Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Tim Healey Leaves Sun-Sentinel

     South Florida Sun-Sentinel Miami Marlins beat writer Tim Healey recently left the newspaper. He was named by Newsday as the next New York Mets beat writer last week.
     Healey had a brief run while with the Sun-Sentinel. He joined the newspaper in 2017 and previously worked for MLB.com and the Boston Globe.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Heat Get By 76ers

     The Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 102-101 at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday night. The Heat have won two straight games in the second contest of a five-game home stand for the club.
     Philadelphia(32-27) had a 24-17 advantage after one quarter and were up 48-45 at halftime. Miami(32-29) still trailed 75-73 after the third quarter, however they closed out the final quarter as Dwyane Wade scored 15 of Miami's last 17 points, including a last-second basket, to get the victory.
     Wade was the leading scorer of the Heat for the first time since he was reacquired by the team earlier this month as he contributed 27 points. Goran Dragic dropped in 21 points while Hassan Whiteside collected a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Sixers were led by Joel Embiid with 23 points and Dario Saric with 21 points.

Panthers Drop Maple Leafs

     The Florida Panthers edged the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime at BB&T Center on Tuesday night. It was the third game of a season-long six-game home stand for the Cats as they won for the 10th time in their last 13 games.
     Florida(29-25-6) got the lead during their second power play at 11:54. Jonathan Huberdeau had the puck on the end wall and passed to Aleksander Barkov to the left of the crease. His wrist shot went by Curtis McElhinney into the top shelf of the cage for his 21st goal of the season.
     The Panthers extended their gap to 2-0 at 1:42 of the second period. Vincent Trocheck was on the right wing and centered to Huberdeau in the high slot. He bypassed one defender and around the goalie to the left of the crease and dragged in the puck across the goal line for his 19th goal of the campaign.
     Toronto(39-20-7) quickly responded and got a tally at the 2:53 mark. There was a scramble in the crease for a rebound. Kasperi Kapanen made a short pass to former Panther Dominic Moore at the right of the blue paint and he scored from close range.
     The Maple Leafs finally tied the contest with 7:26 remaining in the frame. The Panthers committed a turnover in the neutral zone and William Nylander carried the puck all the way to the slot area. After he was hooked approaching the net, Zach Hyman followed up and put in a snap shot from the low slot by Roberto Luongo.
     In overtime, Florida got the winning goal with 1:13 to go. Aaron Ekblad flipped a rainbow pass from his own zone to Jared McCann at the Maple Leafs blue line for a breakaway. He went through the slot and scored on a wrist shot.

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Heat Slam Grizzlies

     The Miami Heat pounded the Memphis Grizzlies 115-89 at American Airlines Arena on Saturday night. The Heat, who outscored Memphis in every quarter in the contest, have won two of their last 10 games.
     Miami(31-29) skipped out to a 34-31 lead after one quarter and extended it to 60-52 by halftime. Memphis(18-40) fell more behind and were down 92-70 after three quarters.
     Tyler Johnson had a game-high 23 points and Justise Winslow added 17 points for the Heat. Andrew Harrison led the way for the Grizzlies with 17 points.

Panthers Stop Penguins

     The Florida Panthers played the second game of their season-long six-game home stand and topped the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 on Saturday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers have been victorious in nine of their last 12 games. The Penguins had their six-game winning streak snapped and lost in regulation for the second time in 14 games.
     It took a short while for Florida(28-25-6) to go up 1-0. Denis Malgin carried the through the neutral zone toward the Penguins blue line. He made an outlet pass to his left to Vincent Trocheck and he snapped a shot by Tristan Jarry at 3:44.
     Pittsburgh(36-23-4) answered back and tied it 1-1 with 7:20 left in the first. Jamie Oleksiak had the puck in the right corner and poked it to Evgeni Malkin behind the Panthers cage. He backhanded a pass into the crease and Carl Hagelin scored on a one-time shot.
     The Panthers got on the scoreboard with 38.8 seconds to go in the first period and moved ahead 2-1. Evgenii Dadonov received a pass from Aleksander Barkov on the right wing, skated toward the middle and fired a wrist shot from the high slot.
     In the second period, the Cats made it a two-goal margin at 2:07. Jared McCann had his initial shot blocked by Jake Guentzel and recovered the puck. He slipped a pass from above the right circle to the left of the crease where Jamie McGinn placed the puck into the cage.
     Florida extended their lead to 4-1 at the 8:12 mark. Colton Sceviour put a slap shot from the right wing on net which was saved. Derek MacKenzie came in from the left circle and smacked in the rebound. Jarry was pulled by the Pens from the net and replaced by Matt Murray.
     The Penguins stayed in the contest as they closed the gap to 4-2 with 6:50 remaining in the second. Malkin made a give-and-go pass with Bryan Rust and finished the play with a shot from the slot area past Roberto Luongo for his 35th goal of the campaign.
     The Pens scored quickly 46 seconds into the third period to make it 4-3. Hagelin stole the puck from a defender on the end wall and swept a pass to Malkin in the low right circle. He lifted a wrist shot for his second goal of the contest.
     The Panthers answered back one minute later to regain a two-goal lead. Barkov had the puck in the high slot and found Dadonov in the right circle. He connected with a snap shot by Murray for his second goal of the game..
      Pittsburgh would not die and scored two goals in 49 seconds to tie the contest 5-5. Sidney Crosby passed the puck down the end wall to Phil Kessel. He backhanded the puck to the crease and Patrick Hornqvist scored on a shot from close range with 5:39 to go. The Pens tied it up when Rust snapped a shot from the left circle off a feed from Brian Dumoulin with 4:50 left in third
     Florida would get the final tally with 1:53 remaining in regulation. Barkov feed the puck from the high slot to Dadonov in the right circle and he put in his third goal of the contest for the hat trick and 18th goal of the season.

Friday, February 23, 2018

West Palm Beach Ratings January 2018

     The ratings for sports talk format radio stations in West Palm Beach were released. All three competitors saw their numbers not improve. ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM could not get a positive bounce following the end of the FAU football season.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM lost half of their audience and went from a 0.6 to a 0.3 in January. They did have game broadcasts of the Florida Panthers.
     1230 The Zone WBZT-AM ended up with a 0.0 for the fifth straight month. The station has been unable to find an audience with the syndicated CBS Sports Radio Network.

Pelicans Bounce Heat In Overtime

     The Miami Heat were stopped by the New Orleans Pelicans 124-123 in overtime at Smoothie King Center on Friday. It was the first contest in nine days for the Heat due to the NBA All-Star Game break.
     Miami(30-29) moved out to a 27-22 lead in the opening quarter and stayed ahead 59-57 at halftime. New Orleans(19-38) trailed 89-84 after three quarters and tied it 108-108 to send it into overtime. The Pelicans got a 16-15 scoring edge in the extra session as Jrue Holiday put in a last-second field goal.
     Goran Dragic compiled 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Heat. Hassan Whiteside completed a double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds while Dwyane Wade contributed 16 points. Anthony Davis piled on 45 points and 17 reboiunds for the Pelicans and Holiday dropped in 29 points.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Toast Gone From WSFS-FM

     Toast, real name Greg Lamega, is no longer the morning co-host on 104.3 The Shark WSFS-FM in Miami. He joined that station as an evening host in October 2015 and was promoted to morning co-host in February 2016. Toast had been a local sportscaster at several Miami radio stations prior to heading for WSFS-FM.
     He started off locally as a morning producer for the Paul and Young Ron Show on WZTA-FM and Big 106 WBGG-FM from 1997 until 2004. Toast was a weekend co-host with Jon Weiner, a.k.a. Stugotz, at Fox Sports Radio 940 WRFX-AM in 2003 and early 2004. He left both Clear Channel Miami radio stations in August 2004 and became the evening co-host with Marc Eisenberg on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM when that station changed to a sports format. He was elevated to early morning co-host with Steve Brancik in 2005.
     Toast teamed with Kenny Walker on Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM from 2006 to 2007 as the morning show producer and morning sports anchor on the Kenny and Bo Show alongside Kim Bokamper. He moved back to Clear Channel and worked as an midday disc jockey and morning show producer for the Paul and Young Ron Show at Big 105.9 WBGG-FM.
     He added duties as a fill-in host on sister-station 940 The Sports Animal WINZ-AM for several months in early 2010. Toast later joined 640 Sports WMEN-AM as a weekend co-host with South Florida Sun-Sentinel sports columnist Dave Hyde from January 2013 until August 2013.

Panthers Defeat Capitals

     The Florida Panthers returned home from a five-game Canadian road trip and overcame the Washington Capitals 3-2 at BB&T Center on Thursday. Panthers owner Vincent Viola and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman were in attendance as the Panthers honored victims in the recent shooting incident that happened on February 14 in Parkland with a pregame ceremony.
     Roberto Luongo played in his first home game for Florida since December 4. The Cats began a stretch in which they play 11 of their next 12 games at home in Sunrise.
      Florida(26-26-6) came out and took a 1-0 lead at the 4:50 mark. Ian McCoshen fired a slap shot from the left point that Colton Sceviour redirected which Braden Holby saved. Maxim Mamin was to the right of the crease and put in the rebound for his first NHL goal.
     Washington(35-19-7) was able to tie it with 1:05 remaining in the first. Andre Burakovsky snapped a shot from the high slot which was deflected by Lars Eller in the low slot and by Luongo.
     In the second period, the Captials took the lead at 9:56 on the power play. Alex Ovechkin had the puck on the left wing and backhanded it to the middle. Burakovsky stopped it and slapped it in from the slot area for his second goal of the contest and seventh goal of the year.
     The Panthers got the momentum in the final minutes of the game to get the victory. Aleksander Barkov carried the puck to the left corner and made a centering pass. Nick Bjugstad was in the crease and tipped it in from close range with 3:42 to go.
     The Cats completed the comeback with just 19.1 seconds left in the third. Jonathan Huberdeau angled a slap pass from the high slot and Vincent Trocheck redirected it from the slot area for his 23rd tally of the season.

Panthers Acquire Frank Vatrano

     The Florida Panthers have acquired forward Frank Vatrano from the Boston Bruins for a 2018 third-round draft pick. He has two goals in 25 games this season with the Bruins.
     Vatrano was signed by Boston as an undrafted free agent in March 2015. He has appeared in 108 NHL games and compiled 20 goals along with 11 assists.

Kevin Rolston Named 640 The Hurricane Host

     Longtime local morning host Kevin Rolston has been named the new mid-afternoon sports talk host on 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM in West Palm Beach. He will begin his one-hour program on February 26 at 3 PM. The radio station has not had a local weekday show since Joe Raineri and Steve Zemach co-hosted the morning shift in March 2017.
     Rolston will continue to co-host the morning show on sister-station WRMF-FM which he has been associated with since 2014. He previously was a morning co-host on WLDI-FM from 1999 to 2013 and WFLC-FM from 2013 until May 2014.
     He began his broadcasting career as a promotions intern at WHTZ-FM in New York City during the summer of 1994. Rolston moved to Fresno and worked as a disc jockey followed by an on-air stint in the late 1990s at KMXV-FM in Kansas City.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Len Weiner New WQAM Program Director

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM program director Len Weiner has added duties as the new program director of Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He replaces Ryan Maguire who is leaving Miami and joining KIRO-FM in Seattle as the vice president of news and programming.
     Weiner became the program director at The Ticket in March 2014 when the station was still on the AM and FM bands. He was the program director of several Genesis Communications radio stations in Tampa which included WHBO-AM, WWBA-AM and WMGG-AM from 2011 until March 2014.
     He once was the program director at KMPC-AM in Los Angeles and moved on to ESPN Radio in Connecticut. Weiner followed that with stints as a program director at WMVP-AM and WGN-AM in Chicago. He became the program director at WAMG-AM in Boston before heading down to Florida.

Miami Ratings January 2018

     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM had their five-month reign on top of all sports format radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region end as Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM edged them. Both radio stations, under the same company Entercom Communications, controlled 85% of the market with the sports format which was 88% in December and 92% in November.
     The Ticket remained the same with a 0.9 in the period. The Miami Heat continued a winning trend during the month of January with seven consecutive victories while Josh Friedman returned as the evening host after a one-month absence.
     WQAM took a tremendous drop as they lost almost half of their audience and went from a 1.5 to a 0.8 in January. The lack of local football of the Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami football broadcasts had an impact along with the Florida Panthers having to struggle.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM stayed at a 0.3 for the second straight month. It follows five straight months that they were at a 0.2. They have found an audience through University of Florida basketball and NFL playoff broadcasts piped in by Westwood One.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Greg Smyth Passes Away

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Greg Smyth passed away on Friday at the age of 51. He was an original member of the Florida Panthers inaugural team in 1993-94 and played in the first game of the franchise on October 6, 1993 which was a 4-4 tie at Chicago Stadium against the Chicago Blackhawks. Smyth played just 12 games with the Panthers and had one goal against the Quebec Nordiques on November 14, 1993 before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 7, 1993.
     He scored four goals and 16 assists in 10 NHL seasons. It included stints with the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks.

Maple Leafs Blank Panthers

     The Florida Panthers finished a five-game road trip through Canada as they were shut out by the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night. Florida(26-25-6) will play 11 of their next 12 games at home and will not leave the state of Florida for 24 days.
     It was until the final minute of the first period for Toronto(37-20-5) to get on the scoreboard. James van Riemsdyk put in a shot by Roberto Luongo from the left circle off a feed by Tyler Bozak with 28.3 seconds left.

Monday, February 19, 2018

Curtis Stevenson Rejoins Hurricanes Broadcasts

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM afternoon co-host Curtis Stevenson has rejoined the University of Miami Hurricanes Radio Network as a backup play-by-play announcer for baseball radio broadcasts. He worked Sunday because lead play-by-play voice Joe Zagacki had to cover a Miami Hurricanes men's basketball game at Notre Dame.
     Stevenson, known as Captain Curtis, was the backup radio baseball announcer and statistician for Miami Hurricanes football games until early May 2017 when he was let go by Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He joined The Ticket in a fill-in host role in late May 2017 and was elevated to afternoon co-host with Chris Perkins in August 2017.
     790 The Ticket recently signed a multi-year deal to broadcast Miami Hurricanes baseball games and did their first games over the past weekend against Rutgers University. WQAM had done the Canes baseball broadcasts from 2000 until 2017.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Jets Knock Down Panthers

     The Florida Panthers fell to the Winnipeg Jets 7-2 on Sunday night at Bell MTS Place. The Cats, who had their five-game road winning streak snapped, have been victorious in seven of their last nine games overall. The Panthers will not visit Winnipeg next season because both clubs will be part of the NHL Global Series in Finland next season.
     In the first period, Florida(26-24-6) rode out to a 1-0 lead at 8:57 on the power play. Michael Matheson moved the puck from the top of the zone to the top right circle. Denis Malgin scored on a wrist shot for his 10th goal of the year.
     Winnipeg(35-15-9) tied it up 1-1 with their own power play at the 12:06 mark. Blake Wheeler whipped a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and Kyle Connor smacked in the puck from the left of the crease.
     The Jets took their first lead of the contest at 4:39 of the second period. Nicolaj Ehlers ripped a shot from the left circle where the puck hit the front of James Reimer, rolled down his back and into the cage. Tyler Myers and Josh Morrissey were both credited with assists on the play.
     The Panthers put in another power-play goal at 7:34 to make it 2-2. Keith Yandle released a wrist shot from the top of the zone which was saved by Connor Hellebuyck. Evgenii Dadonov batted the puck with a backhand swing and it went off Aleksander Barkov into the net.
     The second period was capped by Winnipeg with 1:31 left in the frame. Dustin Byfuglien connected a pass from the right point to Wheeler on the right wing. He set up Mark Scheifele for a one-time slap shot from the slot.
     Florida then trailed by two goals at 3:38 of the third period. Myers drove a diagonal pass from the right point to Wheeler in the left circle. He found Connor in the high slot who finished the play with a slap shot for the 21st goal of his rookie campaign.
     The Jets expanded their margin to 5-2 at the 6:03 mark. Myers skated the puck from the right point to the right corner. He centered it to the crease where Bryan Little switched to the backhand for the tally.
     The gap became four goals with 4:33 remaining in the third. Jack Roslovec made a lead pass in the neutral zone to Mathieu Perreault. He skated into the Panthers zone, walked through the left circle and lifted in a wrist shot.
     Winnipeg made it five unanswered goals with 1:35 to go. Patrick Laine scored his 27th goal of the season on a backhand shot from close range off a feed from Little in the left circle.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Panthers Fan Flames

     Roberto Luongo played in his first game for the Panthers since December 4 as Florida pounded the Calgary Flames 6-3 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. The Panthers, who have seven of their last eight games, wore MSD patches for the first time in remembrance of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School earlier this week. The Cats extended their road winning streak to five games.
     Florida(26-23-6) scored on their first shot of the game at 1:09 into the contest. Michael Matheson skated the puck from his own left circle into the neutral zone. He snapped a shot from the top right circle by David Rittich for his seventh goal of the campaign. The Cats have scored first in eight of their last nine games.
     The game was evened up by Calgary(30-21-8) on the power play with 5:50 left in the first. Dougie Hamilton put the puck past Luongo on assists from Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan.
     Once again. the Panthers struck early in the frame to regain the lead. Vincent Trocheck made a give-and-go pass with Aleksander Barkov at center ice. Trocheck received the puck in the high slot and put in a wrist shot 58 seconds into the second period on the power play for his 22nd goal of the season.
     The Cats extended their margin to 3-1 on another power-play goal at the 3:09 mark. Trocheck moved the puck from the right wing to Keith Yandle on top of the zone. His slap shot was deflected in by Evgenii Dadonov in the slot area.
     It would become a three-goal gap for Florida at 6:03. Aaron Ekblad swiped at the puck just before it left the Flames zone. Dadonov made a centering pass from the right wing that glanced off the stick of Barkov at top of the crease. Rittich was then replaced in net by Jon Gillies following that play.
     The Flames got a goal back on the power play with 7:45 remaining in the second. Matthew Tkachuk backhanded a pass from the high slot to Monahan on the left wing. He returned it back to the middle where Hamilton scored on a slap shot for his second goal of the game.
     In the third period, the Panthers pulled ahead by three goals again at 3:41. Barkov cycled the puck from the right corner to Mark Pysyk at the right point. He passed to the middle and Matheson blasted a slap shot for his second tally of the contest. It was the second two-goal game for Matheson in his NHL career.
     Florida continued their momentum to make it 6-2 at the 5:42 mark. MacKenzie Weegar placed a diagonal pass from the left circle to Alex Petrovic at the blue line. He fired a slap shot that was deflected in by Jared McCann from the edge of the crease.
     Hamilton nailed the hat trick with his third goal of the contest with 8:05 left in the period. He sent the puck from the right corner toward the net and it went off the right skate of Ekblad into the Panthers cage.

Friday, February 16, 2018

Andrea Ocampo Back In Pro Wrestling

     Former Florida Panthers game operations arena host Andrea Ocampo has returned to professional wrestling. She started work as a television interviewer for Major League Wrestling last week.
     Ocampo went by the name Andrea D'Marco in her previous stint in pro wrestling. She became a ring announcer and interviewer for NXT in April 2016. Ocampo was promoted up to World Wrestling Entertainment as a interviewer in July 2016. She left the WWE organization in April 2017.
     She was the game operations arena host of all Florida Panthers home games for four years until April 2016. Ocampo also held the post as the stadium arena host for Florida Atlantic University football home games in Boca Raton.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Miami Hurricanes Baseball On The Ticket

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM has signed a multi-year deal to broadcast at least 15 University of Miami Hurricanes baseball games per season. Joe Zagacki continues as the primary baseball play-by-play announcer for the school. He has been associated with the Miami Hurricanes Radio Network in a broadcasting capacity for 29 years.
     The Ticket sister-station Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM held the radio broadcast rights for Canes baseball games from 2000 until 2017. WQAM signed a new multi-year contract with the University of Miami in February 2017 to broadcast just football and men's basketball games. The Hurricanes baseball team did not make the postseason in 2017 to snap a 44-year streak.

Ryan Maguire Leaving WQAM

     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM program director Ryan Maguire is exiting from the radio station. He will become the director of news and programming for KIRO-FM in Seattle on March 12.
     Maguire has been the program director at WQAM since May 2015. He was recently named in 19th place for being the best program director of a sports station in the country by Barrett Sports Media in 2017. He ended up at 18th place in 2016.
     He was the program director at KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh from November 2012 until April 2015. Maguire also had program director stints at WTKA-AM along with WLBY-AM in Ann Arbor, WSSP-AM in Milwaukee and KCSP-AM in Kansas City.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Heat Caught By 76ers

     The Miami Heat blew a 24-point lead and were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers 104-102 on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center. The Heat have fallen in seven of their last eight games as they head into the NBA All-Star Game break.
     Miami(30-28) had a 29-20 advantage after one quarter and expanded their lead to 62-39 by halftime. Philadelphia(30-25) chopped at the deficit and trailed 81-73 after three quarters. The Sixers outscored the Heat 31-21 in the fourth to take the victory.
     James Johnson had a game-high 22 points for the Heat while Goran Dragic added 18 points. Hassan Whiteside completed a double-double of 16 points with 10 rebounds and Dwyane Wade dropped in eight points. Ben Simmons piled on a triple-double of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the 76ers. Dario Saric put up a team-high 19 points and J.J. Redick poured in 14 points.

Panthers Hold Off Canucks

     The Florida Panthers were able to hold on and defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 at Rogers Arena on Wednesday night. The Panthers, who have won six of their last seven games, played the Canucks for the second time in nine days.
     Both teams combined for six goals in the opening period. Michael Del Zotto lifted Vancouver(22-29-6) to a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the contest as he scored against James Reimer. Florida(25-23-6) evened it 1-1 at the 7:37 mark when Evgenii Dadonov put in his 14th goal of the season. The Canucks regained the lead as Bo Horvat got his second point of the game with a tally on an assist from Sven Baertschi at 8:10.
     The rest of the frame belonged to the Panthers as they compiled three goals. Jamie McGinn connected on a power-play goal off his shoulder at 13:01 for his 200th NHL point and Alex Petrovic chalked up his first goal of the year at 17:25.
     The Cats got the game-winning goal to make it 4-2 with 1:24 left in the first. Aleksander Barkov won a face-off in the left circle and Nick Bjugstad snapped a shot by Jacob Markstrom. He was pulled from the net at the end of the period.
     The Canucks picked up the only goal in the last two periods. Brock Boeser added a goal, his 27th of the campaign, on the power play off a Horvat face-off win and a tap pass by Daniel Sedin.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Raptors Drive By Heat

     The Miami Heat went on the road and fell to the Toronto Raptors 115-112 at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night. The Heat have lost six of their last seven games. The Raptors had the best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference coming into the game.
     Toronto(40-16) took a 28-24 lead after one quarter and stayed in front 57-55 at halftime. The Raptors pulled early in the second half and had their biggest margin in the contest of 17 points and were up 98-81 after three quarters. Miami(30-27) outscored their opponent 31-17 in the final quarter.
     Goran Dragic led the Heat with a game-high 28 points and James Johnson had 16 points along with seven rebounds. Wayne Ellington dropped 15 points while Hassan Whiteside collected a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Dwyane Wade played in his second game with Miami this season and put together a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes of play. The Raptors picked up 27 points from DeMar DeRozan and 22 points by Kyle Lowry.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Panthers Outscore Oilers

     Vincent Trocheck compiled his first career hat trick as the Florida Panthers began a five-game Canadian road trip with a 7-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Monday night. The Panthers have won five of their last six games while the Oilers have lost four straight. James Reimer made his first appearance in a game for Florida since January 23.
     In the first period, Florida(24-23-6) scored on the power play with 2:14 left. It was a similar setup as they had against the Los Angeles Kings last Friday at home. A Denis Malgin wrist shot from the top right circle went wide and off the end wall. Aaron Ekblad followed with a one-time shot from below the left circle for his 12th goal of the year.
     It took less than one minute for Edmonton(23-28-4) to match it. Connor McDavid dropped a pass at the blue line and Yohann Auvitu snapped a shot from the right point that Reimer stopped. Patrick Maroon was at the top of crease and put in a backhand shot on the rebound with 1:25 to go.
     The Oilers moved ahead 2-1 at the 2:46 mark. Leon Draisaitl was awarded a penalty shot and he scored his 16th goal of the season.
     The Panthers evened the contest at 6:21. Malgin put in a tally on assists from Michael Matheson and Mark Pysyk.
     Both clubs got goals near the midway point. Edmonton regained the lead 3-2 at 9:35. Kris Russell connected on a slap shot from the top of the zone and it was redirected by Drake Caggiula from the inner right circle.
     The Cats answered back just 22 seconds later to tie it up. Nick Bjugstad backhanded the puck out of the Panthers zone. Evgenii Dadonov carried it all the way into the Oilers zone and scored on a snap shot from the high slot by Cam Talbot. Dadonov, who collected his 12th goal, was playing in his 100th NHL game.
     Florida converted on a power play 18 seconds into the third period and led 4-3. Keith Yandle brought the puck into the neutral zone and sent a diagonal pass to Trocheck at the Oilers blue line. He skated through the slot on a 1-on-1 breakaway and finished with a forehand shot.
     Trocheck nailed his second power-play goal in the contest at the 6:05 mark for a Florida two-goal margin. Yandle made a short pass from the blue line to Trocheck above the right circle and he connected on a wrist shot.
     Edmonton did not give up and closed the gap to 5-4 at 6:53. Mark Letestu zipped a lead pass center ice to Anton Slepyshev on the left wing and he scored from the low left circle.
     Dadonov was given a penalty shot when he was hooked on a breakaway with 9:14 remaining in the third. He gave the Panthers a 6-4 lead on his second goal of the game.
     The Oilers answered back to cut the deficit to 6-5 with 5:02 left. Maroon intercepted a Pysyk clearing pass and one-handed the puck from the right corner to the low slot. McDavid put in a one-time slap shot for his 23rd goal of the season.
     Trocheck completed a hat trick with 59.6 seconds to go. Jonathan Huberdeau stole the puck in the neutral zone and sent a rink-wide pass to Trocheck on the left wing. He delayed and released a shot into an empty net for his third goal of the game and 21st of the season.

Colton Sceviour Signs Extension

     The Florida Panthers have signed right wing Colton Sceviour to a three-year contract extension. He has compiled seven goals and seven assists in 46 games this season.
     Sceviour joined the Panthers prior to the 2016-17 season. He has 38 points in 126 games with the club. Sceviour played with the Dallas Stars from 2010 until 2016.

Friday, February 9, 2018

Dwyane Wade Returns And Heat Win

     Dwyane Wade began his second stint with the Miami Heat on Friday night as they beat the Milwaukee Bucks 91-85. Wade started his first tenure with the Heat in 2003 with a 0-7 record. The Heat were able to snap a five-game losing streak.
     The first quarter belonged to Milwaukee(30-24), who scored the first nine points of the contest, as they pulled ahead 23-19 and still were in front 46-42 by halftime. Miami(30-26) dominated the third quarter as they outscored the Bucks 30-8 and led 72-54. The Heat held on in the final quarter despite a 31-19 scoring disadvantage.
     Wade entered the game late in the first and nailed a three-point shot with 1:33 left to cut the deficit to 19-17. It would be his only points in the contest as he played 22 minutes.
     Tyler Johnson drained a team-high 19 points for the Heat and Josh Richardson added 16 points. Two Miami players had double-doubles as Hassan Whiteside got 12 points and 16 rebounds while Bam Adebayo compiled 15 points along with 10 rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo put together 23 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee.

Kings Knock Off Panthers

     The Florida Panthers lost to the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Friday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers had their four-game winning streak snapped and begin a five-game road trip next week. It was the first game of a seven-game road swing for the Kings. 
     Florida(23-23-6) scored during their first power-play opportunity at 11:32 of the first period. Denis Malgin fired a wrist shot wide right of the cage and it bounced off the end wall. Aaron Ekblad put in a shot past Jonathan Quick from the left of the crease area for his 11th tally of the campaign.
     In the second period, Los Angeles(30-19-5) evened it up at the 3:09 mark. Andy Andreoff was near the top of the zone and backhand a pass to his left. Nick Shore snapped a shot by Harri Sateri from the left circle for his fourth goal of the year.
     The Kings got their first lead of the game with 3:57 left in the second. Derek Forbort carried the puck into the Panthers zone on the left wing and stopped. He sent a cross-ice pass to Jonny Brodzinski at the top right circle and he slapped in a high backhand shot to make it 2-1.
     Los Angeles would increase their margin to 3-1 just 25 seconds into the third period. Alex Iafollo brought the puck into the Florida zone on the left side. He centered it and Anze Kopitar redirected the puck from the low slot for his team-leading 22nd goal of the season. 

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Dwyane Wade Traded To Miami Heat

     The Miami Heat acquired Dwyane Wade from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday for a second-round draft pick. Wade had played half of a season with the Cavs alongside LeBron James. He left the Heat as a free agent after the 2015-16 season and signed with the Chicago Bulls.
     Wade played his first 13 seasons in the NBA with the Heat. He was drafted by the team with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Wade helped the club capture three NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013. They also won five Eastern Conference championships in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He is a 12-time All-Star selection, a 2006 NBA Finals MVP and won the NBA scoring title in 2009.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Rockets Eclipse Heat

     The Miami Heat lost to the Houston Rockets 109-101 at American Airlines Arena. The Heat were defeated by the Rockets in Houston back on January 22. Miami now have a five-game losing streak and fallen in seven of their last nine contests. The Rockets came into South Florida with the second best record in the NBA.
     Houston(40-13) rolled out to a 35-24 lead after one quarter and were up 61-57 at halftime. Miami(29-26) trailed 83-80 after three and fell behind in the final quarter.
     James Harden had a game-high 41 points with six assists for the Rockets while Chris Paul added 24 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Clint Capela contributed 13 points and eight rebounds. Miami get big scoring from Goran Dragic and Josh Richarston who both had 30 points each. Hassan Whiteside chalked up a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds.

National Signing Day Broward County 2018

     National Signing Day was Wednesday for high school football players in Broward County. There was less luster this year because students were allowed to sign early letters of intent on December 21.
     The two-time defending FHSAA Class 5A champion American Heritage was one of the schools that did not have many players sign immediately when early national signing began in December. Some of their top players did make their decisions on Wednesday. Defensive back Patrick Surtain Jr. selected Alabama, defensive back Tyson Campbell announced Georgia, defensive lineman Nesta Silvera selected Miami and defensive lineman Andrew Chatfield went with Florida.
     The Patriots district rivals Cardinal Gibbons also had several players make their announcements. Running back Jordan Riggins picked Morgan State, kicker Griffin Cerra took Southern Illinois, defensive lineman Evan Loesel choose Columbia. linebacker Ryan Saddler moves to Bryant and offensive lineman Cameron Stage heads to Bowling Green.

National Signing Day Palm Beach County 2018

     It was national signing day for high school football players in Palm Beach County. There was less buzz this year because of an early signing period that began on December 21 for players to sign letters of intent.
     FHSAA Class 8A state finalist Atlantic had several people make their decisions. Wide receiver/defensive back Corey Gammage selected Marshall while wide receiver/running back Cadarius Gaskin announced Florida International. Defensive back Christian Brown decided on Princeton. Running back Shelley Singletary and wide receiver/punt returner Oyeh Lurry-Davis went with Independence Community College.
     The other school in Delray Beach also made a splash. American Heritage quarterback Ryan Rizk is heading to Miami. Defensive back/wide receiver Marcell Quince is going to Mississippi College.
     The Muck was represented by several players. Glades Central offensive lineman Willie Canty travels to Nebraska and defensive back Trey Green choose Central Florida. Pahokee wide receiver Keke McFadden moves to Kent State.
     Palm Beach Lakes had defensive back/wide receiver C.J. Smith, who played for FHSAA Class 3A state finalist Oxbridge Academy in 2017, select Nebraska while defensive back/running back Teja Young goes down to Florida Atlantic and defensive back Jakari Staling agreed with South Dakota.
     Elsewhere in north Palm Beach County, Dwyer defensive lineman Dalton Hustadd stays local at Florida Atlantic, wide receiver Andrew Kasten selected Drake and linebacker Brendan Parr choose Keiser. Suncoast quarterback Ryan Lantz is heading for Georgia Tech.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Ed Jovanovski Announces Panthers Game

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Ed Jovanovski worked as a radio game analyst for the Vancouver Canucks on CISL-AM against the Panthers at BB&T Center in Sunrise on Tuesday night. It is believed to be the first time that he had worked on a hockey game broadcast.
     Jovanovski had two stints with the Florida Panthers. He helped the Panthers win the Eastern Conference title during his rookie year in 1995-96. He was traded by Florida to the Vancouver Canucks in January 1999 in a multi-player deal that included Pavel Bure. Jovanovski returned to the Panthers as a free agent in July 2011 and played his final three NHL seasons with the club.

Panthers Outlast Canucks

     The Florida Panthers hosted the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night and won 3-1 at BB&T Center. The Panthers extended their winning streak to four games. It was the first game of a four-game road trip for the Canucks.
     Florida(23-22-6) was able to convert on their first power play to go up 1-0 with 3:32 left in the first period. Aaron Ekblad made a soft pass from the right point down to the low right circle.and Jamie McGinn poked in the rebound from the top of the crease by Jacob Markstrom for his seventh goal of the campaign.
     Vancouver(21-26-6) would score a shorthanded goal with 8:20 remaining in the second period. Brandon Sutter tipped an outlet pass at the red line and Markus Granlund skated with the puck into the Panthers zone. He snapped a shot by Harri Sateri from the low slot to tie the contest 1-1.
     The Panthers regained the lead 2-1 with 3:52 to go in the frame. Nick Bjugstad broke out of the Panthers zone and passed to Mark Pysyk in the neutral zone. He connected a lead pass to Alekander Barkov where he skated through the slot area and lifted in a backhand shot. It was the 17th goal for Barkov this season.
     Barkov would wrap up the contest with his sccond tally which was an empty-net goal with 41.5 seconds left in the third period. Vincent Trocheek was credited with an assist on the play.

Monday, February 5, 2018

Magic Shock Heat

     The Orlando Magic edged the Miami Heat 111-109 at American Airlines Arena on Monday night. The Heat, who came off a four-game road trip, have lost four straight games and six of their last eight contests. The Magic came into the battle with the worst record in the National Basketball Association.
     Miami(29-25) busted out to a 35-26 advantage after one quarter and stayed on top 60-59 at halftime. Orlando(16-36) overcame and took a 93-87 lead after three quarters and held on in the final minute of the game.
     Hassan Whiteside nailed a double-double for the Heat with 19 points and 14 rebounds and Bam Adebayo compiled 18 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Richardson had a team-high 20 points and Justise Winslow dropped in 16 points with seven rebounds. Mario Hezonja composed 20 points while D. J. Augustin drained 16 points for the Magic. Jonathon Simmons was able to score 16 points.

560 WQAM On National List

     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM was selected by Barrett Sports Media for being one of the top 20 sports radio stations in the United States. The station finished in 19th place in the nation and they were not in the top 20 in 2016.
     WQAM was represented last week in the 2017 Barrett Sports Media results. Joe Rose was in 16th place for the best morning sports show, Hochman and Crowder was in 19th place for best afternoon sports program and Ryan Maguire was selected in 19th for best program director of a sports talk station.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Local Wins Super Bowl LII

     One local player was on the squad of the Philadelphia Eagles when they won Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots 41-33 on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Patrick Robinson was a defensive back for the winning team.
     Robinson attended and played high school football with both South Miami and Gulliver Prep. He went on to Florida State University where he won a national championship with the Seminoles in 2013. It was his first season with the Eagles and had previously played with the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Pistons Roar By Heat

     The Miami Heat concluded a four-game road trip with a 111-107 defeat to the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night. The Heat have lost three consecutive games and five of their last seven.
     Detroit(25-26) had a 27-26 lead after one quarter and stayed ahead 54-50 at halftime. Miami(29-24) came back and got in front 77-76 after three quarters. The Pistons outscored the Heat 35-30 in the final quarter to win the game.
     Goran Dragic dropped a game-high 33 points for the Heat. Kelly Olynyk and Josh Richardson both collected 19 points each while James Johnson came off the bench and popped in 18 points. Ish Smith drained a team-high 25 ponts and Andre Drummond compiled a double-double with 23 points with 20 rebounds. Blake Griffin almost got a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Panthers Get By Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers picked up a last-second goal to barely beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Saturday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers extended their winning streak to three games with the victory.
     Florida(22-22-6) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:17 mark of the first period. Aaron Ekblad snapped a shot from the high slot by Petr Mrazek. for his 10th goal of the year. Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle were credited with assists on the play.
     Detroit(21-22-8) evened the contest at 8:51 of the second period. Frans Nielsen had the puck on the right wing and made a centering pass. Daniel DeKeyser fired a slap shot from the high slot by Harri Sateri.
     The Panthers pulled ahead 2-1 with 6:22 left in the second. Nick Bjugstad connected a long pass from his own zone to Evgenii Dadonov in the neutral zone. He sent a lead pass to Aleksander Barkov and he put in a wrist shot from inside the right circle for his 16th goal of the season.
     In the third period, the Red Wings tied it 2-2 at the three-minute mark. Nielsen sent a snap shot from the top of the zone on net. DeKeyser came in for the rebound as the puck went off his right skate in the blue paint and into the cage.
     The Cats got the game-winning goal with just 7.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Keith Yandle slapped a shot from the right wing which was saved. Huberdeau was on the doorstep and poked the puck in for his 18th tally of the campaign.

Friday, February 2, 2018

76ers Take Heat

     The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Miami Heat 103-97 at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night. It was not as close throughout the game as the final score indicated.
     Philadelphia(25-24) got out in front 24-23 after one quarter and extended their lead to 51-41 by halftime. The 76ers scored 19 unanswered points and were up 86-60 after three quarters. Miami(29-23) came back as they got 18 straight points and cut the margin to single digits 90-81. They came no closer than four points behind 101-97 with 24 seconds left in the contest.
     Kelly Olynyk piled on 19 points and seven rebounds for the Heat while Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Wayne Ellington also added 16 points and Josh Richardson got 12 points. Ben Simmons had a game-high 20 points for the Sixers and J.J. Redick popped in 13 points. Dario Saric put together a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Ryan Maguire On Naional List

     Ryan Maguire of Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM has been named the 19th best program director of a sports talk radio station nationally by Barrett Sports Media. Maguire, who has been the WQAM program director since May 2015, finished in 18th place back in 2016.
     Prior to his arrival in Miami, Maguire was the program director at KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh from November 2012 until April 2015. He had made stops as a program director at several stations which includes WTKA-AM along with WLBY-AM in Ann Arbor, WSSP-AM in Milwaukee and KCSP-AM in Kansas City.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Panthers Sting Sabres

     The Florida Panthers swept a two-game road trip with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Thursday night. Aleksander Barkov played in his 300th NHL game for the Panthers. The Sabres entered the game with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
     Buffalo(14-28-9) got a 1-0 lead at 7:02 of the first period. Ryan O'Reilly scored on the power play with assists from Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo.
     Florida(21-22-6) evened it up on their own power play at 11:06. Keith Yandle put in a tally on assists from Barkov and Vincent Trocheck. The Cats took the lead 2-1 on another power-play goal by Michael Matheson. Nick Bjugstad was credited with an assist on the play.
     The Panthers made it a two-goal margin 3-1 with 1:49 left in the first. Jonathan Huberdeau banked the puck off the boards to Keith Yandle at the right point. He passed to the front of the net where Denis Malgin delayed and flipped in a backhand shot.
     The Sabres closed the gap early in the second period. Zemgus Girgensons put in a shorthanded 32 seconds into the frame from the slot area on a feed by Johan Larsson behind the cage.
     In the third period, the Cats put the game away with 2:24 remaining to make it 4-2. Colton Sceviour skated the puck into the Buffalo zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway and scored on a backhand shot from the crease area. It was the 100th NHL point for Sceviour in his career.

Dan Le Batard And Evan Cohen On National List

     Several South Florida on-air personalities were listed by Barrett Sports Media as part of the top 20 national sports talk shows in the United States for the second straight year. They are Dan Le Batard with Stugotz and Evan Cohen.
     Dan Le Batard with Stugotz finished third nationally in 2017 behind Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd. The program ended up in fourth place back in 2016. They broadcast a local one-hour mid-morning show on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM prior to their national midday simulcast on ESPN Radio. Le Batard and Stugotz first formed as an afternoon show on The Ticket in August 2004.
     Evan Cohen made a major jump as his Morning Men show with Mike Babchik on Mad Dog Radio at SiriusXM Radio moved up to 14th place in 2017. The program was tied for 20th nationally in 2016. Cohen still does an afternoon show on ESPN Radio 106.3 WUUB-FM in West Palm Beach. He has held that post at Good Karma Broadcasting for over 11 years.