Sports World: 03/02/10

Watch Vancouver Canucks vs Columbus Blue Jackets Live Streaming

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

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7:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

Vancouver’s epic stretch of road games went on hiatus for the Olympics, and Roberto Luongo used that time to beat out Canucks teammate Ryan Kesler for the gold medal. Luongo could be right back in net Tuesday night as the Canucks resume the longest road stretch in NHL history against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Canucks entered the two-week break tied for the Northwest Division lead, having split the first eight games of a 14-game stretch away from home. Necessitated by Vancouver’s hosting of and cleaning up after the Winter Games, they don’t play at GM Place again until March 13.

Luongo should be in for a tremendous ovation when the Canucks return home after helping Canada win its eighth gold medal in hockey Sunday. He made 34 saves in the 3-2 overtime victory over the United States. Luongo was a big reason why Canada took gold, winning all five starts with a 1.76 goals-against average. He replaced Martin Brodeur in net following a 5-3 loss to the United States in the group phase Feb. 21. Kesler, who scored goals for the United States in both games against Canada, did not see the silver medal as much of a consolation.

Watch Carolina Hurricanes vs Toronto Maple Leafs Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

After helping the U.S. Olympic team to a surprising silver medal in Vancouver, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson and general manager Brian Burke now turn their focus to turning around their struggling NHL club. The first opponent they’ll face after the break, the Carolina Hurricanes, has already made strides toward a playoff berth and will try to extend their season-high win streak to six on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre. Burke, also the general manager of the U.S. team, gave Wilson a youthful roster for Vancouver with 14 players aged 25 years or younger. The Toronto coach, in turn, helped the Americans to five straight wins before a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in Sunday’s gold medal game.

The Maple Leafs are hoping the duo and U.S. forward Phil Kessel can gain from that experience as they try to stage an improbable rally for their first playoff berth since 2004. Toronto is currently last in the Eastern Conference with 49 points, six behind the Hurricanes in 14th and 15 back of eighth-place Montreal with 21 games remaining. Toronto will first try to earn its eighth win in 28 games since Dec. 15, but will face a Carolina team that won nine of 11 heading into the two-week hiatus.

Watch Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

If the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens needed any help readjusting to the NHL following the two-week Olympic break, a matchup between two Original Six rivals in the thick of a crowded playoff race should be just the thing. The Bruins hope to build on their four-game winning streak and snap a string of nine straight home losses as they host Montreal on Tuesday night, with the Canadiens looking to leapfrog Boston for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

That was a good place for Boston, which stabilized by taking all eight points on a four-game road trip going into the break. The Bruins had lost 10 straight games before opening that trip with a 3-0 win in Montreal, a game that featured a 36-save shutout by Tuukka Rask. Although teammate Tim Thomas won the Vezina Trophy last season and was the backup for the United States in Vancouver, the young Rask has started the Bruins’ last six games, going 4-0-2 with a 1.90 goals-against average.

Watch Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Islanders Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

Following very successful performances by their six Olympians, the Chicago Blackhawks now turn their attention toward their first division title in 17 years. The Central Division leaders seek a fifth straight win Tuesday night when they return to action against the New York Islanders, a team they have not beaten in more than seven years. Perhaps no team had a bigger impact on the Olympics than the Blackhawks. Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook won gold for Canada while Patrick Kane was a key piece of the United States’ silver medal-winning team.Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky, meanwhile, helped Slovakia get within one victory of the bronze medal.

Toews scored Canada’s first goal in its 3-2 overtime win over the Americans in the gold-medal game Sunday. He tied for the Olympic lead with seven assists, finished with a plus-9 rating and was named the tournament’s top forward. Kane was one of the United States’ best players and had two goals and two assists in the final two games. Chicago entered the Olympic break as one of the league’s hottest teams, winning its final four games - the last three via shootout. With a 16-point lead over Nashville, the Blackhawks appear headed for their first division title since 1992-93.

Watch Florida Panthers vs Atlanta Thrashers Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

There were no medals for the Olympians on the Atlanta Thrashers and Florida Panthers. They’re also in danger of missing out on the NHL’s postseason. Following a two-week break, the Thrashers look to deal the Panthers their seventh straight loss Tuesday night at Philips Arena. Atlanta and Florida have had plenty of time to rest up for the final six weeks of the regular season, but some players have been busier than others. Thrashers standouts Ondrej Pavelec and Pavel Kubina, Tobias Enstrom and Johnny Oduya and Maxim Afinogenov all took part in the Olympics. Dennis Seidenberg and Tomas Vokoun of the Panthers were there as well.

None of them earned medals, however, with Canada taking gold following a dramatic win over the United States. Finland won the bronze-medal game. With the NHL regular season winding down, those players are going to be counted on heavily as Atlanta and Florida try to make a final push. The Thrashers are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind eighth-place Montreal. The Panthers’ situation is more dire, as they trail the Canadiens by six points.

Watch Buffalo Sabres vs Pittsburgh Penguins Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

Sidney Crosby raised his arms triumphantly after slipping an overtime shot past Ryan Miller to give Canada its much-anticipated Olympic gold medal Sunday. All the Buffalo Sabres’ star goaltender could do was crumble to the ice in disappointment. A flight to Pittsburgh isn’t likely to make the tournament MVP feel much better, although a night off could help. A rematch of the Olympic hockey tournament’s defining moment will have to wait, as Patrick Lalime is due to spell Miller on Tuesday night when the Sabres pay their final regular-season visit to Crosby and the Penguins at Mellon Arena.

If Miller wasn’t a household name before the Olympics, he became one in Vancouver. Tied for second in the NHL with a 2.16 goals-against average, Miller allowed five goals on 108 shots while leading the United States into Sunday’s gold-medal game against Canada. Miller made one spectacular save after another, but couldn’t quite lift the U.S. to gold.

Watch Philadelphia Flyers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

After helping Canada to a gold medal in one of the most-watched hockey games in recent memory, Philadelphia Flyers teammates Mike Richards and Chris Pronger must return to the daily grind of the NHL on Tuesday night at Tampa Bay. There will be pivotal points available for a pair of teams involved in the Eastern Conference playoff chase when the Lightning host Richards, Pronger and a Flyers team that won four straight before the Olympic break.

Richards had an assist and Pronger led all Canadian skaters in ice time during the host country’s 3-2 overtime win over the United States on Sunday in Vancouver, securing Canada’s eighth men’s hockey gold. Lightning forward Ryan Malone helped Team USA earn silver, but all three players will have to quickly adjust to a game with far less intensity in the building. The Flyers are currently sixth in the East, in good position for a third straight postseason appearance thanks in part to a four-game winning streak heading into the break. Philadelphia swept home-and-series with New Jersey and Montreal, with Michael Leighton allowing two goals in each of the four games.

Watch New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

The Ottawa Senators were one of the few teams that probably did not want to take a break for the Olympics. Despite some recent struggles, the New York Rangers may not have wanted to either. Ten Olympians are expected to play when the Senators attempt to resume their hot stretch in a matchup with the Rangers on Tuesday night. Ottawa won 14 of 16 heading into the two-week break, capping the stretch with a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Feb. 14 to move one point ahead of Buffalo for the Northeast Division lead.

While the Senators hope they can maintain their pre-break momentum, the Rangers had also started to play well after a rough stretch. New York won three of its last four after going 3-9-0 in the previous 12, with two of the victories coming against New Jersey and Pittsburgh. The Rangers may look to their Olympic medalists to help them win three in a row for the first time since a four-game run from Dec. 17-23. Chris Drury scored two goals and Ryan Callahan had an assist in six games as the United States earned the silver medal, falling to Canada 3-2 in overtime Sunday.

Watch Edmonton Oilers vs Nashville Predators Live Streaming

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8:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

The Nashville Predators may have been an unlikely team to have six Olympians, and now Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are returning with medals after meeting for the gold. The defensemen look to carry their success back to the Predators on Tuesday night as they try to continue their dominance of the NHL-worst Edmonton Oilers. Nashville is second in the Central Division, but the 16-point gap on Chicago might be too much to overcome. While winning their first division title is probably out of reach, the Predators are seventh in the Western Conference as they try to reach the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.

They stumbled into the two-week Olympic break, going 4-7-2 but Weber capped that stretch by getting one goal and one assist in 4-3 overtime win at Pittsburgh on Feb. 14. Despite those recent struggles, Nashville had six representatives at the Olympics with Weber being named to the tournament’s All-Star team. He had two goals and four assists in seven games to help Canada win gold with a 3-2 overtime win against Suter’s American team.

Watch Los Angeles Kings vs Dallas Stars Live Streaming

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8:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

A trio of young Los Angeles Kings players were on a United States roster that experienced heartbreak in the gold-medal game at the Vancouver Olympics, while one of their NHL teammates played a key role for the winning Canadian side. All four of them will reunite with a different goal in mind. Gold medal-winning defenseman Drew Doughty and his American counterparts hope to continue the Kings’ push toward their first playoff berth in eight years as the team returns from the Olympic break by visiting the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. Forward Dustin Brown and defenseman Jack Johnson helped the United States exceed expectations and win silver, while Jon Quick served as the third-string goalie.

But Doughty - the youngest member of Team Canada - ended up with bragging rights over his NHL teammates after he was on the ice for Sidney Crosby’s tournament-winning goal in overtime of the Canadians’ 3-2 win on Sunday. The confluence of young talent has made Los Angeles one of the league’s biggest surprises this season. The Kings are in fifth place in the Western Conference, and it would take a major collapse for them to miss out on their first postseason appearance since 2002. Two of the biggest reasons have been Quick and Anze Kopitar, a Slovenian whose nation did not qualify for the Olympics. Kopitar leads the Kings with 64 points, and he has five goals in three games against Dallas this season - all wins.

Watch St. Louis Blues vs Phoenix Coyotes Live Streaming

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9:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

The Olympics may be over, but the St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes still have plenty at stake. When their seasons resume Tuesday night in Arizona, the Blues will seek a season high-tying fourth straight win, while Phoenix will continue its drive toward its first playoff berth since 2001-02. With a three-game winning streak, the Blues entered the Olympic break within five points of Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. St. Louis won a season-high four in a row Jan. 9-16. The Blues will try to match that run as they open a season-high six-game road trip against a Coyotes team that is 22-9-2 on home ice, and has already beaten St. Louis twice in 2009-10, 3-2 in Arizona on Oct. 15 and 2-0 at St. Louis two weeks later. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who played for Russia at the Olympics, was in net for both Phoenix victories as well as a 3-2 overtime loss to the Blues on Nov. 19.

St. Louis defenseman Erik Johnson, who won that contest by scoring with 17 seconds left in overtime, has two goals and two assists in his last four games overall. He and winger David Backes may rejoin the Blues with some extra confidence after winning silver medals with Team USA in Vancouver. St. Louis won’t have the services of former U.S. Olympian Keith Tkachuk, who is expected to be sidelined until March 11 after undergoing surgery on his left pinkie on Friday. The Blues will also be without enforcer Cam Janssen, serving a five-game suspension for a hit to Washington’s Matt Bradley last month.

Watch New Jersey Devils vs San Jose Sharks Live Streaming

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10:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

The San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils had plenty of players who took home medals from the Olympics. There certainly may be more hardware in their future. Following the two-week Olympic break, the Sharks host the Devils on Tuesday night in a matchup of two of the league’s top teams. San Jose and New Jersey, who could potentially meet in the Stanley Cup finals, had a combined 13 players make the trip to Vancouver. Sharks standouts Dan Boyle, Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton, along with the Devils’ Martin Brodeur, helped Canada win a gold medal, beating the United States in dramatic fashion. Canada prevailed 3-2 in overtime after New Jersey’s Zach Parise scored with 24.4 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 2.

New Jersey’s Jamie Langenbrunner teamed up with Parise while Patrik Elias and Johnny Oduya also participated in Vancouver. Joe Pavelski was the Sharks’ U.S. representative, while Douglas Murray, Thomas Greiss and Evgeni Nabokov also made the trip. Their success at the Olympics shouldn’t be surprising. San Jose is in first place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Chicago, and New Jersey is in second place in the East. Both teams will have to adjust as the Olympians filter back in for practices.

Watch Golden State Warriors vs Miami Heat Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

Dwyane Wade fought through an injury to lead the Miami Heat to a victory in Oakland in January. The Heat could use a similar effort from their superstar guard in Tuesday night’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Wade and the Heat look to avoid matching a season-high five-game losing streak as they host a Warriors team trying to win two in a row for the first time in nearly two months. Hampered by a sprained right wrist aggravated two nights earlier in Utah, Wade hit 10 of 15 shots, all 15 free throw attempts and scored 35 points as Miami won its third straight over Golden State, 115-102 at Oracle Arena on Jan. 13.

Returning from a four-game absence due to a strained left calf, Wade was 6 of 17 from the field and scored 21 points in Sunday’s 96-80 loss at Orlando. He missed four of five shots in the second half. With its four-game slide pushing it out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference playoff race, Miami needs a healthy Wade as it opens a three-game homestand against Golden State, which has lost six straight and 14 of 15 on the road. The Warriors open a five-game trip with their first visit to AmericanAirlines Arena since a 96-88 loss Dec. 23, 2008.

Watch Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

If Paul Pierce is healthy enough to play defense, the Boston Celtics will likely be more than happy to endure any shooting woes his sore right thumb may cause.Struggling through defensive problems and coming off a particularly deflating loss, the Celtics expect to have Pierce back in the lineup as they visit the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. Pierce says he’s ready to return after missing the last three games with a sprained right thumb. The veteran forward, averaging 17.9 points and 1.2 steals, participated in Boston’s practice Monday. The Celtics are in desperate need of the help. They lost the final two games of a three-game homestand, 108-88 against Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland on Thursday night and 104-96 versus league-worst New Jersey two days later.

Defensive breakdowns have been the main reason for Boston’s rut. The Celtics have allowed an average of 108.0 points over their last four games. This is the first time Boston has allowed 100 points or more in four straight games since April 2007, three months before Kevin Garnett was acquired in a trade with Minnesota. The Celtics are facing a Pistons team that ranks 29th in the league in scoring with 92.4 points per game. Only the Nets have a lower average at 90.2. Boston hopes to bounce back on the road, where it has a better record this season than on its home court.

Watch Sacramento Kings vs Oklahoma City Thunder Live Streaming

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8:00 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

Kevin Durant hasn’t scored 30 points in any of his last three games, but the Oklahoma City Thunder hope they’re approaching a point where they don’t need a big effort from their All-Star in order to win. Durant and the Thunder seek their third straight victory and 12th in 14 games Tuesday night when they host the Sacramento Kings. Durant’s 29.7 points per game rank second in the NBA behind LeBron James, and his 33 30-point games are tops in the league. Oklahoma City is 22-11 when its third-year star hits that plateau. He had his streak of 29 straight games with at least 25 points snapped in a 95-87 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday - the team’s second consecutive defeat following a nine-game winning streak.

Durant has also failed to reach 30 in his last two contests, but the Thunder haven’t needed him to. He scored 25 on Friday in a 109-92 rout of Minnesota, then had 29 on Sunday in 32 minutes as Oklahoma City blew out Toronto 119-99. Several teammates are helping Durant. Jeff Green has scored at least 16 points in eight of his last nine games, while Russell Westbrook is averaging 20.5 with 11.0 assists, 6.2 rebounds and two steals over his last six. Nenad Krstic has averaged 13.0 in the last two wins.

Watch Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Lakers Live Streaming

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10:30 pm EST Tue Mar 2, 2010

Kobe Bryant is still trying to find his shooting form after being sidelined five games last month. A matchup with the Indiana Pacers could help the two-time scoring champion get back on track. Bryant and the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers close out their three-game homestand Tuesday night when they try to win their 11th straight at Staples Center against the Pacers. Bryant, among the league leaders with 27.5 points per game, is averaging 21.3 on 42.7 percent shooting in four contests since a sprained left ankle sidelined him Feb. 6-18. Bryant missed 14 of 17 shots in Sunday’s 95-89 victory over Denver, scoring 14 points while handing out a season-high 12 assists.

There will be plenty of Lakers fans in the house Tuesday when Los Angeles tries to improve upon its West-leading 28-5 home record with its 11th consecutive victory at Staples Center against Indiana. Including three losses in the 2000 NBA finals, the Pacers are 0-13 all-time at Staples Center since it opened in 1999. In the teams’ last meeting in Los Angeles, Bryant scored 36, including a game-winning fadeaway jumper with three seconds left that lifted Los Angeles to a 121-119 victory Jan. 9, 2009.

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