NHL podcast with Daniel Dullum: Islanders return to Uniondale next season; Thornton was hoping to be traded from Sharks; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

photo from masslive.com: Boston Bruins center Sean Kuraly (52) skates the puck behind the New York Islanders net against defenseman Scott Mayfield (24) during the first period an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Uniondale, NY.

NHL podcast with Daniel Dullum:

1 Islanders return full-time to Nassau Coliseum for next season

2 Sharks’ Thornton said he was disappointed that no trade happened at the deadline

3 Rangers’ Chris Kreider signs extension, breaks ankle

4 YouTube TV reaches agreement on temporary extension with Sinclair, Fox regional sports networks; Ticket companies back removal of hidden fees

5 Blues’ D Jay Bouwmeester to sit out remainder of the season

6 CBS News correspondent not impressed with Zamboni driver’s feat

Daniel Dullum hosts the NHL podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Shut-out Penguins 5-0; Jones stops all 30 Penguin shots

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

photo from sfgate.com: The San Jose Sharks goaltender Marty Jones (31) puts one of his 30 saves on the Pittsburgh Penguins Teddy Blueger (53) in the second period on Saturday night at SAP Center in San Jose

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE- The San Jose Sharks shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-0 Saturday, extending the Penguins’ losing streak to six. Sharks goals came from Evander Kane, Timo Meier, Joel Kellman, Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. In all, nine Sharks players earned points in the game. Sharks goaltender Martin Jones made 30 saves for the win. Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry made 27 saves on 32 shots.

After the game, Sharks  captain Logan Couture said:

We know how it feels to be going through a tough time like that, when you get jumped on early. It really takes the wind out of your sails. So, that was our goal and I thought we did a very good job. You know, we started on time, we placed the puck in good spots and forced them to defend. With their skilled players they don’t like doing that was the big difference tonight.

The first period was scoreless until the 18:48 mark when Evander Kane took advantage of a turn-over in the neutral zone. He broke away form the pack and went right for the net. He moved right but then shot left to beat Tristan Jarry on the blocker side. Marc-Edouard Vlasic got the assist.

The shots were almost even at 11-10 Sharks. There was just one penalty, a tripping call against Mario Ferraro. The Penguins got three shots on the power play.

In the second period, penalties were called early and often. Each team had two penalties before the half-way mark of the period. Just 2:13 in, Evander Kane went to the box for a double-minor high-sticking against Chad Ruhwedel. Before that expired, Patrick Marleau was called for slashing Mario Ferraro. Less than a minute after that, Mario Ferraro was called for high-sticking Sidney Crosby. At 9:05, Marcus Pettersson was called for tripping Brent Burns. The Penguins got four shots during their time with the man advantage, while the Sharks got none.

Just seconds after that fourth penalty ended, Timo Meier added to the Sharks’ tally. Mario Ferraro held the puck in the zone and then, under pressure, got it to Marcus Sorensen. Sorensen made a quick pass to Timo Meier who was in the face-off circle. Meier took a shot that went under a defender’s stick and then through a hole against the post. Assists went to Sorensen and Ferraro.

At 14:15, Joel Kellman scored the Sharks’ third goal of the game. Marcus Sorensen carried the puck in along the boards, but had Schultz all over him. He dropped the puck to Kellman, who looked like he might pass to Radim Simek. Instead, he took the shot.

Radim Simek and Patrick Hornqvist added to the penalty tally with simultaneous minors at 14:56. A series of slashes around the Sharks net resulted in Simek challenging Hornqvist to fight but his invitation was declined. Simek went for roughing while Hornqvist went for slashing.

Logan Couture scored San Jose’s fourth of the game 8:01 into the third period. Ferraro took a shot from the blue line that Couture redirected under the goalie for his 16th of the season. Assists went to Ferraro and Kane.

Patric Hornqvist was called for interference at the same time as that goal, putting the Sharks on a power play. The Sharks got one shot on that power play.

Joe Thornton inadvertently scored the Sharks’ fifth goal. He tried to pass the puck to Timo Meier on the other side of the blue paint, but it went off a defender and into the net instead. Assists went to Meier and Tim Heed.

The final shot count was 32-30 Sharks. In the face-off circle, the Penguins won 57% of the draws.

Midway through the third period, Sharks defenseman Jacob Middleton and Penguins forward Dominik Simon left the game with injuries. Their injuries were not related but occurred at almost the same time in the game. Patrick Hornqvist pushed Middleton down in front of the net and Middleton seemed to get one leg in a bad position. “I just know Middsy went down pretty hard. I think it was his left ankle, he was screaming. It wasn’t good,” said Logan Couture after the game.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in San Jose at 7:30 PM PT.

Warriors upset Suns to snap eight-game losing streak 115-99

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

photo from sfgate.com: Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (1) drives past Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Phoenix.

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, down to eight healthy players, found a way to beat the Phoenix Suns Saturday night 115-99. Draymond Green was out with left knee soreness, Jordan Poole and Ky Bowman were out with ankle injuries.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to figure out another starting lineup. He inserted Dragan Bender and Juan Toscano-Anderson at forward and guard. Andrew Wiggins returned to action after suffering back spasms last Thursday. Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, and Mychal Mulder were the only players to come off the bench.

The Suns easily won the first quarter 41-28. They took an early lead, and the Warriors played catchup for the first 12 minutes of play.  The Warriors offense picked up in the second quarter. The Warriors outscored the Suns 33-24 to finish the first half trailing 65-61.

The Warriors trailed for most of the third period. They were able to tie the game at 72. The Suns could not get their offense going at all in the period. The Warriors went on 16-0 run to finish the period leading 92-81. The Warriors won the third quarter 31-16.

The Warriors continued to hold the Suns’ offense in check as they held them to just 18 points. The Warriors did not fold down the stretch and finished with the win 115-99.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors had two former first-round picks of the Suns in their starting lineup Saturday. Marquese Chriss, number eight, and Dragan Bender, number four, in the 2016 draft had to enjoy beating the team that let them go.

Chriss finished the night with 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Bender had 13 points and eight boards. Rookie Eric Paschall, thriving coming off the bench, led the team with 25 points, three boards, and four assists. Damion Lee had 20, and Kevon Looney added ten.

Mychal Mulder, on a ten-day contract and playing in his second NBA game, had 14 points and six rebounds. Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

Steve Kerr had this to say about his team’s performance: “The joy in that locker room right now, the relief, everybody’s smiling and happy and excited “Our team’s played hard all year and competed, but at times has been out-manned. So every win becomes sweeter.”

The Suns, trying for the eighth spot in the Western Conference, had to wonder how they could have lost at home to the lowly Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors.

They did lose Kelly Oubre Jr. to a torn meniscus. However, injuries are part of the game, and the Suns need someone to step up and fill the void. That did not happen in the last two games. Devin Booker led the Suns with 21, Deandre Ayton 20, Mikal Bridges 15, Elie Okobo 14, and Dario Saric 11.

The Warriors shot 47% from the floor. Phoenix shot 41%. The Warriors out rebounded the Suns 49-40. The Warriors recorded 30 assists. For a team with so many new players, the stat had to please the coaches. The Warriors defense forced the Suns to commit 19 turnovers. The Warriors turned the ball over just ten times.

The Warriors announced that their team leader, Steph Curry, will not play Sunday against the Washington Wizards. Curry will play on Sunday in Santa Cruz for the G-League Warriors. Steve Kerr wants him to get some additional conditioning before returning to the NBA grind.

The Warriors meet the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center Sunday night at 5:30 pm.

Boot the Utes: Balanced Bears outlast Utah, 86-79 in overtime

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Fewer mistakes, staunch defense, more and varied contributors, the Cal Bears are starting to play better basketball.

Could they be ready to take the show on the road?

By outlasting Utah 86-79 in overtime on Saturday, the Cal Bears assured they won’t finish in the conference’s basement for the third, consecutive year. So with two regular season games and the conference tournament remaining, could the Bears..

Knock off No. 14 Oregon on Thursday, and put the Ducks conference title aspirations on hold? The Bears hadn’t won on the road, or beaten a ranked opponent. Now that they’ve done both (won at WSU, beat No. 21 Colorado) could they double down and accomplish both feats in the same game?

Sweep the Oregon schools and finish .500 in conference play? Talk about the ultimate, confidence builder, that would send the Bears into the conference tournament with a four-game win streak and momentum.

Maybe, maybe not, but by consistently elevating their play, Coach Mark Fox’s Bears have changed the discourse surrounding the program.

“I got sick of everybody telling us how bad we were going to be because I just didn’t think we would be,” Fox said. “I wasn’t going to accept that and I wasn’t going to let our team accept that. We’re not anywhere near where we want to be but the perception and the feelings about our team and this program are drastically different than what I heard all this summer.”

In beating Utah, the Bears (13-16, 7-9) had to climb off the mat twice, the second time when the Utes wiped out a six-point deficit in the game’s final minute to force overtime.

The Bears regrouped, scoring nine of the first 12 points of overtime to take control. Matt Bradley contributed six of those, the last of his team-leading 21-point performance. The Bears sealed it by making nine of their ten free throw opportunities in the extra session.

Bradley’s often excelled without help this season, but on the occasion of Senior Day at Haas Pavilion, the Cal star performed as a piece of a quartet.

Grant Anticevich had a big second half, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds. Senior Paris Austin, who was honored before the game along with Jacob Orender, David Serge and Kareem South, contributed 15 points, four assists. And Andre Kelly had 15 points, nine rebounds and a career-best five blocks in 31 minutes off the bench.

Bradley and Kelly led the Bears to a 19-14 start to the game only to see Utah finish the half on a 14-5 run to take a lead at the break. Alfonso Plummer had nine of his 23 points for the Utes before halftime.

The Bears scored the first seven points of the second half to regain the lead. Austin’s layup put Cal up 31-28 with 18:23 remaining.

Timmy Allen led Utah with 26 points. Guard Both Gach appeared to create a three-point opportunity in the final seconds that could have given Utah the lead, but the referee waved off Gach’s bucket, ruling Austin’s foul came before the shot. With two seconds remaining, Gach made both free throws to force overtime.

With the loss, Utah (15-14, 6-11) finished 0-9 in conference road games. The Utes conclude their schedule against Colorado on Saturday at home.

Gulls comeback to take down Barracuda in 4-3 overtime win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

sandiegogulls.com photo

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif- Old habits die hard. Unfortunately for the San Jose Barracuda their habit of blowing third period leads is one that has been hard to break. The San Diego Gulls came back from a two-goal third period deficit as Maxime Comtois scored the game winning goal in overtime to secure a 4-3 victory on Saturday afternoon at SAP Center.

Justin Kloos led an odd-man rush, as San Diego caught San Jose on a bad line change, his shot was initially saved by ‘Cuda goalie Zachary Sawchenko but Comtois crashed the net and batted home the rebound for his ninth goal of the season with 2:11 left in the extra session.

San Jose were actually the Churros for a day and wore specially themed jerseys to celebrate the occassion. It’s a tradition that started with the San Jose Giants. the minor leauge affilate of the San Francisco Giants.

The Churros (17-27-4-2), despite earning a point, have lost two games in a row and three out of their last four. The Gulls have won two in a row and five out of their last six. They have climbed back into fourth in the Pacific Divison with 63 points, one ahead of Ontario.

San Diego (28-8-5-2) drew first blood early in the first period. Christ Mueller led a 2-on-1 rush up the ice. He fed a cross ice pass over to Alex Dostie who buried a wrist shot past Sawchenko for his 11th goal of the season at the 5:35 mark.

San Jose evened the score in the final five minutes of the opening frame. Sasha Chmelevski fed a pass out to newly acquired Anthony Greco, playing in his second game as a member of the ‘Cuda. Greco skated down the left wing and lasered a wrist shot far side past Gulls goalie Kevin Boyle for his first goal in a Churro uniform at the 15:40 mark.

The Barracuda gained the lead less than two minutes later. Nick DeSimone sent in a shot from the right point where Jeffery Viel redirected the puck with his stick into the back of the net for his 13th goal of the season at the 17:26 mark.

There was no scoring or penalties in the second period that saw both goalies make key saves. San Jose outshot San Diego 12-10 in the middle frame.

San Jose looked to have put the game away just 22 seconds into the third period with an insurance goal. Joachim Blichfeld won a battle along the boards behind the net as he checked the puck away from Jani Hankapaa with a hard hit. Blichfeld quickly centered a pass in front to a trailing Jayden Halbgewachs who blasted a one-timer past Boyle for his team leading 17th goal of the season.

The Gulls responded back right away to cut the deficit to one-goal.

Alanis last second heroics save Quakes in 2-2 draw with Toronto FC

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

photo from centredaily.com: San Jose Earthquakes’ Guram Kashia (37) Toronto FC’s fouls Marky Delgado (8) during the second half of an MLS soccer game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif- The San Jose Earthquakes wanted to upgrade their backfield so they went out and acquired Mexican national Oswaldo Alanis. He paid immediate dividens as he scored a spectacular goal right near the end of stoppage time to seize victory away from Toronto FC in a 2-2 draw on Saturday afternoon at Earthquakes season.

The center back, on loan from Chivas de Guadalajara for a year and occupies the Quakes international spot on the roster, had a free kick from 20 yards out on the right side. His shot sailed high into the upper left corner of the goal stunning Toronto FC and sending the home crowd into a frenzy in the season opener for both teams.

“I know Alanis. It’s not the first goal he’s scored from a free kick. I think he played 95 good minutes with a certain personality. He was enthusiastic and he showed why we brought him on (to the team),” Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda said about Alanis’ heroics.

Toronto FC (0-0-1) drew first blood in the 40th minute thanks to a controversey call by referee Armando Villarreal. With Toronto FC positioned for a corner kick, Jozy Altidore was taken down inside the box by Andres Rios before the kick and Toronto was awarded a penalty kick.

Alejandro Pozuelo easily buried the ball past Quakes goalkeeper Daniel Vega for his first goal of the season.

San Jose (0-0-1) had two quality chances to score in the first half. In the 27th minute, Nick Lima’s shot from 15 yards out was deflected away at last second by Toronto FC goalkeeper Quentin Westberg. Then in the 43rd minute, Danny Hoesen dribbled in from inside the D when his shot sailed just to the left of the goal.

Toronto FC dobuled its lead six minutes into the second half. Pozuelo led an counter-attack as he passed the ball out to Tsubasa Endoh. Endoh’s shot was kicked out by Vega, but Ritchie Laryea, who subbed in to start the second half, cleaned up the rebound for his first goal of the season and a 2-0 lead in the 51st minute.

The Quakes fired back two minutes later in the 53rd minute. Christian Espinzoa centered a pass from the right side of the D that was chipped in over Westberg by a sliding Rios in for his first goal of the season.

“I thought it was great character to show some fight. It’s never good to go down 2-0. Especially the response after the (Toronto’s) second goal,” forward Chris Wondolowski said.

The game featured sloppiness by both sides and missed calls by the officiating that seemed to favor Toronto FC that had many of the Quakes players as well as Almeyda frustrated throughout the match.

Alanis’ goal saved the Quakes from a disappointing start to the season as they had started out 0-4 last year.

“I hope there will be many more (goals like that) as I try to do my best. I’m a defender but I can bring some things offensively to the team,” said Alanis.

GAME NOTES: San Jose registered 11 shots. Toronto FC had 10.

San Jose had three corner kicks. Toronto FC has seven.

Cautions-Tommy Thompson was issued a yellow card in the 33rd minute for a tackle from behind. Jackson Yueill was also issued a yellow card in the 70th minute. Altidore was issued a yellow card in the 71st minute. Goram Kashia was issued a yellow card in the 81st minute.

UP NEXT: The Earthquakes take on the Minnesota United FC on Saturday 3/7 at 4:45pm at Earthquakes Stadium.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Patty Marleau is back in San Jose this time as a Penguin tonight

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

sfchronicle.com photo: Pittsburgh Penguin Patrick Marleau is returning to San Jose tonight who played 19 seasons in San Jose will return to grind it out against his former team at SAP Center

On the Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 The Pittsburgh Penguins Patrick Marleau just can’t stay away from San Jose, his home is in San Jose and he played in San Jose 19 seasons in San Jose and he returns to SAP Center tonight

#2 Marleau hasn’t been away from the Sharks too long but he will get a warm ovation when he is introduced in tonight’s starting line ups

#3 The question is will Marleau return to San Jose again? He was traded in 2017 to Toronto and returned last season

#4 The Sharks Joe Thornton would like to finish up his career with San Jose he was on the trade block but survived getting traded around the time Marleau was shipped to the Penguins

#5 The Sharks (27-33-4) and the Penguins (37-19-6) go at it tonight Mary Lisa sets the scenario for us

Mary Lisa does the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast with Matt Harrington: Aves get key win over Canes 3-2 in Carolina; Flyers win five straight 5-2 over Rangers in Philly; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

washingtonpost.com photo: Avalanche have a 19-44-3 record (41 points), which puts them on pace for the worst season in franchise history since relocating in 1995.

On the NHL podcast with Matt:

#1 Samuel Girard nailed a goal at 2:37 to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the home team Carolina Hurricanes. Tyler Jost of the Aves scored twice to help Colorado extend their winning streak to five games.

#2 The Philadelphia Flyers continue to roll with a 5-2 win over visiting New York Rangers at Wells Fargo Center. Claude Giroux scored twice and the Rangers lost Chris Kreider to a fractured ankle.

#3 Alex Stalock stopped 24 shots getting his fourth shutout of 2019-20 season as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-0. The Wild dominated from the puck drop.

#4 The Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson saved 28 shots against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a narrow 3-2 win at the Duck Pond in Anaheim. The Pens who come into San Jose tonight are on a five game losing streak.

#5 The Las Vegas Golden Knights picked up a 4-2 win against the Buffalo Sabers on Friday night as the Knights Reilly Smith scored two goals to pace Vegas to victory.

Join Matt each Saturday for the NHL podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings win 104-101 in Memphis to stay alive in the playoff race

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
SacMem
Kings win in Memphis @NBC CA

by Charlie O. Mallonee @Espn1320

The Sacramento Kings were written off for dead just weeks ago. Marvin Bagley III has been sidelined with a midfoot sprain, and there is no timetable for his return. Richaun Holmes – who had been playing at a high level filling in for Bagley – has been out due to a shoulder injury, and there is no estimate for his return to the lineup.

Luke Walton felt he had to shake up his starting lineup in order to generate more offense. Buddy Hield was sent to the bench to become the sixth man and Bogdan Bogdanovic became a starter. To everyone’s amazement, that move worked and has paid big dividends.

The Kings also unloaded two expensive players that were not producing the way they had hoped. Trevor Ariza plus two other players were sent to Portland in exchange for Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver. Bazemore had played for Luke Walton in Los Angeles and the coach had high hopes for him. Bazemore has been a productive addition coming off the bench for Sacramento.

Dewayne Dedmon – who had requested a trade – was shipped out to Atlanta for Jabri Parker and Alex Len. Parker is still working his way back from injury, but Len is starting to have an impact in the middle for SAC.

Just when it looked like the Kings had gone into a “wait until next year mode” – the team has surprised everyone by becoming a contender for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

A Big Win on Friday night

Nine days ago, the Kings beat the Memphis Grizzlies 129-125 in Sacramento. That win made everyone who covers the Kings feel like there was a glimmer of hope for Sacramento in the playoff picture. Everyone was afraid to say anything because the Kings have let the fans down so many times in the past.

Sacramento began a four-game road trip after that victory over the Grizzlies. The Kings won games in LA against the Clippers. They beat the Warriors in San Francisco. SAC came close to beating OKC on their homecourt.

The game on Friday night was the back end of a back-to-back set on the road – the toughest game for a road team to win. Memphis is desperately trying to hold on to the eighth and final playoff slot in the West. The odds were definitely against the Kings.

Game flow

The Grizzlies came out of the chute strong, and it looked like the Kings were in real trouble as they trailed 30-21 at the end of the first quarter.

Sacramento was able to shake off the cobwebs in the second period and began to dominate the game. They outscored Memphis 29-17 in the second. As the teams went to the locker rooms at halftime, the Kings held a 50-47 lead over the Grizzlies.

The Kings played well in the third quarter outscoring the Grizzlies 31-28 to take an 81-75 lead into the final 12 minutes.

Luke Walton always talks about how NBA games get close in the final six minutes of the game. Friday night was no different. The Grizzlies cut the Kings lead to just one point with 10.9 seconds to go in the game. Buddy Hield hit two key free throws to give Sacramento a three-point lead and the 104-101 win.

The Playoff Race get tighter

The Grizzlies have now lost five consecutive games and now have four teams breathing down their necks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings record is now 25-34, and they are just three games out of the eighth and final playoff slot.

Kings top performers

De’Aaron Fox – who sat out the game in OKC with an abdominal strain – led the Kings scoring attack with 25 points and he added five assists.

Nemanja Bjelica was Sacramento’s top rebounder with 11 and made it a double-double game by scoring 13 points.

Harry Giles III had a huge game putting up 16 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Up next

The Kings return home to host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at 3 PM.

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Coronavirus Threatening Tokyo Olympics

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

That’s Amaury News and Commentary Amaury Pi-González

Coronavirus Threatening Tokyo Olympics

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

The Tokyo Olympics,scheduled to start on July 24 and end August 25 according to the IOC (International Olympic Committee). Japan is one of the countries affected around the world with the Coronavirus and officials of the OIC say there could be a final decisions as late as the end of May.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Japan is to ask all schools to close this coming Monday to prevent spread of the Coronavirus. The closure will affect 13 million students and will continue until the school year ends in late March.

The Coronavirus now affecting most of the world,has forced cancelling of dozens of sporting events events in Asia and Europe and many international events like car racing. Little or no events, so far, in the sports world have been cancelled here in the United States, but things could change at any time,as this virus keeps spreading.

So far MLB, NBA,NHL and others have not announced any plans for events cancellations.

The biggest company in the world (Bay Area based) Apple stock has dropped as of today,as well as all the financial markets and the world has taken a hit through this week.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish voice for Oakland A’s baseball on KIQI 1010 San Francisco for all home games Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Catch Amaury each week for News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com