Jason Hammel will take the mound for the O’s and he hasn’t looked like a number one pitcher, or even half as good as last year. In the month of May, Hammel has given up 17 Earned Runs in only 14.2 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting .279 off of him during that stretch and he has allowed over 2 base-runners per inning.

Knowing your facing the Yankees and they tend to hit the long ball pretty well, doesn’t make you feel real good about tonight’s game. If Hammel can revert back to how he pitched in April, then the Orioles will be better off. But if he is putting batters on base, and getting into hitters counts, it could be a long night for our beloved birds.

DETROIT (AP) — Jimmy Howard’s cat-quick reflexes in net and easygoing nature out of it are big reasons the Detroit Red Wings are on a roll.

Howard has held top-seeded Chicago to only one goal in two straight games, lifting seventh-seeded Detroit to a 2-1 series lead. He was the star of the end-to-end, high-paced Game 3 the Red Wings won 4-1 on Monday night, when he became their first goalie to face at least 40 shots without giving up more than a goal in the playoffs since Greg Stefan did it 1987.

“That was probably the fastest playoff game I’ve ever been a part of,” Howard said. “I expect it just to get faster Thursday night. They’re going to step it up. We need to come even harder.”

Detroit will host Game 4 on Thursday night, shooting for a surprising win that would put Chicago on the brink of elimination.

Howard’s glove, pads and mindset give the Red Wings a shot to win every time they put on sweaters with winged wheels. Since Detroit trailed second-seeded Anaheim 3-2 in the first round, Howard has won four of five games and is averaging two goals against and 34-plus saves.

“You have to have a good goalie to go anywhere in the playoffs and we have it,” Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said.

The Blackhawks seem confident they also have a netminder good enough to finish their season as strong as it started. Lately though, Corey Crawford has been shaky — or at least he hasn’t been able to overcome enough of his teammates’ mistakes in front of him.

Crawford won five of his first six games in the playoffs, shutting out Minnesota once and allowing a total of eight goals during his strong start. But he has given up a combined seven goals over the last two games after allowing one goal in the first period of the series opener.

When Chicago began its season-opening run of 24 games with at least a point backup goalie Ray Emery was 10-0 during the NHL record-breaking stretch while Crawford was injured. Emery finished the regular season 17-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average, leaving his last outing early because of a lower-body injury nearly a month ago at Edmonton.

Is Emery an option for Game 4?

“We’re not talking about that right now,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Monday night. And the next day, he was succinct when asked to assess how Crawford has played the past few games.

“He’s been fine,” Quenneville said.

The Blackhawks probably don’t want to put more pressure on Crawford, but they were likely looking for more than him being “fine” in his third postseason as their No. 1 goalie.

Chicago couldn’t afford to keep Antti Niemi after he was the franchise’s backstop when it hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2010 and he beat out Marty Turco for the job the next season.

Crawford has been an impressive 82-40-18 the last three regular seasons, but a lackluster 10-11 in the playoffs. The Montreal native sounds as if he’s ready to bounce back to help the team respond well enough to avoid their first three-game losing streak since the 2011-12 season.

“We haven’t had a lot of adversity this year,” Crawford said. “We just have to dig deep and battle.”

The Red Wings, meanwhile, barely made the playoffs and they leaned on Howard a lot because their team was challenged offensively because of injuries and the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom.

Howard had to play in 42 of 48 games during the lockout-shortened season because he didn’t have a healthy, or capable, backup for much of the season. He was 21-13-7 and tied for the league lead with five shutouts, leading to him getting a $31.8 million, six-year contract to keep him off the market as a free agent this summer.

Like Crawford, Howard has been really good during the regular season — for four seasons as a No. 1 goalie — and average in the playoffs with a .500 record going into Game 4.

In a town where the goalie is in the spotlight, win or lose, Zetterberg said Howard has the perfect temperament for the job.

“Nothing really bothers him,” Zetterberg said. “If he lets in a goal, he just flushes it and moves on.”

___

Follow Larry Lage on Twitter: http://twitter.com/larrylage

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) —Brent Burns helped San Jose jump off to a fast start with his second goal of the postseason and the Sharks tied their second-round series against Los Angeles at two games with a 2-1 victory over the Kings in Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Logan Couture followed up his overtime game-winner in Game 3 with his fifth power-play goal of the playoffs to add to the lead and Antti Niemi made 22 saves as the Sharks matched the Kings’ two home wins to open the series with two of their own.

Mike Richards scored a power-play goal and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings, who have lost 10 of 11 road games dating to the end of the regular season.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Los Angeles when the Sharks will look to end a streak of four straight wins by the home team in this series.

After falling behind 2-0, the Kings showed some fight in a dominant third period. They got on the scoreboard on a power play when Burns was sent off for boarding Anze Kopitar.

Los Angeles wore down San Jose’s penalty killers in the offensive zone and scored when Richards knocked in a rebound of Jeff Carter’s shot.

The Kings outshot the Sharks 14-2 in the third period, holding San Jose without a shot for nearly 13 minutes but couldn’t get the equalizer against Niemi.

Couture gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead early in the second period, deflecting a point shot by Dan Boyle past Quick while Colin Fraser was in the penalty box for roughing Andrew Desjardins in the offensive zone.

The Kings started to generate the better scoring chances after that, getting denied a goal midway through the period on an early whistle by an official. Los Angeles was unable to generate a shot on goal during two power plays later in the period with Jake Muzzin, shooting high with an empty net to cost the Kings a golden opportunity at a goal.

The Sharks opened the game with one of their most dominating periods of the year to the delight of the boisterous crowd chanting “Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!” from the start.

But San Jose had only one goal to show for that start thanks to solid play from Quick and a shot by Tommy Wingels that rang off the crossbar.

Led by the physically imposing line of captain Joe Thornton, Burns and TJ Galiardi, the Sharks spent almost the entire first period in the Los Angeles zone, outshooting the Kings 15-3 for the period.

San Jose jumped on top early when Thornton stole the puck from Slava Voynov on the forecheck and fed Burns, who shot was blocked. Thornton came up with the loose puck and slid a perfect cross-ice pass to Burns, who was not denied on his second chance, beating Quick with a one-timer for his second playoff goal.

The Kings had to feel fortunate that was all San Jose managed for the period as they killed off two penalties and withstood constant pressure from the Sharks.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Last night the Bruins took a stranglehold on their series with a 2-1 win over the Rangers to get a 3-0 series lead. Henrik Lundqvist returned to his usual form but it was not enough for the Rangers to come away with the win. The Rangers scored early and got the crowd into it but the Bruins responded in the 3rd with 2 goals and continued to roll over the Rangers. The Bruins will go for the sweep Thursday night at 7pm.

Out on the west coast the Sharks pulled even with the Kings in their series by getting a 2-1 victory at the Shark Tank. Antti Niemi put together another solid Vezina finalist type performance and carried his Sharks to a huge win. Jonathan Quick was once again solid but his team couldn’t put the puck in the opposing net. The series shifts back to LA for game 5 to see who can jump ahead on Thursday night 10:30pm.

On Tap for Tonight:

Pittsburgh and Ottawa face off north of the border in game 4 with the Senators trying to even the series. For the Senators Craig Anderson appears to be finding his game again and returning to regular season form. Tomas Vokoun suffered his first loss since taking over for Marc-Andre Fleury for the Penguins in game 3.

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But John Tortorella’s message isn’t going to change even though his Rangers are in an even more desperate situation than before their latest loss to the Boston Bruins.

The margin of error went from slim to none in an uncharacteristic home loss that put the Broadway Blueshirts on the brink of elimination.

New York squandered a one-goal lead in the third period and lost 2-1 on Tuesday night to fall into an 0-3 series hole. The Rangers can be ousted by the Bruins as early as Thursday in Game 4 at home.

“We’ll meet (Wednesday), practice, and we’re going to try to win a game,” Tortorella said. “That’s all you can do. Down 3-0, it’s a very tough situation, but I have full faith in our athletes. They will be ready to play another game.

“You try to win one and see where you go from there.”

After two losses in Boston, the Rangers seemed headed toward getting back into it. They had won nine straight at Madison Square Garden, dating to the final six games of the regular season, and hadn’t lost in regulation when leading after two periods in more than three years.

But defenseman Johnny Boychuk tied it 3:10 into the third and Daniel Paille scored the winner with 3:31 remaining to push the Bruins to the verge of the Eastern Conference finals.

Only three NHL teams have rallied from an 0-3 hole to advance. However, the Philadelphia Flyers did it to the Bruins in 2010.

“We haven’t talked about history at all,” Tortorella said. “We just try to go about our business.”

Bruins coach Claude Julien discussed it briefly, but only when asked about the collapse three years ago and another near one in the first round this year when Toronto nearly eliminated Boston after trailing the series 3-1.

“We can talk about it all we want, but that’s in the past,” Julien said. “We had to live with that and we still have to live with that.”

The Bruins did some rallying of their own in that one, erasing a three-goal deficit in the third period of Game 7 before winning in overtime.

“The Toronto series, I didn’t think our team was in the zone the way it is right now,” Julien said. “I anticipate — knowing my team — that we’re going to come out the same next game and certainly not be the Jekyll and Hyde team that we were in the first round.”

The Bruins shook off the 2010 collapse and swept Philadelphia in the conference semifinals the following year before going on to win the Stanley Cup.

The Rangers haven’t been swept since New Jersey did it to them in 2006 in the first round.

“You can’t look at it as you have to win four games,” said Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who stayed down on his knees for several moments after Paille’s goal. “You just have to focus on the next one. The season is on the line, so you have to leave everything out there.

“We definitely have to give everything right now, mentally and physically, and put it out there on Thursday.”

Boychuk tied it with his fourth of the playoffs after he netted just one in 44 regular-season games.

Boston thought it had grabbed the lead seconds before Paille scored when a shot deflected off the mask of Lundqvist, popped up in the air and landed on the goal line. Lundqvist couldn’t find it before Paille swooped in from behind the net and poked in the puck.

Taylor Pyatt had made it 1-0 in the second period for the Rangers, who were outscored 8-4 in two games at Boston. Lundqvist was sharp in making 32 saves. He bounced back well after allowing five goals in the Game 2 loss.

“You have to be pretty happy with the situation right now,” said Tuukka Rask, who made 23 saves for Boston. “We were really happy with our effort. I think this was our best defensive effort in a long, long time. We just have to stay calm, keep playing our style of hockey, and good things will happen.”

The Rangers again couldn’t get their power play untracked, failing in both of their chances and dropping to 0-for-10 in the series. New York has only two power-play goals in 38 opportunities during these playoffs.

Boychuk was credited with the tying goal after the puck appeared to deflect into the net off Rangers defenseman John Moore.

The game turned rougher moments later when New York forward Chris Kreider was struck under his visor by the stick of Boston’s Tyler Seguin, who was following through on a shot just inside the blue line. Seguin was then clipped in the exchange by the stick of Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger.

Shortly after, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron had a cut over his eye that left his white jersey bloodstained. No penalties were called on any of the plays.

New York took just its second lead of the series 3:53 into the second period when Pyatt deflected in a shot by defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

Lundqvist shined in the second, making a pad stop on Seguin about 6 1/2 minutes in, stretching across to knock away a drive by rookie defenseman Torey Krug — who scored in each of the first two games of the series — and then bringing the crowd to its feet with a lunging glove snare of Gregory Campbell’s slap shot from the left circle with 8:24 remaining.

That got the Bruins even in shots (15-15) before they outshot New York 8-1 the rest of the second.

The Rangers got off to a sluggish start after losing the opening faceoff, and didn’t mount any kind of early surge fueled by the excited home crowd. New York didn’t carry the puck into the Boston end until 1:35 had elapsed.

New York got trapped in its end more and more as the game went on, and got caught there again on the winning goal.

“They just kept us in the end zone, bouncing around, and Paille beat our defenseman back to the net and scored the goal,” Tortorella said. “We just didn’t spend enough time in their end zone.”

The Rangers picked up their play and built a 6-1 edge in shots, including scoring opportunities on Rask. New York earned the first power play of the night, however it was as ineffective as it has been throughout the postseason.

The tide turned back to the Bruins’ favor just before the midway point in the period, starting with a partial breakaway after New York turned over the puck at the Boston blue line. Chris Kelly raced ahead with the puck and was stopped in tight by Lundqvist when he tried a backhanded shot.

Shawn Thornton was also denied when he came in alone on Lundqvist with 8:46 left in the period, and Jaromir Jagr couldn’t score, either, when he got a pair of whacks at the puck that the New York goalie turned aside.

The Bruins’ surge gave them an 8-7 edge in shots, but Boston finished the period trailing 11-9.

“We were down but we weren’t playing that poorly,” Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said of the team’s third-period mindset. “We needed to stay aggressive, try to tie the game. We just wanted to get pucks to the net. We did that and we were rewarded.”

NOTES: The Rangers didn’t yield a power-play chance for the second straight home game. … New York D Anton Stralman was injured in the second period and didn’t return. … Since Boston trailed 4-1 in Game 7 against Toronto, Rask has allowed five goals in four-plus games.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

• Kolbe’s NHL Playoff Recap 05-22-13
• Steve Davis: Gausman’s Call-Up Indicts Others
• ‘On The Mark’ With Mark Zinno
• Jim Traber Discusses Disaster In Oklahoma

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

I am like everybody else, excited about what Kevin Gausman has to offer on Thursday night.

We saw with Manny Machado last year that a player can get called up from Bowie, and have a positive impact.

That said, this is not what the Orioles wanted to happen. They wanted Gausman to get more seasoning in the minors, and probably do some time in Norfolk too. So, while this is an endorsement of Gausman’s abilities, it is also and indictment of others in the organization.

Jake Arrieta is on the ballclub, and the Orioles passed on him. Zach Britton is supposed to be a great prospect, but his stay up here was short. Steve Johnson only got one start. Jair Jurrjens was quickly dispatched.

Now, some of these guys will be back, but the fact that the Orioles were willing to speed up the clock on Gausman tells you what they think of some of their other players as well.

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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The Orioles recent struggles and closer Jim Johnson’s struggles were the highlight. Zinno questioned his mental toughness. “Jim is a professional and I know he’s not happy, but his mental state is the least of my concerns,” said Viviano.

The Ravens came up next. Rolando McClain’s retirement was the topic. Viviano knew that it wasn’t a real retirement. “It’s a timeout. The young man needs to get his life in order. He’s 23. We know he’s had his issues behaviorally, off the field.” The Ravens begin their off-season workout program this week.

Follow me on Twitter @MarkZinno

Steve started out by asking Jim, the former Oriole, about details regarding the tornado as he saw it live on Monday from his work. Jim explained that the weather man let them know that there was bad weather coming.  The tornado warning was given and from about 2-245 when Jim was on the air he was telling his listeners to watch out if they lived in certain regions. At 2:50 the hook came and so did the warning. At that point they turned over the coverage to the TV station and all went outside to look at the tornado. When the tornado turned east they could see the debris cloud which was two and a half miles wide. Jim was a mile and a half away and said the tornado sounded like a freight train. He has never heard anything like that before. The tornado then luckily dissipated. Jim explained that his radio show yesterday was dedicated towards explaining to the people how they could receive help.

Bob then asked how helpless the situation must have been, knowing the inevitable was about to happen. Jim explained that there is absolutely nothing you can do. This is the third time in his life he had heard the weather man say that if you are above ground you are in trouble.

Steve asked when they actually got the warning call. Jim explained that it was only about ten minutes before the storm hit. Jim discussed his shock at seeing dead horses and cows and houses that were  are completely destroyed. Jim explained that in his 20 years of being in OKC h  is impressed by the charity and values being demonstrated by the people of  Oklahoma. Jim emphatically said how impressed he is with the character of these folks. They are truly some of the best people he has ever been around.

Steve asked how we can help. Jim mentioned the Red Cross charity is the best method. Go to the Red Cross website. Jim concluded by proudly explaining that the people of Moore will be back.

Steve started out by asking Melewski about Gausman and if he is ready for his start. Melewski said he was surprised by the move because the organization hinted in another direction. However, Melewski expressed confidence in Gausman explaining that he  is a mature, polished kid who can handle the bumps and bruises that will inevitably come in the Big Leagues.

Bob questioned the move as an act of desperation. Melewski remarked that the six game losing streak got management moving in a strong direction to fix issues in the rotation. He went on to discuss some of Gausman’s weird quirks. Before each start, Gausmam does a javlin-like leap to begin his warm-ups. Look for it in Toronto tomorrow.

Next, Steve remarked on the failings of other starters in the rotation. Melewski explained that the move is one made to improve the organization, not necessarily one of panic. Other than Chris Sale, Gausman, after appearing only in roughly 60 innings in the minors, the young stud is making a remarkably quick descent into the big leagues.

In conclusion, Melewski moved on to discuss Closer, Jim Johnson. He believes the issues with the closer are mental and that he is putting too much pressure on himself. Johnson explained after the game that his personal battle is to relax and let his natural ability take over. Steve questioned whether issues are mechanical or mental issues. Melewski explained there might be some mechanical issues that the coaching staff has been working on.

Melewski explained it is too early to say Johnson is back to usual form. His confidence is not totally destroyed. Johnson is a guy who wants the ball in any situation and Buck has his back.

Nate McLouth homered leading off the bottom of the 10th inning, Dickerson hit a pair of solo shots and the Orioles beat the New York Yankees 3-2 Tuesday night to snap a six-game losing streak.

McLouth hit a 1-1 pitch from Vidal Nuno (1-1) into the bleachers in right-center to give the Orioles their first win since May 12.  Dickerson, who played sparingly for the Yankees in each of the past two seasons, connected off Phil Hughes in the third and fifth innings — the first two-homer game of his career.

For their efforts, McLouth and Dickerson each got a shaving cream pie from teammate Adam Jones during their postgame interviews. It was a fitting way to mark the end of a skid in which all six defeats came at home.

“We really needed this win,” Dickerson said. “This team continues to grind, continues to push forward even when the chips are down. Nate came up huge. This was one of those things that can turn it around.”

Asked if it was the best night of his baseball career, Dickerson quickly replied, “Absolutely. Under the circumstances, yeah. … As soon as I saw the lineup card I was already fired up, just to get the opportunity to play against them. But to go out and have that result, it was awesome.”

Jim Johnson (2-4), who blew three save opportunities during the six-game skid, got three straight outs in the 10th.

“I’m just happy about the outcome of the game,” Johnson said.

His performance capped an exceptional effort by Orioles pitchers, who retired 21 of the last 22 New York batters.

“It was nice to win, period,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Anytime, regardless of yesterday and the day before. We don’t get bogged down in that woe is me and this means that. You’ve got to keep turning the page.”

Travis Hafner drove in both runs for the Yankees, who fell to 19-1 when scoring first. Dickerson’s role in New York’s defeat did not go unnoticed by manager Joe Girardi.

“We’ve had him up a couple times and he’s done some good things for us,” he said. “He helped them tonight.”
Hughes allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. Coming off a horrid start against Seattle in which the right-hander yielded seven runs and got only two outs, Hughes kept the Orioles in check — except for Dickerson.

“I thought he did OK,” Girardi said. “He gave us a great chance to win the game.”

Both bullpens matched zeroes until Nuno threw his third pitch.

“It was supposed to be a cutter away,” the left-hander said. “It felt a little bit off and he took advantage of it. One pitch and it cost us the game. Got to forget about it and get ready to pitch tomorrow.”

Baltimore starter Miguel Gonzalez gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking none.

The right-hander came off the disabled list before the game following an 18-day absence with a blister on his right thumb.

“It was fun to be out there again after two weeks being out and giving a chance to my team to win a ballgame,” Gonzalez said. “I think that was fun, especially getting ahead of guys. That was important.”

New York got a first-inning run when Brett Gardner doubled and scored on a two-out single by Hafner. Dickerson tied it with a drive to right-center on a 3-2 pitch.

The Yankees quickly moved back in front. Vernon Wells led off the fourth with a double and Hafner followed with an RBI single.

Dickerson’s second homer of the game, leading off the fifth, made it 2-all.

Gonzalez retired 11 straight batters before David Adams singled with two outs in the seventh. Lance Nix followed with a liner that right fielder Nick Markakis snagged with a dive.

NOTES: To clear a roster spot for Gonzalez, the Orioles optioned RHP Jair Jurrjens to Triple-A Norfolk. Jurrjens started one game for Baltimore, receiving a no-decision Saturday against Tampa Bay. …RHP Hiroki Kuroda will start for New York on Wednesday night in the finale of the three-game series. The Orioles will start Jason Hammel, who is 0-2 with a 7.79 ERA in three home starts. … Yankees manager Joe Girardi said SS Derek Jeter (left ankle) “is not really doing anything yet” and LHP Andy Pettitte (strained trapezius muscle) has not starting throwing. … Orioles C Matt Wieters turned 27 on Tuesday.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Glenn then shifted the attention to the Orioles rotation and bullpen, Casey feels that both could hamper the Orioles chances of competing in the division.  “Do the Orioles have a chance, yes, nobody runs away in this division”.

Glenn wrapped things up with asking Casey how does he feel about the Orioles own Manny Machado. Casey believed that the Orioles should have initially left him at short stop. “If you got a guy in Machado who could be the best short stop in the league, you should put him there”.

Follow Glenn on twitter @gunitradio and follow the show with #GYshow

“The feeling is they’re going to be a desperate team in their own building,” Bruins forward Shawn Thornton said on Monday before the team departed for New York. “We’re going to have to be a lot better than we were last game; we got the win but we had some areas we could improve on.”

The Bruins won both games in Boston, but were far from perfect. In Game 1 they let New York score in the final seconds of the second period to tie the game at 1-1, and gave up a go-ahead goal just 14 seconds into the third. In Game 2, New York answered each of Boston’s first two goals within minutes, and the Bruins turned the puck over 16 times.

Read: Bruins-Rangers Game 3 Preview

New York hasn’t capitalized on many of Boston’s mistakes so far, but that can all change now that the series shifts to New York.

“A lot of that stuff was of our own doing,” head coach Claude Julien said of the Game 2 turnovers. “I think we can be better in that area, although we played a pretty game, I think most of those things came in the second period. We just have to be a little bit better. I thought our third period was much better in regards to puck management.”

Both teams will make some adjustments, but Julien stressed it doesn’t matter as much what the desperate Rangers will do, but more if his Bruins play their brand of hockey.

CBS New York: Banged-Up Lundqvist Ready To Go In Game 3

“I think it’s what we expect from ourselves. That’s the thing, we always worry about the other team; we need to worry about ourselves,” he said. “When we play well, we’re a good team and we give ourselves a chance to win. It’s more about our expectations right now, that has to be the important topic for us. We need to, obviously, understand they’re going to be better. We also need to be better. We’re on the road, we don’t get the last change, so it will be a tougher situation.”

“It is a chess match, but you can’t be thinking too much on the ice,” said center Patrice Bergeron. “You have to trust your instincts and your system.”

Though Boston has the upper hand now, the series is far from over. The Rangers found themselves down 2-0 to the Washington Capitals last series before storming back to take the series in seven games. The Bruins owned a 3-1 series lead over the Maple Leafs before losing two straight and needed an amazing Game 7, third-period comeback and eventually overtime to advance.

Read: Seidenberg, Redden Travel To NY

“It’s about realizing the series is not over until you win that fourth game. We know that,” Bergeron said. “They’re going to try to bounce back, and we’re expecting them to come out really hard. We need to make sure we match that.”

Tune in to every Bruins playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins! Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to every game!

“We haven’t accomplished anything,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “We didn’t get our work done in LA, and that put us behind the eight ball. The fact that we win Game 3, that’s great, but we still are behind in the series and the series is getting shorter. The lifeline wasn’t as long as it was in the past. We’ve just got to find a way to get even. If our intensity or urgency drops because we’ve won a single game, I would be disappointed in our group.”

After taking it easy the day after San Jose’s 2-1 win, both teams stepped up preparation on Monday in advance of Game 4 on Tuesday night at the Shark Tank.

The Kings aren’t about to feel complacent, considering they were less than 2 minutes away from losing Game 2 at home and have won just once in 10 road games since March.

“We can’t rest and just be comfortable with being a good home team,” forward Justin Williams said. “We need to be killers on the road. Coming back with a 3-1 lead is certainly something we’re going to do our darnedest to do.”

The Kings came close to getting that elusive road win in Game 3 on Saturday when they fell in overtime after being called for two penalties in the final minute of regulation to set up Logan Couture’s power-play goal in overtime.

The second of those penalties particularly irked the Kings, who contend Trevor Lewis was pushed into San Jose goalie Antti Niemi by Patrick Marleau and shouldn’t have been called for goaltender interference.

That came one game after the Sharks complained about a late delay of game call on Marc-Edouard Vlasic that gave the Kings a two-man advantage and eventually led to two goals that gave Los Angeles a 4-3 win.

The Kings look to rebound from their disappointment the same way the Sharks did from theirs.

“There’s zero momentum,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “Once you get in the playoffs, there’s zero momentum unless somebody is way better than somebody, and as you see, nobody is. If there’s a carry-over, then you’re probably not a playoff team.”

The home teams have won all three games so far this series and both teams are undefeated at home in the postseason this year. The Sharks have been dominant all season on home ice, going 17-2-5 in the regular season that included two wins over Los Angeles.

The biggest reason for the home success has been a potent power play that has been far more efficient at the Shark Tank than on the road. San Jose has scored on an NHL-best 28.4 percent of power plays at home during the regular and postseason compared to just 13.6 percent on the road.

The difference has been even more stark in the postseason where the Sharks are 8-for-20 on the power play at home and just 1-for-16 on the road, including 0-for-7 the first two games in Los Angeles. San Jose did score one goal 5 seconds after the end of a power play in Game 2 against the Kings.

Defenseman Dan Boyle said there was little difference other than the final results on the power play in Game 3, when he got the scoring started with a power-play goal 4 seconds into a man advantage early in the first period and Couture ended the game with a power-play goal in overtime.

“It’s about scoring goals,” Boyle said. “If we don’t score yesterday, you guys would be talking about how bad we are, how much we’re struggling. We had some good looks in L.A., we just didn’t put the puck in the net. The one goal we had, the penalty had just expired.

“The end of the day, you’ve just got to put the puck in the net and the first power play took, what? Three or four seconds. That’s not a good power play, that’s execution. It’s a won faceoff, it’s a guy going to the net. That’s just good execution.”

The Kings could get a boost with the potential return of forward Kyle Clifford, who has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury.

Clifford scored three of his seven regular-season goals this year against the Sharks and all three of his career playoff goals came in a six-game series against San Jose two years ago.

“He can give us that big physical, emotional lift that we can use right now,” forward Colin Fraser said. “He’s a guy that doesn’t take a shift off, and he’s hard to play against. I’ve played with him on and off for two years, and he’s a big, physical player who keeps it simple. You know what you’re going to get out of him every shift.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Patrick Kane scored 4:35 into the third period to pull Chicago within one. The Blackhawks celebrated as if they tied the game about a minute later, but Andrew Shaw’s goal was waved off because he was in the crease.

Datsyuk’s goal 6:46 into the final period gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead.

The seventh-seeded Red Wings have a shot to put the top-seeded Blackhawks on the brink of elimination Thursday night in Game 4.

Detroit’s Jimmy Howard made 39 saves and Corey Crawford stopped 27 shots.

Chicago has lost consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months.

The Blackhawks began the lockout-shortened season by setting an NHL record with at least a point in their first 24 games, ended it with a league-high 77 points and avoided having a three-game losing streak during the 48-game campaign.

After a scoreless first period in a hot and steamy Joe Louis Arena, Detroit took a 2-0 lead with a pretty goal and a gritty one.

Nyquist patiently carried the puck from right to left and waited for defenseman Brent Seabrook and Crawford to sprawl out to make a shot before shooting the puck.

Miller crashed the net to stuff the puck into the net after Patrick Eaves got to his own rebound to keep pressure on Crawford. Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival started the sequence with a turnover in the Chicago end.

It was a sixth straight goal for the Red Wings, who lost the opener 4-1 and gave up the first goal of Game 2 before going on to even the series with a 4-1 victory.

Chicago escaped getting shut out when Duncan Keith lifted the puck up the ice, over and past Detroit’s defense and Kane got to it in time to beat Howard with a low shot.

Datsyuk gave the Red Wings a comfortable cushion again, getting off a wrist shot from the left side that went in and out of the net before Crawford saw it.

NOTES: Detroit coach Mike Babcock won his 77th postseason game, matching Chicago’s Joel Quenneville for the most among active coaches and trailing Pat Burns by one victory for 8th place on the NHL’s all-time list. … Chicago hasn’t given up a power play goal in its first eight playoff games, matching the 2001 St. Louis Blues for the longest such streak since 1988, according to STATS. … The Blackhawks put Viktor Stalberg back in the lineup, and scratched Daniel Carcillo, and he got shook up early in the game, missing a check and going head first into the boards.

(© 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

Listen to entire interview:

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The Orioles vs. Rays game Sunday was a perfect example of why replay needs to be fixed… The call was the correct one, a Tampa home run that hit the black painted part of the foul pole.. BUT the way they got there was a total joke. It’s like getting lost for an hour, ending up where you wanted only because you ran out of wrong roads to take. Nearly ten minutes of arguments via both managers and replay being looked at by who knows how many people.

Get a guy in each stadium or a few in master control to review live during the normal flow of the game. Take the preconceived notion out of nfl replay as the measuring stick. It’s not going to be a reg flag, under the hood system. People against MLB replay say its too slow and will delay an already long sporting event, the Rays homer would have been called correctly in 90 sec not this 10 minutes nonsense. Make the change now & get better right away.

Every tight play or close call is being looked at in real time and looked at again before a skipper can take a step out of the dugout, a signal to the field with the proper call is sent and the game moves on.

Same example Monday versus the Yankees. Wieters picked off Gardner at 1st then at his at bat was called out on a base hit at 1st. Both calls were WRONG! Gardner was called safe & Wieters out. Both could have been rectified in seconds with a guy in the booth or several in “master control” run by the league.

The umps are a major problem despite getting much correct over the span of a game, but why not get better?

I don’t understand the hesitation to push it forward. I’m not asking for laser beams or robots calling balls and strikes, just another set of eyes to make things better.

Is that too much to ask?!?!

Follow me on Twitter @gunitradio #GYSHOW

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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It was a big time showdown in Hockeytown last night as the Red Wings hosted the Blackhawks in a series tied at 1. The Red Wings grabbed a 2-0 lead in the 2nd period and never looked back, getting a 3-1 win. Detroit received a stellar performance from goalie Jimmy Howard who made 39 saves on 40 shots. The Blackhawks got a goal from super-star Patrick Kane but could not overcome a strong performance from the Wings. Game 4 of this series will take place in Hockeytown Thursday night at 8pm.

On Tap for Tonight:

Tonight will see 4 teams continue their quest for the Stanley Cup. The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers will square off as the series shifts to downtown New York. Henrik Lundqvist will need to improve on his performances from games 1 and 2 where he was very unlike the King Henrik we’ve come to know all too well in this area. For the Bruins they just need to continue to enforce their will on the Rangers and crowd Lundqvist in the crease, he can’t stop what he doesn’t see.

Also tonight the Kings and Sharks get back on the ice at the Shark Tank in San Jose. The Sharks took game 3 in overtime after the Kings took some bad penalties and put themselves behind the eight ball. Antti Niemi finally started to look like the Vezina Trophy finalist we saw during the regular season. The Sharks look to get even, and the Kings are trying to get a stranglehold on the series tonight at 10pm.

Follow the Guys on Twitter:

Steve Kolbe — @SteveKolbeVoice
Kevin Thomas — @Kevown8999
Andy Snakovsky — @andysnakovsky

One key factor for the Rangers is the play — and health — of goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist was back on the ice Monday after his rough game on Sunday, in which he also appeared to injure his left shoulder.

He was no worse for wear during and following the hour-long practice ahead of Tuesday’s Game 3 in New York.

“Everybody is sore,” he said. “It’s the playoffs. You can’t just sit out if it’s hurting a little bit.”

Lundqvist said he “landed on the ice awkwardly and it hurt a little bit” in the third period of Boston’s 5-2 win Saturday in Game 2.

“It’s under control,” Lundqvist said.

CBS BOSTON: SEIDENBERG, REDDEN TRAVELING TO NY

Before Sunday, Lundqvist hadn’t allowed five goals in 151 consecutive games, dating to a 5-2 loss at Anaheim on March 9, 2011. He also had never yielded more than three goals in any of his 31 previous games against the Bruins, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Lundqvist gave up 12 total goals in the first five games of the first-round series versus the Capitals before shutting them out in Games 6 and 7. Boston has already registered eight goals against him.

“It’s disappointing to give up five goals, but positioning-wise and reading the plays for the most part was good,” Lundqvist said. “They made some good plays, too, and then there were some unlucky bounces and screens.

“I could probably find excuses for the goals, but it’s not going to help my game. I just have to try to be better and work even harder to see pucks.”

History is hardly on the Rangers’ side. New York is 2-19 in series it trailed 0-2, and no NHL team has won consecutive series after losing the first two games.

Game 4 will also be in New York on Thursday.

“We’ve won games here,” said Rangers coach John Tortorella. “That’s what we have to do. Not win two at home, but we need to win one game at home. And that’s our total focus.”

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

• Kolbe’s NHL Playoff Recap 05-22-13
• Steve Davis: Gausman’s Call-Up Indicts Others
• ‘On The Mark’ With Mark Zinno
• Jim Traber Discusses Disaster In Oklahoma

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Steve started off by asking what kind of chance would he have given Oxbow had he been an analyst. Gary said that he loved Orb and that he thought everyone was fighting for 2nd.

Bob asked about the plan for the Preakness. Gary didn’t think Oxbow would be in the lead from the start he thought that Oxbow would be 3rd or 4th, but since no one took the lead he was more than willing to.

Steve asked if there are people regretting not bringing their horses to the Preakness.  He said probably not but no matter who showed up Oxbow ran a great race and would have been tough to beat him.

Bob asked if it is bittersweet that there won’t be a triple crown this year. Gary told the guys absolutely not he is thrilled for all the people who helped and shared in the victory.

Steve wanted to know how he was able to do it at 50. Gary told him that he does work out hard and that he feels better than he did before he retired.  However, he does have a partner out there in the horse.  Gary told them that with his history of knee problems if any issues arise he will step away for a little bit.

Gary told the guys that he has no timetable for retirement and that he will continue to work with NBC as well.

After a solid start this season, Johnson is struggling.

Not coincidentally, so are the Orioles.

Johnson blew his third straight save opportunity Monday night, and Baltimore’s losing streak reached six games with a 10-inning, 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees.

New York trailed 4-3 in the ninth before Travis Hafner homered with one out on a 3-1 pitch from Johnson, who converted a franchise-record 35 successive save opportunities before his current slide. All three of those botched saves have come during Baltimore’s current skid.

“The other guys do their job and I do mine, then we’re not standing here,” Johnson said. “I think everybody’s doing a great job. I’m just not pulling my weight. And I’ll figure it out.”

Johnson wasn’t the only culprit. Starter Freddy Garcia allowed two homers and Troy Patton gave up one.

“We had trouble keeping the ball in the ballpark,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Robinson Cano hit his team-high 13th home run in the first inning, David Adams clubbed his first major-league homer in the second and Lyle Overbay connected in the seventh.

And then there was Hafner, who got hold of a fastball that was way too high in the strike zone.

“He had one bad pitch,” Showalter said.

In the 10th, Ichiro Suzuki led off with a double off Pedro Strop (0-2) and Vernon Wells followed with an RBI double to left. Hafner’s two-out single made it 6-4.

David Robertson (3-0) worked the ninth and Mariano Rivera got three straight outs for his 17th save in 17 tries.

Johnson was 15 for 15 at one point. Now he’s 15 for 18 after blowing save attempts against San Diego, Tampa Bay and the Yankees.

“The ball’s up. That seems to be the common thing lately,” he said. “Just not making the adjustment. I’m trying, you know, doing everything. I’m going to work through it.”

After Overbay put New York up 3-2 in the seventh, Baltimore took the lead against Yankees starter CC Sabathia in the bottom half. Alexi Casilla singled and scored on a double by Nick Markakis, who came home on an opposite-field double to right by J.J. Hardy.

Showalter elevated Hardy to the third spot in the lineup because the shortstop came in with a .321 career batting average against Sabathia. Hardy also doubled in the fifth against the big left-hander.

Sabathia gave up four runs and 11 hits in 6 1-3 innings. He left with New York trailing 4-3, but Hafner’s shot in the ninth preserved Sabathia’s 17-4 lifetime record against Baltimore.

Garcia, who pitched the past two years for the Yankees, allowed two runs, three hits — two homers and a meaningless single — in six innings. Aided by two double plays, the right-hander faced only three batters over the minimum.

After Cano and Adams provided the Yankees with a 2-0 lead, Chris Davis hit his 13th homer for Baltimore in the second to make it 2-1.

Garcia retired eight straight batters before Adams singled in the fifth. He was erased by a double play.

After wasting a two-out double by Matt Wieters in the fourth, Baltimore pulled even in the fifth. Steve Pearce hit a leadoff double and scored on a single by Markakis. Later in the inning, Sabathia retired Adam Jones on a grounder with runners at second and third.

Replays indicated first base umpire Eric Cooper got two calls wrong in the sixth inning, both of which went against Baltimore. Brett Gardner appeared to be picked off first base and was called safe, and Wieters seemed to beat out an infield hit but was called out.

NOTES: Orioles RHP Miguel Gonzalez (blister on thumb) will return from the disabled list Tuesday night and start against the Yankees, who will have right-hander Phil Hughes on the mound. Hughes yielded seven earned runs in the first inning of his last start, against Seattle. … Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira batted in a simulated game in Florida, testing his injured wrist for the first time since spring training. Also, 3B Kevin Youkilis (spine) took batting practice and fielded ground balls; 3B Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery) fielded grounders; INF Eduardo Nunez (oblique) did dry swinging and also took grounders; and RHP Ivan Nova threw 60 pitches in extended spring training. “All our guys are increasing their activity. Everything is on the up and up a bit,” Girardi said. … Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … Suzuki extended his hitting streak at Camden Yards to 20 games.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Seth agrees with Glenn that the MLB needs to improve both instant replay and umpiring.” Seth says that Instant Replay is only half the problem because the umpires need to be more accountable”.  But Glenn believes that there will not be any improvements. “The Umpires Union is too strong for the MLB to enforce the necessary changes that the game needs”

Seth believes that technology gives fan a better view than umpires. “If you have an IPAD and you are sitting in the front row of a game you have a better chance of getting a call right”.

Follow Glenn on twitter @gunitradio and follow the show with #GYSHOW

Next up was the possibility of the league shifting the league year and moving the draft and combine back. Jason states that the NFL can do whatever they like with the draft and combine. He believes that the draft will be moved to May 15^th.  “The reality is it will probably stay there for a couple of years after that”. Jason even suggests that the NFL can move on to regional combines and make it sort of a reality show.

The site of Super Bowl L and LI (50 and 51) will be announced Tuesday. Jason acknowledged that next year’s Super Bowl will be in New York followed by Arizona. Miami and San Francisco are both the main contenders but Jason feels like Miami won’t get the super bowl. “San Francisco will get 50, it’s basically complete. Houston will get 51; it’s pretty much in the bag”.

Glenn and Jason wrapped up their conversation with the Pro Bowl and the possibility that it may move.

Follow  Glenn on twitter @gunitradio and follow the show with #GYshow.

So they weren’t about to ease up when they had a big lead of their own on Sunday.

Boston went ahead by two goals in the first minute of the third period, added another 12 minutes later and beat the New York Rangers 5-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

Still, the Blueshirts aren’t about to go down without a fight as the series heads to New York.

“We don’t want to lose two games here, no one does,” said Rangers coach John Tortorella. “But there’s no give in this team. There will be no give in this team. We need to go win a game. Not look anywhere else, just try to win our first home game this series.”

Just six days earlier, the Bruins became the first team to win a Game 7 after trailing by three goals in the third period. They started their comeback with less than 11 minutes left and extended their season with a 5-4 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Guys are really trying to stay focused on doing their job in the third period,” Brad Marchand said. “We know how important they are, especially after what we went through being down by a few goals. We know that it’s possible for any team to come back from any score.”

Marchand made it 4-2 with just 26 seconds gone in the third period, Milan Lucic scored at 12:39 and the Bruins worked hard the rest of the way.

“We talked about it before we went out there in the third period, and we just had to make sure that we played to win,” Boston coach Claude Julien said. “I don’t like our team when we play on our heels and we’re just trying to protect a one-goal lead. We’ve got to extend the lead and extend it even more before we even think about protecting it.”

Game 3 is Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers never led Sunday, although they tied the game quickly after each of the Bruins’ first two goals.

The second period may have been New York’s best of the series even though Johnny Boychuk’s tie-breaking goal on a 40-foot shot at 12:08 of the period got past goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who was screened by several players.

“We played a really good second,” New York’s Dan Girardi said. “The first shift of the third killed us.”

That’s when Marchand made it 4-2 with a goal similar to the one that gave the Bruins a 3-2 overtime win in the opener.

Patrice Bergeron carried the puck in deep along the right side and passed across the crease to Marchand, who had beaten Girardi and tipped it in.

“I have to be ready to defend that pass there,” Girardi said. “They didn’t have much room, but, obviously, I have to be either on the strong side blocking that or on Marchand’s stick. That really put us behind the eight-ball.”

With a two-goal lead, the Bruins remained aggressive but still clogged the middle in front of goalie Tuukka Rask when the Rangers attacked.

“We felt really good going into the third, and to have that type of goal go in — it’s just two-on-two — it hurts you,” Tortorella said. “We couldn’t generate anything, and then they’re just going to fill the middle and they’re just going to jam you.”

Boston never trailed as rookie Torey Krug scored the first goal at 5:28 of the first period before Rangers captain Ryan Callahan tied it less than three minutes later. Gregory Campbell made it 2-1 at 2:24 of the second period, and New York pulled even again 56 seconds later on Rick Nash’s goal, his first of the playoffs after he led the Rangers with 21 in the regular season.

“We didn’t play our best,” Marchand said. “I think, especially in the second period, they took it to us, but we were able to bounce back. It’s definitely a very even series.”

Not when it comes to goaltending.

Lundqvist allowed more than five goals for the first time in 152 games, including the postseason, and stopped 27 shots.

“I thought I was in position, but (there were) a couple screens and when you give up five goals you can’t be satisfied,” he said.

There’s also the matter of his left shoulder that was hit by Daniel Paille’s third-period shot. Lundqvist rubbed it after the game and said, “We’ll take a look at it.”

Rask saved 35 of 37 shots.

Still, Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy last year and is a finalist for it this year.

“I know that I can’t let in any lead goals most nights because he is who he is,” Rask said, “but, then again it’s a team game and we’re more focused on the Rangers than any individual.”

These are the Rangers who also lost the first two games of their opening series on the road, then won the next two at home. They lost Game 5 in Washington but won the last two games behind shutouts by Lundqvist.

“We’ve done it before,” he said, “but I think we are playing a better team now so it’s going to be tough to do it.”

Ahead or behind, home or away, the Bruins plan to play with the same determination the entire game.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” Boychuk said. “It’s playoffs. Anything can happen, and sometimes a team can play better in front of their hometown.”

NOTES: The last time Lundqvist allowed more than four goals was March 9, 2011, in a 5-2 loss to Anaheim. In the next 151 games he allowed four goals just 13 times. … The Bruins played their second straight game without injured veteran defensemen Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden … A defenseman got a goal or an assist on each of Boston’s goals. … The margin of victory was more than two for just the second time in 26 games between the teams. … In their nine playoff games, the Rangers have scored on two of 35 power plays. They’re 0 for 7 against the Bruins.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

• Kolbe’s NHL Playoff Recap 05-22-13
• Steve Davis: Gausman’s Call-Up Indicts Others
• ‘On The Mark’ With Mark Zinno
• Jim Traber Discusses Disaster In Oklahoma

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

After their performance in Game 3, it is clear the defending Stanley Cup champions still need plenty of work.

The Kings went through a short workout at their training complex Sunday after sleeping in their own beds following a 2-1 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

Such easy travel usually isn’t possible in the spread-out Western Conference, but Game 4 isn’t until Tuesday night at the Shark Tank.

“We were home at pretty much the same time as we would coming from Staples on a regular night,” center Anze Kopitar said. “It’s a 50-minute flight, so it’s pretty quick. I think it’s good for us.”

Los Angeles’ 2-1 loss in Game 3 ended on a power-play goal after two penalty calls that angered and confused the Kings for several reasons. Yet captain Dustin Brown acknowledged the Kings have plenty of concerns beyond the officiating.

Los Angeles leads the series 2-1, but only after getting a 35-save shutout from Jonathan Quick in Game 1 and stealing Game 2 with two late power-play goals.

“We’ve got to score more than one goal,” Brown said. “I mean, Quickie is a great goalie, but at the end of the day, we need to score more than one goal for him. We haven’t done that. I think we’ve only scored one goal three times out of four away games.”

Indeed, the Kings have scored six goals in their four road playoff games this spring, half of them in a 3-2 overtime win at St. Louis. The other three road playoff games all have been 2-1 losses — and before that, Los Angeles dropped six straight road games to close the regular season, scoring nine goals in that stretch.

Robyn Regehr was whistled for hooking on a seemingly garden-variety stick play with 41.7 seconds left in regulation in Game 3, and Trevor Lewis followed him into the box with 4.5 seconds left on a goaltender interference call that had the Kings steaming. They claimed Lewis was pushed into Antti Niemi, and questioned why such a dramatic call would be made so late in a game.

The Kings killed off the 5-on-3 disadvantage, but gave up Logan Couture’s power-play game-winner. Quick, who shut out the Sharks from the opening minutes until the final buzzer, got a game misconduct for berating the officials who made the decisive call.

“Not happy, but we can’t do anything about it,” Kopitar said. “Again, it’s the position that we put ourselves into that is mind-boggling. It’s not the way we want to play and be in that situation. We came close to killing it off, but we’ve said it all along, you can’t give them too many opportunities, because they will score, and they did.”

The Kings have demonstrated they know how to regroup after a playoff loss. After dropping the first two games of the postseason in St. Louis, they responded with six straight victories.

The Sharks also present a challenge similar to the Blues in their desire to attack Quick with a high volume of shots. St. Louis outshot Los Angeles in four of the six games, and the Kings have been soundly outshot by San Jose in the current series — but with Quick in top form, the numbers haven’t beaten Los Angeles.

San Jose also has revived its dominant power play, which produced both of its goals in Game 3 after the Kings shut out the Sharks in the first two games at Staples Center.

“Especially when the Conn Smythe winner (is) on the defending champion team, I’m going to assume if I was coaching against them, that I’m going to say, `Shoot lots, and get as much traffic as you can,”‘ Sutter said. “So I think San Jose has that mindset, as St. Louis did last series. You’re trying to get your team to shoot more, and you’re trying to get players to go to the net more.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators and Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings are the other finalists.

Former NHL star Mark Messier determines the winner of the award. He solicits suggestions from from club and NHL personnel and fans to come up with the finalists and then makes a final decision on the winner.

The following is the explanation of Toews’ nomination as provided by the award:

Toews was named captain of the Blackhawks in 2008 when he was just 20-years-old, making him the third-youngest captain in NHL history at the time. While his leadership on the ice is undisputed, his role off the ice with various children’s charitable causes makes him an undeniable role model to fans. In his spare time, Toews volunteers to grant wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and visits with patients at the local children’s hospital and Chicago’s Misericordia. Last fall, he returned home to join the Winnipeg Patrolmen Hockey Club and other NHL players for the “Goals for Dreams Hockey Challenge,” which helped raise $80,000 for the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Dream Factory, a charity that grants dreams for critically and chronically ill children.

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings got much younger this year, rebuilding with rookies and prospects pushed onto the ice.

For much of the lockout-delayed season, it didn’t look good for them.

The storied franchise used to chase Stanley Cup titles with key players in their late 30s and 40s such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Larry Murphy.

Not anymore.

As the Chicago Blackhawks are now finding out, the Red Wings are much better than they were during the regular season thanks to an improved cast of inexperienced players.

“We’ve had great growth from within, I think the most since I’ve been in the National Hockey League for sure,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said Sunday. “That may be because we have a different type of team. We got a whole bunch of kids, so we have a chance for growth.”

Red Wings rookie Brendan Smith scored the winning goal Saturday in Detroit’s 4-1 win at Chicago that tied the series 1-1. The top-seeded Blackhawks won the opener by the same 4-1 score.

“We knew they were going to come back and play much better than they did in Game 1,” Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said. “Obviously, we didn’t quite match the effort.”

When the puck drops Monday night in Detroit for Game 3, Toews hopes his team is ready to bounce back.

“There’s no time to waste in this series,” Toews said. “We know going into their building it’s even more difficult.”

It will be even more challenging for Chicago if Toews can’t produce as he did in the 48-game regular season.

Toews had 23 goals, tying Patrick Kane for the team lead and trailing just four players in the league. However, he is struggling to score for a third straight postseason.

Toews is in an eight-game playoff slump that dates to last year. He has just three goals combined in three postseasons since scoring seven goals to help Chicago win the Cup in 2010. He had seven goals the previous postseason — his first — when Detroit eliminated the Blackhawks in the Western Conference finals.

Henrik Zetterberg had a lot to do with holding Toews without a point in Game 2, an accomplishment that didn’t surprise Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard.

“Most nights, he’s the best player on the ice,” Howard said. “No different from (Saturday), the way he was all over Toews the whole game, shutting him down. We’re going to need that for the whole series.”

The Red Wings would also benefit if their inexperienced players figure out a way to avoid fading into the background.

Before Smith’s go-ahead goal on Saturday, first-year player Damien Brunner and rookie Gustav Nyquist also scored winning goals this postseason — in overtime against Anaheim. Teammate Joakim Andersson ranks among rookie scoring leaders.

The 27-year-old Brunner, too old to be a candidate for the Calder Trophy given to the rookie of the year, has followed up a 26-point regular season with four goals in the playoffs to match Johan Franzen for the team lead. He also has three assists.

Calder finalist Brandon Saad has only one assist in seven postseason games for the Blackhawks. The 20-year-old forward had 27 points during the regular season.

Brunner has insisted it doesn’t bother him to be out of the running for the Calder, and sounded even more thankful on Sunday that he waited to make the jump from the Swiss League.

The 5-foot-11, 184-pound forward was banged around on the ice quite a bit and had growing pains off it, dealing with a lot of travel after his longest trip last year was a 2½-hour bus ride.

“You kind of think it’s not that big of a deal when you come over, but after a couple trips and the hours you lose, especially when you come back home, it’s tough,” Brunner said. “It’s really tough.”

While Babcock’s job behind the bench was tougher this year than it had been the past seven seasons with veteran-filled rosters, he relished the opportunity to lead the young Red Wings.

“It’s the most fun I’ve had coaching in a couple years, by far, just because we have a real enthusiastic group,” Babcock said. “At the start of the year, we weren’t a good team. We all understood that, but we buckled down and we got better. It’s been fun for us. If you would have asked me before the playoffs, I would’ve told you the same thing. Then suddenly you have a little success in the playoffs — and it’s more fun.”

___

Follow Larry Lage on Twitter: http://twitter.com/larrylage

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

After Game 2, Henrik might be in for some tossing and turning after experiencing some serious déjà vu.

Early in the third period, with the Bruins leading 3-2, Patrice Bergeron won the opening faceoff and shortly afterwards carried the puck on a 2-on-2 rush up the ice. With Marchand driving to the net, Bergeron carried the puck to the corner of the rink, drawing Michael Del Zotto with him before sending a pass to the front of the crease. Marchand, able to fight through Dan Girardi, got his tape on the puck and redirected it just under Lundqvist’s right pad.

The goal made the score 4-2 in favor of the Bruins with 19:34 left in the game, so it wasn’t quite the back-breaker that Thursday’s overtime goal was. Yet the goal appeared to crush New York’s hopes of clawing back, a thought completely eliminated 12 minutes later when Milan Lucic scored to give the Bruins a 5-2 lead. The rout was on, and while Lundqvist was a bit cryptic with his postgame comments, he seemed to confirm suspicions that the Rangers were taken off their game in the third period.

“We gave it to them,” Lundqvist said after the game, before repeating himself. “We gave it to them. I thought we played great, [but] I don’t think they had to work really hard to get a couple goals there. We just made it really tough on ourselves, so we have to correct a few things and go home and turn this around. It doesn’t matter the score — it’s a loss. Overtime or 5-2, doesn’t matter.”

The bottom line is that the final score doesn’t matter, but in a series predicated on defense and goaltending, the dynamic certainly shifts now. After an imperfect but respectable performance by Lundqvist in Game 1 (45 saves on 48 shots), the safe bet was for a monster performance in Game 2. Instead, he allowed five goals, the first time he’s done that in any game since March 9, 2011, and the first time he’s done it in a postseason game since April 26, 2009. His save percentage in the series now sits at .900, his goals-against average at 3.54. His regular-season numbers? A .926 save percentage and 2.05 GAA.

Despite the outcome, the Rangers won’t panic. Head coach John Tortorella said flatly, “I’m not evaluating our goaltending. I don’t need to evaluate Henrik. We know what Henrik is.”

And, really, the five goals don’t all fall on Lundqvist’s shoulders. Dan Girardi screened the goalie on Torey Krug’s shot, which opened the game’s scoring, and Girardi later kicked a Krug shot right to Gregory Campbell in front of the net for the second Bruins’ goal. Girardi again screened Lundqvist on Johnny Boychuk’s goal, the eventual game-winner, and he failed to break up the pass from Bergeron to Marchand early in the third. The icing on the cake for Girardi came when he made a decent play to drop to the ice to break up a pass, but ended up sliding out of the way and allowing Lucic to easily score the fifth goal. If anyone had a nightmare game, it was most certainly No. 5 in white, not No. 30.

Lundqvist also looked to be suffering through some sort of pain in the third period, and he later confirmed he had some sort of shoulder injury that would require a look from the team’s medical staff.

Excuses beyond his control were there for Lundqvist, and he certainly cashed in on the opportunity to make them, but he is not supposed to be just any goalie. The reigning Vezina winner and almost-unanimous best goalie in the sport should be able to rise to the challenge of playoff hockey and come through with saves no matter the circumstance — maybe not all of them, but at least one of them. That’s what it takes to get through the postseason and win a Cup for a team dependent on defense, and the last two Conn Smythe winners are proof of that.

For the last two games in Boston, dozens of reporters, microphones and cameras crowded around Lundqvist’s locker stall, because he is the superstar, and he is the “king.” His hat with the number 30 inside a crown, which he wore after the 5-2 loss, was there to remind everyone of that.

But one more game from Lundqvist where the king plays like just another goalie, and this series is going to be a lot shorter than most everyone anticipated.

Read more from Michael by clicking here, or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

Police say a handgun, rifle and $2,000 in cash were taken.

They say someone got into the home through a rear window overnight on Friday.

The Ravens star was not home at the time and police say there is no suspect in custody.

If you have any information, please call police.

Ron Matz reports while basking in the glow of Saturday’s success, major renovations are in the works for old hilltop.

By any measure this year’s Preakness was a resounding success.

“I had some concern with the weather, that it would put a real damper on the day, but the people turned out,” said Tom Chuckas, president of Maryland Jockey Club. “Obviously, the work we’ve done with the brand has turned things around. It was just amazing. I don’t think I’ve had a better day in the 5 or 6 years I’ve been here.”

From the infield to all around the track, a feeling Maryland racing is on the upswing.

The Friday before Preakness is also becoming a major event. Nearly 40,000 people attended Black-Eyed Susan Day this year.

“I was happy with the crowds Friday,” Chuckas said. “When I look at Black-Eyed Susan Day it’s about women and women’s empowerment. We’ve turned things around on Friday. We had 32,000 people last year, nearly 40,000 thousand this year.”

And Pimlico says the days will get better with some major renovations down the road.

“The Preakness has turned around. The atmosphere and the attitude people have coming here. It’s not the wild, wild west anymore. It’s a place you want to be at and be treated well,” Chuckas said.

And with 117,000 at Old Hilltop Saturday, Pimlico looks to the future.

“You can rest assured the infield will be open again on Friday next year,” Chuckas said. “It has a potential to grow. I think in 2 or 3 years we can do 70 to 80 thousand.”

Mark your calendars. Next year’s Preakness is all set for Saturday, May 17.

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Things have turned sour for the Birds, who have lost five in a row and seven of nine. So this week’s 6-4-3 will try and stay positive.

Top 6
1. Rangers – only they could over come a three-HR game from reigning Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera.
2. Cardinals – the best pitching staff in baseball took a hit when Jamie Garcia, (5-2, 3.58 ERA) landed on the DL.
3. Yankees – scored the second fewest runs in AL East by just seven. Given up the fewest runs in the AL East by 20!
4. Indians – Terry Francona will get the credit, but GM Chris Antonetti should with signing names like Swisher, Reynolds and Bourn.
5. Red Sox – pretty simple formula: .266 team BA (3rd in AL) and 3.80 team ERA (5th in AL). That equals a lot of wins.
6. Braves – they have slowed considerably since their hot start, but so has the rest of their division.

4 Stats
1. Matt Moore is 8-0. Rays have won all of his nine starts and he’s given up more than three runs just once! By the way, the last lefty this young to start 8-0, was Babe Ruth!
2. Matt Harvey (yes, I will do this once a week!), has five wins. Without them, the Mets would have just 12 as a team. That’s the only thing that separates the Mets from the Astros.
3. Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown last year. He is ahead of his pace from last year already through 42 games: 2012-.304/8/34 vs. 2013-.387/11/47.
4. Jean Segura of the Milwaukee Brewers, leads the NL in batting with a .364 batting averages and 59 hits in 41 games. Last season in 45 games, he had just 39 hits.

Bottom 3
1. Astros – I think it’s safe to say they will hold this spot for the rest of the year.
2. Marlins – I think it’s safe to say they will hold this spot for the rest of the year.
3. Mets – they got their 10th win on April 24th. They have just 17 wins so far this year.

Follow me on Twitter @MarkZinno

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

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What a weekend of playoff hockey we got to experience! On Saturday during the day the Red Wings rolled over the Blackhawks 4-1. Patrick Kane had a goal while Corey Crawford struggled in net. Saturday night saw the Kings travel to San Jose for game three of their west conference semi-final series. The Sharks won the game in overtime after the Kings collapsed under the weight of penalty troubles.

The day time game on Sunday, the Bruins continued to flex their muscles over the Rangers with a 5-2 win. Henrik Lundqvist was not his usual stonewall self as he showed some serious holes. The Bruins continue to enforce their will on the Rangers and will try to continue to do so even though the series now shifts to New York and Madison Square Garden.

Sunday night saw the Penguins drop one to the Senators in this playoff season’s first double overtime game. The Penguins had a 3-0 lead in the series wrapped up until Daniel Alfreddson scored with :29 seconds left. Colin Greening knocked home a rebound from Tomas Vokoun to get the Sens back in the series, they now trail only 2-1.

On Tap for Tonight:

We will see the Red Wings and Blackhawks go at it in game 3 with both teams looking to grab a series lead. The series shifts to Detroit but that shouldn’t affect the Blackhawks who were 2-0 in Detroit this season, the puck drops at 7:30pm.

Follow the Guys on Twitter:

Steve Kolbe — @SteveKolbeVoice
Kevin Thomas — @Kevown8999
Andy Snakovsky — @andysnakovsky

(Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

After successfully picking the winners of all four NBA conference semi-finals series, I will now try my luck with the next round.

In the East, the Miami Heat fought past the injured Chicago Bulls to make it to the conference finals for the third-straight season. The Indiana Pacers ended the New York Knicks fine campaign in six games.

The San Antonio Spurs survived the high-scoring Golden State Warriors in six to make it to the NBA Final Four for the second consecutive year. The Memphis Grizzlies advanced to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history by bouncing the defending Western Conference champion OKC Thunder in five games.

EAST:

(1) Miami Heat vs. (3) Indiana Pacers: These two teams met in last year’s conference semi-finals with Miami winning in six games. During the 2012-13 regular season, the Pacers took two of three from the defending NBA champs. LeBron James in the best player in the world and won another MVP. That being said, his matchup with the Pacers Paul George should be interesting. Dwyane Wade is still banged up for the Heat and Roy Hibbert has played well for Indiana. In what should be a physical series, Miami will be just too good….Heat in 6.

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies: The last time these teams met in the playoffs in 2011, the Grizzlies upset the top-seeded Spurs in the first-round. They split four games during the 2012-13 regular season. Since losing the first two games to the Clippers, Memphis is 8-1 in the postseason. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol have been tough inside. The San Antonio “Big Three” of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is playoff tested and looking to redeem themselves after losing to the Thunder in 2012. I see this one going the distance with experience winning out….Spurs in 7.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The Baltimore Orioles have had pitching issues to say the least. If it hasn’t come from the starters, it’s come from the bullpen, namely one Jim Johnson who was, at one point, the most reliable man in the game.

J.J. has struggled in his last two appearences giving up seven runs on seven hits in an inning and a third. His ERA has gone from 0.95 to 3.98 over that span as well. Out of all of the pitchers on the O’s staff, you would think that Johnson is the guy they need more than any.

The Orioles can hit and they will hit. They will score runs whether the starters are on or not. With that glaring fact, you have to imagine the offense will get them late leads. Late leads present opportunities to close and Jim Johnson is the O’s closer. Whether it’s physical or mental, he has to fix the issue.

Recent history with Jose Valverde, Brian Wilson and Brian Fuentes suggests that leading the Majors in saves isn’t great for your career resume but Johnson was off to such a great start. Hopefully mid-May is just a hiccup for the righty.

Steve started off by asking how surprised he was that Orb didn’t finish in the money. Mike said it was pretty shocking because Orb trained well and Shug was definitely confident about his horse. However, if an upset had to happen it couldn’t have happened for better people.

Bob asked what was the biggest shock that Oxbow won or Orb didn’t. He said that Orb not winning was the bigger shock because he didn’t even look like the same horse that won the Derby.  Mike said that Orb just never fired like he is capable of. He said that Gary Stevens is a master and he “stole” the Preakness.

Steve asked if they should change how the three races of the triple crown should be ran. Mike said no because we have seen horses do it in the past and changing the rules to make it easier isn’t right.

Bob wanted to know if we underestimated Oxbow. Mike said no he wasn’t overlooked and that he just ran the race of his life. Mike said that Oxbow was in the race coming around the backstretch at the Derby, but the fast pace got to him.

Steve started off by asking how the Yankees continue to win with all their injuries. Ken said it has primarily been because of the pitching, and it starts with Sabathia and Kuroda.

Bob wanted to know how short a closers memory needs to be. Ken said that Mariano is able to turn the page no matter his situation and when you look at Jim Johnson this past weekend he looked upset but just needs to get back out there.

Steve asked how long until you need to worry about Johnson.  Ken said there is still a long time until you need to worry because all closers blow saves.  It is just part of the game, it happens.

Bob asked if the Orioles needs to be concerned with their pitching staff. He said absolutely and that right now Tillman is their best pitcher.  The problem arises when the staff can’t go six innings and the bullpen get overworked.

Steve wanted to know about players get booed. Ken said that fans back in the 70s and 80s were inclined to boo because the team won so he can’t recall being booed in Baltimore. From Flaherty’s perspective Ken can understand why the Orioles sent him down.

Bob asked about Ken’s time playing with Reggie Jackson. Ken said that he was a little worried because Reggie played the same position so he knew he was going to need to change his position. He said that he talked with Reggie and Jackson told him that for 250,000 dollars he would have stayed in Baltimore. In the end though it worked out because if Reggie stayed in Baltimore Ken probably wouldn’t have gotten his five year deal.

To wrap it up Steve asked about Ken’s involvement with the Cool Kids organization. He said that it helps with kids who have cancer and allows them to keep up with events and school.

After Oxbow upset Kentucky Derby winner Orb in Saturday’s Preakness to extend racing’s Triple Crown drought to 36 years, the next best alternative for the Belmont Stakes is a rematch.

And, it appears one is in the making. Both trainers are giving every indication their classic-winning colts will run in the Belmont on June 8.

“You know me,” Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said after Oxbow’s 1 3/4-length victory over Itsmyluckyday, with 3-5 favorite Orb finishing fourth. “I like to rack them up in the big events. So, I’ll probably go.”

Trainer Shug McGaughey says he’d like to run Orb in the Belmont as long as the colt is doing well.

“The Belmont Stakes is on our radar screen,” McGaughey said Sunday after arriving back at Belmont Park and checking on his Derby winner, who was vanned back earlier in the day.

After a talk with Orb’s owners Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps and Stuart Janney III, McGaughey said, “We just all came to the conclusion that we should just watch Orb and see. I think everything is in good shape. We’d like to run.

“But yesterday took a little bit out of him and he’s already run five times this year and it’s only the middle of May. I’d sure like to have him fresh for Saratoga and a Jim Dandy/Travers kind of a go.”

A year ago, there was great anticipation for a Triple try after I’ll Have Another won the Derby and Preakness, but the colt was scratched the day before the Belmont because of a tendon injury.

The most recent of 20 rematches between classic winners in the Belmont was two years ago, with Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford hooking up — but 24-1 long shot Ruler On Ice pulled the upset.

Hours after Oxbow’s win at 15-1 odds gave Lukas his record 14th Triple Crown race win — and sixth Preakness — the trainer and his colt where on the road back to Churchill Downs.

If both show up for the 1 1/2 -mile Belmont, a formidable lineup of challengers could be waiting. Todd Pletcher has five possible starters: Derby runners Revolutionary (third), Overanalyze (11th) and Palace Malice (12th), as well as a pair of fillies in Dreaming of Julia and Unlimited Budget.

Other possibles include Derby runner-up Golden Soul, Mylute (fifth in the Derby, third in the Preakness), Freedom Child, Power Broker and Code West.

McGaughey was disappointed he couldn’t follow up his first Derby win with his first Preakness win, but said, “Winning the Derby was my lifetime dream and we won it. I would have loved to have won yesterday and taken it to the next level.”

Lukas, meanwhile, won his first Triple Crown race since 2000, when Commendable won the Belmont. Since that win, Lukas was 0-for-31 in 22 Triple Crown races before Saturday.

“I still enjoy doing this so much,” he said. “I don’t wake up every day anymore trying to prove I can train a racehorse. When you’re younger, you keep trying to prove yourself. I’m very comfortable with where I’m at.”

Oxbow, ridden by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, took the lead just after the start and led every step of the way. Orb never seemed to get into his long-striding running style after leaving from the inside No. 1 post and didn’t make a serious run for the lead.

The winning time of 1:57.54 was the slowest since 1961, when Carry Back won in 1:57.60. No matter, it gave Stevens his third Preakness win to go along with his three Derby and three Belmonts wins. Not bad for a guy coming back after a seven-year retirement.

“I can’t say that we thought we were going to win,” the 50-year Hall of Fame rider said, “but we knew we had a chance to win.”

The win was a big one for Calumet Farm, too, the iconic stable being revitalized by new owner Brad Kelley. The stable that produced Triple Crown champions Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948 won its first classic since Forward Pass took the Preakness in the 1968.

“They’re all special because they were with a different client,” Lukas said when asked to compare his Preakness wins. “The key is to get one every once in a while for the new guy. We’ve got a new guy in Brad Kelley at Calumet. And to know he was watching at home and put Calumet, who we all know that name, back on the front pages of the racing publications is very special.”

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)