It's Tuesday

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is May 10th, the 130th day of 2011. There are 235 days left in the year.

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Canucks advance to conference finals with win.

Wings believe they'll find way back to San Jose.

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Today's Birthdays: Sports broadcaster Pat Summerall is 81; sportscaster Chris Berman (ESPN) is 56; singer Bono of U2 is 51; astronaut/attempted kidnapper Lisa Nowak is 48; model Linda Evangelista is 46; race car driver/dancer Hélio Castroneves (Dancing with the Stars season 5 winner) is 36.

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USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – First Round

Eastern Conference

Indiana Ice (#3) vs. Waterloo Black Hawks (#6)

Indiana wins series 2-0.

Team USA (#4) vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (#5)

Muskegon wins series 2-0.

Western Conference

Sioux Falls Stampede (#3) vs. Sioux City Musketeers (#6)

Sioux Falls wins series 2-1.

Fargo Force (#4) vs. Lincoln Stars (#5)

Fargo wins series 2-0.

USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – Second Round

Eastern Conference

Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (#1) vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (#5)
Cedar Rapids wins series 3-1.

Green Bay Gamblers (#2) vs. Indiana Ice (#3)
Green Bay wins series 3-0.

Western Conference

Dubuque Fighting Saints (#1) vs. Fargo Force (#4)
Dubuque wins series 3-0.

Omaha Lancers (#2) vs. Sioux Falls Stampede (#3)
Sioux Falls wins series 3-0.

USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference Final
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (#1) vs. Green Bay Gamblers (#2)
Game 1: Friday, April 29th – Green Bay 3 @ Cedar Rapids 2
Game 2: Saturday, April 30th – Green Bay 1 @ Cedar Rapids 2
Game 3: Friday, May 6th – Cedar Rapids 1 @ Green Bay 4
Game 4: Sunday, May 8th – Cedar Rapids 1 @ Green Bay 3
Green Bay wins series 3-1.

USHL Clark Cup Playoffs – Western Conference Final
Dubuque Fighting Saints (#1) vs. Sioux Falls Stampede (#3)
Game 1: Friday, April 29th– Sioux Falls 2 @ Dubuque 5
Game 2: Saturday, April 30th – Sioux Falls 1 @ Dubuque 2
Game 3: Friday, May 6th – Dubuque 2 @ Sioux Falls 3
Game 4: Sunday, May 8th – Dubuque 3 @ Sioux Falls 2
Dubuque wins series 3-1.

USHL Clark Cup Final
Green Bay Gamblers vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints
Game 1: Friday, May 13th, 7:05 PM – Dubuque @ Green Bay
Game 2: Saturday, May 14th, 7:05 PM – Dubuque @ Green Bay
Game 3: Friday, May 20th, 7:00 PM – Green Bay @ Dubuque
Game 4: Saturday, May 21st, 7:00 PM – Green Bay @ Dubuque**
Game 5: Tuesday, May 24th, 7:05 PM – Dubuque @ Green Bay**
** if necessary
(all times reflect local start time)

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ON DVD TODAY _ No Strings Attached (Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher); Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (released on May 13); Alien [Blu-ray] (1979); Aliens [Blu-ray] (1986); Home Improvement: 20th Anniversary Complete Collection; Webster: Season Two. DVD.


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U.S. Men's National Team Falls to Switzerland, 5-3,
in Qualification Round of 2011 IIHF World Men's Championship

Despite Loss, Team USA Advances to Quarterfinal Round; Will Face Czech Republic

KOSICE, Slovakia – James van Riemsdyk (Middletown, N.J./Philadelphia Flyers/University of New Hampshire) scored in the final two minutes of regulation to bring the U.S. within one and then nearly tied the game in the waning seconds, but the U.S. Men's National team fell to Switzerland, 5-3, here today in its final qualification-round game at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Championship. Eight different players notched a point for Team USA, which will next face the Czech Republic in the quarterfinal round on either Wednesday (May 11) or Thursday (May 12) in Bratislava, Slovakia.

"I really liked the way we played the first 10 minutes of the hockey game," said Scott Gordon, head coach of Team USA. "Unfortunately, we didn't sustain it. We haven't played our best game of the tournament yet. The Czechs will be a difficult opponent, but we'll be ready to play."

Craig Smith (Madison, Wis./University of Wisconsin) opened the scoring for Team USA at 11:01 of the opening period. After a faceoff win in the offensive zone, Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y./St. Louis Blues/Boston University) slid the puck over to Clay Wilson (Sturgeon Lake, Minn./Florida Panthers/Michigan Tech University) at the left point. Wilson then connected with Smith driving toward the net, who sent the puck past Tobias Stephan on the right side.

Switzerland answered just 34 seconds later when Kevin Lotscher's wrist shot beat Ty Conklin (Anchorage, Alaska/St. Louis Blues/University of New Hampshire) on the short side. Less than three minutes later, Raphael Diaz gave the Swiss the lead for good with a shot that trickled past the goal line, despite Conklin getting a piece of the puck with his left skate. Mike Brown (Northbrook, Ill./Toronto Maple Leafs/University of Michigan) nearly cleared the puck before it crossed the goal line, but video review confirmed the puck fully crossed the goal line.

After Switzerland grabbed a two-goal lead off a rebound 1:06 into the second period, Team USA responded just over five minutes later. Andy Miele (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Phoenix Coyotes/Miami University) sent a nifty area pass from center ice to a streaking Ryan Shannon (Darien, Conn./Ottawa Senators/Boston College), who drove to the net, halted in front and poked the puck through Stephan.

The Swiss gained a 4-2 lead with nine minutes remaining in the middle frame, when a turnover in the U.S. zone led to a one-timer that beat Conklin under the crossbar on the short side. Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill./New York Islanders/University of Michigan) replaced Conlkin in net after the goal.

With 1:43 left in regulation and Montoya pulled for an extra attacker, Team USA closed to within a goal. van Riemsdyk, who was added to the roster on Saturday (May 7) and playing in his first game of the tournament, drove to the net immediately after heading to the ice as the extra attacker. Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich./Anaheim Ducks) stickhandled around Swiss defenders and threaded a pass from the right faceoff circle to van Riemsdyk who beat Stephan.

The Swiss scored an empty-net goal with :17 remaining to seal the victory.

Conklin and Montoya combined for 24 saves in the loss for Team USA, while Stephan stopped 31 shots for Switzerland in the win.

NOTES: Ryan Shannon was named the U.S. Player of the Game ... The U.S. will learn the date and time of its quarterfinal game after all games in the tournament are concluded today. All remaining games will be played in Bratislava, including two quarterfinal games on Wednesday (May 11) and two on Thursday (May 12) ... Philadelphia Flyers' forward James van Riemsdyk was added to the U.S. roster on Saturday (May 7) and skated in today's game. The updated 2011 U.S. Men's National Team roster can be found here ... Team USA's media guide can be downloaded here ... U.S. scoring updates throughout the tournament are be available on Twitter by following #2011WMC. For Team USA coverage from Slovakia throughout the IIHF World Men's Championship, including game blogs and postgame video, visit the U.S. Men's National Team blog ... The U.S. Men's National Team's fourth-place finish at the 2009 IIHF World Men's Championship was Team USA's best finish at the tournament since capturing the bronze medal in 2004 ... The 2011 U.S. Men’s National Team is under the direction of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, including NHL general managers Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Dale Tallon (Florida); Atlanta Thrashers president Don Waddell; and Jim Johannson, USA Hockey's assistant executive director for hockey operations. Paul Fenton, assistant general manager of the Nashville Predators and general manager of the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals, is serving as associate general manager of the 2011 U.S. Men's National Team ... Scott Gordon is head coach for the second consecutive year after leading the 2010 U.S. Men's National Team, while Greg Cronin, Phil Housley and Barry Smith are serving as assistants ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams ... Versus will provide television coverage of the first six U.S. games at the 2011 IIHF World Men's Championship, in addition to the semifinal round and gold-medal game. For more information, visit USAHockey.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

SUI 2- 2- 1- 5
USA 1- 1- 1- 3

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Smith (Wilson), 11:01; 2, SUI, Lotscher (Trachsler, Moser), 11:35; 3, SUI, Diaz (Pluss, Ruthemann), 14:10. Penalties: USA, Johnson (cross-checking), 14:41.

Second Period - Scoring: 4, SUI, Ruthemann (Bieber, Pluss), 1:06; 5, USA, Shannon (Miele), 6:09; 6, SUI, Lotscher (unassisted), 11:00. Penalties: SUI, Seger (slashing), 16:28; USA, Skille (high-sticking), 19:50.

Third Period - Scoring: 7, USA, van Riemsdyk (Fowler, Stepan), 18:17; 8, SUI, Gardner (Pluss, Trachsler), 19:43 (en). Penalties: SUI, Pluss (hooking), 7:17; SUI, Bieber (holding), 14:54.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
SUI 10 10 9 29
USA 9 11 14 34

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
SUI, Stephan, 60:00 9-8 11-10 14-13 34-31
USA, Conklin, 31:00 10-8 6-4 -- 16-12
USA, Montoya, 27:59 -- 4-4 9-8 13-12

Power Play: SUI 0-2; USA 0-3
Penalties: SUI 3-6; USA 2-4

Referees: Jyri Petteri Ronn, Vladimir Sindler
Linesmen: Milan Novak, Sirko Schulz
Attendance: 4,939

Team USA 2011 IIHF World Men's Championship Schedule
April 29 - May 15 • Kosice & Bratislava, Slovakia

Date Opponent Location
Time (Local/EDT)/
Results

Wed., April 27 Austria* Innsbruck W, 3-2
Sat., April 30 Austria^ Kosice W, 5-1
Mon., May 2 Norway^ Kosice W, 4-2
Wed., May 4 Sweden^ Kosice L, 2-6
Fri., May 6 Canada# Kosice L, 3-4 (OT/GWS)
Sat., May 7 France# Kosice W, 3-2
Mon., May 9 Switzerland# Kosice L, 3-5
Wed., May 11-Thurs., May 12 Czech Republic (Quarterfinals) Bratislava TBD
Fri., May 13 Semifinals Bratislava TBD
Sun., May 15 Bronze-Medal Game Bratislava 4:00 p.m./10:00 a.m.
Gold-Medal Game Bratislava 8:30 p.m./2:30 p.m.

Arenas: Orange Arena (Bratislava); Steel Arena (Kosice)
*Pre-tournament game at Tiroler Wasserkraft Arena in Innsbruck, Austria
^Preliminary Round
#Qualification Round

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Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands on this date in 1503.

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Campbell: Esks wheel and deal on draft day.

Legendary pedigree: Esks sign QB Mueller.

2011 CFL Schedule is here.

Donate to the Tony Proudfoot Fund.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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Hi everybody!

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Today is Clean Up Your Room Day.

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CLEVELAND --  The Rays are back in action tonight at 7:05pm EDT against the Cleveland Indians. Andy Sonnastine gets the start against Josh Tomlin.

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Coca-Cola is 125 years old. (And, sadly, it's dating a 23-year-old orange soda.)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants are back in action tonight against the Arizona Diamonbacks. Tim Lincecum pitches against Ian Kennedy beginning at 10:15pm EDT.

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Today in Elvis History:

1958 - Elvis Presley's song "Doncha' Think It's Time" hit #21 in the U.S. The song was the b-side of "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck."

2005 - "Live from Las Vegas" was released on CD. The compilation, mostly of cover songs, contained 15 live performances.

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Republican Newt Gingrich will announce plans on Wednesday to run for president in 2012.

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Today in Beatles History:

1963 - Decca signed the Rolling Stones on the advice of George Harrison.

1973 - The TV special "James Paul McCartney" aired.

1975 - Apple Records was dissolved.

1991 - Paul McCartney played at London's Mean Fiddler. It was the smallest concert venue since the final appearance of the Beatles at the Cavern Club on August 3, 1963.

1997 - Paul McCartney's single "Young Boy" hit #19 in the U.K.

2003 - In Rome, Paul McCartney performed a show for a few hundred people inside the Colosseum.

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People have twice as many friends online as they do in real life, says new research. The study found that that typical users of social networking sites have 121 friends online versus 55 physical pals.

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Today in Sports History:

1913 - The New York Yankees committed 8 errors against the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees won the game 10-9 in 10 innings.

1946 - The Boston Red Sox won their 15th straight game.

1967 - Hank Aaron hit an inside the park homerun.

1969 - The National and American Football Leagues announced their plans to merge for the 1970-71 season.

1979 - John McMullen became the CEO of the Houston Astros.

1997 - The Chicago Cubs got the 68th triple play in major league baseball history.

2001 - Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) had his spleen removed in an emergency operation. The operation took place just hours after the Avalanche eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.

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A woman in Breckenridge, Colorado, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after she was unable to successfully roll down her window or open her car doors.

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Coming Up: 

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 10:15pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians 12:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 3:45pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs 2:20pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- 5-Hour Energy 200 at Dover 2:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles 4:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover - 1:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs 2:20pm EDT

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That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to tell your friends about this blog. See you tomorrow.