Here is the remaining schedule for the month of October.
Friday, October 15
Colorado at New Jersey, 7:00 PM
Toronto at NY Rangers, 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Pittsburgh, 7:00 PM
Chicago at Columbus, 7:00 PM
Montreal at Buffalo, 7:30 PM
Atlanta at Anaheim, 10:00 PM
Vancouver at Los Angeles, 10:30 PM
Saturday, October 16
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 6:00 PM
Ottawa at Montreal, 7:00 PM
Boston at New Jersey, 7:00 PM
Colorado at NY Islanders, 7:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Florida, 7:00 PM
Washington at Nashville, 8:00 PM
Columbus at Minnesota, 8:00 PM
St. Louis at Dallas, 8:30 PM
Buffalo at Chicago, 8:30 PM
Detroit at Phoenix, 9:00 PM
Edmonton at Calgary, 10:00 PM
Atlanta at San Jose, 10:30 PM
Sunday, October 17
Phoenix at Anaheim, 8:00 PM
Carolina at Vancouver, 9:00 PM
Monday, October 18
NY Islanders at Toronto, 7:00 PM
Colorado at NY Rangers, 7:00 PM
Ottawa at Pittsburgh, 7:00 PM
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM
St. Louis at Chicago, 8:30 PM
Tuesday, October 19
Boston at Washington, 7:30 PM
Calgary at Nashville, 8:00 PM
Vancouver at Minnesota, 9:00 PM
Carolina at San Jose, 10:30 PM
Wednesday, October 20
Buffalo at Atlanta, 7:00 PM
Anaheim at Columbus, 7:00 PM
Vancouver at Chicago, 9:00 PM
Carolina at Los Angeles, 10:30 PM
Thursday, October 21
Washington at Boston, 7:00 PM
NY Rangers at Toronto, 7:00 PM
Anaheim at Philadelphia, 7:00 PM
Calgary at Detroit, 7:30 PM
New Jersey at Montreal, 7:30 PM
NY Islanders at Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM
Dallas at Florida, 7:30 PM
Pittsburgh at Nashville, 8:00 PM
San Jose at Colorado, 9:00 PM
Minnesota at Edmonton, 9:00 PM
Los Angeles at Phoenix, 10:00 PM
Friday, October 22
Calgary at Columbus, 7:00 PM
Ottawa at Buffalo, 7:30 PM
Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Chicago at St. Louis, 8:00 PM
Minnesota at Vancouver, 10:00 PM
Saturday, October 23
NY Rangers at Boston, 7:00 PM
Montreal at Ottawa, 7:00 PM
Buffalo at New Jersey, 7:00 PM
Atlanta at Washington, 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Florida, 7:00 PM
Anaheim at Detroit, 7:00 PM
Toronto at Philadelphia, 7:00 PM
Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 8:00 PM
Nashville at Dallas, 8:00 PM
Columbus at Chicago, 8:30 PM
Los Angeles at Colorado, 9:00 PM
Carolina at Phoenix, 9:00 PM
San Jose at Edmonton, 10:00 PM
Sunday, October 24
Nashville at Tampa Bay, 6:00 PM
New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7:00 PM
San Jose at Calgary, 8:00 PM
Monday, October 25
Philadelphia at Columbus, 7:00 PM
Phoenix at Montreal, 7:30 PM
Los Angeles at Minnesota, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, October 26
Florida at Toronto, 7:00 PM
Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7:00 PM
Phoenix at Ottawa, 7:30 PM
Edmonton at Calgary, 9:00 PM
Anaheim at Dallas, 9:00 PM
Colorado at Vancouver, 10:00 PM
Wednesday, October 27
Atlanta at NY Rangers, 7:00 PM
Washington at Carolina, 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Montreal, 7:30 PM
Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM
Los Angeles at Chicago, 8:30 PM
New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 PM
Thursday, October 28
Toronto at Boston, 7:00 PM
Edmonton at Columbus, 7:00 PM
Phoenix at Detroit, 7:30 PM
Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 PM
St. Louis at Nashville, 8:00 PM
Washington at Minnesota, 8:00 PM
Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 PM
Colorado at Calgary, 9:00 PM
Friday, October 29
Montreal at NY Islanders, 7:00 PM
Carolina at NY Rangers, 7:00 PM
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 7:00 PM
Buffalo at Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Edmonton at Chicago, 8:30 PM
New Jersey at Anaheim, 10:00 PM
Saturday, October 30
NY Rangers at Toronto, 7:00 PM
Florida at Montreal, 7:00 PM
Boston at Ottawa, 7:00 PM
Pittsburgh at Carolina, 7:00 PM
Nashville at Detroit, 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Philadelphia, 7:00 PM
Atlanta at St. Louis, 8:00 PM
Chicago at Minnesota, 8:00 PM
Buffalo at Dallas, 8:00 PM
Columbus at Colorado, 9:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Phoenix, 9:00 PM
Washington at Calgary, 10:00 PM
New Jersey at Los Angeles, 10:30 PM
Anaheim at San Jose, 10:30 PM
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Chicago Blackhawks Preview
The Blackhawks restored the grandeur of an Original Six franchise to Chicago by winning a franchise-record 52 games, taking a Central Division title, and to cap it off, won their first Stanley Cup in 49 years by dispatching the Philadelphia Flyers in a six-game triumph.
That was then. This is now.
The ticker tape had barely been cleared from the clustered streets within the Loop before salary cap issues forced the gutting of roughly one-third of that winning roster. Gone was three-time champion John Madden as a free agent, along with forward Kris Versteeg who was dealt to the Maple Leafs. Both goaltenders were given their walking papers -- former number one Cristobal Huet was left to wither behind rookie sensation Antti Niemi -- until the 'Hawks played hardball with the young Finn and let him go in free agency to San Jose. Huet, meanwhile, was loaned to a Swiss club, so the Blackhawks will have to pay his hefty salary this year, but it won't count against the cap.
Perhaps the biggest blow to the guts of the team was the massive salary-dump deal with Atlanta that saw playoff hero Dustin Byfuglien and defenseman Brent Sopel along with Ben Eager and Akim Aliu head south for two draft picks, three prospects and Marty Reasoner, who was immediately recycled to Florida.
No club since the 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers has won the Stanley Cup one season, then returned the following year with a roster so affected with key personnel changes. It will be a challenge taken on by head coach Joel Quenneville, team captain and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Toews and high-scoring Patrick Kane, all of whom experienced their first Cup run in positions of authority and leadership.
Success this coming spring depends on how they apply the lessons learned in winning to days which may not be so promising.
ON THE ATTACK
It's hard to argue with the numbers Messrs. Toews (25 goals, 68 points/seven goals, 29 points) and Kane (30 goals, 88 points/10 goals, 28 points) produced a year ago, and even harder to imagine similar stats won't be forthcoming this season.
The job will be made tougher on the Terror Twins now that Byfuglien's bulky presence and scoring (34 pts.) won't be there, along with Versteeg (44 pts.) Andrew Ladd (separate deal with Atlanta; 38 pts.), Madden (10 goals, 23 points) and Colin Fraser (free agent to Edmonton) have left. Still, Patrick Sharp (25 goals, 66 points), Marian Hossa (24 goals, 51 points) and Troy Brouwer (22 goals, 40 points) remain as a strong supporting cast.
More will be expected of Dave Bolland (16 points in 39 games) and Tomas Kopecky (21 points in 74 games), who showed flashes of grit and scoring touch as the year wore on. Madden's departure was mitigated somewhat by the signing of defensive forward Fernando Pisani, but his best year came in 2006 and his effectiveness may be blunted by years in the Oilers system.
One benefit of salary-cap moves en masse is the influx of younger talent that gets a chance to crack the roster. Wisconsin product Jack Skille and new acquisition Victor Stalberg, along with Jeff Taffe (from Florida for Reasoner) and Jeremy Morin (from Atlanta) have a legitimate shot to earn a spot with the big club. Russian import Igor Makarov and AHL journeymen Hugh Jessiman and Ryan Potulny are also in the mix. Ben Smith, fresh from a national title at Boston College, also gets his chance to prove himself with a two-year deal.
ON DEFENSE
Chicago enjoyed one of the most physically-punishing, yet mobile and puck savvy defensive corps in the NHL a season ago. Luckily, only Sopel and Cam Barker (Minnesota) have departed from this deadly bunch.
Leading the smooth edge of the backline, Duncan Keith earned a Gold medal in the Vancouver Games and won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman with 69 points and a plus-21 in 82 contests. Niklas Hjalmarsson developed into a secondary quarterback on the power play (17 points in 77 games), but it'll be up to Jordan Hendry, Jonathan Carlsson or whoever else Quenneville grooms to pick up some offensive slack.
In the rough-edge department, Brent Seabrook (30 points, 208 hits) and Brian Campbell (38 points, 79 blocked shots) put up roadblocks all over the ice while Sopel (50 hits, 120 blocks) provided steadying guidance. Jassen Cullimore, at age 37, gets the nod to take his place after a year in the minors, while Nick Boynton should also have an entire season to get back on his feet after years of wandering between jobs.
Chicago's up-tempo game-plan did cause trouble with the defense at times last season as did speed from opposition forwards (Nashville and Philadelphia in particular), so it's unclear whether this subtle new batch of blueliners will aid or hinder efforts to close any gaps.
IN THE CREASE
No title-winning club in recent memory, through either trades or salary-cap issues, has gotten rid of both their netminders before the start of the following season.
Chicago will be hard-pressed to justify parting ways with the combined efforts of Huet (26-14-4, 4 SO, 2.50 GAA) and Niemi (26-7-4, 7 SO, 2.25), especially after Niemi's playoff run (16-6, 2 SO, 2.63), but free-agent veteran Marty Turco will be given the opportunity to redeem himself.
The 35-year-old, who spurned Cup finalist Philadelphia in favor of a spot with the defending champs, comes from the Dallas Stars with a reputation of solid but unspectacular play. He was 22-20-11 with a 2.72 GAA and four shutouts for a moribund Stars club last year, and though he's shown flashes of brilliance in the past, he?s never demonstrated the ability to be a difference-maker.
Obviously, the Blackhawks saw something in his 262 career wins and 40 shutouts, but his 21-26 playoff record is suspiciously subpar for someone who's coming into a winning environment.
Former second-round pick Corey Crawford, sparsely used in recent years, now gets his chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. He's spent five seasons in the AHL with Norfolk and Rockford honing his skills, and this year it's time to deliver. If he doesn't come on strong enough from camp, competition exists in the form of Hannu Toivonen -- last seen with the Blues (6-10-0, 3.44 GAA) in 2007-08.
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
The Blackhawks may be the epitome of the one-shot deal, a shocking example of the vagaries of the salary-cap era and a lesson to other top-tier clubs that going for it all only pays off if you win, but the chances are better that you will win if you're able to make the leap once.
The guts of the club may have been ripped out due to trades and free agency, but the heart (Kane) and soul (Toews) still remain along with a solid defensive foundation. The Central Division has officially passed out of the hands of the Red Wings, who appear to be on the downside of the rivalry, but given the roster upheaval, a chance at the top seed in the Western Conference will most likely be out of reach.
Still, those are good problems to have coming off a championship season. Now if the United Center could find another song in the entire canon of Western pop music that isn't nearly as grating as "Chelsea Dagger," they'll be in better shape.
That was then. This is now.
The ticker tape had barely been cleared from the clustered streets within the Loop before salary cap issues forced the gutting of roughly one-third of that winning roster. Gone was three-time champion John Madden as a free agent, along with forward Kris Versteeg who was dealt to the Maple Leafs. Both goaltenders were given their walking papers -- former number one Cristobal Huet was left to wither behind rookie sensation Antti Niemi -- until the 'Hawks played hardball with the young Finn and let him go in free agency to San Jose. Huet, meanwhile, was loaned to a Swiss club, so the Blackhawks will have to pay his hefty salary this year, but it won't count against the cap.
Perhaps the biggest blow to the guts of the team was the massive salary-dump deal with Atlanta that saw playoff hero Dustin Byfuglien and defenseman Brent Sopel along with Ben Eager and Akim Aliu head south for two draft picks, three prospects and Marty Reasoner, who was immediately recycled to Florida.
No club since the 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers has won the Stanley Cup one season, then returned the following year with a roster so affected with key personnel changes. It will be a challenge taken on by head coach Joel Quenneville, team captain and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Toews and high-scoring Patrick Kane, all of whom experienced their first Cup run in positions of authority and leadership.
Success this coming spring depends on how they apply the lessons learned in winning to days which may not be so promising.
ON THE ATTACK
It's hard to argue with the numbers Messrs. Toews (25 goals, 68 points/seven goals, 29 points) and Kane (30 goals, 88 points/10 goals, 28 points) produced a year ago, and even harder to imagine similar stats won't be forthcoming this season.
The job will be made tougher on the Terror Twins now that Byfuglien's bulky presence and scoring (34 pts.) won't be there, along with Versteeg (44 pts.) Andrew Ladd (separate deal with Atlanta; 38 pts.), Madden (10 goals, 23 points) and Colin Fraser (free agent to Edmonton) have left. Still, Patrick Sharp (25 goals, 66 points), Marian Hossa (24 goals, 51 points) and Troy Brouwer (22 goals, 40 points) remain as a strong supporting cast.
More will be expected of Dave Bolland (16 points in 39 games) and Tomas Kopecky (21 points in 74 games), who showed flashes of grit and scoring touch as the year wore on. Madden's departure was mitigated somewhat by the signing of defensive forward Fernando Pisani, but his best year came in 2006 and his effectiveness may be blunted by years in the Oilers system.
One benefit of salary-cap moves en masse is the influx of younger talent that gets a chance to crack the roster. Wisconsin product Jack Skille and new acquisition Victor Stalberg, along with Jeff Taffe (from Florida for Reasoner) and Jeremy Morin (from Atlanta) have a legitimate shot to earn a spot with the big club. Russian import Igor Makarov and AHL journeymen Hugh Jessiman and Ryan Potulny are also in the mix. Ben Smith, fresh from a national title at Boston College, also gets his chance to prove himself with a two-year deal.
ON DEFENSE
Chicago enjoyed one of the most physically-punishing, yet mobile and puck savvy defensive corps in the NHL a season ago. Luckily, only Sopel and Cam Barker (Minnesota) have departed from this deadly bunch.
Leading the smooth edge of the backline, Duncan Keith earned a Gold medal in the Vancouver Games and won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman with 69 points and a plus-21 in 82 contests. Niklas Hjalmarsson developed into a secondary quarterback on the power play (17 points in 77 games), but it'll be up to Jordan Hendry, Jonathan Carlsson or whoever else Quenneville grooms to pick up some offensive slack.
In the rough-edge department, Brent Seabrook (30 points, 208 hits) and Brian Campbell (38 points, 79 blocked shots) put up roadblocks all over the ice while Sopel (50 hits, 120 blocks) provided steadying guidance. Jassen Cullimore, at age 37, gets the nod to take his place after a year in the minors, while Nick Boynton should also have an entire season to get back on his feet after years of wandering between jobs.
Chicago's up-tempo game-plan did cause trouble with the defense at times last season as did speed from opposition forwards (Nashville and Philadelphia in particular), so it's unclear whether this subtle new batch of blueliners will aid or hinder efforts to close any gaps.
IN THE CREASE
No title-winning club in recent memory, through either trades or salary-cap issues, has gotten rid of both their netminders before the start of the following season.
Chicago will be hard-pressed to justify parting ways with the combined efforts of Huet (26-14-4, 4 SO, 2.50 GAA) and Niemi (26-7-4, 7 SO, 2.25), especially after Niemi's playoff run (16-6, 2 SO, 2.63), but free-agent veteran Marty Turco will be given the opportunity to redeem himself.
The 35-year-old, who spurned Cup finalist Philadelphia in favor of a spot with the defending champs, comes from the Dallas Stars with a reputation of solid but unspectacular play. He was 22-20-11 with a 2.72 GAA and four shutouts for a moribund Stars club last year, and though he's shown flashes of brilliance in the past, he?s never demonstrated the ability to be a difference-maker.
Obviously, the Blackhawks saw something in his 262 career wins and 40 shutouts, but his 21-26 playoff record is suspiciously subpar for someone who's coming into a winning environment.
Former second-round pick Corey Crawford, sparsely used in recent years, now gets his chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. He's spent five seasons in the AHL with Norfolk and Rockford honing his skills, and this year it's time to deliver. If he doesn't come on strong enough from camp, competition exists in the form of Hannu Toivonen -- last seen with the Blues (6-10-0, 3.44 GAA) in 2007-08.
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
The Blackhawks may be the epitome of the one-shot deal, a shocking example of the vagaries of the salary-cap era and a lesson to other top-tier clubs that going for it all only pays off if you win, but the chances are better that you will win if you're able to make the leap once.
The guts of the club may have been ripped out due to trades and free agency, but the heart (Kane) and soul (Toews) still remain along with a solid defensive foundation. The Central Division has officially passed out of the hands of the Red Wings, who appear to be on the downside of the rivalry, but given the roster upheaval, a chance at the top seed in the Western Conference will most likely be out of reach.
Still, those are good problems to have coming off a championship season. Now if the United Center could find another song in the entire canon of Western pop music that isn't nearly as grating as "Chelsea Dagger," they'll be in better shape.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tiger Woods Sex Tape
I just don’t know what to think about this alleged sex tape.
Tiger’s supposed 15th mistress, Devon James, has apparently sold a 67-minute video of her and Woods doing the dirty.
“We made a deal with a DVD production company,” Devon’s husband, Nick James, told RadarOnline.com. “We’re going to sell the video online and we get half the profits of all sales.”
“Ultimately we found a different company and they gave us $350,000 down with projected sales of $5 million total once it’s out.”
Apparently, the tape will be released next month. Problem is, Devon’s own mother is questioning her daughter’s credibility.
“My daughter is nothing but a pathological liar… there was no relationship with Tiger Woods,” she told Radar.
Uh-huh.
At this point, nothing would surprise me about Tiger’s antics, but you would think that he would have had the sense to nix any type of video footage. Then again, he wasn’t bright enough to clear the naughty texts from his phone, which got this whole mess going in the first place.
So what do you think? Is this tape the real deal, and if so, are you going to check it out?
To find out the odds on this one check out the up and coming proposition wagers available from your favorite online sportsbooks.
Tiger’s supposed 15th mistress, Devon James, has apparently sold a 67-minute video of her and Woods doing the dirty.
“We made a deal with a DVD production company,” Devon’s husband, Nick James, told RadarOnline.com. “We’re going to sell the video online and we get half the profits of all sales.”
“Ultimately we found a different company and they gave us $350,000 down with projected sales of $5 million total once it’s out.”
Apparently, the tape will be released next month. Problem is, Devon’s own mother is questioning her daughter’s credibility.
“My daughter is nothing but a pathological liar… there was no relationship with Tiger Woods,” she told Radar.
Uh-huh.
At this point, nothing would surprise me about Tiger’s antics, but you would think that he would have had the sense to nix any type of video footage. Then again, he wasn’t bright enough to clear the naughty texts from his phone, which got this whole mess going in the first place.
So what do you think? Is this tape the real deal, and if so, are you going to check it out?
To find out the odds on this one check out the up and coming proposition wagers available from your favorite online sportsbooks.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Live Soccer Scores
In case you missed the world cup than you can receive live soccer scores and football scores that are updated all the time.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Chicago BlackHawks win the Stanley Cup
The staff here at Coopers sports picks would like to congratulate the Chicago Blackhawks on their first Stanley cup in 50+ years as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in Overtime at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to win the stanley cup in 6 games.
We had a great season making a lot of hockey fans and sports bettors a lot of money by successfully handicapping NHL games and look forward to doing so again next season.
We had a great season making a lot of hockey fans and sports bettors a lot of money by successfully handicapping NHL games and look forward to doing so again next season.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Flyers vs Bruins
NHL Playoff action Flyers vs Bruins
(7) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (0-1) AT (6) BOSTON BRUINS (1-0), 7 P.M.
Marc Savard and the Boston Bruins will try to build off the
momentum from a thrilling overtime victory when they host the Philadelphia
Flyers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at TD Garden.
Savard, playing for the first time since suffering a concussion on March 7,
scored the game-winner 13:52 into overtime, leading the sixth-seeded Bruins to
a 5-4 victory in the opener of this best-of-seven series on Saturday.
Boston earned the home victory despite blowing a 4-2 lead in the third period,
and tonight, the Bruins will try to take a 2-0 lead before the series shifts
to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.
The seventh-seeded Flyers, meanwhile, will attempt to bounce back and earn a
split in Beantown. Philadelphia, which will host Game 3 on Wednesday, is now
2-2 on the road in the postseason after going 17-21-3 as the away club during
the regular season.
Boston was 18-17-6 as the host during the season and has a perfect 4-0 record
at home so far in the playoffs. The Bruins won all three home games while
eliminating Buffalo in six games during the opening round.
On Saturday, Savard took a rolling puck in the right circle after Philadelphia
was unable to clear and rocketed a slapshot above Brian Boucher's glove into
the top right corner.
Patrice Bergeron and Miroslav Satan each recorded a goal and an assist for the
Bruins, who are 37-18 all-time in series when winning the opening game. Steve
Begin and David Krejci also scored, while Dennis Wideman had three assists.
"I think (Savard) played great hockey," Krejci said. "I can't remember the
last time he played like that. I'm talking about the overtime. It was huge. A
huge goal, and it's a good win. We have the first one, but the next one is
going to be much harder."
Tuukka Rask stopped 32 shots for his fifth career playoff victory.
Mike Richards tallied a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who have lost
seven of their last eight Game 1s. Philadelphia did take the series opener in
the first round against New Jersey, en route to winning that series in five
games.
Chris Pronger and Danny Briere added a goal and an assist apiece, while Ryan
Parent also scored in defeat.
The Flyers, who were playing their first game since eliminating the Devils on
April 22, fell behind 2-0 in the opening period and were forced to chase
Boston all afternoon. The Bruins went ahead 4-2 on Krejci's goal at 7:25 of
the third period, but Philadelphia received goals by Pronger and Briere in the
final 10 minutes of regulation to force OT.
"It's one game," Briere said. "Obviously, we are not happy about the way we
played in the first period, giving them that 2-0 lead. But that's hockey. It's
one game. Get ready and bounce back. We were about to win one on their ice and
in the first two, and we're still in good shape. That is going to be our goal
for the next game."
Boucher, who kept his club in the extra session with 14 saves, stopped 41-
of-46 shots in all for Philadelphia.
The Bruins did lose forward Marco Sturm for the remainder of the playoffs with
a knee injury suffered in the first period of Saturday's game. Sturm, who
failed to register a point in Boston's first seven playoff games, led the
Bruins with 22 goals this season and added 15 assists for 37 points.
Boston and the Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since
1978. Each team has won twice in the four all-time playoff series between the
clubs. The Flyers won the most notable matchup, beating Boston in six games to
win the Stanley Cup in 1974. The Bruins have won the last two encounters,
including a five-game series win over Philly the last time clubs met in the
1978 Stanley Cup semifinals.
The Flyers and B's split four games this year in a season series that included
Boston's 2-1 overtime victory in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park. Both the
Bruins and Flyers had 2-1-1 records in the series.
(3) VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1-0) AT (2) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (0-1), 9 P.M.
(Sports Network) - The second-seeded Chicago Blackhawks will try to bounce
back from a blowout loss in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals,
when they host the Vancouver Canucks in Game 2 tonight at United Center.
The Blackhawks also hosted Game 1 on Saturday, but were slammed, 5-1, by the
third-seeded Canucks. In its first round series against Nashville, Chicago
lost the opener at home by a 4-1 count before rebounding to win the series in
six games.
This series is a rematch of last year's conference semifinals, which Chicago
won in six games before losing to Detroit in the West finals. The Canucks also
won the opener in last year's matchup when they had home-ice advantage.
Roberto Luongo made 36 saves and Vancouver scored the first five goals of the
game en route to Saturday's easy victory in the Windy City.
Christian Ehrhoff and Mason Raymond each had a goal and an assist while Henrik
Sedin, Michael Grabner and Kyle Wellwood each added a goal for the Canucks,
who eliminated Los Angeles in six games to reach this stage.
Both the Blackhawks and Vancouver had a considerable layoff between the first
and second round of the playoffs. Chicago was playing its first game since
April 26, while the Canucks had been off since April 25.
"I was able to make a few saves early and it got me going," said Luongo. "That
was nice to get in the action right away since we hadn't played since Sunday.
Now we've got to keep it going."
Patrick Kane scored the lone goal while Antti Niemi made 20 saves in the loss
for the Blackhawks. Niemi was pulled after the second period and replaced by
Cristobal Huet, who stopped all three shots he faced.
"Sometimes when you have a long layoff it hurts," said Kane. "But they had the
same thing, though, so there's no excuse for it. Maybe we came in thinking it
was going to be an easy series which obviously it's not."
Niemi, who will get the start again tonight, has surrendered a total of 12
goals on 74 shots over his last three games. Luongo has stopped 90-of-95 shots
over the same span.
The Blackhawks were 29-8-4 as the host during the regular season and is 2-2 at
United Center in the postseason. Vancouver, which will host Game 3 on
Wednesday, was 19-20-2 on the road this year and is 3-1 as the guest in the
playoffs.
This marks the fourth time the clubs have battled in the postseason.
Vancouver's only series victory over Chicago was in the 1982 conference
finals, when the Canucks ousted the Blackhawks in five games before getting
swept by the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Finals.
(7) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (0-1) AT (6) BOSTON BRUINS (1-0), 7 P.M.
Marc Savard and the Boston Bruins will try to build off the
momentum from a thrilling overtime victory when they host the Philadelphia
Flyers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at TD Garden.
Savard, playing for the first time since suffering a concussion on March 7,
scored the game-winner 13:52 into overtime, leading the sixth-seeded Bruins to
a 5-4 victory in the opener of this best-of-seven series on Saturday.
Boston earned the home victory despite blowing a 4-2 lead in the third period,
and tonight, the Bruins will try to take a 2-0 lead before the series shifts
to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.
The seventh-seeded Flyers, meanwhile, will attempt to bounce back and earn a
split in Beantown. Philadelphia, which will host Game 3 on Wednesday, is now
2-2 on the road in the postseason after going 17-21-3 as the away club during
the regular season.
Boston was 18-17-6 as the host during the season and has a perfect 4-0 record
at home so far in the playoffs. The Bruins won all three home games while
eliminating Buffalo in six games during the opening round.
On Saturday, Savard took a rolling puck in the right circle after Philadelphia
was unable to clear and rocketed a slapshot above Brian Boucher's glove into
the top right corner.
Patrice Bergeron and Miroslav Satan each recorded a goal and an assist for the
Bruins, who are 37-18 all-time in series when winning the opening game. Steve
Begin and David Krejci also scored, while Dennis Wideman had three assists.
"I think (Savard) played great hockey," Krejci said. "I can't remember the
last time he played like that. I'm talking about the overtime. It was huge. A
huge goal, and it's a good win. We have the first one, but the next one is
going to be much harder."
Tuukka Rask stopped 32 shots for his fifth career playoff victory.
Mike Richards tallied a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who have lost
seven of their last eight Game 1s. Philadelphia did take the series opener in
the first round against New Jersey, en route to winning that series in five
games.
Chris Pronger and Danny Briere added a goal and an assist apiece, while Ryan
Parent also scored in defeat.
The Flyers, who were playing their first game since eliminating the Devils on
April 22, fell behind 2-0 in the opening period and were forced to chase
Boston all afternoon. The Bruins went ahead 4-2 on Krejci's goal at 7:25 of
the third period, but Philadelphia received goals by Pronger and Briere in the
final 10 minutes of regulation to force OT.
"It's one game," Briere said. "Obviously, we are not happy about the way we
played in the first period, giving them that 2-0 lead. But that's hockey. It's
one game. Get ready and bounce back. We were about to win one on their ice and
in the first two, and we're still in good shape. That is going to be our goal
for the next game."
Boucher, who kept his club in the extra session with 14 saves, stopped 41-
of-46 shots in all for Philadelphia.
The Bruins did lose forward Marco Sturm for the remainder of the playoffs with
a knee injury suffered in the first period of Saturday's game. Sturm, who
failed to register a point in Boston's first seven playoff games, led the
Bruins with 22 goals this season and added 15 assists for 37 points.
Boston and the Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since
1978. Each team has won twice in the four all-time playoff series between the
clubs. The Flyers won the most notable matchup, beating Boston in six games to
win the Stanley Cup in 1974. The Bruins have won the last two encounters,
including a five-game series win over Philly the last time clubs met in the
1978 Stanley Cup semifinals.
The Flyers and B's split four games this year in a season series that included
Boston's 2-1 overtime victory in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park. Both the
Bruins and Flyers had 2-1-1 records in the series.
(3) VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1-0) AT (2) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (0-1), 9 P.M.
(Sports Network) - The second-seeded Chicago Blackhawks will try to bounce
back from a blowout loss in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals,
when they host the Vancouver Canucks in Game 2 tonight at United Center.
The Blackhawks also hosted Game 1 on Saturday, but were slammed, 5-1, by the
third-seeded Canucks. In its first round series against Nashville, Chicago
lost the opener at home by a 4-1 count before rebounding to win the series in
six games.
This series is a rematch of last year's conference semifinals, which Chicago
won in six games before losing to Detroit in the West finals. The Canucks also
won the opener in last year's matchup when they had home-ice advantage.
Roberto Luongo made 36 saves and Vancouver scored the first five goals of the
game en route to Saturday's easy victory in the Windy City.
Christian Ehrhoff and Mason Raymond each had a goal and an assist while Henrik
Sedin, Michael Grabner and Kyle Wellwood each added a goal for the Canucks,
who eliminated Los Angeles in six games to reach this stage.
Both the Blackhawks and Vancouver had a considerable layoff between the first
and second round of the playoffs. Chicago was playing its first game since
April 26, while the Canucks had been off since April 25.
"I was able to make a few saves early and it got me going," said Luongo. "That
was nice to get in the action right away since we hadn't played since Sunday.
Now we've got to keep it going."
Patrick Kane scored the lone goal while Antti Niemi made 20 saves in the loss
for the Blackhawks. Niemi was pulled after the second period and replaced by
Cristobal Huet, who stopped all three shots he faced.
"Sometimes when you have a long layoff it hurts," said Kane. "But they had the
same thing, though, so there's no excuse for it. Maybe we came in thinking it
was going to be an easy series which obviously it's not."
Niemi, who will get the start again tonight, has surrendered a total of 12
goals on 74 shots over his last three games. Luongo has stopped 90-of-95 shots
over the same span.
The Blackhawks were 29-8-4 as the host during the regular season and is 2-2 at
United Center in the postseason. Vancouver, which will host Game 3 on
Wednesday, was 19-20-2 on the road this year and is 3-1 as the guest in the
playoffs.
This marks the fourth time the clubs have battled in the postseason.
Vancouver's only series victory over Chicago was in the 1982 conference
finals, when the Canucks ousted the Blackhawks in five games before getting
swept by the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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