NHL to Wrap up Season With 24-Team Playoff The news was announced by
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. The NHL suspended the
2019-20 season on March 12. According to ‘USA Today,’
the top 12 teams in both the Western
and Eastern Conferences have qualified. Seven squads whose records placed them at the
bottom of the standings are done for the year. In both conferences, the top four teams
automatically head to the next round. To advance, the rest of the
qualifying teams will have to play. ‘USA Today’ adds that proposals see a best-of-five series determining who gets past the opening round. The top four squads will play
in-conference round-robin games
to decide postseason rankings. In a vote late last week, the new
schedule was approved by the
NHL Players’ Association. Bettman adds that two cities will host
East and West playoff games,
respectively. Among the areas being considered for
the playoffs are Vancouver, Los Angeles,
Pittsburgh and Toronto.
NHL to Wrap up Season With 24-Team Playoff The news was announced by
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. The NHL suspended the
2019-20 season on March 12. According to ‘USA Today,’
the top 12 teams in both the Western
and Eastern Conferences have qualified. Seven squads whose records placed them at the
bottom of the standings are done for the year. In both conferences, the top four teams
automatically head to the next round. To advance, the rest of the
qualifying teams will have to play. ‘USA Today’ adds that proposals see a best-of-five series determining who gets past the opening round. The top four squads will play
in-conference round-robin games
to decide postseason rankings. In a vote late last week, the new
schedule was approved by the
NHL Players’ Association. Bettman adds that two cities will host
East and West playoff games,
respectively. Among the areas being considered for
the playoffs are Vancouver, Los Angeles,
Pittsburgh and Toronto.
La NHL anuncio que cancelará toda la temporada regular restante y pasará directamente a playoffs con 24 equipos en lugar de 16. Todo esto, sujeto a que se pueda regresar a la actividad. El comisionado Gary Bettman aseguró que los jugadores y equipos …
La NHL anuncio que cancelará toda la temporada regular restante y pasará directamente a playoffs con 24 equipos en lugar de 16. Todo esto, sujeto a que se pueda regresar a la actividad.
El comisionado Gary Bettman aseguró que los jugadores y equipos aun se encuentran resolviendo los temas de protocolo de higiene y seguridad pues la promesa es reanudar siempre y cuando sea seguro y prudente.
“Esperamos que este plan nos permita completar la temporada y otorgar la Copa Stanley de manera tal, que la salud y la seguridad de nuestros jugadores, oficiales en el hielo, el personal del equipo y las personas involucradas sean primordiales. En consecuencia, un componente esencial del plan es un programa riguroso y regular de pruebas”, agregó Bettman a ESPN.
La resolución de dar or concluida la campaña regular y pasar directamente a playoffs fue en consenso entre la liga y la Asociación de Jugadores, pues todos están poniendo de su parte para que se pueda entregar la Copa Stanley este año.
Boston Bruins’ Bobby Orr flies through the air after scoring the winning goal past St. Louis Blues’ goalie Glenn Hall during overtime of the Stanley Cup finals in Boston on May 10, 1970. [Ray Lussier/Boston Herald American via AP] The most memorable …
The most memorable goal in NHL history was scored 50 years ago Sunday.
And the man captured flying through the air, stick firmly in his right hand and raised to the sky, while screaming in celebration, is one of Palm Beach County’s most legendary figures.
Bobby Orr, a longtime resident of Jupiter, once said of the area: “It’s heaven down here.” And as the area has become home to a long list of sports icons and Hall of Famers, few are as accomplished and revered as No. 4.
Orr’s goal – scored on May 10, 1970, which also was Mother’s Day – came 40 seconds into overtime of Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, giving the Boston Bruins their first title in 29 years. Orr was in his fourth season and had established himself as the best player in the game, winning the first of his three consecutive Hart Trophies as the league’s MVP.
Now, he remains a member of Jupiter Hills Club and at one time carried at 7-handicap.
Still, Orr had not had what college football now calls a “Heisman Moment,” one frozen in time that forever preserves greatness. A moment that defined a generation and produced statues and one of the most iconic photos in sports history.
Orr, whose style as an attacking defenseman revolutionized the game, picked up the puck along the boards and passed it to Derek Sanderson, who was stationed behind St. Louis Blues goalie Glenn Hall. Orr raced to the net, Sanderson spotted him, and Orr fired the puck to the Hall’s far side. What distinguished the photo, taken by Ray Lussier of the Boston Record American, was the stick of Blues defenseman Noel Picard hooking Orr’s left ankle and Picard picking up the stick, allowing Orr to fly through the air.
Orr, 72, recently spoke to several media members via video conferencing. He was asked if his going airborne was the result of Picard’s stick or him celebrating.
“Both,” he said. “I did see the puck go in and I was jumping. Noel Picard … did lift me. But I saw it go in and I was also jumping with joy.”
Heaven can’t wait
The title, “greatest ever,” is subjective in most professions. Even if you want to start a water cooler argument (while social distancing off course), those lists are short: Jack Nicklaus (golf), Michael Jordan (basketball), Serena Williams (women’s tennis) and Bobby Orr (hockey) certainly are near, if not at, the top of their sports.
All are either full- or part-time residents of Palm Beach County.
Although bad knees cut Orr’s career to nine full years – he played just 36 games his final three years, including his final two in Chicago – he’s at the least on the NHL’s Mount Rushmore and undoubtedly the greatest defenseman of all-time. When it comes to the royalty of his sport, he’s in the top 3 along with Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.
“I don’t think a lot about being the greatest,” Orr said.
In 1979, at the age of 31, Orr became the youngest player in NHL history to be selected for the Hockey Hall of Fame, which waived its usual three-year waiting period to induct him in the hall that sits in Toronto, just outside his hometown of Parry Sound. A seven-time All-Star, he remains the last defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring.
In the late 1980s, about 10 years after retiring, Orr and his wife, Peggy, wound up in Jupiter, splitting their time between South Florida and their home in the Boston area. This gave Orr an opportunity to take up another sport, golf.
Now, he remains a member of Jupiter Hills Club and at one time carried at 7-handicap.
“I didn’t play much golf when I was playing hockey,” Orr once said at a charity event he played along with Nicklaus. “I wasn’t really into it.”
Orr is paying the price for his aggressive, hard-nosed style of hockey with two knee surgeries, shoulder surgery and a hip replacement in the last 18 months. He says he’s feeling good but has “some aches” and will “creak” a little bit.
“I played a tough game,” he said. “I played a different style. Surgeons, they put me back together.”
Besides golf, Orr added walking four to five times a week, fishing and playing with his grandkids as activities he enjoys even though the coronavirus pandemic has curtailed some of those. The Orrs have two sons. Brent lives in Jupiter, while Darren lives in the Boston area and is an agent working at Orr Hockey Group.
“When this all started, we decided to stay in Florida,” Orr said. “There isn’t a lot going on. We get outside, hit a couple golf balls, walk around the neighborhood. It’s going to be a pretty quiet Mother’s Day.”
Unlike that Mother’s Day 50 years ago.
Last month, Orr sent a moving message to the healthcare workers who are treating coronavirus patients at Mass General Hospital, calling them “true heroes,” telling them he looks up to them and they are constantly in his mind.
“We’re celebrating a sporting event,” he said during his video call. “But with everything that’s going on I think it’s a good time to celebrate and thank all the front-line workers, first responders … all the different organizations that are assisting in health care, health-care providers. These people go to work every day making huge sacrifices. They’re saving lives and comforting so many people.
“I played a game. They call us heroes … I don’t think so. It’s not a game for these health care workers, these front liners. It’s real life. We do owe them so much. I say thank you. It’s a time we should be celebrating and thanking them.”
The Boston Bruins Foundation is raffling off a replica of the 800-pound, bronze statue of ‘The Goal’ that was unveiled May 10, 2010, outside the TD Garden to raise money for those involved in fighting COVID-19. Orr will call the winner Sunday.
Who let the cat in the bag?
Bobby Orr still has the puck and stick from that Stanley Cup-winning goal. As far as his gloves, skates and other equipment he was wearing that day … blame the cat.
After retiring in 1978, Orr stuck all his equipment in a duffel bag and stored it in the basement of his home. The Orrs had a babysitter who owned a cat.
One day, Orr decided to play in an old-timers game and asked Peggy if she could air out the bag. She found the bag, and a smell far worse than any hockey locker room.
“The cat had been using it as a litter box,” Orr said. “The equipment … all gone.”
An imperfect ending to some of the greatest artifacts in hockey history.
Tom D’Angelo is a staffer for the Palm Bech Post, part of the USA Today Network. Contact him at tom_dangelo@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter @tomdangelo44.
Ken Rosen, author of “1919: The Search for Mankind’s Greatest Killer,” explains how the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans ended with several players hospitalized because of the flu — defenseman Joe Hall died — and without a winner.
Ken Rosen, author of “1919: The Search for Mankind’s Greatest Killer,” explains how the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans ended with several players hospitalized because of the flu — defenseman Joe Hall died — and without a winner.
Tonight’s NHL stream between the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators could have serious implications for the Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2020 NHL season is nearly over, meaning every remaining game counts for even more. You can watch the Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators NHL stream live on ESPN+.
Colorado beat Nashville 9-4 the last time these two teams got together back in November. With the lead up to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, these last three matchups could be critical for both teams as they fight for playoff spots.
The Predators are looking for just their second four-game winning streak of the season tonight. Their last three games haven’t exactly been against the toughest competition and beating the Avalanche would be a statement win at the right time.
Colorado has one of the best records in the NHL this season and they’ve been on a tear recently. Their five-game winning streak includes a big win over the Islanders. But a win tonight would help them make up the ground to the Boston Bruins in the Central Division.
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How to watch Avalanche vs. Predators:
Colorado Avalanche (38-18-7) vs Nashville Predators (32-23-8)
Saturday, Feb. 29, 7:00 p.m. ET
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
NHL stream:
Avalanche vs Predators live stream:ESPN+ or NHL.com
TV: Fox Sports Tennessee, Altitude Sports
NHL odds:
The Predators (-139 Moneyline) are 1.5-point favorites over the Avalanche (+115 Moneyline), according to BetMGM.
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Here’s how you can watch the NHL stream of the Washington Capitals vs Winnipeg Jets as things heat up ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now that we’re in the final quarter of the 2020 NHL season, the pressure is being turned up. The real contenders for the Stanley Cup are refining things while everyone else is struggling to keep up. You can watch the Washington Capitals square off against the Winnipeg Jets live on ESPN+.
The Jets are in a three-game losing stream right now, capped by their 4-3 loss to the Capitals on Tuesday. With a wild-card spot still firmly up for grabs, Winnipeg is going to have to pick up the slack and some wins to guarantee themselves a place in the playoffs.
Washington seems to finally be over what they hope was just a hiccup, losing four straight games before picking up back-to-back wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jets. A playoff spot is the Capitals’ to lose right now as they sit atop the Metropolitan Division and third in the Eastern Conference, but they could definitely use more of a tune-up before the playoffs start if they want to truly make a run at the Stanley Cup.
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How to watch Capitals vs Jets:
Washington Capital (39-18-6) vs Winnipeg Jets (32-27-6)
Thursday, Feb. 27, 8:00 p.m. ET
Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba
NHL stream:
Washington Capitals vs Winnipeg Jets live stream:ESPN+ or NHL.com
TV: NBC Sports Washington
NHL odds:
The Capitals (-154 Moneyline) are 1.5-point favorites over the Jets (+125 Moneyline), according to BetMGM.
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Tonight’s NHL stream between the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche could be the debut of Blake Coleman after his trade.
As the NHL season gets down to its final quarter, the intensity really begins to heat up. That’ll be the case tonight for a top matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche. You can watch the NHL stream live on ESPN+.
The Lightning have been on a tear recently, winning 10-straight games leading up to tonight’s matchup. They’re currently ranked second in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Bruins by only three points. This could be forward Blake Coleman’s debut with Tampa Bay after being traded from the New Jersey Devils at the NHL trade deadline.
But the Avalanche are no slouch themselves, sitting in third in the Western Conference, down just two points to the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues. However, Colorado will be looking to stop a two-game slide in its tracks by picking up a statement win against top competition.
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How to watch Lightning vs. Avalanche:
Tampa Bay Lightning (39-15-5) vs. Colorado Avalanche (33-18-6)
Monday, Feb. 17, 9:00 p.m. ET
Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
NHL stream:
Lightning vs Avalanche live stream:ESPN+ or NHL.com
TV: Altitude TV, Fox Sports Sun
NHL odds:
The Lightning (-125) are 1.5-point favorites over the Avalanche (+105), according to BetMGM.
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Six and a half minutes into Saturday’s contest the Irish got on the board despite being a man-down as Cam Morrison scored his first career short-handed goal.
A quick start Saturday night put Notre Dame in position to walk out of No. 8 Penn State with a second straight win (although Friday’s was via shootout) and the Fighting Irish took full advantage.
Six and a half minutes into Saturday’s contest the Irish got on the board despite being a man-down as Cam Morrison scored his first career short-handed goal. Seven minutes later Cale Burke made good-use of a great Jake Pivonka feed to blow by a Penn State defender en-route to a goal and 2-0 Notre Dame advantage.
That’s the way things stayed until Penn State found the scoreboard at almost the exact halfway point, scoring on a one-timer via Alex Limoges which wound up being the only goal of the second period.
The final frame saw Notre Dame get a couple of great scoring chances to start but the Irish were turned away both times, allowing for Penn State’s Nikita Pavlychev to tie things up at two with just under 14 minutes to play.
Graham Slaggert however bailed the Fighting Irish out, scoring with five minutes remaining to put them in front 3-2, a lead they wouldn’t surrender.
Tory Dello added an empty net goal as the Irish got the regulation win behind Cale Morris who finished with 23 saves on 25 shots faced.
Notre Dame improves to 12-11-5 overall and 7-7-4-3 in Big Ten play. The Fighting Irish will enjoy a bye week next weekend before welcoming Minnesota to South Bend for a two-game series on Valentine’s Day weekend.
Previewing Monday’s Anaheim Ducks at St. Louis Blues sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Anaheim Ducks (17-23-5) visit the Gateway to the West to play the St. Louis Blues (29-10-7) in the Enterprise Center for an 8 p.m. ET puck drop Monday night. We analyze the Ducks-Blues odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.
Gibson has had a rough season and really struggles on the road, going just 4-11-2 in away games. The 26-year-old goaltender has lost five of his last six games and now has an overall record of 13-18-3 with .905 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average.
Allen will give regular starter Jordan Binnington the night off and has played well as backup this season. He’s 7-3-3 overall and actually has a better save % (.924) and GAA (2.36) than Binnington. However, Allen has lost back-to-back starts and is 1-1 in his only two starts at home.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Ducks at Blues: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Monday at 3 p.m. ET.
PASS on the moneyline for the Ducks-Blues game. The Ducks’ putrid 6-14-2 road record and the Blues’ stellar 16-4-3 home record are the chief reasons why. I am not confident enough to gamble on a Ducks +195 outright win and it’s too pricey to lay $239 to win $100 for a Blues victory. Also, factor in the Ducks’ and Blues’ recent performances as another reason to stay away: Ducks are 3-6-1 and the Blues 7-2-1 in each of their last 10 games.
Two interesting notes that make it difficult to back Blues -239: the away team in Ducks-Blues games have won seven in a row and the underdog is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
Let’s gamble a little on tilted ice in favor of the home team and BET the BLUES -1.5 (+120). Again, we are off the moneyline and on the puck line because of their values. The Ducks have the second-highest penalties in minutes per game in the NHL and the Blues have scored the fifth most power-play goals with the fourth-most efficient power-play unit in the NHL. Plus, look no further than the starting goaltenders for another reason why to take the Blues on the puck line; Gibson is 16-18 against the spread and Allen is 8-5 ATS this season. The Blues have the fourth-best goal differential in the NHL compared to the Ducks’ 29th ranking in goal differential.
The Ducks and Blues are bottom-10 teams for total goals scored per game in the NHL, and the Ducks have scored the second-fewest goals in the NHL this season. Also, the Under’s 5.5 (-129) pricing leans me toward taking it because it’s BetMGM’s way to incentivize bettors to take the Over. TAKE UNDER 5.5 (-129).
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