Saturday, March 30, 2013

Panthers Get By Devils

    The Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils met in the same location for the first time since their epic first round seven-game series ended last season as the Cats won 3-2 in overtime at BB&T Center on Saturday night. The Panthers have won two consecutive games.
    New Jersey(15-11-9) got the first goal of the game on a turnover by the Panthers at 3:42 of the first period. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov attempted to clear the puck from behind his net up the middle and it was stopped by center Stephen Gionta in the right circle. He quickly passed to left wing Ryan Carter in the low slot who redirected the puck to right wing Steve Bernier at the right edge of the crease and he scored on the backhand.
    Florida(11-19-6) evened up the game on their first power play at 7:05. Right wing Peter Mueller sent a cross-ice pass through the slot to left wing Jonathan Huberdeau in the right circle. He fired a shot that was redirected by center Shawn Matthias and by goalie Martin Brodeur. Huberdeau extended his assist and point streak to three games.
    Neither team was unable to score in the second period. The Devils regained the lead on the power play at 7:57 of the third period. Center Andrei Loktionov passed from the left point to the top of the zone to defenseman Henrik Tallinder. He blasted a slap shot that was deflected by Bernier in the low slot for a New Jersey 2-1 lead.
    The Cats waited until the final minute of regulation with an extra skater to tie it at 2-2 with 27 seconds remaining. Defenseman Brian Campbell took a slap shot from the top of the zone that was saved. Left wing Scottie Upshall threw a backhand shot from the left of the crease on net for another save then Matthias swept the puck in from the edge of the crease. It was his second goal of the contest, 14th goal of the season and his five goals in his last three games.
    The Panthers would take this nail-biting victory at 1:43 of overtime. Campbell made a cross-ice pass to Kulikov in the right circle and he scored on wrist shot for his first goal of the season.
    Markstrom improved to 5-7-1 as he made 24 saves while Brodeur dropped to 10-2-6 as he stopped 27 shots. The Panthers went 1-for-3 on the power play and Devils went 1-for-4. The Cats visit Tampa Bay on Tuesday before they return home next weekend.
     

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Panthers Edge Sabres

    The Florida Panthers played their first home game in 12 days as they got by the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night 5-4 in a shootout at BB&T Center. The Cats snapped a three-game losing streak and have won three of their last six games.
    Florida(10-19-6) got on the scoreboard early at 3:28 of the first period. Left wing Jonathan Huberdeau got a loose puck in the right corner and sent it out to the right point. Defenseman Tyler Strachan took a slap shot that ended in the slot area and center Shawn Matthias delayed then fired a wrist shot by goalie Ryan Miller for a 1-0 lead.
    The Panthers added to their lead with a power-play goal 43 seconds into the second period. Defensman Brian Campbell passed the puck from the end wall to right wing Tomas Kopecky in the slot area. He spinned and backhanded it to left wing Tomas Fleischmann in the low right circle for the one-time slap shot. Fleischmann scored in his second consecutive game with his eighth goal this season.
    Buffalo(13-17-4) responded quickly at 1:36 to make it 2-1. Right wing Drew Stafford put a lead pass to center Tyler Ennis in the neutral zone as he charged into the Panthers zone. He dropped off the puck to left wing Nathan Gerbe and ripped a slap shot by goalie Jacob Markstrom from the top right circle.
    The Sabres tied the game on a bad turnover by the Panthers in their own zone. Defenseman Andrej Sekera came in from the top of the zone, got the loose puck and launched a slap shot from the high slot at 14:56.
    With 55.4 seconds in the second period, Buffalo took their first lead of the game. Defenseman Robyn Regehr moved the puck from the left point to the right point where defenseman Christian Ehrhoff shot the puck. Right wing Drew Stafford deflected it in the low slot for the goal.
    The Cats got a break on a bad turnover by Buffalo in their defensive zone. Right wing Peter Mueller found the loose puck in the slot and took the initial shot that Ryan saved then Matthias put in the rebound in the low left circle for his second goal of the game at 5:23 of the third period. He now has nine goals in his last 15 games and tied Kopecky and Huberdeau for the club-high with his 12th goal.
    Sabres left wing Marcus Foligno gave his team the lead with 11:33 to go in the third period as he deflected a shot from the slot after defenseman let go a slap shot from the right point.
    The Panthers tied it up at 4-4 on the power play at 13:51. Mueller was in the right corner and found Huberdeau in the low shot where he redirected the puck in with a snap shot for his club-high 13th goal this season.
    Neither team scored in overtime and the game was decided in a shootout. Right wing Jason Pominville made the first attempt for Buffalo but the next three players failed to score. Huberdeau got the puck in on the Panthers second attempt as it hit the left post and barely crossed the goal line. Right wing Mike Santorelli got the game-deciding goal on the Cats fourth attempt for the victory.
    Markstrom made 36 saves and rose  to 4-7-1 this season while Miller also made 36 saves and fell to 11-15-4. The Cats were 2-for-5 on the power play and the Sabres were 1-for-4 with the man advantage. The Panthers face their playoff rival from last season, the New Jersey Devils, on Saturday night in a rematch of the first round seven-game series.

Heat Win Streak Ends At 27

    The Miami Heat had their 27-game win streak snapped by the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night as they lost 101-97 at United Center. The Heat attempted to break the NBA record of 33 consecutive wins by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1971-72 season. Miami ends up holding the second longest winning streak in NBA history and in American professional sports.
    Chicago(39-32) knew the importance of this game at they scored the first five points and started a 13-2 spurt. Miami(56-15) remained in a hole and were down 32-22 after one quarter. The Bulls held a double-digit lead for most of the second quarter and were up 55-46 at halftime.
    The Heat came out in the second half on a 13-3 rally and took the lead 59-58 with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter. Chicago still had the lead 69-68 at the end of the period. Miami tied the game 69-69 one minute into the fourth, but they never recaptured the lead for the entire final quarter. The Bulls kept the thruttle up and extended the margin to nine points later in the period.
    LeBron James had 32 points and seven rebounds in 40 minutes for the Heat, who lost their first game since the first week of February. Chris Bosh added 21 points in 35 minutes and Dwyane Wade got 18 points with seven rebounds in 38 minutes.
    Carlos Boozer picked up a double-double for the Bulls with 21 points and 17 rebounds in 39 minutes of play. Luol Deng dropped in 28 points with seven rebounds and five assists during his 44 minutes. Jimmy Butler contributed 17 points and Nate Robinson scored 14 points.
   

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

FCC Approves WAXY Transfer

    The Federal Communications Commission has approved the switch of the WAXY-FM transmitter signal from the West Palm Beach market to the Miami market. The signal will move from a transmitter tower outside of Wellington on State Road 441 just south of Lantana Road to Miramar off Hallandale Beach Boulevard. The FCC rejected an argument made by Clear Channel Communications and stated the move-in will go forward.
    The 104.3 FM signal was one of several radio stations sold by CBS Radio to Palm Beach Broadcasting in May 2012. Palm Beach Broadcasting changed the call letters from WEAT-FM to WMSF-FM, spun off the station and sold it to Lincoln Financial Media in late August 2012 with the intention of moving the transmitter signal to the Miami market. The station was flipped to a sports format and became 104.3 The Ticket WAXY-FM as a FM simulcast of 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Maple Leafs Drop Panthers

    The Florida Panthers finished a five-game road trip with a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night. The Cats picked up four out of a possible ten points while away and host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
    Florida(9-19-6), who lost their third straight game, got the first goal of the game at 6:39 of the first period. Left wing Tomas Fleischmann placed a wrist shot from the top right circle by Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens for his seventh goal this season.
    Toronto(18-12-4) evened the game at 1-1 during the second period at 9:41. Defenseman Dion Phaneuf delayed then blasted a slap shot from the right point beyond Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom.
    Both teams combined for three goals in the first 3:26 of the third period. The Maple Leafs scored on the power play 22 seconds into the frame as left wing Joffrey Lupul redirected the puck from the low slot off a pass from center Tyler Bozak on the right side.
    The Florida tied the game quickly just 33 seconds later. Center Shawn Matthias brought the puck from his own end through the right side of the neutral zone. He entered the Leafs zone, went around a defenseman in the right circle and snapped a shot in from the right of the crease to make it 2-2. Matthias scored his tenth goal which equalled his season-high from last season.
    The Maple Leafs jumped ahead again at 3:26 as Lupul put in his second goal of the game on a wrist shot from close range. That turned out to be the game-winning goal for Toronto.
    Markstrom dropped to 3-8-1 as he made 28 saves where his counterpart Scrivens stopped 40 of 42 shots and improved to 7-8-0. Florida went 0-for-1 and Toronto went 1-for-3 on the power play.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Heat Beat Magic, Streak To 27

    The Miami Heat extended their winning streak to 27 games as they beat the Orlando Magic 108-94 at Amway Center on Monday night. The Heat improved to 12-1 in the second portion of back-to-back games as they began a four-game road trip.
    Neither team led by more than five points in the first quarter as they were tied at 28-28 after one period. Miami(56-14) pulled out an 18-4 spurt at the end of the second quarter and led 55-46 at halftime.
    Orlando(18-53) got a 10-2 rally midway through the third quarter to tie the game 68-68 with 2:59 to go. The Heat scored the next ten points to go ahead 78-68 after three quarters. Miami continued their dominance with on a 20-2 run and were up 88-70 with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
    Dwyane Wade missed his second straight game while LeBron James fell short of a triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in 39 minutes. Mario Chalmers added 17 points with five assists in 33 minutes and Chris Bosh contributed 12 points with nine rebounds in 27 points. Ray Allen dropped down 12 points and Udonis Haslem scored six points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
    Jameer Nelson led the Magic with a double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds, both team highs, in 41 minutes. Tobias Harris added 20 points in 41 minutes and E'Twaun Moore had 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes.
   

Heat Tame Bobcats, Win Streak To 26

    The Miami Heat had little trouble with a 109-77 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday at American Airlines Arena and increased their winning streak to 26 straight games. The Heat moved their record at home this 32-3 this season and Dwyane Wade did not dress for the game.
    Charlotte(16-54) began the game on a 19-8 edge then Miami(55-14) scored the next 15 consecutive points and led 23-18 after one quarter. The Heat picked up a 16-2 rally early in the second quarter and were up 47-39 at halftime.
    The Bobcats cut the lead down to five points, but the Heat extended the margin to double digits and headed into the fourth quarter ahead 73-57. Miami increased the gap with 12-2 run at the start of the final quarter and had a comfortable 85-59 lead with 9:29 to go and cruised to victory.
    LeBron James another double-double with 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in 34 minutes. Chris Bosh added 15 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes for the Heat. Miami got bench scoring from Ray Allen with 14 points and  Norris Cole with 15 points.
    The Bobcats were limited on the score sheet as Kemba Walker had 20 points with six rebounds in 36 minutes. Gerald Henderson contributed 18 points in 36 minutes and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist knocked in a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Islanders Blank Panthers

    The Florida Panthers played their third game in four days in the New York metropolitan area and lost to the New York Islanders 3-0 at Nassau Coliseum on Sunday. The Cats will finish their five-game road trip in Toronto on Tuesday.
    New York(14-15-3) scored on their first power play of the game at 6:05 of the first period. Center Franz Nielsen passed the puck from the left circle to defenseman Andrew MacDonald on the right point and he fired a slap shot by goalie Jacob Markstrom. There was no scoring by either team in the second period.
    Florida(9-18-6) decided to pull the goalie for an extra skater in the final minute of the third period. Center John Tavares scored his 19th goal this season with 31 seconds left when he put a wrist shot from the Panthers blue line into an empty net.
    The Islanders added another empty-net tally with 13 seconds remaining as center Casey Cizikas let go a wrist shot from the left wing.
    The Panthers were 0-for-2 on the man advantage while the Isles were 1-for-2. Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov picked up his 55th career shutout with 26 saves and moved up to 14-10-3 while Markstrom dropped to 3-6-1 as he stopped 34 shots.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Devils Burn Panthers

    The Florida Panthers had a two-game winning streak end on Saturday night as they fell to the New Jersey Devils 2-1 at Prudential Center. It was the first time both teams have met each other since their first-round seven-game playoff series last season. Devils left wing Adam Henrique scored the winning goal to wrap up game 7 in double overtime.
    Neither team scored in the first period but they combined for three goals in the second period. New Jersey(15-11-6) broke the tie just 1:24 into the second frame. Center Travis Zajac brought a loose puck from the neutral zone down the right side, sent a cross-ice pass to right wing Patrick Elias and he redirected it from the slot by Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen.
    The Devils added to their lead at 11:03 as center David Clarkson blasted a shot from the slot area from a feed by Zajac who picked up a loose puck at center ice.
    Florida(9-17-6) pulled within a goal in an unusual way with ten seconds left in the period. Devils goalie Martin Brodeur stopped the puck behind his cage and attempted pass out the puck around the boards. Left wing Tomas Fleischmann stopped it along the end wall, found right wing Peter Mueller alone in the crease and he buried a shot into the open net for his seventh goal this season.
    New Jersey was outshot 7-2 in the first period, but the Devils had an overall shot advantage of 25-18. Both teams were 0-for-2 on the power play as both special teams squads were held scoreless. Brodeur stopped 17 of 18 shots for his 666th NHL win and moved his record to 10-2-3 this season while Clemmensen made 23 saves and dropped to 2-6-2. The Cats travel to Long Island and face the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Heat Win Streak At 25

    The Miami Heat extended their winning streak to 25 games and rolled to victory in the second half as they beat the Detroit Pistons 103-89 on Friday night at American Airlines Arena. They now stand eight games away from tying the NBA record held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat improved their home record to 31-3.
    Detroit(23-47) began the first quarter strong and led 28-22 after one quarter. The Pistons increased their lead into double digits at 48-37 with 4:24 left in the first half. The Heat put in the next eight points and were down 54-51 at halftime.
    Miami(54-14) went on a 21-9 rally at the end of the third quarter to lead 73-68. The Pistons came within five points at 81-76 with 8:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Heat scored 11 consecutive points and got a double-digit lead.
    The Heat were led by LeBron James with 29 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Dwyane Wade had 19 points with four assists in 38 minutes while Mario Chalmers got 11 points and four steals in 26 minutes. Bench scoring appeared as Shane Battier contributed 11 points and Norris Cole added 10 points.
    Greg Monroe picked up a double-double for the Pistons with 23 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in 41 minutes. Jose Calderon scored 18 points with seven rebounds in 43 minutes while Kyle Singler knocked down 18 points with eight rebounds.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Panthers Shut Down Rangers

    Florida goalie Jacob Markstrom made his debut in Madison Square Garden as he and the Panthers nailed a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night. It was the first game between both squads this season. The Cats have won the first two games of their five-game road trip.
    Florida(9-16-6) got the only goal in the first period as defenseman Brian Campbell scored against Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist on the power play at 8:22 for his seventh goal this season.
    The Panthers added another goal during in the second period at 4:28. Right wing Jack Skille skated through the left circle toward the low slot and took the initial shot. Left wing Scottie Upshall swept in the rebound from the top of the crease for a Florida 2-0 lead. It was the second goal this season for Upshall and his first goal since opening night at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.
    New York(15-13-2) closed the gap with 3:48 left in the third period when right wing Martin Gaborik walked on in through the slot and put a backhand shot by Markstrom.
    The Cats were shorthanded in the final minute of the period as the Rangers pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4 situation. Gaborik had a slapshot from the left point blocked by the leg of right wing Tomas Kopecky. He ripped the puck down the ice into an empty net with 45.9 seconds remaining for his 12th goal this season.
    Markstrom picked up his second straight win as he stopped 44 of 45 shots and brought his record up to 3-5-1. His idol and fellow Swede Lundqvist dropped to 13-12-1 as he made 21 saves. New York outshot Florida 45-23 which included an 18-8 advantage in the third period. The Cats went 1-for-2 while the Rangers went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Panthers will stay in the New York tri-state area and face the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night and the New York Islanders on Sunday.

24 Straight For Heat, Beat Cavs

    The Miami Heat pulled out a 27-point come-from-behind victory and extended their winning streak to 24 games as they survived the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-95 on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Miami/Fort Lauderdale Ratings February 2013

    For the second consecutive month, 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM was the top rated sports format radio station in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region. They were able to expand their lead over their competitors in the month of February.
    790 The Ticket got a bump in their ratings from a 0.8 to a 1.0 in February. One thing that has helped the station was the Miami Heat who are the defending NBA champions. The team was tearing up the league with a major winning streak during the monthly period.
    Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM showed improvement as they went from a 0.7 to a 0.8 in the month of February and stood alone in second place. The University of Miami Hurricanes basketball team showed that they are having their best season since the program was reestablished during the mid-1980's.
    104.3 The Ticket WAXY-FM remained flat from last month and was at a 0.7 for third place in February. It has not helped the station that they repeat and replay the morning show broadcast during the midday slot. In addition, their afternoon show has been replayed on overnights and on weekends.
    940 WINZ-AM The Sports Animal had their ratings drop for the fourth consecutive month as they went from a 0.3 to a 0.2 in February. It has been a tough transition for the station as they had to adjust with Jay Mohr since he replaced Jim Rome at the beginning of the year.

Panthers Escape Hurricanes

    The Florida Panthers played the Carolina Hurricanes for the final time as Southeast Division opponents on Tuesday night and won 4-1 at RBC Center. The Panthers snapped a six-game losing streak in the first of five straight games on the road.
    The first two periods remained scoreless as both teams were unable to put the puck into the net. Florida(8-16-6) broke the tie at 7:39 of the third period for a 1-0 lead. Right wing Tomas Kopecky stripped the puck from defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti at the side of the Canes net and skated it in front. Kopecky slid a pass across the low slot where left wing Tomas Fleischmann scored on a wrist shot by goalie Dan Ellis. It was Fleischmann's sixth goal of the season.
    The Panthers increased their lead to 2-0 as they scored on a 5-on-3 power play, their third one this season, at 12:47. Defenseman Filip Kuba had the puck at the top right circle and made a slap-pass to center Marcel Goc in the slot area where he redirected it into the net. It was the fourth tally by Goc this season.
     The Cats followed with another power-play goal and this time it was on a 5-on-4 at 13:51. Shawn Matthias picked up his ninth goal this season after he backhanded a second-chance rebound after a mad scramble at the edge of the crease.
    Carolina(15-12-2) broke the shutout with 2:33 left in the third period. Center Jordan Staal skated around defenseman Erik Gudbranson in the left circle and beat goalie Jacob Markstrom on a wrist shot.
    Florida center Jerred Smithson scored an unassisted empty-net goal with 52.3 seconds remaining as he flipped the puck from the Panthers blue line down the ice for his second goal this year.
    Markstrom stopped 33 of 34 shots and climbed his record to 2-5-1 while Ellis made 40 saves and fell to 4-4-1. The Cats exceeded as they went 2-for-3 on the man advantage and the Canes were 0-for-3. The Panthers play the New York Rangers, for the first time this season, on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Heat Beat Celtics, Streak At 23

    The Miami Heat came back from a 17-point deficit and extended their winning streak to 23 games on Monday night as they edged the Boston Celtics 105-103 at TD Garden. The Heat, who had lost 10 straight regular season games in Boston prior to this game, last won there in April 2007. They also clinched the Southeast Division which barely got noticed based on the current streak.
    Miami passed the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for the second longest winning streak in NBA history. The Rockets had their streak broken five years ago today by the Celtics. The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers stand alone with the all-time record of 33 consecutive victories.
    Boston(36-30), who played tonight without Kevin Garnett, got the first six points of the game. Miami(52-14) got up 19-14 with 4:39 left in the opening quarter, but the Celtics scored 17 consecutive points to lead 31-19 after one quarter. The C's got the margin up to 17 points at 38-21 two minutes into the second quarter. The Heat finished the first half on a 15-6 rally and trailed 59-53 at halftime.
    The Heat picked up the first eight points of the second half and took the lead 61-59 with 9:49 to go in the third period. Boston stayed ahead for the rest of the frame and were up 82-78 after three quarters.
    The C's expanded their lead to 13 points at 96-83 with 8:26 remaining in the fourth quarter. Miami pulled off an 18-4 run to retake the lead 101-100 with 2:40 left. The game was tied at 103-103 with under one minute left until LeBron James hit a 21-foot jump shot from the left side for the go-ahead basket with 10.5 seconds to go.
    James put through a double-double with 37 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in 42 minutes. Mario Chalmers knocked down 21 points in 37 minutes and Dwyane Wade contributed 16 points, six assists and seven rebounds in 36 minutes. Chris Bosh added 13 points and five rebounds in 37 minutes.
    Jeff Green lit things up for the Celtics with 43 points, four blocked shots and seven rebounds in 40 minutes. Paul Pierce had 17 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in 40 minutes while Courtney Lee had 13 points in 40 minutes.

Hurricanes Win ACC Title

    The University of Miami Hurricanes captured their first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final as they prevailed 87-77 over the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Hurricanes won their first ACC regular season title last weekend and received a number-two seed in the NCAA basketball tournament.
    They will play the Pacific Tigers in the second round of the tournament on Friday in Austin, Texas. It was the first time that a school did not receive a number-one seed after winning both ACC honors.
    Shane Larkin was the leading scorer for The U with 28 points, seven assists and five rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Trey McKinney Jones knocked down 20 points in 35 minutes and Julian Gamble added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes for the Hurricanes. Non-starter Rion Brown got 12 points in 27 minutes.
    UNC was headed by P.J. Hairston with 28 points in 35 minutes and Marcus Paige with 17 points in 36 minutes. James Michael McAdoo, son of Miami Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo, contributed 12 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes. Reggie Bullock dropped in 11 points with seven rebounds in 38 minutes for the Tar Heels.
    North Carolina(24-10, 12-6) had their final lead of the game at 67-64 with 9:22 left in the second half. Miami(27-6, 15-3) went on a 23-10 run in the final stretch and extended the margin to double digits.

Mike Berardino In Minnesota

    Longtime local sportswriter Mike Berardino celebrated his first month on the job as the Minnesota Twins beat writer for the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Monday. He had co-hosted a weekend show at 640 Sports WMEN-AM from early December 2012 until this February.
    He was relieved of his writing duties at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in late November 2012. Berardino had been in the South Florida media market since 1998 when he joined the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. He held numerous positions on their sports staff that included baseball columnist, Miami Dolphins beat writer and sports columnist.

Heat Streak At 22, Top Raptors

    The Miami Heat tied the second longest winning streak in NBA history as they captured their 22nd straight win with a 108-91 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on Sunday. They matched the Houston Rockets who accomplished the feat in 2007-08.
    The Heat will try to stand alone with the second best streak ever as they face the Celtics in Boston on Monday night. Boston has won 10 consecutive regular season games over the Heat at TD Garden and they stopped the Rockets winning streak five years ago.
    LeBron James led the Heat to the win with a double-double of 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes. Dwyane Wade added 24 points and nine assists in 35 minutes while former Raptor Chris Bosh had 18 points in 29 minutes. Non-starter Ray Allen got 20 points in 25 minutes as he went 4-for-6 from three-point range.
    Rudy was the leading scorer for Toronto with 27 points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes. Amir Johnson picked up a double-double with 18 points and 18 rebounds in 37 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas dropped in 18 points with seven rebounds in 29 minutes and DeMar DeRozan knocked down 12 points in 37 minutes.
    Miami(51-14) finished the first quarter on a 15-4 edge to lead 27- 19 after one period. The Heat extended the margin up to 16 points and were up 55-43 at halftime. Toronto(26-41) went on a 10-2 spurt at the end of the third quarter and were down 76-73. The Raptors tied the game at 77-77 with 11:07 left in the fourth quarter, but Miami blew them away with a 28-4 run to put the game away.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Islanders Cool Panthers

    The Florida Panthers returned home for one game and lost their sixth consecutive game as they fell to the New York Islanders 4-3 on Saturday night at BB&T Center. The Cats have lost nine of their last ten games and head immediately out of town to play five straight games on the road.
    Panthers captain and defenseman Ed Jovanovski was in the lineup after he missed the last 22 games due to a lower-body injury. Defenseman T. J. Brennan made his debut with Florida after he was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
    New York(13-12-3) scored with 4:34 left in the first period. Center Franz Nielsen recovered the puck behind the Panthers cage, whirled around and found right wing Kyle Okposo for a one-time slapshot from the slot. Florida has given up the first goal in nine of their last ten games.
    The Islanders struck again with 2:01 remaining to increase their lead to 2-0. Defenseman Mark Streit skated the puck down the right wing and backhanded a pass to the top of the zone. Defenseman Radek Martinek smashed a slapshot by goalie Scott Clemmensen with traffic in front.
    Florida(7-16-6) had a bigger hole to climb out of as they gave up a goal just 33 seconds into the second period. Right wing Brad Boyes passed the puck to center John Tavaras in the high slot and returned it to him in the low right circle. Boyes pass in front went off center Tomas Kopecky's skate and into the Panthers net.
    The Cats made a three-goal comeback as they scored three goals in a 1:43 span early in the third period. It started as Brennan threw a pass from the left-wing wall down low to right wing Mike Santorelli who attempted to stuff the puck in from the left of the net. After a scramble in the crease area, Brennan followed with his first goal as a Panther at 5:09.
    The second tally happened just 34 seconds later at 5:43. Left wing Tomas Fleischmann sent the puck from the left corner to the inner edge of the right circle where center Marcel Goc put in his third goal of the season.
    The Isles called a timeout to stop the momentum after that goal, but that did not help as the Cats scored again at 6:52. Right wing Jack Skille took a slapshot from close range in the slot area and it was stopped by goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Satorelli pounced on the rebound in the low slot and scored to tie the game at 3-3. It was Santorelli's second goal of the season.
    New York regained the lead with 7:05 to go when left wing Casey Cizikas scored as he received a pass below the left circle from Colin McDonald, who circled around the Panthers net to set up the play.
    There was only one penalty called in the entire game as Florida went 0-for-1 on the power play. Nabokov held on and improved to 13-8-3 as he made 27 saves while Clemmensen dropped to 2-5-2 as he stopped 21 shots. Florida will begin their five-game road trip on Tuesday night at Carolina.
   
   

Heat Bang Bucks For 21 Straight

    The Miami Heat improved in the record books as they won their 21st consecutive game on Friday night with a 107-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. They now have the third longest winning streak in NBA history as they surpassed the Milwaukee Bucks who won 20 straight games during the 1970-71 season.
    Chris Bosh had 28 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes while LeBron James added a double-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 38 minutes. Dwyane Wade fell short of a double-double with 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in 33 minutes.
    Neither team led by more than six points in the opening quarter as Milwaukee(32-32) had a 27-26 lead after one quarter. Miami(50-14) went on a 17-8 rally at the end of the first half and were up 51-42 at halftime.
    The Heat extended their lead to double digits up to 17 points and led 84-68 after three quarters. The Bucks were only able to cut the gap down to seven points in the fourth quarter as Miami pulled away with the victory.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Bruins Edge Panthers

    The Florida Panthers began a stretch in which six of their next seven games were the road as they fell to the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Thursday night at TD Garden. Both teams will be in the same division next season as realignment was approved by the NHL Board Of Governors earlier today.
    Boston(18-4-3) scored early in the first period just 3:55 in. Center David Krajci took a slapshot from the high right circle that went wide and bounced off the back wall. Defenseman Zdeno Chara blasted a slapshot from the top left circle by goalie Scott Clemmensen as the B's led 1-0. The Cats have given up the first goal in eight of their last nine games.
    The Bruins pulled off a three-man weave play and got up 2-0 with 5:04 left in the period. Center Patrice Bergeron was at the top of the zone and put a right-outlet pass to right wing Tyler Seguin. He sent the puck to left wing Brad Marchand in the left circle and he released a cross-ice pass to Bergeron for a tip-in score.
    Florida(7-15-6) closed the gap to 2-1 when they were shorthanded at 3:10 of the second period. Center Shawn Matthias scored an unassisted goal and he beat a defender to a loose puck in the left circle and made a backhand shot from the crease by goalie Tuukku Rask. It was his fourth goal in six games and the eighth goal for Matthias this season.
    The B's were able to expand their lead to 3-1 with 7:17 remaining in the third period. Left wing Shawn Thronton centered the puck from the right circle, the puck went off two Panther sticks and Thornton put in a snapshot from the low left circle.
    The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 1:35 to go. The Bruins got an empty-net goal with 57.3 seconds left as Marchand threw the puck ahead from the neutral zone and Bergeron snapped in a shot from the slot area.
    Both teams were 0-for-2 on the power play, the B's outshot the Cats 32-30 and won the faceoff battle 35-17. Rask stopped 29 of 30 shots and elevated to 14-2-3 while Clemensen dropped 2-4-2 as he made 28 saves. Florida will host the New York Islanders in their only appearance in Sunrise this season on Saturday night.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Heat Wins 20th Straight Game

    The Miami Heat set a new NBA record as they became the first defending champion to win 20 straight games with a 98-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. They broke the record that was held by the Boston Celtics who did it during the 2008-09 season.
    Miami became only the fourth team in NBA history with a 20-game winning streak in one season. The Heat have beaten the Sixers 14 consecutive times and in 17 of the last 18 meetings while included the playoffs.
    Neither team led by more than four points in the first quarter as Philadelphia(24-40) was up 22-21 at the end of the period. Miami(49-14) finished the second quarter with a 23-6 rally and led 51-39 at halftime. LeBron James had 18 points for the Heat at the half.
    The 76ers cut the deficit down to four points at 59-55 six minutes into the second half, but the Heat were ahead 71-66 after three quarters. Miami had a ten-point lead early in the fourth quarter, however Philadelphia went on a 15-2 run to take the lead at 85-82.
    Dwyane Wade tipped in a follow-up rebound off a James shot from close range with 29.4 seconds left for a Miami 94-91 lead. The Heat made all four free throws in the last 22 seconds and Chris Bosh blocked a crucial shot with nine seconds remaining.
    James led the Heat with 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 37 minutes while Wade added 21 points and eight rebounds in 39 minutes. It was Wade's 11th straight game with 20 or more points. Bosh dropped down 10 points in 32 minutes and Ray Allen scored 12 points.
    Thaddeus Young picked up a double-double for the Sixers with 24 points and 15 rebounds in 37 minutes. Evan Turner contributed 15 points in 35 minutes and Jrue Holiday had 21 points. seven assists and seven rebounds in 43 minutes. Former Heat player Dorell Wright poured in 13 points as he came off the bench.
         

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Heat Outduel Hawks

    The Miami Heat extended their winning streak to 19 games as they got a 98-81 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat, who improved to 30-3 at home this season, led the game from wire-to-wire as they beat Atlanta for the seventh straight time.
    Miami(48-14) came out with a 22-10 spurt and were up 26-18 after one quarter. Atlanta(34-29) pulled behind by one point at 41-40 with five minutes left in the second quarter, but the Heat finished the first half on a 16-4 rally and led 57-44 at halftime.
    The Hawks could come no closer than seven points away as Miami maintained their double-digit lead in the later part of the period and were ahead 79-65 after three quarters. The Heat extended the margin up to 22 points at 89-67 with 8:53 remaining in the final quarter.
    Dwyane Wade had a team-high 23 points with six assists and five steals in 30 minutes of play for the Heat. LeBron James knocked down 15 points with seven assists and seven rebounds in 30 minutes. Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh both scored 14 points each.
    Josh Smith got the team-high for Atlanta with 15 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. Al Horford dropped down 12 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes while Jeff Teague scored 12 points in 24 minutes.

Lightning Strike Panthers

    The Florida Panthers ended a three-game homestand as they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers have lost 14 of their last 17 games and will play 6 of their next 7 games on the road. The Cats only got one point of a possible six in the last three games.
    For the second straight game, the Panthers gave up the initial goal on the second shift of the contest as Tampa Bay(11-14-1) went up 1-0 at 1:36 of the first period. Left wing Alex Killorn threw a pass from the right-wing wall to right wing Martin St. Louis in the right corner. He then flicked a backhand pass to center Vincent Lecavalier in the low slot where he put the puck by Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom. A bigger surprise was that Markstrom gave up a goal on the first shot by the opponent for the third consecutive game.
    Florida((7-14-6) had a 16-2 shot advantage until the Lightning scored again with 2:12 left in the first period. St. Louis dropped a pass to Killorn as they crossed the Panthers blue line and he found a helmetless Lecavalier who skated through the middle. He faked a shot and sent the puck to St. Louis at the right side of crease and he snapped a shot into a empty net for a Lightning 2-0 lead.
    The Panthers closed the margin just 13 seconds into the second period. The Bolts committed a turnover behind their own cage and the Cats capitalized. Center Marcel Goc got the loose puck, passed to right wing Kris Versteeg to the right of the net and he lifted a wrist shot by goalie Anders Lindback.Versteeg garnered his second goal this season.
    Lightning center Nate Thompson lost the puck as he was about to circle around his own net. Right wing Jack Skille put a backhand pass to left wing Tomas Kopecky in the crease and he shot the puck between the legs of Lindback at 11:24 to tie the game. It was Kopecky's 11th goal this season and third goal in the last five games. Skille extended his point streak to a career best four games. The Panthers were ahead 26-4 on shots at the time of the goal and 30-6 after two periods.
    The Bolts retook the lead when center Steven Stamkos got his league-leading 20th goal of the season on the power play at 5:30 of the third period. St. Louis passed from the right point to right wing Teddy Purcell on the left point. He moved the puck to Stamkos below the left circle and he blasted an acute angle one-time slapshot off Markstrom's left skate into the net. On a negative note to the Panthers, Stamkos broke a record and passed Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins as he scored for the eighth straight game against Florida.
    The Cats outshot the Bolts 39-13 in the game and held the Lightning to a season-low in shot production. The Panthers went 0-for-4 on the power play while the Lightning went 1-for-2 with the man advantage. Markstrom fell to 1-5-1 this season as he saved 10 of 13 shots. Lindback stopped 37 of 39 shots to get the victory and upped his record to 9-6-1 this season. Florida visits Boston and take on the Bruins on Thursday night.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Matt Lincoln New WPEC-TV Sports Director

    Matt Lincoln began as the new sports director and lead sports anchor at WPEC-TV Channel 12 in West Palm Beach on Monday night. His first sportscast was on the 11 p.m. newscast. He replaced Pat Murphy who did his final sportscast at the station prior to his retirement during the 6 p.m. newscast. Lincoln comes from WWBT-TV and WRLH-TV in Richmond where he was a sports anchor.      
    Murphy had been the lead sports anchor at WPEC-TV since 1995. He was set to retire from the station last summer but he put that off. Prior to WPEC-TV, Murphy was the sports director and sports anchor at crosstown rival WPTV-TV Channel 5 from 1983 to 1995.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Heat Pound Pacers

    The Miami Heat picked up their 18th straight victory in easy fashion as they bashed the Indiana Pacers 105-91 on Sunday at American Airlines Arena. Both teams had the two best records in the Eastern Conference as they entered this game. The Heat improved their home record to 29-3.
    Miami(47-14) got a 16-6 spurt at the end of the first quarter to lead 29-20. Indiana(39-24) closed the margin down to two points at 46-44 with 2;54 left in the second half. The Heat ended the second quarter on a 10-2 rally and led 56-46 at halftime.
    The Heat extended their lead up to 24 points on a 22-22 run and were ahead 79-56 with 3:20 left in the third quarter. They were ahead 79-65 after the period. The Pacers were behind by more than double digits for the entire fourth quarter as Miami cruised to the win.
    Mario Chalmers turned out to be the leading scorer for the Heat as he had 26 points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes. Chris Bosh dropped down 24 points in 33 minutes and Dwyane Wade nailed 23 points with six steals in 36 minutes. LeBron James put up 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds in 36 minutes.
    David West led Indiana with 24 points, five rebounds and four steals in 34 minutes while Roy Hilbert knocked down 16 points in 32 minutes. D.J. Augustin got 14 points in 24 minutes and Paul George had 10 points and six rebounds in 41 minutes.
   

Habs Pounce Panthers

    The Florida Panthers played the Montreal Canadiens for the final time this season and lost to them 4-1 on Sunday at BB&T Center. Montreal entered the game with the best record in the Eastern Conference and Florida had the worst.
    The Habs swept the Cats in the season series 3-0 this season while Florida swept them 4-0 last season. Both teams are expected to play in the same division next season when realignment is approved by the NHL Board Of Governors this week.
    Montreal(17-5-4) got on the scoreboard just two shifts in at 1:46 of the first period. Left wing David Desharnais skated the puck through the neutral zone, brought it to the inner edge of the left circle and released a wrist shot by Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom's glove for a 1-0 lead.
    The Canadiens scored on their first power play at 8:42 to increase their lead to 2-0. Defenseman P.K. Subban fired a slapshot from the right point that was redirected by left wing Michael Ryder in the low slot.
    Florida(7-13-6) gave up two goals in the final five minutes of the second period. Center Tomas Plekanec passed the puck from behind the Panthers cage to Subban on the right point. His slapshot was deflected by right wing Brian Gionta in the slot area, saved by Markstrom and Gionta put in the rebound with 4:25 remaining.
    The Canadiens extended their lead to 4-0 with 2:13 left on defenseman Francis Boullion's first goal of the season. Gionta gave a lead pass to Ryder in the right circle and he found Boullion streak through the high slot for the goal.
    The Panthers snapped the shutout at 7:59 of the third period. Left wing Tomas Kopecky stopped a Montreal clearing pass on the left point. He sent a floating puck toward to the net with traffic in front and it went by Montreal goalie Peter Budaj for his tenth goal this season.
    The Cats closed the margin to 4-2 with 6:01 to go as center Shawn Matthias scored and extended his four-game point streak. Skille cleared his own zone and passed to Matthias who entered the Canadiens zone and ripped a shot from the left circle.
    Montreal put the game away on a power-play goal with 4:07 remaining as Subban rifled a slapshot from the right point that got deflected by Ryder in the slot for his second goal of the game.
    Florida had only 12 shots after two periods and were outshot 38-16 in the game. Markstrom dropped to 1-4-1 this season as he stopped 33 of 38 shots. Budaj stopped 14 shots and improved to 4-1-1. The Habs went 2-for-6 on the power play while the Cats were 0-for-1. Florida will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night to end a three-game homestand.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Heat Take Down Sixers

    LeBron James collected a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Miami Heat won their 17th consecutive game with a 102-93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff spot and surpassed the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the league. They beat the Sixers for the 12th straight time.
    Philadelphia(23-38) began the game on a 20-11 spurt, however Miami(46-14) responded with a 17-4 rally and led 28-24 after one quarter. The 76ers went on a 21-9 edge to start the second quarter and were up 51-47 at halftime.
    Both teams stayed within three points of each other through most of the third quarter as the Heat led 76-75 at the end of the stanza. Miami scored ten straight points, which was part of a 21-6 run, and extended their lead to 97-83 with 3:19 left in the fourth quarter.
    Dwyane Wade scored 22 points in 36 minutes and Chris Bosh had 16 points in 31 minutes for the Heat. Bench scoring showed up as Ray Allen got 12 points in 27 minutes and Shane Battier contributed 11 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes.
    Thaddeus Young led the Sixers with 25 points in 33 minutes and Spencer Hawes added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes. Former Heat player Dorell Wright knocked down 14 points in 26 minutes and Evan Turner dropped in 10 points.  
   

Friday, March 8, 2013

Jets Zip By Panthers

    The Florida Panthers returned back home on Friday night and began a three-game homestand and were defeated by the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in overtime at BB&T Center. Right wing Kris Versteeg returned to the Panthers lineup for the first time since February 12 against the Washington Capitals after he missed the last 12 games. Florida has lost five of their last six and 12 of their last 15 games.
    Winnipeg(12-11-1) did not waste any time as they scored 2:35 into the first period. Left wing Andrew Ladd came in on a 2-on-1 and fired a shot from the left circle that went by Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom.
    The Jets extended their lead to 2-0 lead with 2:12 left in the period. Right wing Blake Wheeler brought the puck into the Panthers zone, skated into the right circle as defenders faded away and blasted a slapshot over Markstom's glove.
    Florida(7-12-6) closed the margin with 12.7 seconds remaining in the first period. Right wing Peter Mueller passed the puck from behind the net to the low slot, center Drew Shore took the initial shot and then Jonathan Huberdeau batted it by Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec as it barely got by the goal line. It was Huberdeau's team-leading 12th goal of the season as he has scored in three of his last four games.
    There was no scoring by either team in the second period as the Cats had to wait until the third period to tie the game. Jets defenseman Grant Clitsome was stripped of the puck at the top of his own zone by Panthers left wing Tomas Kopecky. He took it into the right circle, sent a cross-ice pass to center Shawn Matthias in the low left circle and he ripped a snapshot by Pavelec at 5:50. It was the sixth goal this season for Matthias and extended his point streak to three games.
    Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien turned overtime in a one-man performance and scored the winning goal with 40.5 seconds in the extra session. He had the puck on the end wall, skated by the left corner toward the left wing wall, pivoted to the middle and shot it from the high slot.
    Markstrom made 25 shots and dropped to 1-3-1 while Pavelec stopped 38 of 40 shots for the victory and goes to 9-11-1. Both teams were held scoreless on the power play as the Cats were 0-for-4 and the Jets were 0-for-1. Florida held Winnipeg to no opportunities on the power play when they previously met on Tuesday night in Sunrise. The Panthers, who are now 1-6 in games that go beyond regulation, will host the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Panthers To Switch Divisions

    The National Hockey League Players Association has approved the realignment of divisions. The NHL Board of Governors are expected to vote for this measure sometime next week. The new NHL alignment will be implemented for the 2013-14 season and will be reevaluated after the 2014-15 season for possible expansion or franchise moves.
    The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will break from the five-team Southeast Division. They will join an eight-team division that would consist of all five teams from the Northeast Division which includes the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. The Detroit Red Wings will also join the new division as they shift from the Western Conference.
    The Panthers have played in the same division with their cross-state rival Lightning since its inception back in the 1993-94 season. The Cats played the Boston Bruins in the first round of the NHL playoffs during the 1995-96 season and defeated them in five games for their first playoff series victory.

Capitals Jump On Panthers

    The Florida Panthers made a visit to the nation's capital they wished they had not as were crushed by the Washington Capitals 7-1 on Thursday night at Verizon Center. It was a battle between two teams who entered the game tied for last in the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference. The Cats surrendered four goals just over eight minutes into the contest.
    Washington(10-11-1) scored on their first two shots of the game against Florida goalie Jacob Markstrom. Defenseman John Erskine carried the puck through the neutral zone and fired a slaphot that went under Markstrom's right arm at 1:58.
    The Capitals then got former Panther left wing Wojtek Wolski to bring the puck from the right corner and made a wrist shot from the right of the crease at 3:10 for a 2-0 lead. Markstrom was pulled by Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen and replaced by Scott Clemmensen after the goal.
     It did not change the momentum because four shots later Capitals defenseman John Carlson scored from the right point following a right circle face-off win by right wing Troy Brouwer at 5:38.   
    Florida(7-12-5) fell behind 4-0 at 8:10 when left wing Alex Ovechkin picked up a loose puck on the end wall and sent it to the slot where center Mike Ribeiro blasted a one-time slapshot.
    The Panthers gave up a power-play goal by Ovechkin at 9:17 of the second period. Ribeiro passed the puck from the right circle to the slot and Brouwer steered it to the left circle for Ovechkin to get the one-time slapshot.
    Washington scored on another power play in the third period at 4:08. Wolski was in the low right circle when he connected with a cross-ice pass to the low left circle where right wing Eric Fehr came through with a wrist shot.
    The Cats broke the shutout with 9:11 left in the third period as left wing Jack Skille ripped a wrist shot from the slot area over the right shoulder of Capitals goalie Braden Holtby for his third goal this season. Center Shawn Matthias was credited with an assist on the play to make it 6-1.
    The Caps added an additional goal late in the third period as center Mathieu Perrault released a wrist shot from the inner edge of the right circle with 59 seconds left.  
    Markstrom dropped his record to 1-3-0 this season as he gave up two goals on two shots in just three minutes of play. Clemmensen stopped 19 of 23 shots in over 56 minutes. Holtby got the win as he jumped to 9-7-0 with 29 saves. The Panthers went 0-for-2 on the power play while the Capitals went 2-for-3. The Cats will begin a three-game home stand on Friday night against the Winnipeg Jets.  

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Heat Stop Magic

    LeBron James drove through the lane and scored a game-winning layup with 3.2 seconds left as the Miami Heat won their 16th straight game in their 97-96 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat moved to 27-3 at home this season.
    With the exception of two ties during the opening quarter, Miami(45-14) led 25-18 after one quarter. They sustained their margin of more than five points during the second quarter and were up 55-40 at halftime.
    Orlando(17-45) gave up the first five points of the second half and fell behind by 20 points. They bounced back with a 23-11 rally and were behind 71-63 with 3:12 left in the third quarter. Miami was barely ahead 77-74 at the end of the period.
    The Magic pulled off a 12-4 spurt to go up 86-81 with 8:29 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Heat followed with six straight points. Jameer Nelson nailed a field goal from the left side to give Orlando a 96-93 lead with 1:36 left. Miami closed the gap down to one point on two free throws by Chris Bosh with 38 seconds to go. The Heat took the lead on their final possession with 3.2 seconds as James busted through with a layup.  
    Dwyane Wade knocked in 24 points with six rebounds and four steals in 39 minutes while James powered through with 26 points in 38 minutes for the Heat. Bosh got a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes.
    The Magic picked up a double-double by Nikola Vucevic with 25 points and 21 rebounds in 42 minutes. He had an Orlando franchise-record with 29 rebounds against Miami back on December 31. Nelson added 16 points and 14 assists in 43 minutes. Tobias Harris had 16 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Aaron Afflalo dropped down 13 points with five assists.

Pat Murphy Retires From WPEC

    Longtime WPEC-TV Channel 12 sports director and sports anchor Pat Murphy will retire next week. His final broadcast will be on March 11. He has been the lead sports anchor at the West Palm Beach station since 1995. Murphy was set to retire from the station last summer but he put that off. It is another blow to that news operation because sports anchor and sports reporter Josh Samuels recently left the station back in late January.
    Prior to WPEC-TV, Murphy was the sports director and sports anchor at crosstown rival WPTV-TV Channel 5 from 1983 to 1995. While others have come and gone from the local market like Craig Minervini and Larry Smith, Murphy's reign of 30 years as a West Palm Beach sportscaster is right up there with Jim Gallagher, Buck Kinnaird and Marc Goldberg.

John Renshaw New WQAM Midday Host

    John Renshaw, a.k.a. The Freak, is expected to take over as the new midday host at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in the near future according to unnamed sources. Things will have to be ironed out over several jobs he holds in Louisville, Kentucky. He would replace Dan Sileo who was let go by WQAM on Monday. Kevin Rogers and Brandon Guzio have filled in the midday shift on an interim basis and will eventually return to the evening shift.
    Renshaw was named a weekend host at WQAM in late August 2012. He first appeared on the station in mid-August as a fill-in host. Renshaw worked with current WQAM afternoon host and program director Jorge Sedano as an afternoon host on 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM in Miami from 1999 to 2000.
    He currently works at several positions in the Louisville media market. He is the afternoon sports host at WQKC-AM, a late night studio host for a sports show at WBKI-TV and a talk host on Louisville Sports Buzz.com. He was an afternoon sports host in that same market at WQKC-FM.
    Prior to his first stint in Miami, Renshaw was a sports host at WHB-AM in Kansas City and an afternoon host for One-On-One Sports based in Chicago. After he was let go by WAFN, he worked at Fox Sports Radio in Los Angeles as a sports host then went to Tallahassee and was employed by WUTL-FM as a sports host.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Panthers Pass Jets

    The Florida Panthers stopped a three-game losing streak as they picked up a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at BB&T Center on Tuesday night. The Cats did not got one penalty called them in this game which was the fifth time that it happened in franchise history. The last time it occurred was on October 11, 2010 at Vancouver against the Canucks.
    Florida(7-11-5) scored early at 5:07 of the first period. Left wing Tomas Fleischmann passed the puck from the left wing to center Marcel Goc in the high slot. He fed right wing Tomas Kopecky at the right-circle dot for a one-time slapshot and his ninth goal this season.
    Winnipeg(10-11-1) tied the game up at 1-1 just 1:42 into the second period. Left wing Andrew Ladd had the puck on the right point and found right wing Kyle Wellwood as he dashed into the high slot. He faked the shot then fired a wrist shot over Florida goalie Jacob Markstrom's glove.
    The Panthers got a one-man effort by center Shawn Matthias at 9:55 to regain the lead. He skated through the neutral zone, got around Jets defenseman Mark Stuart in the slot area and released a snapshot from the edge of the left circle for his fifth tally this season. Defenseman Colby Robak got his first NHL assist and point on the play.
    Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau was hooked from behind by defenseman Dustin Byfuglien in the low slot on a breakaway and was rewarded a penalty shot with 5:10 left in the period. Huberdeau would score on a wrist shot over the glove of Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec. He scored on a previous penalty shot against the Flyers in Philadelphia on February 22.
    The Cats extended their lead to 4-1 on left wing Mike Santorelli's first goal of the season at 3:43 of the third period. Defenseman Brian Campbell sent a cross-ice pass from the left point to the right circle. Santorelli skated around Pavelec right of the crease and snuck in a backhand shot into an open net.
    Florida went 0-for-2 on the man advantage while Winnipeg did not have a power-play opportunity in a game for the first time since they hosted the New York Islanders on December 20, 2011. Markstrom, who made his third appearance in net this season and his ninth career start for the Panthers, stopped 30 of 31 shots and improved to 1-2-0. Pavelec dropped to 8-11-1 as he made 22 saves. Florida right wing Jonathan Rheault made his NHL debut tonight. The Cats travel to Washington to face the Capitals on Thursday and then return to host the Jets in Sunrise on Friday.

WEFL Celebrates Ten Years

    Good Karma Broadcasting celebrated their tenth anniversary in the West Palm Beach market on Sunday with ESPN 760 WEFL-AM. They acquired the frequency and went on-the-air on March 3, 2003. Good Karma Broadcasting purchased 106.3 WUUB-FM from Palm Beach Broadcasting last week and changed the format to a simulcast of ESPN 760 on February 25.
    The station began with only one local show during afternoon drive with Steve and Craig. It consisted of Good Karma Broadcasting CEO Craig Karmazin and Vice President Steve Politziner. Both grew up as best friends in New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed a broadcasting company in Wisconsin and started their own sports show. The rest of the schedule had ESPN Radio piped in.
    ESPN 760 eventually added an afternoon show with Evan Cohen and moved the Steve and Craig Show to an early evening slot. The station had the Palm Beach County exclusive rights to the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers, University of Miami and University of Florida broadcasts when it began in 2003.
    They would then have weekend late morning shows and later went into broadcasting games of Palm Beach County high school football on Friday nights. ESPN 760 picked up a major property and became the flagship station of Florida Atlantic University football and basketball games.
    The station eliminated the Steve and Craig Show and plugged in an early evening show with Jeremy Marks-Peltz and Jason Pugh. They added High School Hysteria on Friday nights and moved their high school football game of the week to Thursday nights in 2011.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Heat Handle T-Wolves

    Dwyane Wade dropped down a double-double of 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Miami Heat set a franchise record with their 15th consecutive win and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-81 at Target Center on Monday night. The Heat improved to 11-1 when Wade is the leading scorer and 9-1 in the second game of a back-to-back situation.
    Minnesota(20-37) scored the first six points of the opening quarter and would only lead for just the first six minutes of the game. Miami(44-14) followed with a 19-6 run and led 22-16 after one quarter. The Heat were up the entire second quarter and went into halftime ahead 50-43.
    The Heat had a double-digit margin for most of the third quarter and the Timberwolves trailed 69-63 at the end of the frame. The T-Wolves pulled within three points of the lead at 71-68 with 10:15 left in the fourth quarter, but Miami followed on a 15-3 rally.
    Miami got a double-double by LeBron James who had 20 points and 10 assists in 35 minutes while Chris Bosh fell short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes. Reserve Ray Allen added 13 points in 26 minutes of play.
     Derrick Williams knocked down a double-double for Minnesota with 25 points and 10 rebounds in 45 minutes. Ricky Rubio contributed 14 points, eight assists, five rebounds and six steals in 39 minutes. Alexey Shved got 13 points and Luke Ridnour had nine points and five assists.

WQAM Moves K-Rog And Guzio

    Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM made a programning change on Monday as they have moved The K-Rog and Guzio Show from evenings to the midday shift on an interim basis. The show is co-hosted by Kevin Rogers, a.k.a. K-Rog, and Brandon Guzio. They replaced Dan Sileo who was let go by the station after a ten-month tenure.
    WQAM added Brandon Guzio as an evening co-host with Kevin Rogers back in October 2012. Guzio joined the station in early September 2012 as an afternoon sports anchor for the Jorge Sedano Show and a weekend host. He was the midday co-host with Eric Reed for only one week in late August 2012 on 104.3 The Ticket WAXY-FM.
    Guzio was the morning sports anchor at 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM for several years on the Jorge Sedano Show. He became the interim morning host from early April until early May 2012 when Sedano left. He was also a weekend host on that station. Guzio was an early afternoon co-host with Steve White at 790 The Ticket from May until late September 2009 when he was switched to the midday sports anchor position. He began at the station as a sports producer and sports reporter in 2004.
    Rogers has been the evening host on WQAM for over five years after beginning there as a fill-in host. In addition, he has been the Florida Panthers studio host since September 2010. He joined 790 The Ticket during the mid-2000's. During that time he was a late night host, evening host, late morning host and Florida Panthers studio host at that station. Rogers, a Florida State University grad, began his professional career as a sports host on KCSP-AM in Kansas City.

Dan Sileo Fired By WQAM

    Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM fired midday host Dan Sileo on Monday after a ten-month tenure with the station. His last show at WQAM was this past Friday as Kevin Rogers and Brandon Guzio have been moved from evenings to the midday shift as of Monday.
    It has been a downward spiral for Sileo at WQAM since the start of 2013. He was suspended by the station for two days in late January because of his twitter remarks about Erin Andrews of Fox Sports. Sileo also lost his job as Miami Hurricanes football post-game studio analyst after one season in early January.
    He replaced Sid Rosenberg as the afternoon host on WQAM in April 2012. He was moved to the midday shift at that station in early September 2012 as Jorge Sedano took over the afternoon spot.
    Sileo was the morning host on 620 The Sports Animal WDAE-AM in Tampa Bay until early March 2012. 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 football team during the mid-1980's as a defensive lineman. 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.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Hurricanes Outlast Panthers

    The Florida Panthers played the second game of a home-and-home series against the Carolina Hurricanes and fell 3-2 on Sunday at BB&T Center. The Panthers have lost 10 of their last 12 games. The Canes lead the Cats by eight points in the Southeast Division.
    Carolina(12-8-1) got a rush late in the first period with two goals in just one minute. The Panthers tried to clear the puck out of their zone when it was stopped by defenseman Justin Faulk at the right point. He blasted a slapshot through traffic for an unassisted goal with 1:51 remaining.
    The Hurricanes made it a 2-0 lead with 51.7 seconds left in the stanza. Center Eric Staal sent a lead pass in the neutral zone to right wing Alexander Semin and he made a drop pass to left wing Jiri Tlusty as they crossed the Panthers blue line. Tlusty found Semin ahead of the play alone in the low slot and he backhanded the puck by goalie Scott Clemmensen.
    In the second period, the Canes extended their lead to 3-0 at 6:10. Left wing Jeff Skinner skated the puck behind the Panthers cage and sent it to center Jordan Staal in the low slot where he made a one-time snapshot. Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward was injured and left the game with 11:04 remaining in the frame. He was replaced by Dan Ellis.
    For the second straight night, Florida(6-11-5) broke the 3-0 shutout in the second period with 3:55 to go. Right wing Peter Mueller skated through the right side in the neutral zone and by the Canes blue line. He passed to the low slot where left wing Jonathan Huberdeau redirected the puck into the net. Huberdeau was just recently named the NHL Rookie of the Month in February.
    The Panthers came within one goal at 3-2 with 54.5 seconds left in the third period when they pulled their goalie for a 6-on-5 situation. Mueller ripped a pass from the left circle across to Huberdeau on the right side of the crease and he connected on a wrist shot for his second goal of the game and tenth goal this season. It was the second time this season that Huberdeau had two goals in one game as he did it against the Washington Capitals on February 12.
    The Cats outshot the Canes 15-2 in the third period and 36-24 overall. Both teams went scoreless on the power play as Florida was 0-for-1 while Carolina was 0-for-2. The Panthers only had one power-play opportunity in their last two games. Ward stopped all 15 shots before he got injured after almost 29 minutes of play and improved to 9-6-1. His backup Ellis made 19 saves in 21 shots. Clemmensen dropped to 2-3-2 as he made 21 saves on 24 shots. Florida will host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, play in Washington against the Capitals on Thursday and face the Jets again in Sunrise on Friday.

Heat Avenge Knicks

    The Miami Heat won their 14th consecutive game as they beat the New York Knicks 99-93 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks wiped out the Heat by more than 20 points in their two previous meetings this season. The Heat won their sixth straight game away and now stand 17-11 on the road.
    Neither team led by more than five points during the first quarter as Miami(43-14) were up 23-22 after one period. Carmelo Anthony had 17 points in the opening quarter for New York(35-21). The Knicks got up 59-43 with 36 second left in the second quarter following a 17-3 run and were ahead 59-45 at halftime.
    The Heat exploded out with a 14-4 rally to begin the second half and cut the deficit down to 63-60, but New York was up 77-73 after three quarters. The Knicks expanded their lead up to six points, however the Heat followed with two three-point shots to tie the game at 79-79 two minutes into the fourth quarter. Both teams stayed within four points of each other until the final two minutes.
    Chris Bosh increased the Heat lead to six points on an 18-foot jump shot to make it 97-91 with 1:06 remaining. LeBron James intercepted a cross-court pass and dribbled in for the uncontested dunk with 23 second left for a Heat 99-93 lead.
    James led the charge for the Heat with 29 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 43 minutes while Dwyane Wade contributed 20 points with eight assists and eight rebounds in 37 minutes. Bosh had 16 points in 37 minutes, which included 14 second-half points, and Shane Battier dropped down 12 points in 23 minutes.
    Anthony spearheaded the Knicks with 32 points in 42 minutes and reserve Jason Kidd added 14 points, six assists and eight rebounds in 34 minutes. Tyson Chandler had 10 points and eight rebounds in 34 minutes while J.R. Smith picked up a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes.

Canes Blitz Panthers

    The Florida Panthers were steamrolled by the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 on Saturday night at PNC Arena. The Cats lost their starting goalie Jose Theodore just two minutes in the game due to a lower-body injury. Scott Clemmensen replaced him for the final 58 minutes.
    Carolina(11-8-1) jumped on the the Cats with three goals in the first ten minutes of the contest. Left wing Jussi Jokinen scored at 6:23, followed by center Jiri Tlusty at 8:39 and Jokinen again at 9:28.
    Florida(6-10-5) broke the shutout with 2:19 left in the first period as left wing Shawn Matthias put in his fourth goal this season with assists from center Jerred Smithson and right wing George Parros.
    The Canes extended their lead to 5-1 during the second period as center Riley Nash got a tally at 5:22 then center Eric Staal converted at 13:03.
     The Cats added a goal with 45 seconds to go in the second period as defenseman Filip Kuba scored his first goal of the season to cut the margin down to 5-2. Center Marcel Goc and defenseman Tyler Strachan also picked up assists on the play.
    Staal wrapped the game up with his second goal of the game and 12th goal this season with just under eight minutes remaining in the third period.
    The Panthers had no opportunities on the power play while Carolina was 0-for-4. The Cats were outshot in all three periods at 34-24 overall. Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward made 22 saves as he goes to 8-6-1 while Clemmensen made 27 saves on 33 shots in the loss and fell to 2-2-2. Both teams finish the home-and-home series on Sunday in Sunrise.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Heat Get By Grizzlies

    Dwyane Wade dropped down 22 points with eight assists in 36 minutes as the Miami Heat slipped by the Memphis Grizzlies 98-91 on Friday night at American Airlines Arena. LeBron James, who had just four points at halftime, ended with a double-double of 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in 42 minutes. The Heat improved to 26-3 at home.
    With the exception of thirty seconds, Memphis(38-19) had the lead throughout the first quarter and were up 20-16 at the end of the period. Miami(42-14) went on a 15-5 spurt in the first six minutes of the second quarter and were barely ahead 42-41 at halftime.
    The Heat scored the first five points of the second half and still led 67-66 after three quarters. The Grizzlies were in striking distance throughout the fourth quarter and they were within six points the entire time. Memphis was down 90-89 with 42 seconds remaining. James hit a three-point shot from the top of the arc with 24 seconds left that began a closing 8-2 rally by the Heat.
    Chris Bosh added 13 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes while Shane Battier had 14 points in 26 minutes for the Heat. Ray Allen got 10 points in 29 minutes as he came off the bench.
    Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with a team-high 24 points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes. Zach Randolph also fell short of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds in 37 minutes. Mike Conley contributed 14 points and eight assists in 34 minutes while reserve Quincy Pondexter had 10 points in 21 minutes.