The Flyers/Capitals game took a dark turn when the Flyers left wing Patrick Thoresen, took a shot in the groin and had to be helped off the ice, taken to hospital for tests there is the possibility that one of his testicles will have to be removed, such was the force of the shot that he blocked with six minutes to go in the game.
Danica Patrick made history Saturday night, becoming the first woman to win a major auto race by capturing the IndyCar Series’ event at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan.
Patrick, led by a smart call by team manager Kyle Moyer, Monrovia, Ind., went the final 51 laps without a pit stop to become the surprise winner of the Indy Japan 300. Patrick was participating in her 50th IndyCar Series race. Until her huge win on Saturday, she was best known for being the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500. Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season.
Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs is the winner of the NBA Sixth Man Award given by Kia Motors. In order to be eligible for this award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started. Although Ginobili has started a number of games for the Spurs this season, he was eligible for the award because he came off of the bench far more frequently. He was moved earlier in the season from a starting role to a back-up role to give the Spurs’ reserves some extra offensive firepower.
Spurs officials say Ginobili received 615 out of a possible 620 points, including 123 of a possible 124 first-place votes, from a panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns finished second with 283 points and Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks finished third with 44 points. Ginobili was the only player in the NBA to average at least 17 points in less than 32 minutes of playing time per game.
Boston Bruins 5 Montreal Canadiens 4
Forcing a game 7, the Bruins fought hard and came out strong in a tense game on Saturday. Montreal has been struggling after initially holding a 3-1 series lead.
Colorado Avalanche 2 Minnesota Wild 1
The Avalanche stood thier ground against another attack from the Wild for a series-clinching 2-1 win Saturday night.
Washington Capitals 3 Philadelphia Flyers 2
The Capitals jumped to an early lead, and the Flyers just waited too long to respond Saturday in Washington’s 3-2 must-win Game 5 victory in the first-round playoff series.
Detroit Red Wings 3 Nashville Predators 0
At Nashville, Tenn., Nicklas Lidstrom and Jiri Hudler each scored, and the Red Wings closed out their opening series by beating the Predators in Game 6.
Dallas Stars 4 Anaheim Ducks 1
At Dallas, Stephane Robidas scored the tying goal on the power play early in the third period then set up Stu Barnes for the go-ahead goal 52 seconds later, sending the Stars past Anaheim to end their first-round series in six games.
Flames 2 San Jose Sharks 0
Miikka Kiprusoff made 21 saves and the Calgary Flames beat the Sharks 2-0 Sunday, forcing Game 7 in the first-round playoff series.
* Game 1: Washington at Cleveland - 12:30 p.m. ET/ESPN
* Game 1: Phoenix at San Antonio - 3 p.m. ET/ABC
* Game 1: Dallas at New Orleans - 7 p.m. ET/ESPN
* Game 1: Utah at Houston - 9:30 p.m. ET/ESPN
Sunday
* Game 1: Toronto at Orlando - 12:30 p.m. ET/TNT
* Game 1: Denver at LA Lakers - 3 p.m. ET/ABC
* Game 1: Philadelphia at Detroit - 6 p.m. ET/TNT
* Game 1: Atlanta at Boston - 8:30 p.m. ET/TNT
Isiah Thomas’ disastrous two-year run as coach of the New York Knicks ended yesterday after a season of terrible basketball, a lawsuit and continuous chants from the fans in the stands demanding Thomas’ dismissal. Donnie Walsh, who replaced Thomas in the team’s executive office as president earlier this month, confirmed on Friday that Thomas will not be back after the team finished with a dismal 23-59 season that tied the franchise record for futility. Thomas, 46, who just over a year ago signed a lucrative contract extension with the team, will remain a “consultant” for the Knicks. During the NBA’s 50th anniversary, the former Detroit Pistons point guard was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Guess he won’t be winning any awards for coaching.
The Detroit Red Wings were hoping to stay with Dominik Hasek when the playoffs began after rotating the goalie with Chris Osgood in the regular season. Hasek was so shaky in a series-evening loss that coach Mike Babcock was forced to make a move.
“This is Plan B,” Babcock said yesterday. “But Plan B is Chris Osgood and I think he won 29 games and had the best goals-against average in the NHL.”
Hasek was benched after giving up three goals on 14 shots in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss at Nashville. Hasek is the oldest active goalie in the NHL at 43, and the second oldest active player in the league after Red Wings teammate Chris Chelios, who is 46.
Brett Favre is the only three-time AP MVP (1995-97) in NFL history and has led the Packers to two Super Bowls. Favre announced his retirement this year, ending a 17-year career.
The Green Bay Packers will retire Brett Favre’s No. 4 during the opener against the Vikings on Sept. 8. Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said the quarterback’s number would be retired in a ceremony at Lambeau Field during the Monday night game, joining the No. 14 of wide receiver Don Hutson, fullback Tony Canadeo’s No. 3, quarterback Bart Starr’s No. 15, linebacker Ray Nitschke’s No. 66 and defensive end Reggie White’s No. 92.
NBA owners approved the Sonics’ relocation bid to Oklahoma City by an overwhelming 28-2 vote today by the league’s Board of Governors. Th two votes against the move came from Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks and Paul Allen of the Portland Trail Blazers.
NBA commissioner David Stern said in an interview “The support for the NBA demonstrated by the fans, government leaders and business community of Oklahoma City over the last three years has been extraordinary, the Board of Governors is confident that the level of local support will result in success for the Sonics franchise in Oklahoma.”
The Sonics will become the fourth franchise to relocate since 1985. The Kansas City Kings moved to Sacramento, the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis and the Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans. With the Sonics’ departure after 41 years Seattle would rank as the longest-tenured NBA city ever to lose a team.
