Sharks Beat Ducks in Shootout 2-1, Extend Win Streak to Four

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Photo credit: San Jose Sharks

by M. Walsh

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in a shootout on Saturday. Corey Perry scored for the Ducks early in the first period, while Joel Ward scored late in the third for the Sharks. Joonas Donskoi scored the difference-maker in the shootout. Martin Jones made 25 saves for the win, while Ryan Miller made 44 saves for Anaheim.

After the game, Jones said:

I thought we played really well tonight. If you look at the really high quality scoring chances, I mean I could probably count them on one hand, for the ones we gave up. So, it was a really solid game for us, I mean we could have run away with that one if Miller doesn’t play the way he does. So it was a good game.

The win represents the Sharks fourth in a row, their first real win streak of the season.

Despite the lukewarm start to the season, Joe Pavelski said that the team is feeling no panic:

I don’t know if you guys are panicking, I mean your questions are kind of sounding like that. There was no panic on the bench, there hasn’t been. We believe we’ll score, we’re getting a little bit of depth scoring right now, we’re winning games. We’re playing with the lead, we’re doign a lot of stuff that we’re trying to accomplish out there.

Both teams were missing key players on Saturday. The Sharks went into the game without Marc-Edouard Vlasic or Paul Martin, putting added pressure on the younger blueliners Joakim Ryan and Tim Heed. Dylan DeMelo entered the lineup after sitting out the last 10 games. On the Ducks’ side, Ryan Getzlaf, Cam Fowler and Ryan Kesler were absent. The lone Sharks goal from Joel Ward and Barclay Goodrow would be some of that depth scoring that Pavelski spoke of. Goodrow has only played two games this season, and Ward has only played eight of the team’s 13.

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer chose to put Goodrow at center on Saturday, though he has mostly played on the wing for the Sharks.

DeBoer explained that decision after the game:

I talked to him a little bit about it. He admitted he hadn’t played there in a long time but he had taken some draws recently for us in some games and did a good job and he’s a smart player. The way we play, we’re interchangeable down low. I thought that he could do it and help us and he did.

The Ducks got on the board first with a goal from Corey Perry. Perry caught a long pass through and across the neutral zone from Grant. This gave him a clean breakaway. Jones almost stopped the shot but it trickled through his pads and sputtered into the goal. The first period ended with the Ducks leading 1-0 and the shots 12-7 Sharks. The Sharks had two power plays in the first period, but did not score.

The Ducks were very organized in their own zone. It was rare to see any space for the Sharks to work with. Through most of the game, the Sharks seemed to be struggling to execute.

Pavelski did not see it as struggling:

I don’t know if we struggled. I think there was a couple times we maybe got caught trying to do too much or trying to be a little aggressive and gave up some odd mans, which we haven’t done, you know on the road trip and in the previous couple of games. It’s just something you have to stay on top of, but overall I liked the effort, liked a lot of the plays we had. Just gotta find a way.

By the middle of the second period, the Sharks had taken eight more shots to the Ducks’ four but the score was unchanged. No penalties came, no goals. The period dragged on.

The Ducks had their only power play in the middle of the third period. At the very end of that power play, Joel Ward and Barclay Goodrow caught a break and escaped through the neutral zone with just one Duck back to defend. Ward’s pass got by the defender, and Goodrow took the shot. Miller stopped it but Ward right on top of him to pick up the rebound and put it home. Goodrow received the only assist.

The game remained tied through the third and overtime. During the overtime period, the Sharks got credit for four shots and the Ducks none. In a six round shootout, Joe Pavelski scored on the Sharks’ first shot, while Joonas Donskoi scored on their sixth. For the Ducks, Rickard Rakell scored with a reaching backhand.

Up Next
The Sharks next play on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Washington State edges Cardinal in the snow 24-21

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Photo credit: @18dMedia

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, November 4, 2017

Washington State effectively bottled up the injured Bryce Love, then pushed across a go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, as the No. 25 Cougars stunned the visiting No. 18 Cardinal 24-21 Saturday in Pac-12 football at snowy Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash.

With the victory, the Cougars (8-2 overall, 5-2 Pac-12) stayed in the Pac-12 North race. The Cardinal (6-3, 5-2) had not played in the snow since 1936, in a game against Columbia in New York.

The snow started falling heavily at the end of the first quarter.

The Cougars’ 94-yard winning drive was capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Luke Falk to Jamire Calvin with 6:56 remaining in the game.

Falk needed 132 passing yards to break the Pac-12 career record of 13,600 established by Sean Mannion of Oregon State. Falk was 34 of 48 passing for 337 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He needs three more touchdown passes to become the conference’s all-time leader in that category.

Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello took advantage of a fortuitous bounce when he fumbled a snap. The ball bounced back into his hands, and Costello ran for a 14-yard touchdown pulling Stanford to within 17-14 in the third quarter.

On the Cougars’ next possession, Falk’s pass on fourth-and-one from midfield was intercepted by Bobby Okereke, who returned the pick 52 yards for a Stanford touchdown, giving the Cardinal a 21-17 lead.

After WSU regained the lead and chewed up three minutes of clock near the end of the fourth quarter, Frankie Lubu’s interception of a Costello pass ended the Cardinal’s final threat.

Love was held to 69 rushing yards, his lowest total of the season. Slowed by an ankle injury, Love came into the game as the nation’s leading rusher, averaging 198 yards per game.

After scoring on a 52-yard touchdown run on Stanford’s first play of the second quarter, Love ran 15 more times for 17 yards.

WSU outgained the Cardinal 430 yards to 198 in total offense.

Up Next
The Cardinal returns to The Farm this Friday night to host No. 12 Washington.

Kings play better in the Motor City but lose to Pistons 108-99

Published on by Charlie O. Mallonee2 Comments

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Pistons Little Caesars
The new Little Caesar’s Arena in downtown Detroit*

The Sacramento Kings played their best game of the three-game road trip on Saturday night in Detroit even though they lost the game 108-99. The Pistons (7-3) went on a 16-5 scoring run late in the third quarter and the Kings (1-8) were unable to close the gap after that run losing their seventh consecutive game. Sacramento finished 0-3 on the road trip.

The Kings played their best basketball against the most physical team they had to face on the road trip. Maybe the most important accomplishment was scoring more than 86 points in a game which they had not done in their last four contests. There are no moral victories but there are games where a team can show improvement. That is what the Kings showed on Saturday night. They showed improvement.

Dave Joerger went with a starting five consisting of veterans and youth. Zach Randolph and Garrett Temple were the vets who started. Third- year man Willie Cauley-Stein got the start at center while rookies Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Aaron Fox were also in the starting five. Fox started at point guard because George Hill was not with the team due to personal reasons.

Joerger would also use a 12 man rotation versus the Pistons. Everyone on the Kings bench except Papagiannis played in the game.

The Kings managed to take the lead in this game. Their biggest lead was only one point but in was a lead. They stayed within three to four points of the lead for much of game.

Top Performers

Kings

Pistons Boggy
Bogdanovic drives the lane in Detroit*
  • Zach Randolph led the Kings in scoring with 19 points shooting 8-for-14 (57.1-percent) from the floor. Z-Bo also hit 2-of-3 from behind the 3-point line. Randolph played almost 30-minutes in the game.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 14 points against the Pistons hitting 6-of-7 shots from the field (85.7-percent). He was a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point land. As usual, Bogdanovic played very strong defense as well.
  • De’Aaron Fox also posted 14 points but seven of those points came in the fourth quarter when the game was really out of reach. He dished out four assists in his 26-minutes on the floor.
  • Buddy Hield — who was nursing a sore ankle from the Boston game — put 13 up points and grabbed eight rebounds.
  • Garrett Temple had a very solid game with 10 points, three rebounds, three steals and one assist.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein who struggled in the first half really improved in the second half scoring eight points to go with three rebounds, four assists and two steals.
  • Frank Mason played an important role as the point guard for the second unit in the game. Mason played 21-minutes scoring seven points and distributing six assists.

Pistons

Pistons Drummond
Andre Drummond posted a double-double in the game*
  •  Avery Bradley led the way for the victorious Pistons with 24 points. He hit 10-of-15 shots from the floor (66.7-percent). Bradley played 32-minutes for Detroit versus the Kings.
  • Power Forward Tobias Harris scored 20 points, hauled in five rebounds, added five assists, had one steal and one block in the game.
  • Big man Andre Drummond posted another double-double scoring 16 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. He also had four assists, three steals and one block.
  • Point guard Reggie Jackson — who was the subject of trade rumors earlier in the week- scored 15 and dished out seven assists.
  • Former King Anthony Tolliver scored 10 points against his former team.

Team numbers

Sacramento

1-alt kings

  • The Kings shot an impressive 52.6-percent (40-for-76) from the field. They hit 10-of-21 (47.6-percent) of their 3-point attempts.
  • The Kings still did not make it to the free throw line enough on Saturday night. They made 9-of-13 opportunities. Sacramento needs to bring that free throw attempted number up to 20-plus.
  • Sac pulled down 32 total rebounds (3 off/ 29 def) which is on the low side and could be of concern if those numbers continue to be low.
  • The Kings had 24 assists and committed 18 turnovers which resulted in 18 Piston points. The assist to turnover ratio is well below the goal of 2-to-1.

Detroit

Pistons logo

  • The Pistons also shot over 50-percent from the floor as they hit 40 of their 79 field goal attempts.
  • Detroit was on fire from “downtown” as they connected on 13-of-24 (54.2-percent) of their shots from behind the 3-point arc.
  • They hit 15-of-22 attempts from the charity stripe.
  •   It was a low rebounding game for both teams as the Pistons hauled in 35 (8 off/ 27 def) rebounds.
  • Detroit came close to the 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio as they posted 28 assists versus 15 turnovers. Their turnovers turned into nine Sacramento points.
  • The Pistons had 10 steals against Sacramento Saturday night.

Up next on the schedule

The Kings flew home after the game and will be off until Tuesday when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony should provide quite a challenge for the Kings.

The Pistons stay in Detroit and will return to action on Wednesday when the Indiana Pacers visit Little Caesar’s Arena.

*Photos by USA Today Sports

Warriors conclude three-game road trip with win in Denver 127-108

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors started strong, faltered a bit in the second quarter, then broke the game open in the third period as they cruised to victory by beating the Denver Nuggets 127-108 Saturday night in the Mile-High city.

The Warriors came out firing as they sprinted to an early 36-23 lead after the first twelve minutes of play. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson led the Warriors in the early going. Klay made three 3-point shots in the quarter. Late in the quarter, JaVale McGee, with assists from Steph Curry, made four baskets as it appeared the Warriors were on their way to another blowout win.

The Nuggets, to their credit, did not back down from the Warrior onslaught. They scored the first fifteen points in the second quarter to take the lead 38-36. The Warriors failed to score in the first four minutes of play in the second period. Denver went on a 21-3 to lead 44-41 before the Warriors got untracked. The Dubs scored nine of the last thirteen points in the period and led 60-55 at the half.

After the intermission, the Warriors came out firing on all cylinders and, as they have done so many times in the past, owned the third quarter. Led by Kevin Durant, the Warriors poured in 43 points, and the defense held the Nuggets to just 21 as they finished the third quarter leading by 27 103-76.

Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr used his second unit players for the entire fourth quarter. Patrick McCaw, Nick Young, Omri Casspi, Kevon Looney, and Jordan Bell daw significant minutes as the Warriors won 127-108.

Game Notes and stats- After the game, Kerr remarked this about the game:”We came out firing in the third. I’m really pleased. We played three tough teams (LA Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, And Denver Nuggets) and we turned a corner on this trip,” Kevin Durant said this about his teammates:”I thought everybody came out with great energy.”

The Warriors have now won six of the last seven games and are 7-3 for the year. Kerr was worried about the team’s conditioning a couple of games ago. They seem to be playing like the champions that they are. Denver drops to 5-5.

Four of the five Warrior starters were in double figures, and not a single Nugget starter was in double figures. KD led the Warriors with 25 points, 7 assists, and seven rebounds. Steph Curry scored 22 and had a double-double with 11 assists. Draymond and Klay had 15 each, and Zaza Pachulia knocked down 8.  JaVale McGee led the bench with 11. David West, Andre Iguodala, Omri Casspi, Patrick McCaw, and Nick Young all contributed to the Warrior win. Leading scorers for Denver were Will Barton 21, Emmanuel Mudiay 15, and Trey Lyles with 11.

Shaun Livingston did not play as Steve Kerr gave him the night off.

The Warriors shot 54.9% from the floor and the defense held Denver to 46%. The Warriors made 18 3-point shots while Denver made just six. The Warriors moved the ball well and recorded 37 assists in the game. The defense had 13 steals and four blocks, and they committed 15 turnovers.

The Warriors return home to face the Miami Heat Monday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Kings Press Row Podcast NBA Week 3 : The Key Phrase is “Player Development”

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Podcast host Charlie O. Mallonee

1-alt kings

 

  • Welcome to Week 3 of the NBA

  • The phrase that pays in 2017-18 is “Player Development”

  • The Kings need to score more points – seriously

  • The free throw line could be Sac’s best friend

  • What is coming up in NBA Week 4?

Stanford Cardinal Podcast with Marr Harrington: Cardinal counting on Love to carry them past WSU today

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Stanford running back Bryce Love, right, stiff arms Washington State safety Jalen Thompson (34) while running for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Pullman, Wash., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)

By Matt Harrington

The Stanford Cardinal are counting heavily on running back Bryce Love to help them in offensive yards and having a great ground game as the Cardinal (6-2, 5-1) try to pick up another win this week against the Washington State Cougars (7-2, 4-2). Love was questionable before the game with a ankle injury but by Friday night Cardinal head coach David Shaw said that Love was ready to carry the ball for Stanford in what could be rainy, some snow, and freezing temps in Pullman.

Love who got inured against Oregon a game played at Stanford Stadium on Oct 14th after leaving the Cardinal could only tally 81 yards rushing, averaging three yards per carry. Love had averaged 10.3 yards per carry for first in the nation at 198.1 yards a game. His average per game carry is 53 yards. Love missed a game and still was able to hold the lead in rushing with 1387 rushing yards. His totals put his 56th out of 129 FBS schools.

Head coach David Shaw is just one win away from tying former Stanford coach Pop Warner (1924-32) who finished with 71 wins, Shaw who has 70 can tie that mark today with a win over WSU.

Stanford Cardinal podcasts can be heard weekly with Matt Harrington Saturdays and Jerry Feitelberg on Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2017 World Series It was about the Game and the People

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Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve, center, and his teammates celebrate during a rally honoring the World Series baseball champions Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Houston celebrated their first World Series title with a huge parade in downtown Houston. The Mayor of Houston, the Governor of Texas, Senators from Texas, the owner of the team Jim Crane (who bought the team in 2011), and Astros players all took to the microphone to speak to a delighted crowd. The celebration continued today as George Springer, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve will represent the Astros in a parade at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida.

This World Series was all about baseball, the people, and nothing more. Specially after that incredible game 5. Millions went to Facebook, Twitter, texting, calling their friends. The talk was about baseball, and what a great World Series. Baseball has that ability, to take you away from all the other ills and make you focus on this great game. What a noble idea, an event that for a few hours make you escape from all the hardships.

Unlike other sports, baseball begins and culminates in the same year, giving the title to one team that played approximately 170 or more games (April to October) and then into November, to claim the trophy. And, of course, there is nothing like game 7 in a World Series.

Baseball literally alleviates the tragedy of many, specially this year. MLB sponsors collected millions of dollars for those suffering from the hurricanes in Houston and Puerto Rico. Players set the example, giving themselves, money out of their pockets. In the case of Astros Carlos Beltran, a native of Puerto Rico, he gave $1 million out of his own pocket. I would said that is very good social activism.

Major League Baseball is still an affordable experience for the family. Kids with families populate the parks, much more than any other sport. Baseball is called a game, and we all can remember playing catch with our dad, our brothers, our friends. You attend a baseball game, you are a participant, you can take home a ball that was actually used during the game. What other sport can you do that?

This World Series and baseball is the ultimate conversation sport. It is engraved in our history, it enables us to start a conversation because a special, specific or great play, it makes you think. You can be 12 years old and argue a play with the manager. It is the most democratic of all sports. When your son or daughter comes home with an A he/she got from Algebra you say :”you hit a home run”. Baseball is part of who we are, you have a game every day during the season. You have a bad one…and you can come back the next day and be king. No need to wait for seven days to see what you are going to do after that terrible defeat.

I know the game is going under some changes. I truly hope they do not change it much more, because it is a beautiful game that help us with something that is not common these days – patience.

This 2017 World Series had all these qualities, entertainment, uniting people, helping people in need, enjoying the ups and downs of a very exciting series. Before it began I wrote here that I picked the Dodgers because among these two very well matched teams, the Dodgers had a better bullpen. It didn’t happened but at the end the Houston Astros are well deserved champions. They played as a unit all year. These players like each other and they enjoy the game. They have the dedication and passion, specially Altuve, Correa and Springer, there is nothing any of those three guys cannot do on a baseball field.

With all respect to those that invest heavily in “analytics”, I think it is overrated. I wonder what would Einstein think about analytics, after all he had a 160 IQ.

“You teach me baseball and I’ll teach you relativity…No we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball”. -Albert Einstein.

One more thing, at the time of this article, there is approximately 100+ days until Spring Training.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the TV Spanish talent for the Angels, the Radio Spanish talent for the A’s and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sports Headlines with London Marq: Long wait for a World Series parade in Houston; Beg to differ NFL’s marketing issues are more than dropped pizza sales at Papa John’s

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A young fan holds a team flag during the parade and celebration for the baseball World Series champion Houston Astros, Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, in Houston. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)

On the Sports Headlines Podcast with London:

1 It’s been a long wait since 1962 when the Houston Colt 45s franchise was born and a long wait to see the Astros take the motorcade parade route in downtown Houston for the first time ever for a World Series celebration

2 The series was a battle for the Astros lots or home runs and a series that went the distance

3 When Papa ohn said the lack of TV ratings impacted pizza sales he said it was a result of poor leadership in the NFL from Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL owners who should have got a control of the national anthem protest a year and a half ago. The critics differ particularly the Wall Street Journal who said it was the over saturation of football games on Sunday, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football there is no more hunger for the game anymore.

4. While Papa John’s blames the players for protesting taking a knee during the national anthem studies have shown some of the younger demographic are not sitting still and sitting through an entire three hour football game

5 Meanwhile the Oakland Raiders head to Miami this Sunday in light of last Sunday’s loss to Buffalo and have chin up with  the return of Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch after his one game suspension for contact with an official from Thursday Night Football two weeks ago in Oakland

London does the Sports Headlines Podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Oakland Raiders Podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Skittles for everybody Lynch back from one game suspension this Sunday in Miami

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FILE – In this Oct. 19, 2017, file photo, Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) makes contact with back judge Greg Steed (12) during the first half of an NFL football game between the Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. Lynch was ejected after the play. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

On the Raiders podcast with J Hawkes:

Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch will be back in the line up this Sunday in Miami and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said that he and the team is excited to have Lynch back in. Lynch who was suspended for contact with an official vs. Kansas City during a Thursday Night Football game two weeks ago sat out last Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills a game which the Raiders lost at Orchard Park NY.

Having Lynch back in the line up works for everybody and also puts a spring in everybody’s step and speaking of stepping the Raiders are counting to get some help in their ground game. Lynch has only two touchdowns but he would have been good to have in the Buffalo game. Where ball security was an issue the Raiders turned the ball over with three fumbles against the Bills and two of them were from the running backs so Lynch’s return couldn’t have better timing.

J Hawkes has a lot more on the podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Francisco 49ers Podcast with Joe Lami: Garoppolo learning the ropes of 49ers system look for him to start by Nov 12th

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blog.prosportsmedia.com photo: Jimmy Garoppolo quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers meets with the press at Levis Stadium shortly after his acquisition last week in Santa Clara

On the 49ers podcast with Joe:

Newest San Francisco 49er quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will need sometime to go through the playbook and 49ers system before he see any kind of play. Garoppolo will be on a learning curve as the 49ers will be starting CJ Beathard against the Arizona Cardinals for this Sunday at Levis Stadium. Garoppolo is the supposed quarterback of the future.

They will give Garoppolo sometime to get ready and he will be studying plays working with Beathard during Sunday’s game. The 49ers after Sunday’s game with Arizona will be playing New York against the Giants at Levis Stadium in the second of three home games. The 49ers following the game with the Giants will have a bye then they will host the Seattle Seahawks Nov 26th.

Joe has a whole lot more take a listen to the podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com