National Sports Briefs: Hurricanes fall
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Associated Press
MONTREAL ó Saku Koivu scored a shootout goal and Carey Price stopped all three shots in the tiebreaker to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
Koivu beat Cam Ward with a backhand on Montreal’s second attempt. Price stopped Matt Cullen, Eric Staal and Ray Whitney to seal the win.
Alex Tanguay scored on a penalty shot in the final seconds of the first period and Price stopped 31 shots for Montreal, which closed out a 4-1 homestand despite falling 6-4 to Anaheim on Saturday in the team’s first regulation loss of the season.
Flyers 7, Thrashers 0
ATLANTA ó Mike Knuble, Simon Gagne and Joffrey Lupul each scored two goals and the Philadelphia Flyers earned their 11th straight win over the Atlanta Thrashers, 7-0.
Lightning 3, Maple Leafs 2
TORONTO ó Vincent Lecavalier scored a pair of highlight-reel goals and Mike Smith made 37 saves to lead Tampa Bay over Toronto.
Capitals 4, Predators 3, SO
WASHINGTON ó Michael Nylander scored the pivotal goal in a shootout.
TENNIS
GENEVA ó Roger Federer ended speculation over his Davis Cup plans and announced Tuesday he will play for Switzerland against the United States next March.
It will be the first time in five years that the 13-time Grand Slam singles winner has broken up his early schedule for the Davis Cup.
– PARIS ó Andy Roddick boosted his chances of qualifying for next month’s Masters Cup by winning his second-round match in straight sets at the Paris Masters on Tuesday.
GOLF
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. ó Erik Compton, who advanced through the first stage of PGA Tour qualifying just five months after his second heart transplant, was given an exemption Tuesday to play the final tour event of the year.
Compton, 28, received one of four sponsor exemptions to the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Disney World on Nov. 6-9.
It will be his first PGA Tour event in three years.
Compton received his first heart transplant at age 12 and became one of the top junior golfers, competing in the Walker Cup in 2001. He had his second transplant in May, but recovered in time to play the first of three stages of Q-school. In yet another remarkable rally, he closed with a 4-under 68 to tie for 23rd and advance to the second stage next month.
PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said Compton would be allowed to use a cart during the Disney event.
JONES ON OPRAH
CHICAGO ó Disgraced track star Marion Jones will give her first post-prison interview to Oprah Winfrey.
Jones’ appearance on today’s episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is to be her first interview since she was released September 5 from a Texas federal prison after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about steroid use.
RATINGS
PHILADELPHIA ó Television ratings for Game 5 of the World Series were as bad as the weather.
The 5 1/2 innings the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays got in during the rain Monday night received an 8.2 rating and 12 share, Fox said Tuesday.
The previous low for a fifth game was a 10.0/17 for the San Francisco Giants’ 16-4 romp over the Anaheim Angels in 2002.
THOMAS UPDATE
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. ó Officers who responded to Isiah Thomas’ home after a 911 call reporting an overdose on sleeping pills found a man passed out on the floor and gave him oxygen until an ambulance arrived.
Authorities have not publicly identified Thomas as the victim, but a person familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official police report has not been released, has confirmed it was the former NBA star and Knicks coach.