Good Morning from Winnipeg Blue Bomber Free agent camp in Sarasota, Fla.
The home teams prevailed in a pair of Game 7’s last night in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. More on that in just a bit – but later this morning the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will hold the first of three workouts at their free agent mini camp here at the IMG Academy. And GM Kyle Walters says there is an expectation that about half of the 40 or so players — mostly receivers and defensive backs — will show enough with their speed and athleticism to earn an invite to next month’s rookie camp.
Walters says this camp is being held in Florida, instead of Winnipeg — and in an all rookie format — because of the uncertainty hanging over the negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
And later today at BMO Field in Toronto, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019 will be introduced with seven new inductees.
Back to hockey:
Which Game Seven last night made for the better storyline? Toronto seeing their season come to an end in Boston for the third time in the last seven years? Or the series-altering call that was made midway through the third period in San Jose?
Both outcomes, which saw the Bruins and Sharks advance to round two, will be talked about. A lot. The Leafs fell behind 2-0 late in the first period and could not overcome that deficit in a 5-1 loss to the Bruins that will result in the Toronto organization spending another entire summer trying to figure out why they haven’t been able to win a first round series since 2004. What do they have to do to get over the hump in particular against Boston?
And then there was the “after the fact” cross checking major and game misconduct given to Cody Eakins of Vegas with just under 11 minutes go – and the Golden Knights in complete control with a 3-0 lead on the Sharks.
San Jose scored four times on the ensuing power play for the first lead change of the series. Vegas came back to tie it in the final minute with the extra skater. And with just under two minutes to play in the first overtime, Barclay Goodrow skated across the slot and slid a puck past the outstretched right skate of Marc Andre Fleury to complete the Sharks comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.
So not a single Canadian-based team will be among the Great Eight for the second round of the playoffs, which gets underway tomorrow night with Columbus at Boston and St. Louis hosting Dallas.
Round one wraps up tonight with Washington trying to advance with a Game Seven win at home to those pesky Carolina Hurricanes.
Pembina Valley has a 2-1 series lead in the Manitoba Major Junior League Final after a 4-2 win over St. James.
The Toronto Raptors will meet Philadelphia in Round Two of the NBA playoffs after both teams finished off their series with Game Five victories over Orlando and Brooklyn respectively. Kawhi Leonard had 27 points and Pascal Siakam 24 in the Raptors convincing 115-96 beatdown of the Magic.
Rowdy Tellez hit a Grand Slam Homer- but it wasn’t enough to spoil Kevin Pillar’s return to Toronto as the former Blue Jay Centerfielder and his new San Francisco team mates were 7-6 winners.
And the Detroit Tigers beat Boston 7-4 and 4-2 for their first doubleheader sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway POark going all the way back to August of 1965.
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