Gooooooooodddddd Morning!
So much for the Winnipeg Jets gaining some traction during their regular season ending road trip. And following a completely discouraging 5-1 loss last night in Minnesota, Captain Blake Wheeler felt it was time for a closed-door “players only meeting.”
To be fair, the performance of No. 3 goalie Eric Comrie did not give the Jets a chance in this one as he allowed some very stoppable goals in putting the Jets behind the eight-ball against an opponent they have struggled against offensively all season long.
And it did not sound like the news on Brandon Tanev will be promising. Tanev took a slash to the left hand from Eric Staal early in the game and did not return.
Jacob Trouba’s shorthanded goal in the second period was the lone tally for Winnipeg, who lost all five meetings with the Wild this season.
Nashville drew back even with the Jets for the Central Division lead with a 3-2 win in Buffalo. And St. Louis could make it a three-way tie with a win in Chicago tonight.
Dallas clinched at least a playoff spot with a 6-2 romp over Philadelphia as Alexander Radulov scored twice and set up two other goals. And Colorado needs but a single point to eliminate Arizona for the No. 2 wild card after the Avalanche dumped Edmonton 6-2 while the Coyotes were dropping a 3-1 decision at home to LA – despite pouring a 50-shot barrage on Kings goalie Jack Campbell.
The race for the two wild card spots in the East remained as tight as a drum with Carolina, Columbus, and Montreal separated by a single point. The Hurricanes moved to the front of that pack with a 4-1 win in Toronto while the Blue Jackets were getting bounced 6-2 at home by Boston. And Montreal stayed in the hunt with a 4-2 win over Tampa Bay — but the Habs will come out on the short end of the regulation and overtime win tie breaker.
San Jose lost for the ninth time in 10 games, 4-2 at Vancouver. And Detroit denied Pittsburgh the opportunity to punch their post season ticket with a 4-1 win over the Penguins.
The Manitoba Moose moved into the fourth and final playoff spot in the AHL Central with a 3-1 win over Bakersfield. Rookie Goalie Mikhail Berdin was a difference maker as the Moose were outshot 41-20.
Kevin Koe’s 6-0 record will be put to the test today at the World Men’s Curling Championship in Lethbridge when he meets a pair of 6-1 opponents. Japan this morning at 10 a.m., and then Sweden in the 8 p.m. evening draw.
The Alliance of American Football did not even make it through a full season before owner Tom Dundon decided to pull the pin with two weeks remaining in the schedule. And worse yet- there are reports the players have to pay for their own flights home.
The Toronto Blue Jays popgun offense contributed to a 3rd straight loss, 2-1 at home to Baltimore as Rowdy Tellez supplied the only extra base hit with a 9th inning solo homer. Rookie manager Charlie Montoya “tried” to sound convincing after the game.
Plate production has not been a problem for Bryce Harper. He homered for the 3rd straight game and is batting .429 in his first four games for Philadelphia. The Phillies walloped Harper’s former Washington Nationals team mates 8-2 for their first 4-0 start since 1915.
And Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook had just the second 20-20-20 triple double in NBA history in the Thunder’s 119-103 win over the Lakers. Westbrook hauled down his 20th rebound in the final minute to go along with 20 points and 21 assists in joining Wilt Chamberlin as the only other player to accomplish that feat.
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