Well, not sure why the NHL thought it was a great idea to have both NHL playoff series going the same night in the Conference Finals, but they're finally breaking up that pattern tonight with the Western Conference series getting the extra day in between games two and three.  The Eastern Conference series moves to Montreal tonight and Damien Cox of the Toronto Star thinks it may be time for the Canadiens to give Carey Price a go.  So much for going with who brought you to the dance.  What if Price starts and bombs, then what?  The Habs won't have Andrei Markov in the lineup, his season is done after knee surgery that will keep him out for six months.

The Phoenix Suns are not only getting pounded in their Western Conference series, the LA Lakers are doing it playing the Suns up-tempo style.  The Lakers were 124-112 winners last night to take a 2-0 series lead.

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho - whose ego knows no bounds - thinks that winning the Champions League is bigger than the World Cup.  Different, perhaps, and I do accept his point that you could argue you're the world's best team given you can get players from everywhere, but no chance is it more prestigious.  The World Cup is once every four years and ask anybody at all connected to the game who won the last World Cup and they'll say "Italy" in a heartbeat.  Quick, who won the Champions League four years ago?  Inter Milan faces Bayern Munich Saturday in Madrid for the Champions League final.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post writes that A-Rod is the no-doubt New York Yankees go-to guy in a big moment if they have a choice, a change from the past to be sure.  Not mentioned yesterday, but worth mentioning that the New York Yankees had Nick Swisher up on the steps holding a bad, ready to pinch hit for Derek Jeter in the bottom of the 9th with the game on the line.  Has Jeter been pinch hit for in the last decade plus?  The Tampa Bay Rays continued their roll last night in pounding the Yanks 10-2 to move four games up in the East.

Tom Verducci at SI.com looks at whether the Washington Nationals, surprisingly competitive this year, are being too careful with Stephen Strasburg.  I've got two words to answer that in the "negative": Mark Prior.

What does Al-Qaeda have to do with sports?  Well, when they're plotting revenge on Holland and Denmark over their depictions of Allah, and the World Cup is looming, lots as it turns out.  Love how one person can do something they deem offensive and it is an all out assault planned on a sporting event, team or country.  Very reasonable.

I'll acknowledge the Toronto Blue Jays are beating everybody's expectations - including yours, if you're thinking of lying and telling us different - but remember this: they were 27-16 a year ago today and in first place in the AL East, and we know how that ended up (28 games back, if you didn't).  That, and as Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star noted yesterday, the Jays have only played 14 to date against the best of the AL, and are a less than stellar 3-11 in those games.

The International Ice Hockey Federation took a swipe at Sidney Crosby, among others, for skipping the second rate World Championships, insinuating they lack loyalty to the programs that made them rich and famous.  Translation: they're sour they don't have those guys over in Germany to help sell tickets to a nothing event.  Criticizing those players for their fatigue and comparing them to miners is ridiculous.  Crosby, as one example, went from the Stanley Cup win last year to a camp in Calgary less than two months later, then into the Olympic camp, and into a season with the Penguins.  At some point, the gas tank has to be tapped. 

The captain of New Zealand's World Cup entry predicts England will win the World Cup for the first time since 1966, for what that is worth, beating either Spain or Brazil in the final.  On the other side of the coin, American player Jozy Altidore bumped into David Beckham at an LA Lakers game a couple nights back and told Beckham the U.S. would beat his England side on the opening weekend 3-0.  If you're not a fan of the game and looking for a team to cheer for that is a bit of an underdog, take the U.S.  They won't annoy you with the diving tactics that certain other countries can't let go of (looking at you, Portugal and Italy), and play with speed from the opening whistle on.

It is a good thing Tiger Woods doesn't have friends like Kansas City Chiefs wideout Dwayne Bowe, who let a rather large secret loose when he talked of how his Chiefs teammates would fly ladies in from around the country on road trips, including sending messages to girls on teammates Facebook accounts and flying those girls in for them.
 
The "cutting edge of broadcasting".  English commentators rule.


Have you ever seen a double alley-oop?  You can now.

Leroy ain't moving...unless...

It took triple overtime, but the Anaheim Ducks managed to even their series with the Detroit Red Wings. I would not be shocked at all if the Ducks finish off the Wings. How much has Ryan Getzlaf's profile grown with his playoff performance? Call him a Team Canada lock for the 2010 Olympics...Cam Ward made 36 saves for the shutout as the Carolina Hurricanes evened their series with the Boston Bruins, the B's first loss in this playoff...the subject of trading Roy Halladay came up again, and while Toronto Blue Jays GM JP Ricciardi didn't call him untouchable, he did say it would take a "boatload" to move Leroy...after Saturday's devestating knockout, Ricky Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. and others are thinking it is time the Hitman pack it in. Somehow, you have to figure boxing doesn't really want a guy who brings people from across the pond into Vegas for fights to shut it down quite yet, and can't imagine Hatton wants to go out that way either...seems yesterday's "Rick Roll" wasn't a hit with some RMers. Guess the title wasn't clue enough...hard to believe that a club like Newcastle United are in the relegation zone. The Magpies were pounded 3-0 by Liverpool yesterday, and word is it could've been triple that...speaking of Liverpool, their manager Rafa Benitez is talking smack again, saying Manchester United will slip up in the final handful of games. Somebody needs to explain to Rafa that United can afford to slip up a lot more than Liverpool, what with a three point lead and a game in hand...I really don't understand the logic behind having the second round of the NBA playoffs start while some are still playing the first, but that's what we saw yesterday as the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavs tipped off their series - with the Nuggets an easy winner while the Miami Heat were going down meekly to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of their first round series. If you're David Stern, you'd think you want to sports world focused on a Game 7, no?...the CFL Draft went this weekend, still awaiting confirmation that no dead people were drafted...your PTP today is the Blue Jays/Indians over 10. Enjoy.

TFC on top

The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals will take their series to a seventh game tomorrow night after the Caps won yesterday to force the deciding game...it is April 27th, and Toronto FC is first place in the East. Maybe pro sports in Toronto is turning around with the Blue Jays also in first, if only for now? TFC downed the Kansas City Wizards - a squad named after the Wizard of Oz it dawned on me yesterday- on the strength of a Danny Dichio goal. They should've had at least two more. Pablo Vitti and Chad Barrett are working wonders in attack with Danny Dichio and if their finishing improves even a couple degrees, TFC is going to chew up a lot of teams though their D is still suspet...turns out that John Carver quit his job because of frustration with the league. Sounds a bit like he didn't like the rules so took his ball and went home...the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers seem to be the consensus winner of the NFL Draft. See what happens when you get rid of Brett Favre?...now that they're not playing the Washington Nationals every other night when they raced to an 11-1 record (6-0 vs. the Nats) , the Florida Marlins have sure come back to earth. They now are 11-7 and have dropped six straight...Alex Rodriguez will be playing in games with a minor league team at some point this week. His return can't come soon enough for a Yankee offence that will improve greatly with his bat there to protect Mark Teixera...in the English Premier League today, Newcastle United will try to stear clear of the relegation zone when they take on Portsmouth. Wonder if former Toronto FC coach John Carver will be on the Newcastle bench?...Sports Illustrated's Peter King called the NFL Draft season "bigger than the NHL". Ouch...Kansas City Royal Zach Grienke's ERA remains at 0.00 and he's 4-0. Amazing...Chris Zelkovich at the Toronto Star has a great take on the alleged importance of fighting in hockey. It is a great one...the Carolina Hurricanes returned the shutout favor on the New Jersey Devils to force game seven. Is there a goalie playing today you'd rather have in a deciding game than Martin Brodeur?...Inter Milan dropped a game to Napoli, and suddenly Italy's Serie A is a race again...back with the PTP later.

Big Papi wants a no-hitter

As predicted here, that Pittsburgh/Philly series is really shaping up to be doozy. The Flyers staved off elimination with a 3-0 win to send the series back to Philly. Two other shutouts last night as the New Jersey Devils beat Carolina 1-0 in a game where Martin Brodeur tied Patrick Roy's playoff shutout record, and Anaheim put San Jose one foot into the grave with a 4-0 win to take a 3-1 series lead...remember when Hull City was in the top five of the English Premier League earlier this year? They've fallen all the way to being potentially relegated...how weird will it be to see Tight End Tony Gonzalez in Atlanta Falcon gear after he was shipped for a second round pick in 2010?...how's this for a Toronto Raptor trade rumour: Tayshaun Prince for Chris Bosh. Discuss...if Boston Red Sock David Ortiz is chirping New York Yankee Joba Chamberlain to not buzz Kevin Youkilis - again - it must be with a Sox/Yanks series around the corner, and that's what we get this weekend for the first three of the season in Beantown. Big Papi doesn't have to worry about Joba or anyone buzzing him, he's far easier to just pitch to...the Tampa Bay Lightning leaking that they were in discussions with the Montreal Canadiens to trade Vinny Lecavalier may be unusual, but I'd hardly call it a contributing factor to the Habs flameout versus Boston the way Bob Gainey is painting it. If that's the case, then a late season coaching change and benching of a star player for a couple games is even more of a distraction...reason #862 it is embarrassing being a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs: the sheer number I've seen on Facebook celebrating the Habs demise. Kind of odd to celebrate that when your team was out since November, no? Had one guy tell me he's just annoyed by the superiority complex of Habs fans. Well, why wouldn't they act that way towards the Leafs and their fans? The Leafs haven't done jack. Damn you, TV, for airing Leafs games when I was a child and making me a fan of that joke of a team, and worse, aligning me with the most moronic group of fans. I'm begging for a second team closer to home...back with your PTP later today.