TORONTO (AP) - Miroslav Satan scored 3:25 into overtime and the Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Saturday night to maintain their small cushion in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
Boston is seventh in the East, soccer jerseys two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and the hard-charging New York Rangers. The Leafs, meanwhile, missed an opportunity to get within one point of Tampa Bay and Florida for 14th in the conference _ a position that remains important because Boston owns Toronto's first-round pick in this year's draft.
Satan had both goals for Boston (36-30-12), which has scored just five times in four games.
Colton Orr had the lone goal for the Maple Leafs (29-36-14).
On the winning goal, Satan fooled goalie Jonas Gustavsson by tipping defenseman Zdeno Chara's point shot with the shaft of his stick.
It was another frustrating game for Toronto's Phil Kessel, who failed to score against his former team for the sixth time this season. The winger finished with one assist and a minus-4 rating while facing the Bruins.
The Maple Leafs came out with plenty of jump in their second-to-last home game. They directed a couple quality chances at former Toronto draft pick Tuukka Rask and got the opening goal from an unlikely source.
Orr scored from the high slot at 5:10 of the first, roofing the puck after it had been blocked in front by a Bruins defenseman. It was a career-high fourth goal of the season for the Leafs' enforcer.
Boston tied it at 7:01 of the second period when Satan was left alone at the side of the net and batted a rebound behind Gustavsson for his seventh of the season.
The Leafs goalie was busy in the middle period and made a nice save on David Krejci's rush to keep it 1-1 heading into the third.
Rask stood tall during a third-period Toronto power play and did well to stop Dion Phaneuf's point shot. Gustavsson denied Blake Wheeler on a rush up the wing.
Satan managed to get the puck behind Gustavsson, but it was swept to safety by Phaneuf.
NOTES: D Andrew Bodnarchuk made his NHL debut for the Bruins. ... Jamie Lundmark, Wayne Primeau and Jeff Finger were healthy scratches for Toronto. ... Andrew Ference, Shawn Thornton, Trent Whitfield and Mark Stuart sat out for the Bruins. ... Boston D Dennis Seidenberg left the game in the first period with a cut on his left wrist and didn't return. ... Leafs rookie forward Tyler Bozak has 13 points in 13 games.
2010年5月5日星期三
South American Fate: The World Cup Draw
The World Cup 2010 draw is out and the lines are set in stone. Teams have been told of their starting spots, their rivals and their paths to the finals. So with battle lines now drawn out, teams will move towards finalizing their strategy and plans to making this world cup as successful as can be.
However, there can only be one winner and it is extremely likely that that team may be one from South America. Let's take a look at how they fared at the draw and what the future will hold for NFL jerseys them.
However, there can only be one winner and it is extremely likely that that team may be one from South America. Let's take a look at how they fared at the draw and what the future will hold for NFL jerseys them.
Bosnia-Herzegovina (0) v Portugal (1), Zenica
Portugal failed to NBA jerseys impress in Lisbon on the weekend, while Bosnia missed their chances to claim the advantage in the tie after hitting the woodwork on 3 occasions. Both sides know this tie is tight and there’s plenty of work to be done.
Portuguese boss Carlos Queiroz, who will again be without injured Cristiano Ronaldo, ambitiously stated, "It's going to be close. We'll suffer till the final whistle. We'll have to be utterly determined and inspired. We can't just sit back and wait, we have to take control. We're going to Bosnia to win."
Bosnia boss Miroslav Blazevic, who has skipper Emir Spahic unavailable, acknowledged after the first-leg, "I think we could have, and should have, come away with more than we did.”
Blazevic may rue those misses, but he’ll be reassured by the knowledge Bosnia did score plenty of goals in the earlier qualifiers. And he’s promised ‘a new plan to surprise the Portuguese team’.
Portuguese boss Carlos Queiroz, who will again be without injured Cristiano Ronaldo, ambitiously stated, "It's going to be close. We'll suffer till the final whistle. We'll have to be utterly determined and inspired. We can't just sit back and wait, we have to take control. We're going to Bosnia to win."
Bosnia boss Miroslav Blazevic, who has skipper Emir Spahic unavailable, acknowledged after the first-leg, "I think we could have, and should have, come away with more than we did.”
Blazevic may rue those misses, but he’ll be reassured by the knowledge Bosnia did score plenty of goals in the earlier qualifiers. And he’s promised ‘a new plan to surprise the Portuguese team’.
2010年5月4日星期二
Uruguay
Placed nicely in Group A, Uruguay have hosts South Africa, France and Mexico to accompany them. From the looks of things, the fight will be on for second place with France being guaranteed the top spot. However, if World Cups are anything to go by, then the 2002 results will tell us to pre-empt a team's performance at our own peril.
France do remain one of the top prospects and beating them will be quite hard. However, a one-off tie means that Uruguay can, if they organize themselves well, put up a good fight and gain a point against the French who are susceptible to fall to infighting & petty internal squables, rather than opponents.
Mexico have always been average at World Cups and therefore, cannot be underestimated when looking at the fortunes of Uruguay. They may not be the side of yesteryears but still thrive on their footballing culture to pull them through tough games. Uruguay will have their task cut out if they are to get three points here.
South Africa are probably going to be the toughest opponents in the group. The hosts will be looking at Mexico and Uruguay as possible 3-point games, with France being the tough ones. If the Confederations Cup performance is anything to go by, then South Africa are definitely a force to reckon with. Not Dark Horses though, Uruguay will have a tough time getting past the NFL jerseys pumped-up hosts.
France do remain one of the top prospects and beating them will be quite hard. However, a one-off tie means that Uruguay can, if they organize themselves well, put up a good fight and gain a point against the French who are susceptible to fall to infighting & petty internal squables, rather than opponents.
Mexico have always been average at World Cups and therefore, cannot be underestimated when looking at the fortunes of Uruguay. They may not be the side of yesteryears but still thrive on their footballing culture to pull them through tough games. Uruguay will have their task cut out if they are to get three points here.
South Africa are probably going to be the toughest opponents in the group. The hosts will be looking at Mexico and Uruguay as possible 3-point games, with France being the tough ones. If the Confederations Cup performance is anything to go by, then South Africa are definitely a force to reckon with. Not Dark Horses though, Uruguay will have a tough time getting past the NFL jerseys pumped-up hosts.
2010年5月2日星期日
Chelsea’s Recent Woes Offer Red Devils Hope
Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday meant they ended a four-match winless streak, effectively averting a mini-crisis.
But Wednesday’s victory over Pompey shouldn’t allow us to gloss over Chelsea failings and the fact that they could only narrowly defeat the Premier League’s bottom club must be acknowledged.
Prior to the Portsmouth win, Chelsea had drawn 3-3 with Everton, tied 2-2 with APOEL, lost 2-1 at Manchester City and lost on penalties in the Carling Cup after a 3-3 draw with Blackburn.
So the question must be, what has happened to Chelsea in the last few matches?
An obvious glaring stat there alone is the number of goals they’ve conceded recently and the side’s woes from set-pieces has been noted, with Petr Cech clearly susceptible.
Everton took full advantage of this chink in Chelsea’s armour, when they scored three times at Stamford Bridge from dead-ball situations.
To think the Blues had conceded just once at home during the league season until then reiterates the point Everton found a weakness.
Cech said after the Everton game, “We were very unlucky not to win because we played well, we controlled the game, we scored three brilliant goals and we were really unlucky to concede goals. So this is one of those days."
But Chelsea mustn’t ignore their obvious flaws considering the amount of uncertainty and panic which seemed to appear amongst their players every time their opponents had a set-piece.
Perhaps the Chelsea defence are losing confidence in Cech, who hasn’t been at his best since his horrific head injury sustained against Reading a few seasons ago.
Cech added, "I think it has been a long time since we conceded goals from set plays. Against Arsenal, and Man City, and if you count all the other games before, there were so many set plays and we dealt with all these.
“We were really unlucky (against Everton) because the first goal deflected off the post, goes back to me and it goes in. You know, this is something you can't control. This is something that can always happen.
"The second goal, we had three chances to clear it. And Didier's clearance is not an own goal, but what is the chance it hits the opponent standing a few yards in front of you and then goes over the goalkeeper and the defenders standing on the line? This is unlucky.
Beyond the set-piece blues, there is also the absence of Michael Essien in midfield which has hurt Chelsea. After scoring against APOEL, Essien picked up a hamstring injury which will see him out for some time.
In fact, Chelsea fans won’t see Essien in a blue shirt until February with the African Cup of Nations coming up. The inspirational, Ghanaian ball-winner leaves a hole which Chelsea is struggling to fill. John Obi Mikel continues to fail to convince.
Make no mistake, Essien is a superstar who Chelsea will miss and while he’s absent, Manchester United could just have a chance to push for the title.
Also the Portsmouth match showed Chelsea’s unhealthy reliance on Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba. They did, after all, require a late penalty for their winner.
But Drogba has been in stunning form this season with plenty of goals and he offers more to Chelsea with his flexibility up front. Others, such as Salomon Kalou, simply aren’t as dynamic.
And with Drogba (as well as Kalou for good measure) heading to Africa in January, Chelsea have a few headaches ahead.
Still Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti remains confident and believes the Portsmouth win was what the Blues needed.
“We did a good job, not a beautiful job,” Ancelotti stated.
"I'm happy because it was becoming a difficult game after they'd equalised. We had 15 minutes in the second half which were no good. We lost our composure. But, then, we had a very good reaction. We changed something on the pitch, put fresh players on, and had a very good reaction until the end of the game.
"We deserved to win, but that was the most important thing after four games without a victory. The first aim was always to win. The players are not suffering from nerves, no. They are not nervous. In this case, we can do better.”
And now skipper John Terry is setting goals, revealing; "We're still on target for 90 points this season and we are the only club which is. Saturday was the first time we have dropped points at home this term and I want it to be the last.''
Terry and Ancelotti’s confidence seems to not have wavered, but some just aren’t so sure. It hasn’t been a convincing period for Chelsea.
The problems which have arisen must not be glossed over and it appears no solutions really have been found for the set-piece problems or with Drogba and Essien’s absence to come.
It is a concern which must give Manchester United fans hope because over the busy Christmas period we will learn who is in pole position as the NBA Jerseys title race hots up.
But Wednesday’s victory over Pompey shouldn’t allow us to gloss over Chelsea failings and the fact that they could only narrowly defeat the Premier League’s bottom club must be acknowledged.
Prior to the Portsmouth win, Chelsea had drawn 3-3 with Everton, tied 2-2 with APOEL, lost 2-1 at Manchester City and lost on penalties in the Carling Cup after a 3-3 draw with Blackburn.
So the question must be, what has happened to Chelsea in the last few matches?
An obvious glaring stat there alone is the number of goals they’ve conceded recently and the side’s woes from set-pieces has been noted, with Petr Cech clearly susceptible.
Everton took full advantage of this chink in Chelsea’s armour, when they scored three times at Stamford Bridge from dead-ball situations.
To think the Blues had conceded just once at home during the league season until then reiterates the point Everton found a weakness.
Cech said after the Everton game, “We were very unlucky not to win because we played well, we controlled the game, we scored three brilliant goals and we were really unlucky to concede goals. So this is one of those days."
But Chelsea mustn’t ignore their obvious flaws considering the amount of uncertainty and panic which seemed to appear amongst their players every time their opponents had a set-piece.
Perhaps the Chelsea defence are losing confidence in Cech, who hasn’t been at his best since his horrific head injury sustained against Reading a few seasons ago.
Cech added, "I think it has been a long time since we conceded goals from set plays. Against Arsenal, and Man City, and if you count all the other games before, there were so many set plays and we dealt with all these.
“We were really unlucky (against Everton) because the first goal deflected off the post, goes back to me and it goes in. You know, this is something you can't control. This is something that can always happen.
"The second goal, we had three chances to clear it. And Didier's clearance is not an own goal, but what is the chance it hits the opponent standing a few yards in front of you and then goes over the goalkeeper and the defenders standing on the line? This is unlucky.
Beyond the set-piece blues, there is also the absence of Michael Essien in midfield which has hurt Chelsea. After scoring against APOEL, Essien picked up a hamstring injury which will see him out for some time.
In fact, Chelsea fans won’t see Essien in a blue shirt until February with the African Cup of Nations coming up. The inspirational, Ghanaian ball-winner leaves a hole which Chelsea is struggling to fill. John Obi Mikel continues to fail to convince.
Make no mistake, Essien is a superstar who Chelsea will miss and while he’s absent, Manchester United could just have a chance to push for the title.
Also the Portsmouth match showed Chelsea’s unhealthy reliance on Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba. They did, after all, require a late penalty for their winner.
But Drogba has been in stunning form this season with plenty of goals and he offers more to Chelsea with his flexibility up front. Others, such as Salomon Kalou, simply aren’t as dynamic.
And with Drogba (as well as Kalou for good measure) heading to Africa in January, Chelsea have a few headaches ahead.
Still Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti remains confident and believes the Portsmouth win was what the Blues needed.
“We did a good job, not a beautiful job,” Ancelotti stated.
"I'm happy because it was becoming a difficult game after they'd equalised. We had 15 minutes in the second half which were no good. We lost our composure. But, then, we had a very good reaction. We changed something on the pitch, put fresh players on, and had a very good reaction until the end of the game.
"We deserved to win, but that was the most important thing after four games without a victory. The first aim was always to win. The players are not suffering from nerves, no. They are not nervous. In this case, we can do better.”
And now skipper John Terry is setting goals, revealing; "We're still on target for 90 points this season and we are the only club which is. Saturday was the first time we have dropped points at home this term and I want it to be the last.''
Terry and Ancelotti’s confidence seems to not have wavered, but some just aren’t so sure. It hasn’t been a convincing period for Chelsea.
The problems which have arisen must not be glossed over and it appears no solutions really have been found for the set-piece problems or with Drogba and Essien’s absence to come.
It is a concern which must give Manchester United fans hope because over the busy Christmas period we will learn who is in pole position as the NBA Jerseys title race hots up.
RANDOM LEAGUE (NETHERLANDS)
Fred Rutten's PSV Eindhoven moved two points clear at the summit of the Eredivisie this weekend after a 3-0 win over NEC Nijmegen, while their closest rivals Twente could only draw 0-0 at Groningen.
Both sides are undefeated in the league this term so it is a genuine battle. PSV have won ten straight in the Eredivisie, while Twente have slipped since Christmas, drawing their last two. MLB jerseys
Elsewhere, Ajax remains a silly shot at the title with a 1-0 win over reigning champions AZ Alkmaar, who are really struggling to repeat last season's heroics.
Both sides are undefeated in the league this term so it is a genuine battle. PSV have won ten straight in the Eredivisie, while Twente have slipped since Christmas, drawing their last two. MLB jerseys
Elsewhere, Ajax remains a silly shot at the title with a 1-0 win over reigning champions AZ Alkmaar, who are really struggling to repeat last season's heroics.
2010年5月1日星期六
Consumers Help Drive U.S. Economy to 3.2% Growth Rate
The biggest contributors to consumer spending growth were purchases of durable goods like cars. In addition to consumer spending, nonresidential fixed investment also played a role in overall output growth. Businesses’ purchases of equipment and software, for example, grew at an annual rate of soccer jerseys 13.4 percent last quarter, after a 19 percent increase in the last quarter of 2009.
“This is very good news, since it indicates businesses are feeling more confident about the expansion to start spending some of their cash,” Mr. Gault said. “If businesses are spending more on equipment, usually that would go along with more hiring, too.”
Federal government spending, which includes remaining stimulus money, grew at an annualized rate of 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2010. But this was more than offset by continued cuts from state and local governments, whose spending decreased 3.8 percent. It was the third quarter in a row in which state and local spending fell.
In the meantime, companies have been enjoying their new customers.
Nate Evans, who owns a pottery-making business with his wife, Hallie, in New Albin, Iowa, said that their sales in 2009 were the worst ever but that they were just starting to see things pick up. The Evanses sell their pottery from their home workshop as well as in galleries in nearby states, and at craft shows in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.
“I felt like the energy of the crowd was better,” Mr. Evans said of their first fair this year, in Minnesota. As did other craft sellers, he said. “Most of the people we talked to said it was better than last year. Hey, it’s not great, but it’s better than last year.”
The broadest measure of the overall economy grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010, after gains of 5.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 and 2.2 percent in the third quarter.
While the expansion in output was welcome, it still has not brought the level of hiring growth needed to recover ground lost during the recession.
For the third quarter in a row, the United States economy showed strong economic growth, and increased consumer spending played a significant role, the Commerce Department reported on Friday.
“This is very good news, since it indicates businesses are feeling more confident about the expansion to start spending some of their cash,” Mr. Gault said. “If businesses are spending more on equipment, usually that would go along with more hiring, too.”
Federal government spending, which includes remaining stimulus money, grew at an annualized rate of 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2010. But this was more than offset by continued cuts from state and local governments, whose spending decreased 3.8 percent. It was the third quarter in a row in which state and local spending fell.
In the meantime, companies have been enjoying their new customers.
Nate Evans, who owns a pottery-making business with his wife, Hallie, in New Albin, Iowa, said that their sales in 2009 were the worst ever but that they were just starting to see things pick up. The Evanses sell their pottery from their home workshop as well as in galleries in nearby states, and at craft shows in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.
“I felt like the energy of the crowd was better,” Mr. Evans said of their first fair this year, in Minnesota. As did other craft sellers, he said. “Most of the people we talked to said it was better than last year. Hey, it’s not great, but it’s better than last year.”
The broadest measure of the overall economy grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010, after gains of 5.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 and 2.2 percent in the third quarter.
While the expansion in output was welcome, it still has not brought the level of hiring growth needed to recover ground lost during the recession.
For the third quarter in a row, the United States economy showed strong economic growth, and increased consumer spending played a significant role, the Commerce Department reported on Friday.
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