allowed play to continue in that instance may have been part of the reason Corvo tried to get back into the play despite his obvious injury.

"the guy's down, he's hurt, and there's no whistle," Julien said. "so he's trying to get up. That's supposedly the referee's discretion. the other night they felt that a quick whistle was the thing to do, and tonight they didn't on both occasions. It's an elbow to the back of the head and that goes uncalled."

Bergeron wasn't as fortunate. He missed most of the third period, returning only for three quick shifts before shutting it down for the day. his status for Sunday is not certain, as was the exact point he was injured. He was on the receiving end of a big hit from Alex Ovechkin but may have already been dinged up at that point.

What is certain is that losing Bergeron for any length of time would be a huge blow to the Bruins.

"you don't want to see anyone get injured," Bruins forward Benoit Pouliot said. "when you get a guy like Bergy out, it's tough. He's our best draw guy and one of our best offensive and defensive guys. you don't want to see Bergy go out, but sometimes you've just got to and the other guys got to pick it up. We did that for most of the third period. It was just a bad bounce at the end."

The Bruins did rally to tie the game in the third without Bergeron and Corvo, but they couldn't overcome a late power-play goal by the Caps after a controversial slashing call on Pouliot.

"He's obviously a big player for our team, but we still did a good job," Bruins forward Brad Marchand said of Bergeron. "We found a way to continue to put pressure on, and we have to do that. It's playoff time. no excuses.”

Marchand was less understanding of the officials' decision to allow play to continue when Corvo went down.

"when a guy's hurt and down like that, I don't know how long he has to stay down before they blow it," Marchand said. "any time a guy was down for two seconds last game they would blow it. They've got to see that a guy is hurt like that and blow it. but it's great that he showed that effort to get up and try to finish the shift."

Now the Bruins, possibly without Bergeron and Corvo, will need a great effort on Sunday to avoid an early finish to their season.

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Humber throws perfect game, Sox beat Seattle 4-0

SEATTLE — Now that Philip Humber is back to a normal five-day schedule, Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura expects a more efficient effort from his starting pitcher Saturday against the Seattle Mariners.

“I think missing that start and having that layoff, normally he’s not like that,” Ventura said of Humber, who needed 115 pitches to throw 5 1/3 innings Monday against Baltimore in his first start in 12 days. “I expect him to be having a little more control of what he’s doing and not expecting that high pitch count, all things equal.”

The Sox’s starters rank fourth in the American League with a 3.74 ERA and have pitched deep enough in most games to not tax the bullpen, which has a 2.45 ERA.

“They’ve done a great job,” Ventura said. “We’ve been in every game as far as what the starters are doing. They’re giving us good innings. We’re able to bring in the relievers more often than not, for an inning and having them start an inning instead of bringing them in tough spots.”

Milan, now only scudetto left , Cassano ready, Pato mystery – Football – La Gazzetta dello Sport

Let’s stop to consider what’s going through the minds of the Rossoneri. Sleepless nights, no doubt, thanks to the second, and extremely “soft”, penalty awarded to Barcelona by referee Kuipers, after Milan had got back into the game thanks to a Nocerino goal and just when Barcelona had looked as if they were starting to wobble. Even Guardiola admitted it. a penalty award that absolutely infuriated Ibra, a penalty that, according to the player, gives credence to the many outbursts by Mourinho who claims that it’s impossible to win at the Camp Nou. and especially because Ibra himself deserved a penalty following a tough second half challenge by Mascherano. But every cloud has a silver lining, as now Milan can focus 100% on winning the scudetto. just like Juve.

NOCERINO’S DREAM — The defeat in Barcelona has quickly been transformed. Even on the flight back to Milan, the players made it clear that their display will serve to give them an extra boost in the race for the scudetto. Nocerino has accepted the defeat, but his goal has lifted him. and don’t make the mistake of believing it’s just resignation: Noce, just like every other Milan player, only feels slightly aggrieved: the Rossoneri freely admit the Blaugrana were the better side, but who knows what would have happened were it not for that penalty…

GENTLEMEN SEEDORF — Mourinho IS right: success in the Champions League hinges on tiny incidents. it doesn’t take much to change the entire course of a game. But now it’s time for Milan to turn their thoughts to Fiorentina. Allegri is already focussed on the game. and Seedorf is leading by example. it was a special night for the inspirational player, culminating in his substitution by Aquilani. He wanted to shake the hand of every journalist on the flight back, a gesture that appears to be a farewell to the Champions League, a competition he has won 4 times. But remember that, just over a year ago, he walked off the pitch at Tottenham in tears, almost as if that night would be his final appearance in the competition. however…

PATO MYSTERY — now Milan can focus on Serie a, and that’s a worry for Conte, who would have preferred Milan to have been kept busy on two fronts. Allegri will now be able to get his injured players back to 100% fitness and throw Cassano into the fold, and he could prove to be the man to make the difference. But yet another injury to Pato is shocking. following his visit to Marietta, USA, which appeared to clear the way to the Brazilian finishing the season on a high, he suffered another blow at the Camp Nou: only 14 minutes on the pitch and his 14th injury since January 2010. The talented player is starting to come apart at the seams. It’ll be tough for him to make a big impact on the Milan season now.

from our correspondent Gaetano De Stefano

Predators send Red Wings packing in 5 games

Home » Sports» Pro Loading… Published: 4/21/2012 – Updated: 1 minute ago ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHVILLE — the Nashville Predators do not need to measure themselves against the Detroit Red Wings anymore.

David Legwand scored 13 seconds into the third period, and the Predators advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 2-1 victory over the Red Wings on Friday night.

The fourth-seeded Predators won the series 4-1, capping a season in which they finished ahead of their Central Division rival for the first time, and beat the Red Wings for the first time in three playoff series.

Nashville made it even sweeter by handing the Red Wings their earliest postseason departure since a six-game, first-round loss to Edmonton in 2006.

Nashville coach Barry Trotz said Detroit has been the gold standard for the Central Division and especially the Predators.

“We’ve grown to the point where we have great respect for the Detroit Red Wings, but we’re not in awe of them,” Trotz said. “That’s the stepping stone that we’ve taken. obviously, beating Detroit in the first round is a step in the right direction.”

Nashville became the first team to advance this postseason.

“It’s not time to celebrate,” Nashville forward Alexander Radulov said. “I mean it’s only the first round.”

Legwand added an assist, and Radulov also had a goal and assist for Nashville. the team that scored first won each game, and that was Nashville again.

Jiri Hudler scored for Detroit, which heads into the summer having lost three straight.

They now wait to see if captain Nicklas Lidstrom has played his last game after 20 seasons. Lidstrom has said the past couple days that, as usual, he will decide whether he returns in the summer.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock said he thought the Red Wings played well in this series until Game 5, which he called their worst.

“When you lose 4-1 in a series, you can talk about all of the games being a one-goal game,” Babcock said. “To me that’s not close, 4-1 is not close.”

The Predators won the final three by needing only five goals as they outshot and outhit the older Red Wings. They got the winning goal from Legwand, a native of the Detroit area, who scored on a wrister off an assists from Gabriel Bourque and Radulov.

“It’s special obviously to beat those guys,” said Legwand, Nashville’s first draft pick as a franchise and no. 2 overall in 1998. “Great organization, great team. They’ve had their fair share of wins and series wins and those types of things. So they’re obviously going to [come] back strong.

“We’re excited to get this one and move onto round two and get to see who we play now.”

Trotz said he knew Legwand would break out as a difference maker at some point.

“David Legwand had his ‘A’ game,” Trotz said.

The Red Wings took a timeout with 3.1 seconds left after Henrik Zetterberg missed a rebound and the puck was iced. They added some time, putting the clock at 4.2 seconds. it just wasn’t enough as the Wings last gasp was for naught and the Predators cleared the puck to start the celebration.

Legwand’s goal started the sold-out crowd counting down the final minutes, eager to celebrate this former expansion franchise’s biggest victory yet against Detroit. Fans even gathered outside the arena watching on a giant TV, and those inside gave the Predators three standing ovations in the third period during timeouts.

“It’s disappointing,” Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “Right now it’s just empty I think. Everyone in here believed something completely different than what the outcome was.”

Notes: Nashville ousted Anaheim in six games in the first round last season. … Detroit beat Nashville in the opening round in both 2004 and 2008. … the goal was Radulov’s sixth in the postseason but his first of this series. He has five points in this postseason. … the Predators outshot Detroit 10-8 in the first period, the first period they’ve done that in this series since the third period of Game 2. … Lidstrom, Detroit’s leader in postseason points and games played, did not notch a point in the series.

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Coyotes' Raffi Torres Suspended Indefinitely for 'Brutal' Hit

Marian Hossa was removed from the ice on a stretcher after receiving a late, illegal hit from Raffi Torres. He's home from the hospital while Torres is facing supplementary discipline.

Marian Hossa was removed from the ice on a stretcher after receiving a late, illegal hit from Raffi Torres. He's home from the hospital while Torres is facing supplementary discipline.

None, then, professed to have seen teammate Raffi Torres' first-period, shoulder-to-head, airborne hit on the Hawks' Marian Hossa that resulted in Hossa being taken off the ice on a stretcher. COX: Spiral into utter silliness Blackhawks outraged by hit

CHICAGO — the NHL suspended Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres indefinitely on Wednesday for knocking Chicago's Marian Hossa out of the game — and maybe the playoffs — with a shoulder blow to the head. Hossa won't play in Game 4 on Thursday with

Valentine Criticizes Youkilis, Then Apologizes

Kevin Youkilis’ teammates came to his defense Monday after Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine questioned his commitment to the game and then apologized to his third baseman.

During an interview aired Sunday night on WHDH-TV, Valentine said he didn’t think Youkilis was “as physically or emotionally into the game.”

That drew a sharp response from Dustin Pedroia before Monday’s 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

“I know he plays as hard as anybody I’ve ever seen in my life. I have his back and his teammates have his back,” the second baseman said.

After the game, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez also supported his teammate.

“All you can do is tell Youk we love him. All it says is we have each others’ backs,” he said. “We’re pulling for each other on the field and in the clubhouse. We’ve got a strong bond.”

On Monday morning, Valentine said he apologized when Youkilis came into his office and asked for an explanation.

“I don’t know if he accepted my apology,” Valentine said. “It was sincere.”

Youkilis had a poor spring training and is batting .200 (6 for 30), but Valentine said his comments weren’t aimed at motivating him. After a 2-for-20 start, he was 4 for 10 in the first three games against the Tampa Bay Rays. He missed Monday’s series finale because of a minor groin injury.

“I’m more confused than anything,” Youkilis said before the game. “Everybody knows I go out and play the game as hard as I can.”

If Valentine’s intent was to have Youkilis’ teammates rally around him, it may have worked.

“I really don’t know what Bobby’s trying to do, but that’s not the way we go about our stuff around here,” Pedroia said. “He’ll figure that out. The whole team is behind Youk.”

Asked if Valentine was trying to motivate Youkilis, Pedroia said, “maybe that works in Japan” — where Valentine used to manage.

The manager said after the game that he spoke to Pedroia and “he’s cool. He says he gets it.”

Valentine took over on Dec. 1 for the more laid-back Terry Francona, who led the Red Sox to two World Series championships in eight seasons.

Valentine said that in the interview he was just answering a question about how Youkilis may be feeling during early season struggles.

“I don’t think he’s as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason,” he said in the interview before Boston’s 13-5 win on Sunday. “But (on Saturday) it seemed, you know, he’s seeing the ball well, got those two walks, got his on-base percentage up higher than his batting average, which is always a good thing, and he’ll move on from there.”

On Monday, Valentine said, “I should have been more specific. Physical is about your swing, emotional is about not being happy when he doesn’t hit a ball off the wall.”

Youkilis hit a career-low .258 last season, when he was limited to 112 games by several injuries. Going into this season, his ninth with the Red Sox, he was batting .289 with 129 homers and 550 RBIs.

He said he talked Monday with Valentine about the manager’s comments but gave no details. Youkilis said he doesn’t think his passionate approach to the game has changed.

“I go out and just play the game. It doesn’t matter one way or another. There’s things that happened over the years with a lot of different things in baseball,” he said. “For me it’s not an issue.”

Valentine said he doesn’t want Youkilis to think “I was jabbing at him.”

“I’d be surprised if Kevin didn’t know I was totally behind him,” he said. “We’re big boys. I think he’ll get it. if not, I’ll talk to him a lot more.”