Coach Quenneville decided to switch up his lines after the Blackhawks were held to two goals in their last two games. Hartman and Panik were moved up to the top line with Toews and Hossa was moved to the third. The move seemed to spark the third and fourth line much more as they accounted for all of the scoring.
Things started quickly for the Blackhawks with a Nick Schmaltz goal but Nathan MacKinnon tied it shortly thereafter. Later on in the first period, Seabrook sent a blast to a well-screened goalie that found its way in.
The second saw furious action and four goals between the two teams. MacKinnon got his second to tie the game at 2 and then the Avalanche took the 3-2 lead only 1:03 later. The Blackhawks responded about :30 later with a Kero put back. Matt Duchene put the Avs up 4-3 shortly before the end of the period.
The third period saw little action for the first half of the period but then Vinnie Hinostroza was woke. He scored two goals in consecutive shifts to give the Blackhawks a 5-4 lead. His first was a breakaway that was easily the highlight of the night(see below). Kero added an empty netter to seal the Blackhawks win 6-4.
Highs: The third and fourth line scoring was ignited and took the pressure off the Kane-Anisimov-Panarin line.
Lows: Playing in a game this tight with a poor Avalanche team which only has 5 home wins.
The Bulls really wanted to avenge the ugly loss to the Dallas Mavericks back in December. When you lose 107-82 to the team with the NBA’s worst record, things tend to get ugly. That’s exactly what happened, when cranky point guard Rajon Rondo threw a towel at associate head coach Jim Boylen. That behavioral outburst earned the veteran a one game suspension, and the chatter surrounding the front office’s decision to sign him last summer picked up steam.
Fast forward to 2017, and the Bulls were slightly less pathetic this time around. Instead of a 25 point loss, Chicago lost to the Mavericks 99-98. It’s not a great sign that Fred Hoiberg needed a near-triple double from Jimmy Butler and a season-high 21 from center Robin Lopez to play level with Dallas, still one of the worst teams in the league. Butler finished with 24 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds. The 12 dimes were a career high for Jimmy, but he couldn’t be the hero again in this one.
Butler put the Bulls up 98-96 with a pull up jumper late in a back and forth 4th quarter. But Wesley Matthews answered right back with a three pointer to give Dallas the lead with 11 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Butler took the inbounds pass but lost the ball off the dribble. Dwyane Wade scooped up the loose ball and forced a tough jump shot from the left corner as time expired. It rimmed out off the back iron, and the birthday boy’s team went home with another disappointing loss. Wade, who turned 35 on Tuesday, scored 17 points.
The Bulls (21-22) fell back below .500 after winning their previous two games. Expect more of the same from this painfully mediocre squad this season.
Quick Hits
Nikola Mirotic returned after a 4 game absence because of illness. He was a total non-factor, scoring just 6 points in 22 minutes. His fellow “shooter” on the second unit Doug McDermott had another rough night, scoring 7 points on 3-10 shooting.
Rookie 2nd round pick Paul Zipser got his second consecutive start for the Bulls with Taj Gibson out resting a sore left ankle. The German forward tallied 5 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes. Hoiberg said at the team’s shootaround that Gibson’s ankle isn’t serious, and he rested the veteran as a precautionary measure. He hopes that Gibson will play on Friday.
Ames, Iowa product Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 20 points. Franchise staple Dirk Nowitzki had a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Next Up: The Bulls travel to Atlanta to battle the Hawks on Friday. Butler poured in 39 points in Chicago’s 115-107 loss to the Hawks on November 9. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM CST.
There is a long list of things that killed the Chicago Bears 2016 season. Topping the list of course is a piss poor secondary that routinely couldn’t force turnovers and gave up big plays. Then there was the carousel situation at quarterback due to injuries. To say nothing of the health problems throughout the rest of the roster.
One particular area that really sped up the spiral downward to a 3-13 finish was the disaster at tight end. Concern for the position really began when the team traded Martellus Bennett to New England in the off-season. The move was understood at the time, but there was a caution that they’d need to find a way to improve depth to compensate.
Ryan Pace certainly tried. He attempted to sign restricted free agent Josh Hill from New Orleans but was blocked. Then he tried trading up to get Arkansas standout Hunter Henry in the draft. Unfortunately he was taken by the Chargers. That meant the burden fell on veteran Zach Miller to stay healthy. Sure enough, he suffered a season-ending foot injury.
Now the Bears must find a way to bolster the position this off-season, and they may soon have a major opportunity to do so.
As I sat down to chat with St. Rita’s heralded three-time State Champion, Austin O’Connor, I was overcome with the sense that this just wasn’t any ol’ wrestler. This was someone who eats, breathes, bleeds and more than likely, sleeps on the mat. This was someone who was going to utilize his abilities to do something extremely special one day and make a lot of people proud.
O’Connor, in what can only be considered as pure coincidence, began wrestling shortly after his family took a trip to the local car dealership to purchase a new vehicle. While there, his brother was recruited by a car salesman to give wrestling a go. Austin followed closely behind and at the age of just four he began his relentless pursuit towards greatness.
The Lockport native is now on the verge of joining some extremely elite company. This season marks the 80th year in which Illinois state champions will be crowned in wrestling. Looking back, only 14 wrestlers have won four state titles, all of which occurred during the 33-year span between 1981 and 2014.
In February, Austin will look to join this prestigious list, which includes fellow Mustang Albert White (2007). As St. Rita’s John Nee reported, Austin is also three-time CCL Champion having pinned every opponent he’s faced in his first three years, which is just mind-boggling.
As I began reading off his résumé, I looked to see if there was any type of reaction coming from O’Connor, whether it be one of satisfaction, excitement or maybe even awe. What I got was a look of ‘dude, you ain’t seen nothing yet’.
Austin O’Connor
18-year-old senior
Committed to the University of North Carolina
175-4 (School record 113 pins), including 31-0 in 2016-17
3x State Champion
3x Catholic League Champion
On a night in which he, along with his fellow seniors were due to be honored for their efforts over the past four years, O’Connor was all business. I wasn’t even sure he was aware, but I had just learned that InterMat Wrestling called to inform coach Mike Boyd that Austin would be ranked #1 in the nation at 145 pounds following his most recent tournament victory at the Al Dvorak Memorial on December 23.
Al Dvorak Memorial Wrestling Tournament Champ
Austin, with coaches Alan Lick, John Murphy, Dan Manzella and Mike Boyd (left to right) became a 4X Dvorak Champion and 2X Dvorak Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament award winner back in December.
In a recent article by the Illinois Matmen, head coach Dan Manzella provided some insight as to why “OC” is unlike any other kid he’s ever coached.
“I’ve never wrestled with or been around anybody that wants to win as much as he does, ” St. Rita coach Dan Manzella said of O’Connor. “The kid’s tenacity is out of control and so is his will to win. And he’s never happier than when he’s wearing a pair of wrestling shoes.”
There is a something different about Austin, he’s not just happy with getting the W, he wants to inflict damage to his opponent during the six or so minutes he has with them on the mat. He is cerebral and methodical. He breaks their desire to engage while he dismantles them both physically and mentally.
As I spoke further with Boyd, who will replace Manzella as the head coach next season, I began to understand just why O’Connor was different than virtually any other wrestler in the country.
“Austin has the best short offense in the country. When a guy shoots, Austin punishes you then scores. Kids refuse to shoot on him now. Of all the 4X State champions, he is the most feared. Some were good on top, has explosive attacks, but none would physically beat you up until you quit, ” said Boyd.
Austin looks to drive his opponent into the mat.
So, what’s different about Austin you ask?
You would assume he was just born with it, right?
Wrong.
“He isn’t a great athlete. wasn’t born with talent. He is just the hardest working high school wrestler I have ever seen. The second I say single legs, he is shooting singles. He fights for every rep, and makes sure that he gets the last rep in every go, ” said Boyd.
Boyd, a former state champion in his own right having went 50-0 his senior season in high school, went on to say Austin isn’t a wrestler you can replace. “I don’t recruit the most talented. I look for the most relentless. The kid who shows up to a tournament and is the first one warming up. The kid who comes to the high school tournaments. The kid who knows the top five ranked in IHSA and the top five ranked in the NCAA, ” said Boyd.
“When I first got here, I thought coaching the “1%” was a cookie cutter format. I coached 15 wrestlers who received Division I scholarships, but Austin is a different breed of wrestler. He doesn’t care about the cool wrestling shoes, doesn’t care about girls coming to see him, doesn’t care about how many likes he gets on Instagram. He is a student of the game and we have a very mature relationship. I see what works for him and I realize my way isn’t the only way to be successful, ” added Boyd.
As the accolades piled up, so to did the phone calls and interest in Austin. There was Illinois and Missouri, there was Nebraska and Michigan, but ultimately it was the coaching staff, which includes local legend Tony Ramos and Coleman Scott, of North Carolina that sold O’Connor on attending Chapel Hill.
This past Saturday, his title win at Lincoln-Way East gave him his fourth Illini Classic title and the beat goes on.
ILLINI CLASSIC CHAMP
O’Connor became just the second wrestler ever to win four straight Illini Classic Titles with his tournament win on Saturday.
Are you starting to get the picture? The kid’s not only a beast, but he’s own worst critic. He’s constantly watching tape and trying to improve. Even in victory, O’Connor is never satisfied trying to plot out how he can defeat the opponent even faster if they meet again.
In early January, he won his fourth individual title at the prestigious Cheesehead Invitational, an accomplishment Austin holds in very high regard.
Increasing scoring in the NHL is a subject of debate every offseason and they decided to make some changes for this season. Instead of making nets bigger they’re decreasing the size of goalie equipment again. The rule will mandate the goaltenders will wear pants that are more fitting to their size. The problem, they waited until February 4th to enforce these new rules.
The idea is to have goalies wear equipment that fits their body type properly. Guys with skinny waists will have pants that fit closer to their waist and guys with long legs will have pants that don’t hang as low(insert jokes here).
Players have been known to go to the limit on sizes because they could. Tighter pants could reduce a goalie’s width by as much as six inches, some say, increasing open shooting areas.
Tendies would also let the laces of their pants hang off but now all the laces have been removed. Seriously, these guys took advantage of everything given to them.
So, it’s not just Corey Crawford and Scott Darling that will have gaping five-holes. It’s the whole league. Let’s just hope that this increases the Blackhawks scoring in the lead up to the playoffs.
NHL has issued memo to all clubs/goalies saying all netminders must be wearing the "new" re-designed/size appropriate pants by Feb 4.
A new report states that the Chicago Cubs are showing interest in a former first round pick. (Photo courtesy of Twitter)
The Chicago Cubs quest for a starting pitcher this offseason has been far from a secret. The team was one of the finalists to sign Tyson Ross and has shown trade interest in pitchers such as Chris Archer and Sonny Gray.
As the Cubs search for starting pitching depth, the club is reportedly interested in a former first round pick.
According to Fan Rag Sport’s Tommy Stoke, the Chicago Cubs have begun showing interest in former Red Sox, Padre and Brave Casey Kelly.
As #Cubs search for pitching depth, they're among teams to show interest in former #RedSox 1st rounder Casey Kelly.
Kelly was once considered one of the better pitching prospects in the MLB. In 2010, ESPN ranked him as the 10th best prospect in baseball. He was one of the main pieces, along with Anthony Rizzo, that the Red Sox traded to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez trade.
After being traded from the Padres to Braves, Kelly hasn’t had much luck on the free agent. This is due to his atrocious performance on the mound over his three years in the league.
Kelly has appeared in 19 games and 62 innings. He holds a career 2-8 record with a 6.39 ERA and a 40/20 K/BB ratio.
Clearly the Chicago Cubs see something in Kelly. It’s important to note that Theo Epstein was Boston’s General Manager when Kelly was drafted. Perhaps Epstein feels that Kelly could return to his former top prospect glory.
If nothing else it would be a good buy-low signing for the Cubs. Kelly would likely have to settle for a minor league contract. If he can right the ship in the minors then he could potentially get a shot in the minors. But even if he doesn’t live up to that potential, the Cubs shouldn’t have too much money invested in him.
Casey Kelly isn’t Tyson Ross, or even Jason Hammel for that matter. But Theo Epstein was the one who drafted him, and clearly he thinks Kelly has potential.
It makes sense for a team like the Cubs to take a chance on the once promising prospect. It won’t blow fans away, but there’s a chance Epstein signs his former first round pick and brings Casey Kelly to the Windy City.
Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14
This offseason, Bleacher Report has published a series of articles dedicated to ten players at each position who you should be paying attention to in Spring Training. The Chicago White Sox have seen their fair share of players make that watch list.
But Spring Training isn’t all about the young guns. In Bleacher Report’s newest list, a White Sox veteran was named as one of the more interest players to watch this Spring.
White Sox fans have been patiently waiting for answers surrounding Todd Frazier. The third baseman is reportedly on the trade block, but he hasn’t seen much interest. Frazier is currently in limbo and his status for the 2017 season is uncertain.
He would be attractive trade bait based not just on his talent, but his affordability with only one season left in between him and free agency. And while his market is dormant for now, it could liven up if teams with uncertain situations at third base decide to seek a certain solution.
Spring Training not only gives the team a chance to watch Frazier, but it gives other teams a chance to evaluate their own third base position. If that team feels that the production is not up to par, they could contact the White Sox in an effort to acquire Frazier.
One team that comes to mind is the Boston Red Sox. The team is currently poised to go into the season with Pablo Sandoval as their starting third baseman. But if he flames out over Spring Training, Frazier could be Boston’s answer.
Perhaps the Rockies look at their team on the diamond and feel that it’s playoff ready. They could look to acquire Frazier as a first baseman, flipping one of their outfielders for a pitcher.
The options could be endless for Frazier come Spring Training. While his market may not be hot now, any team in need of power could come calling. With injuries likely to occur, Frazier could be one of the most coveted position players on the market.
Fans already know what to expect in Frazier, power; and lots of it. But Spring Training will allow for other teams to evaluate their roster. And if there is a hole, Frazier could be a quick fix.
It isn’t a 100% guarantee that the White Sox third baseman is moved during Spring Training. But the potential seems quite high, and atleast to Bleacher Report, makes Todd Frazier one of the most interesting third baseman to watch this Spring.
Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14
Malik Hooker is flying up draft boards which gives him incredible potential to be selected third overall by the Chicago Bears.
If you took a poll on the street most people would argue that fixing the quarterback should be the number one priority for the Bears, and I would agree. If the four teams left competing for a 2017 Super Bowl championship aren’t enough proof, the nine combined wins for Chicago in last two seasons should be.
The default answer to that problem, for the Bears, would be to draft a quarterback with their first round pick. There’s a problem with that theory though.
In order for the Bears to maximize the value of their pick at number three, they have to minimize risk. Currently, Mitch Trubisky is the highest ranked quarterback on Mel Kiper’s Big Board at #16. Kiper isn’t always 100% accurate but there aren’t many quarterbacks previously drafted at the top that weren’t also ranked highly on his Big Board – that’s essentially why people trust his opinion.
Some of this could obviously change as prospects shift around during the NFL combine and in-depth scouting processes, but right now the quarterback position carries an exceptionally high-risk for the Bears making it less likely to be their selection in April. As much as Ryan Pace wants a franchise signal caller, he’s not dumb enough to waste the highest Bears pick since 1972 reaching for one. Especially not when trading for a veteran and re-signing Brian Hoyer remain viable options.
The Bears have so many holes to fill that missing on their first-round pick again, cough cough Kevin White, could present real problems for the city’s confidence in Pace moving forward. That is why I believe he will be likely to make one of the “safest” picks on the board and minimize his risk.
Ironically, do you know that the second biggest need for the Bears is arguably the absolute safest route to go at the top of the first round? Not one, not two, not three, but four defensive backs have the potential to go somewhere inside the top 10. How sad would it be to see multiple Pro Bowlers drafted in the defensive backfield while the Bears are reaching on the next Jared Goff? Don’t think Pace hasn’t also asked himself that question.
When you look at those defensive backs, Malik Hooker is drawing a ton of praise. Not only has he been identified by some as the best defensive back in this class, others have called him the best prospect they’ve ever seen.
SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Rajon Rondo #9, Quincy Acy #13 and Seth Curry #30 of the Sacramento Kings look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 19, 2016 at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Rajon Rondo believes he can still be an asset to an NBA team. He’s settled into a reserve role for the Chicago Bulls since losing his starting point guard job in December, and continues to be praised by coach Fred Hoiberg and his teammates for his professionalism dealing with the benching. But in a recent interview he expressed his frustration about the Bulls not following through on how they planned to use Rajon when they recruited him last summer.
When asked why he feels his role with the Bulls isn’t working out as both sides hoped, Rondo suggested it could be a personnel issue.
“It’s just, maybe, the personnel in this situation. I mean, last year – I hate to keep talking about last year – but you couldn’t name three people on my team, the Sacramento Kings, and I led the league in assists. You know? I don’t know. I believe [I still have value] given the right personnel and the flow of the game.” – Rajon Rondo
Talk about throwing your former teammates under the bus. Rondo isn’t entirely wrong in insinuating that the Kings lacked household names last season. Other than DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rondo, the average NBA fan would struggle to rattle off the names on that roster.
Seth Curry, Rondo’s former teammate in Sacramento, saw this comment and felt like a retort was necessary. The brother of Warriors superstar Steph Curry now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, but he couldn’t resist defending his old Kings teammates on Twitter. Earlier today, Seth posted a poll using the website Sporcle.com.
I love how Curry doesn’t call out Rondo in the tweet. He just posts the quiz with an emoji that looks like it’s thinking really hard. Such a subtle dig. So far, no sign of Rondo taking this quiz. But it’s making its way around the Twitterverse, and people are having a lot of fun trying to fill out the complete Kings roster from last season. I scored a 14/15, forgetting only NBA journeyman James Anderson. I am a huge NBA nerd though. The average score as of right now on the Sporcle quiz is just 53%.
Can you prove Rondo wrong by naming three players besides Rondo, Cousins and Gay? Take the quiz!
The Chicago Cubs visited the White House on Monday, becoming the last team to meet with Barack Obama during his presidency. Coaches, front office personnel and players all made the trip, however, a few of the 2016 World Series champions received criticism for not attending the event. Jon Lester was one of the Cubs who didn’t make the trip to Washington D.C. and on Tuesday he shot down the critics on Twitter.
Don’t jump to conclusions. That’s all Lester wants. Some people thought Lester, along with other players who didn’t show up, didn’t go because of political reasons. Lester explained why he didn’t go to the White House and it had nothing to do with the current President of the United States.
For those of you so quick to jump to conclusions, we had a death in the family and the funeral was yesterday. Absolutely nothing political.
Arrieta said he needs to be home — his mother-in-law is recovering from brain surgery, son Cooper is having a tooth pulled that day.
The decision, Arrieta insists, has nothing to do with politics.
John Lackey, who also went with the Red Sox after winning the World Series in 2013, was also absent on Monday at the White House. Travis Wood, Hector Rondon, Tommy La Stella and Jorge Soler, who was traded to the Kansas City Royals, also did not attend.
Fun fact, on Opening Day, the first batter Lester will face is going to be Fowler. The new center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals did go to the White House with his former teammates and it ticked off some Cardinals’ fans after he missed the team’s fan fest a few days earlier.
