WASHINGTON (AP) - Well, that was quite a 24-hour swing. One day after the Calgary Flames looked done for the soccer jerseys season, they went out and dominated the league's top team.
Having reached the desperation point in their bid to make the playoffs, the Flames scored four goals in the first period Sunday and beat the Washington Capitals 5-3.
Captain Jarome Iginla had said the Flames needed to "run the table" to get into the postseason after a 5-0 loss at Boston on Saturday. He and his teammates responded by salvaging a three-game road trip that began with two losses.
"We played with the effort that we're supposed to," defenseman Robyn Regehr said, "and we have to do that for the rest of the year."
The win moved Calgary within four points of eighth-place Colorado and within five of seventh-place Los Angeles in the Western Conference, pending the result of Colorado's game later Sunday.
Ales Kotalik, Ian White, Jay Bouwmeester, Niklas Hagman and Rene Bourque scored for the Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff, who was pulled in the third period of the loss to the Bruins, made 31 saves against the Capitals as Calgary won in Washington for the first time in 11 years.
"We're all talking about that we want to be in the playoffs," Iginla said. "But we've got to go earn it and earn a chance. Now we're in position where we're just trying to earn a chance and see what other teams do."
Alex Ovechkin got his 46th goal for Washington and also had an assist to reach the 100-point mark for the fourth time in his five-year career. David Steckel and Mathieu Perreault also scored for the Capitals, who lost at home in regulation for only the fifth time in 36 games this season.
"We didn't have any energy," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It looked like we were skating in quicksand. Their sense of urgency was so tremendous. They'd been embarrassed in Boston. We didn't meet their push."
Washington's Jose Theodore was pulled at 10:34 of the first period after allowing three goals on nine shots, but his franchise-record 19-game streak without a regulation loss (17-0-2) remains intact because the Capitals later scored three goals. That made Semyon Varlamov, who gave up the fourth goal, the goalie of record.
"For the first time in a long time," Boudreau said, "it looked like Theo was struggling a little bit."
The Flames also spoiled a chance for the Capitals to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history, but Washington claimed the No. 1 spot when New Jersey lost 5-1 at Philadelphia on Sunday night.
Three of the Flames' goals were carom shots off Capitals goaltenders, including the first two. Kotalik stuffed in a rebound off Theodore's left leg just 2:35 into the game, and White put a rebound off Theodore's side as the goalie was falling on his back during the power play at the 8:28 mark.
Bouwmeester's tip-in of Bourque's pass made the score 3-0, chasing Theodore. The Flames kept scoring, however, with Hagman putting a backhander from the right circle inside the near post. The goal put the Capitals behind by four goals, a deficit they'd faced for a combined 4:32 on the entire season coming into the game.
First period summation: Calgary had four goals; Washington had four shots. Even more stunning was the fickle display by some Capitals fans. The runaway top team in the standings actually heard boos on the way to the locker room.
"When you've lost four out of 35 at home, give the guys at break," Boudreau said. "I could see it if we were doing this on a regular basis."
Ovechkin's wrister from the right circle on a power play made it 4-1, but Bourque and Steckel traded goals to make it 5-2 going into the third. Perreault, recalled from the AHL earlier in the day, pulled the Capitals within two again when he put in the rebound off Ovechkin's shot during a power play early in the third.
"You just put that one behind you and live for the next day," Washington right wing Mike Knuble said. "It's no indication of anything. It's just one of those games you're probably due for. It's probably good for us at this point."
Notes: The Flames' last previous win in Washington was a 5-4 overtime tally on March 13, 1999. They had gone 0-4 with a tie in five trips since. ... Perreault was recalled because C Brendan Morrison was out with a lower body injury that appears to be minor, and C Brooks Laich remains sidelined with facial injuries after getting struck in the face by a puck in practice last week. ... Washington D Shaone Morrisonn missed the game after having his wisdom teeth removed.
2010年5月5日星期三
Glen Johnson: We Have To Work As A Team
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 -- Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson says that they have to work together to pull themselves out of the pit they have fallen into.
Liverpool are in woeful form at the moment and are virtually out of the Champions League. They have slipped down the table in the Premier League and are outside the top four at the moment.
Speaking to the Press Association, Liverpool defender Glen Johnson said:
"The record [one win in nine games] sounds awful and it is awful for a club like Liverpool. But things like this happen in football. You stick together and keep fighting.
"We have seen in the league that everyone can beat everyone - if someone had told you at the start of the season that we'd win one in nine, you'd have laughed your head off.
"We will just look to get as many points as we can as quickly as possible then have a look at the end of the NHL jerseys season and see where we are."
Liverpool are in woeful form at the moment and are virtually out of the Champions League. They have slipped down the table in the Premier League and are outside the top four at the moment.
Speaking to the Press Association, Liverpool defender Glen Johnson said:
"The record [one win in nine games] sounds awful and it is awful for a club like Liverpool. But things like this happen in football. You stick together and keep fighting.
"We have seen in the league that everyone can beat everyone - if someone had told you at the start of the season that we'd win one in nine, you'd have laughed your head off.
"We will just look to get as many points as we can as quickly as possible then have a look at the end of the NHL jerseys season and see where we are."
Sir Alex Ferguson Hails Antonio Valencia
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 -- Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the progress of winger Antonio Valencia at Old Trafford this season.
Valencia was signed from Premier League side Wigan Athletic in the summer after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Spanish and European giants Real Madrid and the Ecuadorian international winger has been quite impressive at the biggest club of England.
Club manager Sir Alex Ferguson told the Inside United magazine:
"Antonio has settled very well. He's been terrific, the lad. He's a good crosser of the ball. He gets the ball in the box and gets it in from tight positions too. Very seldom are his NHL Jerseys crosses blocked, which isn't easy to do."
Valencia was signed from Premier League side Wigan Athletic in the summer after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Spanish and European giants Real Madrid and the Ecuadorian international winger has been quite impressive at the biggest club of England.
Club manager Sir Alex Ferguson told the Inside United magazine:
"Antonio has settled very well. He's been terrific, the lad. He's a good crosser of the ball. He gets the ball in the box and gets it in from tight positions too. Very seldom are his NHL Jerseys crosses blocked, which isn't easy to do."
2010年5月4日星期二
Rafa’s Reds Gone, Louis’ Bayern Survive
Rafa Benitez’s darkest chapter at NHL Jerseys Liverpool just got worse after the Reds were eliminated from this season’s Champions League, while Louis van Gaal’s Bayern live another day.
These two managers make for interesting reading, as the pair currently hold posts at two of the biggest clubs in Europe, where success is demanded and failure to deliver such expectations yields unprecedented amounts of pressure.
Indeed, following Fiorentina’s 1-0 win over Olympique Lyon on Tuesday, Liverpool were mathematically out of the running for the top two in Group E, and thus eliminated.
Liverpool boss Benitez has been under plenty of pressure with this elimination always likely after a slow start. But combine that with the Reds league woes and it’s clear the Spaniard is struggling for fans.
Van Gaal, similarly as a foreigner in a big European league, is under pressure in Bavaria.
The Dutchman hasn’t convinced since arriving in Germany, but his side’s 1-0 victory over Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday means they remain in the Champions League hunt.
But it won’t be easy for Bayern.
The Munich club must travel to Turin and defeat Juventus to qualify for the next round of the Champions League.
The Old Lady are currently second in Italy’s Serie A and seem determined to make a mark in Europe, so it will hardly be simple for Bayern.
But the good news for van Gaal is his team are still alive (for now, at least), unlike Benitez’s.
Nevertheless, Liverpool’s managing director Christian Purslow has reassured the Spaniard his role is safe despite the club’s early Champions League exit.
“This has no bearing on Rafa whatsoever," Purslow revealed.
"He only signed a new five-year deal eight months ago and in those terms he is four months into a five-year journey. You don't deviate from long-term plans for people.
"We budget for a level of performance where, let's just say, as football fans is not where we would all want to be. We are prudent in what we budget.
"If we go into the Europa League and have three home games, we are financially equivalent on what we budgeted to achieve in the Champions League.
"Obviously, it feels terribly disappointing, but we could have gone into the next round of the Champions League, played one home leg, one away leg and been out," Purslow added.
"I like to think we'll be taking 40 or 50,000 to Hamburg in May (for the Europa League final), and if we get half-way to doing that, we will make more money than we would have from the next round of the Champions League.
"It's a missed opportunity financially, but it has no effect on budgeted performance and that's the key thing."
Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer, too, offered plenty of support to his embattled coach.
"Louis Van Gaal is an old hand and he has already been through many a battle," Beckenbauer told Sat 1 television.
Speaking about the Bundesliga prior to the winter break, as well as the Champions League, Beckenbauer added, "I hope that he also wins this battle. Our remaining games are all winnable and it doesn't look that bad at all really."
And while the head honchos at these massive clubs publicly remain calm and supportive, there’s no doubt there’s a few worried exchanges behind the scenes.
Failures like these can not be treated with ignorance.
It may not happen just yet, but the warning signs are there and change could be abound soon at two of Europe’s biggest and proudest clubs.
These two managers make for interesting reading, as the pair currently hold posts at two of the biggest clubs in Europe, where success is demanded and failure to deliver such expectations yields unprecedented amounts of pressure.
Indeed, following Fiorentina’s 1-0 win over Olympique Lyon on Tuesday, Liverpool were mathematically out of the running for the top two in Group E, and thus eliminated.
Liverpool boss Benitez has been under plenty of pressure with this elimination always likely after a slow start. But combine that with the Reds league woes and it’s clear the Spaniard is struggling for fans.
Van Gaal, similarly as a foreigner in a big European league, is under pressure in Bavaria.
The Dutchman hasn’t convinced since arriving in Germany, but his side’s 1-0 victory over Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday means they remain in the Champions League hunt.
But it won’t be easy for Bayern.
The Munich club must travel to Turin and defeat Juventus to qualify for the next round of the Champions League.
The Old Lady are currently second in Italy’s Serie A and seem determined to make a mark in Europe, so it will hardly be simple for Bayern.
But the good news for van Gaal is his team are still alive (for now, at least), unlike Benitez’s.
Nevertheless, Liverpool’s managing director Christian Purslow has reassured the Spaniard his role is safe despite the club’s early Champions League exit.
“This has no bearing on Rafa whatsoever," Purslow revealed.
"He only signed a new five-year deal eight months ago and in those terms he is four months into a five-year journey. You don't deviate from long-term plans for people.
"We budget for a level of performance where, let's just say, as football fans is not where we would all want to be. We are prudent in what we budget.
"If we go into the Europa League and have three home games, we are financially equivalent on what we budgeted to achieve in the Champions League.
"Obviously, it feels terribly disappointing, but we could have gone into the next round of the Champions League, played one home leg, one away leg and been out," Purslow added.
"I like to think we'll be taking 40 or 50,000 to Hamburg in May (for the Europa League final), and if we get half-way to doing that, we will make more money than we would have from the next round of the Champions League.
"It's a missed opportunity financially, but it has no effect on budgeted performance and that's the key thing."
Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer, too, offered plenty of support to his embattled coach.
"Louis Van Gaal is an old hand and he has already been through many a battle," Beckenbauer told Sat 1 television.
Speaking about the Bundesliga prior to the winter break, as well as the Champions League, Beckenbauer added, "I hope that he also wins this battle. Our remaining games are all winnable and it doesn't look that bad at all really."
And while the head honchos at these massive clubs publicly remain calm and supportive, there’s no doubt there’s a few worried exchanges behind the scenes.
Failures like these can not be treated with ignorance.
It may not happen just yet, but the warning signs are there and change could be abound soon at two of Europe’s biggest and proudest clubs.
2010年5月2日星期日
Yaya Toure Happy At Barcelona
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 -- Barcelona midfielder Yaya Youre has once again insisted that he is happy playing for the reigning Spanish and European champions.
The Ivorian has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou for much of this campaign as he has often found himself on the sidelines. Premier League clubs such as Manchester City are reported to be eager to sign the player.
But Toure insists that he does not want to leave the Catalan giants and told a press conference:
"At this club we live football at a very intense level and play well. I am happy at Barcelona and there is no bigger clubNHL jerseys than this one."
The Ivorian has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou for much of this campaign as he has often found himself on the sidelines. Premier League clubs such as Manchester City are reported to be eager to sign the player.
But Toure insists that he does not want to leave the Catalan giants and told a press conference:
"At this club we live football at a very intense level and play well. I am happy at Barcelona and there is no bigger clubNHL jerseys than this one."
Hint Of A Hangover At Barcelona?
After proudly showing off MLB jerseys their six trophies of 2009, FC Barcelona have begun 2010 slowly with a draw and a loss, suggesting the celebrations may have taken their toll.
Barcelona boss Josep Guardiola has warned against his side resting on their laurels, with their Copa del Rey title already at risk after Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Sevilla.
Guardiola revealed, “We don't want to live on what we have done up to now. We have to carry on working.”
His comments came after Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Villarreal on Saturday, opened the door for rivals Real Madrid to steal back the initiative in the La Liga title race.
Ultimately, Real blew the chance to go top after stumbling against Osasuna, but the warning is there for Barca.
“There are things we still have to work on and we will do that,” Guardiola added.
The weekend's 1-1 draw with the Yellow Submarine was something of an anti-climax for the 90-odd thousand fans who crammed into the Nou Camp to see their side showcase their six trophies.
Only last month, Barcelona completed their clean sweep in 2009 with victory in the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
But Villarreal crashed the party and Saturday's result ultimately saw Barca drop points at home for the first time in this league season.
After taking an early lead through Pedro, David Fuster equalised for the visitors, before Barcelona huffed and puffed towards the end, only to fail to really find any fluidity.
Nevertheless, Tuesday's Copa del Rey tie with Sevilla was next, and while Guardiola named a much-changed side for the contest, it still included stars Lionel Messi, Dani Alves and Andres Iniesta.
Indeed, Barcelona looked fresher in the opening part of the contest against Sevilla but failed to make significant inroads.
Sevilla weathered the storm and took the lead on the hour mark when an unmarked Diego Capel ghosted in to score at the back-post.
Barcelona did manage to find a response after a long-ball found Zlatan Ibrahimovic onside, before brilliantly netting after rounding the keeper.
But the Nou Camp's celebrations of drawing level were short-lived when Dmytro Chygrynskiy hauled down Capel inside the box a minute later, allowing Alvaro Negredo to net the winner from the spot.
Messi unusually failed with a late chance, with a hint of offside, as Barca slumped to a defeat which puts them in an awkward position ahead of the return-leg in Sevilla.
Nevertheless, it is hardly panic stations at the Nou Camp after a slow start to 2010, but the team know they need to snap into action.
In the league, Real Madrid won't normally be so generous as to slip up, while in the Copa del Rey, Sevilla will offer a very difficult test in the return-leg.
Whether or not Barcelona realistically think they can reproduce 2009's success remains to be seen, but the early signs are they might need a bit of work.
Not alot has changed in terms of personnel from last season's side (bar Samuel Eto'o who has been ably replaced by Ibrahimovic) so it is all about Barca's desire, considering their brilliance.
The La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League crown are the main goals, but as has been said before, staying at the top is harder than getting there in the first place.
Barcelona boss Josep Guardiola has warned against his side resting on their laurels, with their Copa del Rey title already at risk after Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Sevilla.
Guardiola revealed, “We don't want to live on what we have done up to now. We have to carry on working.”
His comments came after Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Villarreal on Saturday, opened the door for rivals Real Madrid to steal back the initiative in the La Liga title race.
Ultimately, Real blew the chance to go top after stumbling against Osasuna, but the warning is there for Barca.
“There are things we still have to work on and we will do that,” Guardiola added.
The weekend's 1-1 draw with the Yellow Submarine was something of an anti-climax for the 90-odd thousand fans who crammed into the Nou Camp to see their side showcase their six trophies.
Only last month, Barcelona completed their clean sweep in 2009 with victory in the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
But Villarreal crashed the party and Saturday's result ultimately saw Barca drop points at home for the first time in this league season.
After taking an early lead through Pedro, David Fuster equalised for the visitors, before Barcelona huffed and puffed towards the end, only to fail to really find any fluidity.
Nevertheless, Tuesday's Copa del Rey tie with Sevilla was next, and while Guardiola named a much-changed side for the contest, it still included stars Lionel Messi, Dani Alves and Andres Iniesta.
Indeed, Barcelona looked fresher in the opening part of the contest against Sevilla but failed to make significant inroads.
Sevilla weathered the storm and took the lead on the hour mark when an unmarked Diego Capel ghosted in to score at the back-post.
Barcelona did manage to find a response after a long-ball found Zlatan Ibrahimovic onside, before brilliantly netting after rounding the keeper.
But the Nou Camp's celebrations of drawing level were short-lived when Dmytro Chygrynskiy hauled down Capel inside the box a minute later, allowing Alvaro Negredo to net the winner from the spot.
Messi unusually failed with a late chance, with a hint of offside, as Barca slumped to a defeat which puts them in an awkward position ahead of the return-leg in Sevilla.
Nevertheless, it is hardly panic stations at the Nou Camp after a slow start to 2010, but the team know they need to snap into action.
In the league, Real Madrid won't normally be so generous as to slip up, while in the Copa del Rey, Sevilla will offer a very difficult test in the return-leg.
Whether or not Barcelona realistically think they can reproduce 2009's success remains to be seen, but the early signs are they might need a bit of work.
Not alot has changed in terms of personnel from last season's side (bar Samuel Eto'o who has been ably replaced by Ibrahimovic) so it is all about Barca's desire, considering their brilliance.
The La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League crown are the main goals, but as has been said before, staying at the top is harder than getting there in the first place.
2010年5月1日星期六
to confirm any investigation related to the April 5 accident. The real reasons why Apple silenced Lala (and bought it, too)
As dorky character Ned Ryerson said in movie "Groundhog Day": "Am I right or am I right? Or am I right? Am I right?" Apple is shuttering the Lala service on May 31. soccer jerseys While pundits galore said Apple was moving into the streaming music business, I asserted something else: That Apple bought Lala to improve music discovery and to combat Google music search.
Apple announced the Lala acquisition in December, when I blogged "Lala could make iTunes' Genius smarter." As I explained then, the acquisition is about "improving iTunes music discovery and competitively combating Google search." About two months before Apple bought Lala, Google improved its music search capabilities, which included free streams from various services, including Lala.
I sometimes complain about how bloated iTunes has become, but Apple can't be much faulted for music discovery. The iTunes player-store combination is simply one of the best mechanism's for new music discovery. However, Google music search put that discovery and underlying revenue stream at risk. Googling, say, Green Day or Ke$ha leads to free Lala streams of four songs. Lala charges for streams, too -- just 10 cents, which can be applied to purchase of the track.
Or Lala did. The service has stopped taking new subscribers, according to a notice on the Website: "Lala is shutting down. The Lala service will be shut down on May 31st, 2010. Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting new users." By buying Lala, Apple set the stage to remove a cheaper streaming alternative, with option to buy, backed by the power of Google search.
But Apple also acquired technology it can use to improve music discovery. One option: Within iTunes, offer one full-length stream per track, instead of the 30-second sample. Streaming then wouldn't be a separate business but means of improving the music purchase experience and even generate more sales.
In the days and weeks that followed the Lala acquisition announcement, commentator after commentator pontificated about how Apple would move into the streaming music business, ala Lala. But that business makes no sense for Apple, which generates revenue from selling music -- not giving it away or streaming it on the cheap. More importantly, streaming offers limited benefits to iPhone OS devices. Apple already sells low-margin content to generate sales of high-margin devices. Streaming doesn't make sense, particularly when Apple has done so well with content people own -- or in the case of movies, sometimes rent.
However, a TV subscription service would make sense because of its potential to disrupt how people consume the content. Hulu shows there is demand. If Apple offered the long-rumored TV subscription service for the rumored 30 bucks a month -- heck, even $50 -- I'd cancel my AT&T U-verse account the same day. Cheap portable TV is the logical next stage beyond DVRs. Apple has the devices to do just that, whether the content is streamed, downloaded with DRM protection -- or both.
For Apple, a TV or other video subscription service is a more logical use of Lala technology and staff than music streaming. I would watch for TV subscriptions long before Apple would set up a music streaming service. So that makes a third major reason -- and one I didn't give in December -- for Apple acquiring Lala.
Apple announced the Lala acquisition in December, when I blogged "Lala could make iTunes' Genius smarter." As I explained then, the acquisition is about "improving iTunes music discovery and competitively combating Google search." About two months before Apple bought Lala, Google improved its music search capabilities, which included free streams from various services, including Lala.
I sometimes complain about how bloated iTunes has become, but Apple can't be much faulted for music discovery. The iTunes player-store combination is simply one of the best mechanism's for new music discovery. However, Google music search put that discovery and underlying revenue stream at risk. Googling, say, Green Day or Ke$ha leads to free Lala streams of four songs. Lala charges for streams, too -- just 10 cents, which can be applied to purchase of the track.
Or Lala did. The service has stopped taking new subscribers, according to a notice on the Website: "Lala is shutting down. The Lala service will be shut down on May 31st, 2010. Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting new users." By buying Lala, Apple set the stage to remove a cheaper streaming alternative, with option to buy, backed by the power of Google search.
But Apple also acquired technology it can use to improve music discovery. One option: Within iTunes, offer one full-length stream per track, instead of the 30-second sample. Streaming then wouldn't be a separate business but means of improving the music purchase experience and even generate more sales.
In the days and weeks that followed the Lala acquisition announcement, commentator after commentator pontificated about how Apple would move into the streaming music business, ala Lala. But that business makes no sense for Apple, which generates revenue from selling music -- not giving it away or streaming it on the cheap. More importantly, streaming offers limited benefits to iPhone OS devices. Apple already sells low-margin content to generate sales of high-margin devices. Streaming doesn't make sense, particularly when Apple has done so well with content people own -- or in the case of movies, sometimes rent.
However, a TV subscription service would make sense because of its potential to disrupt how people consume the content. Hulu shows there is demand. If Apple offered the long-rumored TV subscription service for the rumored 30 bucks a month -- heck, even $50 -- I'd cancel my AT&T U-verse account the same day. Cheap portable TV is the logical next stage beyond DVRs. Apple has the devices to do just that, whether the content is streamed, downloaded with DRM protection -- or both.
For Apple, a TV or other video subscription service is a more logical use of Lala technology and staff than music streaming. I would watch for TV subscriptions long before Apple would set up a music streaming service. So that makes a third major reason -- and one I didn't give in December -- for Apple acquiring Lala.
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