Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Celebration Has Philadelphia Flavor

There's definitely some Philadelphia flavor in Los Angeles tonight. The Kings are Stanley Cup champions, and it's a bit awkward to be a Flyers fan like myself, but how fitting is it that Simon Gagne passed the Cup to Mike Richards, who passed it to Jeff Carter.

Oh, and yes, Gagne almost dropped it.

But while the Flyers storyline is a big one -- don't forget Ron Hextall, John Stevens, Dean Lombardi and Justin Williams as former Flyers as well -- it's not the real storyline. The Kings were led by a phenomenal playoff performance from Dustin Brown. They were led by an admirable Conn Smythe Trophy winner in Jonathan Quick.

They overcame more than just about any other Cup champion in history -- a coach being fired, barely squeaking in at the end of the season, beating the No. 1 seed in the West, the No. 2 seed in the West and the No. 3 seed in the West. They did it in impressive fashion and they are absolutely deserving Stanley Cup Champions.

View the original article here

Auburn Shooting: Police Surround House Looking For Suspect Desmonte Leonard

A situation is developing regarding the pursuit of the prime suspect in the shooting that took place at Auburn University and left three people dead Saturday night. Police have surrounded the location where they believe prime shooting suspect Desmonte Leonard was hiding. According to Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News, a SWAT team entered the building on Monday at approximately 10:00 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press reports that the police were led to the location via 911 calls.

Authorities received two 911 calls that someone who looked like suspect Desmonte Leonard was in or near the house, Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange told reporters. One of the calls came from the owner of the home.

The latest reports, coming via Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser, state that the suspect is believed to be hiding out in the attic of the home. Fire and Rescue team members have entered the home carrying fiberglass poles designed to rip sheet rock. It is possible that the authorities may be attempting to tear the floor of the attic out from under the suspect.

Stay tuned here for more on the Auburn incident as events continue to unfold. Check here for the live feed from local TV news WSFA.

For more on War Eagle football, visit Auburn blog Track Em Tigers, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.

View the original article here

The Los Angeles Kings: 2012 Stanley Cup Champions

Yes, Darryl Sutter smiled.

View the original article here

Honduras standing in way of Canada's World Cup soccer dream

Canada doesn’t often win in Cuba – its 1-0 victory last Friday was just the second time this nation has triumphed on the shores of the Caribbean’s most infamous island – but then Canada doesn’t often qualify for the World Cup either: just once in 55 years of trying.

More Related to this Story

• Occean’s goal leads Canada over Cuba in World Cup qualifying

• Canada, U.S. tie in soccer friendly

Still, despite getting a leg up on the opposition – a solid three points in the first game of a four-team, double round-robin World Cup qualifying phase – Canadian coach Stephen Hart is not about to connect the two events, and neither should anyone else.

“We’ve achieved nothing,” he said Monday as he prepared his troops for a home encounter Tuesday with Honduras, which beat Canada twice on the way to qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa two years ago.

While many soccer fans in Canada are in the throes of passion that can only be provided by the big international tournaments, with the European championship the flavour of the month, Hart can only look on enviously and hope some of them spill over into BMO Field in Toronto on Tuesday night.

Through its first six games, Euro 2012 attracted an average of 707,000 viewers on TSN, a marked contrast to the game in Cuba last Friday that barely scratched 50,000 on Sportsnet. And with an exhibition draw with the United States last month drawing 15,000 to BMO, Hart will be hoping for at least that to roar Canada on to a significant step toward advancing to the final round of World Cup qualifying.

It won’t be easy. After losing its opener at home to Panama last Friday, Honduras will be “a wounded animal” when it turns up at BMO Field, although two consecutive clean sheets should be of some comfort, Hart said.

Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who was called on at short notice last Friday after starter Lars Hirschfeld was sent off for handling outside the area, will be given just his seventh start for the national team, but even with a relative lack of experience compared to Hirschfeld, his teammates have no doubt he can do the job.

“Thankfully there is no difference,” captain Dwayne De Rosario said of the switch. “They’re both calibred ’keepers and you saw Milan come in and fill the void when Lars unfortunately took a questionable red and he did fantastic for us, so you need that same type of mentality and leadership from him in goal.

“We’re confident with him back there and we have a very deep goalkeepers right now and we’re very fortunate to have that and we’re not expecting the level to drop in any way.”

Veteran PSV Eindhoven midfielder Atiba Hutchinson may also get a start for Canada this time after coming off the bench in Cuba having recently recovered from a knee injury, and based on Hart’s scouting report on the Hondurans, every bit of experience could be invaluable.

“A lot of athleticism and technical ability in key positions,” he said of the opponent Tuesday.

“They have some good wide play and of course [Carlos] Costly up front is a big man and a handful, especially crosses in the air, we’re going to have to eliminate [them] as much as possible, and of course deal with him when crosses do come in.”

The reward for a win is huge, as with six points Canada would be a long way toward the 10 or so it will take to ensure moving on, and with a summer break to follow for European-based players, getting it at home would be the perfect sendoff.

View the original article here

Peliculas Online

Hodgson backs England to improve

Coach Roy Hodgson felt England's 1-1 draw against group favourites France was a "good platform" on which to build at Euro 2012.

Both sides enjoyed periods of dominance in energy-sapping heat in Donetsk, with England taking the lead through Joleon Lescott before Samir Nasri equalised.

"This gives us a good platform," Hodgson said after the Group D opener.

"Hopefully we'll get fitter. The more we train and get matches under our belts the fitter we'll become."

He continued: "I have to be proud of their display. No player let us down. I was confident the players would not let us down."

Euro 2012: England players happy with France draw

Hodgson, who took charge of just his third England match and first competitive fixture, said he was pleased at how his side coped against a side unbeaten in two years.

"France are one of the favourites in the group," added the 64-year-old former West Brom manager.

"They'd gone 21 games unbeaten before today and people were tipping them to be potential winners of the tournament.

"We can't deny on paper they might be the hardest game, but I've got a lot of respect for Sweden and Ukraine.

"I've got to be very proud of that performance. Maybe that final ball needs to improve and we were maybe a bit anxious in the final third.

"But there were good signs of a team wanting to do well."

Hodgson also paid tribute to 18-year-old Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was the surprise selection in the starting XI.

"He did quite well, he was dangerous," added the England coach.

"He has to be happy with his performance, but it was a great team performance. Everyone did their best to keep us in the game.

"Two or three times he skipped past players.

"I said to him before the game that it's a big occasion, but there will be several more big occasions so don't get too hung up about this. Do what you do. There will be lots more games for him in an England shirt."

England face Sweden on Friday, before concluding their group campaign against co-hosts Ukraine next Tuesday.

Highlights: France 1-1 England

View the original article here

Peliculas Online

England were like Chelsea - Evra

By Phil McNulty Chief football writer, BBC Sport

Patrice Evra admitted his France side had been left frustrated by England's tactics during the 1-1 draw in the opening Euro 2012 Group D game.

The Manchester United full-back claimed it was like watching Chelsea's Champions League semi-final rearguard action against Barcelona.

Evra said: "I think we played much better than England, but in the end it was a draw and we are a bit frustrated.

"They played in the way that Chelsea played against Barcelona."

Draw didn't flatter England - Hodgson

Joleon Lescott gave England the lead but Manchester City team-mate Samir Nasri equalised to ensure both teams take a point into their second games in Group D.

"At times it was like there were 15 bodies on the pitch," continued the 31-year-old.

"People laugh and maybe they want England to play more football, but if they win the tournament playing like that, they will be happy."

France coach Laurent Blanc said his side will have to start better in their remaining group games.

"England were excellent for the first 20 minutes," he said. "We took a while to get into the game and, as ever, we were punished.

"Perhaps it was inexperience but we didn't start the game as we'd hoped to. Had we not reacted we could have lost this game.

"I hope that doesn't happen again. In the next game, we have to get into it right from the outset."

Continue reading the main story

“It's a personal thing, I don't want to get involved.”

Blanc on Nasri's goal celebration

Nasri, who was awarded the man-of-the-match award, was delighted to have beaten his Manchester City team-mate Joe Hart with a 20-yard equaliser six minutes before the break.

"When Franck Ribery gave me the ball, the England defence was sitting back," said Nasri.

"I decided to take a shot but Joe Hart knows me from Manchester City and knows that in that situation, I normally open my foot. This time I closed it a little bit so I am happy with how it worked out."

Nasri celebrated scoring by putting his finger to his lips, with press and Twitter speculating about who the gesture was aimed at.

"It's between him and his critics," said Blanc. "It's a personal thing, I don't want to get involved. He was happy to have scored a goal. You'll have to ask him to whom it was addressed."

View the original article here

Peliculas Online

Ukraine can qualify - Shevchenko

Ukraine's two-goal hero Andriy Shevchenko believes his side's 2-1 victory over Sweden has given them a good chance of qualifying from Group D.

The 35-year-old took his international goal tally to 48 from 108 caps in Kiev on Monday as the co-hosts won to top a group which also includes England.

Ukraine next play France, who drew 1-1 with England, before facing Roy Hodgson's men on Tuesday, 19 June.

"We showed character and now have good chances to qualify," said Shevchenko.

The 35-year-old former AC Milan and Chelsea striker, who is in his second spell with Dynamo Kiev in his native country, rolled back the years with two headed goals in the space of six second-half minutes to lead his side to victory after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden the lead in Kiev's Olympic Stadium.

"I feel great. I feel 20 years old, not 35. it was an historic game for us, and it's a victory," said Shevchenko, who will retire from international football after Euro 2012.

"It's such an important competition. Thank you to everybody who supported me. It was a very long walk because I had a lot of problems before the European Championship."

There was doubts as to whether Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin would select Shevchenko, who was European Footballer of the Year in 2004 but is not the force he once was, as age and a string of injuries have caught up with him.

However, Blokhin's was rewarded for his decision to select the striker, who was given a standing ovation by the vociferous crowd inside the Olympic Stadium when he was substituted 10 minutes from full-time.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren felt his side should have done more to impose their authority on the game. He also believed his side were wasteful in the latter stages as they went in search of an equaliser.

"We knew how they would play and it was our performance which was not up to scratch. You need 11 players right on their game and we only had five or six in the first half," said 54-year-old.

"We knew the crosses would come in - and we were up against a super player. Technically and tactically we didn't cut it. We should have scored with the good chances we had at the end."

Sweden goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who also saw a header hit the post in the first-half, said: "We have three games to play here, it's not just one game.

"There's still two games left and we still have the two games to get a result. We need to play a better game than we did today."

View the original article here

Peliculas Online