It's Thursday

It's Thursday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 5th, the 5th day of 2012. There are 361 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Rangers' coach Tortorella fined for comments.

Still in awe over Winter Classic.

Visit the official league website, http://www.nhl.com.

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Today is the start of Elvis's Birthday Celebration Week and Women's Self Empowerment Week.

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Kanata, ON. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning look to rebound from Tuesday's loss at Toronto, when they play at the Ottawa Senators tonight.

Read the preview right here.

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Bean Day (Linky Link) and Bird Day (Linky Link) are today.

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U.S. National Junior Team Downs Switzerland, 2-1,
in its Final Game of the IIHF World Junior Championship

Team USA Wins Final Two Games of Tournament

CALGARY, Alta. -- Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich./Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) made 21 saves, including 16 in the final two periods, to help the U.S. National Junior Team defeat Switzerland, 2-1, this afternoon at the Scotiabank Saddledome in its final game of the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.

With the win, Team USA finished the tournament in seventh place with a 3-0-0-3 (W-OTW-OTL-L) overall record.

"You always want to win your last game of any tournament and we did just that," said Dean Blais, head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team. "I'm proud of our guys for giving their all to the end."

The game's only goals were scored in the final 8:30 of the opening period. Team USA's Austin Czarnik (Washington, Mich./Miami Univ.) opened the scoring at 11:28 when he won a faceoff in the offensive zone, drove to the net and jammed his own rebound past Swiss goalie Tim Wolf. The Swiss tied the game just more than three minutes later, before Kevin Gravel (Kingsford, Mich./St. Cloud State Univ.) collected a pass from Adam Clendening (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Boston Univ.) and fired a slap shot past Wolf's glove at 16:15 that proved to be the game-winning goal.

Campbell earned the 10th win of his IIHF World Junior Championship career (2010-12), which set a U.S. record.

NOTES: Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich./Univ. of Michigan) was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Team USA finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while Switzerland was 0-for-3 with the man advantage ... Bill Arnold (Needham, Mass./Boston College), Austin Czarnik and Jarred Tinordi (Millersville, Md./London Knights) were named Team USA's Best Three Players of the tournament ... Austin Watson (Ann Arbor, Mich./Peterborough Petes) led Team USA with nine points (3-6), while Nick Bjugstad (Blaine, Minn./Univ. of Minnesota) and Charlie Coyle (East Weymouth, Mass./Boston Univ.) tied for the team lead with four goals in six games ... Dean Blais, head men's ice hockey coach at the University of Nebraska Omaha, served as head coach of the 2012 U.S. National Junior Team. He was assisted by Scott Sandelin, head men's ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth; Tom Ward, head ice hockey coach of the Shattuck-St. Mary's School's boys' prep team; and Joe Exter, assistant men's ice hockey coach at Ohio State University ... Jim Johannson, USA Hockey's assistant executive director of hockey operations, served as the general manager of Team USA for the third consecutive year. Tim Taylor (Guilford, Conn.), former U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team head coach and longtime Yale University men's ice hockey team head coach, is also serving his third straight year as Team USA's director of player personnel.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 2 - 0 - 0 - 2
SUI 1 - 0 - 0 - 1



First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Czarnik (unassisted), 11:28; 2, SUI, Haas (Vermin, Hachler), 14:49; 3, USA, Gravel (Clendening, Tynan), 16:15. Penalties: USA, Clendening (holding), 7:49; SUI, Walser (high-sticking), 17:01.

Second Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: SUI, Vermeille (slashing), 11:47; SUI, Hofmann (hooking), 13:16.

Third Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: SUI, Trutmann (interference), 0:30; USA, Archibald (interference), 7:21; SUI, Wolf (tripping), 11:34; USA, Arnold (hooking), 19:33.



Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 12 15 15 42
SUI 6 7 9 22

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Campbell 60:00 6-5 7-7 9-9 22-21
SUI, Wolf 60:00 12-10 15-15 15-15 42-40

Power Play: USA 0-5; SUI 0-3
Penalties: USA 3-6; SUI 5-10
Officials: Referees - Tom Laaksonen (FIN), Vladimir Sindler (CZE); Linesmen - Jiri Gebauer (CZE), Dmitry Sivov (RUS)
Attendance: 10,624

Team USA 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship Schedule
Dec. 26 - Jan. 5 • Alberta, Canada

Date Opponent Location*
Time (MST)/Result

Tues., Dec. 20 Russia^ Red Deer L, 3-6
Wed., Dec. 21 Switzerland^ Camrose W, 7-3
Fri., Dec. 23 Slovakia^ Three Hills W, 5-0
Mon., Dec. 26 Denmark$ Edmonton W, 11-3
Wed., Dec. 28 Finland$ Edmonton L, 1-4
Fri., Dec. 30 Czech Republic$ Edmonton L, 2-5
Sat., Dec. 31 Canada$ Edmonton L, 2-3
Tues., Jan. 3 Latvia# Calgary W, 12-2
Wed., Jan. 4 Switzerland# Calgary W, 2-1
All games in Edmonton will be played at Rexall Place. All games in Calgary will be played at Scotiabank Saddledome.
^Pre-tournament game ..... $Preliminary Round ..... #Relegation Round

U.S. National Under-17 Team Falls to Russia, 7-4,
in Championship Game of 2012 World Under-17 Challenge

Team USA Places Second in Ten-Team Tournament for Second Straight Year

WINDSOR, Ont. - Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) had one goal and one assist each, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to Russia, 7-4, in the championship game of the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge here tonight at the WFCU Centre. With the defeat, Team USA finished the tournament with a 4-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record and placed second in the ten-team tournament for the second straight year.

"The effort was there, but fatigue was a factor tonight," said Don Granato, head coach of the U.S. National Under-17 Team. "We had a great experience here at this tournament and will continue to grow as a team moving forward."

Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) opened scoring at 8:38 of the first frame when he chipped in a rebound shot by Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.). Kelleher made a quick move to his left to shake the Russian defender and create the opportunity in front of the net. Steven Santini (Mahopac, N.Y.) collected the second assist on the goal. Team USA goaltender Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) turned aside 10 shots in the period as the U.S. went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

Russia notched two straight goals, the first tally shorthanded, at 12:04 and 15:07 of the second stanza to capture the lead. Team USA answered on the power play when Butcher wristed a shot from just inside the blue line. Keaton Thompson (Devils Lake, N.D.) and Compher registered assists on the goal. Russia regained the lead late in the period when a puck deflected off a U.S. defenseman's skate and over Miska's shoulder.

A penalty shot goal while shorthanded at 3:20 of the final frame increased Russia's lead to 4-2. Russia added another tally to go up by three goals at 8:26. Team USA responded on the power play when Scott Savage (San Clemente, Calif.) sent a cross-ice pass to Butcher, who found Compher open in the left faceoff circle. Compher snapped a shot past Russian goaltender Nikita Serebryakov for the goal. With just over two minutes remaining in regulation, Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) made it a one-goal game with a tip-in tally. Kelleher earned his second assist of the night on the play.

Down one goal, Team USA looked to complete the comeback and opted to pull its goalie in favor of an extra attacker. But Russia notched two empty-net goals in the final minute of play to secure the win, 7-4.

Miska made 27 saves in the loss for the U.S., while Serebryakov stopped 45 shots in the victory for Russia.

NOTES: John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... The U.S. went 2-for-7 on the power play, while Russia went 0-for-2 with the man advantage ... Team USA recorded 49 shots on goal, while Russia had 34 ... Gage Ausmus (E. Grand Forks, Minn.) and J.T. Compher were named to the touranment all-star team ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... The 2012 World Under-17 Challenge includes two pools of five teams. Pool A consists of teams from Canada Atlantic, Germany, Canada Quebec, Canada Ontario and Sweden. Pool B consists of teams from the Czech Republic, Canada Pacific, Russia, Canada West and the United States ... Exclusive videos will be posted on the USA Hockey YouTube channel under the World Under-17 Challenge playlist ... Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with #U17CHAL ... All games during the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will be available via live webcast at FASTHockey.com ... For additional coverage, visit USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Facebook page ... The U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams train with The Hockey IntelliGym, a revolutionary new software program released on October 1, 2010 that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

RUS 0 - 3 - 4 - 7
USA 1 - 1 - 2 - 4

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Allen (Kelleher, Santini), 8:38. Penalties: None.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, RUS, Tolchinski (Galeyev), 12:04, (sh); 3, RUS, Nichushkin (Barbashev, Dikushin), 15:07; 4, USA, Butcher (Thompson, Compher), 15:41, (pp); 5, RUS, Cherepanov (unassisted), 17:36. Penalties: USA, McCarron (slashing), 3:23; RUS, Mamin (hooking), 10:09; RUS, Ilin (tripping), 15:32.

Third Period - Scoring: 6, RUS, Tolchinski (unassisted), 3:20, (sh;ps); 7, RUS, Barbashev (Nichushkin), 8:26; 8, USA, Compher (Butcher, Savage), 14:45, (pp); 9, USA, Louis (Kelleher), 17:56; 10, RUS, Nichushkin (unassisted), 19:43, (en); 11, RUS, Tolchinski (unassisted), 19:51, (en). Penalties: RUS, Rafikov (interference), 1:25; RUS, Zadorov (charging), 3:56; RUS, Bench (too-many-men), 6:08; RUS, Bench (too-many-men), 6:08; RUS, Zadorov (interference), 12:51; USA, Santini (boarding), 18:38; RUS, Trubkin (interference), 19:50.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
RUS 10 13 11 34
USA 16 13 20 49

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
RUS, Serebryakov, 60:00 16/15 13/12 20/18 49/45
USA, Miska, 59:10 10/10 13/10 9/7 32/27

Power Play: USA 2-7; RUS 0-2
Penalties: USA 2-4; RUS 7-14

Team USA 2012 World Under-17 Challenge Schedule
Dec. 28, 2011 - Jan. 4, 2012 • Windsor, Ont.

Date Opponent Location
Time (ET)/Result

Wed., Dec. 28* Canada Atlantic (exh.) Vollmer Culture & Rec Complex W, 6-1
Thurs., Dec 29 Czech Republic Vollmer Culture & Rec Complex W, 5-1
Fri., Dec. 30 Russia WFCU Centre L, 2-3
Sun., Jan. 1 Canada West Tecumseh Arena W, 7-3
Mon., Jan. 2 Canada Pacific Tecumseh Arena W, 4-2
Tues., Jan. 3 Sweden (Semifinal) WFCU Centre W, 2-1 (SO)
Weds., Jan. 4 Russia (Final) WFCU Centre L, 4-7
*Pre-tournament game in LaSalle, Ontario.

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On this date in 1781, Richmond, Virginia, was burned by a British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold.

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Back on board: Argos extend Durie and Younger.

Bombers name Garth Buchko new CEO.

Riders name defensive coaching staff.

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

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On this date in 1885, the Long Island Railroad Company became the first to offer piggy-back rail service which was the transportation of farm wagons on trains.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Wild Card Week schedule:

Wild Card Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 7th

Cincinnati at Houston 4:30pm
Detroit at New Orleans 8:00pm

January 8th

Atlanta at NY Giants 1:00pm
Pittsburgh at Denver 4:30pm

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It was reported by The Austrian newspaper on this date in 1896 that Wilhelm Roentgen had discovered the type of radiation that became known as X-rays.

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Most available coaching candidates lack the 'wow' factor.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coaching update: Day 2.

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On this date in 1914, Ford Motor Company announced that there would be a new daily minimum wage of $5 and an eight-hour workday.

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Let's see....What should I do next?

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Mrs. Nellie Taylor Ross was sworn in as the governor of Wyoming on this date in 1925. She was the first female governor in the U.S.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - A five year partnership was signed between Hill and Range Music and Elvis Music, Inc.

1957 - Elvis Presley's song "Love Me" hit #6 in the U.S.

1961 - Elvis Presley signed a three picture deal with MGM.

2002 - Lisa Marie Presley was awarded the Humanitarian Award from The World Literacy Crusade.

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Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began on this date in 1933.

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Today in Beatles History:

1976 - Mal Evans, a Beatle bodyguard and road manager, was killed in a confrontation with Los Angeles police.

1985 - Julian Lennon performed "Valotte" and "Too Late For Goodbyes" on "American Bandstand."

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On this date in 1935, Phil Spitalny’s All-Girl Orchestra was featured on CBS radio on the program, "The Hour of Charm."

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Today in Sports History:

1927 - A three-day public hearing began on the charges that four major league baseball games played between Chicago and Detroit on September 2 and 3 of 1917 had been thrown.


1929 - The New York Yankees purchased "Babe" Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $125,000.

1931 - Lucille Thomas became the first woman to buy a professional baseball team. She bought the Topeka franchise of the Western League.

1934 - Both the National and American baseball leagues decided to use a uniform-size baseball. It was the first time in 33 years that both leagues used the same size ball.

1983 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 100th point of the season. He achieved his 100th point in only the 42nd game of the season.

1993 - Mike Ditka was fired as coach of the Chicago Bears.

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) got its very first demonstration of FM radio on this date in 1940.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators 7:30pm EST

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Junior Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors Empire South and EJHL South teams at EJHL Showcase at N.E.S.C., Marlborough, Massachusetts.

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 7:00pm EST

Sunday --

Junior Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors Empire South and EJHL South teams at EJHL Showcase at N.E.S.C., Marlborough, Massachusetts.

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!