At Boston:
Brent Seabrook (that's him celebrating with Duncan Keith) scored the winning goal at 9:51 of overtime on Wednesday night as the Chicago Blackhawks squared the Stanley Cup Final at two games apiece (and reclaimed home-ice advantage) following their 6-5 road win over the Boston Bruins. The series will resume in Chicago on Saturday.
Getty Images photo by Harry How
Dave Jennings, a former NFL punter with the New York Giants (1974-84) and New York Jets (1985-87), passed away on Wednesday at his Upper Saddle River, New Jersey home at age 61.
Mr. Jennings had been battling Parkinson's disease for the past 17 years.
Dave holds the Giants' franchise records for punts (931), yards (38,792). He was selected to play in four Pro Bowls. His single-season career best was 44.8 yards per punt (gross average) in 1980.
Dave concluded his career with the New York Jets in 1987.
More recently, he was a member of the Giants' radio broadcasting team.
Country-and-Western singer and yodeler Slim Whitman, who sold millions of records through his ever-present television commercials in the 1980s and 1990s, passed away on Wednesday at Florida's Orange Park Medical Center from heart failure at age 90.
The tenor falsetto and ebony moustache and sideburns became a global trademark for Mr. Whitman---and an inspiration for countless jokes---thanks to the TV ads, which turned him into somewhat of a cultural icon.
However, Florida-born Slim was a serious early musical influence on rock n' roll and was instrumental in popularizing country music in Great Britain. He even encouraged a young Elvis Presley when Elvis was making his professional debut in 1954.
Slim's career spanned six decades, starting in the late 1940s. In the early-to-mid 1950s, he had major C&W hits such as "Indian Love Song," "North Wind," and "Secret Love."
He was a regular on Shreveport's "Louisiana Hayride" radio show.
Here's Slim recording from circa 1952 of "Amateur In Love."
Rest in peace, Slim.
At Miami:
Ray Allen converted a three-point shot with 5.2 seconds remaining in regulation time (shown here) and forced overtime on Tuesday night as the Miami Heat came back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and defeated the visiting San Antonio Spurs 103-100 to square the NBA Finals at three games apiece. LeBron James delivered a triple double (32 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds) for the Heat, offsetting the 30-point, 17-rebound performance from the Spurs' Tim Duncan. The series---and the NBA championship---will be decided in Miami on Thursday.
USATSI photo
Here's a 1956 commercial for United States Rubber.
At Boston:
Second-period goals from Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron (power play, shown here, beating Chicago goalie Corey Crawford) along with the shutout performance from Tuukka Rask (28 saves) carried the Boston Bruins to a 2-0 home victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in game three of the Stanley Cup Final played on Monday. The Bruins lead the series two games to one. Game four is on Wednesday in Boston.
Associated Press photo by Charles Krupa
At San Antonio:
Manu Ginobili (that's him here) scored 24 points and dished out 10 assists on Sunday night as the San Antonio Spurs won game five of the NBA Finals 114-104 over the visiting Miami Heat. Tony Parker scored 26 to pace the Spurs while Danny Green added 24 and Tim Duncan 17 (to go with his 12 rebounds). LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each had 25 points and Ray Allen came off the bench to score 21 for the Heat. San Antonio, who leads the series three games to two, can wrap up their fifth league title with a game-six victory in Miami on Tuesday.
Getty Images photo by Kevin C. Cox
At New Orleans:
The New Orleans VooDoo (3-9), with Kurt Rocco completing 17 of 31 passes for 210 yards and six touchdowns (he was picked off twice), overcame a sluggish fourth quarter and held off the visiting Tampa Bay Storm (7-6) 54-51 in Saturday Arena Football League action.
At Chicago:
Daniel Paille, seen here beating Corey Crawford, scored the winning goal at 13:48 of overtime on Saturday as the Boston Bruins squared the Stanley Cup Final at one game apiece following their 2-1 game-two road win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Tuukka Rask saved 33 of 34 Chicago shots as the Bruins seized home-ice advantage. The series shifts to Boston for game three on Monday.
Getty Images photo by Bruce (Don't Call Me Herman Brix) Bennett
At Portland, Oregon:
A sensational goal from Darlington Nagbe in the 52nd minute on Saturday enabled the Portland Timbers to knock off Western Conference-leading FC Dallas 1-0 at home in Major League Soccer action. The Timbers climbed within two points of the Hoops (who have the highest point total in MLS) in the conference standings. The Timbers MLS-era club-record unbeaten streak has now reached 13 games (15 in all competitions). Portland will visit the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday night at the StubHub (former Home Depot) Center in Carson, California.
At San Antonio:
LeBron James scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade (that's him here) scored an additional 32 and Chris Bosh 20 (to go with his 13 rebounds) on Thursday night as the Miami Heat squared the NBA Finals at two games apiece following their 109-93 game-four home triumph over the San Antonio Spurs.
The series will resume on Sunday night at San Antonio.
ZumaPress.com photo by Joe Cavaretta
At Portland, Oregon:
Michael Nanchoff (9') and Jack Jewsbury (55') provided the goals as the Portland Timbers blanked the visiting Tampa Bay Rowdies of the second-division North American Soccer League 2-0 on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinal round of the US Open Cup, setting up a road contest in Frisco, Texas against FC Dallas (ironically, the Timbers next Major League Soccer opponent, who they host this coming Saturday). The Timbers' unbeaten run in all competitions now stands at fourteen games.
At Chicago:
Andrew Shaw (seen here beating goalie Tuukka Rask) scored the game-winning goal at 12:08 of the third overtime period as the Chicago Blackhawks, who at one time in the third period, trailed 3-1, upended the visiting Boston Bruins 4-3 in the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final, played on Wednesday night. This was the fifth-longest game in finals history. The series will resume in Chicago on Saturday night.
Reuters photo by John Gress
At San Antonio:
The San Antonio Spurs demolished the visiting Miami Heat 113-77 on Tuesday in game three of the NBA Finals, enabling the hosts to take a two-games-to-one lead. Danny Green, who scored 27 points, made seven of the Spurs' Finals single-game record 16 three-point baskets, while Gary Neal, who added 24, made six three-pointers of his own. A dejected LeBron James, shown here, scored 15 points (and grabbed 11 rebounds) while Dwyane Wade paced Miami with 16. The series will resume in San Antonio on Thursday night.
USATSI photo
I was kind of surprised by this latest development.
In fact, the Patriots released one of their backup quarterbacks.
Good luck, Tim.
At Miami:
Mario Chalmers scored 19 points while LeBron James (that's him blocking a shot by San Antonio's Tiago Splitter) added 17 as the Miami Heat, with five players in double figures, used a 30-5 run in the third and fourth quarters on Sunday as they smashed open what had been a tight game and dominated the visiting San Antonio Spurs 103-84 in game two of the NBA Finals. The series, now deadlocked at one game apiece, will continue in San Antonio on Tuesday.
Getty Images photo by Christian Petersen
At Bridgeview, Illinois:
Goals from Mike Magee (68') and Daniel Paladina (82') enabled the Chicago Fire to erase a two-goal deficit on Saturday and gained a 2-2 Major League Soccer home draw with the Portland Timbers, whose unbeaten streak in MLS play reached twelve games (thirteen in all competitions). Diego Valeri (33') and Ben Zemanski (58') provided the scoring for the guests, who will host the NASL's Tampa Bay Rowdies in US Open Cup play on Wednesday, then host FC Dallas (currently with the league's best record) in MLS play next Saturday in a nationally-televised match.
At Chicago:
Patrick Kane delivered a hat trick on Saturday, including the game and series winner at 11:40 of the second overtime period as the Chicago Blackhawks ended the Los Angeles Kings' reign as Stanley Cup champions with their 4-3 home win in game five of the Western Conference Final, which the Blackhawks won four games to one. Chicago will have home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final (which will start this coming Wednesday) against the Boston Bruins in the first cup final to feature two closed-circuit era clubs since the Montreal Canadians defeated the New York Rangers in five games in 1979 (Les Habs' fourth straight title).
At Philadelphia:
Fullback Derrick Ross scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the game with five seconds remaining as the Philadelphia Soul (6-5), who had never led until that that final TD, defeated the visiting New Orleans VooDoo (2-9) 65-56 in Saturday Arena Football League action.
At Elmont, New York:
Palace Malice, with jockey Mike Smith aboard, won the 145th edition of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday with Preakness winner Oxbow finishing second, and Kentucky Derby winner Orb third. Palace Malice, a 13-1 shot who was one of five horses trained by Mike Pletcher, became the seventh horse since 2000 to run in the Derby, skip the Preakess, then win the Belmont.
At Boston:
In Friday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Adam McQuade scored the only goal of the match 5:01 into the third period while Tuukka Rask turned aside all 27 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs as the Boston Bruins blanked the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 to complete a four-game of the Eastern Conference finals. The Bruins (who won their most recent Stanley Cup title in 2011) will face the Chicago-Los Angeles winner in the Stanley Cup Final.
At Miami:
Tim Duncan scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Tony Parker (that's him, here), who scored 21, hit a desperation jump shot with 5.2 seconds remaining as the San Antonio Spurs knocked off the Miami Heat 92-88 on Thursday in the opening contest of the NBA Finals, all in spite of LeBron James' triple double (18 points and rebounds, 10 assists).
USATSI photo
At Los Angeles:
Marian Hossa scored the winning goal 70 seconds into the third period as the Chicago Blackhawks came from behind to upend the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on the road in game four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' Western Conference final. The Blackhawks, who handed Los Angeles their first playoff defeat of this year on Thursday, can wrap up their second conference title in four years with a home victory on Saturday night.
Esther Williams, a teenage swimming champion who went on to become a major motion-picture star in watery Hollywood extravaganzas in the 1940s and '50s, passed away Thursday morning in her sleep at Beverly Hills, California at age 91.
From "Bathing Beauty" in 1944 to "Jupiter's Darling" in 1955, Miss Williams swam in Technicolor lakes, lagoons, oceans, and swimming pools.
Esther had first been hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a contract player some three years after 20 Century-Fox had signed up three-time Olympic gold-medal-winning skater Sonja Henie and successfully made a star out of her.
Esther was one of the last major stars from Hollywood's Golden Age who was still with us.
At Boston:
In Wednesday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Patrice Bergeron scored the winning goal 15:19 into the second overtime period as the Boston Bruins defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in game three of the Eastern Conference Final. Tuukka Rask saved 53 of 54 shots for the Bruins, who lead the series three games to one and who can close it out, and lock up a berth in the Stanley Cup Final (their second in three years) with a home win in game four on Friday night.
At Los Angeles:
In Tuesday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Justin Williams, Slava Voynov, and Dwight King (empty net) each scored a goal and Jonathan Quick 19 of 20 shots as the Los Angeles Kings remained unbeaten at home for the playoffs with their 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, cutting the visitors' lead in the Western Conference finals to two games to one.
David "Deacon" Jones, a Hall of Fame defensive end who spent most of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams and was part of the Rams' famed "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line during the 1960s, passed away on Monday at the age of 74.
One of the greatest defensive ends of all time, Mr. Jones was drafted by the Rams in the 14th round of the NFL Draft.
A valued member of Los Angeles' Fearsome foursome, Deacon earned the nickname "Secretary of Defense" and played alongside fellow Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy, and Roosevelt Grier (now the only surviving member of the Foursome).
Deacon ended his career with the Washington Redskins in 1974 playing for George Allen, who was his coach during his Rams days.
At Miami:
LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 21 and nine respectively on Monday night as the Miami Heat dominated the visiting Indiana Pacers 99-76 in game seven of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals. The Heat, who won their third straight conference title in seven games, will host the San Antonio Spurs in Thursday night's opening game of the NBA Title as Miami will be gunning for their second straight NBA title.
At Pittsburgh:
In Monday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Brad Marchand scored twice during a four-goal first period while Tuukka Rask turned back 26 of 27 shots as the Boston Bruins demolished the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-1 in game two of the Eastern Conference finals, which the Bruins now lead two games to none.
At Chicago:
In Sunday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Brian Bickell (power play) and Michal Handzus scored on consecutive shot in the second period, this after Andrew Shaw and Brent Seabrook each scored once in the first period, as the Chicago Blackhawks extended their Western Conference finals series lead to two games to none over the Los Angeles Kings with their 4-2 game-two home victory.
At New Orleans:
Quarterback Kurt Rocco threw seven touchdown passes on Saturday night as the New Orleans VooDoo (2-8) snapped their eight-game Arena Football League losing streak with a 69-40 home domination of the Cleveland Gladiators (2-8).
At Indianapolis:
Paul George scored 28 points while Roy Hibbert added 24 (to go with his eleven rebounds) as the Indiana Pacers kept the visiting Miami Heat (despite LeBron James' 29 points) at arm's length 91-77 on Saturday night to level their NBA Eastern Conference final series at three games apiece. This best-of-seven series will be decided on Monday night in Miami with the winner to face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, which will start this coming Thursday night.
Both conference finals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs commenced on Saturday.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At Chicago:
Goals from Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa, both in the second period, carried the Chicago Blackhawks to a Western Conference finals-opening 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Corey Crawford saved 20 of 21 shots to preserve the win.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At Pittsburgh:
David Krejci scored twice and Nathan Horton once, while Tuukka Rask turned back all 29 shots as the Boston Bruins seized home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference finals with their series-opening 3-0 road blanking of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Jean Stapleton, the stage-trained actress best remembered for her portrayal (which won her three Emmy Awards) as Edith "Dingbat" Bunker (Archie's softhearted wife) on the 1970s television series All In The Family, passed away on Friday at her New York City home from natural causes at age 90.
At Miami:
LeBron James scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out six assists on Thursday night as the Miami Heat outlasted the visiting Indiana Pacers 90-79 to lead the NBA's Eastern Conference finals three games to two. The Heat can solidify their third straight NBA Finals appearance with a game-six victory on Saturday in Indianapolis.
At Portland, Oregon:
Frederic Piquionne scored four goals (2', 17', 34', 45'+2) in the first half on Wednesday as the Portland Timbers crushed the visiting Wilmington Hammerheads (who play in the third-division USL Pro League) 5-1 to advance to the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament.
The Timbers, who did their best to avoid a repeat of last year's debacle, losing at home in overtime to amateur club Cal FC, are scheduled to host the Tampa Bay Rowdies (of the second-division North American Soccer League), who knocked off Portland's arch-rivals, the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday.
At Chicago:
In Wednesday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Brent Seabrook scored the winning goal at 3:35 of overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the visiting Detroit Red Wings 2-1, enabling them to come back from a three-games-to-one deficit and win their Western Conference semifinal series four games to three. The Blackhawks will face the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals, which will open in Chicago on Saturday.
At Los Angeles:
In Tuesday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Justin Williams scored twice in the second period (once on the power play) as the Los Angeles Kings held off the visiting San Jose Sharks 2-1 and won their Western Conference semifinal series four games to three. The Kings will play in the Western Conference final against the winner of the Detroit-Chicago series (which, deadlocked at three games apiece, will be decided in Chicago on Wednesday).
At Indianapolis:
Roy Hibbert scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Lance Stephenson added 20 as the Indiana Pacers squared the NBA's Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece with their 99-92 game-four home win on Tuesday over the Miami Heat.
At Memphis:
Tony Parker scored 37 points on Monday night as the San Antonio Spurs completed their four-game sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies with their 93-86 road victory in game four of the NBA's Western Conference finals. The Spurs will take on the Miami-Indiana series winner in the NBA Finals (their first since winning their most recent league title in 2007), which will begin on June 6.
At Detroit:
In Monday Stanley Cup Playoff action, third-period goals from Michal Handzus, Bryan Bickell, and Michael Frolik enabled the Chicago Blackhawks come from behind to defeat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-3 on the road and square their Western Conference semifinal series at three games apiece. The series will be decided in Chicago on Wednesday.
At Indianapolis:
LeBron James scored 22 points while Dwyane Wade added 18 and Udonis Haslem 17 as the Miami Heat grabbed a two-games-to-one series lead and regained home advantage in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals with their 114-96 Sunday game-three road win over the Indiana Pacers.
At San Jose, California:
In Sunday Stanley Cup Playoff action, Joe Thornton (power play) and T.J. Giliardi each scored a goal as the San Jose Sharks held off the visiting Los Angeles Kings 2-1 to square their Western Conference semifinal series at three games apiece. The seventh and deciding game will be played in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
At New Orleans:
The Chicago Rush (5-5), who scored six touchdowns on the ground (two of them by J.J. Payne, who ran for 28 yards), scored the most points by a single team in an Arena Football League contest this season with their 84-48 Saturday road man-handling of the hapless New Orleans VooDoo (1-8), who have now lost eight straight games. Their plight was not helped by six turnovers (three interceptions and three fumbles) and the loss of starting quarterback Kurt Rocco to a third-quarter knee injury.
At Washington:
Rodney Wallace haunted his former team with his goal in the 21st minute as the Portland Timbers stretched their MLS-era club-record unbeaten streak to eleven games on Saturday as they defeated DC United 2-0 on the road. Darlington Nagbe delivered the insurance goal for the Timbers in the 57th minute. With two wins on the road this season, Portland has already tied their MLS-era single-season club record for road wins. Meanwhile, Donovan Ricketts posted a shutout for the Timbers, who stretched DC's winless streak to ten games as they continue with the worst start in their 18-year history.
At Memphis:
Tony Parker scored 26 points while Tim Duncan (who grabbed ten rebounds) added 24, including the first five points of overtime on Saturday as the San Antonio Spurs overcame an early 18-point deficit and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 104-93 on the road in game three of the NBA's Western Conference finals. The Spurs can close out the series and advance to their first NBA final since winning their least league championship in 2007 with a game-four win in Memphis on Monday.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Saturday with two games.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At Boston:
Gregory Campbell scored twice while Tuukka Rask stopped 28 of 29 saves as the Boston Bruins locked up their conference semifinal series with the New York Rangers four games to one following their 3-1 home win in game five. The Bruins will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference final. The Penguins, who were the conference's top-seeded club, will have home-ice advantage.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At Chicago:
The Chicago Blackhawks, with Andrew Shaw (who scored two overall) and Jonathan Toews each scoring a power-play goal, handled the visiting Detroit Red Wings 4-1. Corey Crawford saved 25 of 26 shots. The Red Wings, who still lead the series three games to two, can still close out the 'Hawks back home in Detroit on Monday night.
At Miami:
Roy Hibbert scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Paul George added 22 as the Indiana Pacers squared the NBA's Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece and seized home-court advantage after holding off the Miami Heat (and LeBron James' 36 points) 97-93 on Friday night. The defeat was only Miami's fourth in their last 50 starts.
At Pittsburgh:
In Stanley Cup Playoff action, James Neal delivered a hat trick (on of the goals on the power play) as the Pittsburgh Penguins dominated the visiting Ottawa Senators 6-2 Friday night in game five of their Eastern Conference semifinal series and eliminated them four games to one. The Penguins assured themselves of home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference finals against the winner of the Boston Bruins-New York Rangers series (Boston leads three games to one).
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with three games on Thursday.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At New York:
Brian Boyle delivered the power-play equalizer midway through the third period, then Chris Kreider delivered the game winner at 7:03 of overtime as the New York Rangers avoided elimination from their conference semifinal series with a 4-3 home win over the Boston Bruins, who still lead the series three games to one and can finish off the Rangers with a game-five home win in Boston on Saturday.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At Detroit:
Jakob Kindl (power play) and Daniel Cleary (empty net) each scored a goal and Jimmy Howard turned back all 28 as the Detroit Red Wings blanked the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 in game four of their conference semifinal series, which the Red Wings lead three games to one and can wrap up with a game-five win in Chicago on Saturday night.
At Los Angeles:
Anze Kopitar, Slava Voynov, and Jeff Carter (empty net) provided the goals while Jonathan Quick provided the stellar goaltending as he saved all 24 shots as the Los Angeles Kings took a three-games-to-two conference semifinal series lead following their 2-0 game-five home shutout over the San Jose Sharks. The Kings can advance to the conference finals with a victory in San Jose on Sunday. The Sharks, though, are unbeaten at the HP Pavilion (the "Shark Tank") in this year's playoffs (so, though, are the Kings).
At Miami:
LeBron James (who delivered a triple double; 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) made a layup as time expired in overtime as the Miami Heat took the opening game of their NBA Eastern Conference finals series 103-102 over the visiting Indiana Pacers. Paul George scored 27 points and David West added 26 to pace Indiana.
At Ottawa:
In the lone Stanley Cup Playoff contest, Jerome Iginla and James Neal each scored twice, one apiece on the power play, as the Pittsburgh Penguins spanked the home-standing Ottawa Senators 7-3 in game four of the clubs' Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Penguins can finish off the Senators with a game-five win back home in Pittsburgh on Friday night.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Tuesday with two games.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At Boston:
Third-period goals from Johnny Boychuk (3:10, time expired) and Daniel Paille (16:29, time expired) lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 come-from-behind game-three road win over the New York Rangers. The Bruins, who lead their conference semifinal series three games to none, can finish off their closed-circuit era rivals with a game-four victory in New York on Thursday.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At San Jose, California:
Brent Burns and Logan Couture (power play) each scored a goal as the San Jose Sharks evened up their conference semifinal series with the Los Angeles Kings at two games apiece with their 2-1 home victory in game four.
At San Antonio:
Tim Duncan scored 17 points (including his team's first six points of overtime) while Tony Parker added 15 (to go with his playoff career-high 18 assists) as the San Antonio Spurs blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead, then recovered to defeat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 93-89 in overtime in the lone Tuesday NBA Playoff contest. The Spurs now lead the Western Conference finals two games to none.
At Detroit:
Jimmy Howard saved 39 of 40 shots while Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller each scored a second-period goal 31 seconds apart in the lone Monday Stanley Cup Playoff contest as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 in the third game of their Western Conference semifinal series. The Wings now lead the series two games to one.
At Vancouver, British Columbia:
Despite losing Mamadou Futty Dansa to a red card in the 81st minute, the Portland Timbers, with goals courtesy of Will Johnson (PK-52') and Jose Adolfo Valencia (84'), came back from two one-goal deficits to gain a 2-2 Saturday Cascadia Cup road draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps as the Timbers stretched their Major League Soccer unbeaten run to ten games. Camilo Sanvezzo (24') and Gershon Koffie (54') provided the scoring for the Whitecaps.
Two games, both in the Eastern Conference, were contested on Sunday as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continued.
At Boston:
Torey Krug, Gregory Campbell, Johnny Boychuk, Brad Marchand, and Milan Lucic each scored a goal while Tuukka Rask turned back 35 of 37 shots as the Boston Bruins took a two-games-to-none lead in their conference semifinal series with the New York Rangers following their 5-2 home win in game two.
At Ottawa:
After Daniel Alfredsson's shorthanded goal at 19:31 of the third period forced overtime, Colin Greening scored the winning goal at 7:39 of the second extra period at the Ottawa Senators cut the Pittsburgh Penguins' conference semifinal series advantage to two games to one with their 2-1 home win in game three. Craig Anderson saved 49 of 50 shots to preserve the victory while his Pittsburgh counterpart (and the hard-luck loser) Tomas Voloun saved 46 of 48 shots.
At San Antonio:
In the lone Sunday NBA Playoff contest, Tony Parker scored 20 points and dished out nine assists while Kawhi Leonard added 18 points as the San Antonio Spurs dominated the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 105-83 in the opening game of the Western Conference finals.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with two games on Saturday, both in the Western Conference.
At Chicago:
Goals from Damien Brunner and Brendan Smith in the second period, Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula in the third, and 19 saves in 20 shots from Jimmy Howard carried the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-1 road win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Wings leveled their conference semifinal series at one game apiece and seized home-ice advantage for the series.
At San Jose, California:
A power-play goal from Logan Couture 89 seconds into overtime lifted the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 win over the visiting Los Angeles Kings in game three of their conference semifinal series as the Sharks now trail the series two games to one. San Jose's other goal, 94 seconds in the first period, was also on the power play, in this case, thanks to Dan Boyle.
At Indianapolis:
In the lone Saturday NBA Playoff contest, Lance Stephenson scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers closed the curtain on the second round of the league playoffs with an Eastern Conference semifinal series-clinching 106-99 game-six home win over the New York Knicks. Paul George added 23 and Roy Hibbert 21 (to go with his 12 rebounds) to help guide the Pacers, offsetting Carmelo Anthony's 39 points for the Knicks. The Pacers advance to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2004, and they will open that series in Miami on Wednesday.
At Baltimore:
Oxbow, a 15-1 shot with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens (his third Preakness victory, his ninth in Triple Crown races---three for each) aboard, won the 138th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Track on Saturday, with trainer D. Wayne Lukas picking up his sixth Preakness triumph. Itsmyluckyday was second and Mylute was third with Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who was more or less boxed in throughout the race, finishing fourth. This will be the 35th consecutive year without a Triple Crown winner.
At Spokane, Washington:
Quarterback Erik Meyer completed 29 of 40 passes for 353 yards and six touchdowns, two of them to Adron Terrell as the Spokane Shock (6-3) extended the visiting New Orleans VooDoo's (1-7) losing streak to seven games 65-54 in the lone Friday night Arena Football League contest.
At Pittsburgh:
In the lone Friday Stanley Cup Playoff contest, Sidney Crosby delivered his second career playoff hat trick (including a power-play tally in the second period) as the Pittsburgh Penguins held off the visiting Ottawa Senators 4-3 to take a two-games-to-none lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The NBA Playoffs continued with two games on Thursday.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At New York:
Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points as the New York Knicks defeated the visiting Indiana Pacers 85-75 in game five of their conference semifinal series. The Pacers, whose Paul George scored 23 points, still lead the series three games to two and can finish off the Knicks with a game-six home win at Indianapolis on Saturday.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At Oakland:
Tim Duncan scored 19 points while Kawhi Leonard added 13 as the The San Antonio Spurs finished off the Golden State Warriors 94-82 on the road in game six and won their conference semifinal series four games to two. The Warriors' Stephen Curry paced all scorers with 22 points. The Spurs open the Western Conference finals at home in San Antonio on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Thursday with two games.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At Boston:
Torey Krug's power-play goal in the third period squared things, then Brad Marchand's first goal of the postseason at 15:40 of the first overtime period lifted the Boston Bruins to a conference-semifinal-series-opening 4-3 home victory over the New York Rangers.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At Los Angeles:
Power-play goals from Dustin Brown and Trevor Lewis, 22 seconds apart with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time helped the Los Angeles Kings recover from blowing a two-goal lead then falling behind 3-2 and post a stunning 4-3 game-two home win over the San Jose Sharks. The Kings, who have now won six consecutive contests, scored three of their four goals on the power play (Drew Doughty scoring one in the second period) and now lead their conference semifinal series two games to none.
Two games were played in the NBA Playoffs on Wednesday.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At Miami:
LeBron James scored 23 points while Dwayne Wade added 18 as the Miami Heat defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 94-91 in game five and won their conference semifinal series four games to one, despite 26 points and 14 rebounds from the injury-battered, but game Bulls' Carlos Boozer.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At Oklahoma City:
Zach Randolph scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while Mike Conley added 13 (to go with his 11 assists) as the Memphis Grizzlies advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in their 18-year history with their 88-84 conference-semifinal series game-five road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Grizzlies won the series four games to one.
At Chicago:
In the lone Wednesday night Stanley Cup Playoff contest, Marian Hossa (power play), Johnny Oduya, Marcus Kruger, and Patrick Sharp (empty net) each delivered a goal while Corey Crawford stopped 20 of 21 shots as the Chicago Blackhawks dominated the visiting Detroit Red Wings 4-1 in the opening contest of their Western Conference semifinal series.
The NBA Playoffs continued with two games on Tuesday.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
At Indianapolis:
George Hill scored 26 points while Paul George added 18 (to go with his 14 rebounds and seven assists) as the Indiana Pacers defeated the visiting New York Knicks 93-82 in game four of their conference semifinal series. The Pacers, who lead the series three games to one, can finish off the Knickerbockers with a game-five win at New York on Thursday night.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
At San Antonio:
A 25-point, 10-assist night from Tony Parker guided the San Antonio Spurs to a 109-91 game-five win over the visiting Golden State Warriors. The Spurs, who lead their conference semifinal series three games to one, can close out the Warriors with a game-six win on Thursday at Oakland.
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