It's Tuesday

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

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Today is May 8th, the 129th day of 2012. There are 237 days left in the year.

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Monday's Scores:

East --

New York Rangers 3, Washington 2 (New York leads series 3-2)

West --

Phoenix 2, Nashville 1 (Phoenix wins series 4-1)

Tuesday's Games:

East --

New Jersey at Philadelphia (New Jersey leads series 3-1) 7:30pm EDT NBCSN

West --

No games.

NHL, Jamison pursue purchase agreement for Coyotes.

Five reasons Blues' season abruptly came to an end.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Drummer Alex Van Halen (Van Halen) is 59; Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher is 55; Actress Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie) is 48; Singer Enrique Iglesias is 37.

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Rider Statement Regarding New Stadium.

McMaster QB Quinlan agrees to CFL contract.

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

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ON DVD TODAY - The Vow (Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum); Underworld: Awakening (Kate Beckinsale); Chuck: The Complete Fifth Season; Fantasy Island: The Complete Second Season 

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I like going places with my Jimmy.

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Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....hang out with Jimmy, watch some hockey, maybe some baseball and love my beautiful wife, as usual. How 'bout you?

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New York, NY. -- After an off day, the Rays are at the Yankees tonight in the first of a three-game set. James Shields pitches for Tampa Bay. He'll be opposed by Ivan Nova of New York.

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Roughly 70% of cellphone owners have used their devices in the last month to gather real-time information such as traffic alerts or look up sports scores. According to a survey (Pew Internet & American Life Project) smartphones are turning more people into "real-time information seekers and problem solvers."

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Los Angeles, CA.-- After watching the Giants continue to handle the ball as if it were a beehive, manager Bruce Bochy made a remark that stung.

"I don't think I've quite seen what I saw tonight," Bochy said after San Francisco committed three errors Monday night and fell, 9-1, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "It looked like we skipped Spring Training."

Read the rest here.

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And yet another study that was obvious from the start -- sex is tough for parents in their thirties. Why? Well, reason No. 1, they're parents. Add to that the financial stress that most parents feel and the fireworks in the bedroom start to fizzle. But keep your head up because things get better. The survey of 25,000 discovered that things start revving up again once you hit your 50s, and women have the greatest confidence in their bodies once they're in their 60s.

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Today in Elvis History

1965 - The Elvis Presley album "Girl Happy" hit #7 in the U.K.

1976 - The Elvis Presley single "Hurt" hit #37 in the U.K.

2005 - CBS aired the first part of the new four-hour mini-series "Elvis." The second part aired on May 11. Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the part of Elvis.

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The obesity epidemic may be slowing, but don't take in those pants yet. Today, over two-thirds of Americans are overweight; and just over a third of adults are obese. By 2030, 42 percent will be obese. Worse, the already obese are getting fatter. Severe obesity will double by 2030, when 11 percent of adults will be nearly 100 pounds overweight, or more.

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Today in Beatles History:

1970 - The Beatles album "Let it Be" was released.

1980 - Paul McCartney received the Special Award For International Achievemnet at the 25th annual Ivor Novello Awards.

1982 - The album single "The Beatle's Movie Medley" hit #12 in the U.S.

1982 - The Beatles album "Reel Music" hit #19 in the U.S.

1982 - Paul McCartney's album "Tug Of War" hit #1 in the U.K.

1989 - Paul McCartney released "My Brave Face" and "Ferry Cross the Mersey."

1998 - The album "Lennon Legend - The Very Best Of John Lennon" was certified double platinum by the BPI.

2007 - The Yoko Ono limited edition CD-single "Cambridge 1969/2007" was released.

2007 - The Beatles album "LOVE" was released on limited edition vinyl. The album was the soundtrack to the Cirque de Soleil show "LOVE".

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Love is strange -- a fact proven each and every day on Craigslist. In a recently posted ad, a Denver man says he's selling his 1994 Goldwing motorcycle to pay for his wife to get a boob job. The ad claims the woman in the equation is the one desiring a fuller figure and implies that he is somewhat reluctantly going along.

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Today in Sports History:

1866 - Australian Rules Football was created.

1878 - Paul Hines made baseball's first unassisted triple play.

1909 - Chief Bender (Philadelphia Athletics) hit two inside the park home runs against Boston.

1915 - H.P. Whitney's Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.

1935 - Ernie Lombardi (Cincinnati Reds) hit four doubles on consecutive at-bats against four different Philadelphia pitchers.

1954 - Parry O'Brien became the first to toss a shot put over 60 feet. O'Brien achieved a distance of 60 feet 5 1/4 inches.

1961 - New Yorkers selected a new name for their new National League baseball franchise. They chose the Mets.

1966 - Frank Robinson (Baltimore Orioles) became the first player to hit a ball completely out of Cleveland's Memorial Stadium.

1966 - The St. Louis Cardinals played their last game at Busch Stadium. They lost to San Francisco 10-5.

1967 - Muhammad Ali was indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army.

1970 - The New York Knicks won their first NBA title when they defeated Los Angeles in Game 7 of the Finals.

1971 - Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at New York's Madison Square Garden.

1973 - In Cincinnati, Ralph Miller, the last of the 19th century baseball players, died at the age of 100.

1984 - Kirby Puckett (Minnesota Twins) debuted with four singles.

1984 - The Soviet Union announced that they would not participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics Games in Los Angeles.

1984 - The Chicago White Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 in 25 innings. The game was actually completed on May 9.

1988 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) completed the first round the playoffs with 226 points in five games against Cleveland.

1993 - Lennox Lewis defended his WBC heavyweight title for the first time. He was in a unanimous 12-round decision over Tony Tucker.

1995 - Mark Messier (New York Rangers) became the third player to reach 100 playoff goals.

1999 - Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle Mariners) hit his 361st home run. The feat tied him for 45th place on the all-time home run list with Joe DiMaggio.

2000 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis) hit his 534 home run. He tied Jimmie Foxx for ninth place on the all-time home run list.

2000 - Jason and Jeremy Giambi (Oakland) became the 10th set of brothers to hit home runs in the same game.

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THE AVENGERS MADE MORE MONEY THAN FIRST ESTIMATED - After all the money was counted Monday, The Avengers record-setting $200 million opening weekend was adjusted up -- because it actually brought in $207.4 million.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 9:40pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Bojangle's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 8:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 10:15pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 3:45pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Sprint Showdown/Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 at Iowa Speedway 1:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

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

U.S. Men's National Team Falls to Slovakia, 4-2, at 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship

Faulk, Stastny Tally Goals for Team USA

HELSINKI, Finland - Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn./Carolina Hurricanes/University of Minnesota Duluth) and Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./Colorado Avalanche/University of Denver) each tallied a goal, but the U.S. Men's National Team fell to Slovakia, 4-2, here tonight in preliminary round play at the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship at Hartwell Arena.

"I thought they won the game in the first period" said Scott Gordon, head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. "We got better as the game wore on and battled. We get a couple of days rest and need be ready to go on Thursday."

Slovakia took a 1-0 lead 47 seconds into the game and added another marker at 15:04 of the first period. Faulk made it a one-goal game 37 seconds later with a blast from the point at 15:41. Kyle Okposo (St. Paul, Minn./New York Islanders/University of Minnesota) and Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich./Winnipeg Jets/Michigan State University) collected assists on the tally. Slovakia, however, regained its two-goal lead with six seconds remaining in the frame and led 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Team USA capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play late in the second period to cut the deficit to 3-2. Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich./Anaheim Ducks) took a shot from the point that missed wide but went behind the net to Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn./Montreal Canadiens/University of Michigan). Pacioretty found Stastny open at the side of the crease and he slid the puck under Slovakia goaltender Jan Larco at 18:47.

The U.S. hit the post on three occasions in the third period, but was unable to find the game-tying goal. Slovakia sealed the game with an empty-net goal with 37 seconds remaining. Jimmy Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Detroit Red Wings/University of Maine) made 28 saves for the U.S., while Laco made 18 saves for Slovakia.

The U.S. Men's National Team has two days off before resuming Group H play on Thursday (May 10) against Belarus. Faceoff is 4:15 p.m. local time (9:15 a.m. EDT). The game will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network and scoring updates will be available on Twitter. Use the hashtag #2012MWC to join the conversation surrounding the tournament.

NOTES: Through two games, Team USA is 5-for-12 on the power play and has killed all nine opponent power plays … Paul Stastny, who scored Team USA's second goal of the game and won 12-of-18 faceoffs, was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Defenseman Jack Johnson is the captain of Team USA. The alternate captains are forwards Jim Slater and Nate Thompson ...  For Team USA's updated roster, click here  ... Twenty of the 23 members of Team USA played U.S. college hockey ... Six of the 23 players announced are products of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, including Joey Crabb, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Jimmy Howard, Jack Johnson and Kyle Palmieri ... Fourteen NHL teams are represented on the roster. The Anaheim Ducks lead the way with three, while the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning have two players apiece ... Scott Gordon is the head coach of the 2012 U.S. Men's National Team. Greg Cronin and David Quinn are serving as assistant coaches ... The 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team is under the direction of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, led by Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. Other members include NHL general managers Stan Bowman (Chicago), Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Dale Tallon (Florida) and Pittsburgh Penguins pro scout Don Waddell ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams ... Sixteen teams will compete at 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. There are two groups of eight with one group playing in Helsinki, Finland, and the other playing in Stockholm, Sweden. The semifinals and medal games will be conducted in Helsinski ... NBC Sports is televising all Team USA games in the 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. The complete television schedule is available here.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 1 - 1- 0- 2
SVK 3 - 0- 1- 4

First Period – Scoring: 1, SVK, Granak (Hudacek), 0:47; 2, SVK, Radivojevic (Kopecky, Handzus), 15:04; 3, USA, Faulk (Okposo, Slater), 15:41; 4, SVK, Sekera (Bliznak), 19:54. Penalties: None.

Second Period – Scoring: 5, USA, Stastny (Pacioretty, Fowler), 18:47, (5x3 pp). Penalties: SVK, Starosta (tripping), 18:14; SVK, Bartovic (slashing), 18:28.

Third Period – Scoring: 6, SVK, Satan, 19:23, (en). Penalties: USA, Atkinson (high-sticking, double minor), 4:47; SVK, Sekera (tripping), 11:10; USA, Howard (tripping), 11:28.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 9 7 4 20
SVK 15 10 7 32

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Howard, 59:32 15/12 10/10 6/6 31/28
SVK, Laco, 60:00 9/8 7/6 4/4 20/18

Power Play: USA 1-3; SVK 0-3
Penalties: USA 3-6; SVK 3-6

Team USA 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship Schedule
May 4 - 20 • Helsinki, Finland & Stockholm, Sweden

Date Opponent Location Time (Local/EDT)
Television

Fri., May 4 France Helsinki 12:15 p.m./5:15 a.m. W, 7-2
Sat., May 5 Canada Helsinki 7:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. W, 5-4 (OT)
Mon., May 7 Slovakia Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m. L, 2-4
Thurs., May 10 Belarus Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Fri., May 11 Kazakhstan Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Sun., May 13 Finland Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Tues., May 15 Switzerland Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Thurs., May 17 Quarterfinals Helsinki TBD NBC Sports Network (Live)
Sat., May 19 Semifinals Helsinki TBD NBC Sports Network (TBD)
Sun., May 20 Bronze-Medal Game Helsinki 4:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Gold-Medal Game Helsinki 8:30 p.m./1:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Delay/9 p.m. ET)

Arenas: Hartwall Arena (Helsinki); Ericsson Globe (Stockholm)

Portland up 2-1 in WHL Finals

Portland, OR. -- Brendan Leipsic’s goal 4:37 into the third period stood up as the winner as the Portland Winterhawks edged the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 4-3 in Game 3 of the 2012 WHL Championship series on Sunday in Portland, OR.

The Hawks now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after having won their second straight game in the series.

Leipsic, who scored is seventh goal of the playoffs and third in the last two games, put the Hawks up 4-1 with his third-period marker. Sven Bartschi had a goal and an assist while Ty Rattie – with his 18th of the playoffs – and Oliver Gabriel also scored for the Winterhawks, who staked out a 3-0 lead in the second period.

Henrik Samuelsson, Martin Gernat and Keegan Lowe scored and Michael St. Croix chipped in two assists for the Oil Kings, who scored three times in a third-period rally, but fell just short of the comeback as they drop their second straight decision. The Oil Kings had not lost back-to-back games since November.

Mac Carruth stopped 34 of 37 shots he faced to claim his 31st career playoff win for the Winterhawks. Laurent Brossoit made 29 saves in absorbing his second straight defeat.
The Winterhawks will host the Oil Kings for Game 4 of the best-of-seven series on Tuesday in Portland, OR.

Portland leads best-of-seven series 2-1.

Edmonton Oil Kings 3 at Portland Winterhawks 4 - Status: Final
Sunday, May 6, 2012 - Rose Garden - Portland, OR

Edmonton 0 0 3 - 3
Portland 0 3 1 - 4

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Leipsic Por (playing w/out helmet), 2:04; Wilson Edm (roughing), 5:44; Carruth Por (roughing), 5:44; Samuelsson Edm (high sticking, high sticking), 9:30; Lowe Edm (major-fighting), 12:21; Peddle Edm (major-fighting, game misconduct), 12:21; Morrow Por (roughing, major-fighting), 12:21; Ross Por (major-fighting, game misconduct), 12:21; Moroz Edm (kneeing), 15:03.

2nd Period-1, Portland, Bartschi 11 4:53. 2, Portland, Rattie 18 (Morrow, Bartschi), 12:06 (PP). 3, Portland, Gabriel 3 (Wotherspoon, Rutkowski), 12:35 (PP). Penalties-Legault Edm (roughing), 10:41; Pysyk Edm (high sticking), 10:41; Reid Por (roughing), 10:41; Ewanyk Edm (slashing), 12:06; Petan Por (hooking), 19:06.

3rd Period-4, Edmonton, Samuelsson 4 (Gernat, St. Croix), 0:20 (PP). 5, Portland, Leipsic 7 (Reid), 4:37. 6, Edmonton, Gernat 7 (St. Croix, Legault), 7:16. 7, Edmonton, Lowe 3 (Moroz, Rachinski), 10:34. Penalties-Samuelsson Edm (cross checking), 20:00.

Shots on Goal-Edmonton 9-5-23-37. Portland 12-14-7-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Edmonton 1 / 3; Portland 2 / 5.
Goalies-Edmonton, Brossoit 13-3-0-0 (33 shots-29 saves). Portland, Carruth 14-4-0-0 (37 shots-34 saves).
A-10,947
Referees-Trevor Hanson (19), Pat Smith (12).
Linesmen-Chris Carlson (92), Kiel Murchison (46).

Monday Morning Meissnervations

It's Monday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is May 7th, the 128th day of 2012. There are 238 days left in the year.

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Sunday's Scores:

West --

Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 1 (Los Angeles wins series 4-0)

East --

New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 2 (New Jersey leads series 3-1)

Monday's Games:

East --

Washington at New York Rangers (Series tied 2-2) 7:30pm EDT NBCSN

West --

Nashville at Phoenix (Phoenix leads series 3-1) 10:00pm EDT NBCSN

Coyotes' Klesla suspended for one game.

Report: Dudley to join Montreal front office.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Rock Hall of Famer Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead) is 66; Daredevil Robbie Knievel is 50; Actor Breckin Meyer (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Heroes) is 38.

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CFL Hall of Famer Narcisse finds misplaced rings.

Lobendahn odd man out in new Blue 'D'.

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

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Thinking a temporary separation might be what you need to help mend your marriage? It probably won't help. A new study suggests about 79% of married couples who separate end up getting divorced.

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Jimmy plays with his Fresh Beat Band light up stick.

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Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....wash dishes (lots of 'em), watch some hockey, maybe some baseball and love my family, as usual. How 'bout you?

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St. Petersburg, FL. -- The negative effects of Saturday night's marathon carried over into Sunday's homestand finale, as Matt Moore experienced the shortest outing of his career as a starter and the Rays suffered their second consecutive defeat with a 9-5 loss to Oakland at Tropicana Field.

Read the rest here.

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Actor and comedian George "Goober" Lindsey died early Sunday morning. Lindsey is probably best known for his role as Goober in the popular television series The Andy Griffith Show.

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San Francisco, CA.-- Hector Sanchez prepares himself for any situation, just in case he's needed. Not even he could have foreseen what waited for him in the bottom of the 11th inning on Sunday.

Sanchez was asked to pinch-hit against the sidearming Tim Dillard with the bases loaded and the infield drawn in, which included an extra player, as Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun was brought in from the outfield.

Sanchez came through anyway, as he singled home pinch-runner Emmanuel Burriss to give the Giants a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Brewers at AT&T Park.

Read the rest here.

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It's National Nurses Week.

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Today in Elvis History

1960 - The Elvis Presley compilation album "50 Million Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong - Elvis Gold Records, Vol. 2" hit #31 in the U.S.

1966 - Elvis Presley's single "Frankie and Johnny" hit #25 in the U.S.

1996 - Evan Chandler filed a $60 million breach of contract suit against Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. The charge was that they had violated a confidentiality clause in the 1994 out-of-court settlement by discussing the case with Diane Sawyer on "PrimeTime Live."

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Forget the beach. Forget a cruise. All you need for a stress-free vacation is to do one thing: turn off your email! A study by University of California Irvine and United States Army researchers revealed that being cut off from work email significantly reduces stress.

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Today in Beatles History:

1992 - In London, Christies auction house sold a leather jacket worn by John Lennon for $43,500.

2006 - In London, a judge ruled that a Apple Computer Inc. was entitled to use their apple logo in their iTunes store. Apple Corp Ltd., the guardian of the Beatles' commercial interestest, had filed a suit to stop the computer company from using the logo in their music store.

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Kim Kardashian is asking the court to speed up her divorce from Kris Humphries. [The whole legal thing is disrupting her scheduled marriage and divorce from Kanye West.]

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Today in Sports History:

1925 - The Philadelphia Phillies had their 8th game in a row postponed.

1945 - Baseball owner Branch Rickey announced the organization of the United States Negro Baseball League. There were 6 teams.

1951 - Russia was admitted to participate in the 1952 Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee.

1956 - Bill White (New York Giants) hit a home run on his first at bat.

1957 - Indian's pitcher Herb Score was hit in the face by a line drive by Gil McDougald.

1959 - At Los Angeles Coliseum, 93,103 people watched the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees.

1977 - Rookie Janet Guthrie set the fastest time on opening day of practice for the Indianapolis 500. Her time was 185.607.

1982 - A United States Federal jury ruled that the NFL violated antitrust laws by preventing the Oakland Raiders from moving to Los Angeles.

1983 - August Hoffman perform record 29,051 consecutive sit-ups.

1994 - The Denver Nuggets became the first NBA #8 seed to beat a #1 seed. The Nuggets beat Seattle.

1995 - The Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians played 17 innings in 6 hours and 36 minutes. The Twins won 10-9.

2006 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 713th home run which brought him one home run away from tying Babe Ruth on the career list.

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THE AVENGERS SETS BOX OFFICE RECORD - The Avengers is the new king of the opening weekend. The superhero movie grossed a unprecedented $200.3 million in its Friday-Sunday box-office debut. The film is the first to break $200 million in three days. It destroyed the mark held by the previous weekend record-holder, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

... The Avengers earned an additional $151 million in its second weekend from overseas markets.

... In theaters Friday: Dark Shadows and Girl in Progress (limited).

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TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Executing perfectly a move he had saved for the right occasion, Brad Keselowski pulled away from Kyle Busch on the final lap to win the Aaron's 499 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in a green-white-checkered-flag finish.

Busch had pushed Keselowski to the lead on Lap 193 of 194 in a race that went six laps past its scheduled distance at the 2.66-mile track. The two cars ran bumper-to-bumper until Turn 3 of the final lap, when Keselowski entered the corner high and dived to the bottom of the track, separating his No. 2 Dodge from Busch's No. 18 Toyota.

After he ditched his dancing partner, Keselowski pulled away to win by 0.304 second, a relative whipping at a track where wins typically are measured in thousandths of a second.

The victory was Keselowski's second of the season, his second at the track and the sixth of his Cup career. It was the first win for Dodge at Talladega since Dave Marcis took the checkered flag 36 years ago.

Matt Kenseth, who led the field to the final restart on Lap 193, was third, followed by Kasey Kahne and points leader Greg Biffle. Clint Bowyer, David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton completed the top 10.

Read the rest here.

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Who will be the next judge on X-Factor? Chaka Khan is throwing her hat in the ring to snag one of two vacant spots on Simon Cowell's talent show.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 9:40pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Bojangle's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 8:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 10:15pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 3:45pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Sprint Showdown/Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 at Iowa Speedway 1:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

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

It's Sunday

It's Sunday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is May 6th, the 127th day of 2012. There are 239 days left in the year.

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Saturday's Scores:

East --

Washington 3, New York Rangers 2 (Series tied 2-2)

West --

No games

Sunday's Games:

West --

St. Louis at Los Angeles (Los Angeles leads series 3-0) 3:00pm EDT NBC

East --

Philadelphia at New Jersey (New Jersey leads series 2-1) 7:30pm EDT NBCSN

Hitchcock to alter Blues' lineup for Game 4.

Flyers juggle lines at practice.

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

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James Gordon Bennett published the "New York Herald" for the first time on this date in 1835.

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U.S. Men's National Team Defeats Canada in Overtime, 5-4,
at 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship

Captain Johnson Scores Two Power-Play Goals, Including Game-Winner

HELSINKI, Finland - Team captain Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich./Columbus Blue Jackets/Univ. of Michigan) led the U.S. Men's National Team to a 5-4 overtime victory over Canada by scoring his second power-play goal of the game at 1:47 of the overtime period here today at Hartwall Arena. The game featured four ties before Johnson's heroics improved Team USA's record to 1-1-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) at the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship.

“Whenever you play Canada, it’s a big stage, it’s a big deal,” said Johnson, “and I’m sure we’ll see these guys again in this tournament.”

For Johnson, playing on his fifth world championship team, the game-winner came unassisted on a slapshot from the top of the left circle.

“For sure,” said Johnson when asked if this was the most satisfying world championship game he has ever played in for Team USA. “I haven’t had as much success as I’d like in the past, but this is a start. It’s only the second game of the tournament and we need to play a lot more hockey before it’s really gratifying.”

“We played a complete game and that was really important,” said U.S. Head Coach Scott Gordon. “I liked the way we competed throughout. I’m proud of guys. We beat a very good hockey team.”

Canada tied the game at four with 1:39 remaining in the final period on a Duncan Keith blast, but John Tavares made an inadvertent play, knocking the puck out of the air and into the stands with 1.1 seconds left, resulting in a delay of game penalty.

Just two minutes prior to Keith’s goal, U.S. alternate captain Nate Thompson (Anchorage, Alaska/Tampa Bay Lightning) put the U.S. ahead 4-3, scoring after successfully swatting at the puck for a second time in close and seeing it trickle through goalie Cam Ward’s pads.

Perhaps the most sensational goal of the contest came with the U.S. playing shorthanded and the game tied at two, 6:43 into the third. Charging into the Canadian zone 2-on-2, Carolina Hurricanes forward Patrick Dwyer’s (Spokane, Wash./Carolina Hurricanes/Western Michigan Univ.) wrist shot was denied by his NHL teammate Ward, but he continued to hustle, grabbing the puck while circling around the net and stuffing it in the corner to give the U.S. a 3-2 lead.

Despite a game where neither team ever led by more than a goal, the U.S. outplayed Canada for much of the contest. Team USA out-shot Canada 46-34, including 18-6 in the second period.

“The coaches put a good game plan in place and everyone did a good job executing,” said Johnson.

Detroit Red Wings netminder Jimmy Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Detroit Red Wings/Univ. of Maine) stopped 30-of-34 shots to earn the victory.

Team USA got off to a quick start when alternate captain Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich./Winnipeg Jets/Michigan State Univ.) sliced from the top of the right circle towards the slot and fired a quick wrister past Ward for the game’s opening goal 1:10 into the tilt.

Canada answered about five-and-a-half minutes later when Tavares beat a sprawling Howard with a backhander from in close.

Jeff Skinner gave the Canadians their only lead, scoring 7:34 into the second period. The U.S. then capitalized on its third power play of the game when Johnson fired a rocket past Ward from the right circle.

“Every year we come here expecting to win a medal and it hasn’t worked out that way in the past,” said Johnson. “Everyone here is really excited and buying into the ultimate goal of winning a medal.”

The U.S. Men's National Team has a day off before resuming Group H play on Monday (May 7) against Slovakia. Faceoff is 8:15 p.m. local time (1:15 p.m. ET). The NBC Sports Network will air the game live in the United States.

NOTES: Through two games, Team USA is 4-for-10 on the power play and has killed all six opponent power plays … Jack Johnson has three power-play goals ... Jim Slater, who scored the first goal of the game, was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Defenseman Jack Johnson is the captain of Team USA. The alternate captains are forwards Jim Slater and Nate Thompson ...  For Team USA's updated roster, click here ...  Twenty of the 23 members of Team USA played U.S. college hockey ... Six of the 23 players announced are products of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, including Joey Crabb, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Jimmy Howard, Jack Johnson and Kyle Palmieri ... Fourteen NHL teams are represented on the roster. The Anaheim Ducks have three representatives, while the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning have two players apiece ... Scott Gordon is the head coach of the 2012 U.S. Men's National Team. Greg Cronin and David Quinn are serving as assistant coaches ... The 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team is under the direction of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, led by Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. Other members include NHL general managers Stan Bowman (Chicago), Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Dale Tallon (Florida) and Pittsburgh Penguins pro scout Don Waddell ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams ... Sixteen teams will compete at 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. There will be two groups of eight with one group playing in Helsinki, Finland, and the other playing in Stockholm, Sweden. The semifinals and medal games will be conducted in Helsinski ... NBC Sports will televise all Team USA games in the 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. The complete television schedule is available here.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 1 1 2 1 5
Canada 1 1 2 0 4

First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Slater (Lasch), 1:10; 2, CAN, Tavares (Keith), 6:38. Penalties: USA, Braun (tripping), 9:43; CAN, Tavares (interference), 19:57.

Second Period – Scoring: 3, CAN, Skinner (Tavares, Bouwmeester), 7:34; 4, USA, Johnson (Pacioretty, Ryan), 13:54, (pp). Penalties: CAN, Phaneuf (slashing), 4:10; CAN, Ladd (tripping), 12:42; USA, Slater (slashing), 19:05.

Third Period – Scoring: 5, USA, Dwyer (unassisted), 6:43; 6, CAN, Kane (unassisted), 9:51; 7, USA, Thompson (Crabb, Dwyer), 16:19; 8, CAN, Keith (unassisted), 18:21. Penalties: USA, Faulk (slashing), 5:04; CAN, Tavares (delaying the game), 19:59.

Overtime – Scoring: 9, USA, Johnson (unassisted), 1:47 (pp). Penalties: none.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 OT
Total
USA 13 19 10 4 46
Canada 7 12 15 0 34

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Howard, 61:47 7/6 12/11 15/13 0/0 34/30
Canada, Ward, 61:47 13/12 19/18 10/8 4/3 46/41

Power Play: USA 2-4; CAN 0-3
Penalties: USA 3-6; CAN 4-8

Team USA 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship Schedule
May 4 - 20 • Helsinki, Finland & Stockholm, Sweden

Date Opponent Location Time (Local/EDT)
Television

Fri., May 4 France Helsinki 12:15 p.m./5:15 a.m. W, 7-2
Sat., May 5 Canada Helsinki 7:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. W, 5-4 OT
Mon., May 7 Slovakia Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Thurs., May 10 Belarus Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Fri., May 11 Kazakhstan Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Sun., May 13 Finland Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Tues., May 15 Switzerland Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Thurs., May 17 Quarterfinals Helsinki TBD NBC Sports Network (Live)
Sat., May 19 Semifinals Helsinki TBD NBC Sports Network (TBD)
Sun., May 20 Bronze Medal Game Helsinki 4:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Gold Medal Game Helsinki 8:30 p.m./1:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Delay/9 p.m. ET)

Arenas: Hartwall Arena (Helsinki); Ericsson Globe (Stockholm)

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The first adhesive postage stamps went on sale in Great Britain on this date in 1840.

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Esks picks get NFL tries.

New Lion Kirby Fabien mature, laid-back … but all business on the field.

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

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The mechanical refrigerator was patented by Dr. John Gorrie on this date in 1851.

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Watching the Fresh Beat Band is fun Daddy!

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Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....Go to church, wash dishes (shouldn't be too much work), watch some hockey, maybe some baseball and love my family, as usual. How 'bout you?

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St. Petersburg, FL. -- The Rays commiserated over a loss on Joe Maddon's 1,000th game as manager in typical Maddon-fashion: With a three-man mariachi band performing in the clubhouse following the 4-3 extra-inning defeat to the A's.

"This team is different than any other team I've ever been on," said Joel Peralta, who surrendered a 12th-inning solo homer to former Ray Jonny Gomes. "That's why I think we win more often than not."

Read the rest here.

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Linus Yale patented the clock-type lock on this date in 1851.

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San Francisco, CA.-- Madison Bumgarner stayed in character as he answered waves of questions regarding the end of San Francisco's losing streak and the continuation of his own personal winning streak.

"I just go out there with the same mindset every time to make pitches," Bumgarner said after the Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2, on Saturday, ending the team's four-game slide. "I always try to be that way. My command feels pretty good now and I just try and pitch."

Read the rest here.

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Happy 81st birthday to my childhood hero Willie Mays, born on this date in 1931.

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis Presley's first engagement in Las Vegas ended. The two-week run began on April 23.

1957 - Elvis Presley began doing costume fittings, makeup tests and dance rehearsals for the film "Jailhouse Rock."

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The Pablo Picasso painting of a Dutch girl was sold for $154,000 in London on this date in 1959. It was the highest price paid (at the time) for a painting by a living artist.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - "Around The Beatles" aired on ITV.

1977 - The album "Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl" was released in the U.K.

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On this date in 1994, the Chunnel officially opened. The tunnel under the English Channel links England and France.

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Today in Sports History:

1903 - The Chicago White Sox committed 12 errors against the Detroit Tigers.

1915 - Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run while playing for the Boston Red Sox. The game was also his pitching debut.

1921 - The American Soccer League was formed.

1925 - Ty Cobb hit his 5th homerun in only 2 games. The feat tied Cap Anson's record in 1884.

1929 - The American League announced that it would discontinue the MVP award.

1934 - The Boston Red Sox hit a record of four consecutive triples.

1946 - The New York Yankees became the first major league baseball team to travel by plane.

1954 - British runner Roger Banister broke the four minute mile.

1973 - The New England Whalers beat the Winnipeg Jets in the first WHA championship.

1992 - Anthony Young (New York Mets) began a losing streak of 26 games.

1995 - The Classic Sports Network began on cable TV.

1997 - The NHL's Hartford Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes.

1997 - Rick Pitino became the head coach of the Boston Celtics.

2004 - It was announced that "Spider-Man 2" ads would not appear on bases in major league games during games from June 11-13. The advertising plan had been announced the previous day.

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On this date in 2002, "Spider-Man" became the first movie to make more than $100 million in its first weekend.

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TALLADEGA, Ala. -- With a slingshot move past Sprint Cup teammate Kyle Busch five laps into overtime, Joey Logano won the Aaron's 312 on Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway.

In a race that saw Eric McClure injured and Danica Patrick using her Chevrolet for payback, Logano beat Busch to the finish line by 0.034 second to win his second Nationwide Series race of the season and 11th of his career.

Defending series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ran third and took the points lead from Elliott Sadler. Cole Whitt was fourth, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., his JR Motorsports teammate and boss.

Read the rest here.

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Weather today at my house: Mostly sunny with a high of 86. Breezy from the west/southwest too.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway 12:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Milwaukee Brewers 4:05pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 9:40pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Bojangle's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 8:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 10:15pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 3:45pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Sprint Showdown/Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 at Iowa Speedway 1:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

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

It's Saturday

It's Saturday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is May 5th, the 126th day of 2012. There are 240 days left in the year.

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Friday's Scores:

East --

No games

West --

Phoenix 1, Nashville 0 (Phoenix leads series 3-1)

Saturday's Games:

East --

New York Rangers at Washington (New York leads series 2-1) 12:30pm EDT NBC

West --

No games

Caps fans find Washington oasis in heart of Big Apple.

Callahan has come into his own as Rangers captain.

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

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Christopher Columbus sighted Jamaica on his second trip to the Western Hemisphere on this date in 1494. He named the island Santa Gloria.

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U.S. Men's National Team Overpowers France, 7-2,
to Start 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship

Six Different Goal Scorers; Twelve Players Record a Point

HELSINKI, Finland - Kyle Okposo (St. Paul, Minn./New York Islanders/Univ. of Minnesota) scored twice and Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn./Montreal Canadiens/Univ. of Michigan) tallied a goal and two assists as the U.S. Men's National Team defeated France, 7-2, here today at Hartwall Arena in the opening game of the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship.

"It's obviously good to open with a win," said Scott Gordon, head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. "It was a much closer game than the final score indicated. I like what I've seen from our team so far, both in the two games we've played and in practice."

France opened the scoring at 12:17 of the first period, but Okposo scored on a breakaway 4:35 later to tie the game. Alex Goligoski (Grand Rapids, Minn./Dallas Stars/Univ. of Minnesota) hit Okposo in stride through the neutral zone to create the scoring chance.

The U.S. took its first lead of the game at 3:56 of the second period when captain Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich./Columbus Blue Jackets/Univ. of Michigan) ripped a one-timer from the center point while on the power play past France netminder Cristobal Huet. Ryan Lasch (Lake Forest, Calif./Lahti Pelicans/St. Cloud State Univ.) and Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn./Carolina Hurricanes/Univ. of Minnesota Duluth) assisted on the play.

On the power play once again, the U.S. extended its lead to 3-1 on a goal by Bobby Ryan (Cherry Hill, N.J./Anaheim Ducks). Pacioretty fed the puck from the left corner into the crease, where Ryan one-touched it between the legs of the Huet at 9:15.

Following a French goal at 13:17 that made it 3-2, Team USA reestablished a two-goal advantage with just 22 seconds left in the middle stanza when Pacioretty redirected a Goligoski's wrist shot from the left point.

Team USA put the game away in the third period by scoring three times. Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich./Winnipeg Jets/Michigan State Univ.) converted a two-on-one thanks to a feed from Kyle Palmieri (Smithtown, N.Y./Anaheim Ducks/Univ. of Notre Dame) at 5:38. Okposo scored into the upper corner of the net on a sharp-angle shot at 11:00 and Jeff Petry (Ann Arbor, Mich./Edmonton Oilers/Michigan State Univ.) ended the scoring at 17:41 during a delayed penalty against France.

Jimmy Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Detroit Red Wings/Univ. of Maine) picked up the win in the U.S. net with 21 saves. Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./Colorado Avalanche/Univ. of Denver) and Faulk each had three assists.

The U.S. Men's National Team continues Group H play tomorrow (May 5) against Canada. Faceoff is 7 p.m. local time (noon ET). The NBC Sports Network will air the game same-day delay at 7:30 p.m. ET.

NOTES: USA improved to 7-1-0 against France in the IIHF Men's World Championship ... Team USA went 2-for-6 on the power play, scored on a delayed penalty and killed all three France power plays ... Max Pacorietty, with a goal and two assists, was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... A total of 12 players, including five defensemen, contributed points in the contest ... Defenseman Jack Johnson was named team captain on May 3. The alternate captains are forwards Jim Slater and Nate Thompson ... For Team USA's updated roster, click here ... Twenty of the 23 members of Team USA played U.S. college hockey ... Six of the 23 players announced are products of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, including Joey Crabb, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Jimmy Howard, Jack Johnson and Kyle Palmieri ... Fourteen NHL teams are represented on the roster. The Anaheim Ducks have three representatives, while the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning have two players apiece ... Scott Gordon is the head coach of the 2012 U.S. Men's National Team. Greg Cronin and David Quinn are serving as assistant coaches ... The 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team is under the direction of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, led by Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. Other members include NHL general managers Stan Bowman (Chicago), Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Dale Tallon (Florida) and Pittsburgh Penguins pro scout Don Waddell ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams ... Sixteen teams will compete at 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. There will be two groups of eight with one group playing in Helsinki, Finland, and the other playing in Stockholm, Sweden. The semifinals and medal games will be conducted in Helsinski ... NBC Sports will televise all Team USA games in the 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship. The complete television schedule is available here.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 1 3 3 7
France 1 1 0 2

First Period – Scoring: 1, FRA, Besch (Meunier, Auvitu), 12:17; 2, USA, Okposo (Goligoski, Faulk), 16:52. Penalties: FRA, Roussel (interference), 4:38; FRA, da Costa (tripping), 7:41; USA, Crabb (roughing), 17:53.

Second Period – Scoring: 3, USA, Johnson (Lasch, Faulk), 3:56, (pp); 4, USA, Ryan (Pacioretty, Stastny), 9:15, (pp); 5, FRA, Bellemare (Treille), 13:17; 6, USA, Pacioretty (Goligoski, Stastny), 19:38. Penalties: FRA, Guttig (hooking), 2:59; FRA, Rouleau (interference), 5:12; FRA, da Costa (holding), 7:58; USA, Palmieri (slashing), 11:00.

Third Period – Scoring: 7, USA, Slater (Palmieri), 5:38; 8, USA, Okposo (Fowler, Faulk), 11:00; 9, USA, Petry (Pacioretty, Stastny), 17:41. Penalties: FRA, Treille (holding), 6:54; USA, Palmieri (hooking), 14:56.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 11 16 8 35
France 8 8 7 23

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Howard, 60:00 8/7 8/7 7/7 23/21
FRA, Huet, 60:00 11/10 16/13 8/5 35/28

Power Play: USA 2-6; FRA 0-3
Penalties: USA 3-6; FRA 6-12

Team USA 2012 IIHF Men's World Championship Schedule
May 4 - 20 • Helsinki, Finland & Stockholm, Sweden

Date Opponent Location Time (Local/EDT)
Television

Fri., May 4 France Helsinki 12:15 p.m./5:15 a.m. W, 7-2
Sat., May 5 Canada Helsinki 7:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. NBC Sports Network
(Delay/7:30 p.m. ET)
Mon., May 7 Slovakia Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Thurs., May 10 Belarus Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Fri., May 11 Kazakhstan Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Sun., May 13 Finland Helsinki 4:15 p.m./9:15 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Tues., May 15 Switzerland Helsinki 8:15 p.m./1:15 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Thurs., May 17 Quarterfinals Helsinki TBD NBC Sports Network (Live)
Sat., May 19 Semifinals Helsinki TBD NBC Sports Network (TBD)
Sun., May 20 Bronze Medal Game Helsinki 4:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. NBC Sports Network (Live)
Gold Medal Game Helsinki 8:30 p.m./1:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network (Delay/9 p.m. ET)

Arenas: Hartwall Arena (Helsinki); Ericsson Globe (Stockholm)

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On this date in 1798, U.S. Secretary of War William McHenry ordered that the USS Constitution be made ready for sea. The frigate was launched on October 21, 1797, but had never been put to sea.

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Edmonton, AB. -- The Portland Winterhawks played a solid, complete game Friday night to beat the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-1 and even the Western Hockey League finals at 1-1.

Minus injured star Ty Rattie, Portland skated, worked and moved the puck much better one night after losing 3-2.

Brendan Leipsic scored in the first and second periods to give the Winterhawks a 2-0 lead. The Hawks doubled that to 4-0 going into the third period, and then never let the Oil Kings gain too much momentum down the stretch. Taylor Peters potted a second period goal and Sven Bartschi scored twice, once in the second period and again near the end of regulation into an empty net. Kristians Pelss scored Edmonton's lone goal, early in the third period.

Goalie Mac Carruth was among the top stars for Portland, stopping 38 of 39 shots before a crowd of 10,720 at Rexall Place. His counterpart, Laurent Brossoit stopped 22 shots for the Oil Kings.

It was Edmonton's first loss in nine home games of the 2012 WHL playoffs.

The shots were fairly even for most game two — the Oil Kings finished with a 39-27 edge — but Portland had better chances than in game one, and Carruth kept the Oil Kings at bay.

The Portland penalty pill was stellar, too, going 3 for 3, as the Oil Kings dropped to 0 for 8 on power plays in the series.

The series shifts to Portland for game three at 6 p.m. PDT Sunday and game four at 7 p.m. PDT Tuesday, both at the Rose Garden.

Portland 1 3 1 - 5
Edmonton 0 0 1 - 1

1st Period-1, Portland, Leipsic 5 (Ross, Rutkowski), 2:37. Penalties-Sautner Edm (hooking), 11:38; Lowe Edm (roughing), 16:00; Leipsic Por (roughing), 19:38; Rutkowski Por (cross checking), 19:38; Maxwell Edm (roughing), 19:38.

2nd Period-2, Portland, Leipsic 6 9:20. 3, Portland, Bartschi 9 (Rutkowski, Pouliot), 10:28 (PP). 4, Portland, Peters 1 (Leier, Gabriel), 18:38. Penalties-Peters Por (high sticking), 3:31; Morrow Por (roughing, roughing), 9:58; Lowe Edm (roughing, roughing), 9:58; Peddle Edm (cross checking), 9:58.

3rd Period-5, Edmonton, Pelss 5 (Gernat, Lazar), 4:44. 6, Portland, Bartschi 10 18:34 (EN). Penalties-Petan Por (holding opp. stick), 16:01; Lowe Edm (cross checking), 19:44.

Shots on Goal-Portland 8-13-6-27. Edmonton 11-17-11-39.
Power Play Opportunities-Portland 1 / 4; Edmonton 0 / 3.
Goalies-Portland, Carruth 13-4-0-0 (39 shots-38 saves). Edmonton, Brossoit 13-2-0-0 (26 shots-22 saves).
A-10,720
Referees-Matt Kirk (4), Nathan Wieler (18).
Linesmen-Justin Hull (49), Jeff Jobson (52).

Information gathered from report in the Portland Tribune

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Weather today at my house: Mostly sunny, high near 87, with a light breeze from the west/northwest.

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City of Regina eyes open-air stadium at Evraz Place.

Linebacker Sam Hurl hopes to stick with Saskatchewan Roughriders.

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

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On this date in 1809, Mary Kies was awarded the first patent to go to a woman. It was for technique for weaving straw with silk and thread.

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Fresh Beat Band! Fresh Beat Band!

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Let's see, what's on the agenda for today....wash dishes (Only a few thankfully), watch some hockey, maybe some baseball and love my family, as usual. How 'bout you?

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St. Petersburg, FL. -- The Rays' winning streak moved to six Friday night with a 7-2 win over the Athletics at Tropicana Field.

The Rays maintained the best record in baseball at 19-8 with their 10th consecutive win at Tropicana Field and their 12th win in their last 13 games.

Read the rest here.

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The first mainland railway line opened in Belgium on this date in 1834.

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San Francisco, CA.-- Sergio Romo remained unscored upon this season but did not emerge unscathed Friday, as he yielded Aramis Ramirez's tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh inning that hastened the Giants' 6-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

With the score tied, 4-4, Norichika Aoki and Rickie Weeks beat out infield singles, prompting Romo to replace Clay Hensley (1-3). After Corey Hart's fly to deep center field advanced the runners, Ramirez broke the deadlock by lining an 0-1 pitch into left field.

The Giants, losers of four games in a row, dropped to 2-5 on their nine-game homestand.

Read the rest here.

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The Battle of Puebla took place on this date in 1862. It is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo Day.

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" hit #1 in the U.S. The song was Elvis' first million seller.

1956 - Elvis Presley's debut album "Elvis Presley" hit #1 in the U.S. The album was RCA's first million-dollar album by a solo artist.

1973 - Elvis Presley's album "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" hit #1 in the U.S. The ablum was Presley's first #1 album in nine years. It was also his last #1 album.

2005 - TV GUIDE issued four different covers featuring Elvis Presley. Each cover also featured a mini-CD of a previously unreleased version of the song "Young and Beautiful."

2005 - The 32-track, double CD set "Elvis by the Presley" was released. The album was to accompany the television special. The special aired May 13, 2005.

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Music Hall was dedicated in New York City on this date in 1891. It was later renamed Carnegie Hall.

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Today in Beatles History:

1979 - George Harrison's single "Blow Away" hit #51 in the U.K. and #16 in the U.S.

1983 - The Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder duet "Ebony and Ivory" won International Hit Of The Year at the 28th annual Ivor Novello Awards.

1990 - The "John Lennon Tribute Concert" was held at the Pier Head Arena in Merseyside.

1992 - The Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson single "Say Say Say" was certified platinum by the RIAA.

1997 - Paul McCartney released the album "Flaming Pie."

2010 - The 14th Annual Webby Awards named TheBeatlesRockBand.com as Best Games-Related Site of the year. ("The Beatles - Rockband")

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On this date in 1917, Eugene Jacques Bullard becomes the first African-American aviator when he earned his flying certificate with the French Air Service.

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Today in Sports History:

1904 - The third perfect game of the major leagues was thrown by Cy Young (Boston Red Sox) against the Philadelphia Athletics. It was the first perfect game under modern rules.

1922 - A contract was awarded to New York's White Construction Co. for the construction of Yankee Stadium I.

1925 - Everett Scott (New York Yankees) ended his game playing streak of 1,307 games.

1956 - Jim Bailey became the first runner to break the four-minute mile in the U.S. He was clocked at 3 minutes, 58.5 seconds.

1966 - Willie Mays broke the National League record for home runs when he hit his 512th.

1978 - Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds registered his 3,000th major league hit.

1989 - In Albany, NY, Mike Tyson got his second speeding ticket for drag racing.

1995 - The last game was played at Boston Gardens. The Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics.

2004 - It was announced that "Spider-Man 2" ads would appear on bases in major league games during games from June 11-13. The plan was canceled the next day.

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On this date in 1936, Edward Ravenscroft received a patent for the screw-on bottle cap with a pour lip.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Milwaukee Brewers 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway 3:00pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Milwaukee Brewers 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway 12:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Milwaukee Brewers 4:05pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees 7:05pm EDT

Friday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 9:40pm EDT

Saturday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Bojangle's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway 6:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 8:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays 7:07pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 10:15pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals 3:45pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox 7:10pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 4:10pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Sprint Showdown/Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 at Iowa Speedway 1:30pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 4:05pm EDT

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