San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro: Sharks continue road trip in LA for two games starting Tuesday night

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During the shootout stanza the San Jose Sharks Kevin Labanc tries to put one on net but the puck is stopped by Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller on Sat Feb 6, 2021 at the Honda Center in Anaheim (AP News photo)

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Len:

#1 Saturday night another nail biter for the San Jose Sharks and a shootout this time in Anaheim against the Ducks at the Honda Center. Anaheim’s Max Comtois got the game winning shot in the shootout for the 2-1 win.

#2 The Ducks got shootout scoring help from Troy Terry and the Sharks Ryan Danato both scored. The Ducks goalie Ryan Miller saved shot attempts from Logan Couture and Kevin LaBanc.

#3 At the beginning of the game the Couture scored 11 seconds into the first period. Then the Ducks Isac Lundestrom answered right back in the second period at 5:42 to tie up the game and that was all the scoring in regulation.

#4 In goal the Sharks and Ducks saw some great defense for the Sharks Devon Dubnyk worked hard and saw a plenty of shots stopping 32 and the Ducks Ryan Miller stopped 26 shots in a good defensive game.

#5 The Sharks have today and Monday off and are in Los Angeles to face the Kings on Tuesday and Thursday at Staples Center. The Kings have a four game loss streak and played the Vegas Golden Knights Sunday and took a tough one goal loss 4-3. The Sharks stay in the Southland for their next two games a two game series in LA.

Join Len for the Sharks podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro Sun Feb 7, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Fox helps Kings in fourth quarter come back in 113-110 win

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The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox struggles to hold onto the ball while on his back as the Los Angeles Clippers guard Terrence Mann looks to get the ball in the first half (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings are flying high. The Kings entered Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers winners of six out of their last seven games. The Kings most recent game came against the Denver Nuggets yesterday. The Kings came back in the fourth quarter for the win on Sunday 113-111 at Staples Center it’s the Kings fourth straight win.

Yesterday, the first game of a back to back for the Kings, the Kings defeated the Denver Nuggets 119-114. This Kings were able to defeat the Nuggets despite a 50 point night from Nikola Jokic. Harrison Barnes added 28 points for the Kings. However, at the end of the day, it all comes down to defense. The Kings were able to hold the Nuggets to under 115 points and that usually means good things for the Kings.

The Kings looked to do the same against the Clippers on Sunday after. Tip-off was set for 12 PM PST in Los Angeles.

In the first half, the Kings played well against the Clippers. The first quarter set a slower pace to the game for both teams on offense. The Kings only managed 22 points compared to only 24 for the Clippers. Neither team seemed to really be in an offensive rhythm. In the second, the Kings took the lead. They outscored the Clippers 32-27 in the second quarter on improved shooting from the Kings. The Kings would take a 54-51 lead into halftime looking to make a statement in LA in the second half.

In the second half, it was more of a high powered offense. The Kings managed to put up 25 points in the third quarter compared to the Clippers 29. It was a win for the Kings as the didn’t collapse and put themselves in a hole too large to overcome. In the fourth, it was once again the De’Aaron Fox show. The Kings out scored the Clippers 34-30 in the final quarter to win. De’Aaron Fox continues to be the best player for the Kings as he finished with 36 points in the game. Lou Williams led the Clippers in defeat with 23 points.

Up Next: The Kings go home to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday at 7 PM PST in

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: República Dominicana Wins Caribbean Series, Again

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Criollos de Caguas the Aguilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic are the Caribbean Series 2021 Campeones defeating Puerto Rico on Saturday for the Championship (image from @elacid0)

República Dominicana Wins Caribbean Series, Again

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

With a 4-1 victory over Puerto Rico’s Criollos de Caguas the Aguilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic are the undefeated champions (7-0) of the 2021 Serie del Caribe that ended Saturday in Mazatlán, México.

For the second year in a row the Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico in the championship game to win their 21st Caribbean Series. Outfielder Juan Lagares of the champion Doninican Republic was the Most Valuable player and today the Los Angeles Angels announced they signed Lagares to a minor league contract.

At the conclusion of this year’s Serie del Caribe here is where the countries by total championships: Dominican Republic 21 titles, Puerto Rico 16, México 9, Cuba 8, Venezuela 7, Panamá 2, Colombia 0. The 2022 Caribbean Series will take place at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice presidente for the MLB Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Fall to the Ducks 2-1 in Shootout

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The San Jose Sharks Nikolai Knyzhov (71) gets behind the puck while the Anaheim Ducks Rickard Rakell (67) stays right behind Knyzhov during Sat Feb 7, 2021 game at the Honda Center in Anaheim (AP News photo) 

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost 2-1 in a shoot-out to the Anaheim Ducks Saturday. Max Comtois scored the game winner in the shoot-out for Anaheim, with Isac Lundestrom scoring in regulation and Troy Terry also scoring in the shoot-out. Ryan Miller made 26 saves for the win. Logan Couture scored for the Sharks and Devan Dubnyk made 32 saves in the loss.

Saturday’s game was very different from Friday’s goal-fest. While the Sharks held the Ducks to a single goal in regulation and over-time, they did not manage to score more than one either. There was just one change in the forward roster, with Rudolfs Balcers coming in for Alex Chmelevski. Dubnyk was in net instead of Martin Jones, which was to be expected with back-to-back games. Finally, two of the three the defensive pairings were different: Burns was with Ferraro, Karlsson was with Simek, and Vlasic was with Knyzhov. Those changes on defense were probably the most impactful adjustments.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said, of the blue line pairings:

“I thought they all held their own. It was just, it was a bit of a sloppy game. You know, defensively, I have to watch the tape again and it’s tough for e to comment right after, but you know, I thought we had some breakdowns but I thought for the most part we didn’t give up a ton.”

The Sharks started early with a goal just 11 seconds in. Mario Ferraro took a shot that jumped around in some traffic before Logan Couture found it behind Ryan Miller and knocked it in. Assists went to Ferraro and Evander Kane.

That was it for scoring in the first. Special teams got to warm up in the first, with each team getting one power play and a four-on-four. The Sharks did not register any shots on their power play, while Anaheim got credit for seven. The shots were 12-10 Anaheim and the face-off advantage went to the Sharks at 53%.

The Ducks tied the game 5:42 in to the second period. Hampus Lindholm’s shot from the blue line deflected off of Ferraro and then again off of Isac Lundestrom before getting by Dubnyk. It was Lundestrom’s first NHL goal and assists went to Lindholm and Kevin Shattenkirk.

The Sharks had to kill two penalties in the second period and they had no power plays. The Ducks registered three shots in their second period power plays, with a total of nine in the period. The Sharks added twelve shots to their game tally, all at even strength. The Sharks saw a big drop off in their face-off success, winning just 33% in the second period.

The Sharks had just one shot in the third period with 3:56 left in the period. A second later, Mario Ferraro got credit for the team’s second shot. (The first came just over five minutes in, from Patrick Marleau.) The Ducks had eight shots in the same time frame. The Sharks improved a little in the face-off circle but still came in at just 46%. No penalties were called in the third period.

The Sharks had no shots in the overtime period. The Ducks had just two but they had the puck for almost the whole period, though the Sharks won 67% of the draws.

The shoot-out did not start well for either goaltender as the first three shots went in the net. Troy Terry and Max Comtois scored for Anaheim and Ryan Donato scored for San Jose. Logan Couture, Kevin Shattenkirk and Kevin Labanc all had their shots stopped.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Kings at 7:00 PM PT.

Mavericks outlast Warriors win 134-132; Doncic has big night 42 points for Mavs

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The Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic (77) goes for the score past Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) in the first half action on Sat Feb 6, 2021 in Dallas (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Dallas Mavericks rebounded from their worst loss of the season Thursday night to beat the Golden State Warriors 134-132 Saturday night. The teams played another highly entertaining game as they raced up and down the court.

The Mavericks Luka Doncic tied a career-high with 42 points. The Warriors Steph Curry continued to shine as he knocked down 11 threes on his way to 57 points for the night. It was the eighth time in his storied NBA career that he scored more than 50 points in a game.

The Warriors scored more than 30 points in each of the four quarters. The Mavs also scored more than 30 in the first three quarters. The Warriors held them to 28 in the fourth.

Dallas got off to a blazing start in the first quarter. They raced out to an early 18-2 lead. The Warriors were unfazed. They fought back and were able to finish the first quarter trailing 35-31.

The Mavericks continued to put points on the board in the second quarter. They won the quarter 37-33 to finish the first half leading 72-64. Luka Doncic paced the Dallas offense, while Curry was the scoring leader for Golden State.

The Warriors won the third quarter by three points to trail by five 106-101. The Warriors tied the game at 88 when Juan Toscano-Anderson made a dunk. The Warriors regained the lead 101-100. Tim Hardaway, Jr. scored the last six points of the quarter. He was fouled making a three-pointer. He sank all three free throws. He then connected on a three to give Dallas the lead 106-101.

The Mavericks continued to maintain the lead. They increased the advantage to ten 118-108. The Warriors refused to give up. They chipped away at the Mavericks lead. They came to within a point when Curry drained a three to make it 131-130 with 28 seconds left. The Mavericks Maxi Kleber connected on a three with 5.6 seconds remaining to ice the win for Dallas. Curry made a bucket, but they could not overcome the four-point lead. Dallas wins 134-132.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors record is now 12-11 for the year. Dallas improved to 10-14.

Last Thursday, the Warriors had seven players in double-figures. Saturday night was a different story as only four players were able to score double-digits. Curry led the team with 57 points, two rebounds, and five assists.

He was 19 for 31 from the floor, and he connected on eleven threes in 19 tries. Andrew Wiggins continued his excellent play on both ends of the court. Wiggins finished the night with 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Kelly Oubre, Jr., who had a career-high 40 points last Thursday, returned to earth as he recorded 14 points, five rebounds, and one assist.

Kelly was five for 16 from the floor, and he knocked down two threes. Draymond Green was outstanding as a playmaker and a force on defense. Green recorded 15 assists for the second game in a row.

He pulled down six boards, had six steals, and blocked four shots. He scored 11 points Thursday night. It was a different story Saturday night. He took just three shots, good for two points.

He also turned the ball over seven times. Juan Toscano-Anderson had a tough night on offense, too. The young man from East Oakland scored sixteen and fourteen points in the last two games. He did pull down ten rebounds but took just one shot, which tied the game at 88.

Kent Bazemore, coming off the bench, had his best game as a Warrior. He was seven for 11 from the floor and connected on two threes. He finished the night with 20 points. 

Luka Doncic led Dallas with 42 points. The other four Maverick starters all finished in double figures. Maxi Kleber had 16, Kristaps Porzingis 18, Dorian Finney-Smith 10, Josh Richardson 17. Mavericks reserves Timmy Hardaway, Jr had 11, and Dwight Powell 8.

The Warriors meet the San Antonio Spurs Monday and Tuesday nights in San Antonio. Tip off for both games at 5:30 pm.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Beat Denver 119-114 Proving That Playoff Contention A Possibility

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The Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) tries to distract the Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes who takes a shot during Sat Feb 6, 2021’s game at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Sacramento Kings took on the Denver Nuggets in a game that proved a lot more than previously thought about this team. The Kings were able to sneak one past the sixth place Nuggets 119-114 in a game that was hard fought from beginning to end.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic had a career high 50 points but it was not enough to deter the Kings as Sacramento celebrated a season sweep. Nikola had help from team mates Barton (11 points), Millsap (14 points), and Morris (11 points) but the Kings stubbornly hung in this game from the tipoff.

While the Nuggets starters were able to muster some real energy the Kings outplayed them with some great’ play by Harrison Barnes who scored 28 points and 7 rebounds which overshadowed the 50 point game that Jokic turned in. Barnes had a great supporting cast thanks to the play of De’Aaron Fox who had 24 points and Richaun Holmes with 21 points.

Coming off the bench Tyrese Haliburton had 23 points proving that the Iowa State phenomenon is going to be one of the strengths of this team. He really came up clutch in the fourth quarter of this game. We have seen this from day one and he is just getting started. We will be seeing a lot from this guy who looked so promising as the season got underway and he has not disappointed. At every turn Haliburton is getting high praise some of that praise coming from former Kings coach Michael Malone. In fact he did say that Haliburton “kicked our ass every time we’ve played him.”

The Kings have an 11-11 record at the present and with more games like the one we saw tonight they will no doubt make their presence knows as the season moves forward. They are on their way to proving that they could possibly be playoff contenders.

Tomorrow the Kings will be playing the Clippers. The Clippers Paul George will remain out in this game which is disappointing news for Los Angeles. Tipoff is at 12:00 as LA will try to hold off the surging Kings.

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Krush for Elvis-A Trade of Convenience-

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Former Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus throws the ball in this Mar 11, 2020 photo as Andrus heads to the Oakland A’s as the A’s were looking for a shortstop (AP News photo)

Krush for Elvis-A Trade of Convenience-

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The Oakland Athletics do not have to look anymore for an everyday shortstop, after Marcus Semien left for Toronto. Today, the A’s and the Rangers made an interesting trade. The A’s traded Khris Davis DH/outfielder to the Texas Rangers for shortstop Elvis Andrus and catcher Aramis García, who played for the Giants last year. In the deal the A’s also send young catcher Jonah Heim as well as minor league right-handed pitcher Dave Acker to the Rangers.

Elvis Andrus began his 12 year career with the Rangers in 2009 and he showed how good he was going to be when he visited the Oakland Coliseum during his very first trip. Last season he hit .197 with three home runs and seven runs batted in a total of 27 games. However, he is a career .274 hitter with 1,628 games played at shortstop, most by a shortstop in Major League Baseball since that debut during a night game at Oakland.

Khris “Krush” Davis hit only .200 with 2 home runs and ten runs batted in 30 games last season. He was a very productive slugger specially during a three-year period with the A’s from 2016 to 2018 when he hit over 40 home runs and 100 runs batted-in or more each season.

The proverbial trade of convenience, because both players needed a change of scenery, both had down years in 2020 but if they can regain some of their productivity at the plate, it could benefit both ball-clubs as well as prolong their careers. Elvis Andrus has been a solid defensive shortstop and a very productive hitter, with excellent speed running the bases.

When I first saw Elvis Andrus during the first game he ever played at the Coliseum he showed tremendous defensive skills and as a hitter not an easy out, top-of-the-order hitter with good speed.

I remember at that time (first time we saw him play) we spoke highly of him during our Spanish broadcast of the Atléticos Radio Network. In 2019 and 2020 Khris Davis lost his confidence after the A’s signed him for a two year deal.

Krush gave A’s fans a lot of thrills, the young man of an African-American father and Mexican mother is a good guy, decent man but his swing was just not there. A’s players got along well with Krush and we wish him nothing but the best in Texas, a ballpark much more friendlier for his home-run swing than the Oakland Coliseum.

Andrus was tutored back in his early years by Omar Vizquel, one of the greatest defensive shortstops in history. Andrus as well as Vizquel both from Venezuela, the land of shortstops and Elvis Andrus always will be grateful to his compatriot.

Some of the other shortstops from Venezuela: Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio (Hall of Fame), David Concepción, Omar Vizquel, Ozzie Guillén, Carlos Guillén, Alcides Escobar, Alex González, César Izturis, Eugenio Sánchez, Gleyber Torres. It is my opinion that Dave Concepción as well as Omar Vizquel should join Luis Aparicio someday in the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play talent for the Oakland A’s Spanish flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda finally open up in San Jose; Can Cuda withstand 3 players leaving for Sharks

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The Tucson Barracuda and San Jose Barracuda who canceled their pre season game on Friday will face off in San Jose SAP Center on Sun Feb 7, 2021 for the Barracuda’s first home opener (sjbarracuda.com photo)

On the San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 The San Jose Sharks the San Jose Barracuda parent club has recalled three Barracuda players, first forwards to come up to the Sharks Rudolf Balcers, Maxim Letunov, and defenceman Fredrik Claesson on Thursday.  Will their departure put a hole in the Barracuda line up?

#2 The Barracuda schedule has been switched around the Barracuda were supposed to play their last pre season game on Fri Feb 5th against the Tucson Roadrunners at SAP Center but that game was postponed. The next game Sat 6th was moved to Sun Feb 7th for an 11am face off and will be the home opener and Mon 8th will conclude the brief two game series with Tucson for a 6:00pm face off.

#3 The Barracuda stated that these changes were made out of an abundance of caution due to a player coming up positive for Covid-19 last Sat Jan 30th in Las Vegas against the Henderson Silver Knights. In the third period officials were notified of the positive test and stopped the game and had both teams return to the dressing rooms and the game was postponed per AHL Covid-19 protocols.

#4 The Barracuda (2-3) lost their last game 7-3 to the Silver Knights in Las Vegas Fri Jan 29th at the Orleans Arena. One thing the Barracuda had time to work on during these days of postponed games was trying to work on avoiding the five goal second period they had endured in that last game.

#5 Long rest ready to get back to work, the Barracuda had Friday off and will have their home opener Sunday this morning for their first home opener. For the Barracuda they have to be happy to be back in San Jose.

Join Marko for Barracuda podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic Sat Feb 6, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Barnes, Fox, and Halliburton lead Kings to third straight win

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The Sacramento Kings center Harrison Barnes (center) does a no look attempt at scoring against the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic (left) and Michael Porter Jr (right) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Feb 6, 2021 (AP News photo)

On Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 After losing three straight the Sacramento Kings have now won three straight games after the three game loss there was talk about Kings head coach Luke Walton being on the hot seat that seat has since cooled.

#2 Kings were at home Saturday afternoon got a big win over the Denver Nuggets 119-111 what was one of the key things about this game that gave them the win?

#3 Jeremiah this was a close game throughout and the Kings pulled away in the fourth quarter to pick up the five point win how much do you lend the credit to the defense for holding the Nuggets back.

#4 The Kings had four scorers in double figures and the top three came through big with Harrison Barnes 28 pts, De’Aaron Fox 24 pts, and Tyrese Halliburton 23 pts.

#5 The Kings face the 17-7 Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at 12pm and just enough time to end the game leading into the Super Bowl. Can the Kings give the Clippers a game with Kawhi Leonard and company?

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson Sat Feb 6, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

NHL podcast with Matt Harrington: NHL games continued to be postponed due to Covid; Ovechkin moves into 7th on all time goal scoring list

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The Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin moved past Mike Gartner on the all time NHL goal scoring list to seventh place on Thursday (file photo from hotsr.com)

On the NHL podcast with Matt:

#1 Taking a look at some of the postponements in the NHL. The Minnesota Wild have shut down facilities and games due to Coronavirus concerns. Six players are on the NHL Covid-19 protocol list for the next four games and the Wild have their next four games postponed.

#2 Matt a total of 22 NHL games have now been postponed spanning 16 of the 24 NHL teams stateside. If the NHL wanted to get this season going without a hitch wouldn’t have been much safer with at least four bubble cities in Canada with no US travel to make this work or four bubbles in Arizona and Florida to make it work?

#3 The Arizona Coyotes and St Louis Blues will play their series at Enterprise Arena in St Louis on Sunday and Monday after a number of NHL games have been postponed. Arizona was supposed to have played the Wild on Saturday and Sunday and the Blues were suppose to play the Colorado Avalanche this weekend. The Avalanche postponed their games with the Blues because of Covid-19 protocols and the Aves have now postponed four games. The Aves and Wild’s games have been postponed through Feb 11th.

#4 Matt talk about the achievement of the Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin who scored on the New York Rangers on Thursday to move past Mike Gartner into seventh place on the all time goal scorers list.

#5 The San Jose Sharks were supposed to open their home season in Glendale but that was canceled when their opponents the Las Vegas Golden Knights had Covid-19 protocol issues. The Sharks have not played on game in San Jose yet but are scheduled to be there for their first home opener on Sat 13th.

Join Matt Harrington each Saturday night for the NHL podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Podcast with Matt Harrington Sat Feb 6, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud