Well the defending Stanley Cup champions can no longer defend their title…
On the ice last night in Boston, Joel Ward stuffed a rebound past Tim Thomas at 2:57 of overtime, as the Capitals eliminated the Bruins, winning Game 7 2-1. Sound courtesy of the NHL. Washington won’t know its second round matchup until the conclusion of tonight’s games. Two more Game 7s in the Eastern Conference: The Rangers will host the Senators in New York, and the Devils will skate against the Panthers in Florida.
To the NBA, Orlando sent Charlotte to its 22nd straight loss 102-95, Chicago dumped Indiana 92-87 - Kyle Korver with 20, the Knicks nearly blew an 18-point lead before dropping the Clippers 99-93 – J.R. Smith led the way with 21, San Antonio outlasted Phoenix 110-106, Denver downed Oklahoma City 106-101 behind Ty Lawson’s 25 points, Philadelphia got by Milwaukee 90-85 – Evan Turner with a career-high 29, and Washington won its fifth straight 96-85 over Cleveland – John Wall with 21 points and 13 assists.
To baseball in the American League, Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, and Mitch Moreland all went deep as Texas trounced Phil Hughes and the Yankees 7-3, Kansas City snapped its 12-game losing skid with a 8-2 rout of Cleveland, Baltimore blanked Toronto 3-0 behind Jason Hammel, Mike Aviles launched a three-run bomb as Boston held off Minnesota 7-6, Seattle rapped out 15 hits and slammed Detroit 9-1, Oakland outlasted the White Sox 5-4 in 14, and Tampa Bay beat the Angels 3-2 – Jeremy Hellickson is 3-0.
Over to the NL, Matt Kemp ripped his major league-leading 10th home run to power the Dodgers past Atlanta 4-2, Washington whipped San Diego 7-2, David Wright became the Mets all-time RBI leader after drilling a two-run shot in the sixth inning of a 5-1 win over Miami, St. Louis cruised past the Cubs 5-1, Milwaukee dumped Houston 7-5, Cincinnati doubled up San Francisco 4-2, Pittsburgh split a doubleheader with Colorado, dropping the opener 2-1 but winning the nightcap 5-1, and Philadelphia beat Arizona 7-2 behind Cole Hamels, who lined a two-run single and limited the D-backs to four hits over eight innings.
In other baseball news, Yankees starter Michael Pineda is done for the season. Pineda needs surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
And in NFL news, the 2012 NFL Draft gets underway tonight.
I’m Tristan O’Neill, WAMC News.