Panthers ruin Muller’s debut with ‘Canes (AP)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)—The breaks are going Florida’s way, and that’s why the Panthers are in first place. Those things aren’t happening for Carolina, and that’s why the Hurricanes changed coaches. Kirk Muller’s debut behind Carolina’s bench ended in defeat Tuesday night when the Panthers beat the Hurricanes 3-1 on a goal by Shawn Matthias(notes) with 3:19 left. Matthias added an empty-netter in the final minute and Tomas Fleischmann(notes) also scored for the Southeast Division-leading Panthers. Jose Theodore(notes) made 26 saves. “If I’m (a) player with a new coach, I’m going to come out with a ton of jump, and they did,” Florida coach Kevin Dineen said. “That one was not our finest effort. It wasn’t our worst effort. It was one of those games where you find a way and we found a way tonight.” Florida went more than 20 minutes between shots before scoring late to snap a two-game losing streak and earn points for the fifth time in six games. It moved five points ahead of Washington, which lost 2-1 to St. Louis. Jeff Skinner(notes) scored and Cam Ward(notes) stopped 18 shots—and stuffed Jack Skille’s(notes) penalty shot midway through the third period—for last-place Carolina, which lost its fourth straight. Still, Muller’s postgame message was positive. “I said to them, `You guys did your part. You came, played hard.”’ Muller said. “It’s been probably the way some of the games have been for them this year, and you want to give them hope. I just told them, `It wasn’t tonight, but if the negative energy and when you go through these things, it can drain you so much.’ “I said, `You know what, as an athlete, if you give it all you got, you have to feel good—especially in these times now.”’ Matthias’ winner came after Carolina defenseman Tomas Kaberle(notes) attempted to send the puck around the boards and out of the zone. Matthias held it in, then skated near the right post, took a pass from Tomas Kopecky(notes) and stuffed the puck past Ward. “He banked it in on me,” Ward said. The matchup between coaches and teams was appropriate, with Muller making his debut against one of his former clubs in Florida and one of his playing contemporaries in Dineen, the Panthers’ first-year coach and a former Whalers and Hurricanes captain who holds the club record with 1,439 penalty minutes. Without question, the overriding subplot of this game was Muller, who took over a day earlier after Paul Maurice was dismissed by Carolina for the second time in a decade. Under Maurice’s watch, the Hurricanes appeared headed for a third straight finish outside the playoff field after starting 8-13-4 and dropping to 14th place in the Eastern Conference. They entered having lost 10 of 13. “The effort was there. We competed,” captain Eric Staal(notes) said. In discussing Maurice’s firing, general manager Jim Rutherford expressed concern that the team had not jelled. Owner Peter Karmanos Jr. said following the morning skate Tuesday that “the thing that we seem to be lacking most, lately, is confidence.” The 45-year-old Muller was brought aboard to change that. The six-time All-Star had five 30-goal seasons and seven 70-point years during his nearly two-decade playing career which included the Montreal Canadiens’ last Stanley Cup in 1993. On his first night behind the Carolina bench, a sign behind the glass proclaimed him “Captain Kirk;” he wore the “C” for multiple teams when he played. Instead of blowing up the depth chart or overhauling the Xs and Os—and acknowledging that would be nearly impossible since he’d been on the job for only about 24 hours—he made subtle tweaks and wanted the Hurricanes to relax, skate with confidence and be accountable to one another. “We just asked them this morning to bring a good, competitive part of your game here tonight,” Muller said. “We added a couple things, a little change in the system to be a little more aggressive and up-ice, so you don’t have any time to really practice it. I thought they really did their part.” Of course, some things will take plenty of time to fix—like the power play, one of the worst in the NHL. Carolina, which scores only 12 percent of the time with the man advantage, was 0 of 5 in this one. “We’ve got to work on it,” Muller said. “The tough thing tonight was, 5-on-5, we were going so well but the power play didn’t create any momentum for us.” Fleischmann put the Panthers up 1-0 midway through the second and 13 seconds into a boarding minor on Patrick Dwyer when he rocketed a shot from behind the circle that beat Ward high and rang the crossbar on its way into the net. Skinner tied it 64 seconds later when he beat Theodore from point-blank range. Skille was awarded his second career penalty shot with 12:09 left in the third after Joni Pitkanen(notes) dragged him down from behind, but his free shot went directly into Ward. “We were frustrated,” Matthias said. “We just kept working hard and staying with it.” NOTES: The Hurricanes claimed RW Andreas Nodl(notes) on waivers from Philadelphia and reassigned Brett Sutter(notes) to their AHL affiliate in Charlotte. Nodl skated on Carolina’s fourth line with Anthony Stewart(notes) and Tim Brent(notes). … The Panthers matched a season low with two shots on goal in the first period. That also marked the fewest shots allowed in a period this season by Carolina. … The Panthers recalled C Mark Cullen(notes) from their AHL team in San Antonio.
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F1 boss not optimistic about US race in 2012 (PA SportsTicker)
By TALES AZZONI Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP)—Formula One’s boss isn’t optimistic about the U.S. Grand Prix taking place next year and has set a Wednesday deadline for American organizers to guarantee its long-term financial backing. Organizers for the proposed race in Austin, Texas, say they have agreed to pay the sanctioning fee to secure a spot on next year’s race calendar, but that’s not enough for F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. “They might pay something now, but it’s the future we are looking for. We are not looking for (a) short term (solution),” he said Friday ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. “They haven’t gotten enough security. We are looking for security in the long term.” Ecclestone said he has yet to receive any money and that organizers don’t have to sign the contract if they’re unhappy with the terms. Bobby Epstein, founding partner of Circuit of The Americas, said in a statement Thursday that the new contract they received two weeks ago “contained unrealistic and unfeasible demands.” He said the fee is ready to be paid but wouldn’t be sent until they receive a signed contract from F1 with the changes made by organizers. The statement also said that Circuit of The Americas offered to establish an advance payment schedule for F1 races in the United States beyond 2012, thus providing the long-term financial guarantees asked for by Ecclestone. The F1 boss said the race in Austin would be canceled if no deal was reached by next Wednesday. Two weeks ago at the Abu Dhabi GP, he said the deadline was Sunday. The race in Texas would be in November and mark the return of F1 to the U.S. after a five-year absence. Indianapolis was the last host in 2007. Previously, Phoenix was host from 1989-91, while Watkins Glen in upstate New York staged the race from 1961-80. Ecclestone also said the 2012 Bahrain GP would remain on the schedule despite the recent increase in violent clashes in the country. “No problem with that,” Ecclestone said. “We should’ve been there this year.” The 2011 race in Bahrain was supposed to be the season opener in March but was called off amid violent anti-government protests. Motor sport’s governing body wanted to try to reschedule the race there later this year but that proved impossible. Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoni
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Undermanned Eagles top Giants on late TD (AP)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—The Philadelphia Eagles finally got it right in the fourth quarter, and it’s no surprise they did it against the New York Giants. Subbing for the injured Michael Vick(notes), Vince Young(notes) threw a go-ahead 8-yard touchdown pass to Riley Cooper(notes) with 2:45 to play and the undermanned Eagles posted a 17-10 victory over the Giants in what was a must-win game for Andy Reid’s struggling team Sunday night. The Eagles (4-6) had lost five games in the fourth quarter this season but found the solution this time with an 80-yard, 18-play march over 8:51 that sent the Giants (6-4) to their second straight loss. Philadelphia converted six third-down plays with DeSean Jackson(notes) setting up the first-and-goal with a 10-yard catch to the 10, and Young capping it with his second touchdown pass of the game to a wide-open Cooper, who came in without a catch this season. Jackson, who was benched for last week’s game for missing a team meeting, finished with six catches for 88 yards. Cooper had five receptions for 75 yards. The Eagles, of course, made Reid sweat out the final minutes. Eli Manning(notes), who tied it with a 24-yard TD pass to Victor Cruz(notes) earlier in the quarter, drove the Giants from their own 10 to the Eagles 21 with the final 47 yards coming on a catch-and-run by Cruz with 1:25 to play. However, Manning stepped out of the pocket on the next play and was hit from behind by Jason Babin(notes) and fumbled. Derek Landi recovered at the 26, sending the Giants to their second straight excruciating loss to the Eagles and second consecutive tough loss overall. It dropped New York into a tie for first place with Dallas in the NFC East with six games to play and left the Eagles two games behind. The Cowboys beat the Redskins in overtime after Washington missed a game-winning field-goal attempt. It also marked the second straight year the Eagles rallied late to beat New York at the Meadowlands with last year’s 38-31 decision coming in a game that Philadelphia rallied from 21 points down late. Young was 23 of 36 for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and LeSean McCoy(notes) had 113 yards rushing—with 60 coming on a game-sealing scamper in the closing moments. While Young made several big plays to spark the Eagles’ offense, he also threw three interceptions, the most costly being one that Aaron Ross(notes) picked off in the end zone on a second and 9 from the New York 16 with Philadelphia ahead 10-3 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. New York eventually tied it early in the fourth quarter on a 24-yard TD pass from Manning to Cruz. It was set up two plays earlier when Manning rolled out of the pocket and found Hakeem Nicks(notes) for a 47-yard gain on third down to the Eagles 24. Manning was 18 of 35 for 264 yards, and Cruz had six catches for 128 yards. The Giants’ running game failed to get going, rushing for just 29 yards. The first half was typical of an Eagles-Giants meeting: chippy, intense, hard-fought and, not surprisingly, ugly. If there was a surprise, it was that the defenses dominated. The norm was Jackson taunting the Giants in more ways than one, including one that cost the Eagles a 50-yard pass completion. Jackson set up both of the Eagles’ scores in the first half. He caught a 32-yard pass early in the second quarter to set up a 33-yard field goal by Alex Henery(notes) and then brought back excruciating memories from last season with a 51-yard punt return that was a carbon copy of his winning 65-yard punt return on the final play of the Eagles’ 38-31 Meadowlands Miracle, a game Philadelphia rallied from a 21-point deficit in the final seven-plus minutes. What made the return so eerie was that Jackson fielded Steve Weatherford’s(notes) punt at his own 35, circled right and then ran down the sideline in front of the Giants’ bench—the same thing he did last season. The only difference was Weatherford pushed him out of bounds at the 14; Matt Dodge(notes) was the Giants’ punter last season. It didn’t matter. One play later, Young found former Giants receiver Steve Smith cutting under the zone and he easily outran linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka(notes) into the end zone with 1:22 left in the half. It was enough time for Manning to get the Giants on the board. A 21-yard pass to Cruz on the first play got the ball the 41 and a late 10-catch by running back D.J. Ware(notes) on a play in which he suffered a concussion set up Lawrence Tynes’(notes) 48-yard field goal.
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The absurdly premature 2011 playoff picture: Week 11
• We’re going to wait until the end to discuss the Cowboys, because I find their inclusion here to be a tremendous source of personal shame. • Related to that, though, the Detroit Lions have fallen out of the A3P for the first time since Week 1. The decision came down to three teams for the two NFC wild-card spots: the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. Somebody had to go, and Chicago’s won its last four, Dallas won three of its last four, and Detroit has lost three of its last four. The nature of the Lions’ last loss was a factor, too — they really didn’t even compete against the Bears. They should get well against Carolina this weekend, and then it’s Green Bay and @New Orleans. • I moved the New Orleans Saints ahead of the New York Giants in the NFC seeding, due mostly to New York’s brutal remaining schedule, which includes New Orleans, the Green Bay Packers, the New York Jets and Dallas twice. Fortunately, they’ll get to settle this issue on the field in a couple of weeks on Monday night. • The Houston Texans are likely to be a controversial No. 1 seed in the AFC, but I don’t think yanking the top spot away is warranted just yet. Don’t they at least deserve a chance to see if Matt Leinart(notes) has a career resurgence in him? And how amazing would it be if he did? He’s been laying low for a while — I don’t think I’ve heard one word about him since he signed with the Texans. Maybe he’s been spending all that time devouring the playbook and studying like Whitley Gilbert from “A Different World.” For a top ten overall draft pick that washed out into a backup, opportunities don’t get much better than this. I’m rooting for Leinart to crush it. • The Baltimore Ravens are all the way out after losing to Seattle, with the AFC’s wild-card spots going to the Jets and Cincinnati Bengals. I had room for just one inconsistent, up-and-down, effort-comes-and-goes team this week, and it went to Dallas. Sorry. Opportunity awaits with a game against the Bengals this weekend, though. • Why the Jets? I’m not sure I have a great explanation for that, actually, other than the fact that I didn’t want to give the spot to Baltimore, I’m not buying the Tennessee Titans and there’s no way the AFC West is getting two teams. • Speaking of the AFC West, the Oakland Raiders are back in, because how could they be denied after the San Diego Chargers made it so clear on Thursday night that they wanted the Raiders to win the division? They’ve got a one-game lead and play the Vikings this week, while the Chargers have the Bears, the Broncos have the Jets and the Chiefs have the Patriots. Time for making hay. • Back to Dallas. Sigh. I look at the roster and how they’ve played the last couple of weeks, and I’m fine with the call. Dez Bryant(notes) continues his emergence toward being one of the best in the game, Laurent Robinson(notes) has made an impact, DeMarco Murray(notes) is a beast and for some reason, I believe in Tony Romo(notes). But they’ve suckered me so many times before. Every time I break down and give them a spot, they turn around and get pasted by whatever group of scrubs appears on their schedule next. I am probably doing a tremendous favor to the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins or Arizona Cardinals — the next three teams on Dallas’ schedule. Related: Laurent Robinson, Matt Leinart, Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Dez Bryant, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, Absurdly Premature Playoff Picture
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Nobody wants to play for Tom Coughlin
The Sporting News surveyed 111 players around the NFL and asked them a series of questions at the NFL’s midpoint of the season. One of those questions was, “Which coach would you least like to play for?” Not surprisingly, the most popular answers were the mean guys. Here are your top-three vote-getters: Tom Coughlin, New York Giants – 22Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins – 21Bill Belichick, New England Patriots – 15 Pete Carroll, Todd Haley, Jim Harbaugh, Rex Ryan and Jim Schwartz were next on the list, but none of them had more than six votes. Coughlin, Sparano and Belichick are clearly the meanest teachers in the school. My guess would’ve been that Sparano topped the list. Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick may be unbending hard-asses who will abuse you emotionally every day of your life, but they at least offer the benefit of winning. In 16 years in the NFL, Tom Coughlin is 139-109 (68-60 with the Jaguars, 71-49 with the Giants) and has a Super Bowl ring. Belichick is 167-97 (36-44 with Cleveland, and 131-53 with the Patriots) and has three rings. Sparano is 26-30 and has had exactly one season above .500. It seems like it should be easier to put up with a screaming coach if you’re at least winning. Related: Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Giants
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