Sportif Lover

NHL playoffs: 4 stories from opening night

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 16 April 2015 | 21.22

If the first night of the Stanley Cup playoffs was any indication, then we're in for an exciting series between the Canadiens and Senators. The Flames hold bragging rights over the Canucks — at least for now, while Chicago's rookie goaltender made a strong case for more playing time.

Here are four stories from Wednesday night:

Wild game between Habs, Sens

The Canadiens prevailed 4-3 over the Senators in Game 1 at the Bell Centre, despite a pair of unfortunate incidents that could have easily swung the odds in favour of the visitors.

Ottawa got on the board first, thanks to an own goal that deflected off the stick of Montreal defenceman Andrei Markov.

Then, in the middle frame, defenceman P.K. Subban was incensed after being ejected for slashing Senators rookie Mark Stone on his wrist.

Subban was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the slash, which forced Stone to the dressing room with an injury.

The call sparked controversy, especially when Stone returned to action and was even involved in a scrum near the end of the game.

Stone also took a moment to provide some comic relief from all the excitement and intensity when he struggled to take a sip from his water bottle.

Most of the damage for both teams was done in an eventful middle frame in which the Canadiens and Senators combined to score six goals.

Ottawa struck twice during the five-minute power play, but also surrendered a goal during that span.

When the dust settled, Brian Flynn's goal at the 17:17 mark of the second period held up as the game winner.

Flames' Russell earns fire helmet with late goal

Calgary edged Vancouver 2-1, with the difference maker being a goal by Kris Russell with 30 seconds left in the game.

The Flames defenceman picked an excellent time to score his first playoff goal since 2009 with Columbus. He tallied four goals and 30 assists during the regular season.

Despite the loss, the game started out on a positive note for the Canucks and Bo Horvat. The rookie centre buried his first playoff goal to finally awake the scorekeeper 12 minutes into the second period.

Darling saves the day for Blackhawks

The Blackhawks eventually beat the Predators 4-3 in double-overtime, but there were some interesting twists and turns along the path to victory.

Nashville ignited the home crowd by scoring three unanswered goals in the first period, two courtesy of Colin Wilson and one by Viktor Stalberg.

When the second period began, Chicago opted to replace Corey Crawford, who looked shaky in allowing a trio of goals on just 12 shots.

Rookie Scott Darling was given the nod to take over between the pipes.

The Blackhawks responded and 20 minutes later, the game was tied.

The 26-year-old netminder, with all of 14 games of experience, turned away a whopping 42 shots to give his team a chance.

Duncan Keith delivered at the other end to complete the comeback.

Isles feel at home in Washington

So much for home-ice advantage as the Islanders handed the Capitals a 4-1 defeat in Washington.

One of the differences for New York was a two-goal performance from Brock Nelson. He beat Capitals netminder Braden Holtby six minutes into the first period and added a late empty netter to put the game out of reach.

Alex Ovechkin was held scoreless in eight shot attempts as he registered a minus-2 rating for the night.

Another factor for the Islanders may have been the presence of some dedicated fans in the building.

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Flames' Russell lifts team over Canucks

Kris Russell scored with 29.6 seconds left in regulation Wednesday as the Calgary Flames stormed back to beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarter-final.

The defenceman's shot from the point found its way through traffic after a dominant shift by the Flames that had the Canucks hemmed in deep.

David Jones had the other goal for Calgary, while Jonas Hiller stopped 29 shots in the Flames' first playoff game since 2009.

Bo Horvat scored and Eddie Lack made 28 saves for Vancouver, which is back in the post-season after missing out last spring for the first time in six years.

"It was a good play to start off by our forwards," Russell said. "They cycled the puck, they held onto it, they got guys to commit. When you're defending it's hard when guys are cycling and using their speed like that.

"I just tried getting it as hard as I could in a good spot and the guys did a good job in front of Lack. I don't think he saw it."

Game 2 goes Friday at Rogers Arena before the series switches to Calgary for Games 3 and 4.

"We just have to learn from the mistakes we made tonight and move on," said Alexandre Burrows. "We'll learn from it and get ready for Game 2.

"We did some good things too. They're a good team over there and they made some plays."

Horvat snapped a scoreless tie at 12:08 of the second period after Lack, who was making his first playoff start, made a couple big saves at the other end. The 20-year-old rookie had his first shot blocked, but his follow up on the backhand nicked off the skate of Calgary defenceman Dennis Wideman in front and past Hiller to send the crowd at Rogers Arena into a frenzy.

Calgary, which won 10 games when trailing after 40 minutes in the regular season and was tied for first in the NHL with 99 third-period goals, tied the game with 12:01 left in regulation after a soft play by the Canucks at their own blue-line. The Flames broke in on a quick 3-on-2 in transition, with Jones roofing a shot over Lack.

"Those guys are unbelievable," Flames coach Bob Hartley said of his team's ability to erase late deficits. "They always find a way."

The goal came on the heels of a couple big saves by Hiller earlier in the period to keep his team within one.

Vancouver came in having not won at home in the playoffs since Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final against Boston, a span of six contests. The Canucks had also lost 10 of their last 11 playoff games overall dating back to Game 6 of the series with the Bruins.

"We didn't win. I thought we played well enough to win," said Henrik Sedin. "We made a mistake on their goal and after that we gave up a lot of 2-on-1s. That was something we talked about before this game and that's something we have to look for. You can't give up 2-on-1s one after another. That can't happen."

Vancouver came out hitting in the first period, with Ronalds Kenins throwing his weight around. The Flames, with a number of players making their playoff debuts, seemed to be back on their heels a bit in the early going.

Horvat and Burrows had good chances that Hiller managed to keep out, while Calgary rookie Sam Bennett — playing in just his second professional game — had his team's best chance after cutting out of the corner before being denied by Lack.

"Very impressed," Hartley said of Bennett's play. "We knew that the kid would come in with lots of grit. ... He can skate, he's a gritty player. He's built for the playoffs."

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Canadiens honour Jean Beliveau in pre-game playoff ceremony

Video

Montreal hockey legend shown passing the torch

CBC Sports Posted: Apr 15, 2015 8:13 PM ET Last Updated: Apr 15, 2015 8:14 PM ET

Jean Beliveau was honoured in a pre-game ceremony by the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre prior to hosting the Ottawa Senators in the team's playoff opener on Wednesday night.

A video was shown of Beliveau passing the torch, in this case to symbolize the beginning of the NHL post-season. An audio clip containing an inspiring message from Beliveau was also played in the arena.

The torch appears before every home game and is typically carried by a young fan.

The hockey legend and former Habs captain passed away at the age of 83 in December of 2014.

Beliveau retired in 1971 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame the following year. He remains the second all-time scoring leader in franchise history with 1,219 points, and even more impressively, was a member of 10 Stanley Cup winning teams in Montreal.

In another classy move, the Canadiens also paid tribute to Mark Reeds, the Senators' assistant coach who died on Tuesday after a battle with cancer.

Footage of both tributes are available in the video players at the top of this article.

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Habs defenceman Subban tossed for slashing Sens' Stone

The Montreal Canadiens overcame a potentially disastrous situation in their opening-round playoff game against the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.

Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for slashing Senators rookie Mark Stone on his right wrist in front of Montreal's net at the 8:23 mark of the second period.

The call ignited a chorus of boos from the home crowd, while also leaving Habs fans, players, and coaches shocked by the severity of the penalty.

Subban was also visibly upset.

Ottawa didn't waste any time taking advantage of the five-minute power play, with a Kyle Turris wrist shot finding the back of the net.

In an increasingly intense and action-packed sequence, Montreal responded with a short-handed goal to regain the lead at 3-2, only to see the Senators knot the score by striking again during the same five-minute span.

Centre Brian Flynn then rescued Montreal with the eventual game-winning goal at 17:17 of the second as the Habs skated to a 4-3 win.

The call has sparked controversy and is sure to be a major talking point, especially after Stone returned to the bench following a brief trip to the dressing room.

Stone left the game again in the third period and went with the team doctor to have his wrist examined, but he returned minutes later.

Stone accused Subban of intentionally slashing him after the game.

"It's up to the league," Stone told reporters when asked if Subban should be suspended. "Obviously it was a pretty big hack. It looked like he wanted to hurt me."

Senators coach Dave Cameron offered a not-so-subtle take.

"I think it's quite simple — it's a vicious slash on an unprotected part of the body," he said. "You either do one of two things. I think it's an easy solution — you either suspend him, or when one of their best players gets slashed just give us five."

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NBA playoffs: Raptors draw Wizards in 1st round

The Toronto Raptors won their regular-season finale on Wednesday night, but so did the Chicago Bulls.

That means Toronto finishes fourth in the Eastern Conference and will face the Washington Wizards in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Game 1 is set for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET at the Air Canada Centre.

The Raptors swept their season series against the Wizards. Each win came before the All-Star break, with the last one needing DeMar DeRozan to hit a late-game jumper over notorious Raptor-killer Paul Pierce.

Speaking of Pierce, the veteran already has a head start in the trash-talking department. Pierce, whose series-ending block of Kyle Lowry last year (when Pierce played for Brooklyn) is still fresh in Raptors fans' minds, said he doesn't feel that Toronto has the "it" factor to contend in the playoffs.

"Paul Pierce has always got to say something," DeRozan fired back after the Raptors' win on Wednesday. "He said something last year. He's always got to say something. Just let him talk. I could care less what he says."

As for the on-court action, the Wizards will look to body up inside with Nene and Marcin Gortat. This could pose problems for Toronto's defensively-challenged Jonas Valanciunas and the Raptors' undersized forwards.

Amir Johnson recently returned from an ankle injury and played sparingly on Wednesday against Charlotte. His health will determine how successful Toronto will be against Washington's big men.

The most compelling matchups will be with the guards. Lowry is back from injury and DeRozan has been impressive in the final stretch of the regular season. They will surely have their hands full with Washington's explosive duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Given their continued development as individual and team players, the "House of Guards" should return for another sinister post-season.

NBA tested, Frank Underwood approved. (Google Images)

Toronto does have a more cohesive and productive second unit, with Lou Williams, Greivis Vasquez and James Johnson all capable of relieving the starters. Ultimately it will have to be the Raptors' first five to not only start strong, but close out games as well.

Eastern Conference

#1 Atlanta Hawks vs #8 Brooklyn Nets

#2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #7 Boston Celtics

#3 Chicago Bulls vs #6 Milwaukee Bucks

#4 Toronto Raptors vs #5 Washington Wizards

Western Conference

#1 Golden State Warriors vs #8 New Orleans Hornets

#2 Houston Rockets vs #7 Dallas Mavericks

#3 Los Angeles Clippers vs # 6 San Antonio Spurs

#4 Portland Trail Blazers vs #5 Memphis Grizzlies

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NHL playoffs: Western Conference preview

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 15 April 2015 | 21.22

With the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin Wednesday night, here's a breakdown of the first-round matchups in the Western Conference, along with a prediction for each series.

For our Eastern Conference preview, click here.

Note: Chances of winning are implied probabilities derived from betting odds made available Tuesday morning by Pinnacle, with the bookmaker's vigorish removed, rounded to the nearest full percentage point.

Canucks: 48-29-5, 101 points, finished second in Pacific Division

Flames: 45-30-7, 97 points, finished third in Pacific Division

Regular-season series: Flames won 2-1-1 (Canucks 2-2-0)

Series opener: Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (CBC TV, CBCSports.ca)

Chances of winning: Vancouver 56%, Calgary 44%

2 things to know

Flames not cooling down: Followers of possession stats have been waiting for the surprising Flames to collapse all season. They finished third-last in the league in score-adjusted Corsi, ahead of only Buffalo and Colorado and behind Toronto, Columbus, Arizona and Edmonton. None of those teams came close to making the playoffs, but Calgary somehow just keeps on winning — even after losing its best player, defenceman Mark Giordano, to injury in late February. Unlike many previous overachievers (like Colorado last year) the Flames weren't great in one-goal games or score-adjusted PDO (that's combined shooting and save percentages at 5-on-5 in close games). Now they've caught another break by drawing a Vancouver team that's also sub-par when it comes to possession indicators. Hey, sometimes when you're hot, you're hot.

Not (yet) Miller time: The Canucks thought they'd solved their post-Luongo goaltending questions when they signed former Vezina winner Ryan Miller to a three-year, $18-million US deal last off-season. But the 34-year-old showed his age, posting his worst save percentage (.911) since 2007-08 and missing virtually all of the last seven weeks with a knee injury. He returned for the meaningless regular-season finale against Edmonton and allowed five goals. With Miller's timing and health still iffy, it looks like backup Eddie Lack will get the chance to play in his first NHL post-season.

Prediction: Calgary in 7

Ducks: 51-24-7, 109 points, won Pacific Division and Western Conference's No. 1 seed

Jets: 43-26-13, 99 points, finished second in wild-card race

Regular-season series: Ducks won 3-0-0 (Winnipeg (0-1-2)

Series opener: Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET

Chances of winning: Anaheim 60%, Winnipeg 40%

2 things to know

Ducks good in tight spots: When a team wins a lot of one-goal games, you often hear things like "they're gritty" and "they just know how to win" but there's compelling evidence in many sports that shows success in tight contests isn't all that sustainable. How, then, to explain Anaheim, which last season trailed only Colorado (see what we mean by unsustainable?) in one-goal-game winning percentage and this season led the league by a mile with a ridiculous 33-1-7 mark? Bruce Boudreau's team ranked 11th in goals scored, 20th in goals allowed and posted the worst goal differential (plus-10) of any playoff team. They're also a middle-of-the-road possession team. Those numbers scream upset, but if Anaheim's close-game magic is in fact a skill, it will serve them well in the tighter-checking environment of the playoffs.

Many signs point to Jets: Even though they're facing the team with the best record in their conference, the Jets have a lot going for them. They have a superior goal differential, they're better at driving play as measured by possession indicators, and they played a far tougher schedule in the cutthroat Central while Anaheim fattened up on the likes of Edmonton and Arizona in the Pacific. On a less tangible level, the Winnipeg crowd will be bonkers for its first Stanley Cup playoff games in almost two decades, and could influence a few calls (would you want to whistle a Jets penalty in that building?). The question mark, as always, is in net, but Ondrej Pavelec is as hot as they come. He rides a streak of three consecutive shutouts into the playoffs.

Prediction: Winnipeg in 6

NASHVILLE VS. CHICAGO

Predators: 47-24-10, 104 points, finished second in Central Division

Blackhawks: 48-28-6, 102 points, finished third in Central Division

Regular-season series: Blackhawks won 3-1-0 (Predators 1-1-2)

Series opener: Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET

Chances of winning: Chicago 55%, Nashville 45%

2 things to know

Kane able to play: This is the only series in either conference where bookmakers favour the lower seed, and they did so even before it was announced that Chicago star Patrick Kane is expected to play in the opener after missing the final 21 regular-season games with a broken collarbone that was supposed to keep him out until the end of May. The puck-handling wizard was in the mix for the scoring title and MVP honours, racking up 27 goals and 64 points in only 61 games before he got hurt. If Kane boosts the offence and the defence remains stingy (only Montreal allowed fewer goals) Chicago has a shot to win its third Cup in six years.

Preds fading: One of the NHL's surprise teams, the Predators sat atop the league for much of the season before a late-campaign malaise set in and they lost their final six games, ceding the tough Central Division to St. Louis. Veteran forward Mike Ribeiro — Nashville's second-leading scorer behind rookie Filip Forsberg — looked like a great pickup off the scrap heap early on, but he has only nine points since the start of March, around the time he was sued for an alleged sexual assault. The Predators still finished as one of the better possession teams in the league, but Chicago did too, and it has a significantly higher goal differential and a better track record of success in the playoffs.

Prediction: Chicago in 5

ST. LOUIS VS. MINNESOTA

Blues: 51-24-7, 109 points, won Central Division and Western Conference's No. 2 seed

Wild: 46-28-8, 100 points, finished first in wild-card race

Regular-season series: Wild won 2-1-1 (Blues 2-2-0)

Series opener: Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET

Chances of winning: St. Louis 57%, Minnesota 43%

2 things to know

Dubnyk steps in: On Jan. 14, the Wild were in the midst of a crisis. A 7-2 loss at Pittsburgh the night before had extended their losing streak to six games, leaving them eight points out of a wild-card spot. Desperate for an upgrade in net, GM Chuck Fletcher traded a third-round pick to Arizona for unheralded veteran Devan Dubnyk. The turnaround was immediate. Dubnyk started the next night and blanked Buffalo 7-0, beginning a string of 39 consecutive starts that didn't end until the penultimate game of the season, after Minnesota clinched a playoff spot. He went 27-9-2 for his new team, with a .936 save percentage and 1.78 goals-against average that would both top NHL leader Carey Price's numbers.

Some reward: The Blues won hockey's toughest division, and what do they get? A matchup with a wild-card team that has the NHL's best record since Dubnyk arrived. You could argue St. Louis would be better off swapping places with the conference's lowest playoff seed, Winnipeg, and taking on Anaheim, champion of the soft Pacific. This should be one of those tooth-and-nail series, pitting two teams in the top six in goal prevention and pretty similar possession rates. The Blues will need to pressure Dubnyk with their talented group of forwards, led by 37-goal man Vladimir Tarasenko, who's only 23.

Prediction: St. Louis in 7

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NHL playoffs: Pick the winners

The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are about to begin. Now it's your turn to pick the winners.

Vote now in our interactive bracket for the teams you think will advance from the first round.

Check back Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET to see who won. The team with the most votes in each matchup will move on to the second round, where you can vote again.

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NHL playoff bracket: Pick the winners

The NHL's first-round playoff matchups are set. Now it's your turn to pick the winners. Vote now for the teams you think will advance, then check back tomorrow to see who won and make your selections for the next round.

VOTE NOW

Select a match-up beginning with St. Louis and Minnesota. Cast your vote for all eight match-ups. Return tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET to see which team won and cast your vote for the next round.

MATCHUP

Who will win?

RESULTS

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NHL playoffs: Eastern Conference preview

With the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin Wednesday night, here's a breakdown of the first-round matchups in the Eastern Conference, along with a prediction for each series.

For our Western Conference preview, click here.

Note: Chances of winning are implied probabilities derived from betting odds made available Monday morning by Pinnacle, with the bookmaker's vigorish removed, rounded to the nearest full percentage point.

Canadiens: 50-22-10, 110 points, won Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed

Senators: 43-26-13, 99 points, finished first in wild-card race

Regular-season series: Ottawa won 3-1-0 (Canadiens 1-3-0)

Series opener: Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET (CBC TV, CBCSports.ca)

Chances of winning: Montreal 59%, Ottawa 41%

2 things to know

"Patches" patched up? Habs sniper Max Pacioretty tied for fifth in the league with 37 goals despite missing the final two regular-season games with what the team called an "upper-body" after he hit his head on the boards during a game at Florida. Pacioretty returned to practice on Monday sporting a tinted visor, but it's uncertain whether he's fully recovered from what's likely a concussion. Montreal can ill afford to lose Pacioretty. The Habs are a middling puck-possession team that sometimes leans too heavily on him, star defenceman P.K. Subban and especially goalie Carey Price, who deserves to win not only the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie but the Hart as the league's MVP. Even if the Habs aren't at their best, Price is capable of stealing a series against anyone.

Sens rookies spark rally: From Feb. 18 on, Ottawa went 21-3-3, making a mad dash for the playoffs that went down to the season's final day. The start of the run coincided with the first career start of unheralded 27-year-old rookie goalie Andrew "the Hamburglar" Hammond. All he did was match a 76-year-old record by allowing two or fewer goals in his first 12 NHL starts and finish with a 20-1-2 record. Twenty-two-year-old forward Mark Stone caught fire too, racking up 10 points in six April games, including a pair of goals in the playoff-clinching win over Philadelphia, to win the rookie scoring title.

Prediction: Ottawa in 7

Rangers: 53-22-7, 113 points, won Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed and Presidents' Trophy for NHL's best record

Penguins: 43-27-12, 98 points, finished second in wild-card race

Regular-season series: Rangers won 3-0-1 (Penguins 1-2-1)

Series opener: Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (CBC TV, CBCSports.ca)

Chances of winning: New York 67%, Pittsburgh 33%

2 things to know

Pens limp in: Pittsburgh nearly missed the playoffs for the first time since Sidney Crosby's rookie season, needing a win over Buffalo on the final day after losing each of their five previous April games. Blame injuries: On the blue-line Kris Letang is not expected to be able to play at any time in the playoffs after suffering another concussion, and Christian Ehrhoff's status is iffy as he tries to recover from a concussion of his own. Star forward Evgeni Malkin may not be 100 per cent either. He missed time down the stretch with an unspecified lower-body injury and did not record a point in his last five games. On a related note, the Pens averaged 1.67 goals per game in their final 15 after averaging 2.86 in their first 67.

Rangers good and lucky: Too bad about Pittsburgh's injury problems, because a few signs in this series pointed to the potential for an upset. Even though the Rangers had the NHL's best regular-season record and the top goal differential, they ranked in the bottom half in score-adjusted possession indicators while leading the league in combined shooting and save percentages, suggesting they had some good fortune. The Penguins, meanwhile, ranked near the top in possession, showing their ability to drive play.

Prediction: Rangers in 6

WASHINGTON VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Capitals: 45-26-11, 101 points, finished second in Metropolitan Division

Islanders: 47-28-7, 101 points, finished third in Metropolitan Division

Regular-season series: Capitals won 2-0-2 (Islanders 2-1-1)

Series opener: Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET

Chances of winning: Washington 58%, New York 42%

2 things to know

Home not so sweet: The Islanders' days at rickety old Nassau Coliseum are numbered, and the crowd figures to be emotional and loud as it prepares to say goodbye to the place where the Isles won four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980s. But home-ice advantage doesn't appear to be a big factor in this series: New York and Washington earned just four points more combined at home than on the road this season.

Busy bodies: This series features some of the most active stars in the league. New York's John Tavares led all forwards in ice time by averaging 20:40 per game and finished second in the scoring race to Jamie Benn. Washington's Alex Ovechkin led the league in goals (53) for the third year in a row while averaging 20:19 of ice time — the fifth-highest mark among forwards. His teammate Braden Holtby played in a staggering 73 of 82 games to lead all goalies.

Prediction: Washington in 7

Lightning: 50-24-8, 108 points, finished second in Atlantic Division

Red Wings: 43-25-14, 100 points, finished third in Atlantic Division

Regular-season series: Lightning won 3-1-0 (Red Wings 1-2-1)

Series opener: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET

Chances of winning: Tampa Bay 63%, Detroit 37%

2 things to know

Wings go with young goalie: Detroit announced it will open with 23-year-old Petr Mrazek in net. He got the nod over veteran Jimmy Howard, the Wings' starter in the playoffs the last five years. This season, Mrazek produced a slightly better goals-against average (2.38 to Howard's 2.44) and save percentage (.918 to .910) while playing in fewer games (29 to 53).

Different approaches: These are the top two score-adjusted possession teams in the league, per NHL.com's numbers. But they do their scoring in different ways. Tampa Bay potted the most goals in the NHL thanks to its stellar even-strength play, leading the league in 5-on-5 scoring while finishing second in even-strength goal differential. That covered for a power play that ranked in the middle of the pack in success rate. Detroit ranked 10th in scoring while finishing only 14th in 5-on-5 differential but converting a higher percentage of its power plays than every team but Washington. The Lightning, though, may be able to neutralize that advantage: they ranked seventh in penalty killing.

Prediction: Tampa Bay in 6

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Indians pitcher hit in face by line drive

Video

White Sox's Cabrera smacks ball

By Matt Ingram, CBC Sports Posted: Apr 14, 2015 10:03 PM ET Last Updated: Apr 14, 2015 10:03 PM ET

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco faced a scary moment Tuesday.

He left a game against the White Sox after being struck in the face by a line drive hit by Chicago's Melky Cabrera.

Carrasco was able to get part of his glove on the ball before he was hit. He went down hard and stayed down for several minutes before being helped off the field in a cart. He was conscious, but clearly in pain as he held his left cheek.

The Indians report Carasco is being treated for a jaw contusion and has no symptoms of a concussion or head injury.

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Canadiens' Pacioretty uncertain for Game 1 vs. Senators

Montreal star missed end of regular season

CBC Sports Posted: Apr 15, 2015 9:27 AM ET Last Updated: Apr 15, 2015 9:27 AM ET

Must See: Pacioretty exits game with injury 0:39

Canadiens star Max Pacioretty's status for Montreal's playoff opener is still uncertain as he awaits clearance from the team's medical staff.

Montreal coach Michel Therrien said Tuesday that he would be "surprised" if Pacioretty is available when the Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET), though Therrien was not ready to rule Pacioretty out.

Pacioretty, who led the team with 37 goals and 67 points in the regular season, missed the last two games with what the team is calling an upper-body injury. He left a game against Florida on April 5th after hitting his head on the boards.

The winger practiced with his teammates for the second straight day on Tuesday but did not participate in any contact drills. He was wearing a slightly tinted visor.

Defenceman Tom Gilbert is expected to return to the lineup after missing the final two regular-season games with an upper-body injury. Gilbert has been wearing a plastic jaw protector on his helmet since being struck in the face by a puck on March 21.

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Blackhawks' Patrick Kane cleared for 1st game of playoffs

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 14 April 2015 | 21.22

It was the most important "pushing and shoving" of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Patrick Kane was cleared for contact and practiced with the team on Monday. The dynamic winger, who broke his collarbone in February, then received medical clearance to play in Game 1 of the playoffs on Wednesday night in Nashville.

"Patrick has been working extremely diligently with his rehabilitation and has recently returned to full-contact practice without any difficulty," team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in a release. "After discussions with Patrick and the team, and examining Patrick today, we collectively feel it is appropriate, with minimal risk, for him to return to full participation."

Kane wasn't hit hard in practice, but said he is nearly ready for the physical demands of a game. After he had surgery on Feb. 25, Terry said a full recovery would take "approximately 12 weeks."

"I wouldn't necessarily call that contact," he said of Monday's skate. "It was more like pushing and shoving."

Kane missed the final 21 games of the season, and the All-Star still finished second on the team with 27 goals and 64 points. He was a candidate for the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP when he was hurt in the first period of a 3-2 shootout win over Florida on Feb. 24.

"We'll see how he does again tomorrow," coach Joel Quenneville said long before the Blackhawks issued the statement with Terry's comments. "I thought he had real good progress today. He got cleared for contact and handled everything pretty well."

So could Kane be in the lineup Wednesday?

"Yeah, he could," Quenneville said.

Also speaking before Terry's statement, Kane said his return hinges on getting medical clearance.

"I feel pretty good," he said. "Obviously itching to play. Any hockey player who would be in this situation where you're off for almost seven weeks [would be].

"But obviously you don't want to go back to Square One. You want to be able to contribute and be able to help the team out."

Forward Brad Richards and defenceman Kimmo Timonen, a pair of veterans who were acquired to give Chicago depth for a long playoff run, both said they are ready to play after missing the last three regular-season games with upper-body injuries.

Richards signed a $2 million US, one-year contract with the Blackhawks last summer after being bought out by the New York Rangers.

The centre, who turns 35 on May 2, is on the second half of a stellar career, but has produced in spurts for Chicago this season. He had 12 goals and 37 points in 76 games.

"Today was another day that was a step in the right direction for Kaner and for other guys," Richards said. "Either way, it's exciting for everybody ... the best part of what we do is starting Wednesday night."

The 40-year-old Timonen joined the Blackhawks in a trade deadline deal with Philadelphia to give them experience and depth on defence. He hadn't played all season for the Flyers as he recovered from a blood disorder that caused potentially dangerous clotting.

He averaged just under 12 minutes of ice time per game in 16 games with Chicago.

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Blue Jays lose 4th straight home opener

The dancing, floating knuckleball that R.A. Dickey throws can handcuff the best hitters in baseball.

When the pitch gets away from him, it can also be quite costly.

Dickey issued a pair of bases-loaded walks in the fourth inning Monday night and that was enough for the Tampa Bay Rays to shade Toronto 2-1 and spoil the Blue Jays' home opener before a sellout crowd at Rogers Centre.

"I throw a knuckleball. Some would come out, they would move a ton. Some would come out, they would stay high," Dickey said. "I lost my release point a little bit in the fourth. They really made me work.

"They did a good job of laying off some really close pitches and I didn't make the big pitch when I had to."

The Blue Jays couldn't get much going against Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi, who held Toronto to two hits and one earned run over eight innings. Brad Boxberger worked the ninth for his third save.

"We ran into a guy tonight that we need to give our due to," Dickey said. "He pitched a great game. He was throwing three pitches for strikes, very sharp, keeping guys off balance. It's hard to run through our lineup like that at home. He was very, very good. So sometimes you just have to give credit to the other guy.

"But we've got a lot of things to be upbeat about. Nobody's going to hang their head."

The game was the first in a four-game series between the American League East clubs. It's part of a 10-game homestand for the Blue Jays (4-3), who won their first two series on the road.

Odorizzi (2-0) gave up a pair of two-out walks in the opening inning. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position but the right-hander caught Josh Donaldson looking to get out of it.

In the third inning, the Rays (4-3) put runners on second and third after an infield single, walk and a balk. But Dickey (0-1) got cleanup hitter Evan Longoria to fly out to end the threat.

Desmond Jennings and Allan Dykstra stroked back-to-back singles to open the fourth. Rene Rivera popped up and Dickey made Kevin Kiermaier wave at a knuckleball for a strikeout.

Tim Beckham walked to load the bases and David DeJesus worked a full count. The towel-waving crowd of 48,414 tried to will Dickey to a third strike but he was well wide of the plate to give Tampa Bay its first run.

The veteran right-hander walked in a second run by giving another free pass to Steven Souza Jr. Asdrubal Cabrera flew out to end the Tampa half of the inning.

Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Steven Souza Jr. misses a diving catch on a double hit by Toronto Blue Jays Kevin Pillar during the fifth inning in Toronto on Monday. (Peter Power/The Canadian Press)

Odorizzi, meanwhile, settled in after his shaky opening frame. The Blue Jays didn't get a hit until Kevin Pillar's two-out double in the fifth inning and Devon Travis lashed a single to drive in Toronto's only run.

Dickey allowed three hits and two earned runs over six innings. He had six strikeouts but walked five batters.

Roberto Osuna worked two innings of relief for Toronto and Aaron Loup pitched the ninth. Jose Bautista walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth but was caught stealing after Edwin Encarnacion struck out.

"That might have been as big a play as we've had so far this season," said Rays manager Kevin Cash. "I just saw the highlight of Rivera's throw. That was a bullet down there."

Donaldson hit a towering fly ball to the warning track to end the game, which took two hours 30 minutes to play. The Rays outhit the Blue Jays 3-2.

The Blue Jays have lost four straight home openers for the first time in franchise history. Toronto fell to 26-13 in home openers, with a 16-10 mark at Rogers Centre.

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Half-tons, hunting, hockey: What makes Canadiens' Price tick

Carey Price drives a half-ton truck. A big one. He's kind of addicted to trucks. In fact, as he wheeled me around downtown Montreal the other day he told me he can't remember ever driving anything else.

It's not that surprising, actually, when you consider Price, the star goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, is a country boy at heart.

Price loves the outdoors and spends as much time as he can fishing, hunting and breathing-in fresh, clean air.

There's the story of how he sat five or six metres up in a tree with his bow and arrow waiting patiently for a 10-point buck to pass, one he'd been tracking for days. He was alone, it was very quiet, no sounds but the ones nature makes. He'd been in the tree from well before sunrise. Price was at peace - just the way he so often looks minding the net.

He usually wins in the net. He won against the 10 pointer, too.

Montreal Canadiens star goalie Carey Price, seen here speaking with the CBC's Peter Mansbridge, is a country boy at heart who loves half-ton trucks, hunting and the outdoors. (Stephanie Jenzer/CBC)

It's been that way since he was a couple of years old, living in a log cabin with a tin roof near the shores of Anahim Lake in British Columbia. Part First Nations, his mom is a former chief of the Ulkatcho First Nation. He learned to skate on the frozen creek outside his home.

It sounds like a storybook script, but it's true — it's the real deal and so is Carey Price.

His Dad drove him three and a half hours, each way, to the house league team he played for in Williams Lake. It was a journey they took, wait for it, up to THREE times a week.

When that got to be too much, his Dad bought a small bush plane and flew the kid to the games.

Carey told me he used to fall asleep in the back of the truck dreaming of the day he'd play in the NHL. Just like all those hockey-playing city kids used to do, tucked in their little beds after their five-minute ride home in Mom's minivan.

The difference is, Carey made it. He went from that frozen creek to the Bell Centre in Montreal, where he's now considered by many to be the best goalie in the world.

He doesn't like talking about that, though, and who can blame him. The NHL playoffs are about to begin, and being the best in the world means nothing if you can't wear a Stanley Cup ring at the same time.

Carey Price is considered by many to be the best goalie in the world. (Courtesy National Hockey League)

For the past few weeks everyone has wanted a piece of Carey Price. He's a great story. But he's also a quiet guy, shy almost. Patient and focused, but quiet. Doesn't like the attention. Just wants to do his job, stop pucks, help win games, and get back in his truck.

But he'd decided on one more feature interview in these final days before the playoffs begin, and of the dozens of requests he could have chosen from all over the hockey world, he'd decided on The National.

Maybe it was because he knew that those kids who worship him out in Anahim Lake, including the underprivileged kids his foundation supports with a Breakfast Club, would be able to see it. He wants them to know that if he can "make it," they can too, no matter what the "it" is.

We weave our way through downtown Montreal traffic and get up on the expressway. He's in his jeans, a tee-shirt, a trendy work jacket, a ball cap. The truck is filthy outside — it looks like it has been in the bush slapping puddles of melting snow and mud. You can tell he loves the moment. Except for this intruding journalist sitting beside him babbling away about hockey.

About 20 minutes later we wound up in front of the Price home — Angela and their two Labs were waiting, a CBC crew parked outside anxious to start recording. Angela is Carey's rock, they've been together since he was 17. Nothing much happens anywhere near their south shore home unless she gives the okay.

With the dogs romping around we tried to decide where to do the actual interview. The back yard? Inside the garage with his workshop in the background? In the house? No, none of those options seemed right.

Two guys in jeans and a dirty truck. That seemed right.

You can catch that interview here, or this weekend on CBC television's One on One.

(For more on the 10-point buck story, check out this great piece from a few years ago by Arden Zwelling in Sportsnet Magazine. And full disclosure - I drive a half-ton, too. It's dirty most of the time, too. But I can't stop a beachball, let alone a puck. - Peter Mansbridge)

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Andrew Wiggins elevates for huge dunk over Omer Asik

Video

Canadian rookie continues to impress in debut season

By Amy Cleveland, CBC Sports Posted: Apr 13, 2015 9:21 PM ET Last Updated: Apr 13, 2015 9:21 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins is having quite the debut NBA season.

Canada's most recent basketball star has been a scoring machine lately and he continued on that theme with a huge dunk in Monday's 100-88 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The 20-year-old elevated to the rim and posterized 7-foot-tall Omer Asik.

This isn't exactly something new for Wiggins, who dunked on two Los Angeles Lakers only three days ago.

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NHL playoffs: Eastern Conference preview

With the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin Wednesday night, here's a breakdown of the first-round matchups in the Eastern Conference, along with a prediction for each series.

Canadiens: 50-22-10, 110 points, won Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed

Senators: 43-26-13, 99 points, finished first in wild-card race

Regular-season series: Ottawa won 3-1-0 (Canadiens 1-3-0)

Series opener: Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET (CBC TV, CBCSports.ca)

Chances of winning: Montreal 59%, Ottawa 41%

3 things to know

Habs top-heavy: Montreal can ill afford to lose Pacioretty. The Habs are a middling puck-possession team that sometimes leans too heavily on him, star defenceman P.K. Subban and especially goalie Carey Price, who deserves to win not only the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie but the Hart as the league's MVP. Even if the Habs aren't at their best, Price is capable of stealing a series against anyone.

Prediction: Ottawa in 7

NEW YORK RANGERS VS. PITTSBURGH

Rangers: 53-22-7, 113 points, won Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed and Presidents' Trophy for NHL's best record

Penguins: 43-27-12, 98 points, finished second in wild-card race

Regular-season series: Rangers won 3-0-1 (Penguins 1-2-1)

Series opener: Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (CBC TV, CBCSports.ca)

Chances of winning: New York 67%, Pittsburgh 33%

2 things to know

Prediction: Rangers in 6

WASHINGTON VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Capitals: 45-26-11, 101 points, finished second in Metropolitan Division

Islanders: 47-28-7, 101 points, finished third in Metropolitan Division

Regular-season series: Capitals won 2-0-2 (Islanders 2-1-1)

Series opener: Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET

Chances of winning: Washington 58%, New York 42%

2 things to know

Prediction: Washington in 7

TAMPA BAY VS. DETROIT

Lightning: 50-24-8, 108 points, finished second in Atlantic Division

Red Wings: 43-25-14, 100 points, finished third in Atlantic Division

Regular-season series: Lightning won 3-1-0 (Red Wings 1-2-1)

Series opener: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET

Chances of winning: Tampa Bay 63%, Detroit 37%

2 things to know

Prediction: Tampa Bay in 6

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Half-tons, hunting and hockey: What makes Canadiens goalie Carey Price tick

Written By Unknown on Senin, 13 April 2015 | 21.22