Mr. Game 7 Takes Game One

((HT: NHL on NBC))

The Los Angeles Kings gave up ANOTHER two-goal lead out of the blocks in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final.

The HQ knows how that's working for everyone else...

It did take an extra couple of minutes, but the Kings are winners of Game 1 with Game 2 after the horse race Saturday night.
Here's the highlights


Gene Principe catches up with Mike Richards about Mr. Game 7
((HT: Sportsnet))

The Kings Are Back In The NHL Finals

((HT: NBCSN/NHL))

First, let's just say that the one thing better than a Game 7, mutual-elimination game where the winner gets to go to the Stanley Cup Final is an overtime, Game 7, mutual-elimination game where the winner gets to go to the Stanley Cup Final

Here's the highlights- if you're a Kings fan...


And the reaction in Los Angeles
((HT: MyFoxLA))
Los Angeles Local News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

With an early preview
((HT: ESPN))

Mike Keenan Goes All Mike Keenan On KHL Officials

((HT: Sport1))

Keenan took over the Metallurg Magnitogorsk squad in the KHL this season and is one win away from getting a title by beating Lev Praha... the series was 3-2 and Game 6 was in overtime when Keenan went all off on officials when the game was over...

Here's the overtime period...and the nutty is around the 12:30 mark...


What Keenan was so hot about was the non-call behind the Lev goal where it looks like one of his own was pinned down and not allowed to get up and get back in the play. It created a man-advantage and, eventually, the goal that created a Game 7...

"If you're going to call it, call it," Keenan said before his string of imperatives at the men in the zebra shirts...

No truth to the rumor that Game 7 is what President Putin wanted in the first place...

What's With All The Unanswered Goals...???

((HT: NHL/NBCSN))

The HQ thought that when the Pittsburgh Penguins had the 3-goal FIRST PERIOD lead on the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide, that it was over and done...

Yeah, so much for that idea...

CBJ scored once in the first, once in the second, and Brandon Dubinsky scored with less than a minute to go in regulation to send the game into overtime...

We all know what happens with momentum by that point...
Ask Nick Foligno...


That series is now tied at two and the Penguins fans are gripping over another post-season performance by goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

The other two series that went last night are also tied at two games a piece...

Anaheim had a two-goal lead in Dallas in Dallas, but that didn't last, either...
The Stars scored four in a row and the series between the Ducks and Stars has gotten all serious. There was a a lot of "quien es mas macho" in the last few minutes between the two sides. Play-by-play man Gord Miller had the line describing how the series has gotten all in each other's grills, saying that the two have evolved into hatred...

He's not wrong...


The late game (and "who knew?" right...???) would end up being the Blackhawks and Blues...

It would end shortly before 1AM east coast time, but overtime will do that for you...
Patrick Kane would help us all get to bed earlier than we thought in the third series tied at 2...


Tonight, the Sharks try to knock off the Kings once and for all...
Much to the dismay of the HQ...

Overtime, Overtime... Did We Mention Overtime...

((HT: NHL/NBCSN/CNBC))

There were a few games that ended in regulation last night in the Stanley Cup Playoffs...

And some went into the next day...

The Blues and Blackhawks, the HQ figured, would go for a while... and it did... they went into the third overtime before the first game of the series was decided by Alex Steen...


Then, down 4-2 in the third period, the Colorado Avalanche got a lot of help from Paul Stasny at the end of regulation and in overtime to give the top seed in their bracket a 5-4 overtime win...


In other games that didn't go quite as long, the Rangers and Sharks also got first-game wins Thursday night.

Three games tonight: Montreal-Tampa Bay, Detroit-Boston, and Dallas-Anaheim

And Another 5-12 Goes To Stephen F. Austin

With all apologies up front to Richmond sports talk show host and FOSG Greg Burton...

VCU got bit, too...

A lot of people are wondering where the foul came from with VCU leading four as time ran out in regulation...
Frankly, the HQ can't find it... but here's the play in question...
((HT: NCAA March Madness/SnappyTV))


Desmond Haymond gets credit for the four-point play and with this game being the fifth OT game of the opening rounds- according to the Elias Sports Bureau, that sets the record for the most OT games in the opening two days.

There were two previous Round of 64's with 4 overtime games: 1995 and 2000.

And when you win, you celebrate in your locker room...
((HT: NCAA March Madness/SnappyTV))

OSG High: Ohio Hockey Title Called A Tie After 7OT

((HT: Cleveland.com/Rozboril))

Columbus-St. Ignatius and Sylvania-Northview can both call themselves champs after the OHSAA decided 7 overtimes were plenty...

The game was tied at ones and couldn't go to a shootout due to a national rule- so, despite the coaches and players thinking they could get one or two more overtimes out of the folks involved, both schools are champs...

Here's the press release from OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross citing player safety and some other such things...

Blecch...

Here's the St. Ignatius presser with folks who agree and, at the same time, don't agree...

The game wasn't even the longest in Ohio history as an 8OT game wins that one...

So, the idea of everyone getting a trophy continues to permeate the landscape...

Double blecch...

Team Canada Takes Gold In Overtime

((HT: Sportsnet))

Yes, the HQ is full of dammit, dammit, dammit right now...

After hitting a post on what could have been an empty-netter that could have sealed the gold medal for Team USA...

It still smarts when the top two countries in the world when it comes to women's hockey trade blows into sudden death overtime...

And Team USA doesn't come out on top...

Daren Millard and John Shannon discuss what it means to Team Canada...
This is what Millard is referring to... ((HT: NBC/IOC))
Clever... and jingoistically unfunny...

BUZZER BEATER: Sac State Wins With No Time Left...

((HT: Zach Bloxham's Vine))

Another late ending for us all... a 75-footer in overtime gives Sac State the win over Weber State...
And another play-by-play explosion...

Not that there's anything wrong with that...


And the Sac State version that includes the post-game interview with Dylan Garrity...
((HT: Hornet Hype))

Montreal-Ottawa Was One Of The Year's Best... And That's Just In The Stands...

((HT: Sportsnet))

It was, probably, one of the best games of the year to date in the National Hockey League- and it, pretty much, featured everything. Long runs, lead changes, own goals, nationalism, and the fans getting involved...

For those not familiar with the geography of the situation, the nation's capital of Canada is on the riverside of the border of Ontario and Quebec province. And that river separates English-speaking majority from Quebec and their French-speaking nationalists on the other bank.

And the HQ would love to know how Habs fans bought seats in the lower bowl at Ottawa last night...

But, here's what happened on the ice...
((HT: RDS/TSN))


And it even carried over into the stands in the battle of French and English-speaking Canada...


Here's the Sportsnet version...

Bargnani Knucklehead Move Almost Costs Knicks...

((HT: FSBucks))

The bottom line here is that the Knicks beat the Bucks in double overtime last night in Milwaukee- despite themselves...

In the first OT, Andrea Bargnani did this...
And the Bucks color guy, Jon McGlocklin, went after him...


“It was a mistake,” Bargnani admitted after the game, according to Newsday. “It was a bad decision.”

Eastern Michigan's English Speaks, Eagles Win In OT

((HT: EMU Athletics))

Former Eastern Michigan head coach Ron English came clean in an interview with the AP about his unceremonious dismissal earlier this week with three games left in the 2013 season...

"As a man who has coached 21 years, obviously, on this occasion and particular meeting, I lost my poise, got upset and used language that was inappropriate, particularly as it pertains to homosexual slurs. I regret that," English said. "I apologize to the university for putting it in this position and tarnishing its reputation. I look forward to continuing a career that has been marked by molding men of integrity, passion, and intensity for 21 years."

The Detroit News has a copy of the purported audio rant that got English fired:


The school released a statement as to why English was let go:

"I received a tape of a situation in which Coach English had addressed the team and used wholly inappropriate language. We hold our coaches and staff to high standards of professionalism and conduct and there is no place, particularly in a student environment, where this language is appropriate. The statements made by Coach English are absolutely unacceptable. My decision to make a change in leadership of our football program was the culmination of a lot of factors including the comprehensive review of our program, the competitive performance and this tape. Our primary interest is in the well being and success of our student-athletes and this will continue to be our priority in every decision we make and every action we take. My focus moving forward is on the quality of our student-athletes' experience as well as the search process for the next leader of our football program."

The first part of that was naming Stan Parrish as interim coach and the team responded- for the first time out, anyway...

Eastern played Western and 35-32...

Here's the highlights of the win on overtime...

NHL Refs Miss OT Goal, Sharks Lose In Shootout...

((HT: Sportsnet))

This was one that the zebras missed last night...

Tied at fours in the San Jose-Buffalo game, the Sharks' Tommy Wingels did the following but wasn't credited for it...

The Sharks would lose in the shootout to give the Sabres some hope of something this season...

What that is, exactly, the HQ isn't sure...

ICYMI: Great Game: Heat Barely Beat Pacers in OT

Yes, the NBA Playoff go on forever, but every once in awhile, the games can be absolutely fantastic to watch.

That was the case Wednesday night as the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers squared off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat won 103-102 in Overtime.

The game went back and forth, close most of the way.

Paul George nearly won the game for the Pacers by himself.

He drained a long, 32-foot 3-point shot to tie the game at the end of regulation.

Here are his amazing highlights, including the 3-pointer and nearly winning the game with 2.2 seconds left in overtime. George finished with 27-points



But George was topped by the seemingly incomparable LeBron James. James had a triple double (30-pts, 10-rebounds, 10-assists) and scored when needed.

He was needed as his driving layup at the buzzer in overtime provided the difference, winning the game.

Not A Bad Time For Your First Post-Season Goal

Especially if you're Brad Marchand...

Here's how you get a dirty goal for a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Semis...
((HT: NHL on NBC/FredMurtz))


Keith Jones, in studio, admitted that he thought the Rangers had a better Game 1. But, in the end, it doesn't matter...
A defenseman jumps into the play a little too much... and that's the end result...

The teams have a few days off to think about it before Game 2 this weekend...

Your Friday Night In The NHL- OT, OT, OT

((HT: NBCSN/CBC/CNBC/NHL))

This is an easy one to write...

It was all about the extra hockey...

After the Toronto Maple Leafs survived their third period against the Boston Bruins with a 2-goal lead turning into a one goal lead for the last nine minutes... and the HQ means survived... 2-1 was the final and game 6 is in Toronto Sunday night.

Washington was in a back and forth against the New York Rangers... and it came down to Mike Ribeiro...

Game 6 is Sunday afternoon...

Detroit was up 3-1 in the third, but goals by Etem and Ryan less than a minute apart tied the game and sent it to free skate...
Everyone was commenting about how Henrik Zetterberg hadn't scored in the series against Anaheim...

He scored twice including the game winner 1:06 into overtime for the 4-3 win and a game seven in Anaheim Sunday...

Catholics Vs. Conifers: Did Irish Really Win...???

((HT: Pac-12 Conference/NBC))

The question at the beginning of the day was: Are the Irish BCS-back...???
The question at the end of the day is: Are the Irish as good as their record indicates...???

Answer One: Probably by default...
Answer Two: Meh, maybe... the jury is still out...

By the time overtime was over and Notre Dame won by seven, there were more discussions over the play at the end of the game where Stanford either scored and got jobbed or didn't score on a great, goal line stand...

Here's the play at the end of the game...
Examine for yourself...


The Irish are now 6-0 for the first time since 2002...

"I didn't get a view of the last play," Stanford head coach David Shaw said after the game. "Stepfan (Taylor) swore to me that he got in. That he put the ball over the goal line on the second effort. The officials looked at it and they said he didn't get in, so he didn't get in."

Irish coach Brian Kelly called it a classic goal line stand...
Of course he did...

Stanford drops to 4-2...

So, faithful reader... did Taylor score or was it a classic goal line stand...???