Here's the MVPs of fantasy hockey this week, giving out fabulous performances.
Center: Mikko Koivu, 2 goals, 4 assists, +4, 0 penalty minutes, 1 power play point, 22 shots on goal
Left Wing: Tuomo Ruutu, 1 goal, 5 assists, +4, 0 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 5 shots on goal
Right Wing: Shane Doan, 5 goals, 3 assists, 0, 2 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 23 shots on goal
Defenseman: Nicklas Lidstrom, 2 goals, 6 assists, +1, 0 penalty minutes, 6 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Goaltender: Semyon Varlamov, 2 wins, 0.50 goals against average, 57 saves, .983 save percentage, 1 shutout
Those are the best options by position this week. Particularly weak was left wing, with no one in the top ten rankings for the week, so consider this a relative award for Tuomo Ruutu.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Song of the Week, I of 2011
This week's song of the week has special value to me, as it is the song that got me into Avenged Sevenfold. The song is called Trashed and Scattered (PG-13 language), the fifth track off of their mainstream debut City of Evil. At the first hearing of this song, I became interested in the band, and from there I have been a fan. This is common for me to fall in love with one song and then the band, and that's how it happened for this hard rock powerhouse group. Catch this segment next week.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Sunday Night Football week 17
This week's match, due to NFL flex scheduling, involved a winner-take-all game for NFC West glory between the host Seattle Seahawks and visiting St. Louis Rams. Charlie Whitehurst put Seattle up first, throwing a touchdown pass to Mike Williams for 4 yards, with Olindo Mare adding the extra point. St. Louis charged back to bring the score at halftime to 7-3 on the foot of Josh Brown, who had a 32 yard field goal in the second quarter. Brown and Mare exchanged field goals for the Rams and Seahawks in the third quarter, with Brown kicking true from 27 yards and Mare good from 31 yards. Mare added two more field goals in the fourth quarter, of 38 and 34 yards, bringing the score to its final of 16-6 Seattle. Both teams ended 7-9 on the season, but Seattle goes to the playoffs based on better divisional record.
Late Games, week 17
There are seven late games on for this week, following the same general theme as the early games for those with playoff implications.
First off, the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears. After going scoreless through the first quarter, Robbie Gould got Chicago on the board with a 30 yard field goal. Mason Crosby answered for Green Bay in the third quarter with a 23 yard field goal. Aaron Rodgers gave the Packers a lead with a 1 yard touchdown pass to Donald Lee, and Crosby made the extra point. The 10-3 scoring favoing the Packes over the Bears was the final, with Green Bay jumping up to 10-6, and Chicago falling to 11-5.
Second on the list, the Washington Redskins host the New York Giants. The Giants got the first points with a Lawrence Tynes 20 yard field goal. New York extended their lead with Brandon Jacobs 2 yard touchdown run, and Tynes was there to provide the extra point to make it 10-0. Rex Grossman helped get Washington on the board with a 1 yard touchdown pass to Fred Davis, and Graham Gano made the point after to take the score to 10-7 at halftime. Eli Manning got the Giants going again in the third quarter with a 92 yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, with Tynes making the extra point on the big touchdown. The Redskins found the end zone again with Grossman passing to Anthony Armstrong for 64 yards and the score, and Gano added the extra point. The Giants would hold on to defeat the Redskins 17-14, improving to 10-6, and dropping Washington to 6-10.
Following that, the Houston Texans host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston struck first, with Arian Foster running 2 yards in for the touchdown, followed by a Neil Rackers extra point. Rackers struck with a field goal as well, from 26 yards. Jacksonville got on the board in the second quarter with Rashad Jennings 3 yard touchdown run, followed by a Josh Scobee extra point. Derrick Ward answered by running 35 yards for a touchdown, and Rackers was good with the extra point. The Jaguars came back with a 39 yard field goal by Scobee. Jacksonville tied the game at 17 with Trent Edwards touchdown pass to Marcades Lewis of 7 yards, and Scobee made the extra point. The Texans took a 20-17 lead into halftime with Rackers kicking a 33 yard field goal. Houston extended its lead in the third quarter with Matt Schaub throwing a touchdown to Owen Daniels for 5 yards, followed by a Rackers extra point. Foster ran a touchdown of 35 yards in the fourth quarter, with Rackers coming through with another extra point. Houston would defeat Jacksonville 34-17, improving to 6-10, and dragging the Jaguars to 8-8.
Heading to Pennsylvania, where the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Philadelphia struck in the second quarter with Kevin Kolb passing to Chad Hall for 4 yards and the touchdown, followed by a David Akers extra point. Dallas tied the game when DeMarcus Ware returned a Kolb fumble 17 yards for the touchdown. David Buehler made the extra point. Things were quiet in the third quarter, but Akers kicked a fourth quarter field goal of 43 yards and another of 22 yards. Stephen McGee gave the Cowboys the lead with a touchdown pass of 4 yards to Jason Witten, and Buehler added the extra point. The Cowboys would hold onto the 14-13 lead and defeat the Eagles, improving to 6-10 for the year, dropping Philadelphia to 10-6.
Back west a bit, the Indianapolis Colts host the Tennessee Titans. Adam Vinatieri opened the scoring for Indianapolis, kicking a 48 yard field goal, but Rob Bironas answered for Tennessee with a 26 yard field goal. Vinatieri added a 44 yard field goal for the Colts in the second quarter. Bironas picked up the tying points again for the Titans, kicking a 42 yard field goal. The Colts got the first touchdown of the game in the second quarter, with Peyton Manning connecting with Reggie Wayne for 7 yards, and Vinatieri supplied the extra point. This is rare, because due to Indianapolis' recent success, Manning generally does not play in week 17. Tennessee found an equalizer with Kerry Collins finding Kenny Britt for a 21 yard touchdown, with Bironas adding the point after. The Colts were displeased, taking the lead back on a Manning touchdown of 30 yards to Pierre Garcon, followed by a Vinatieri extra point. Collins helped to retie the game with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson, and Bironas tacked on an extra point, tying the game at 20. Vinatieri saved it for the Colts, kicking a last second field goal of 43 yards to win 23-20, improving to 10-6 and going to the playoffs, while dropping the Titans to 6-10.
To Denver, where the Broncos host the San Diego Chargers. Tim Tebow got things started for Denver, finding the man with the utmost respect to his former teams, Brandon Lloyd, for 14 yards and the touchdown, with Steve Hauschka making the extra point. San Diego tied it with Ryan Mathews 27 yard touchdown run, and the following Nate Kaeding extra point. The Chargers took the lead on a field goal by Kaeding from 42 yards, and extended that lead with his 45 yard kick, followed by yet another from 47 yards out. Mathews ran a touchdown in for 12 yards in the third quarter, with Kaeding adding another extra point. Kaeding also added a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Tebow threw a touchdown pass to Eric Decker to cut the deficit for the Broncos, the 6 yard score being capped off by a Hauschka extra point. Mathews added a third touchdown run, from 31 yards this time, and Kaeding was good with extra point once more. Denver answered to make it 33-21 with a kickoff return by Cassius Vaughn of 97 yards, with Hauschka providing the extra point. Tebow ran a touchdown in late in the game as well, from 6 yards, with Hauschka adding another point after, bringing the score to 33-28 San Diego. This was the final, with the Chargers jumping up to 9-7 and the Broncos falling to 4-12.
Lastly, the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco got on the board with Alex Smith connecting with Ted Ginn, Jr. for 37 yards. Jeff Reed was good on the extra point, and the second quarter field goal he added on from 39 yards. Arizona got on the scoreboard with John Skelton passing to Larry Fitzgerlad for 10 yards and the touchdown, followed by a Jay Feely extra point. The 49ers extended their lead with Smith's pass to Vernon Davis for 59 yards and the touchdown, followed by a Reed extra point. Brian Westbrook added two 6 yard touchdown runs for San Francisco, with Reed supplying both extra points. Tarell Brown helped the 49ers get defensive for a touchdown, intercepting Richard Bartel for 62 yards and the score, with Reed providing the extra point. The 38-7 score favoring the 49ers over the Cardinals was the final, with San Francisco improving to 6-10 and dropping Arizona to 5-11.
First off, the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears. After going scoreless through the first quarter, Robbie Gould got Chicago on the board with a 30 yard field goal. Mason Crosby answered for Green Bay in the third quarter with a 23 yard field goal. Aaron Rodgers gave the Packers a lead with a 1 yard touchdown pass to Donald Lee, and Crosby made the extra point. The 10-3 scoring favoing the Packes over the Bears was the final, with Green Bay jumping up to 10-6, and Chicago falling to 11-5.
Second on the list, the Washington Redskins host the New York Giants. The Giants got the first points with a Lawrence Tynes 20 yard field goal. New York extended their lead with Brandon Jacobs 2 yard touchdown run, and Tynes was there to provide the extra point to make it 10-0. Rex Grossman helped get Washington on the board with a 1 yard touchdown pass to Fred Davis, and Graham Gano made the point after to take the score to 10-7 at halftime. Eli Manning got the Giants going again in the third quarter with a 92 yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, with Tynes making the extra point on the big touchdown. The Redskins found the end zone again with Grossman passing to Anthony Armstrong for 64 yards and the score, and Gano added the extra point. The Giants would hold on to defeat the Redskins 17-14, improving to 10-6, and dropping Washington to 6-10.
Following that, the Houston Texans host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston struck first, with Arian Foster running 2 yards in for the touchdown, followed by a Neil Rackers extra point. Rackers struck with a field goal as well, from 26 yards. Jacksonville got on the board in the second quarter with Rashad Jennings 3 yard touchdown run, followed by a Josh Scobee extra point. Derrick Ward answered by running 35 yards for a touchdown, and Rackers was good with the extra point. The Jaguars came back with a 39 yard field goal by Scobee. Jacksonville tied the game at 17 with Trent Edwards touchdown pass to Marcades Lewis of 7 yards, and Scobee made the extra point. The Texans took a 20-17 lead into halftime with Rackers kicking a 33 yard field goal. Houston extended its lead in the third quarter with Matt Schaub throwing a touchdown to Owen Daniels for 5 yards, followed by a Rackers extra point. Foster ran a touchdown of 35 yards in the fourth quarter, with Rackers coming through with another extra point. Houston would defeat Jacksonville 34-17, improving to 6-10, and dragging the Jaguars to 8-8.
Heading to Pennsylvania, where the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Philadelphia struck in the second quarter with Kevin Kolb passing to Chad Hall for 4 yards and the touchdown, followed by a David Akers extra point. Dallas tied the game when DeMarcus Ware returned a Kolb fumble 17 yards for the touchdown. David Buehler made the extra point. Things were quiet in the third quarter, but Akers kicked a fourth quarter field goal of 43 yards and another of 22 yards. Stephen McGee gave the Cowboys the lead with a touchdown pass of 4 yards to Jason Witten, and Buehler added the extra point. The Cowboys would hold onto the 14-13 lead and defeat the Eagles, improving to 6-10 for the year, dropping Philadelphia to 10-6.
Back west a bit, the Indianapolis Colts host the Tennessee Titans. Adam Vinatieri opened the scoring for Indianapolis, kicking a 48 yard field goal, but Rob Bironas answered for Tennessee with a 26 yard field goal. Vinatieri added a 44 yard field goal for the Colts in the second quarter. Bironas picked up the tying points again for the Titans, kicking a 42 yard field goal. The Colts got the first touchdown of the game in the second quarter, with Peyton Manning connecting with Reggie Wayne for 7 yards, and Vinatieri supplied the extra point. This is rare, because due to Indianapolis' recent success, Manning generally does not play in week 17. Tennessee found an equalizer with Kerry Collins finding Kenny Britt for a 21 yard touchdown, with Bironas adding the point after. The Colts were displeased, taking the lead back on a Manning touchdown of 30 yards to Pierre Garcon, followed by a Vinatieri extra point. Collins helped to retie the game with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson, and Bironas tacked on an extra point, tying the game at 20. Vinatieri saved it for the Colts, kicking a last second field goal of 43 yards to win 23-20, improving to 10-6 and going to the playoffs, while dropping the Titans to 6-10.
To Denver, where the Broncos host the San Diego Chargers. Tim Tebow got things started for Denver, finding the man with the utmost respect to his former teams, Brandon Lloyd, for 14 yards and the touchdown, with Steve Hauschka making the extra point. San Diego tied it with Ryan Mathews 27 yard touchdown run, and the following Nate Kaeding extra point. The Chargers took the lead on a field goal by Kaeding from 42 yards, and extended that lead with his 45 yard kick, followed by yet another from 47 yards out. Mathews ran a touchdown in for 12 yards in the third quarter, with Kaeding adding another extra point. Kaeding also added a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Tebow threw a touchdown pass to Eric Decker to cut the deficit for the Broncos, the 6 yard score being capped off by a Hauschka extra point. Mathews added a third touchdown run, from 31 yards this time, and Kaeding was good with extra point once more. Denver answered to make it 33-21 with a kickoff return by Cassius Vaughn of 97 yards, with Hauschka providing the extra point. Tebow ran a touchdown in late in the game as well, from 6 yards, with Hauschka adding another point after, bringing the score to 33-28 San Diego. This was the final, with the Chargers jumping up to 9-7 and the Broncos falling to 4-12.
Lastly, the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco got on the board with Alex Smith connecting with Ted Ginn, Jr. for 37 yards. Jeff Reed was good on the extra point, and the second quarter field goal he added on from 39 yards. Arizona got on the scoreboard with John Skelton passing to Larry Fitzgerlad for 10 yards and the touchdown, followed by a Jay Feely extra point. The 49ers extended their lead with Smith's pass to Vernon Davis for 59 yards and the touchdown, followed by a Reed extra point. Brian Westbrook added two 6 yard touchdown runs for San Francisco, with Reed supplying both extra points. Tarell Brown helped the 49ers get defensive for a touchdown, intercepting Richard Bartel for 62 yards and the score, with Reed providing the extra point. The 38-7 score favoring the 49ers over the Cardinals was the final, with San Francisco improving to 6-10 and dropping Arizona to 5-11.
First Sandwich of 2011
To kick off the new year, nothing says 2011 like a turkey and ham on wheat, with the added bonus of bacon. The sandwich, which went untoasted despite the weather yet had the warmness of bacon on it provided an interesting flavor combination. The bread was fresh, and the meats were tasty, giving the sandwich a good appeal all around. Sandwich Showdown should continue next week.
NFL Early Games, week 17
The last week of the regular season is upon us, and with that, some teams have nothing to play for, and others are playing for the chance to get in the heralded playoffs for a chance at the Super Bowl. There are eight games early on the somewhat-butchered flex schedule today, starting off with...
The New England Patriots hosting the Miami Dolphins. New England opened the scoring with Tom Brady connecting with Rob Gronkowski for 13 yards, followed by a Shayne Graham extra point. BenJarvus Green-Ellis provided a 1 yard touchdown run as well, and after the Graham extra point, the Patriots had a 14-0 lead. Graham added a field goal for New England, from 28 yards. After Miami's Brandon Fields punted, Julian Edelman returned it 94 yards for a touchdown, with Graham making his extra point. Brady found Alge Crumpler in the third quarter for 10 yards and the touchdown, with Graham adding the point after. Coming in to relieve Brady for the rest of the regular season was Brian Hoyer, who found Brandon Tate for 42 yards and the touchdown, with another Graham extra point. The Dolphins did get on the board late in the fourth quarter, as Tyler Thigpen connected with Davone Bess for 21 yards and a touchdown, followed by a Dan Carpenter extra point. The 38-7 score favoring the Patriots was the final, who improved to 14-2, and dropped the Dolphins to 7-9.
Next up is the Detroit Lions hosting the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit opened the scoring in the second quarter with Dave Rayner kicking a 55 yard field goal. Shaun Hill extended the Lions lead with his touchdown pass of 7 yards to Nate Burleson, and Rayner added an extra point. Rayner added a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Minnesota got on the board with Jared Allen intercepting Hill for 36 yards and a touchdown, followed by Ryan Longwell's extra point to trim the Lions lead to 13-7. Longwell cut the lead down farther, adding a field goal for the Vikings of 27 yards. Maurice Morris got Detroit going again with a 5 yard touchdown run, followed by Rayner adding an extra point. Longwell added a 48 yard field goal, producing the eventual final that had Detroit toppling Minnesota 20-13, finishing their seasons at 6-10 each.
Following that game, the Atlanta Falcons hosted the Carolina Panthers. Atlanta put the first points on the board with Matt Ryan finding Tony Gonzalez for 6 yards, followed by a Matt Bryant extra point. The Falcons extended their lead on a punt return by Eric Weems of 55 yards after Carolina's Jason Baker punted. Matt Bryant supplied the point after. The Falcons kept scoring with Ryan finding Roddy White for 14 yards, followed by a Bryant extra point. John Kasay got the Panthers on the board in the third quarter with a 23 yard field goal, answered by Bryant, who was good from 47 yards out. Michael Turner helped Atlanta pour some more points on with a 3 yard touchdown run, followed by a Bryant extra point. Carolina added on a touchdown from Jimmy Clausen to Jeff King for 2 yards, with Kasay adding the point after, bringing us to the final of 31-10 Falcons. Atlanta went to 13-3, and Carolina fell to 2-14.
Heading to Kansas City, with the Chiefs hosting the Oakland Raiders. Kansas City dented the scoreboard first with a field goal from Ryan Succop, good from 30 yards. Oakland answered with Jason Campbell passing to Chaz Schilens for 5 yards and the score, followed by a Sebastian Janikowski extra point. Janikowksi added a 38 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Raiders before halftime. Jamaal Charles ran in for a touchdown of 5 yards, followed by a Succop extra point, but Oakland reclaimed the lead on a Michael Bush touchdown run of 26 yards, with a Janikowski extra point making it 17-10 Raiders. Jacoby Ford extended the lead for Oakland with his 10 yard touchdown run, and Janikowski added the extra point. The Raiders added another touchdown, this one coming defensively in the hands of Stanford Routt, who intercepted Matt Cassel for 22 yards and the touchdown. Janikowski made the extra point to put the score at 31-10. This was the final, and Oakland jumped up to 8-8, while Kansas City fell to 10-6.
Into Cleveland, with the Browns hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh drew first blood with Ben Roethlisberger connecting with Mike Wallace for a touchdown of 56 yards. Shaun Suisham added the extra point. The Steelers extended their lead to 14-0 with Rashard Mendenhall running 1 yard for the touchdown, followed by a Suisham extra point. Phil Dawson put Cleveland on the board with his 19 yard field goal. Pittsburgh replied with another 1 yard touchdown run from Mendenhall followed by another Suisham extra point. The Steelers added on with Roethlisberger finding Heath Miller for 4 yards and the touchdown, and made it 28-3 thanks to Suisham's extra point. Suisham kicked a 41 yard field goal late in the second quarter. Getting tricky in the third quarter was Pittsburgh, with wideout Antwaan Randle El connecting on a touchdown pass with Hines Ward for 3 yards, followed by a Suisham extra point once more. Suisham added a 24 yard field goal. The Browns registered a late touchdown in the fourth quarter, as Colt McCoy connected with Brian Robiskie for 20 yards, but the two point attempt from Seneca Wallace to Benjamin Watson failed, putting the score at 41-9 Steelers, which was the final, giving Pittsburgh a bump up to 12-4 and dropping Cleveland to 5-11.
Back east with the New York Jets hosting the Buffalo Bills. Nick Folk put New York up first with his 28 yard field goal. The Jets got defensive on their second touchdown, with Marquice Cole intercepting Buffalo quarterback Brian Brohm for 35 yards, and Folk added the extra point. Mark Brunell helped make it 17-0 for the Jets by connecting with Santonio Holmes for 17 yards, and Folk was true on the extra point. The Bills got even for the earlier interception with their own, thanks to Jairus Byrd picking off Brunell for 37 yards and the touchdown, followed by Rian Lindell adding an extra point. Brunell answered by tossing a touchdown to his own team, finding Braylon Edwards for 52 yards, with Folk adding the extra point to make it 24-7. Extending the New York lead was Kellen Clemmens, who ran a touchdown in for 10 yards, providing another Folk extra point opportunity, which was successful. Another rushing touchdown was added on for the Jets, 16 yards by John Conner, with Folk making it 38-7 with the extra point. The Jets cruised to a victory of the most recently mentioned score over the Bills, finishing the season at 11-5, and dropping the Bills to 4-12 for the end of the year.
Down south to where the New Orleans Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Connor Barth put the visiting Tampa Bay up first with his 43 yard field goal. Drew Brees found the answer for New Orleans in passing 4 yards to Jimmy Graham, followed by a Garrett Hartley extra point to make it 7-3. The Buccaneers took the lead on Josh Freeman's 2 yard touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe, with the 10-7 score being produced after the Barth extra point. Hartley evened the score at 10 with his 45 yard field goal, but Barth answered with a 32 yard kick of his own and an extra point on the Freeman 18 yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams, putting Tampa Bay up 20-10. Hartley put the Saints within a touchdown with his 38 yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but was answered by Barth kicking a 48 yard field goal. The Buccaneers went on to beat the Saints 23-13, improving to 10-6, and the Saints falling to 11-5, with both teams watching later today for playoff hopes.
Lastly for the early games, the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals. Billy Cundiff put the Ravens up first with a 25 yard field goal. Cundiff added a 47 yard field goal in the second quarter for Baltimore. Ray Rice helped make it 13-0 in the third quarter with a 7 yard touchdown run, capped off by a Cundiff extra point to make it 13-0. Cincinnati visited the end zone for the first time today when Carson Palmer connected with Jerome Simpson for 11 yards, and Clint Stitser added the extra point. The 13-7 scoring of the Ravens over the Bengals was the final, with Baltimore ending the regular season at 12-4, and Cincinnati falling to 4-12.
That's all for the morning games. Sandwich post to soon follow, along with late games at their conclusion.
The New England Patriots hosting the Miami Dolphins. New England opened the scoring with Tom Brady connecting with Rob Gronkowski for 13 yards, followed by a Shayne Graham extra point. BenJarvus Green-Ellis provided a 1 yard touchdown run as well, and after the Graham extra point, the Patriots had a 14-0 lead. Graham added a field goal for New England, from 28 yards. After Miami's Brandon Fields punted, Julian Edelman returned it 94 yards for a touchdown, with Graham making his extra point. Brady found Alge Crumpler in the third quarter for 10 yards and the touchdown, with Graham adding the point after. Coming in to relieve Brady for the rest of the regular season was Brian Hoyer, who found Brandon Tate for 42 yards and the touchdown, with another Graham extra point. The Dolphins did get on the board late in the fourth quarter, as Tyler Thigpen connected with Davone Bess for 21 yards and a touchdown, followed by a Dan Carpenter extra point. The 38-7 score favoring the Patriots was the final, who improved to 14-2, and dropped the Dolphins to 7-9.
Next up is the Detroit Lions hosting the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit opened the scoring in the second quarter with Dave Rayner kicking a 55 yard field goal. Shaun Hill extended the Lions lead with his touchdown pass of 7 yards to Nate Burleson, and Rayner added an extra point. Rayner added a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Minnesota got on the board with Jared Allen intercepting Hill for 36 yards and a touchdown, followed by Ryan Longwell's extra point to trim the Lions lead to 13-7. Longwell cut the lead down farther, adding a field goal for the Vikings of 27 yards. Maurice Morris got Detroit going again with a 5 yard touchdown run, followed by Rayner adding an extra point. Longwell added a 48 yard field goal, producing the eventual final that had Detroit toppling Minnesota 20-13, finishing their seasons at 6-10 each.
Following that game, the Atlanta Falcons hosted the Carolina Panthers. Atlanta put the first points on the board with Matt Ryan finding Tony Gonzalez for 6 yards, followed by a Matt Bryant extra point. The Falcons extended their lead on a punt return by Eric Weems of 55 yards after Carolina's Jason Baker punted. Matt Bryant supplied the point after. The Falcons kept scoring with Ryan finding Roddy White for 14 yards, followed by a Bryant extra point. John Kasay got the Panthers on the board in the third quarter with a 23 yard field goal, answered by Bryant, who was good from 47 yards out. Michael Turner helped Atlanta pour some more points on with a 3 yard touchdown run, followed by a Bryant extra point. Carolina added on a touchdown from Jimmy Clausen to Jeff King for 2 yards, with Kasay adding the point after, bringing us to the final of 31-10 Falcons. Atlanta went to 13-3, and Carolina fell to 2-14.
Heading to Kansas City, with the Chiefs hosting the Oakland Raiders. Kansas City dented the scoreboard first with a field goal from Ryan Succop, good from 30 yards. Oakland answered with Jason Campbell passing to Chaz Schilens for 5 yards and the score, followed by a Sebastian Janikowski extra point. Janikowksi added a 38 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Raiders before halftime. Jamaal Charles ran in for a touchdown of 5 yards, followed by a Succop extra point, but Oakland reclaimed the lead on a Michael Bush touchdown run of 26 yards, with a Janikowski extra point making it 17-10 Raiders. Jacoby Ford extended the lead for Oakland with his 10 yard touchdown run, and Janikowski added the extra point. The Raiders added another touchdown, this one coming defensively in the hands of Stanford Routt, who intercepted Matt Cassel for 22 yards and the touchdown. Janikowski made the extra point to put the score at 31-10. This was the final, and Oakland jumped up to 8-8, while Kansas City fell to 10-6.
Into Cleveland, with the Browns hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh drew first blood with Ben Roethlisberger connecting with Mike Wallace for a touchdown of 56 yards. Shaun Suisham added the extra point. The Steelers extended their lead to 14-0 with Rashard Mendenhall running 1 yard for the touchdown, followed by a Suisham extra point. Phil Dawson put Cleveland on the board with his 19 yard field goal. Pittsburgh replied with another 1 yard touchdown run from Mendenhall followed by another Suisham extra point. The Steelers added on with Roethlisberger finding Heath Miller for 4 yards and the touchdown, and made it 28-3 thanks to Suisham's extra point. Suisham kicked a 41 yard field goal late in the second quarter. Getting tricky in the third quarter was Pittsburgh, with wideout Antwaan Randle El connecting on a touchdown pass with Hines Ward for 3 yards, followed by a Suisham extra point once more. Suisham added a 24 yard field goal. The Browns registered a late touchdown in the fourth quarter, as Colt McCoy connected with Brian Robiskie for 20 yards, but the two point attempt from Seneca Wallace to Benjamin Watson failed, putting the score at 41-9 Steelers, which was the final, giving Pittsburgh a bump up to 12-4 and dropping Cleveland to 5-11.
Back east with the New York Jets hosting the Buffalo Bills. Nick Folk put New York up first with his 28 yard field goal. The Jets got defensive on their second touchdown, with Marquice Cole intercepting Buffalo quarterback Brian Brohm for 35 yards, and Folk added the extra point. Mark Brunell helped make it 17-0 for the Jets by connecting with Santonio Holmes for 17 yards, and Folk was true on the extra point. The Bills got even for the earlier interception with their own, thanks to Jairus Byrd picking off Brunell for 37 yards and the touchdown, followed by Rian Lindell adding an extra point. Brunell answered by tossing a touchdown to his own team, finding Braylon Edwards for 52 yards, with Folk adding the extra point to make it 24-7. Extending the New York lead was Kellen Clemmens, who ran a touchdown in for 10 yards, providing another Folk extra point opportunity, which was successful. Another rushing touchdown was added on for the Jets, 16 yards by John Conner, with Folk making it 38-7 with the extra point. The Jets cruised to a victory of the most recently mentioned score over the Bills, finishing the season at 11-5, and dropping the Bills to 4-12 for the end of the year.
Down south to where the New Orleans Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Connor Barth put the visiting Tampa Bay up first with his 43 yard field goal. Drew Brees found the answer for New Orleans in passing 4 yards to Jimmy Graham, followed by a Garrett Hartley extra point to make it 7-3. The Buccaneers took the lead on Josh Freeman's 2 yard touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe, with the 10-7 score being produced after the Barth extra point. Hartley evened the score at 10 with his 45 yard field goal, but Barth answered with a 32 yard kick of his own and an extra point on the Freeman 18 yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams, putting Tampa Bay up 20-10. Hartley put the Saints within a touchdown with his 38 yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but was answered by Barth kicking a 48 yard field goal. The Buccaneers went on to beat the Saints 23-13, improving to 10-6, and the Saints falling to 11-5, with both teams watching later today for playoff hopes.
Lastly for the early games, the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals. Billy Cundiff put the Ravens up first with a 25 yard field goal. Cundiff added a 47 yard field goal in the second quarter for Baltimore. Ray Rice helped make it 13-0 in the third quarter with a 7 yard touchdown run, capped off by a Cundiff extra point to make it 13-0. Cincinnati visited the end zone for the first time today when Carson Palmer connected with Jerome Simpson for 11 yards, and Clint Stitser added the extra point. The 13-7 scoring of the Ravens over the Bengals was the final, with Baltimore ending the regular season at 12-4, and Cincinnati falling to 4-12.
That's all for the morning games. Sandwich post to soon follow, along with late games at their conclusion.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year's hockey
Pulling out another blog of hockey semi-live. There are seven games today, highlighted by the Winter Classic (see the fifth game paragraph). It starts off in...
Carolina, where the Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Cam Ward started in net for the game. Carolina opened the scoring with Tuomo Ruutu's ninth of the year, assisted by by Joe Corvo on the power play. Jeff Skinner made it 2-0 for the Hurricanes with his tenth of the season, with help from Tim Gleason and Chad LaRose. Extending the lead farther was Sergei Samsonov potting his seventh of the year, from Corvo and Jamie McBain on the power play, chasing away New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur in favor of Johan Hedberg. Zac Dalpe made it 4-0 for the 'Canes with his first of the season, assisted by Ruutu and McBain. Rod Pelley got the Devils on the board finally with his second of the campaign, assisted by Matthew Corrente and Anssi Salmela. New Jersey made it 4-2 with Travis Zajac striking early in the second period, with help from Patrik Elias and Anton Volchenkov. Samsonov answered with his eighth of the year and second of the night, helped along by Ruutu and Eric Staal on the power play. The Devils cut the lead to two goals again at 5-3 with Elias netting his eighth of the season, from Corrente. Skinner answered with his second of the night and eleventh of the campaign, with help from LaRose and Ruutu, the latter finishing up a sock trick. The 6-3 score favoring Carolina over New Jersey was the final, with Ruutu, Samsonov, and Skinner grabbing the three stars.
Heading north for an All-Canada match, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Brian Elliott played in goal. Toronto opened the scoring with Clarke MacArthur scoring his tenth of the year, assisted by Tomas Kaberle. Tyler Bozak netted two in a row for the Maple Leafs, his sixth and seventh of the season, both from Joey Crabb and Phil Kessel. Brian Elliott was lifted for Mike Brodeur in the Ottawa goal. Matt Carkner tried to change the pace for Ottawa by dropping the gloves with Colton Orr while down 3-0. It did little good, as it became 4-0 in the second period with Darryl Boyce scoring his first of the year, assisted by Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong. Luke Schenn extended the lead farther with his second of the season, helped along by Kaberla and Nikolai Kulemin. The Senators finally got on the board with a power play goal from Sergei Gonchar, his fifth tally of the year made possible by Erik Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson. Toronto held on through the scoreless third period to beat their rivals from Ottawa 5-1. Bozak, Crabb, and Schenn picked up the three stars.
Back into the states, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller got the starting nods. The scoring started early on with Andrew Ference potting his second of the year for Boston, with Adam McQuaid and Marc Savard picking up the helpers. Thirty-seven seconds later, the game was tied after Jason Pominville sank his seventh of the season, from Thomas Vanek and Mike Weber. The Bruins retook the lead forty-three seconds after that with Dennis Seidenberg netting his second of the campaign, unassisted. They took a 3-1 lead with a goal by Brad Marchand, his sixth, with help from Johnny Boychuk and Mark Recchi. Cody McCormick and Adam McQuaid dropped the gloves mid-period to set a tone. It inspired Buffalo, specifically Vanek, who notched his 14th of the year, thanks to Tim Connolly and Pominville. Thirty second later, the Bruins had an answer in a shorthanded goal by Zdeno Chara, his fifth of the year coming from Patrice Bergeron and Recchi. Drew Stafford added two in a row, with his eleventh of the year in the first period going unassisted, enough to chase away Tuukka Rask in favor of Tim Thomas, and his 12th of the season coming in the second period thanks to Paul Gaustad. This tied the game at 4, and the Sabres took the lead on Pominville's second of the night and eighth of the year, assisted by Andrej Sekera and Jochen Hecht on the power play. Boston rookie Tyler Seguin tied the game at 5 with his early third period goal, the sixth for him this season, with help from Daniel Paille. Boston retook the lead with Steve Kampfer notching his second of the season, assisted by Seguin and Chara. Stafford completed his hat trick for Buffalo to send it to overtime with twenty-eight seconds left in regulation, his 13th of the year coming from Connolly and Pominville at an opportune time for the Sabres. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Stafford scored, was answered by Michael Ryder, followed up by Vanek netting a goal, answered again with Seguin scoring, and once more the Sabres took the lead with Tyler Ennis, and winning 7-6 on the miss by Chara. Picking up the three stars in the Sabres victory over the Bruins were Stafford, Pominville, and Seguin.
Next on the list, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cedrick Desjardins were in the paint. Tampa Bay struck first with Dana Tyrell netting his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nate Thompson. It was 1-0 Lightning until late in the third period, with a timely goal by New York's Marian Gaborik, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Dan Girardi. The Rangers would fall in the ensuing overtime, however, as Thompson netted his sixth of the year for the Bolts, from Tyrell and Mike Lundin to win it 2-1. Earning the three stars were winning goalie Cedrick Desjardins (34 of 35 saves), losing goalie Henrik Lundqvist (31 of 33 saves), and Nate Thompson.
The Main Event of New Year's Day will go here, in full neon green color, as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals on the Heinz Field rink outside at the home of the Steelers. Semyon Varlamov and Marc-Andre Fleury earned the starts in this prestigious game. The first period was uneventful, save for a John Erskine of Washington and Michael Rupp of Pittsburgh fight. The second period featured more of what we like to see, scoring, opened up by the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin, who scored his 14th of the year thanks to Kris Letang and the goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Mike Knuble answered for the Capitals with his ninth of the season, a power play goal from Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. Eric Fehr extended the Washington lead with his sixth of the season, helped along by Marcus Johansson. Fehr extended the lead with his seventh of the season, also his second of the night, from Jason Chimera and John Erskine, which led to the Capitals 3-1 win over the Penguins outdoors. Varlamov (32 for 33 saves), Fehr, and Malkin earned the three stars.
Heading out west for the Los Angeles Kings hosting the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center. Your goalies for this game are Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick. After going nearly two periods scoreless, Devin Setoguchi got San Jose on the board with his seventh of the season, from Kent Huskins and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. This would prove to be the final, and the three stars went to winning goalie Antti Niemi (29 save shutout), Setoguchi, and losing goalie Jonathan Quick (18 of 19 saves).
Lastly, in the battle of Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Nikolai Khabibulin are in between the pipes. Tim Jackman put Calgary up first, his fifth of the season being helped along by David Moss and Jay Bouwmeester. Edmonton evened the score with Ryan Jones' ninth of the year, assisted by Tom Gilbert and Dustin Penner. The Flames retook the lead on Mark Giordano's fourth of the season, with Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen getting the helpers. Calgary would hold onto the 2-1 win and defeat their vicious rivals at the enemy rink. Giordano, losing goalie Khabibulin (28 for 30 saves), and Bouwmeester were the three stars.
Busy day on Sunday, with all football being played today. That will be spread over three posts. I'll try to put out the hockey post as well. Also, last minute hockey news, as the New York Islanders have traded ageless Dwayne Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning for minor league defenseman Ty Wishart.
Carolina, where the Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Cam Ward started in net for the game. Carolina opened the scoring with Tuomo Ruutu's ninth of the year, assisted by by Joe Corvo on the power play. Jeff Skinner made it 2-0 for the Hurricanes with his tenth of the season, with help from Tim Gleason and Chad LaRose. Extending the lead farther was Sergei Samsonov potting his seventh of the year, from Corvo and Jamie McBain on the power play, chasing away New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur in favor of Johan Hedberg. Zac Dalpe made it 4-0 for the 'Canes with his first of the season, assisted by Ruutu and McBain. Rod Pelley got the Devils on the board finally with his second of the campaign, assisted by Matthew Corrente and Anssi Salmela. New Jersey made it 4-2 with Travis Zajac striking early in the second period, with help from Patrik Elias and Anton Volchenkov. Samsonov answered with his eighth of the year and second of the night, helped along by Ruutu and Eric Staal on the power play. The Devils cut the lead to two goals again at 5-3 with Elias netting his eighth of the season, from Corrente. Skinner answered with his second of the night and eleventh of the campaign, with help from LaRose and Ruutu, the latter finishing up a sock trick. The 6-3 score favoring Carolina over New Jersey was the final, with Ruutu, Samsonov, and Skinner grabbing the three stars.
Heading north for an All-Canada match, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Brian Elliott played in goal. Toronto opened the scoring with Clarke MacArthur scoring his tenth of the year, assisted by Tomas Kaberle. Tyler Bozak netted two in a row for the Maple Leafs, his sixth and seventh of the season, both from Joey Crabb and Phil Kessel. Brian Elliott was lifted for Mike Brodeur in the Ottawa goal. Matt Carkner tried to change the pace for Ottawa by dropping the gloves with Colton Orr while down 3-0. It did little good, as it became 4-0 in the second period with Darryl Boyce scoring his first of the year, assisted by Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong. Luke Schenn extended the lead farther with his second of the season, helped along by Kaberla and Nikolai Kulemin. The Senators finally got on the board with a power play goal from Sergei Gonchar, his fifth tally of the year made possible by Erik Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson. Toronto held on through the scoreless third period to beat their rivals from Ottawa 5-1. Bozak, Crabb, and Schenn picked up the three stars.
Back into the states, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller got the starting nods. The scoring started early on with Andrew Ference potting his second of the year for Boston, with Adam McQuaid and Marc Savard picking up the helpers. Thirty-seven seconds later, the game was tied after Jason Pominville sank his seventh of the season, from Thomas Vanek and Mike Weber. The Bruins retook the lead forty-three seconds after that with Dennis Seidenberg netting his second of the campaign, unassisted. They took a 3-1 lead with a goal by Brad Marchand, his sixth, with help from Johnny Boychuk and Mark Recchi. Cody McCormick and Adam McQuaid dropped the gloves mid-period to set a tone. It inspired Buffalo, specifically Vanek, who notched his 14th of the year, thanks to Tim Connolly and Pominville. Thirty second later, the Bruins had an answer in a shorthanded goal by Zdeno Chara, his fifth of the year coming from Patrice Bergeron and Recchi. Drew Stafford added two in a row, with his eleventh of the year in the first period going unassisted, enough to chase away Tuukka Rask in favor of Tim Thomas, and his 12th of the season coming in the second period thanks to Paul Gaustad. This tied the game at 4, and the Sabres took the lead on Pominville's second of the night and eighth of the year, assisted by Andrej Sekera and Jochen Hecht on the power play. Boston rookie Tyler Seguin tied the game at 5 with his early third period goal, the sixth for him this season, with help from Daniel Paille. Boston retook the lead with Steve Kampfer notching his second of the season, assisted by Seguin and Chara. Stafford completed his hat trick for Buffalo to send it to overtime with twenty-eight seconds left in regulation, his 13th of the year coming from Connolly and Pominville at an opportune time for the Sabres. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Stafford scored, was answered by Michael Ryder, followed up by Vanek netting a goal, answered again with Seguin scoring, and once more the Sabres took the lead with Tyler Ennis, and winning 7-6 on the miss by Chara. Picking up the three stars in the Sabres victory over the Bruins were Stafford, Pominville, and Seguin.
Next on the list, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cedrick Desjardins were in the paint. Tampa Bay struck first with Dana Tyrell netting his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nate Thompson. It was 1-0 Lightning until late in the third period, with a timely goal by New York's Marian Gaborik, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Dan Girardi. The Rangers would fall in the ensuing overtime, however, as Thompson netted his sixth of the year for the Bolts, from Tyrell and Mike Lundin to win it 2-1. Earning the three stars were winning goalie Cedrick Desjardins (34 of 35 saves), losing goalie Henrik Lundqvist (31 of 33 saves), and Nate Thompson.
The Main Event of New Year's Day will go here, in full neon green color, as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals on the Heinz Field rink outside at the home of the Steelers. Semyon Varlamov and Marc-Andre Fleury earned the starts in this prestigious game. The first period was uneventful, save for a John Erskine of Washington and Michael Rupp of Pittsburgh fight. The second period featured more of what we like to see, scoring, opened up by the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin, who scored his 14th of the year thanks to Kris Letang and the goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Mike Knuble answered for the Capitals with his ninth of the season, a power play goal from Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. Eric Fehr extended the Washington lead with his sixth of the season, helped along by Marcus Johansson. Fehr extended the lead with his seventh of the season, also his second of the night, from Jason Chimera and John Erskine, which led to the Capitals 3-1 win over the Penguins outdoors. Varlamov (32 for 33 saves), Fehr, and Malkin earned the three stars.
Heading out west for the Los Angeles Kings hosting the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center. Your goalies for this game are Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick. After going nearly two periods scoreless, Devin Setoguchi got San Jose on the board with his seventh of the season, from Kent Huskins and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. This would prove to be the final, and the three stars went to winning goalie Antti Niemi (29 save shutout), Setoguchi, and losing goalie Jonathan Quick (18 of 19 saves).
Lastly, in the battle of Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Nikolai Khabibulin are in between the pipes. Tim Jackman put Calgary up first, his fifth of the season being helped along by David Moss and Jay Bouwmeester. Edmonton evened the score with Ryan Jones' ninth of the year, assisted by Tom Gilbert and Dustin Penner. The Flames retook the lead on Mark Giordano's fourth of the season, with Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen getting the helpers. Calgary would hold onto the 2-1 win and defeat their vicious rivals at the enemy rink. Giordano, losing goalie Khabibulin (28 for 30 saves), and Bouwmeester were the three stars.
Busy day on Sunday, with all football being played today. That will be spread over three posts. I'll try to put out the hockey post as well. Also, last minute hockey news, as the New York Islanders have traded ageless Dwayne Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning for minor league defenseman Ty Wishart.
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