Associated Press
WASHINGTON ó So much for all of the hype about Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin, Penguins vs. Capitals, Game 7. This second-round series ended with a thud, thanks to a perfect performance by Sid the Kid’s Penguins ó and a lackluster one by the Capitals.
Crosby scored twice to take his NHL-leading playoff goal total to 12, and Pittsburgh chased rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov early in the second period while shutting down Ovechkin in a 6-2 victory over Washington on Wednesday.
Everyone chipped in for the Penguins, from the stars to the second thoughts, from regular-season scoring leader Evgeni Malkin’s two assists, to fourth-line forward Craig Adam’s first goal in 42 career postseason games. Second-year defenseman Kris Letang, 38-year-old Bill Guerin and Jordan Staal scored, too. Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves and didn’t allow a goal until his team led 5-0.
NFL
MIAMI ó Jason Taylor has rejoined the Miami Dolphins.
Taylor’s agent, Gary Wichard, says the 34-year-old linebacker signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday.
Taylor played his first 11 seasons with Miami before being traded to the Washington Redskins. He was released by Washington after one injury-plagued season.
– INDIANAPOLIS ó Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy says Michael Vick wants a second chance when he’s out of prison.
Dungy met with Vick last week at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., where Vick is serving a 23-month sentence for bankrolling a dogfighting conspiracy.
Dungy spoke Wednesday at a workshop in Indianapolis for offenders seeking jobs. He compared Vick’s situation as he nears his release from prison to theirs.
Vick is to be transferred May 21 to home confinement in Hampton, Va., which is scheduled to last through July.
– ARLINGTON, Texas ó The new $1.1 billion Dallas Cowboys stadium doesn’t have an announced sponsor yet ó but now it has a name. Team owner Jerry Jones announced Wednesday that the venue in Arlington will be called Cowboys Stadium.
PANTHER POLITICS
CHARLOTTE ó Former Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter said that he will make a decision in the next few weeks whether to challenge for the 8th District seat.
The seat is currently held by Democrat Larry Kissell.
“My thing right now is trying to find the best way I can help people achieve what they need to achieve,” Minter said. “This is just another option that was thrown on the table for me to look at.”
Minter is one of the most popular players in Panthers history. A second-round pick out of Nebraska in 1997, Minter became a mainstay in the Panthers’ secondary and remains the team’s leading tackler. He retired in training camp in 2007 because of chronic knee pain, but has remained active in the community.
ACC MEETINGS
AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. ó The ACC has voted to cap football travel squads for league games, a cost-cutting measure that should save schools thousands each year.
ACC athletic directors passed the proposal Wednesday at the conference’s annual spring meetings. It goes into effect this fall.
Conference schools already were limited to 72 players for the ACC championship football game. Other BCS conferences with title games have a 72-player limit.
– The conference also awarded its baseball tournament to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for three years, beginning in 2011. Myrtle Beach beat out Jacksonville, Greensboro, Greenville and Winston-Salem. The tournament will be played at BB&T Coastal Stadium, the Carolina League home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, an Atlanta Braves farm team.