Archive for January 28th, 2010

Raptors overcome sluggish start to beat Knicks

Written by on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 in Latest News.

Chris Bosh had 27 points and 15 rebounds, Hedo Turkoglu set season highs with 26 points and 11 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors rallied to beat the New York Knicks 106-104 on Thursday night.

Jarrett Jack made one of two free throws in the final seconds and drew a charging call on Al Harrington on New York’s final possession, helping Toronto hold on for its fourth consecutive victory.

The Raptors, who erased a 13-point deficit Wednesday night in a 111-103 victory over Miami, have trailed by double digits in each game during their winning streak.

David Lee had 29 points and 18 rebounds for New York, 3-7 in its last 10 games.

The mediocre stretch includes a victory over woeful Minnesota and an embarrassing 128-78 loss to Dallas on Sunday — the worst home loss in franchise history.

Antoine Wright scored 13 points, and fellow reserve Jose Calderon had 12 points to help Toronto (25-22) go three games over .500 for the first time this season.

Bosh hit two free throws with seven minutes left to give the Raptors a 91-85 lead, but New York battled back. Harrington converted a three-point play and made a three-pointer to place the Knicks in front 100-97 at the 2:51 mark. Lee then got free for a dunk to extend the lead to five.

Back came the Raptors, who scored the next eight points. Turkoglu had two free throws and a rebound basket, and Jack scored inside. Bosh then drove past Wilson Chandler to make it 105-102 with 15.9 seconds remaining.

After Lee’s rebound basket, Jack hit a free throw, then got in front of Harrington on defence to secure the victory.

Harrington finished with 20 points, and Chandler had 14 for New York.

Lee shrugged off his all-star miss before the game, saying it was out of control and calling the snub “motivation” for the rest of the season.

He sure looked motivated against Toronto.

Lee ripped the Raptors for 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half, showing off a nice face-up jumper and plenty of poise inside. He powered the Knicks to a 34-20 lead after one quarter, but Calderon had eight points in the second quarter to help Toronto cut it to 53-49 at halftime.

Senators extend win streak to 8

Written by on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 in Latest News.

Brian Elliot made 30 saves to win his sixth consecutive start and the Ottawa Senators tied a club record with their eighth straight win as they beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Thursday night.

Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno scored for the Senators, who matched the Washington Capitals for the NHL’s longest active win streak. It is Ottawa’s longest run since Oct. 13 to Nov. 6, 2007.

Elliott, who started the season as the team’s backup, has been in net for the last six of those victories. He has allowed only six goals during that span.

Evgeni Malkin scored 1:34 into the game for the Penguins, who had won three of four but had their lead over the Senators for fourth place in the Eastern Conference trimmed to three points.

The Senators, whose winning streak was preceded by five losses in a row, have outscored opponents 27-8 during the past eight.

With No. 1 goalie Pascal Leclaire injured throughout much of the season, Elliott has taken advantage of the playing time. One of his best saves Thursday was denying Sergei Gonchar from the slot during a power play early in the second period.

He shut down Pittsburgh after Malkin scored his sixth in six games early on a perfectly placed shot from the right circle that beat Elliott high to the glove side.

But the closest the Penguins would come to scoring the remainder of the game came when Kris Letang shot the puck into the net moments after the horn had sounded to end the second period.

Fisher tied it at 1 at 10:06 of the first with his 18th, a tap-in into an open net off a feed from Foligno moments after Fisher’s wrist shot had hit the post.

The Senators took the lead for excellent 3:33 later when Kelly tapped in a loose puck into an open net while standing in front of the crease, following a shot by Jarkko Ruutu for his 10th of the season.

Spezza scored for the third consecutive game since returning from missing 20 games because of a knee injury, his eighth of the season, 4:27 into the third.

Foligno added an empty netter.

Undrafted college player at career crossroads

Written by on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 in Latest News.

A few minutes with Matt Beca is all you need to comprehend his passion for hockey and his desire to continue playing the game after life at Clarkson University.

The undrafted 23-year-ancient senior is at crossroads in his career. He has five weekends remaining in his final regular season at Clarkson in upstate New York. There is interest from a few NHL teams, but what happens after his college days conclude remains a mystery.

“It’s crazy how quick it’s gone by,” said the five-foot-10, 181-pound Beca, who leads the Golden Knights with 13 goals and 24 points in 24 games this season.

In the spirit of Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada, when we celebrate the game in not only Stratford, Ont., but around the country, we shouldn’t overlook the hundreds of Canadians playing in Europe and in non-NHL locations in the United States.

Beca’s tale starts where he was raised in Mississauga, Ont. He had to be patient for his hockey scholarship. It wasn’t until late in his fourth season in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League with the Oakville Blades that he received a break.

His coach with the Blades arranged a visit from Clarkson associate coach Greg Drechsel and there was mutual interest. It didn’t hurt that when Beca inspected the Clarkson campus near Potsdam, N.Y., in February 2006, a former Golden Knights player was mentioned on national television.

Clarkson head coach George Roll couldn’t have plotted it any better. When Beca stopped by the coach’s office, the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team was competing in Turin. Erik Cole scored for the United States in a game against Russia, and the television announcer remarked, “That’s Erik Cole, a Clarkson product.”

Cole, Dave Taylor, Todd White, Craig Conroy and Willie Mitchell are among those who went to Clarkson and finished up in the NHL. Beca hopes to continue the tradition.

“I know there are a few [NHL] teams out there right now watching me, but I don’t have any offers yet,” Beca said, refusing to divulge the identity of the suitors. “My plot now is to end the season as best I can and then we’ll see what happens.”

Beca’s first return trip to Clarkson was for the Golden Knights alumni golf tournament in the summer before his freshman season. Roll introduced him to another incoming first-year player, Jeremiah Crowe, a defenceman from the Buffalo area. Beca and Crowe became quick friends and have roomed together for the past three years.

Crowe and Beca have engaged in several discussions on what lies on the hockey horizon after the season. “He’s done with hockey,” Beca said. “I obviously want to continue to play and I’ll find somewhere.”

Inspired by Islanders’ Moulson

If there is an inspiration for Beca, it’s Islanders 26-year-ancient forward Matt Moulson. In his first full-time NHL duty, Moulson has checked in with 19 goals in 53 games. Beca knows Moulson well. The two occasionally worked out last summer in the Toronto area. Beca also played lacrosse with Moulson’s younger brother Chris, a freshman at No. 8-ranked Cornell, the team Clarkson meets on Saturday.

“Certainly, [Matt Moulson] gives me hope,” Beca said. “I’ve been told pretty much my whole career that I was too small, sort of like he has been. I watched how hard he worked out this summer. I feel I know what it takes.”

Clarkson loved better times in Beca’s first two seasons, when the Golden Knights compiled 25- and 22-win years. This season, Clarkson has gone 5-16-3 with two more games this weekend. But individually, after a summertime pep talk from Roll, Beca has never been better. The business major has scored 13 goals and 24 points in 24 games to lead the green and gold in scoring.

He started the season on fire with five goals in four games, then slumped, but is on a roll again with five goals in his past seven outings.

As his final season winds down, he has often reflected at his time at Clarkson. He remembers the adjustment arriving in the small town from the huge city. He remembers how much time it took to feel comfortable before the locals recognized him downtown with a friendly wave or a excellent-luck handshake.

He remembers finding Sergi’s, a family-owned Italian restaurant where he meets his teammates on Thursdays, and excellent times were had by all.

“It certainly was a huge adjustment for the first small while coming from like the Toronto area, where there is lots to do and you can pretty much do anything you want at anytime,” said Beca, who turns 24 on March 6.

“You come here and you’re limited as to what you can do, like just basic restaurants. There are places up here that you haven’t heard of. But once you get used to that and get used to the lifestyle, it’s pretty nice up here.”



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