My Sports News Digest

Detroit (MLB/Silva) – From CBS Sports’ Danny Knobler comes word that Tigers right-hander Doug Fister has been cleared to make his first minor league rehab start Wednesday evening with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.

Fister has been on the disabled list since the first week of the regular season due to a costochondral (rib cage) strain that he suffered in the middle of his 2012 debut. He’s been playing catch for more than a week and made it through a full bullpen session Saturday without feeling any lingering discomfort.

Fister could rejoin the Tigers’ starting rotation after just one minor league start if everything goes well.

The 28-year-old right-hander has a 0.00 ERA through 3 2/3 innings this year after finishing with a stellar 2.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 146/37 K/BB ratio in 216 1/3 frames last season between Detroit and Seattle.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more MLB news see: Fister slated to make first rehab start Wednesday.

The first week of the postseason should have been indication enough that the opening round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs was going to be something special. In the end, it took 48 games, a record 16 overtimes, and countless unforgettable moments to make this a first round that fans won’t soon forget.

1. More overtime: Could there have been a more appropriate ending for the first round than the double-OT finale between the Devils and Panthers on Thursday? Of the three Game 7s in the first round, two required overtime, and three of the eight first-round series ended with an overtime goal.

In fact, if this postseason is remembered for anything, it might be extra time. The 16 overtime finishes in the first round established a new record for a single playoff round, previously set in 2001. Fortunately, all this overtime didn’t keep everyone up too late. Only three of the 16 overtime games required more than one extra period.

2. Boedker’s double: What’s more amazing than 16 total overtimes, including the first five games of a single series for the first time in League history, which happened between Phoenix and Chicago? How about Mikkel Boedker scoring the overtime winner in consecutive games? The winners — Boedker’s only two goals of the series — followed a regular season in which the 22-year-old forward scored just 11 goals in 82 games. He hadn’t scored in consecutive games until the final two of the regular season. With his twin winners, Boedker became the first player to notch overtime goals in consecutive playoff games since Joe Sakic in 2004.

How rare was the feat? While last year’s playoffs saw three players (Alexandre Burrows, Nathan Horton and Devin Setoguchi) score two overtime goals, no player scored more than one overtime goal in the previous two postseasons. If Boedker scores again in OT this spring, he’ll become the third player, after Maurice Richard and Mel Hill, to score three in a playoff season.

3. The Real Deal: When two teams score 56 goals in a six-game series, it takes a lot for any one highlight to stand above the rest. But a beauty from James Neal was a microcosm of a wild intrastate matchup.

With the teams skating four-on-four and the Pens trailing 3-1 in Game 3, Neal made a fantastic move around Andreas Lilja and Matt Carle before beating Ilya Bryzgalov with a quick shot. The goal gave the Penguins new life, but as was the case throughout the series, the team couldn’t maintain that momentum. Just 23 seconds after Neal’s beauty, Matt Read replied for the Flyers, leading Philadelphia to an 8-4 win and a 3-0 series lead.

4. Bryz-y does it: One wouldn’t expect many highlight-reel saves in one of the highest-scoring series in League history, but Bryzgalov’s stunning post-to-post grab on Kris Letang in the second game may have shifted control of the series.

At the time, the Flyers were down 2-0 in the first and the Penguins appeared determined to even the series after squandering a 3-0 lead in Game 1. With his monstrous save, Bryzgalov showed that, in a series where big saves were at a premium, he could be counted on to hold the fort when needed. The Flyers keeper looked shaky in Games 3 and 4, but allowed four goals in the final two games of the series, providing renewed confidence in the Flyers’ crease.

5. Western union: Pekka Rinne’s .944 save percentage was a major reason the Predators knocked off the Red Wings in five games. It also ranked him last among the four goalies remaining in the Western Conference. Jonathan Quick (.953), Mike Smith (.950), and Brian Elliott (.949) all outranked Rinne in an incredible opening playoff round. Rinne’s 1.81 goals-against average equaled Smith but trailed Elliott (1.37) and Quick (1.59).

The best statistical goaltender of the playoffs didn’t even make it past the first round. Despite a .960 save percentage and 1.31 GAA in three starts, Vancouver’s Cory Schneider — who replaced starter Roberto Luongo to start Game 3 against Los Angeles — wasn’t able to keep up with the rest of the Western Conference pack.

6. Changing of the guard: The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs looks very different from years past. All four of last season’s conference finalists are gone, including Cup Finalists Boston and Vancouver, who were upset in remarkable overtime finishes.

While the Canucks and Bruins failed to make the second round for the first time since 2008, the Red Wings are out in Round 1 for the first time since 2006. That five-year run was the longest current streak in the NHL and the second-longest in the history of the conference format. The Wings set the record when they made the second round in six straight postseasons between 1995 and 2000.

In place of the old standbys are teams that are unfamiliar to the second round. Like the Coyotes, who won their first playoff series since 1987, when the franchise was in Winnipeg. There’s also the Blues and Kings, who won their first postseason series since 2002 and 2001, respectively, and the Capitals, who won their first series as a lower seed since 1998.

7. Gi-Whiz: With the first round done, Flyers center Claude Giroux owns practically every League statistical lead, topping the Stanley Cup Playoffs in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus. As if that wasn’t enough, Giroux was a constant thorn in the side of Penguins fans and his hit on Sidney Crosby off Game 6-s opening faceoff set the tone for a series-clinching win.

Giroux’s His 14 points against the Penguins was one shy of the team record of 15 set by Tim Kerr in the 1989 Patrick Division Semifinals — also against the Penguins. In fact, the 14 points is the most in a series since Sidney Crosby had five goals and nine assists against Ottawa in the first round of the 2010 playoffs. Giroux’s six-game outburst is more than half the total for the playoff scoring leader in 13 of the last 16 playoffs, including last year’s leader, David Krejci, who had 23 points.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NHL news see: First round defined by OT, individual performances.

STORRS, Conn. — Connecticut center Andre Drummond has declared for the NBA Draft after a single season of college basketball.

The 18-year-old freshman averaged 10 points for the Huskies this season while leading the team in rebounding at 7.6 per game.

“My family and I feel that this is the right time for me to take the next step in my basketball career,” Drummond said. “It has always been a goal of mine to compete against the world’s best players and that is one of the big factors for me in making this decision.”

The announcement comes days after UConn’s leading scorer, sophomore Jeremy Lamb, announced that he too will be leaving for the NBA. The NCAA has banned UConn from next year’s postseason because of past academic problems.

“Andre is a developing player with unlimited potential and his projected position in the draft is as good as almost any player I’ve ever had,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “Very few players get such a tremendous opportunity, and he’s got to take advantage of it.”

Drummond also led the team with 92 blocked shots, and his 2.7 blocks per game ranked third in the Big East.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more college basketball news see: Drummond first UConn freshman to declare for NBA.

The Denver Broncos are getting their first taste of the hurry-up-at-altitude offense that Peyton Manning will unleash on the NFL this fall if everything keeps going well with his surgically repaired neck.

As they go through their offseason workouts, the Broncos are laying the foundation for the offense that Manning is bringing with him from Indianapolis.

Manning was one of the first to report to the Broncos’ voluntary team workouts Monday.

“I’ve seen that firsthand over the course of my career — that offseason work makes a big difference come fall,” Manning said in a video posted on the Broncos’ official website. “You can’t just show up in September and expect to be successful, expect to win games. And so this offseason work is critical.”

When they signed Manning to a $ 96 million deal and dealt Tim Tebow to the New York Jets, the Broncos scrapped the option-style offense they had dusted off last season to fit the left-handed scrambler’s unique skill set.

Now, it’s all about the fast-paced switcheroo offense that’s the basis of Manning’s maniacal motions at the line of scrimmage as he deciphers defenses.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: Broncos get first taste of Peyton Manning’s hurry-up offense.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

Jim Leyland had already decided after the eighth inning Monday night that he was sticking with Justin Verlander in the ninth, no matter what happened against the Kansas City Royals.

So when the crusty Detroit manager ambled out to the mound, with two on and two out in a 3-2 game, his message for his ace was simple: “You’re going to get me fired.”

“Seriously,” Verlander said afterward. “That’s what he told me.”

Leyland’s heart must have really been racing when he headed back to the dugout and watched Verlander plunk Alcides Escobar to load the bases. And the relaxation must have been just as quick to come when the reigning Cy Young winner struck out Alex Gordon to preserve the victory.

“He came in after the eighth and said, `I feel great,”‘ Leyland said. “I said, `Well, it’s your game. You’re either going to win it or lose it. I’m not taking you out.”‘

So what was Verlander’s response when Leyland had to visit the mound?

“Sorry,” Verlander said.

“That’s just the way he is,” added Verlander, who used 131 pitches to improve to 14-2 in his career against the Royals. “He’s relaxed in a situation where a lot of guys might be panicking. And he might be panicking on the inside, but he doesn’t show it.”

Austin Jackson hit a leadoff homer and Brandon Inge added a two-run shot in the fifth for the Tigers, giving Verlander (1-1) just enough support in a pitcher’s duel against Danny Duffy.

The young left-hander kept the Tigers’ potent attack at bay most of the game, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk in a 6 1-3 innings. Duffy (1-1) also struck out seven.

Detroit nearly added to Jackson’s homer when Brennan Boesch singled and Miguel Cabrera worked a walk in the first inning. Prince Fielder grounded into a double play, though, and Delmon Young flied out to end the threat and keep Kansas City within striking distance.

Gordon eventually matched the run when he doubled in the bottom half of the inning, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Billy Butler’s base hit.

That was just about all the Royals could muster until the ninth inning, when Butler led off with a single. Pinch runner Jason Bourgeois eventually scored, setting up the dramatic ending.

Verlander changed speeds and took advantage of the corners to flummox the young Kansas City lineup most of the night. He retired 11 straight at one point and struck out nine overall.

Of course, his dominance was nothing new to folks in Kansas City.

The right-hander has made a mockery of the Royals in recent years, especially at Kauffman Stadium, where he improved to 9-2 and has allowed only 18 earned runs in 88 1-3 innings.

“It was a big task facing Verlander,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, whose club has lost five straight. “We gave him a good game, but it’s not the way we wanted it to end.”

Verlander finally had something to show for his third consecutive strong start.

He he allowed four runs over 8 1-3 innings in a 4-2 defeat to Tampa Bay, and received no decision despite allowing a pair of hits over eight scoreless innings against Boston – making those 24 wins he piled up last season look all the more impressive.

“A lot of those last year came pretty easy,” he said. “I told everyone my goal this season is to be a better pitcher, even if my numbers might not be as good.”

Duffy did his best to make Monday night another fruitless outing.

The young left-hander, who went six scoreless innings against Oakland his first time out, used his overpowering fastball to blow through most of the Detroit lineup. Alex Avila struck out twice against Duffy, and Fielder and Cabrera also went down at the plate.

His only major mistakes were to Jackson in the first inning and Inge in the fifth.

It was all that Verlander needed.

“It was a big, see-saw battle, back and forth,” Yost said. “A lot of excitement at the end.”

NOTES: Two of Verlander’s 15 complete games have come against Kansas City. …. Gordon, who was made the spokesman for the All-Star FanFest earlier in the day, earned a round of applause with a face-planting grab on a sinking fly ball to LF in the fifth. … Detroit LHP Drew Smyly takes the mound Tuesday night against LHP Bruce Chen.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more MLB baseball news see: Verlander hangs on for first win.

Peyton Manning starts work at the Denver Broncos’ facility Monday when the team’s offseason program begins. In the short term, the Broncos’ coaching staff should be worried about keeping up with their new pupil.

But the organization continues to think long term about what will happen in the post-Manning era. The Denver Post reports the team is bringing in Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins and San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley for pre-draft workouts this week.

The team also visited with Brock Osweiler last week. These aren’t just pre-draft smokescreens. We’d be very surprised if the Broncos don’t take a quarterback in this draft, possibly as high as the second round.

Denver said plenty when it signed Caleb Hanie as Manning’s backup. That’s a sign that they were “all in” with Manning’s health, and that they planned to bring in a rookie to groom behind Manning. Hanie makes no sense without another addition.

Don’t be surprised if Lindley, Osweiler, or Cousins winds up being that addition, and having the best quarterback tutor imaginable as a rookie.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: During Manning’s first week, Broncos examine QBs.

Considering the buildup that took place Saturday night between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks, maybe the end result was the climax of what both teams feel will be a a rugged and physical series as it becomes a race to three.

The fallout of the Blues’ 3-0 win means this: when the teams shift gears and move out West to San Jose and HP Pavilion, strap your seat belts because whoever moves on to the Western Conference Semifinals will be battered and bruised.

“I’m sure it’s going to be physical,” Blues captain David Backes said. “That’s playoff hockey. It’s physical and every battle’s huge. It’s one shift at a time and take it as it goes. Whoever can stay with their game plan the longest is going to have success.”

The Blues were not necessarily in a must-win mode, but going down 0-2 and heading on the road needing to win four of five games was not in their best interests. So when the temperature rose, the Blues elevated themselves up the mercury meter and matched San Jose’s grit when it mattered.

“We had to win this game at home and there was a lot of fire in the guys,” Blues winger Andy McDonald said. “Everybody stood up for each other, so it was a great sign.”

Added Blues defenseman Barret Jackman: “Just playing hard. They’re coming to the net hard, we’re going to their net hard. A lot of little scrums there. Just a little mix-up at the end and that’s the way the playoffs are. We go back at them in San Jose and hopefully we play the same game.

“It’s the playoffs. You look at any series, there’s bad blood. You’re battling hard every shift. That’s two games now out of a possible seven and every one’s going to be like that.”

Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle agreed.

“It’s a physical game,” Boyle said. “They were trying to impose themselves on us. We could probably do a better job of being more physical. We can always do a better job there. We’ll take it back home and improve on what needs to be improved on.”

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said his young team grew up in the face of adversity against a team that’s been there, done that.

“I don’t know that you need a game like this, but this is what it is at this time of the year,” Hitchcock said. “I’ve seen this before. We were on the opposite side.

“We are playing a very good hockey club that’s playing for their lives right now. They know what’s at stake, and they gave us a push. I thought we really grew up. We needed to grow up quick after the first period, and our game matured and our compete level matured to hopefully make this a good series.”

The teams combined for 132 minutes in penalties, including 88 of them at the final whistle when there were three fights and a set of game misconducts.

But when the game was played, Sharks coach Todd McLellan said the Blues were harder on plays when the intensity level rose.

“I thought they were harder the whole night,” McLellan said of the Blues. “I just thought when the puck was along the boards, they battled and had body position. They were strong on sticks, they played a very intense game along there.

“Early in the game, we matched it, but as the game went on more, we didn’t.”

Said Sharks captain Joe Thornton: “We had chances but didn’t bear down and finish.

“We had our looks. We definitely had our looks. … We would have liked to win [Game 2], but now we have home ice and we have to take advantage of it.”

The Blues and Backes will try to regain the home ice edge.

“It’s high emotions,” Backes said. “They’re playing for their lives, we’re playing for our lives. It’s a physical game. Each team thinks they had a few liberties taken on them. That’s how you respond in the game of hockey. It’s nothing outside the lines.”

The Blues will know more later Sunday about the status of goalie Jaroslav Halak, who was removed a minute into the second period after being inadvertently run over by Jackman. He left with a lower-body injury and did not return, as Brian Elliott came on in relief and stopped 17 shots to preserve the shutout win.

The Sharks said that fourth-line center Dominic Moore suffered a broken nose from his fight with the Blues’ Vladimir Sobotka, a play in which McLellan called it a “sucker-punch.”

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NHL news see: Blues, Sharks getting physical in first two games.

NEW YORK — CJ Wilson has pitched twice for the Angels and won both times. He hasn’t exactly sailed through lineups or shut down opponents, but he does things managers like to see: He throws strikes and knows how to extricate himself from trouble.

Wilson’s performance against the New York Yankees in a nationally televised game on Saturday was another example. On four occasions the Yankees put runners at third base with two outs; three times they had runners at second and third.

Each time, Houdini-like, Wilson escaped.

This is the pitcher the Angels are paying $ 77.5 million over the next five years, and while the rest of the starting rotation struggles, he has a 2-0 record and a 1.38 ERA.

“I don’t know if it’s about anybody having to own up to any kind of contract,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s about pitching baseball and giving us chances to win. That’s what CJ’s done his last couple of years in Texas and what he’s done with his first two starts here.”

It helped, of course, that the Angels scored early, flexed some of the muscle they hadn’t shown previously and coasted to a 7-1 win at Yankee Stadium. After hitting just three homers in their first seven games, they hit three on Saturday, one each by Chris Iannetta, Howie Kendrick and Vernon Wells.

Albert Pujols remains homerless, and Kendrys Morales is in a 1-for-23 slump and hitting .200, but that’s an issue for another day. Wilson got the big outs when he needed them to end the Angels’ three-game losing streak and pick up his first career victory against the Yankees.

“You just have to make your pitches,” Wilson said. “You have to be aware of what your plan is on the hitter. You can’t let the game speed you up and force you into decisions you don’t want to make pitch-wise. You can’t worry that there are guys on base. You have to continue to mix your pitches. That’s my thing.”

He did it effectively against a lineup with few weaknesses. Here’s how:

In the first inning, with runners at first and third and two outs, he got Mark Teixeira to ground out to Pujols at first.

In the fourth, with runners at second and third and two outs, he retired Russell Martin on a fly ball to right.

In the fifth, again with runners at second and third, he got Teixeira on a soft liner to shortstop Erick Aybar.

And in the sixth, after a hit batter and his own two-base throwing error put runners in scoring position, he got Jeter on a fly ball to right.

“I really like pitching here,” Wilson said. “I feel like it’s a good energy, and obviously it’s one of the best teams in baseball. So when you’re going against those guys you have to be at your best as well and try to raise your level.”

His performance was settling at a time the Angels appear unsettled. On Friday, they brought up pitcher David Carpenter from the minors. Saturday, left-hander Brad Mills was promoted and Rich Thompson was designated for assignment, a cautionary move in case reliever Scott Downs was unable to pitch after suffering a bruised right ankle in Minnesota. But after the game, Mills was optioned back to Triple-A Salt Lake City in anticipation of activating Jerome Williams, who will start Sunday night’s game.

With so much movement, it was a positive sign that Wilson pitched well and was backed up by relievers Kevin Jepsen, LaTroy Hawkins and Jordan Walden, each of whom threw a hitless, scoreless inning.

But everything was set up by the Angels’ new left-hander.

“That’s a tough lineup because they make you work for every out,” Scioscia said. “He did a much better job commanding the count than we did (Friday) night, and when he did get into some tough counts, he made some good pitches. It’s a tough lineup to go through, but he was ready for it. He never lost his focus, had a great plan going into the game and he executed very well.”

And maybe, for everyone else, the same thing is happening. But it’s only one game, and another nationally televised game looms Sunday night.

“We have a couple of new pieces on the team and we’re just looking to jell,” Wilson said. “We have a lot of improvement to make, offensively, defensively, pitching-wise. We’re just concerned with trying to play our best baseball, and right now, I don’t think we’ve shown that. We haven’t fired on all cylinders yet.”
MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more MLB baseball news see: C.J. Wilson gets first win over Yankees.