Monday, April 30, 2012

NBA Playoffs: Thunder, Heat Take 2-0 Series Leads; Orlando Squares Series With Indiana

The NBA Playoffs continued with three Monday contests.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Miami:


Dwayne Wade scored 25 points, Chris Bosh added 21, and LeBron James 19 as the Miami Heat took a two-games-to-none advantage over the New York Knicks in their conference quarterfinal series following their 104-94 home win in game two, despite 30 points from the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony.


At Indianapolis:


An 18-point, 10-rebound performance from Glen Davis helped power the Indiana Pacers to a first-round series-evening (at one game apiece) 93-78 game-two home win over the Orlando Magic.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Oklahoma City:


Russell Westbrook scored 29 points while Kevin Durant added 26 as the Oklahoma City Thunder, helped along by near-perfect free-throw shooting (37 of 39 for 94.9%), held off the visiting Dallas Mavericks 102-99 for a two-games-to-none conference quarterfinal series lead, despite 31 points from the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Caps Square Series With Rangers; Kings Beat Blues Again To Take 2-0 Lead Home

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with two games played on Monday.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At New York:


Alex Ovechkin's power-play goal at 12:33 of the third period proved to be the game winner as the Washington Capitals squared their conference semifinal series with the New York Rangers at one game apiece with a 3-2 game-two win on the road.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At St. Louis:


Anze Kopitar scored a pair of goals (one of them shorthanded) during a four-tally first-period barrage as the Los Angeles Kings dominated the St. Louis Blues 5-2 on the road in game two for a two-games-to-none conference semifinal series lead.

More Hawaiian Music!

From way back, and recorded in Hawaii, here's Tommy Solomon with the stock key guitar solo on "Old Timer's Hula."

Yes, that was the name of the record company.

Aloha!

Time for music by Harry Owens and his Royal Hawaiians, "My Isle of Golden Dreams."

Enjoy!

Time For Music

From 1938, here's Woody Herman and his orchestra starring in a Warner Brothers/Vitaphone musical short along with Lee Wiley, Hal and Honey Abbott, Marie Hartman, and Reed Brown, Jr.  This short subject was photographed by Ray Foster and directed by Roy Mack.

Enjoy!

A Quick Word

1960 commercial for Kellogg's Rice Krispies.

What's Bugging Him?

From Terrytoons in 1939, we present "The Tempermental Lion."  An angry lion is out for revenge on the hunter who had captured and had him sent to the zoo.  With story by John Foster and music by Phil Scheib, this cartoon, produced in New Rochelle, New York by Paul Terry and released by 20th Century-Fox, was directed by Connie Rasinski.

For A Close, Smooth Shave.........

Try the new Philips Jet Philishave.

Australian TV commercial from 1960.

Here's Bing!


From 1954, here's Bing Crosby in his first television commercial for Minute Maid Orange Juice (Bing had ownership in the company at the time).

Sunday, April 29, 2012

NBA Playoffs: Clippers Overcome 21-Point Deficit To Stun Grizzlies In Memphis; Lakers, Spurs, Hawks Take Series Openers

The NBA Playoffs continued on Sunday with four games.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Memphis:


Chris Paul connected on a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left (he scored 14 points and had 11 assists) as the Los Angeles Clippers came back from an 21-point deficit after three quarters (tying an NBA single-game playoff record for largest comeback from a third-quarter deficit) to upend the home-standing Memphis Grizzlies 99-98 in the opening game of their conference quarterfinal series.  Nick Young scored 19 points to pace the Clippers.  Rudy Gay scored 19 points top lead the Grizzlies but he missed a 15-fot shot with 0.9 seconds left.


At Los Angeles:


A 10-block, 10-point, 13-rebound performance from Andrew Bynum, along with 31 points from Kobe Bryant spurred the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-88 home win over the Denver Nuggets in the opening game of their opening-round series.


At San Antonio:


Tony Parker scored 28 points as the San Antonio Spurs won their first playoff opener since 2008, 106-91 at home over the Denver Nuggets in the opening game of their first-round series.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Atlanta:


22 points and 18 rebounds from Josh Smith lifted the visiting Atlanta Hawks to a conference quarterfinal series-opening 83-74 win over the Boston Celtics.  Rajon Rondo, who scored 20 points for the Celtics, was ejected in the game's final minute for bumping into an official and could face suspension time.



Stanley Cup Playoffs: Flyers Top Devils In OT In Series Opener; Coyotes Take 2-0 Series Lead To Music City

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with two Sunday contests.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Philadelphia:


The Philadelphia Flyers, thanks to Danny Briere's game winner (his second goal of the game) at 4:36 of overtime, defeated the visiting New Jersey Devils 4-3 in game one of their conference semifinal series.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Glendale, Arizona:


Shane Doan, Radim Vrbata, and Antoine Vermette each scored a goal and had an assist as the Phoenix Coyotes took a two-games-to-none in their conference semifinal series following their 5-3 game-two home win over the Nashville Predators.

NBA Playoffs: Good News, Bad News For Bulls; Chicago Wins Opener, Loses Derrick Rose For Season; Heat, Magic, Thunder Take Series Openers

The National Basketball Association Playoffs commenced on Saturday with four games.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Chicago:


Derrick Rose scored 23 points while dishing out 9 assists and grabbing 9 rebounds before he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear in the Chicago Bulls' 103-91 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening game of their conference quarterfinal series.


At Miami:


LeBron James scored 32 points on 10 of 14 shooting from the floor as the Miami Heat demolished the visiting New York Knickerbockers 100-67 in the opening contest of their first-round series.


At Indianapolis:


Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson scored 17 points apiece as the Orlando Magic defeated the home-standing Indiana Pacers 81-77 in the first contest of their opening-round series.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Oklahoma City:


Kevin Durant scored 25 points, two of them on the game-winning jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining as the Oklahoma City Thunder pull out a thrilling 99-98 home win over the Dallas Mavericks in the opening contest of their conference quarterfinal series.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Rangers, Kings Take Series Openers

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Saturday with two games.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At New York:


Despite being held to 14 shots on goal, the New York Rangers, with goals from Artem Anisimov, Chris Kreider, and Brad Richards, defeated the Washington Capitals 3-1 at home in the opening game of their conference semifinal series.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At St. Louis:


Slava Voynov, Matt Greene (shorthanded), and Dustin Penner (empty net) each scored once while Jonathan Quick stopped 28 of 29 shots as the Los Angeles Kings, on the road, downed the St. Louis Blues 3-1 in the opening match of their conference semifinal series.

Niners Draft Selections

Here are the selections by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Draft, which concluded on Saturday night.


1. A. J. Jenkins, Wide Receiver, Illinois (30th pick overall)


2. LaMichael James, Running Back, Oregon (61st pick overall)


4. Joe Looney, Offensive Guard, Wake Forest (117th pick overall)


5. Darius Fleming, Outside Linebacker, Notre Dame (165th pick overall)


6. Trenton Robinson, Free Safety, Michigan State (180th pick overall)


6. Jason Slowey, Offensive Tackle, Western Oregon (199th pick overall)


7. Cam Johnson, Defensive End, Virginia (237th pick overall)

Friday, April 27, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Coyotes Take Series Opener In OT

At Glendale, Arizona:


Ray Whitney scored the winning goal at 14:04 of overtime as the Phoenix Coyotes defeated the visiting Nashville Predators 4-3 on Friday in the opening game of a Western Conference semifinal series as the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs commenced.

A Rare Clip

Here's a clip of a guest appearance by The Lettermen on the July 17, 1965 CBS Network telecast of Fanfare, hosted by Al Hirt.  This series was Jackie Gleason's 1965 summer replacement.

Niners Select Fighting Ilini WR In First Round

In Thursday's opening round of the NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers (with the 30th selection overall) picked Illionis Wide Receiver A. J. Jenkins.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Devils (In 2 OT), Rangers Win Game Sevens

Two games, both in the Eastern Conference, were played as the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs came to a close on Thursday.


At Sunrise, Florida:


Adam Henrique scored his second goal of the game at 3:47 of the second overtime period as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 on the road in the seventh and deciding game of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Devils will take on the Philadelphia Flyers in a conference semifinal best-of-seven series.  Devils goalie Martin Brodeur saved 43 of 45 shots.


At New York:


Second-goal goals from Marc Staal and Dan Giraldi, along with solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist (who stopped 26 of 27 shots), carried the New York Rangers to a 2-1 game-seven home win over the Ottawa Senators, enabling them to win their opening-round series.  The Rangers will next face the Washington Capitals in a conference semifinal series.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: OT Goal Ends Bruins Reign

At Washington:


Joel Ward scored the winning goal at 2:57 of overtime as the Washington Capitals knocked off the Boston Bruins 2-1 on the road in game seven of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, thus winning the series four game to three and dethroning the defending champions in the lone Wednesday Stanley Cup Playoff contest.

Wanna Freshen Up?

How 'bout guzzling a chilled bottle of Seven-Up?

1957 TV commercial with Fresh Up Freddie and his friends.

Voice characterizations by Paul Frees and June Foray.

Take Foggy's Advice, Son

From the late 1980's here are Foghorn Leghorn and Henery Hawk in a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Yes, that's the voice of the incomparable Mel Blanc!

And He Won't Have Mister Dillon To Compain To

From between the Gunsmoke and McCloud years, here's a 1967 CBS Network promo for Gentle Ben, which starred Dennis Weaver with Clint (brother of Ron) Howard.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Devils Win OT Thriller To Force Game Seven

At Newark, New Jersey:


Travis Zajac scored the winning goal at 5:39 seconds of overtime as the New Jersey Devils defeated the visiting Florida Panthers 3-2 in the lone Tuesday Stanley Cup Playoff contest.  This Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, deadlocked at three games apiece, will decided in game seven on Thursday night at Sunrise, Florids.

Still Thirsty?

From what looks like the early 1960s, here's a commercial for Tang Instant Orange Drink.

Yummy!

Thirsty?

Here's Bugs Bunny starring in a 1966 commercial for Kool-Aid.

Who Was Worse?

Krinkles the Clown, who appeared in what looked like a late 1950s commercial for Post Rice Krinkles or So-Hi, a Chinese cartoon stereotype who was a regular on the mid-1960's Linus the Lionhearted TV series?

Here's Krinkles.

Would You Buy A Box Of Cereal From This Guy?

From 1970, here's a commercial for Post Cereals, plugging a Monkees' record printed onto the back of a box of HoneyComb, Alpha-Bits, or Rice Krinkles.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Coyotes Oust Blackhawks; Rangers Force Game Seven At Home

Monday saw two more games played in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Ottawa:


Three second-period goals, one each from Derek Stepan (power play), Brad Richards (power play), and Chris Kreider enabled the New York Rangers to defeat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on the road in game six of their conference quarterfinal series.  The series, now squared at three games apiece, will conclude on Thursday night at New York's Madison Square Garden (the first game seven of any sport at that facility since 1995).


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Chicago:


Mike Smith posted his first playoff shutout in stopping all 39 shots while Oliver Ekman-Larsson (power play), Gilbert Brule, Antoine Vermette (power play), and Kyle Chipchura each delivered a goal as the Phoenix Coyotes blanked the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 in game six to win their conference quarterfinal series four games to two.  Not since their days as the original Winnipeg Jets, in 1987 (the club moved to Arizona in 1996), had the Coyotes won a playoff series.

Time For A Waltz!

From 1953, here's music by "Whoopee" John Wilfahrt and his orchestra, "The Vagabond Waltz," with vocal by the "Whoopee" John Trio.

Enjoy!

Pete Rose-----And Don Knotts-----In The Same Commercial ?! Pele Too!

Here are Pete Rose, soccer legend Pele, and Don Knotts in a 1978 commercial for the Atari Video Game System.

Wanna BET On The Kool-Aid Flavor?

Here's then-Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose in a 1986 commercial for Kool-Aid?  I wonder what kind of flavor Pete bet on.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Kings Crown Canucks In OT To Advance; Flyers Finish Off Penguins; Bruins Score OT Goal To Force Game Seven

Three Sunday games were contested as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continued.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Washington:


Tyler Seguin scored the winning goal at 3:17 of overtime as the Boston Bruins defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 in game six of their conference quarterfinal series, deadlocking it at three games apiece.  The series finale is scheduled for Wednesday night in Boston.


At Philadelphia:


Claude Giroux, Scott Harnell (power play), Erik Gustafsson, Danny Briere, and Brayden Schenn (empty net) each scored a goal while Ilya Bryzgalov saved 30 of 31 shots as the Philadelphia Flyers dominated the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 in game six to win their first-round series four games to two.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Vancouver, British Columbia:


Jarret Stoll scored the game (and series) winner at 4:27 of overtime as the Los Angeles Kings knocked off the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in game five of their opening-round series, eliminating the President Trophy winners four games to one.  This marked the first time that the Kings won three road games in the same playoff series.  Jonathan Quick stopped 26 of 27 Vancouver shots.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Devils, Rangers, Bruins On Brink Of Elimination; Blackhawks Stay Alive With OT Win; Blues Finish Off Sharks

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Saturday with five games.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At New York:  


Craig Anderson stopped all 41 shots while Jason Spezza scored both goals as the Ottawa Senators took a three-games-to-two lead in their conference quarterfinal series with the New York Rangers following their 2-0 road victory in game five.  The Senators can lock up the series with a home win in game six on on Monday night.


At Boston:


Troy Brouwer scored the winning goal (power play) at 18:33 of the third period as the Washington Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins 4-3 on the road in game five of their opening-round series for a three-games-to-two advantage.  The Caps can finish off the defending champions with a home victory on Sunday.


At Sunrise, Florida:


Jose Theodore registered his second career playoff shutout by stopping all 30 shots while Kris Versteeg (power play), Scottie Upshall, and Thomas Kopecky (shorthanded; empty net) each scored a goal as the Florida Panthers blanked the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-0 to take a three-games-to-two lead i their opening-round series.  The Panthers can close out the series with a game-six win at Newark on Monday.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At St. Louis:


Jamie Langenbrunner and David Perron scored third-period goals 45 seconds apart while Brian Elliot stopped 26 of 27 shots as the St. Louis Blues eliminated the San Jose Sharks four games to one following their 3-1 home win in game five.


At Glendale, Arizona:


Jonathan Toews scored the winning goal 2:44 into overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks avoided elimination from their conference quarterfinal series with the Phoenix Coyotes by winning game five 2-1 on the road.  Phoenix still leads the series three games to two and can still finish off the Blackhawks with a game-six road win in Chicago on Monday.



Friday, April 20, 2012

Two Home Wins In A Row (Three Out Of Four Overall) For VooDoo

At New Orleans:


Quarterback Kurt Rocco completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Carlese Franklin with 34 second remaining as the New Orleans VooDoo (3-3) picked up their second straight Arena Football League home win (first time since 2008) on Friday with a 51-48 win over the Pittsburgh Power (2-4).  The victory was the VooDoo's third in their last four starts.  Pittsburgh kicker Collin Wagner failed on a 32-yard field goal (which would have sent the game to overtime) as time expired.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Predators Eliminate Red Wings; Penguins Force Game Six Against Flyers

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Friday with two games.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Pittsburgh:


Steve Sullivan (power play), Jordan Staal, and Tyler Kennedy each scored a goal and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 of 26 shots as the Pittsburgh Penguins averted elimination with a 3-2 home win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the fifth game of their conference quarterfinal series, which the Flyers (who can still wrap up the series at home on Sunday) still lead three games to two.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Nashville:


David Legwand scored the winning goal 13 seconds into the third period as the Nashville Predators became the first team to advance to the second round of the playoffs with their 2-1 home win in game five of their opening-round series with the Detroit Red Wings, enabling the Predators to win the series four games to one.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Devils Square Series With Panthers As Marty The Magnificent Sets Playoff Shutout Record; Caps Top Bruins To Level Series At 2-2; Coyotes (In OT Again) And Blues Take 3-1 Series Leads Back Home

Four games were played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Newark, New Jersey:


Martin Brodeur set a new Stanley Cup Playoff career shutout record with his 24th blanking as the New Jersey Devils dominated the visiting Florida Panthers 4-0 to square their conference quarterfinal series at two games apiece.  The Devils broke the game open with three third period goals, one each from Steve Bernier, Travis Zajac, and Ilya Kovalchuk (power play).


At Washington:


22 year-old Braden Holtby played once again like a veteran as he stopped 44 of 45 shots while Alexander Semin scored the winning goal at 18:43 of the second period on the power play as the Washington Capitals evened their first-round series with the Boston Bruins at two games apiece with a 2-1 home win in game four.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Chicago:


Mikkel Boedker scored the game winner at 2:15 of overtime as the Phoenix Coyotes defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on the road in game four of their opening-round series to take a three-games-to-one series lead.  Every game in this series has been decided in overtime.


The Coyotes have a chance to lock up the series with a home win on Saturday night.  It would be their first series victory since they were the original Winnipeg Jets (1987).


At San Jose, California:


Brian Elliot stopped 24 of 25 shots while Andy McDonald's power-play goal at 12:00 of the second period proved to be the game winner as the St. Louis Blues took a three-games-to-one lead in their conference quarterfinal series with a 2-1 road win over the San Jose Sharks.  The Blues can wrap up their first series victory in ten years with a win at home on Saturday.



Let's See If Ol' Barnabas Can Rise Again

Jonathan Frid, the veteran actor best remembered for his portrayal of the vampire Barnabas Collins on the old 1966-71 Dark Shadows daytime television serial, passed away last Friday (Friday the 13th, don't you know) at age 87 at Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Flyers, Canucks Avoid Elimination; Senators Square Series With Rangers After OT Win

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with three more games on Wednesday.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Philadelphia:


Jordan Staal delivered a hat trick (one of the goals coming on the power play) while Evgeni Malkin scored twice and Sidney Crosby added a tally and two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins, aided by a five-goal second period, blasted the Philadelphia Flyers 10-3 on the road in game four to avoid elimination from the conference quarterfinal series, cutting the Philadelphia advantage to three games to one.


At Ottawa:


Kyle Turris scored the game winner at 4:42 of overtime as the Ottawa Senators, who never led during regulation, defeated the visiting New York Rangers 3-2 to square their first-round series as two games apiece.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Los Angeles:


Cory Schneider stopped 43 of 44 shots, including a penalty shot from Los Angeles' Dustin Brown while Alexander Elder and Henrik Sedin each scored a power-play goal as the Vancouver Canucks stayed alive with a 3-1 road win in game four to cut the Kings' lead in their opening round series to three games to one.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Dick Clark, Legendary Television Host And Cultural Icon, R. I. P.

Dick Clark, the eternally boyish-looking longtime host of  television's American Bandstand who also was for nearly four decades the host of the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve telecasts, passed away on Wednesday morning at Saint John's Medical Center at Santa Monica, California following a massive heart attack at age 82.


Mr. Clark became host of Bandstand, then a local Philadelphia television show aired over WFIL-TV in 1956, replacing disgraced original co-host Bob Horn, who had been arrested for drunk driving (and who was being implicated in a suspected local pornography ring).


Dick, who had been a disc jockey at WFIL Radio, managed to save the TV show with his boyish charm as well as his acquiring increased knowledge about rock 'n' roll music.


In 1957, the ABC Network was looking to upgrade the quality of its' weekday afternoon programming and ultimately look to WFIL to deliver a network version of the locally-televised music-and-dance program to replace its' old English movies that had aired in that time slot, thus, American Bandstand debut nationally over ABC in August of that year.  The solid ratings for that time slot, thanks to housewives as well as kids who came home from school gave the network the idea of giving Dick his own prime-time program.


Following the late-1957 failure of a Monday-night version of American Bandstand, Dick fared much better with a new half-hour musical-variety program originating live from New York on Saturday nights, The Dick Clark Show.  For most of the show's 2 1/2 year run (February 1958-September 1960), the program, which featured many pop, rock 'n' roll, and rhythm and blues artists lip-synching to their latest hit recordings, was sponsored by the makers of Beech Nut Gum and was informally referred to as The Saturday Night Dick Clark Beechnut Show.


The show went off the air shortly after Dick, who in the wake of the payola scandal, divested himself of his ownership and holdings in music publishing and recording companies.


But it was at that time that Mr. Clark began expanding his entertainment empire to include the production of motion pictures and other TV shows.


By the fall of 1963, American Bandstand, which in time had been reduced from 90 minutes to 60, and then to 30, was moved to a 60-minute weekly Saturday afternoon time slot.  The series moved to Los Angeles in early 1964.  The show would remain on ABC until 1987, then survived in syndication until 1988, only to be followed by a brief run on cable-tv's USA Network, which ended in 1989.


Dick would go on to have a successful career as a game-show host, especially hosting several incarnations of The $10,000 (later $25, 000) Pyramid.


He also hosted, along with fellow former Philadelphia resident Ed McMahon, various incarnations of TV's Censored Bloopers.


It was in 1973 that Dick began hosting his annual Rockin' New Year' Eve telecasts, and he hosted it every year until he suffered a well-publicized stroke late in 2004.  He did return the following year and, despite somewhat slurred speech, would make appearances each year afterward.


Here's a clip from an episode of The Dick Clark Show in which Dick hawks Beechnut Spearmint Chewing Gum.


FlavorIFIC!


Thanks very much for the memories and rest in peace, Dick.


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Road Wins Give Coyotes (In OT) and Panthers (Who Erase Three-Goal Deficit) 2-1 Series Leads; Predators One Win Away From Finishing Off Red Wings

Three games were played on Tuesday as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continued.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Newark, New Jersey:


The Florida Panthers, with three power-play goals, including the game winner from Brian Campbell at 6:34 of the second period, staged the biggest playoff comeback in their history as they came back from an early three-goal deficit to upend the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on the road and take a two-games-to-one lead in their opening-round series.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Detroit:


After 40 scoreless minutes, lifted by third-period goals from Gabriel Bourque, Kevin Klein, and David Legwand (power play), as well as solid goaltending from Pekka Rinne (saving 40 of 41 shots), the Nashville Predators are once victory away from eliminating the Detroit Red Wings, winning game four of their opening-round series 3-1 on the road.


The Predators can finish off the Wings at home on Friday night. 


At Chicago:


Mikkel Boedker scored the winning goal at 13:15 of overtime as the Phoenix Coyotes took a two-games-to-one advantage over the Chicago Blackhawks following their 3-2 road win in game three.  All games in this series were decided in overtime.

Niners In 2012: San Francisco To Play Packers, Jets, Pats, Saints on Road; Lions, Bears, Giants At Home; Five Prime-Time TV Games

Here's the San Francisco 49ers' 2012 regular-season schedule as was released on Tuesday (all times Pacific):

Sunday, September 9:

@ Green Bay, 1:15 PM(FOX)

Sunday, September 16:

vs Detroit, 5:20 PM (NBC)

Sunday, September 23:

@ Minnesota, 10:00 AM (FOX)

Sunday, September 30:

@New York Jets, 10:00 AM (FOX)

Sunday, October 7:

vs. Buffalo, 1:15 PM(CBS)

Sunday, October 14:

vs. New York Giants, 1:15 PM(FOX)

Thursday, October 18:

vs. Seattle, 5:20 PM (NFL Network)

Monday, Octorber 29:

@ Arizona, 5:30 PM (ESPN)

Niners get weekend of November 4 and 5 off.

Sunday, November 11:

vs. St. Louis, 1:15 PM (FOX)

Monday, November 19:

vs. Chicago, 5:30 PM (ESPN)

Sunday, November 25:

@ New Orleans, 1:15 PM (FOX)

Sunday, December 2:

@ St. Louis, 10:00 AM (FOX)

Sunday, December 9:

vs. Miami, 1:05 PM (CBS)

Sunday, December 16:

@ New England, 5:20 PM (NBC)

Sunday, December 23:

@ Seattle, 1:15 PM (FOX)

Sunday, December 30:

vs. Arizona, 1:15 PM (FOX)

Monday, April 16, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bruins, Rangers, Blues Take 2-1 Series Leads

Three Monday games were contested as the Stanley Cup Playoff continued.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Washington:


Zdeno Chara scored the game winner at 18:07 of the third period as the Boston Bruins regained home-ice advantage for their conference quarterfinal series with the Washington Capitals following their 4-3 road win in game three to take a two-games-to-one lead.


At Ottawa:


Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 39 shots while Brian Boyle scored the only goal of the game at 7:35 of the third period as the New York Rangers blanked the Otttawa Senators 1-0 to take a two-games-to-one advantage (and home-ice advantage) in their first-round series.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At San Jose, California:


The St. Louis Blues, with three power-play goals (Patrik Berglund in the first period, Jason Arnott in the second, and Alexander Steen in the third), held off a late San Jose rally to hold off the home-standing Sharks 4-3 in game three to lead their opening-round series two games to one.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Flyers, Kings Take 3-0 Series Leads; Preds Top Wings In Detroit; Panthers Square Series With Devils

Four games were played as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Sunday.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Philadelphia:


Danny Briere, Maxime Talbot, and Matt Read each scored twice, each scoring once on the power play, as the Philadelphia Flyers took a commanding three-games-to-none lead in their conference quarterfinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins following their 8-4 home win in a fight-marred third game.  158 minutes in penalties (including three game misconducts) were handed out in the game.


At Sunrise, Florida:


Stephen Weiss scored two power-play goals (his first two Stanley Cup Playoff goals) and Marcel Goc scored the game winner at 14:39 of the second period while Jose Theodore stopped 23 of 25 shots as the Florida Panthers picked up their first playoff victory since April 17, 1997 with their 3-2 home win over the New Jersey Devils, leveling their first-round series at one game apiece.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Detroit:


With goals scored by Shea Weber (power play), Kevin Klein, and Sergei Kostitsyn, and with 41 saves (on 43 shots) from Pekka Rinne, the Nashville Predators took a two-games-to-one advantage in their opening-round series with a 3-2 road win in game three over the Detroit Red Wings.


At Los Angeles:


Dustin Brown scored the only goal of the game at 6:30 of the third period and Jonathan Quick stopped all 41 shots as the Los Angeles Kings took their first-ever three-games-to-none playoff series lead with a 1-0 road win over the Vancouver Canucks in game three.  The Kings can finish off the President Trophy-winning Canucks with a victory at home on Wednesday night.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Caps, Senators, Blackhawks Square Respective Series With OT Wins; Blues Blank Sharks To Square Series

Four more games were played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Washington:


Braden Holtby stopped 43 of 44 shots on Saturday while Nicklas Backstrom scored the winning goal at 2:56 of the second overtime as the Washington Capitals squared their conference quarterfinal series with the Boston Bruins at one game apiece with their 2-1 home win.


At New York:


Following Nick Foligno's third-period equalizer, Chris Neill scored the winning goal 77 seconds into overtime as the Ottawa Senators evened their first-round series with the New York Rangers at one game apiece with their 3-2 road win in game two.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At St. Louis:


In the only Saturday contest that did not go into overtime, Brian Elliot and Jaroslav Halak combined for a shutout (saving all 29 shots) while Vladimir Sobotka (first period), David Backes (second period), and Andy McDonald (third period; power play) each tallied once as the St. Louis Blues squared their opening-round series with the San Jose Sharks at one game apiece by blanking the visitors 3-0 in game two.


At Glendale, Arizona:


Patrick Sharp scored the late equalizer with six seconds remaining in regulation, then Bryan Bickell scored his second goal of the game, in this case, the game winner at 10:36 of overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks came from behind to upend the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 and even their first-round series at one game apiece.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Devils Hold Off Panthers In Series Opener; Flyers, Kings Take 2-0 Series Leads Back Home; Wings Even Series With Predators

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with four games on Friday.


At Pittsburgh:


Once again, the Philadelphia Flyers came from behind (this time from two two-goal deficits) to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins, this time 7-5 to take a two-games-to-none advantage back home.  Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux each delivered a hat trick for the Flyers.


At Sunrise, Florida:


Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus (power play), and Ryan Carter each scored a goal in the first period while Martin Brodeur stopped 24 of 26 shots to pick up his 100th career postseason win as the New Jersey Devils held off the Florida Panthers (playing their first playoff game in twelve years) 3-2 on the road in the opening contest of their conference quarterfinal series.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Nashville, Tennessee:


Ian White and Cory Emmerton each scored a goal in the first period while Johan Franzen notched the winning tally in period number two and Jimmy Howard saved 24 of 26 saves as the Detroit Red Wings squared their opening-round series with the Nashville Predators at one game apiece with a 3-2 win on the road in game two.


At Vancouver, British Columbia:


Dustin Brown scored two shorthanded goals (tying an NHL postseason single-game record) while Jonathan Quick stopped 46 of 48 shots as the Los Angeles Kings took a two-games-to-none advantage in their first-round series with the Vancouver Canucks following their 4-2 game-two road win.

Talons End VooDoo Winning Streak

At San Antonio, Texas:


The San Antonio Talons (3-2) ended the New Orleans VooDoo's (2-3) two-game Arena Football League winning streak with a 62-48 home win on Friday. Quarterback Aaron Garcia threw for 287 yards (completing 26 of 38 passes) and 9 touchdowns for the Talons, five of them to Robert Quiroga.

Okay, Tom

Just make sure your new team doesn't develop a bounty program..............if you know what I mean.

I was rather surprised by this devolopment.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bruins, Sharks, Coyotes Win OT Thrillers; Rangers Dominate Senators

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Thursday with the opening contests of four conference quarterfinal-round best-of-seven series.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Boston:


Chris Kelly scored the only goal of the game 78 seconds into overtime as the Boston Bruins defeated the visiting Washington Capitals 1-0 in the opening contest of their first-round series.  Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas stopped all 17 shots while his Washington counterpart Braden Holtby, a third-stringer making his playoff debut due to injuries, had an outstanding game stopping 29 of 30 Boston shots surrendering the Chris Kelly OT tally.


At New York:


Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, Brian Boyle, and Brad Richards each scored a goal while Henrik Lundqvist stopped 30 of 32 shots as the New York Rangers (top seed in the Eastern Conference) held off the visiting Ottawa Senators 4-2 in game one of their conference quarterfinal-round series.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At St. Louis:


Martin Havlat scored the game winner (his second goal of the game, his first being a second-period power-play tally) at 3:34 of the second overtime period to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 road victory over the St. Louis Blues in the opening contest of their conference quarterfinal series.  Patrik Berglund scored both of the Blues' goals in the third period (one of them on the power play), only to see Andrew Desjardins score the equalizer at 14:44 of the third period to force overtime.


At Glendale, Arizona:


Martin Hanzel scored the game-winning goal at 9:29 of overtime as the Phoenix Coyotes defeated the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in game one of their opening-round series.  Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith stopped 43 of 45 Chicago shots.





Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Flyers Erase Three-Goal Deficit To Take Series Opener In OT; Preds Hold Off Wings; Kings Top Canucks In BC

The National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Playoffs commenced on Wednesday with the opening contests of three best-of-seven conference quarterfinal series.


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


At Pittsburgh:


Jakub Voracek scored the game-winning goal at 2:23 of the first overtime period as the Philadelphia Flyers came back from a three-goal deficit to take the opening game of their first-round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on the road.  Danny Briere scored twice for the Flyers and Brayden Schenn scored the equalizer at 12:23 of the third period for force overtime.


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


At Nashville, Tennessee:


Gabriel Bourque scored twice in his playoff debut as the Nashville Predators held off the visiting Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in game one.


At Vancouver, British Columbia:


The Los Angeles Kings, with two power-play goals (Mike Richards in the first period; Willie Mitchell in the second) and Dustin Penner scoring the game winner in the third period, topped the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on the road in their conference quarterfinal-round series opener.