NY Sports News

GREENBURGH, NY – If the Rangers advanced to a Game 7 tomorrow night in Pittsburgh, Sean Avery said he would be there. “I was ready to play tonight,” he said, “if they would have let me.” Probably not, and the loss in Game 5 made it a moot point. With the Rangers now packing their things for the summer, Avery - fresh out of the hospital with a ruptured spleen – joined his teammates in exit interviews with the coaches and the media. “We came into this year with high expectations,” Avery reflected. “Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. We were beaten by a team with tremendous young players who outworked us. It sucks. There’s nothing fun about that. On good teams you use that as motivation. That’s what it has to be, motivation and over the summer whoever is going to be a Ranger has to use that.”

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A message for N.Y. Mets fans: If some of the veterans on that team had aged like supermodel Carol Alt has over these past few years, I can almost GUARANTEE that more championship banners would be displayed throughout Flushing Meadows at this point in time..........TRIVIA QUESTION: What NHL player holds the league record for most losses in a season by a goaltender? Answer to follow..........Detroit Lions safety Kalvin Pearson was recently arrested on domestic violence charges and held without bail in Tampa. I'm just wondering if he was issued a generic prison shirt or a Cincinnati Bengals jersey..........

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An Offseason of Blueshirt Change

It’s easy to pass blame in the Rangers five game loss during the second round of the playoffs. Before Blueshirt Nation lines up at the NHL offices to lynch the referees, though, look at the home team first. They blew a three goal lead in Game 1 and then couldn’t muster anything in Game 2, although a quick referee’s whistle prevented it from being tied. Henrik Lundqvist took the night off in Game 3 and then they only managed 22 shots in Game 5’s disappointing overtime loss. And among those shots 11 came in the third period, when they managed to tie it and none in the overtime. Fault lies within the team and not due to any external factor.

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Wagner Scores Big Points

Big ups Billy Wagner! It’s not everyday that a ballplayer calls out a teammate for not giving maximum effort but that’s precisely what the Mets’ veteran lefty closer did the other day calling out an ineffective Oliver Perez for not dialing it up a notch. Instead, the talented southpaw enigma showed his dreadful side losing the plate to the tune of five walks and seven runs (2 ER) in a disastrous second inning against the lowly Pirates. His former club got the better of him taking advantage of porous Met defense turning three errors and one big mental lapse by Jose Reyes to destroy New York 13-1. Prior to the blowout defeat at Shea before another testy crowd (who could blame them), the Amazin’s had won three in a row including the last two from a banged up Atlanta team over the weekend.

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With Backs To Wall Rangers Fight Back

NEW YORK – This is the Jaromir Jagr everyone expected two years ago in the playoffs. And in this series, No. 68 has been the best player on the ice, even more than the young kids who wear 87 or 71. With Sean Avery and Blair Betts out, it came down to Jagr who fought for the puck on every shift and almost willed his team to victory. Yet it was his two goals and one assist which led the way in the 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. “He is a driven man right now,” said Rangers coach Tom Renney. “There is no question about that. Certainly for all the right reasons he wants this team to get back in the series. In terms of us being competitive with these people he has led the charge.”

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Bears Open Home With 15-9 Win

NEWARK, NJ - It was night where everything was bouncing the way of the Bear. The hitters swung the bat, the pitchers threw effectively and all the bounces were going their way. Newark blasted the Bridgeport Bluefish 15-6 to open play at Riverfront Stadium in New Jersey. A ceremony took place before the game to honor the players from last season’s championship Newark squad. Ed Almonte, J.J. Trujillo, John Pachot, Keith Reed and Vic Gutierrez were the players honored as well as manager Wayne Krenchicki and pitching coach Steve Foucalt. Brian Peterson of Bridgeport picked up the game’s first hit in the top of the first, but he was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double by Brian Burgamy to end the inning.

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Rangers Backs Against Wall

NEW YORK – Now the Rangers have no excuses. Neither dives, nor any bad referee call cost them Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The only fault comes from themselves as they dropped a 5-3 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins and have their backs against the wall, going down 0-3 in the series. “It is pretty tough being down 3-0, but they have to win four games,” said Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr. “They have to close it. Even such a great team like the Yankees didn’t hold a 3-0 lead. They are the best ever. We can make history.” Even though the 1942 Maple Leafs and 1975 Islanders did it, it is a daunting task. But the Rangers can take some hope with the Islanders comeback coming 33 years after the Maple Leafs and 2008 marks the 33rd anniversary of the New York victory.

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Ducks Pull Out 10-6 Win Over Bears

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — As he stepped to the podium on the eve of Opening Day, Dave LaPoint cited his team’s intelligence as a huge asset for the coming season. Of course, a baseball team looks smart when every member of the lineup reaches base safely and the bullpen is stellar. The Ducks wasted a six-run lead before capitalizing on a key two-out Newark error in the sixth, pulling out a 10-6 victory over the Bears Sunday afternoon. Donaldo Mendez lined run-scoring doubles in the second and third innings. The ninth-hitting shortstop finished 3-4 and also scored two runs, adding a nice defensive play to throw out the leadoff man in the eighth inning. “We have good speed and our lineup has veteran guys who can get on base. That’s the key,” said Mendez, who played on last year’s Atlantic League champion Bears’ squad.

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Bogus call helps Crosby and Pens draw first blood

Here were the Rangers with the first three against division rival Pittsburgh playing the kind of road game which certainly seemed headed their way nearly halfway through. Such a win would’ve made them four-for-four on the road to start the postseason. Something they hadn’t done in over three decades. That’s why they play 60 minutes.Up against an explosive opponent, the Blueshirts took their foot off the gas pedal allowing the talented Penguins to score the next four and pull out a 5-4 victory in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinal at Mellon Arena Friday night. No truth to the rumor they’ll be renaming it NHL Arena. What. With a very debatable interference call going against Ranger forward Martin Straka which led to Evgeni Malkin’s power play decider with 1:41 left.

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Ducks Open With Win

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — Randy Leek stayed in the dugout in the top of the seventh, concluding his evening after limiting Newark to one unearned run in six innings. The Levittown native threw 71 pitches, representing a step up from his spring training workload. So with a quality start already in the bag, Leek was happy to not push it and let the bullpen finish the job. Right? “That’s what Pointer told me,” Leek said with a laugh, indicating that manager Dave LaPoint was the reason behind his exit. “I hadn’t thrown more than 60 pitches in spring training. I felt good. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.” A two-out rally in the opening inning provided Leek with all the necessary support, staking the southpaw to a four-run lead that would be sufficient for a 4-1 season-opening victory over the Bears in front of a sold-out crowd.

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Recent Features • Bears Open Season With Loss on LI - by Mark Krulish on Saturday, April 26, 2008 • Lazzari's Sports Roundup - 4/25/2008 - by Bob Lazzari on Friday, April 25, 2008 • Rangers Look To Pin Pens In Cup Run - by Derek Felix on Friday, April 25, 2008 • Ducks Ready to Begin Ninth Season vs. League Champion Newark - by Joe Pietaro on Friday, April 25, 2008 • Newark Bears Look To Repeat - by Joe McDonald on Friday, April 25, 2008 • Rangers To Face Pens in Second Round - by Joe McDonald on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 • Jacobs Has His Own Soundtrack - by Patrick Hickey, Jr. on Saturday, April 19, 2008 • Rangers Rock Devils Out of Playoffs - by Joe McDonald on Saturday, April 19, 2008 • Staal's Big Goal Give Rangers 3-1 Lead - by Joe McDonald on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 • The Avery Rule is a Slippery Slope - by Joe McDonald on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Current Mets News NY Hockey Report Pro Baseball Central SportsDay Mets Blogs SportsDay Yankees Blogs