Category: Sports

Crosby Skins Hide Off Panthers; Penguins Improve to 9-1

Posted on by TL

Honestly, I thought this one was all over at the end of the first period. The Florida Panthers were sitting on a 2-0 lead, both by Steven Reinprecht. The Panthers succeeded in frustrating the Pens through the second period which was a drab scoreless twenty minutes for both teams. So, would the Penguins’ second loss of the season be so bad?

Sidney Crosby had anything but losing on his mind for his 300th game in the NHL. He made all goals for the Penguins.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Penguins came from behind to beat the Florida Panthers, 3-2, in a shootout tonight at Mellon Arena, extending their winning streak to seven games and their record to 9-1.

Sidney Crosby, who was playing in his 300th NHL game, had a huge game. He scored both Penguins goals and the was the only player to score in the shootout — all after Florida had taken a 2-0 lead.

The Penguins were playing without defenseman Sergei Gonchar for the first time since his wrist was broken.

Florida’s Steven Reinprecht scored twice in the first period.

At 12:39, he slid the puck past Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson from the near bottom edge of the right circle for a power-play goal.

Reinprecht gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead at 15:16 when he knocked in the puck from the crease after Nathan Horton’s shot squired just behind Johnson.

After a scoreless second period, Crosby scored to cut the Penguins’ deficit in half with a power-play goal at 2:14 of the third period.

Crosby later tied the game at 2-2 with a shorthanded goal at 16:41 of the third period, and it was pretty, converting a feed from Evgeni Malkin, slamming the puck home right behind Panthers’ Tomas Vokoun. It was the first short-handed goal of Crosby’s career.

The game went to a shootout when neither team scored in OT.

From the AP:

In the shootout, Crosby moved in slowly on Vokoun and made three moves to his forehand before finally tucking it into the net as Vokoun dove to his left.

Crosby improved to 3-for-3 in shootouts this season with his 10th career game-deciding shootout goal.

Crosby has 407 career points.

Philadelphia Phillies One Giant Step Closer to World Series

Posted on by TL

From the New York Times:

Unsatisfied by their last championship and determined to repeat recent history, the Philadelphia Phillies took another step in their quest to win the World Series again.

The Phillies have been in existence since 1883, the longest tenure of any professional sports team in one city, with one name. But it took them until Wednesday night to earn a rare distinction. With an emphatic 10-4 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, the Phillies have now won consecutive National League pennants for the first time in their 126-year history, and their seventh over all.

It is also the second year in a row the Phillies beat the Dodgers in five games. Their next appointment is with the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Angels and the Yankees, who lead that series three games to one.

The Phillies relied on the long ball to win this game. Jayson Werth hit two of them, a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the seventh. Shane Victorino added a two-run shot in the sixth, and Pedro Feliz hit a solo home run for the Phillies, who needed only eight hits to score their runs against shaky Dodgers pitching. The Dodgers issued four walks and hit three batters, and four of those free passes were converted into runs. The Phillies scored their final run on a wild pitch by Ronald Belisario.

Read more here.

I favor Pittsburgh.  But they’ve been out of contention for anything for close to two decades.

Go Phillies!

Penguins Strike Lightning, Improve to 7-1

Posted on by TL

It’s way too early in the hockey season, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are off to an incredible start. And I liked the headline from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette so much, I adapted it for Turning Left.

From the Post-Gazette:

The Penguins improved their record to 7-1 with a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at Mellon Arena.

That matches the club’s second-best record through eight games. The Penguins started 7-0-1 in 1995-96 and were 7-1 in 1986-87.

It was their first game after a 4-0 road trip.

The win gave coach Dan Bylsma his 25th regular-season win as an NHL head coach. He is 25-4-4 since taking over Feb. 15. That doesn’t include the Penguins’ run to the Stanley Cup last spring.

The Penguins opened a 1-0 lead at 4:57 of the first period when Bill Guerin, from below the left circle, swept in a rebound of a shot by Evgeni Malkin for a power-play goal. Malkin was playing in his 250th regular-season game.

A faceoff win by Sidney Crosby — who entered the game among the top 10 in the league by winning 62 percent of his draws — led to the Penguins’ second goal. He got the puck back to Brooks Orpik, who sent it across to Sergei Gonchar. Gonchar one-timed the puck from the right point past Lightning goaltender Antero Niittymaki at 17:10 of the first period.

Please read more here.

Limbaugh to be Dropped from St. Louis Rams Bid

Posted on by TL

From ESPN:

Rush Limbaugh is expected to be dropped from a group bidding to buy the St. Louis Rams, according to three NFL sources.

Dave Checketts, chairman of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and the point man in the Limbaugh group attempting to buy the Rams, realizes he must remove the controversial conservative radio host from his potential role as a minority member in the group in order to get approval from other NFL owners, the sources said.

Three-quarters of the league’s 32 owners would have to approve any sale to Limbaugh and his group. Earlier this week, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay predicted that Limbaugh’s potential bid would be met by significant opposition. Several players have also voiced their displeasure with Limbaugh’s potential ownership position, and NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith, who is black, urged players to speak out against Limbaugh’s bid.

Ultimately, the sources said, Checketts must reconfigure his group and find another investor to make his bid more viable.

Read more here.

Oh. And, "Ha. Ha."

(Tip of the hat to Raine Koch on Facebook for this.)

Video Highlights: Penguins Top Maple Leafs 5-2

Posted on by TL

The Pittsburgh Penguins improved their record to 4-1-0 by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto tonight.

Game recap from the Associated Press:

Intent on playing a physical style, the Toronto Maple Leafs need better penalty killing to keep it from backfiring.

Undisciplined penalties resulted in three power-plays goals for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night – two of them by Sidney Crosby – in Toronto’s 5-2 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champions.

There was plenty wrong all-around for the Maple Leafs (0-3-1), but the porous penalty killing was one area that particularly stood out. Crosby’s goals, both set up by Evgeni Malkin, came in the second period for a 4-1 lead that erased any hopes the Leafs might have had of mounting a comeback.

"There are a lot of things we have to do better," Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson said. "Clearing pucks is No. 1. … I’ve never done it, but we have to somehow practice shooting the puck down the ice, because we just aren’t very good at it."

Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke and Sergei Gonchar also scored for the Penguins (4-1-0), who were coming off a grinding 5-4 win over Philadelphia on Thursday night as they continue a grueling stretch of five games in eight days. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 18 shots to remain unbeaten.

Read more here.

Let’s go Pens!

 

61-year-old William Michael Grant Dies Trying to Retrieve Golf Ball

Posted on by TL

Okay, so I passed this up the first time I saw it and did not blog about it.   I thought, well, give the guy a break.

But then it came back today, this time in the Sun-Times:

A Texas golfer died after he fell over an embankment while trying to retrieve his golf ball.

Richardson police Sgt. Kevin Perlich says 61-year-old William Michael Grant was playing in a golf tournament Friday at Sherrill Park Golf Course when he overshot a green.

Police say Grant was trying to get his ball when witnesses saw him slip and fall about 10 feet. Perlich says it appears Grant broke his neck.

Rest in peace, Mr. Grant.  May you find greener courses, and hit many a hole in one.

Clausen Turns It On to Give Notre Dame 37-30 OT Win

Posted on by TL

This one was exciting enough to keep my Mom glued to the television set watching football for the first time ever, according to my Dad.  So, I’m pleased to offer Charlie Weis kudos for today’s win after bashing him because of the loss to Michigan.

Face it, Charlie, you could have a perfect record today if you had managed the clock better against Michigan.

But that’s water under the bridge.

I give Charlie Weis, Jimmy Clausen and Robert Hughes, yes, Robert Hughes, credit for today’s win against Washington.

Here’s the report from the Chicago Sun-Times (still the best sports paper in Chicago):

Jimmy Clausen floated a 12-yard pass into the end zone that Kyle Rudolph caught over cornerback Quinton Richardson with 80 seconds left and Hughes pushed a pile of defenders into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 30-27 lead.

Erik Folk kicked a 37-yard field goal with 6 seconds left to tie the game at 30 and force overtime. Notre Dame (4-1) improved to 8-0 against Washington (2-3).

It was the wildest finish yet in a season of them for the Irish.

Clausen was 23 of 31 passing for a career-high 422 yards, the fifth highest passing yardage in five seasons under coach Charlie Weis. He threw one interception. Golden Tate caught nine passes for a career-high 244 yards and a touchdown. He set up Hughes’ TD run with a 22-yard catch on the first play in overtime.

Four hundred and twenty-two yards? Jimmy, keep this up, and you’ll play on Sunday.

This was an impressive win.  Yes, it was enough to keep my mother glued to the TV.

Look, that is no small accomplishment.  Mom doesn’t waste her time watching football.  Living in Pittsburgh, of all places, Mom has kept her distance from the gridiron.

Until today.

Jimmy, don’t get all full of yourself.  The season ain’t over yet.   The goal, after all, is the national title.  Not just a bowl game.

Charlie, I still have my doubts about you.

But today was pretty.

So, today, I stood as the band played our Alma Mater after the game.

And I’m crossing my fingers for the USC game in two weeks.

And, remember, guys, you’re only as good as your last game.  Next game, you have to prove it all over again.

Today, go ahead, cheer, cheer, for old Notre Dame.

And wake up the echoes in two weeks when we face USC.

Pittsburgh Penguins Receive Stanley Cup Rings

Posted on by TL

Just look at all that gold.

Yes, that one ring could probably bail you out of your credit card debt.

Well, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins who received their Stanley Cup rings last night.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Penguins presented their championship rings in numerical order at a private dinner last night, which meant that captain Sidney Crosby had to wait and wait and wait for the serious bling that was to come. It was, of course, worth the time to place an ornament with the heft of a rock on his finger.

Crosby showed off the white and yellow gold band decorated with 167 diamonds, which was enough ice to replicate the surface at Mellon Arena.

“It’s a pretty nice ring,” Crosby said with classic understatement.

Rings were made for 52 players, coaches, staff and executives, and most were presented in person at a dinner at LeMont Restaurant on Mount Washington. The ceremony was held three days before the Penguins begin defense of their title, which team officials hoped would mark the end of the celebration and get the players in the proper frame of mind to begin another title journey.

Ironic that after four months on the ice, you get rewarded with more ice.

(Thanks to James Mendez for that last line.)

Go Pens!  The quest to defend the Cup begins Friday in Pittsburgh.

Sydney Crosby’s Groin Ready for Home Opener

Posted on by TL

Sorry, Syd.  Had to write that headline after reading this from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Center Sidney Crosby participated in the Penguins’ practice at Southpointe today with no apparent problem, and seems increasingly optimistic about playing in their season-opener Friday night against the New York Rangers at Mellon Arena.

Crosby said the injured groin he has been nursing for about a week “feels pretty good,” and that, “as long as everything stays the way it is, it should be good to go.”

I was even happier to read the team received their rings.