Thursday, April 26, 2012

Panthers Eliminated By Devils

    The Florida Panthers had a chance to win their first playoff series since 1996, but they were defeated in  double overtime by the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in game seven at the Bank Atlantic Center on Thursday night. The Devils win the best-of-seven series 4-3. It ends the Panthers best season since their finest campaign in 1995-96. For the first time in franchise history, the Florida Panthers hosted a game seven at home.
    The Panthers had only played in one game seven. That was in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals in Pittsburgh where they defeated the Penguins 3-1 and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
    The Devils almost scored on their first attempt just a two minutes into the game as David Clarkson hit the left post with a shot from the left of the crease. Clarkson was crushed against the right-corner boards by Ed Jovanovski several seconds later.
    New Jersey was able to get the first goal of the game as Anton Volchenkov fired a slap shot from the left point. Adam Henrique redirected the puck in the crease area by Jose Theodore at 1:29 for a 1-0 lead.
    The Devils got the first four straight shots on goal in the game until Stephen Weiss put a shot on net from the low left circle at 5:53. Florida outshot their opponent 12-9 in the first period.
    Florida fell behind 2-0 midway through the second period. Ryan Carter raced around the Panthers cage and passed to Peter Harrold on the right point. He ripped a shot that was stopped by Stephen Gionta in the slot area. He put the puck to his backhand and scored at 9:15.
    The Panthers had only one shot for the first 18 minutes of the second period which was a shot by Sean Bergenheim from the top right circle at 5:14.  They had one other shot in the period at 18:30 by Tomas Fleischmann from the high slot at 18:30. New Jersey had 11 shots in the second period.
     Panthers coach Kevin Dineen decided to switch personnel on all his four forward lines at the start of the third period. It seemed to add a spark to the team. A Panthers goal was disallowed at 1:50 when Shawn Matthias was called for goaltender interference after Mike Weaver blasted a slap shot from the right point.
    Florida kept the pressure on and was able to cut the lead to 2-1 at 5:02 on a four-on-three power play tally. Stephen Weiss had a give-and-go pass with Brian Campbell at the top of the zone. Weiss then took a one-time slap shot from the top right circle and put it by Martin Brodeur.
    Marek Zidlicky was called for delay of game for flipping the puck over the glass in his own defensive zone at 16:12. The Panthers were able to capitalize on the unique situation. Bergenheim took a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle and Brodeur made the initial save. Marcel Goc skated in from right side of the crease and scored on the power play at 16:32. The game was tied at the end of regulation.
    In overtime, Kris Versteeg was called for slashing at 3:21. New Jersey had two shots on the power play but were unable to get the puck by Theodore. Scottie Upshall had the best shot for the Panthers from the low crease that was saved with 1:35 remaining in the first overtime. The Panthers had twelve shots on goal in the first overtime while Devils had nine.
    The game went into a second overtime and New Jersey was able to bottle up Florida in their own defensive zone. The Panthers tried to clear the puck through the left side and it popped up into the air at the top right circle. Henrique caught the puck, placed it down on the ice and sent a shot from the high slot area through the legs of Theodore for the game-winning goal at 3:47.

Mets Sweep Marlins

    The Miami Marlins were swept by the New York Mets in the last game of a three-game series 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field. The Mets pulled off a ninth-inning comeback with two runs and sent the Marlins home to Miami with a 0-5 record on the road trip. The last time the Marlins were swept by the Mets was in June 2010.
    New York got a good start in the first inning with Ricky Nolasco on the mound for Miami. Kirk Nieuwenhuis led off with a triple to deep right-center field. He would score on a sacrifice fly by Ruben Tejada to right. The Mets had the lead after just two batters.
     The Marlins would even the score at 1-1 in the third inning. Gaby Sanchez hit a lead-off solo home run to left field on a 1-0 pitch off Jonathan Niese. It was the first home run to Sanchez this season.
    Miami picked up another run to take their only lead in the game during the fifth inning. Omar Infante doubled to center field then Giancarlo Stanton followed with a single to center field. Infante stopped at third and could not score on the play. Sanchez hit into a 4-6-3 double play and Infante crossed home plate.
    Nolasco went seven innings and gave up one run on five hits with five strikeouts while Niese also went seven innings and let up two runs on four hits.
    Heath Bell came in and replaced Randy Choate in the ninth inning. David Wright walked and advanced to second on a ground out by Lucas Duda. Ike Davis and Josh Thole both got on base with walks to load the bases. Justin Turner then got a base-on-balls to score Wright and tie the game at 2-2. Scott Hairston then grounded into fielder choice at home. Nieuwenhuis got the game-winning hit with a single to right field with Thole scoring.








Mets Defeat Marlins

    The New York Mets picked up a 5-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night at Citi Field. The Marlins have now lost four straight road games on the trip.  They will finish the three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
    The only bright spot for Miami was a one-out solo home run to left field by Omar Infante on a 1-0 pitch in the fifth inning off R.A. Dickey. It was the fifth homer by Infante this season.  Dickey would pitch seven innings and give up one run on three hits with seven strikeouts.
    The Mets got two runs in the sixth inning to take the eventual lead. Daniel Murphy grounded into a fielders choice to make it two outs. David Wright then hit an 0-2 pitch to center field off Mark Buehrle, who went seven innings and surrendered two runs on five hits.
    New York added three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off the Marlins bullpen core. With runners on first and second with two out, Lucas Duda smacked a single to right to score Ruben Tejada. Duda advanced to second on a error by Giancarlo Stanton. Mike Baxter would follow with a double down the left field line to score Wright and Duda.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Marlins Lose In Reyes Homecoming

    Jose Reyes made his return to New York on Tuesday night but that was not enough as the New York Mets edged the Miami Marlins 2-1 at Citi Field. Reyes played for New York from 2003 until last year and led them to a National League Eastern Division title in 2006. Miami had not played since Saturday against the Washington Nationals.
    Josh Johnson started for the Marlins and Johan Santana took the mound for the Mets and both pitched great as they held their opponent scoreless through six innings. Santana gave up only one hit and two walks during that time while Johnson surrendered three hits.
    The Marlins got a two-out rally in the seventh inning to take a 1-0 lead. Giancarlo Stanton sliced a single to right field. Gaby Sanchez knocked him in on a double to left field. Santana was pulled by Mets manager Terry Collins after that at-bat.
    New York tied the game at 1-1 at the bottom of the frame with a two-out rally in an unusual way. They scored with four straight walks off four different Miami pitchers. Johnson was relieved after he gave up a walk to Lucas Duda. It was followed by consecutive base-on-balls by Justin Turner, Scott Hariston and Josh Thole by Randy Choate, Steve Cishek and Mike Dunn.
     The Mets broke the tie game with a run in the eighth inning. Kirk Nieuwenhuis singled to right field and went to second on a ground out. Daniel Murphy then singled to right and advanced Nieuwenhuis to third. David Wright came up a struck out. Duda drove in the winning run on an infield single.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Devils Hold Off Panthers

    The Florida Panthers had the opportunity to win their first playoff series since the 1995-96 season. It didn't happen in game six as they were defeated by the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark. It was the sixth time in history the Panthers played in a postseason overtime game. The first round series will go to a game seven on Thursday night in Sunrise.
    Scott Clemmensen was given his second career playoff start against his former team. Jose Theodore was scratched and did not dress due to an undisclosed injury. Jacob Markstrom was called up from their AHL affiliate San Antonio to backup in net.
    It was a tough start for Florida as they had only three shots on goal 15 minutes into the game. New Jersey got the 1-0 lead on a goal by former Panther Steve Bernier at 16:32. Peter Harrold ripped a shot from the right point that was deflected by Ryan Carter on net. Bernier took a wrist shot from the low left circle that went through the pads of Clemmensen. The Devils out shot Florida 13-6 in the first period.  
     New Jersey continued to roll at the beginning in the second period. Tomas Kopecky took a penalty for high sticking Harrold at 2:25 to give the Devils their first power play of the game. Peter Sykora dropped the puck down to Travis Zajac in the low right circle. He found Ilya Kovalchuk at the edge of the goal crease and he one-timed a shot by Clemmensen at 4:21 for a Devils 2-0 lead.
     The Panthers closed the gap on their first shot of the second period at 7:05. Stephen Weiss raced down the left side and into the left corner. He passed to the slot area where Kris Versteeg slipped the puck by Martin Brodeur. It was the third goal by Versteeg against the Devils in this series.
    Florida tied the game at 2-2 with 7:11 left in the second period. Tyson Strachan came up on the play and fired a shot from the high slot that Brodeur barely saved. Sean Bergenheim picked up the loose puck on the right side of crease with backhand. He switched to the forehand and put it into the open net. Bergenheim picked up his third goal in the playoffs.
    Early in the third period, the Panthers were able to kill off two penalties, including a five-on-three for 28 seconds. The Cats had only 13 shots on goal in regulation. Clemmensen made 36 saves in the three periods. Neither team scored in the third period which set up the first overtime in the series.
    The Devils got the decisive goal at 5:39 in overtime as Zajac blasted a slap shot from the edge of the left circle. Parise gave an outlet pass ahead from the neutral zone to Kovalchuk who crossed the Panthers line and angled a pass to Zajac.
   The Panthers had played a game six only twice in their franchise history and won both of them at home in 1996. They won against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Panthers Stop Rat Sale

    The Florida Panthers announced on Tuesday that they will no longer sell plastic rats at the Bank Atlantic Center. Crowds have been throwing rats on to the ice surface every time the Panthers have scored a goal in the playoffs. The public address announcer has mentioned on every occurrence following a goal that fans should not throw objects, specifically rats, or face ejection from the arena. Fans have been throwing rats on ice following a Florida home victory throughout the season.
    The tradition goes back to the 1995-96 season. On their first home game at the Miami Arena against the Calgary Flames, a rat was racing around inside the Panthers locker room prior to the start of the game. Right wing Scott Mellanby shot the rat into a wall and killed it. He would go on a score two goals that night for his team. After the game, goalie John Vanbiesbrouck called it a rat trick. People would start throwing rats on the ice after a Panthers win for the rest of the regular season.
    During the 1996 playoffs, the game operations crew would have to be brought out after every Panther goal and clean up the mess. It would later create long delays in the pace of the game. It was part of the great playoff run the Florida Panthers had that year. After the season, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issued a policy that the tossing of objects on the ice following a goal would incur a delay of game penalty on the home team.
 

Monday, April 23, 2012

Pudge Rodriguez Retires

    Former Florida Marlins catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez announced his retirement on Monday night prior to the Texas Rangers home game against the New York Yankees. He played only one season with the Marlins in 2003 and led the team to a world championship plus he won the National League Championship Series MVP award.
    Rodriguez began his baseball career with Texas Rangers and played there for 12 years until 2002. He helped the team win three American League West division titles in the late 1990's. He also won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1999.
    During his time in Major League Baseball, he won 13 Gold Gloves awards which is the most ever by a catcher. In addition, he played the most games as a catcher in baseball history at 2,427. In addition, he holds the record for most hits by a catcher. Rodriguez finished with a .296 batting average, 311 home runs and 1,332 RBIs in a 21-season career.
    Rodriguez finished his playing career with the Washington Nationals in 2011. He was the starting catcher for them in the final game ever played by the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. He was honored by the Marlins following the game in a closing ceremony for the franchise. He was selected in a fan ballot as the best catcher in Marlins history. In addition, his tag on J.T. Snow to end the 2003 Wild Card Playoff Series against the San Francisco Giants was voted one of the top ten greatest moments in Florida Marlins history.  

Marlins Game Postponed

    The Miami Marlins game against the Washington Nationals was postponed on Sunday. It was called by the umpire crew several hours prior to the 1:05 p.m. start. A large storm front was to approach Washington D.C. and was not expected to let up for the rest of the day. Another consideration was that the Nationals were to begin a west-coast swing in San Diego on Tuesday.
    The game will be made up later this season as the Marlins will return to the area two other times. The next game for Miami will be at Citi Field in Flushing, New York on Tuesday night as they face the New York Mets.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Panthers Blank Devils

    The Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils played game five of their best-of-seven series at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise on Saturday. The Panthers picked up a 3-0 shutout victory and now lead the series 3-2. Jose Theodore had 30 saves in the game and garnered his second career playoff shutout. Game six will be played on Tuesday night in New Jersey as Florida will try and clinch their first playoff series since the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
     Florida now has a record of 3-2 in game five of a playoff series. The last time the Cats played in a game five situation was in the 1997 Eastern Conference first round when they were eliminated by the New York Rangers. The Devils still have not won consecutive playoff games since the 2007 conference quarterfinals against the Tampa Bay Lightning which is the last postseason series that they won. It is a string of 27 straight games.
    Neither team were able to score in the first period nor get a shot on net in the five minutes of the game. The Cats had to go until the 6:30 mark for their first shot in the game when Sean Bergenheim placed a wrist shot from the slot area on net which Martin Brodeur made a sliding save. Patrik Elias had a good scoring chance at 13:20 from the right edge of the crease on a rebound, but it was stopped by Jose Theodore. Things would change in the second period.
     Marek Zidlicky was called for interference at 3:30. The Panthers were able to take the lead at 4:00 on a power play goal by Kris Versteeg. Brian Campbell had the puck at the top of the zone and sent a pass to Stephen Weiss in the high slot. He then connected a pass to Versteeg who took a one-time slap shot from the left circle. It was the second goal for Vesteeg in the series.
    The Panthers would get an insurance goal at 13:17 of the third period in an unusual way. Scottie Upshall fought off several Devils in the neutral zone and sent the puck down the ice. Brodeur came out of his net to stop it on the end boards. He poked the puck into an onrushing Versteeg and it popped out into the crease area. Upshall put it into the open age for a 2-0 lead. 
    Erik Gudbranson took a roughing penalty with 2:08 left and it give the Devils a power play for almost the remainder of the game. Devils coach Peter Deboer pulled Brodeur from the net at the start of the man advantage and had a six-on-four situation. New Jersey could not put the puck by Theodore during that time and Florida rallied with an open-net shorthanded goal. Iyla Kovalchuk attempted to keep the puck in the offensive but it was blocked by Tomas Kopecky and rolled out to center ice. Kopecky skated into the Devils zone and was hooked from behind by Kovalchuk. He was given an automatic goal by referee Chris Lee and extended the Panthers lead to 3-0 at 19:26.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Devils Tie Series Against Panthers

The Florida Panthers looked to sweep their second straight game in New Jersey, but they were upended by the Devils 4-0 on Thursday night at the Prudential Center in Newark. Martin Brodeur of the Devils collected his 24th career playoff shutout, most in NHL history. The best-of-seven series is now even at 2-2 with game five on Saturday night in Sunrise. Scott Clemmensen was in net for Florida for his first career playoff start. Panthers coach Kevin Dineen implemented Keaton Ellerby on defense just prior to the game for Jason Garrison who had suffered an leg injury. New Jersey had several good shots on net in the first five minutes of the first period. Florida almost scored on their first power play when Sean Bergenheim hit the left post on a backhand from the left of the crease area at 7:10. Neither team was able to score in the first. New Jersey got the first goal for the third time in four games on the power play early in the second period. Marek Zidlicky and Patrik Elias passed the puck between each other at the top of the zone. Zidlicky took a slap shot that was deflected by Zack Parise in the top of the crease at 6:08. New Jersey almost added another goal at 12:55, however Stephen Gionta missed an open net from the slot on a two-on-one breakaway. Early in the third period, Florida gave up two goals in just 1:33. At 2:02 of the third period, the Devils took a 2-0 lead on a goal by Steve Bernier. Later, David Clarkson rushed through the Panthers zone by going around the cage and into the right corner. He sent a backhand pass to the high slot area where Travis Zajac blasted a one-time slap shot by Clemmensen at 3:35. Erik Gudbranson was called for boarding Adam Henrique at 6:39. New Jersey extended the lead to 4-0 near the end of the power play as Ilya Kovalchuk rocketed a slap shot from the left face-off circle at 8:32. For the third time in franchise history, the Florida Panthers are guaranteed to play a game six in the playoffs next Tuesday. Back in 1996, Florida played a six-game series against the Philadephia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and a seven-game series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Marlins Sweep Cubs

The Miami Marlins finished off their six-game homestand on Thursday with a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Marlins Park. They extended their winning streak to four. The Marlins swept the three-game series over the Cubbies and now have a winning record for the first time this season at 7-6. Miami got off to a great start in the first inning. Emilio Bonifacio scored from third on a one-out single by Logan Morrison. Giancarlo Stanton grounded out to shortstop and Hanley Ramirez scored for a Marlins 2-0 lead. Chicago responded in the second inning as Darwin Barney laced a three-run triple down the right field line with two outs to take the lead 3-2. Both teams had opportunities in the third inning. The Cubs left the bases loaded. Miami got a double to left field by Greg Dobbs with one out which scored Ramirez and Morrison. Ricky Nolasco helped his cause as he knocked in Dobbs with a two-out single and the Marlins retook the lead 5-3. Nolasco improved his record to 2-0 after he pitched five-plus innings. Heath Bell picked up his second save this season. The Cubs have now lost five straight games. The Marlins will play a three-game series against the Nationals in Washington D.C. this weekend.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Marlins Crush Cubs

The Miami Marlins continued their six-game homestand as they pounded the Chicago Cubs 9-1 on Wednesday night at Marlins Park. The Marlins reached the .500 mark for the first time this season at 6-6. The team had a season-high 14 hits against Chicago. Miami was able to take the lead in the third inning off Matt Garza. Following a lead-off walk by John Buck, Donnie Murphy smashed a two-run home run to left field on a 2-1 pitch. The Marlins left the bases loaded in the fourth inning as Murphy struck out. Miami increased their lead to 4-0 on a two-out rally in the fifth inning. Emilio Bonifacio pulled off a bunt single to third base. Hanley Ramirez then blasted a two-run homer on a 1-1 pitch to left-center field. He has hit a home run in three straight games. In the sixth inning, Giancarlo Stanton led off with a walk. Gaby Sanchez knocked him in on a double to right-center field. Garza then left the game after five-plus innings as he gave up six runs on seven hits and struck out seven batters. Buck popped to second, then Murphy got a double to left field and Sanchez advanced to third. Mark Buehrle hit an RBI single to right with Sanchez crossing the plate. Murphy scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jose Reyes. The Marlins added three runs in the sixth to make it 7-0. Buehrle had his shutout broken in the seventh inning as Jeff Baker scored from third on a ground out by Ian Stewart to first base. Baker had hit a lead-off double to center field. Miami added to the lead in the bottom of the frame as Chris Coghlan scored on a sacrifice fly by Murphy. Buehrle was pulled after eight innings and surrendered one run on five hits. Reyes led off the eighth inning with a triple down the left field line. He scored two batters later on a fielders choice. Miami will play the Cubs at around noon on Thursday before going on the road.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale Arbitron Ratings March

There was a tie for the top sports format radio station in Miami and Fort Lauderdale in March. Both 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM and Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM had a 1.0 for the month. It was a big surprise that 790 The Ticket dropped from 1.4 in February. They are the flagship station of the Miami Heat. They also broadcast Miami Marlins exhibition during the month and interrupted its highest-rated program the Dan LeBatard Show in the afternoon slot several times. In addition, the Jax Show with Jason Jackson seemed to lose momentum in its second month on the air. Sports Radio 560 moved up slightly from a 0.9 in February. Give credit to the increased audience from the Kup and Goldie Show with Adam Kuperstein and Steve Goldstein which began in January. As the flagship station for the Florida Panthers, an improved record by that team has helped WQAM. 940 The Sports Animal WINZ-AM remained unchanged at 0.4 in March. Their audience adjusted to the time changes of personnel made by that station in February. 640 Sports WMEN-AM stayed the same at 0.1 for March as there were no changes in their programming.

Dolphins Sign Naanee

The Miami Dolphins signed wide receiver Lelegu Naanee on Tuesday. He played for the Carolina Panthers in 2011 where he started in 10 games and had 44 catches for 467 yards. Naanee was with the San Diego Chargers in his first four seasons in the NFL. The Dolphins also signed linebacker Gary Guyton, who played for the New England Patriots for the last four years. He played for the AFC Champions last season.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Panthers Come Back On Devils

The Florida Panthers came back from a three-goal deficit in game three and shocked the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark. The Panthers now lead this best-of-seven series 2-1. The Cats came out with a horrible start as New Jersey scored their first three goals of the game just 6:16 in. The Panthers fell behind on the first shift of the game and they were unable to clear the puck out of their zone. Iyla Kovalchuk took a slap shot from the top right circle that was tipped by Travis Zajac. Jose Theodore made the initial save, but Zack Parise carried the puck through low slot and scored at 0:33. The Devils continued to roll as Stephen Gionta redirected the puck from the top of the crease at 3:27 after a shot from the right point by Marek Zidlicky. Kris Versteeg took an interference penalty at 5:16 and New Jersey scored on their first power play to increase the margin to 3-1 at 6:16. David Clarkson took a backhand shot from the slot that was saved by Theodore. Parise passed from the crease area to Patrik Elias in the low right circle and he put a wrist shot into the roof of the cage. Panthers coach Kevin Dineen pulled Theodore after that goal and Scott Clemmensen replaced him. Elias was called for unsportsmanlike conduct at 15:16. Florida cut the lead to 3-1 on their first power play. Scottie Upshall fired a shot from the red line that Martin Brodeur made a blocker save. Sean Bergenheim got the rebound in the low left circle and flicked a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Brodeur at 16:11. Bryce Salvador took a roughing penalty at with over two minutes left. The Panthers scored on their second power play of the game with eight seconds left in the period. Jason Garrison blasted a slap shot from the blue line that traveled through traffic and in between the legs of Brodeur. Florida outshot New Jersey 9-1 to end the first period and were down 3-2. The Panthers tied the game at 2:18 of the second period on a turnover by the Devils in their own zone. Elias had a cross-ice pass intercepted by Mike Weaver on the right point. He took a slap shot that went in. Brodeur was pulled by Peter Deboer following the goal and Johan Hedberg entered the game. Florida picked up their fourth consecutive goal as they scored on their straight third power play at 6:34. Mikael Samuelsson fed Brian Campbell in the right circle for the goal. The Devils had a tying goal disallowed with 1:24 left when Steve Bernier bumped into Clemmensen in the blue paint on a right point shot by Zidlicky. Neither team scored in third period. The Devils pulled Hedberg with 1:25 left in regulation, but were unable to tie the game. It was the Panthers first road playoff win since June 1, 1996 when they upset the Pittsburgh Penguins in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. Florida won the conference title and flew to Denver after the game for the Stanley Cup Finals. Clemmensen recorded his first playoff win in his NHL career and now is 5-0 all-time against New Jersey. For the first time in his playoff career, Brodeur and the Devils could not hold a three-goal lead. Both teams will meet in game four on Thursday night.

Marlins Win As Gullien Returns

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen returned to the dugout after a five-game suspension implemented by team over comments about Fidel Castro. The Marlins defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-2 on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. The big blow was a three-run homer by Hanley Ramirez to break a tie in the eighth inning. It was his third home run this season.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Baseball Show Back On WQAM

Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM added a baseball show at the beginning of the baseball season. The Clubhouse returned to the daily lineup on the radio station with evening sports anchor Mike Levine and Chris Anthony as the show co-hosts. Levine, evening sports anchor at the station, did the program on WQAM in 2011. It will air from 10 p.m. until 11 p.m. following the Kevin Rogers Show.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Lindsay Returns To Radio

Florida Panthers television game analyst Bill Lindsay worked along with Randy Moller for the radio game broadcast on Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils in game two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. It was the first time that he announced in the radio booth since April 2009. Lindsay has been the game analyst with Fox Sports Florida for the last three seasons. He did work as a radio game analyst from 2007-08 to 2008-09. Fox Sports Florida did not have a telecast for game two between the Panthers and Devils. Lindsay will broadcast the remainder of the first round series with Steve Goldstein.

Panthers Even Series Against Devils

It was a chance to even the first round series for the Florida Panthers on Sunday night at the Bank Atlantic Center. They did with an impressive victory over the New Jersey Devils 4-2 in game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The best-of-seven series is now tied up at 1-1. It was the first time the Panthers won a playoff game since the opening game of the 1997 first-round series against the New York Rangers at the Miami Arena, just two days short of 15 years. Florida started off strong as Andy Greene was called for a tripping on Marcel Goc eleven seconds into the game. The Panthers capitalized on their first power play and took a 1-0 lead at 0:23. Kris Versteeg threw a pass from the left corner to Mikael Samuelsson at the blue line. He sent a shot toward the net with traffic in the crease area. After Martin Brodeur made the initial save, longest-tenured Panthers center Stephen Weiss put in the rebound from the low slot. A big surprise was the limited amount of shots on goal after one period as Florida had three while New Jersey got four. Late in the first period, the Devils received two penalties at 19:43. David Clarkson for charging and Alexei Ponikarovsky for high sticking. The Cats would have a five-on-three advantage as they entered the second period. Stephen Weiss picked up his second goal of the game at 1:12. Jason Garrison fired a shot from beyond the right circle that bounced off Marcel Goc in front of the crease. Weiss placed the wrist shot from the low right circle over the left shoulder of Brodeur for a 2-0 margin. Florida kept the momentum and extended their lead to 3-0 at 14:39. Goc gave a give-and-go pass with Brian Campbell on the right-wing boards then let go a shot from the right face-off circle that squeezed in. New Jersey Devils attempted to come back in this game early in the third period with two goals. Andy Greene kept the puck in the Panthers zone on the left point as he stopped it at the blue line. He put a lead pass ahead to Travis Zajac in the low left circle. He then blasted a shot that went between the pads of Jose Theodore at 0:48. Just over one minute later, Adam Henrique sent a cross-ice pass from the left wing into the crease area where it was redirected by Iyla Kovalchuk at 2:02. New Jersey pulled their goalie with 1:15 remaining and had several shots on net. Tomas Fleischmann skated down the ice by himself and put the puck into an open net at 19:59. Florida won for only the second time in game two of a playoff series. They did in game two of the 1996 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Boston Bruins. Game three of the series will be on Tuesday night at the Prudentinal Center in Newark.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Devils Slip By Panthers

The Florida Panthers played in their first playoff game since 2000 on Friday night and were defeated by New Jersey Devils 3-2 at the Bank Atlantic Center. Martin Brodeur collected his 100th career playoff win as a goalie. He also started his 171st consecutive playoff game. Florida got the first two shots in the game, but New Jersey Devils followed with 13 of the next 16 shots which included the first goal. Dainius Zubrus sent a cross-ice pass from the left point to Patrik Elias alone in the low right circle. He stayed patience and faked a shot as Jose Theodore fell to his back. He then took a wrist shot over the goalie and into the net at 6:31. Elias scored his 41st career playoff goal which is a franchise record. Shawn Matthias was called for a four-minute penalty at 10:18. Theodore made eight saves during the power play, however New Jersey got one in with seven seconds left in the double-minor. Brodeur sent a right outlet pass from in front of his own cage to the neutral zone. David Clarkson skated the puck into the Panthers zone and lifted it to the slot area. Zubrus slapped a shot between the legs of Theodore for a 2-0 lead. Just 45 seconds later, former Panther Ryan Carter scored an unassisted goal on a takeaway in the neutral zone. He skated through the right circle and fired a wrist shot by Theodore. New Jersey had a 3-0 lead and a shot advantage of 26-9 after one period. The Devils set a new franchise playoff record with most shots in a period while the Panthers also broke a franchise record. Florida gave up 24 shots against the Phladelphia Flyers in a game during the 1996 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Panthers bounced back at 7:44 of the second period as they broke the shutout. Sean Bergenheim raced down the right side of the Devils zone and lifted a shot by Brodeur and closed the deficit to 3-1. The Panthers scored on their second power play at 15:42. Mikael Samuelsson passed ahead from the top left circle to Kris Versteeg in the left corner. He rushed to the left of the crease and slipped the puck in. Both teams had good scoring chances in the third period. The Devils got a two-on-one breakaway where Zubrus was stoned by Theodore at 10:10. Florida pulled their goalie with 1:15 remaining, but were unable to get a close-range opportunity. Stephen Weiss played in his first playoff game after he appeared in 637 regular season games. Both teams will meet in game two at Sunrise on Sunday night.

Panthers-Devils Playoff Preview

After winning their first division championship in the franchise history last Saturday, the Southeast Division champion Florida Panthers will play their first playoff tonight at the Bank Atlantic Center against the New Jersey Devils. The last time the Panthers were in the postseason was in 1999-2000 when they were swept by the Devils in four straight games. Martin Brodeur and Patrick Elias are the only players from New Jersey that were involved in the 2000 first-round series that will participate for their team in this upcoming series. Brodeur will start his 171st consecutive playoff game in net. He has started every playoff game for the Devils since 1994. He will look for his 100th career playoff win tonight versus Florida. Former Devils center John Madden also played in that series, but he will part of the Panthers team in the 2012 match up. Florida broke in an NHL futility streak last Thursday night as they clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 12 years. The Cats have not won a playoff game since April 17, 1997, game one of the first round against the New York Rangers. Florida has a record of 2-1 in the first game of the playoffs and 4-2 in the first game of a playoff series. After 637 regular season games, Panthers captain Stephen Weiss will play in his first playoff game. He joined the team at the end of the 2001-02 season.

Three Home Games At One Time

In a rare situation in South Florida, three local professional teams will play at home simultaneously. The Florida Panthers play their first playoff game since 2000 as they face the New Jersey Devils in game one of a seven-game series at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise. The Miami Marlins return home to play their second regular season game in their new stadium Marlins Park against the Houston Astros. Finally, the Miami Heat host the Charlotte Bobcats at the American Airlines Arena.All games will begin at 7:00 p.m. The last time three local professional teams played on the same day at home was December 27, 2009. The Miami Dolphins played the Houston Texans, the Miami Heat took on the Indiana Pacers and the Florida Panthers faced the Boston Bruins.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Phillies Slip By Marlins

The Miami Marlins finished off a six-game road trip on Thursday as they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 at Citizens Bank Park. Miami took one on three games against the Phillies this week. Philadelphia put up two runs in the fourth inning. Mark Buerhle gave up a lead-off solo home run to left field by Shane Victorino on an 0-2 pitch. Later in the frame, Jimmy Rollins was tagged at home on a double by Hunter Pence to deep left field. John Mayberry Jr. then hit a two-out RBI single into left field to score Pence for a 2-0 lead. Miami pulled off a two-out rally in the fifth inning. After Omar Infante doubled to left field, John Buck knocked him in with a single to right field off Joe Blanton. The Phillies extended their lead to 3-1 in the seventh inning as Ty Wigginton led off and homered to left on a 1-2 pitch. Buerhle left the game one batter later and ended up pitching 6 1/3 innings with three runs on eight hits. Blanton gave up one run on three hits in seven innings when he was pulled. Miami tried to rally in the ninth inning against Jonathan Papelbon. Logan Morrison singled to center field leading off. Gaby Sanchez then popped out to Carlos Ruiz behind the plate for one out. Infante singled to center and Morrison advanced to second. Buck ended any chances as he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. The Marlins return to Miami on Friday to play their second regular season game at Marlins Park. They host the Houston Astros this weekend.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Marlins Lose Big Without Guillen

Miami manager Ozzie Guillen served the first game of a five-game suspension as the Marlins were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. The game was heavily anticipated with a pitching match up between Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson. The Marlins played small ball to score in the second inning. Omar Infante got a lead-off double to left field. He advanced to third on a sacrifice fly to right field by John Buck. Infante scored on a ground out to second base by Johnson. The Phillies took the lead with a five-run third inning. With one out, Juan Pierre singled to right field and then stole second base. A shot up the middle by Placido Polanco went off Johnson's glove and into left field to score Pierre. Jimmy Rollins followed with an RBI single to left-center field and Polanco scored from second. Rollins advanced to second on the throw. Hunter Pence hit a single to left field and knocked in Rollins. Later in the inning, Freddy Galvis drove a two-out, two-run double down the right field line with Pence and Shane Victorino scoring. Philadelphia added another run in the fourth inning. Victorino smacked a two-out single to left field as Rollins scored. Johnson left the game after 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs on eleven hits. Carlos Ruiz nailed a solo home run on an 0-1 pitch off Ryan Webb with one out for a 7-1 lead. Halladay went seven innings after he gave up one run on five hits. The three-game series wraps up on Thursday. The Marlins return home on Friday to take on the Houston Astros, who make their final appearance at Miami as a the National League club.

Dan Sileo Joins WQAM

Dan Sileo has been named the new afternoon host at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He will begin his show on Wednesday. He replaces Sid Rosenberg who was fired by the radio station earlier this week. Sileo was recently the morning host on 620 The Sports Animal WDAE-AM in Tampa Bay until early March. He was fired for making racial comments about several football players. His show was also syndicated to Orlando and Jacksonville. He played for the University of Miami Hurricanes during the mid-1980's and won a national championship. Sileo had a stint as a sports host on Fox Sports Radio. He would host a late morning shift at WFXJ-AM in Jacksonville. He was a sports commentator on WJRR-FM in Orlando. Sileo hosted a morning show on several Clear Channel Orlando stations that included WQTM-AM, WFLF-AM and WYGM-AM.

Jorge Sedano Leaves WAXY

Jorge Sedano has left the morning show on 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. It is expected that he will begin his own sports show on CBS Sports Network as a lead-in to the Jim Rome Show. He currently hosted a fantasy sports show on CBSSports.com. Sedano joined 790 The Ticket in August 2007 as a midday host. He would later replace Sid Rosenberg as the morning host at the station in May 2009. Sedano left WIOD-AM in early August 2007 where he was the morning sports anchor and studio host for Miami Heat broadcasts. He also was the overnight host at Fox Sports Radio where he broadcast his show from the Miramar studios of Clear Channel. In the final months there he shifted to a Sunday evening show. Prior to that, he was a sports host at Fox Sports Radio 940 at WRFX-AM. Sedano began his career with 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM from September 1999 to December 2000 first as a sports anchor then as a sports host.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Rosenberg Fired By WQAM

Afternoon host Sid Rosenberg has been fired by Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM due to his arrest last week for DUI and driving with a suspended license. Marc Eisenberg and Steve White filled in on the afternoon shift on Monday and Tuesday. Rosenberg joined the station in September 2009 as a midday host. He moved to the afternoon shift in June 2010 and replaced Curtis Stevenson and Anita Marks. Rosenberg worked at CBS Sportsline first as a salesman then as a sports co-host with Scott Kaplan. They moved the show to New York City and worked mornings at WNEW-FM. Rosenberg then landed at Sports Radio 66 WFAN-AM where he was the morning sports anchor for the Imus In The Morning Show. He added midday co-host duties with Jody McDonald and later with Joe Benigno. He worked there from 2001 until 2005 when he was let go after he did not show up for the New York Giants pregame show as studio host. Rosenberg returned to Florida and co-hosted middays with O.J. McDuffie. After Joe Rose's departure to WQAM, he was reassigned to become the morning show host.

Guillen Suspended By Marlins

Ozzie Guillen, manager of the Miami Marlins, was suspended by the team for five games following controversial comments about Fidel Castro in a Time Magazine article that appeared last week. Guillen flew back to Miami after the first game of a three-game series in Philadelphia and attended a press conference to publicly apologize for his comments to Cuban-Americans in South Florida. Guillen will miss the final two games the team will play in Philadelphia against the Phillies and three games at home against the Houston Astros. Marlins bench coach Joey Cora will fill as manager while Guillen is suspended. He will return to manage the team on April 17 against the Chicago Cubs.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Marlins Take Phillies Home Opener

The Philadelphia Phillies raised their fifth consecutive National League Eastern Division banner on Monday afternoon at Citizen Bank Park. The Miami Marlins blow away the celebration with a 6-2 win over the Phillies. Giancarlo Stanton was scratched just thirty minutes prior to the game due to right knee soreness. Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio got consecutive singles to begin the first inning. They then pulled off a double steal. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second and Reyes scored for a Miami 1-0 lead. The Marlins added another run in the fourth inning. Ramirez hit a lead-off double down the left field line. Gaby Sanchez followed with an RBI single to right field. Omar Infante continued his first-week tear with a lead-off home run on a 0-1 pitch to left field off Cole Hamels for a Marlins 3-0 lead. In the sixth inning, Bonifacio led off with a bunt single and advanced to third base on a two-base throwing error by Hamels with nobody covering at first base. Sanchez knocked in Bonifacio with one out on a double down the left field line to lead 4-0. Hamels left after 5 1/3 innings as he gave up four runs on eight hits and struck out nine Marlins. Infante got his second home run of the game at the start of the seventh inning on a 1-1 pitch to left field off Joe Savery. It was his third home run of the season. Philadelphia broke the shutout that Anibal Sanchez had in the seventh. Shane Victorino and John Mayberry Jr. got two straight singles to begin the frame. Mayberry Jr. was then forced out at second on a fielders choice. Freddy Galvis picked up his first hit in his MLB career with a two-run double to deep left-center field. Sanchez was pulled after 6 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on six hits. Austin Kearns capped things off with his first hit as a Miami Marlin in the ninth inning. It was a solo home run to left field off Jonathan Papelbon with none out on a 2-0 pitch and extended their lead to 6-2. The three-game series will resume on Wednesday night.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Panthers Win Southeast Division

The Florida Panthers captured their first division title in franchise history on Saturday night with a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bank Atlantic Center. As the Southeast Division champions and number three seed in the Eastern Conference, the Panthers will host the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The last time Florida went to the postseason was in 1999-2000 and they were swept four games to zero by the Devils. The first game of the series will be played in Sunrise on Friday night.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Isiah Thomas Fired By FIU

FIU mens basketball coach Isiah Thomas has been let go by the school. He coached the Panthers for three seasons and had a record of 26-65. His best year was in 2010-11 when the team went 11-19. Thomas once coached the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. He played for the Detroit Pistons and won two NBA championships.

WMEN Adds Yankees Games

WMEN 640 Sports has added New York Yankees radio broadcasts to their radio station for the 2012 season. John Sterling and Susyn Waldman will announce the games. WMEN have broadcast the New York Yankees since they changed to a sports talk format in 2008.

Sid Rosenberg Arrested

Sports Radio 560 WQAM afternoon host Sid Rosenberg was arrested on Thursday for DUI and driving with a suspended license in Hollywood. He continued his shift Friday on the station. There is no word from WQAM management if disciplinary action will be taken.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Panthers Clinch Playoff Spot With Loss

It was an opportunity for the Florida Panthers to win their first division title in franchise history or enter the postseason for the first time in 12 years. The Panthers snatched a playoff spot, even though they lost to the Washington Capitals 4-2 at the Verizon Center on Thursday night. The last time the Panthers made the playoffs was in 1999-2000. Panthers captain Stephen Weiss will play in his first postseason after 10 seasons and 635 games with the team. It did not start well for Florida at 5:42 of the first period. Jay Beagle was able to put in a rebound from the low slot over the left shoulder of Jose Theodore for a Capitals 1-0 lead. Troy Brouwer set the play up with a wrist shot from the high slot area. Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth had to leave the game at 5:39 of the second period due to a lower-body injury and was replaced by Braden Holtby. Mikael Samuelsson hit the right post at 6:42 from the right circle. Washington capitalized on a giveaway by Dmitry Kulikov at the top of the Capitals zone. Alex Ovechkin carried the puck through the neutral zone and into the Panthers zone. He dropped a pass to Marcus Johansson who fired a shot on net from the left circle. Ovechkin put in the rebound from the crease area at 7:49. The Caps extended the margin to 3-0 at 9:49 when Brooks Laich scored from the left circle with a feed from the left corner by Keith Aucoin. Samuelsson closed the gap with a slap shot from the left circle dot over the left shoulder of Holtby at 15:41. Marcel Goc fed him with a pass from the high slot. Ed Jovanovski picked up his first goal in 54 games just 42 seconds into the third period. He fluttered the puck off a defender's stick from the top of the zone after a pass from Brian Campbell from the right point. During the television timeout with 3:06 remaining, the scoreboard display at the Verizon Center flashed the final score of the Buffalo Sabres loss to the Philadelphia Flyers which meant the Florida Panthers had clinched an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Alexander Semin finished things off with 1:02 left as he skated from the right corner to the right side of the crease and shoveled a backhand for a goal, a Capitals victory and a playoff spot. Washington is now two points behind the Cats in the Southeast Division with one game left in the season. Florida will host the Carolina Hurricanes and try to win their first division title on Saturday night.

Marlins Fall To Reds

Less than 18 hours after they finished their first regular season game in Marlins Park in Miami, the Miami Marlins played an afternoon game in Cincinnati. The Reds shut down the Marlins 4-0 at Great American Ball Park. Mark Buehrle made his debut with Miami and came out sluggish in the first inning. After letting several Reds to get on base, Jay Bruce hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field to score Zack Cozart. Miami had a tough time at the plate for the second straight time. Johnny Cuerto gave up only one hit in the first five innings. The Marlins had a chance to tie the game in the sixth inning. Jose Reyes got a one-out single through the left side, then Emilio Bonifacio walked. Hanley Ramirez struck out swinging and Reyes was caught on the front end of a double steal 2-5-4 to end the frame. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Reds newcomer Ryan Ludwick drove a one-out double to deep center field and Scott Rolen scored from second base. Buehrle went six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out five batters. Cuerto left after seven innings surrendering no runs and three hits with four strikeouts. Cincinnati added two runs in the eighth inning off Edward Mujica. Jay Bruce hit a no-out home run on a 1-1 pitch to straight center field. Later, Chris Heisey smacked a two-out RBI double to deep center and Drew Stubbs scored. Cuerto took the win while Buerhle got the loss. Miami has only seven hits in their first two games this season. Both teams will have off on Friday. The three-game series will resume on Saturday. The Marlins have now won four of their last 19 games in Cincinnati.

Marlins Telecasts For 2012

The Miami Marlins will have their telecasts on Fox Sports Florida for the 2012 season. Rich Waltz and Tommy Hutton return for their eighth season together in the broadcast booth. Waltz joined in 2005 as the television play-by-play announcer when he replaced Len Kasper, who moved to announce the Chicago Cubs. Hutton has been the television game analyst with the team since their championship season in 1997. He replaced the late Gary Carter. Fox Sports Florida will split duties for the pregame show, postgame show and sideline reporter between Craig Minervini, Frank Forte and Allison Williams. There will be one change in road broadcasts this season. The host of the pregame and postgame will be in the Fox Sports Florida studio in Sunrise with former Marlins Cliff Floyd and Preston Wilson.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Miami Marlins Play First Game

The Miami Marlins played their first regular season game at their new stadium Marlins Park and lost to the defending world champion St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Wednesday night. The team was formally known as the Florida Marlins and played at a football-oriented stadium in Miami Gardens from 1993 until 2011. In addition, the Marlins were wearing new colors and letters on their uniforms and caps. It was the debut of new Miami manager Ozzie Guillen, who once led the Chicago White Sox to their first World Series title in 88 years back in 2005. Muhammad Ali, former three-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world, handed out the first ball prior to the game. The Redbirds jumped on the Marlins in the first inning to take the early lead. Lance Berkman knocked a double into left-center field to advance Carlos Beltran to third base. They both scored when David Freese hit a two-run single off Josh Johnson to right field for a Cardinals 2-0 lead. St. Louis extended the margin in the second inning as David Descalso came in from second on a single up the middle by Rafael Furcal. Kyle Lohse retired the first ten Miami batters until Emilio Bonifacio was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. Harley Ramirez then grounded into a double play to finish off the frame. Miami pitcher Josh Johnson left after six innings as he gave up three runs on ten hits and struck out four Cardinals. In his first game with the Marlins, new shortstop Jose Reyes broke up the no-hitter with none out in the seventh innning when he singled through the right side. In the eighth inning, Freese scored from third on a sacrifice by Descalso to increase the Cardinals lead to 4-0. The Marlins finally broke the shutout in the eighth. John Buck hit a double into the right-center field gap to score Omar Infante from first base. Buck hit a grand slam home run against last year on opening day against the New York Mets. Lohse was pulled after 7 1/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits.

Logan Morrison wore uniform number 5 that was unretired by the Miami Marlins in February. The number was retired by the Florida Marlins and former owner H. Wayne Huizenga prior to the first game in franchise history in April 1993. The number was retired for Carl Barger, who was the Marlins first team president. He passed away at the baseball winter meetings in December 1992.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Panthers Fail To Clinch

After 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, the Florida Panthers failed to clinch their first division title. They blew a 3-0 lead and were defeated by the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 in overtime at the Bank Atlantic Center on Tuesday. Florida put in the first goal of the game at 12:03 of the first period. Dmitry Kulikov fired a shot from the right point through traffic which was saved by Ondrej Pavelec. Marco Sturm took the puck and shoved it into the net from the low crease for his third goal of the season. On the Panthers second power play, Brian Campbell blasted a slap shot from the right point where Kris Versteeg redirected it in front. For Versteeg it was his 23rd goal of the season and his seventh against the Jets in 2011-12. The Cats had a 2-0 lead at 14:00. Florida had also outshot Winnipeg 11-2 after 15 minutes into the contest. Florida extended the lead to 3-0 at 0:25 of the second period when Versteeg sent a pass from the left corner to Tomas Fleischmann who took a a slap shot from the right-circle dot. He picked up his team-leading 27th goal and his third goal in the last four games. The Jets broke the shutout at 13:15 on a two-on-one breakaway. Spencer Machacek raced through the right circle and passed to the edge of the crease where Evander Kane put in his 30th goal of the season. Following a mad scramble for the puck in the the crease area, Ed Jovanovski tried to clear it out of the Panthers zone. Zack Bogosian stopped it at the right point and ripped a slap shot by Jose Theodore at 17:21 to close the margin to 3-2. The Jets were able to tie the game at 0:53 of the third period as Andrew Ladd let go a wrist shot from the right circle. Winnipeg took their first lead of the game 4-3 on a power-play goal at 3:45. Blake Wheeler pushed a pass from the right corner to Bryan Little who nailed a shot from the low right circle. The Panthers tied the game with 3:53 left in regulation. After a flurry of shots on net, Sturm sent a pass from behind the Jets net to Tomas Kopecky who scored on an acute angle shot from the left-wing boards. Florida almost won it with 18 seconds left as Fleischmann was stopped on a breakaway with a backhand shot. The Jets got the decisive goal in overtime by Ladd at 3:12. Wheeler dropped a pass to Ladd as he entered the Panthers zone. Ladd then snapped a shot from the high slot area for the winner. With two games left in the regular season, the Panthers lead the Washington Capitals by four points in the Southeast Division and the Buffalo Sabres by four points in the Eastern Conference race. In what could be the biggest game for the Cats this season, they travel to Washington D.C. to take on the Capitals for the division title on Thursday night.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Red Wings Clip Panthers

The Florida Panthers were unable to extend their division lead as they were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in a shootout at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday. Florida broke the tie late in the first period as Tomas Fleischmann put in his 26th goal of the season. Neither team scored in the second period. Juri Hudler tied the game at 5:30 of the third period as his shot from the right circle went off a defenseman in the crease. Detroit wrapped the game up with shootout goals by Pavel Datsyuk and Hudler. Wojtek Wolski scored in the shootout for the Panthers. The Cats finished their last of four straight games on the road and host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

Wrestlemania 28

Wrestlemania 28 was held at Sun Life Stadium in front of over 78,000 in attendance on Sunday. The main event involved The Rock, movie actor Dwayne Johnson, against John Cena. It was a return for The Rock in singles action for the first time since 2004. The bout was announced one year in advance back in April 2011, one day after Wrestlemania 27 in Atlanta. The Rock was able to prevail in front of his adopted hometown of Miami. Cena has been the primary top-billed wrestler in World Wrestling Entertainment for the better half of ten years. The Undertaker was able to keep his undefeated streak intact at Wrestlemania as he extended his record to an astounding 20-0. He pinned Triple H in a Hell In A Cell Match what had been billed as an end of an era. Former wrestler Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee. C.M. Punk retained the WWE Heavyweight Championship as he beat Chris Jericho. Sheamus took the World Heavyweight title from Daniel Bryan in just 18 seconds. The Big Show knocked out Cody Rhodes to win the Intercontinental Championship. Kane got the victory over Randy Orton. Wresltmania 29 will be held at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey next April.