Marlins And Rockies Game Postponed

     The Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field in Denver on Tuesday night was postponed due to inclement weather. It was to be the second game of a three-game series. 

      It will be made up on Wednesday in a doubleheader between both teams. The first contest will begin at 3:10 p.m. Eastern Time and the second contest will follow 45 minutes after the first game has concluded. The Marlins will then travel home and face the San Francisco Giants in a four-game series beginning on Thursday night. 

Rockies Leap By Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were overtaken by the Colorado Rockies 7-1 at Coors Field on Monday. The Marlins continued their eight-game road trip. The Fish have lost three of their last four games. 

     Miami(19-27) produced their only run of the contest during the second inning. Jesus Sanchez crushed a 2-2 pitch into the right-field upper deck for his fifth home run of the season. It was the longest home run in Major League Baseball so far during the 2022 campaign. 

     Sanchez's 496-foot homer turned out to be the second longest home run in Coors Field history. The longest home run was hit by Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins back on August 16, 2016. He hammered a 504-foot homer to left field. 

     Colorado (22-26) waited until late in the game to overtake the Marlins. The Rockies compiled four runs in the bottom of the seventh and three runs in the bottom of the eighth. 

Katie Gaus Leaves Bally Sports Florida

     Katie Gaus has decided to leave Bally Sports Florida. She was a rinkside reporter on Florida Panthers telecasts and also was a Florida Panthers digital reporter.

     Gaus, a SUNY-Geneseo grad and Syracuse University grad, was last seen on Panthers broadcasts during the first round series between the Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals. She was not on the Florida Panthers postgame shows in the second round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, however Gaus was heard asking questions in press conferences. 

     Gaus was named rinkside reporter at Fox Sports Florida in September 2019. She added the role of podcast co-host alongside Randy Moller on Around The NHL in April 2021.

     She has done other television work in her broadcasting career. Gaus has announced National Women's Hockey League games as a reporter and studio host in 2020-21 and Premiere Hockey Federation games as a game analyst and studio host in 2021-22. 

Boston Celtics Eliminate Miami Heat in Game 7

     The Boston Celtics went wire-to-wire to defeat the Miami Heat 100-96 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at FTX Arena on Sunday night. The Celtics won the best-of-seven series 4-3 and advanced to the NBA Finals. Boston will face the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at San Francisco.

     The Celtics reached the NBA Finals for the 22nd time and the first time since 2010. They played in their NBA record 35th Game 7 contest and look to capture a league-record 18th NBA Championship in the next two weeks. 

     The last time Miami played in a Game 7 was when they captured the 2012 NBA Championship over the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat did lose Game 7 of the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals at home against the Detroit Pistons. Miami failed to pick up their seventh Eastern Conference title. 

     Boston scored the first six points of the contest, were up 9-1 in the first three minutes and had a 24-9 lead in the first eight minutes. The Heat stringed eight straight points and closed it to 24-17 with 2:25 remaining. The C's responded as they put in the last eight points of the frame and led 32-17 after one quarter. 

     The Celtics kept a double-digit lead through most of the second quarter until Miami closed it to 53-44 with 1:26 left in the first half. The Heat went on an 11-2 run and trailed 55-49 by halftime.  

     In the third quarter, Miami scored seven straight points and were down 72-65 with 5:15 to go. Boston maintained the pace and had an 82-75 lead at the end of the third quarters. 

     The Heat compiled the first four points of the fourth quarter to make it 82-79 and pulled to their closest margin since the opening minute in the first quarter. The C's answered back with eight consecutive points on their way to a 14-6 spurt. Miami dropped in 11 straight points and were down 98-96 with 44.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler missed a go-ahead three-point shot for the lead with 16.6 seconds remaining. 

     Butler, who played all 48 minutes of the game, led the Heat with a game-high 35 points and nine rebounds. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Kyle Lowry added 15 points along with seven rebounds. 

     Jayson Tatum, who was presented the first ever Larry Bird Trophy for Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, ended up with a double-double of 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Jaylen Brown scored 24 points in the victory. Marcus Smart fell short of a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds. 

Mark Jones Announces Game 7 Heat Game

     Former Miami Heat television studio host and current ESPN play-by-play announcer Mark Jones announced Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat at FTX Arena on Sunday night. He filled for ESPN NBA lead play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, who tested positive for COVID-19. 

     It is not known how long Breen, who called the first six games of the Heat and Celtics series, will be out for. He was placed under the National Basketball Association health and safety protocol. Breen may possibly miss Game 1 of NBA Finals being broadcast by ABC on Thursday night. 

     Jones appeared on Miami Heat television broadcasts from 2000-01 until 2002-03. He was a studio host on Sunshine Network, WBFS-TV Channel 33 and WFOR-TV Channel 4. Jason Jackson took over his role in 2003-04 and has been the primary television studio host since then. 

Braves Jump Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves downed the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Sunday at Truist Park. The defending World Series champion Braves took two contests of the three-game series against the Marlins. 

     Miami(19-26) will finish their eight-game road trip on Monday in Denver versus the Colorado Rockies. Atlanta(23-25) also heads west to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. 

Inter Miami CF Handles Portland Timbers

     The Portland Timbers, who made their first appearance in South Florida since June 5, 1982 at Lockhart Stadium, fell to Inter Miami CF 2-1 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night. Inter Miami CF have a five-game overall unbeaten streak and have a six-game unbeaten streak at home.  

     Inter Miami CF got out to a 1-0 lead during the 27th minute. Leo Campana received a cross from the left wing and scored on a jumping header from six yards away into the low right corner of the cage. 

     It became 2-0 for Inter Miami CF in the 59th minute. Ari Lassiter took a left-footed shot on the left side from 15 yards out that hit the right point. Robert Taylor followed and put in an 11-yard shot with his left foot. 

Marlins Stop Braves

     The Miami Marlins defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Saturday night at Truist Park. The final contest of the three-game is on Sunday. 

Heat Stay Alive Against Celtics In Game 6

     The Miami Heat survived the Boston Celtics 111-103 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on Friday night. The Heat and the Celtics are tied 3-3 in the best-of-seven series. Game 7 is in Miami on Sunday might to determine who will be the Eastern Conference champions and advance to the 2022 NBA Finals. 

     Miami started ahead 29-22 at the end of the first quarter and held a slight lead 48-46 by the end of the first half. The Heat still were in front 82 -75 at the end of three quarters. Boston went on a 22-12 spurt to begin the fourth quarter and led 97-94 with 4:43 left in regulation. Miami pulled off a 17-6 run for the remainder of the contest.

     The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler with a game-high 39 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. It was the most points scored by a Miami Heat player in franchise history when the team was facing postseason elimination. Kyle Lowry compiled a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds Max Strus placed in 13 points and P.J. Tucker scored 11 points. 

     Jayson Tatum fell short of a double-double with 30 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown contributed 20 points while Derrick White had 22 points. Marcus Smart ended up with 14 points. 

Braves Outscore Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves stopped the Miami Marlins 6-4 at Truist Park on Friday night. The Marlins made their first visit to Georgia since the Braves won the 2021 World Series. 

     Atlanta(22-24) put up three runs in the fifth inning to go up 3-0. Miami(18-25) responded immediately with four runs in the top of the sixth to lead 4-3. The Braves picked up three runs in the bottom of the seventh and led 6-4. 

Steve Lapa At Lapcom Ventures

     Former longtime local radio executive Steve Lapa is in charge of a new business. He is the owner, founder and affiliate relations manager of Lapcom Ventures. It is a subsidiary of his original organization Lapcom Communications. 

     Lapa headed management of James Crystal Radio Group Fort Lauderdale in the 2000s and 2010s. He was the vice president and general manager of 850 WFTL-AM, 640 WMEN-AM and 1400 WFLL-AM. Lapa did write the Steve Lapa Daily in the late 2010s. 

Luke Williams Goes To Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have acquired infielder Luke Williams from the San Franciso Giants for infield prospect Hayden Cantrelle. Williams was added to the Marlins 40-man team roster, however he was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

     Williams played eight contests with the Giants this season and compiled a .250 batting average with three runs batted in. His only other Major League Baseball season with in 2020 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He had a one home run, six runs batted in and a .245 batting average. 

WWNN Sold Again

     Vic Canales Media Group has acquired Money Talk Radio 1470 WWNN-AM and two FM translators in Boca Raton from Marco Broadcasting for $1.45 million. The station was recently sold by Beasley Media Group to Marco Broadcasting for $1.25 million in February. The transaction closed in early April and it resulted in Beasley Media Group leaving the South Florida radio market after 26 years. 

     There is no word from the new owner of their plans for the radio station. Vic Canales Media Group does own two FM translators in Jupiter. It is a possibility that WWNN may change the format or add some sports programming. The station has been branded South Florida's Money Talk Radio Network since December 2019. 

     WWNN previously had sports programming in the past. Jeff DeForrest was an evening sports host back in 2006 while sportscaster Jim Grieshaber hosted an evening show in the late 2000s. The station did broadcast Friday night high school football games in 2010 and 2011 with longtime 640 WMEN-AM producer Erik Lengyel as a game analyst. Former South Florida Sun-Sentinel writer Michael Mayo and DeForrest have co-hosted a one-hour general talk show at noon since November 2021. 

Kevin Wheeler Promoted At KMOX-AM

     Former University of Miami Hurricanes baseball bullpen catcher Kevin Wheeler has been promoted to midday co-host at KMOX-AM in St. Louis. Wheeler joined that organization for a second stint in October 2020 as an evening sports host and afternoon sports anchor, He later added duties as the St. Louis Cardinals studio host. 

     Wheeler, a University of Miami 1994 grad, was syndicated nationally at one point. He was the overnight host at One-On-One Sports and the rebranded Sporting News Radio in Chicago from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. 

     He joined KMOX for his first stint in 2006. Wheeler held the roles of afternoon sports anchor, sports co-host, St. Louis Cardinals studio host and St. Louis Blues studio host until 2013.

     Wheeler moved across town to work at WXOS-FM. He hosted the late morning shift and later was promoted to midday show host. He stayed at that radio station from 2013 until early September 2019. 

Celtics Speed Past Heat In Game 5

     The Boston Celtics outlasted the Miami Heat 93-80 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at FTX Arena on Wednesday night. The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate the Heat Friday night in Boston. The Heat have lost two straight home games after winning their first seven home contests in the postseason. 

     The C's have won back-to-back games against the Heat. The Celtics can win their first Eastern Conference championship since 2010 with a victory in Game 6. 

     The first half turned out to be a low-scoring affair. Miami had a 19-17 slight edge at the end of one quarter and led 42-37 at halftime. Boston scored the first eight points of the second half and pulled ahead 69-58 at the end of the third quarter. The Celtics started the fourth quarter on an 18-10 run and had 19-point margin at 87-68 with 5:53 left in the final frame.    

     Bam Adebayo led the Heat with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jimmy Butler contributed 13 points and six rebounds while Kyle Lowry was held to no points in 25 minutes of play. Gabe Vincent added 15 points and Tyler Herro drained in 11 points.  

     Jayson Tatum fell short of a triple-double for Boston with 22 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Jaylen Brown dropped in a game-high 25 points and Al Horford composed 16 points along with seven rebounds. Derrick White came off the bench and had 14 points. 

Rays Straddle Marlins

     The Tampa Bay Rays edged the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. It completed a two-game series between the state rivals. The Marlins have tomorrow off and challenge the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves in Georgia on Friday night. 

     The Marlins have a 6-16 record since the start of May. It is the worst record in Major League Baseball this month. 

Rays Blank Marlins

     The Tampa Bay Rays shut out the Miami Marlins 4-0 at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night. It was the first contest of a two-game series between both clubs. The Marlins have lost 15 of their last 21 games. 

     Tampa Bay(25-17) leaped to a 1-0 lead on their first at-bat. Kevin Kiermaier hit an inside-the-ballpark home run into center field on the first pitch for his sixth homer of the campaign. It was the first time in Miami(18-23) Marlins franchise history that had ever occurred. 

     It became 2-0 for the Rays during the second inning. Harold Ramirez powered a solo homer down the right-field line on a 1-0 count for his first home run this year. 

     In the eighth inning, Tampa Bay extended it to 4-0. Ji-Man Choi connected with a two-run home run to right field on a 0-1 pitch with Randy Arozarena aboard for his third homer of the season. 

Florida Panthers Upcoming Free Agents

     The Florida Panthers 2021-22 season concluded Monday night with a 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The club now has to look at their team roster for the 2022-23 NHL campaign. 

     There are several Panthers that will become unrestricted free agents. They include forwards Claude Giroux, Joe Thornton, Mason Marchment, Noel Acciari and Maxim Mamin. Defensemen Ben Chiarot, Robert Hagg. Petteri Linbohm and goalie Markus Nutivaara can also walk away into free agency with no compensation. 

     Just three current Florida Panthers are restricted free agents. They are forward Eetu Luostarinen, defenseman Lucas Carlsson and goalie Jonas Johansson. 

Panthers 2022 First Round Pick Finalized

     The Florida Panthers found out where their 2022 first-round selection will be slated for the upcoming National Hockey League Draft in Montreal this July. It will be the 28th overall selection, however it now belongs to the Buffalo Sabres.

     The Panthers traded their first-round pick for the 2022 NHL Draft along with goalie Devon Levi to the Sabres for right wing Sam Reinhart back in July 2021. Reinhart helped the Panthers capture the Presidents' Trophy for their first time in franchise history with the most points in the 2021-22 regular season. He compiled a load of career-highs with 33 goals and 49 assists for 82 points in 78 games this season. 

Celtics Steamroll Miami Heat In Game 4

     The Miami Heat were hammered by the Boston Celtics 102-82 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night at TD Garden. The Heat and Celtics are tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 will be in Miami on Wednesday night. 

     Boston blasted out on a 26-4 run to start the contest and led 29-11 after one quarter. It was the fewest points scored by the Miami Heat in the first quarter of a playoff game in franchise history. The Celtics kept a stranglehold during the second quarter and led 57-33 by halftime. Miami could not keep pace and trailed 76-52 at the end of three quarters. 

     None of the Heat starting lineup had double-digit scoring. Bam Adebayo dropped in nine points and Jimmy Butler was held to six points. Victor Oladipo had a team-high 23 points, Duncan Robinson added 14 points and Caleb Martin contributed 12 points. 

     Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with a game-high 31 points along with eight rebounds. Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams III both poured in 12 points each. Derrick White drained in 13 points in the victory. 

Lightning Sweep Panthers In Game 4

     The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Florida Panthers with a 2-0 victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Amalie Arena on Monday night. The Lightning swept the Panthers 4-0 in the best-of-seven series. The Bolts repeated what they did last year when they won the Battle of Florida against the Cats 4-2 during the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

     The Panthers were shut out for the first time this season during the 2021-22 campaign. They were held to one goal or less for the fourth time in the series and fifth time in their last eight playoff contests. 

     Joe Thornton made his playoff debut with the Florida Panthers and played in his 187th career postseason game. He signed as a free agent with the Panthers back in August. 

     After a scoreless first period, Tampa Bay had two goals disallowed in the second period. Alex Killorn redirected goal from the slot area was not allowed because Ondrej Palat made a pass from the right corner to the right point that grazed off the safety net above the plexiglass at the 8:44 mark. A Nikita Kucherov goal was disallowed with 9:28 left in the frame when Anthony Cirelli made a hand pass on the faceoff draw in the left circle. 

     In the third period, the Lightning took a 1-0 lead at 6:16. Zach Bogosian fired a shot from the right point and Sergei Bobrovsky made a blocker save. Pat Maroon batted the puck in mid-air at the top of the crease and it trickled past the goal line for his second goal of the postseason. 

     Tampa Bay added an empty-net goal with 22.1 seconds remaining in the third to make it 2-0. Cirelli sent the puck all the way down the ice from his own zone and Palat, who came out of the penalty box, tapped the puck into the cage from close range for his fourth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Steven Kampfer Returns To NHL

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Steven Kampfer will make his return to the National Hockey League. He has signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. It will go into effect for the 2022-23 NHL season. 

     Kampfer was with the Panthers for three seasons from 2014-15 to 2016-17. He compiled two goals and six assists in 73 games with Florida. 

     He played outside of North America with Kazan Ak-Bars in the Kontinental Hockey League in 2021-22. Kampfer had 11 goals and 19 assists this season. 

Inter Miami CF Shuts Out New York Red Bulls

     Inter Miami CF capped the weekend as they blanked the New York Red Bulls 2-0 on Sunday night at DRV PNK Stadium. Inter Miami CF are unbeaten in their last four games overall and have not lost a home game since April 2 against Houston. Their next contest is at home against the Portland Timbers on Saturday night.

     In the first half, Inter Miami CF scored during the 28th minute of play to make it 1-0. Ari Lassiter was able to blast a right-footed shot from 19 yards away for his first goal with his new club. 

     They increased their lead to 2-0 in the 87th minute. Inter Miami CF pulled off a three-man weave on an odd-man rush and completed it with a right-footed shot by Robert Taylor from eight yards away.

Marlins Avoid Sweep To Braves

     The Miami Marlins avoided a three-game series sweep with a 4-3 win over the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves at loanDepot park on Sunday. The Marlins completed a nine-game homestand. The Fish begin an eight-game road trip on Tuesday in Tampa Bay. 

Lightning Topple Panthers In Game 3

     The Tampa Bay Lightning handled the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Sunday at Amalie Arena in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 3-0. They can sweep and eliminate the Panthers in Game 4 at home on Monday night. 

     The Panthers were held to just one goal for the third consecutive game of the series. The Cats have scored only one goal in four of their last seven playoff contests. Florida compiled one goal or less in three regular season games during the 2021-22 regular season. 

     Tampa Bay got out to a 1-0 lead with 6:39 remining in the first period. Nikita Kucherov tapped the puck from the left point. Ryan McDonagh fired a one-time slap shot from the top of the zone and it was deflected in by Corey Perry from the top of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky. It was Perry's third tally of the series, fifth goal of the 2022 playoffs and 50th career playoff goal. 

     Florida finally scored on the power play with 3:53 left in the first. The Cats entered this contest 0-for-25 with the man advantage in their first eight games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Aleksander Barkov connected a pass from the top of the zone to Jonathan Huberdeau. He backhanded it to the middle and Sam Reinhart snapped a shot from the slot area by Andrei Vasilevskiy for his third goal in the postseason. 

     The Lightning reclaimed the lead 2-1 at the 2:54 mark of the second period. Ondrej Palat sent a cross-ice pass from the right wing that grazed off the stick of Ross Colton. Erik Cernak released a wrist shot from the inner left circle for his first tally of playoffs. 

     It became 3-1 for the Bolts with 9:37 left in the second. Victor Hedman made a diagonal lead pass from his own blue line. Kucherov fed the puck from above the right circle and Steven Stamkos powered a one-time slap shot from the left-circle dot for his third goal of the postseason. 

     The Panthers pulled Bobrovsky from goal twice for an extra attacker in the final five minutes of regulation. It did not work as Kucherov skated in by himself into the Cats zone and put the puck into the empty net for his fourth playoff goal with 3:54 left. Stamkos added an empty-net tally with 2:09 remaining for his second goal of the game and fourth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to make it 5-1. 

Heat Outduel Celtics In Game 3

     The Miami Heat held off the Boston Celtics 109-103 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on Saturday night. The Heat lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 will be played in Boston on Monday. 

     Miami rocketed out on a 24-7 run to begin the contest and were ahead 39-18 after one quarter. The Heat kept the lead and had a 62-47 advantage at halftime. Boston since with the pace and trailed 87-72 at the at of three quarters. The Celtics cut it down to a one-point difference 93-92 with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter, however Miami followed with a 10-2 spurt. 

     Bam Adebayo posted a double-double with a team-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Heat. P. J. Tucker added 17 points and seven rebounds while Max Strus contributed 16 points. Kyle Lowry returned to the Miami lineup with 11 points and six assists.

     Jaylen Brown missed a double-double with a game-high 40 points and with nine rebounds for the C's. Al Horford also marked down a double=double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Marcus Smart chalked up 16 points and seven assists. 

Braves Brand Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves picked up a 4-3 victory over the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Saturday night. The Marlins look to avoid the three-game weekend series sweep tomorrow. 

Bam Adebayo On NBA All-Defensive Second Team

     Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo was named to the all-defensive second team by the National Basketball Assocation. He finished on top of all the second-team players and one vote below Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. for the first-team all-defensive team list.  

     He was placed on the second-team defensive team with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III. Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holliday and Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle. Adebayo averaged 19.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season. 

Braves Knock Down Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves defeated the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Friday night at loanDepot park. It was the first time this season that the defending World Series champions appeared in South Florida. 

     Atlanta (18-21) compiled all five of their runs in the first three innings. They made it 1-0 in the top of the first as Ozzie Albies singled into left field to score Ronald Acuna Jr. Two batters later, former Marlins player Marcell Ozuna blasted a two-run homer to left field on a 2-2 pitch with Albies aboard for his eighth home run of the season. 

     The Braves increased it to 4-0 in the top of the second. Dansby Swanson powered a solo home run to left on a 2-2 count for his fifth homer of the year. 

     Miami(17-21) cut it down to 4-1 in the bottom of the frame. Bryan De La Cruz drove in Brian Anderson on a base hit to left field. 

     In the third inning, Atlanta recaptured a four-run lead 5-1. Travis d'Arnaud ripped a solo home run to left field on a 2-1 pitch for his fourth round-tripper of the 2022 campaign. 

     The Marlins closed it to 5-3 in the sixth inning. Jorge Soler smashed a solo homer to the left-center field on a 1-2 count with Jesus Aguilar aboard. It was Soler's eighth home run of the season with his new club. 

Greg Olsen To Announce Super Bowl LVII

     Former University of Miami Hurricanes tight end Greg Olsen will be the game analyst at Fox Sports for Super Bowl LVII in February. He will be in the broadcast booth with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. 

     He and Burkhardt have been the number two National Football League broadcasting crew for Fox Sports since last season. They were elevated to the top primary NFL spot when Joe Buck and Troy Aikman left for ESPN to announce Monday Night Football. 

     Olsen once played college football with the University of Miami Hurricanes from 2004 until 2006. He had 87 pass receptions for 1,215 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Olsen was selected 31st overall in the 2007 NFL Draft and spent 14 seasons in the National Football League. 

Joe Panik Retires

     Second baseman Jon Panik has retired from Major League Baseball. He played eight seasons in the majors and helped the San Francisco Giants capture the 2014 World Series during his rookie year. 

     Panik spent the second half of last season with the Miami Marlins after being traded by the Toronto Blue Jays for Corey Dickerson in a four-player deal on June 29. He had one home run, seven runs batted in and a .172 batting average in 53 games. 

Celtics Blast Heat In Game 2

     The Boston Celtics pounded the Miami Heat 127-102 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night at FTX Arena. The best-of-seven series is now tied at 1-1. 

     It was the first time in the postseason that the Heat lost a home game. Miami was victorious in their first seven home contests in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Game 3 will be held in Boston on Saturday night. 

     Miami started with a 18-8 spurt to begin the first half, however Boston bounced back with a 27-6 run to lead 35-24 after one quarter. The Celtics continued their momentum outscoring the Heat 35-21 in the second quarter and led 70-45 at halftime. The C's were able to stay ahead 96-69 at the end of three quarters. 

     The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler with 29 points and six rebounds. Gabe Vincent added 14 points, Victor Oladipo contributed 14 points and Tyler Herro poured in 11 points. 

     Marcus Smart played in his first game of the series and led Boston with 34 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for a double-double. Jayson Tatum dropped in 27 points and Jaylen Brown scored 24 points. 

Lightning Sneak by Panthers In Game 2

     Ross Colton scored with 3.8 seconds left in regulation time as the Tampa Bay Lightning slipped by the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FLA Live Arena on Thursday night. The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. 

     Game 3 will be played on Sunday afternoon in Tampa. The Panthers power play had gone 0-for-25 in eight postseason games this year. 

     Florida was held to one goal for the second straight game of the series and third playoff game in their last six contests. The Panthers have scored one goal or less six times during the 2021-22 campaign.

     Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead on the power play with 7:54 remaining in the first period. Steven Stamkos fired a wrist shot from the top left circle and it was redirected in by Corey Perry from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his second tally of the series and fourth goal of the postseason. 

     In the second period, Florida evened it up 1-1 with 1:53 remaining. Claude Giroux connected a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. Gustav Forsling skated with the puck into the Lightning zone and made a drop pass at the left point. Eetu Luostarinen squeezed by a slap shot from the top left circle through Andrei Vasilevskiy for his first career goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Giroux chalked up his eighth postseason point on the play. 

     The Lightning regained the lead 2-1 with 3.8 seconds left in the third period to get the last-second victory. Ondrej Palat cycled the puck from the right point. Nikita Kucherov backhanded the puck from behind the Panthers cage and Colton snapped a shot from the left of the crease for his fifth goal of the playoffs. Colton did score the series-clinching goal for the Lightning in Game 5 when they won the Stanley Cup last year against the Montreal Canadiens. 

West Palm Beach Ratings April 2022

     The West Palm Beach ratings for sports format radio stations was released. The time span went from the last week of March to the last week of April. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM improved from a 0.4 to a 0.5 in the period. The Florida Panthers got a playoff spot in early April for their third straight postseason, which is the first time in franchise history. The team clinched the Atlantic Division and were on the brink from to finish first overall in the National Hockey League standings. The big surprise was that the station would not be a New York Yankees Radio Network affiliate to begin the 2022 regular season. Hubbard Radio decided not to renew the agreement with the team, however the door is open to pipe in Yankees radio broadcasts later this year. WMEN has broadcast the New York Yankees since 2008. WPBF-TV Channel 25 sportscasters Shayne Wright and Yianni Koraukis were added to announce sports updates. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM stayed at a 0.0 for the 23rd time in the last 27 months. The Miami Marlins started off better than expected and had a winning record after 17 games. It will the final complete period for CBS Sports Radio weekday programming on that radio stations. WBZT was a couple of weeks ago from rebranding themselves to Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler and adding VSIN weekday shows. 

Andrew Brunette Jack Adams Award Finalist

     Florida Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette has been named one of three finalists for the Jack Adams Award in the 2021-22 season. Former Florida Panthers head coach and current New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant along Darryl Suter of the Calgary Flames are the other finalists for the award. 

    Brunette was named interim head coach of the Florida Panthers when head coach Joel Quenneville resigned on October 29. He guided the Cats to a 51-18-6 for the rest of the regular season. The Panthers won the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history with the most points during the regular season. The club also captured the Atlantic Division title, their third division title in team history. 

Jonathan Zaslow Off The Air

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM midday host and Miami Heat Radio Network studio co-host Jonathan Zaslow has been off the radio airwaves due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.  The National Basketball Association has used this policy and has affected other Miami Heat announcers like play-by-play announcer Jason Jackson earlier this season in December. 

     Alex Donno filled in as the host of the WQAM midday program on Tuesday and Wednesday. Zaslow's on-air sidekick and producer Dan Day took over on Thursday. Zaslow will return and work the midday shift on Friday. 

     Zaslow is expected to miss some of the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics as the Miami Heat radio studio co-host. He missed Game 1 on Tuesday and will most likely not be on the air for Game 2 tonight. 

     He had been on the Miami Heat Radio Network as the studio co-host since the 2010-11 season. Zaslow and his midday show was shifted over from Sports Talk 790 The Ticket to AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM in October 2021. 

Nationals End Drought To Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the Washington Nationals 5-4 in 10 innings on Wednesday night at loanDepot park. The Marlins had won all five games of the season series against the Nationals until tonight. 

     Miami(17-20) has the day off on Thursday and host the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves on Friday for a three-game weekend series. Washington(13-26) will start a three-game series at the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. 

inter Miami CF Draw With Philadelphia Union

     Inter Miami CF tied the Philadelphia Union 0-0 at Subaru Park on Wednesday night. It was a rare Major League Soccer mid-week contest for Inter Miami CF. They have played three games overall in a nine-day stretch. 

     Neither team was able to score during the 90 minutes of play. The next game for Inter Miami CF will be on Sunday at home against the New York Red Bulls. 

Marlins And Cardinals Staying In Jupiter

     The Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals will be staying at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter. The agreement is through 2049. 

     The Marlins and Cardinals hold spring training there every year. Both teams have single-A minor league baseball clubs with the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals participating at that venue. The stadium celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. 

     A $75 million bond was voted on and approved unanimously by the Palm Beach County commissioners to improve and make renovations to the entire facility. It would include more ballfields in the complex and stadium improvements located next to Abacoa.

Heat Rush Celtics In Game 1

     The Miami Heat took care of the Boston Celtics 118-107 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night at FTX Arena. The Heat lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. Both teams met in the same round two years ago with the Heat victorious in the Orlando bubble. 

     Boston charged out to a 18-9 advantage in the first six minutes of play and led 28-25 at the end of the first quarter. The Celtics would remain ahead 62-54 by halftime. Miami went on a 10-1 spurt to begin the second half. They outscored the C's 39-14 during the third quarter and had a 93-76 lead going into the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler had a game-high 41 points and nine rebounds for Miami. Tyler Herro collected 18 points and eight rebounds. Gabe Vincent was able to add 17 points, Max Strus dropped in 11 points and Bam Adebayo drained in 10 points. 

     Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum put together 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Robert Wiliams III chalked up 18 points and nine rebounds.   

Marlins Mash Nationals

     The Miami Marlins dropped the Washington Nationals 5-1 at loanDepot park on Tuesday night. The Marlins are undefeated against the Nationals this season with five consecutive wins and have outscored them 23-8. 

     Miami(17-19) took a 1-0 lead during the fifth inning. Miguel Rojas smacked a solo home run to left field on a 1-0 pitch for his second homer of the year. 

      It became 2-0 for the Marlins over the Nationals(12-26) in the bottom of the sixth. Jesus Sanchez crushed a solo homer to center field on a 2-2 count to right-center field for his fourth home run this season. 

Lightning Upset Panthers In Game 1

     The Battle of Florida began as the Florida Panthers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday night. The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. 

     Both clubs faced each other in the postseason for the first time ever in the 2021 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Tampa Bay won Game 1 of that series against Florida last year. 

     The Panthers lost their seventh consecutive Game 1 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs going back to 2000. The Cats last won a Game 1 versus the New York Rangers at Miami Arena in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals back in 1997. The Panthers are now 0-foe-21 on the power play this postseason. 

     Florida got off to a 1-0 lead with 5:59 remaining in the first period. Brandon Montour angled a pass to his right from the Panthers blue line. Jonathan Huberdeau carried the puck into the Lightning zone to the right wing. He connected a cross-ice pass and Anthony Duclair lifted a wrist shot from the left of the crease past Andrei Vasilevskiy It ended up being Duclair's first tally of the postseason and first career playoff goal. Huberdeau tied Aleksander Barkov for most career playoff points in Florida Panthers history with 20. 

     In the second period, Tampa Bay tied it up on the power play with 3:38 left. Nikita Kucherov took the puck in his own end and skated down the left side into the Florida zone. He slid the puck across the low slot and Corey Perry fired a one-time slap shot from the low right circle by Sergei Bobrovsky for his third goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs 

     The Lightning pulled ahead 2-1 at the 3:35 mark of the third period. Perry released a shot from the slot area that was saved, but Pierre-Edouard Bellemare followed with a snap shot from the low slot for his second goal this postseason. 

     The Bolts would add two power-play goals later in the frame to go up 4-1. Kucherov scored his third goal of the postseason from the right circle with 4:06 remaining. Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos were credited with assists on the play. 

     Tampa Bay capped it 4-1 with the man advantage again. Mikhail Sergachev rifled a slap shot from the right point. After it was saved, Nick Paul tapped it back from the crease area and Ross Colton found the net from the slot area with 2:16 left. It turned out to be Colton's fourth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Miami Ratings April 2022

     Miami/Fort Lauderdale sports talk radio stations received their ratings. The time span went from the last week of March until the last week of April. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM went from a 0.5 to a 0.7 in the period. The Florida Panthers chalked up a postseason spot in early April for the third straight season and did it for the first time in franchise history. The club clinched the Atlantic Division and were on the verge to finish first overall in the NHL standings.

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM rose from a 0.4 to a 0.5 in the month. The Miami Heat finished first overall in the Eastern Conference and won the Southeast Division. They disposed of the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The radio station began to air Inter Miami CF Major League Soccer game broadcasts in early April. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM moved from a 0.1 to a 0.2 in the period. The Miami Marlins ended spring training and started the 2022 regular season. The Fish had a winning record after 17 games into the campaign. 

     WQAM streaming showed up in the ratings for the fourth straight month and it dropped from a 0.1 to a 0.0. The Ticket streaming appeared for the second time ever and stayed at a 0.1. WKIS-FM-HD2 fell from a 0.2 to a 0.0 of the WQAM streaming feed. 

Andy King Joins Buchwald

     Former 560 WQAM-AM program director Andy King will join Buchwald as director of podcasts. He leaves his director of sports programming position at SiriusXM Radio. 

     King, a University of Miami 2004 grad, started at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in 2004 as an afternoon producer for the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. He later held the positions of morning producer for the Jorge Sedano Show and executive producer at that radio station. 

     He moved on to WQAM in April 2012 as the assistant program director and executive producer of the Dan Sileo Show. King was named the interim program director in July 2012 when Lee Feldman left and he moved back to his other positions when Sedano joined them in late August 2012. King was the afternoon sports anchor for Sedano's new program in September 2012 for just three days and then shifted  Brandon Guzio shifted over from The Ticket. 

     King was promoted to WQAM program director and replaced Jorge Sedano when Sedano left for the evening co-host spot at ESPN Radio in September 2013. He continued as the producer of the afternoon show with Marc Hochman and Zach Krantz. Ryan Maguire replaced King as program director in April 2015. King became the afternoon sports anchor at the start of June 2015 and left WQAM later that month to join the NFL Channel and NBA Channel at SiriusXM Radio. 

Michael Baiamonte To Miss Miami Heat Game

     Longtime Miami Heat public address announcer Michael Baiamonte will miss Game 1 of the Eastern Confernce Finals between the Heat and the Boston Celtics at FTX Arena on Tuesday night. He will be attending his daughter's graduation from Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Luis Perez will replace him for tonight's game. 

     Baiamonte has been the public address announcer for Miami Heat home games for around 30 years. He was heard making announcements when the Heat played in Miami Arena. 

     Some of his most famous lines during play includes two minutes, dos minutos and no basket, nooooooo basket. He gets the crowd into the contest with saying let's go Heat along with and now stand up and make some noise for your Miami Heat!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Aleksander Barkov Frank J. Selke Trophy Finalist

     Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov has been named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. It is given to the best defensive forward.  

     Barkov won the award for the first time last season.  Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames are the other finalists. 

Panthers And Lightning On Sports USA Media

     Sports USA Media will have the national terrestrial radio broadcast of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Sunday afternoon. Additional contests from this series may be added next week based on the length of the seven-game series. Sports USA Media will broadcast the entire Stanley Cup Final series for the second straight season in June. 

     Game 3 will likely have the Bally Sports West Anaheim Ducks television play-by-play announcer John Ahlers and game analyst Brian Hayward in the broadcast booth. They both have announced all of Sports USA Media's four NHL postseason game broadcasts so far in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Longtime Los Angeles radio sports anchor Ted Sobel is expected to be the studio host. 

     The National Hockey League United States radio broadcast rights were awarded to Sports USA during the 2020-21 regular season. They did broadcast Game 4 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between both the Panthers and the Lightning in Tampa. 

Marlins Storm By Nationals

     The Miami Marlins continued a six-game homestand and defeated the Washington Nationals 8-2 at loanDepot park on Monday night. The Marlins have been victorious in three of their last contests. 

     Washington(12-25) started off with a 1-0 in the top of the first. Yadiel Hernandez drove in Cesar Hernandez with a single though the left side. 

     Miami(16-19) compiled four runs in the bottom of the second to go up 4-1. Avisail Garcia pounded a solo home run to center field on a 1-2 pitch for his third round-tripper of the campaign. Three batters later, Erik Gonzalez singled up the middle and Brian Anderson and Bryan De La Cruz to score. Jazz Chisholm Jr. later knocked in Gonzalez with a base hit to center field. 

Peter DeBoer Gone From Vegas

     Former Florida Panthers head coach Peter DeBoer has been let go by the Vegas Golden Knights. He had coached in the last three Western Conference Finals /Stanley Cup Semifinals and reached that round in five of the last 10 seasons. He has a 513-379-123 career NHL coaching record in 14 seasons. 

     DeBoer was hired by the Florida Panthers in June 2008 for his first NHL head coaching job. He spent three seasons with the Panthers and had a 103-107-6 record. 

     He was scooped up by the New Jersey Devils during that offseason in July 2011. DeBoer helped the club win the 2012 Eastern Conference title and reach the Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings in his first season at the helm. He was released by the Devils during his fourth season. 

     DeBoer landed in San Jose for the 2015-16 campaign and was there for five seasons. The Sharks ended up being the 2017 Western Conference champions in his first season there. They lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final 4-2. 

     He joined the Vegas Golden Knights during the middle of the 2019-20 campaign in January 2020. The team reached the Western Conference Finals in his first season and fell to the Dallas Stars in five games. The Golden Knights got to the Stanley Cup Semifinals in the following year and were upset by the Montreal Canadiens in six games. 

8 South Florida Sports Radio Shows

     There are now eight local weekday sports talk radio shows in South Florida. The Greek was added by Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM on Monday. 

     He joins three other sports programs in the West Palm Beach market. They are Ken LaVicka, Josh Cohen and The Hometeam on ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM along with Andy Slater on Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM. 

     There are four weekday sports talk shows from Audacy in Miami. They consist of Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder, Joe Rose with Zach Krantz and also Jonathan Zaslow on AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM. Brendan Tobin and Leroy Hoard are on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. 

The Greek Joins 1230 The Gambler

     The Greek has joined Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM in West Palm Beach. He will have a two-hour weekday afternoon show from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

     He will continue as the midday co-host of The Penthouse on sister-station WZZR-FM. The Greek was a mid-afternoon host on 940 WINZ-AM from January 2019 until September 2021. He also was a contributor as a mid-morning on-air sidekick for the DeFo Show when Jeff DeForrest was simulcasted on WBZT from WINZ. 

WBZT Now Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler

     WBZT-AM in West Palm Beach has changed their brand name from Sports Radio 1230 The Zone to Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler. The station had the brand 1230 The Zone since they flipped from a brokered talk/business format to a sports talk format in late July 2017. 

     The station has dropped all of their CBS Sports Radio Network shows for programs piped in from VSIN, a.k.a. Vegas Stats & Information Network. Follow The Money with Mitch Moss and Pauly Howard from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., A Numbers Game with Gill Alexander from 10 a.m. to noon, The Lombardi Line with Michael Lombardi and Patrick Meagher from noon to 2 p.m., My Guys In The Desert with Stormy Buonantony from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., The Night Cap with Tim Murray and Shaun King from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. and The Lookaround with Scott Seidenberg from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. were some of the new shows on Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler. 

     WBZT has also added The Greek as an afternoon host from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. He continues as the midday co-host of The Penthouse on sister-station WZZR-FM. The Greek hosted a mid-afternoon show on 940 WINZ-AM in Miami from January 2019 to September 2021. 

Heat & Panthers Playing Postseason On Same Days

     The Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers will be playing on the same day six out of seven times in their upcoming playoff series. The Miami Heat Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Florida Panthers Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series versus the Washington Captials had no same-day conflicts in a 12-day stretch. 

     The Miami Heat will host the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Final and the Florida Panthers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Semifinal with Game 1 on May 17, Game 2 on May 19, Game 5 on May 25 and Game 7 on May 29. Both series will be on the same day for Game 4 on May 23 and Game 6 on May 27 when both South Florida teams are on the road. 

     The exception of both series not being on the same day is for Game 3. The Heat and Celtics play Game 3 in Boston on May 21 while the Panthers and Lightning play Game 3 at Tampa Bay on May 22.

     The Heat and the Panthers play in separate venues in South Florida. The home of the Heat is FTX Arena in Miami while the home of the Panthers is FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, a distance of 41 miles between both buildings. Both clubs participated in at Miami Arena for their home contests from October 1993 until April 1998. 

Dolphins Sign Melvin Ingram

     The Miami Dolphins have signed defensive lineman Melvin Ingram. It is not known the length and amount of the deal between him and the club. 

     Ingram spent the first nine NFL seasons with the Chargers in San Diego and Los Angeles from 2012 to 2020. He was with the Pittsburgh Steelers for six contests and nine games with Kansas City Chiefs last season. 

Kyle Troup Wins PBA Finals

     Kyle Troup defeated Tommy Jones in the PBA Finals to capture the title held at Bowlero in Jupiter on Sunday. It was Troup's second straight year as champion of the event. Troup is the reigning PBA Player of the Year. The match was televised nationally on Fox Sports. 

     The PBA Finals was a four-round knockout playoff tournament involving 16 bowlers. One round of the event was held every weekend going back to April 10. 

     The Professional Bowlers Association Tour has rarely made appearances in the South Florida tri-county region. They did have a PBA tournament several times at Don Carter Lanes in Sunrise back in the 2000s. 

Brewers Pour On Marlins

     The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday at loanDepot park. The Marlins have fallen in of their last seven home games and lost 11 of their last 14 games overall. The Fish begin a six-game road trip in Washington D.C. on Monday. 

Inter Miami CF Ties D.C. United

     Inter Miami CF ended up tying D.C. United 2-2 on Saturday night at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. They now have a four-game home unbeaten streak and have not lost a home contest since against the Houston Dynamo on April 2.

     It will be a short turnaround for Inter Miami CF. They will travel north and take on the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. 

Marlins Rally By Brewers

      The Miami Marlins handled the Milwaukee Brewers 9-3 on Saturday night at loanDepot park. The Marlins are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1997 World Series championship team this weekend. 

     Current Brewers manager Craig Counsell was part of that club and scored the winning run in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. It was the Marlins World Series title and South Florida's first major professional sports championship since the 1973 Miami Dolphins. 

     Milwaukee(21-13) attacked immediately in the first inning for the second straight contest against the Fish. Willy Adames belted a solo home run to left field on a 0-1 pitch for his ninth homer of the season. 

     Miami(15-18) picked up back-to-back homers during the fourth inning and eventually moved ahead 4-1 in the frame. Jesus Aguilar blasted a solo homer run to center field on a 1-0 pitch for his fifth homer of the year. It was the second straight game that he hit a round-tripper. Jorge Soler followed and smashed a solo homer to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch for his sixth home run of the 2022 campaign. Four batters later, Brian Anderson cracked a two-run homer to left field on a 2-1 pitch with Jesus Sanchez aboard. 

Florida Panthers Games Not On Bally Sports Florida

     Florida Panthers postseason games will not be televised on Bally Sports Florida for the remainder of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The new United States television rightsholders and their stations ESPN, ESPN2. TNT and TBS have the exclusive television rights of National Hockey League game broadcasts from the second round of the postseason to the Stanley Cup Final. The seven-year deal began between them and the NHL prior to the start of the 2021-22 season. 

     Bally Sports Florida is expected to have a live postgame show following all Florida Panthers playoff games for the rest of the postseason. Their sister regional sports network Bally Sports Sun and its previous brand Fox Sports Sun has a similar deal with Miami Heat playoff game broadcasts starting in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. 

     The Panthers broadcasters which include play-by-play announcer Steve Goldstein, game analyst Randy Moller, studio host Craig Minervini, studio host Jessica Blaylock, sideline reporter Katie Gaus, studio analyst Ed Jovanovski and studio analyst Jeff Chychrun are expected to be a part of the Panthers postgame shows following the national broadcasts of the Florida Panthers. There will only be postgame programs because Bally Sports Florida has a commitment to broadcast Miami Marlins games and Bally Sports Sun airs Tampa Bay Rays games. 

WPBF-TV Sports Talent On Fox Sports 640

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM has been using the sportscasting talent from WPBF-TV Channel 25 in West Palm Beach for their sports anchoring duties. Sportscasters Shayne Wright and Yianni Kourakis have announced sports updates on that radio station for the past two months. WPBF-TV restarted their sports department in July 2021 after more than a decade without sportscaster segments on their newscasts. 

     Steve Diener had worked as the primary sports anchor at WMEN for several years. He continues with his weekday five-minute sports commentaries of A Dose of Diener at 12:55 p.m. Diener added the title of assistant program director of Fox Sports 640 in late March. 

Panthers And Heat Advance In The Same Year

     History was made in South Florida professional sports over the last two weeks. Both the Florida Panthers and the Miami Heat won a playoff series in the same year for the very first time. 

     The Florida Panthers won their first postseason series since 1996 as they eliminated the Washington Capitals on Friday night in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was only the second season since the inception of the Panthers in 1993 that they advanced past the first round of the playoffs. 

     The Miami Heat won their first-round series over the Atlanta Hawks back on April 26. They moved past the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs on Thursday night and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the ninth time in Miami Heat franchise history. 

Panthers Win Playoff Series In Game 6

     Carter Verhaeghe scored in overtime as the Florida Panthers knocked off and eliminated the Washington Capitals 4-3 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Capital One Arena on Friday night. Florida wins the best-of-seven series 4-2 over the Capitals. 

     The Panthers finally won a Stanley Cup Playoff series for the first time in 26 years. The last time they were victorious in a postseason series was the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

     Florida will next host Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday. Their opponent will be either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

     After a scoreless first frame, Washington got out to a 1-0 lead at 3:44 of the second period. Nic Dowd placed in a forehand shot from close range for his first goal of the playoffs. 

     Florida tied up the contest 1-1 at 6:13. Eetu Luostarinen slid the puck across the slot from the right circle. Patric Hornqvist shot the puck from the inner left circle and it was saved by Ilya Samsonov. Ryan Lomberg raced in for the rebound and scored from the low slot for his first goal of the postseason and second career playoff goal. 

     The Capitals regained the lead 2-1 at the 1:37 mark of the third period. Justin Schultz released a wrist shot from right point and Nicklas Backstrom redirected it from the right of the crease by Sergei Bobrovsky. It ended up being Backstrom's second tally of the series. 

     The Panthers answered back to even it 2-2 at 8:18. Verhaeghe sent a short pass from the neutral zone and Aaron Ekblad backhanded the puck from the top of the zone. Claude Giroux got to the top right circle and scored on a snap shot for his third playoff goal this year. 

     Florida made it 3-2 with 5:43 left in the third. Giroux angled a pass through the crease area and Barkov placed in a shot from the left of the crease for his second goal of the playoffs.

     The Caps pulled Samsonov from the net with 2:20 to go for an extra attacker. It worked as they got a 6-on-4 power play goal and tied it 3-3 with 1:01 remaining in regulation. Backstrom won a left-circle faceoff and drew it back to John Carlson on the left point. He connected a cross-ice pass and Evgeny Kuznetsov sent in a slap-pass to the crease. Anthony Mantha batted it from the left of the crease and T.J. Oshie poked it in from the blue paint for his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     The Panthers won it in overtime at the 2:46 mark. Ben Chiarot cycled the puck from the left point to Giroux on the end wall. He centered it with a backdoor pass and Verhaeghe shoveled in a backhand shot from the top of the crease for the series-clinching goal. Verhaeghe collected his sixth goal in the playoff series against the Capitals and has seven points in his last two games. Giroux chalked up his fourth assist in the postseason.  

     It was the fifth postseason overtime goal in Florida Panthers history. It turned out to be the second for the club during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

      Verhaeghe, who scored the game-winning goal for the three straight contest, set several Panthers franchise playoff records with six goals and 12 points in a single playoff series. Barkov passed Jonathan Huberdeau for first all-time in Panthers postseason history with his 20th career playoff point. 

Marlins Edged By Brewers

     The Milwaukee Brewers got by the Miami Marlins 2-1 at loanDepot park on Friday night. The Marlins, who celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1997 World Series championship team, lost their 11th one-run game this year. 

     Milwaukee(21-12) jumped on the Fish in the opening frame. Kolten Wong hit the second pitch of the game over the right-field fence for his second homer of the season to give them a 1-0 lead. 

     Miami(14-18) bounced back and evened it up 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Jesus Aguilar crushed a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch for his fourth homer of the season. 

     There would be no more scoring until the top of the ninth. The Brewers loaded the bases and then Jace Peterson walked to score former Marlins player Christian Yelich. 

2022 High School Spring Football Games

     High school spring football games returned to South Florida this week. Contests will occur in the tri-county region over the next two weeks until May 27. 

     The first football games happened on Thursday night. Boynton Beach visited Olympic Heights. Boca Christian went across town to St. Andrew's, Palm Beach Central was at Vero Beach and Jupiter Christian traveled to St. John Paul II. 

     There are a bunch of games in Palm Beach County on Friday night. They include Atlantic and Palm Beach Lakes, Boca Raton at Seminole Ridge, Fort Pierce Westwood at John I. Leonard, Centennial at Wellington, Melbourne at Park Vista, Miami Beach at Royal Palm Beach and Jensen Beach at Jupiter. 

     The county will also have two spring jamborees. Glades Central hosts Dwyer and Forest Hill while West Boca Raton and Inlet Grove play at Spanish River. 

     The only South Florida local action on Saturday will be a spring jamboree to be held all day at Palm Beach Gardens High School on Saturday. The two-quarter games will have 10 teams from Palm Beach Gardens, Plantation, Stranahan, Coconut Creek, Treasure Coast, Miami Edison, Miami Palmetto, Miami Southridge, Miami Killian and Lakewood. 

     The number of games are limited in the week leading into Memorial Day weekend. South Dade is at Belen Jesuit on May 24, Miami Country Day visits at University School on May 25 and Pine Crest is at American Heritage in Delray Beach on May 26. There is a spring jamboree on May 27 with Northeast, West Broward and Coral Glades in Coral Springs. Columbus hosts North Miami Beach that same day. 

     There are several intersquad scrimmages in the two-week period. It includes Santaluces on May 14, Cardinal Newman on May 19, North Miami on May 20, Homestead on May 20, Cardinal Gibbons on May 21, Miami Central on May 21, Monsignor Pace on May 21, Chaminade-Madonna on May 24, St. Thomas Aquinas on May 26 and American Heritage in Plantation on May 26.

Heat Eliminate Sixers In Game 6

     The Miami Heat eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers with a 99-90 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. The Heat reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three years and sixth time in the last 12 seasons.

     The Heat reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the ninth time in franchise history. They will face either the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks or the Boston Celtics in the next round beginning next week. 

     Miami came out with a 28-25 advantage at the end of the first quarter and had a slight edge 49-48 at halftime. The Heat began the second half on a 19-4 run. Philadelphia was outscored 25-15 during the third quarter and trailed 74-63 heading into the fourth. Miami increased it to a 19-point margin early in the final frame. 

     The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler with a game-high 32 points and eight rebounds. Max Strus had a double-double for the second straight game with 20 points and 11 rebounds. P.J. Tucker fell short of a double-double as he compiled 12 points and nine rebounds. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro both scored 10 points each. 

     Joel Embiid got a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers. Tyrese Maxey also dropped in 20 points for the Sixers. Tobias Harris generated 14 points and eight rebounds while James Harden chalked up 11 points and nine assists. 

Miami Dolphins 2022 Schedule

     The National Football League released the 2022 regular season schedule on Thursday night. All 32 NFL clubs will play 17 regular season contests for the second straight year. AFC clubs like the Miami Dolphins will host eight home games this year instead of nine home games like they did in 2021. 

     The Miami Dolphins will begin the 2022 campaign at home against the New England Patriots in Week 1. That will be followed by at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, hosting the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, visiting the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 for a Thursday night game and at the New York Jets in Week 5. The Fins then have two straight home games versus the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 and against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7 for a Sunday night clash. 

     The Dolphins hit the road at the Detroit Lions in Week 8 and at the Chicago Bears in Week 9. They host the Cleveland in Week 10 and then have a bye week. 

     Miami faces the Houston Texans at home in Week 12. They spend the next three weeks away at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14 and at the Buffalo Bills in Week 15. 

     The team participate in two of the last three regular season games at Hard Rock Stadium. The Fins host the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day in Week 16, travel to the New England Patriots on New Year's Day in Week 17 and stay home for the New York Jets in Week 18. 

Dave Benz Gone From Timberwolves

     Former Miami television sportscaster Dave Benz is no longer the television play-by-play announcer of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Bally Sports North. He held that position for the past 10 seasons. 

     One of the first broadcasting jobs that Benz had was at WAMI-TV in Miami. He was an evening sports anchor on the program Sportstown. 

     Benz has worked for numerous organizations since leaving Miami. They included stops at KLZ-AM as an afternoon sports host in Denver, KDVR-TV sports anchor in Denver, Fox Sports Rocky Mountain college basketball play-by-play announcer and sports anchor, WTTG-TV weekend sports anchor in Washington D.C., Comcast Sporstnet Bay Area studio co-host and sports anchor in San Francisco and Fox Sports North/Bally Sports North as the Minnesota Timeberwolves television play-by-play announcer. 

Panthers Overcome Capitals In Game 5

     The Washington Capitals blew a three-goal lead as the Florida Panthers won 5-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday night. The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate the Capitals from the postseason in Game 6 on Friday in Washington D.C.

      It is the first time the Panthers have led any playoff series in 10 seasons. The last time was being ahead 3-2 against the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     Carter Verhaeghe set a Florida franchise record with a five-point playoff game. He leads the Panthers in the 2021-22 postseason with 10 points. It ties the club record held by Jonathan Huberdeau, who composed 10 points in the playoff series last year against the Tampa Bay Lightning.  

     Washington scored on the power play at 7:09 of the first period. Evgeny Kuznetsov made a pass from the right wing to the top of the zone. John Carlson blasted a slap shot that was deflected in by T.J. Oshie in the low slot. 

     In the second period, the Capitals increased their lead to 2-0 at the 2:13. After a mad scramble at the top of the crease, Justin Schultz put in a forehand shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his first playoff goal.

     It became 3-0 for the Caps just over a minute later at the 3:38 mark. Evgeny Kuznetsov raced into the Panthers zone on the left side on a 2-on-1 breakaway. He slid a cross-ice pass to his right and Oshie scored on a snap shot from the right circle for his second goal of the contest and fifth goal of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was Kuznetsov's second assist of the game on that play. 

     Florida broke the shutout and got on the scoreboard at 6:50. Aleksander Barkov took a shot from above the left circle that hit the back wall. It bounced to the right of the crease and Carter Verhaeghe tapped it in for his fourth tally of the series. 

     The Panthers pulled to 3-2 with 7:33 left in the second. Verhaeghe sent a lead pass from the Captials blue line to the middle. Patric Hornqvist came in on a breakaway through the slot area and then snapped a shot from the low slot by Ilya Samsonov for his first tally in the postseason. 

     The Cats tied up the contest 3-3 with 5:16 remaining in the period. Verhaeghe attempted a wraparound shot from the right of the crease and Sam Reinhart poked the loose puck in from the blue paint for his second goal of the series. 

     Florida took their first lead 4-3 at 3:04 of the third period. Barkov connected a lead pass from the neutral zone. Verhaeghe released a wrist shot from the right circle for his second goal of the game and fifth goal of the first-round series. 

     The Panthers scored their fifth straight goal with 4:05 left in the frame to make it 5-3. Verhaeghe made an angle pass through the slot and Claude Giroux ripped a forehand shot from the low right circle for his second playoff goal. Verhaeghe collected his fifth point of the contest with the assist. 

Marlins Avoid Sweep To Diamondbacks

     The Miami Marlins prevented a three-game series sweep on Wednesday as they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-3 at Chase Field. The Marlins return home on Friday and take on the Milwaukee Brewers. 

     Miami(14-17) launched out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Joey Wendle powered a two-run homer to right field on a 1-1 pitch with Garrett Cooper aboard. It was the second home run of the season for Wendle. 

     The Marlins opened up a three-run lead in the top of the second. Jacob Stallings knocked in Jesus Sanchez on a base hit into left field. 

     Arizona(17-15) cut it to 3-1 in the bottom of the third. Alek Thomas lifted a solo home run to left-center field on the first pitch for his first home run of the campaign. 

     The Diamondbacks tied it up 3-3 in the eighth inning. Jordan Luplow bashed a two-run homer on a 0-0 count over the left-center field wall with Thomas scoring in front of him. It was Luplow's fourth home run this season. 

     In the ninth inning, Miami compiled eight runs to go ahead 11-3. Stallings drove in Sanchez with a single to center field. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a three-run homer to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch scoring Bryan De La Cruz and Stallings for a 7-3 lead. It turned out to be Chisholm's sixth home run in 2022. 

     Erik Gonzalez later singled into left field to score Garrett Cooper. Avisail Garcia capped the onslaught with a three-run home run to center field on a 2-2 count for his second homer of the season. Jorge Soler and Gonzalez also crossed the plate on the play to make it 11-3.

Diamondbacks Down Marlins

     The Arizona Diamondbacks knocked off the Miami Marlins 9-3 at Chase Field on Tuesday night. Arizona starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner made his first appearance against the Fish since he was ejected from a contest in Miami last week. 

     The Marlins will finish their seven-game road trip tomorrow. The Diamondbacks will look for the three-game series sweep. 

     Miami((13-17) ripped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Jorge Soler blasted a two-run homer to left field on a 0-2 pitch with Miguel Rojas on board. It was the fifth home run of the season for Soler. 

     Arizona(17-14) rallied back with nine unanswered runs against the Marlins. The Dbacks got two runs in the first, four runs in the third and three runs in the eighth. 

Heat Rout Sixers In Game 5

     The Miami Heat pounded the Philadelphia 76ers 120-85 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FTX Arena on Tuesday night. The Heat lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and look to eliminate the Sixers in Game 6 on Thursday night in Philadelphia. 

     Miami began the contest on a 21-10 run and were ahead 31-19 after one quarter. The Heat held a 56-44 lead by halftime. Philadelphia fell behind even more at the end of the third quarter 81-66. Miami outscored the 76ers 39-19 in the final frame. 

     The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler with a game-high 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Max Strus composed a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Gabe Vincent added 15 points, Victor Oladipo dropped in 13 points and Bam Adebayo drained in 12 points.  

     Only three Philadelphia players scored in double figures. Joel Embiid had a team-high 17 points, James Harden poured in 14 points and Tobias Harris had 12 points. 

Giants Ink Dennis Hickey

     The New York Giants have hired Dennis Hickey for their football operations department. He will have the role as assistant director of player personnel. 

     Hickey was the Miami Dolphins general manager from the middle of 2014 to January 2016. He then spent five years with the Buffalo Bills and recently had the title of senior national scout. 

Diamondbacks Slide By Marlins

     The Arizona Diamondbacks pushed by the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Monday night at Chase Field. Both teams met each other last week in Miami. 

     It was the Marlins 15th one-run loss this season. The Diamondbacks have won six of their last seven contests. 

Sony Michel Signs With Dolphins

     Former local high school football player Sony Michel has signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins. It is a one-year deal worth $2.1 million. 

     Michel played high school with the American Heritage Patriots in Plantation. He helped the school win their first FHSAA Class 5A state football title in 2013. Michel later attended the University of Georgia and contributed to them reaching the CFP National Championship Game in 2017. They fell in overtime against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime. 

     He was drafted by the New England Patriots 31st overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Michel was able to win Super Bowl LIII in his first season in the National Football League. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in August 2021. Michel picked up another championship in Super Bowl LVI with his new club back in February for his second Super Bowl title during his four-season NFL career. 

Panthers OT Comeback On Capitals In Game 4

     The Florida Panthers pulled off a 3-2 comeback victory in overtime over the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Capital One Arena on Monday night. The best-of-seven series between both clubs is now tied 2-2. Game 5 will be played Wednesday night in Sunrise. 

     Washington rolled out to a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 7:15 mark of the first period. Nicklas made a pass from the right goal line. John Carlson blasted a one-time slap shot from the top of the zone and it was deflected in by T.J. Oshie from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his third goal of the series. 

     Florida answered back and tied it 1-1 on a 4-on-4 goal with 5:52 remaining in the first. Aaron Ekblad skated into the Caps zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway all the way to the top right circle. He angled a pass to Carter Verhaeghe on the inner left circle and he placed a forehand shot from the top of the crease by Ilya Samsonov for his second tally in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     After a scoreless second period, the Capitals pulled ahead 2-1 at 9:31 of the third period. T.J. Oshie bumped Sam Bennett off the puck at the Washington blue line and Alex Ovechkin connected a lead pass from the red line. Evgeny Kuznetsov raced down the right side for a breakaway, crossed through the crease area and lifted a shot from the left of the crease for his second goal this postseason. It was Kuznetsov's 29th goal in his playoff career. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie with 3:09 to go in the third for an extra skater. It eventually led to a Florida goal with 2:04 left to even it up 2-2. Aleksander Barkov passed from the right wing and Jonathan Huberdeau had his forward pass from the top of the zone to the left corner go off the left arm of Garnet Hathaway. Sam Reinhart smacked the bouncing puck in from the slot area for his first career playoff goal. Huberdeau passed Ray Sheppard in Florida Panthers franchise history with his 19th career playoff point. 

     The Cats completed the comeback at 4:57 in overtime. Ekblad fed a pass from inside his own blue line to Verhaeghe at the Capitals blue line. He brought it into the Caps zone and sent a wrist shot on net. Samsonov made the right-kick save, but Verhaeghe hustled in for the rebound and rifled in a slap shot from the left circle. It was Verhaeghe's second goal of the contest and third of this series. Ekblad compiled his first postseason multi-point game. 

     It turned out to be the fourth overtime goal in Florida Panthers playoff history. The others were Dave Lowry in Game 4 and Mike Hough in Game 5 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers along with Ryan Lomberg in Game 3 at the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Max Verstappen Wins Miami Grand Prix

     Max Vertappen captured the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on The Formula 1 racing circuit on Sunday. It was held outside the Hard Rock Stadium venue in Miami Gardens. 

     It was the third victory of the 2022 season for Verstappen, which leads Formula 1. He won the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on March 27 and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on April 24. Verstappen has been victorious in three of his last four starts. 

Sixers Step On Heat In Game 4

     The Philadelphia 76ers outdueled the Miami Heat 116-108 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday night. The best-of-seven series is now 2-2 with Game 5 held in Miami on Tuesday.

     Philadelphia held a slight 30-28 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Sixers got up by double digits late in the second quarter and led 64-56 at halftime. Miami kept pace and were down 89-85 after three quarters. The 76ers went on a 12-2 spurt to begin the fourth quarter to get the victory. 

     Jimmy Butler led the Heat with a game-high 40 points while Bam Adebayo added 21 points. Victor Oladipo came off the bench with 15 points and Tyler Herro had a double-double of 11 points along with 10 rebounds. 

     Joel Embiid compiled a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers. James Harden recorded 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Tyrese Maxey contributed 18 points, Tobias Harris placed in 13 points and Danny Green had 11 points. 

Padres Escape Marlins

     The San Diego Padres came back in the ninth inning to win 3-2 over the Miami Marlins on Sunday at Petco Park. The Marlins have lost seven of their last eight contests. The Marlins, who split their four-game series with the Padres, next stop on their seven-game road trip is in Arizona. 

     Miami(13-15) scored first in the top of the fourth to go up 1-0. Garrett Cooper hit a sacrifice fly into right field for Jesus Aguilar to score. 

     The Marlins expanded it their lead over San Diego(19-10) to 2-0 during the sixth inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. smacked a solo home run to center field on a 0-1 pitch for his fifth homer of the season. 

     San Diego(19-10) compiled three runs in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to pull off a comeback. Former Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro burned his ex teammates as he crushed a three-run homer to center field on a first pitch with Trent Grisham and C.J. Abrams aboard. Alfaro, who was sent by Miami to the Padres back on December 1, chalked up his second home run this season. 

Marlins End Losing Streak And Top Padres

     The Miami Marlins disposed of the San Diego Padres 8-0 on Saturday night at Petco Park. The Marlins ended up snapping a six-game losing streak.

     Miami(13-14) got out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Joe Dunand made his Major League Baseball debut and cracked a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-1 count in his first career at-bat. 

     It became 3-0 for the Fish in the fifth inning. Garrett Cooper doubled into left field for Jacob Stallings and Dunand to reach home. 

     San Diego(18-10) surrendered five runs in the top of the ninth and were down 8-0. Jazz Chisholm Jr. knocked in Bryan De La Cruz on a double to right field. Three batters later, Jorge Soler smashed a grand slam homer to left-center field on the first pitch. Stallings, Chisholm and Joey Wendle all scored in front of him on the play. It was the fourth home run for Soler in the season. 

Charlotte FC Upends Inter Miami CF

     Inter Miami CF lost to Charlotte FC 1-0 at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday. It was the first time that Inter Miami CF faced the first-year expansion Major League Soccer franchise. Inter Miami CF has been held scoreless for two straight games. 

     Neither team was able to score during the first half. It changed in the second half when Charlotte FC scored. Andre Shinyashiki scored on a right-footed half volley from six yards out in the 68th minute. 

Capitals Hit Panthers In Game 3

     The Washington Capitals drove by the Florida Panthers 6-1 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Saturday at Capital One Arena. The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.

     The last time the Panthers were held to one goal or less was on January 18 at the Calgary Flames. The Cats were held to one goal just three times during the 2021-22 regular season. Game 4 will be held at the same venue on Monday night. 

     Florida jumped to a 1-0 lead at the 2:45 mark of the first period. Aaron Ekblad pushed the puck ahead from his own defensive zone and Anthony Duclair sent a cross-ice pass at the red line. Jonathan Huberdeau carried the puck over the Capitals blue line and snapped a shot from the top left circle past Ilya Samsonov for his first tally of the series. It turned out to be Huberdeau's fifth career playoff goal. 

     Washington tied it up 1-1 on the power play with 26 seconds remaining in the first. John Carlson backhanded a pass from the top of the zone and Alex Ovechkin released a wrist shot from the right point. T.J. Oshie deflected it from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his second goal in the series. Ovechkin chalked up his third assist in the postseason. 

     In the second period, the Capitals took a 2-1 lead at 9:51. Nicklas Backstrom brought the puck into the Panthers zone on the left side and made a drop pass. Anthony Mantha angled a backhanded shot from the left circle off Ben Chiarot and Marcus Johansson lifted in a backhand shot from the right of the crease for his first goal. 

     It became 3-1 for the Caps with 1:11 left. After a MacKenzie Weegar turnover in his own zone. Backstom took a snap shot from the slot area which was saved. Johansson then centered it from the right corner and Trevor van Riemsdyk scored on a wrist shot from the left circle. 

     The Capitals got a four-goal margin at the 10:25 mark of the third period with the man advantage. Mantha stroked the puck up the wall to Connor Sheary on the right wing. He whipped a cross-ice pass and Ovechkin blasted a one-time slap shot from the top left circle. It was Ovechkin's 72nd career playoff tally and his 28th power-play playoff goal, which is tied for the most among active players. 

     The Panthers pulled Bobrovsky from the net for an extra attacker with 4:58 to go. Lars Eller tapped the puck and Carlson put in an empty-net goal from his own end wall with 4:20 left in the third. Garnet Hathaway scored on a forehand shot from the low slot following a rebound with 41.7 seconds left to make it 6-1. 

Padres Walk By Marlins

     The Miami Marlins continued their four-game series in San Diego and were defeated by the Padres 3-2 at Petco Park on Friday night. The Marlins have lost six consecutive contests following a seven-game winning streak. 

     The Fish set a franchise record as it was the fifth straight game that Miami was outscored by just one run. The Marlins have not won a game in the month of May. 

     San Diego(18-9) got out to a 1-0 lead during the opening inning. American Heritage Plantation grad Eric Hosmer doubled into right field for Manny Machado to score. 

     In the bottom of the fifth, it became a 3-0 game for the Padres. Matt Beaty drove in Trent Grisham on a double to right. Four batters later, Machado lined a base hit to left field which brought in Beaty. 

     Miami(12-14) answered back in the top of the sixth with two runs and trailed 3-2. Jazz Chisholm Jr. led the frame off with a single into left field. Jesus Aguilar followed and smashed a two-run homer to left field on a 1-0 pitch with Chisholm aboard. It was the third home run of the 2022 campaign for Aguilar. 

Sixers Handle Heat In Game 3

     The Philadelphia 76ers got a 99-79 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night. The Heat are 6-2 so far in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The Sixers have a 6-1 record in the last Game 3 playoff contests. 

     Philadelphia had a 21-17 advantage after one quarter and stayed ahead 41-34 at halftime. Miami picked up some momentum during the third quarter and were down 68-65. The Sixers went on a 15-7 spurt to start the fourth quarter and outscored the Heat 31-14 in the final frame. 

     Jimmy Butler fell short of a double-double with a game-high 33 points along with nine rebounds for the Heat. Tyler Herro was the only other Miami with double-digit scoring as he dropped in 14 points. 

     Joel Embiid played his first game of the series for Philadelphia. He compiled a dobule-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey and Danny Green both scored 21 points each. James Harden contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the win. 

Michael Mayo And Jeff DeForrest On WWNN

     Former South Florida Sun-Sentinel writer Michael Mayo and longtime South Florida sports radio host Jeff DeForrest have been co-hosting a general talk show on 1470 WWNN-AM. The one-hour program has been aired at noon since November 2021. 

     Mayo worked at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel from the 1990s until 2021. He had numerous roles during his long tenure with the newspaper as a sportswriter, news columnist and food critic. 

     DeForrest has co-hosted a sports show along with Mike Lubitz on 5 Reasons Sports Network since October 2021. He had hosted sports shows on News Radio 610 WIOD-AM, Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM, 850 WFTL-AM. Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. Money Talk Radio 740 WSBR-AM, WWNN-AM, 640 Sports WMEN-AM, and 940 WINZ-AM. 

Padres Knock Down Marlins

     The San Diego Padres eased by the Miami Marlins 2-1 at Petco Park on Thursday night. The Marlins began a seven-game road trip out west. 

     San Diego(17-9) pulled out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Miami native Manny Machado blasted a solo home run to center field on the first pitch for his sixth homer of the season. 

     Miami(12-13) evened it up 1-1 in the top of the third. Jesus Aguilar drove in Miguel Rojas with a single up the middle. 

     The Padres regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Machado belted a solo homer to left-center field on a 1-1 count. It was his second home run of the contest and seventh of the 2022 campaign. It turned out to be Machado's 31st career multi-homer game. 

Panthers Ride By Capitals In Game 2

     The Florida Panthers stopped the Washington Capitals 5-1 at FLA Live Arena in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The best-of seven series is now tied 1-1. The Panthers and Capitals will play Game 3 in Washington on Saturday afternoon. 

     National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman made an appearance at the arena. He spoke to the media during the first intermission about the status of the NHL and the impact of hockey in South Florida. It was the first press conference Bettman held in Sunrise since March 5, 2020, which was one week prior to the pandemic work stoppage. 

     Florida got up 1-0 with 3:40 remaining in the first period. Aaron Ekblad fired a slap shot from the right point that went off a defender in the slot area and by Vitek Vanecek. Aleksander Barkov was credited with an assist on the play. 

     The Panthers struck again with 2:02 left in the frame for a 2-0 lead. Anthony Duclair pushed the puck from the right wing. Jonathan Huberdeau carried it to the low right circle and made a cross-ice backhand pass. Barkov tapped it in from the left of the crease. 

     In the second period, Washington scored on the power play at the 2:44 mark. Alex Ovechkin connected a pass from the top of the zone. Nicklas Backstrom snapped a shot from the low right circle by Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     The Panthers answered back just 27 seconds later to make it 3-1. Mason Marchment released a wrist shot from the right circle. 

     Florida found the net two more times for a four-goal cushion. They increased it to 4-1 with 4:36 left in the second as Anton Lundell put the puck in from the crease area with a forehand shot. Carter Verhaeghe increased it to 5-1 with 2:21 to go on a high rising shot from the slot area. 

Chargers Get Kyle Van Noy

     The Los Angeles Chargers have signed linebacker Kyle Van Noy. It is a one-year contract between him and the team. 

     Van Noy played for the Miami Dolphins during the 2020 season. He compiled 69 total tackles in 14 contests that year. Van Noy previously won Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots. 

Heat Outpace Sixers In Game 2

     The Miami Heat handled the Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 at FTX Arena in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday night. The Heat, who have a 2-0 series lead, and the Sixers resume the best-of-seven series on Friday night in Philadelphia. 

     Miami had a 31-24 advantage at the end of the first quarter and stayed ahead 60-52 by halftime. Philadelphia failed to gain ground and trailed 91-80 after three quarters. The Heat scored 10 consecutive points midway through the final quarter and had a double-digit lead. 

     Jimmy Butler almost got a double-double for Miami with 22 points, 12 assists and six rebounds. Bam Adebayo contributed a club-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Tyler Herro added 18 points and seven rebounds while Victor Oladipo had 19 points. 

     Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with a game-high 34 points and Tobias Harris dropped in 21 points. James Harden fell short of a double-double with 20 points and nine assists. 

Diamondbacks Sweep Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 at loanDepot park on Wednesday. The Marlins extended their losing streak to a season-high four games and will begin a seven-game road versus the San Diego Padres and Diamondbacks starting on Thursday. 

     Miami(12-12) jumped on Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner in the bottom of the first. Jon Berti led off and cracked a solo homer to left field on a 2-0 pitch. It was Berti's first home run since last season on June 26. 

     Bumgarner was tossed from the contest after the end of the first inning concluded. It was the second of his major league baseball career that he was ejected. 

     It became 3-0 for the Fish in the second inning. Bryan De La Cruz hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly into right field and Brian Anderson crossed the plate. Payton Henry followed with an RBI-single to right and Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored. 

     Arizona(13-13) rocketed back with five runs in the top of the fourth against Marlins starting pitcher Elieser Hernandez to take a 5-3 lead. Sergio Alcantara tripled down the right-field line for Cooper Hummel and Ketel Marte to score. Geraldo Perdomo lined a base hit into right field and Alcantara reached home. Two batters later, Daulton Varsho hammered a two-run homer to right-center field on the first pitch. 

     The Diamondbacks expanded their lead to 6-3 in the top of the sixth. Marte scored on an Alcantara base hit to right-center field and a fielding error by De La Cruz. 

     The Marlins picked up back-to-back home runs during the seventh inning and trailed 6-5. Berti got his second solo homer of the contest, this time on the first pitch over the left-field fence. Jesus Aguilar then crushed a solo home run to left field on 0-1 count. 

     Miami retook the lead 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth. De La Cruz drove in Anderson with a single up the middle. Chisolm would later score on a wild pitch. 

     The Dbacks moved in front 8-7 in the ninth inning. Palm Beach Gardens High School grad Pavin Smith powered a two-run homer to center field on a 2-2 pitch with Varsho aboard.