Category Archives: Trifecta News & Notes

Islanders Begin to Add Pieces on Day 1

Posted by Tyler Murry on

Perhaps no other team has spent so much time in the depths of the NHL’s worst over the past few years than the New York Islanders (despite the Oilers of course).  However, GM Garth Snow set out to help change that on day 1 of NHL free agency by adding winger Brad Boyes and grinder Matt Carkner.

Carkner comes to the Islanders on a 3 year deal worth $4.5 million.  The winger recorded 3 points in 29 games last season for the Senators and will come the a young Long Island club hoping to add some grit and leadership to the squad.

Boyes is of a different pedigree than Carkner and is coming off a poor season with just 23 points in 65 games for the Buffalo Sabres.  Boyes however has been known for is goal scoring ability as he posted 43 goals in the 07-08 season and 33 in the following season for the Blues.
The Islanders no doubt will continue to revamp their roster especially after the loss of set-up man PA Parenteau who will know be a member of the Colorado Avalanche.  No word yet on who will replace Parenteau on the top line with Tavares and Moulson but there are plenty of options considering the addition of Boyes and the prospect of high draft picks Ryan Strome and Nino Niederreiter getting close to being ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Follow me on twitter for all sports news and updates @Tyler_Murry

Former Bruins Land With New Teams

Posted by Tyler Murry on

With all the chaos that is July 1st of NHL free agency, numerous players that wore black & gold now find themselves in new colors.

The day began with B’s winger Benoit Pouliot signing a 1 yr $1.8 million deal with the lightning after being trade last week.  At just 25 years of age, Pouliot scored 32 points including 16 goals (both career highs) for the Bruins last season.

Joe Corvo was also on the move today and will return to Carolina on a 1 year deal.  Corvo registered 25 points in 75 games for the black & gold, despite dwindling playing time due to poor play on the back-end.  In the end, Boston’s depth on the blueline with youngsters Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton, and Matt Bartkowski left no spot in the lineup for Corvo for the 12-13 season.

And finally, rental Greg Zanon has landed with the Colorado Avalanche after recording 8 points in 56 games last season.

Follow me on twitter for all sports coverage and updates @Tyler_Murry

Winter Classic Recap

Posted by Tyler Murry on

After months of publicity, planning, and hard-work, the teams took to the ice in hockey’s most anticipated regular season matchup.  Hockey grew up on the ponds and outdoor rinks and it was restored to its former glory on Monday at Citizens Bank Park.

The Philadelphia Flyers led by points leader Claude Giroux battled against Marian Gaborik and the Rangers on center stage.  And what a game it was.

After a stellar goaltending performance in the first period, the two teams were tied at zero after one period of play.  However two quick goals by Schenn and Giroux by the Flyers half-way into the second period gave the Flyers the upper-hand.  Shortly after, Mike Rupp netted a goal from the top of the slot to cut the lead in half.

The Flyers entered the third period up 2-1, but once again Rupp lit the lamp with his second of the game to tie things up at 2-2.  Then with just under six minutes to play, center Brad Richards scored to give the Rangers their first lead of the game.

Richards’s goal ended up being the decisive one as Lundqvist was able to stop the rest including a penalty shot by Danny Briere in the final minute of play.

it was a great outing for hockey, the fans, and both teams at play.  In fact, over 47,000 fans were present at the game and one can only look forward to next year’s Bridgestone Winter Classic that will be unveiled at the end of this season.

Roy Halladay Saves Boy From Anaconda While On Fishing Trip In The Amazon

Posted by Clayton Collier on

According to NESN, Roy Halladay was on a fishing trip in the Amazon with Chris Carpenter, B.J. Ryan and professional fisher Skeet Reese, when he and Reese stumbled upon a local boy being attacked by an anaconda.

Here is what happened according to Reese’s recent blog post:

“Me and Doc Halladay even came across a local, sitting bare naked on a tree by the river. What we were able to figure out is that he was fishing in the river for tropical fish to sell for aquariums when he got attacked by an anaconda.”

“The snake apparently bit him on the ass but he was able to free himself before the snake wrapped him up. Instead the snake wrapped around his motor on the back of his little 14 foot dugout canoe and tore it off the back of his boat. Doc and I helped him gather his gear and flip the boat back over and then towed him home. You could definitely see the bite mark on his ass, but he was able to fight it off; amazing.”

So let me get this straight: The Mets won’t let R.A. Dickey climb Mt. Kilimanjaro but the Phillies will let Roy Halladay wrestle anacondas in the Amazon? Got it.

Trifecta NY Baseball News & Notes: A-Rod Gets Medical Treatment, Mets Ask Dickey Not To Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro

Posted by Clayton Collier on

Here are a few tidbits circulating around the New York baseball world:

Mets Have Interest In Ryan Theriot: The New York Mets have expressed interest in free agent middle infielder Ryan Theriot says Jon Heyman via twitter. The 32-year old Louisiana native batted .271/.321/.342 with 26 doubles and 47 RBIs for the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals this past season.

Yankees To Sign Hideki Okajima: The Yankees have agreed to terms with reliever Hideki Okajima on a minor league deal. Okajima spent most of last year in Triple-A with the rival Boston Red Sox where he pitched to the tune of a 2.29 ERA.

Omar Vizquel Will Not Go To The Mets: Responding from a tweet from yours truly, the 11-time Gold Glove award winner stated he not consider going to the Mets if offered a contract.

A-Rod Gets Medical Treatment: Yankees’ slugger Alex Rodriguez flew to Germany recently to receive an experimental treatment for his ailing knee and shoulder. The treatment involves taking the patients own blood, separating its components and then re-injecting it into the affected area. The procedure was cleared by both the Yankees and MLB.

Mets Ask R.A. Dickey Not To Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro: The Amazin’s sent knuckleballer R.A. Dickey a letter informing him that they are not in favor of him climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and should he get injured on the journey, they would have grounds to void his contract. The 37-year old plans to climb the mountain for charity and risks losing $4.5 million if anything happens to him on his trek to the summit.

 

Bruins Ink Marchand to 2 Year Deal

Posted by Tyler Murry on

On wednesday, the Boston Bruins announced the resigning of forward Brad Marchand toa 2 year deal worth $5 million. The 5’9″ gritty winger posted 21 goals and 20 assists last year in his rookie year for the B’s.  Marchand spent the majority of the year including the stanley cup playoffs on the second line playing alongside centerman Patrice Bergeron and winger Mark Recchi.  With Recchi gone, fellow youngster Tyler Seguin will fill the spot on  that line.

No doubt both Seguin and Marchand showed a lot of promise in their rookie seasons and there is no doubt that they are poised to break out.  With this much talent, there is no shot for a sophomore slump for either of these players.

Knicks Hire Mike Woodson

Posted by Jonathan Bernardo on

The Knicks have announced they have hired Mike Woodson as an assistant coach.  Woodson, a former Knicks first round pick, was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks from 2004 to 2010.  He made the playoffs in his final three seasons with the Hawks.  But he was fired after losing in the Conference Semifinals in the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons.  He also was a long time assistant under Larry Brown.  He was an assistant coach under Brown when the Pistons won the 2004 NBA Championship.  Woodson played collegiately at Indiana University under legendary coach Bob Knight.  He was the leading scorer on the Indiana team that won the 1979 NIT Championship.

Giants Dismantle Bears in 2nd Preseason Game

Posted by contributor123 on

Eli Manning may be an “elite quarterback” (his words, not mine), but the Giants’ starter was hardly the best QB for big blue in their preseason showdown with the Chicago Bears. Manning completed 8 out of 16 passes for 78 yards.

The star of the Giants’ air attack was former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr. Carr shined under the Monday Night Lights completing 9 out of 11 passes for 84 yards and 2 TDs. Jay Cutler was 12-for-21 with 171 yards through the air.

Although the Bears had 333 passing yards, it was the running game that sealed their fate. The Giants gained 218 yards on the ground while the Bears accumulated a mere 81 yards. Brandon Jacobs had 6 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown and Da’Rel Scott broke loose for a 97 yard touchdown run on his lone carry of the night. Danny Ware also contributed 23 yards and a touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants did not show their usual gusto, sacking Chicago quarterbacks only once. Chicago’s offensive line is among the worst in the league.

Mark Herzlich grabbed an interception late in the 4th quarter on the Giants’ 3 yard line to ensure the win for the home team. Herzlich, a Boston College grad is one of the true feel good stories in all of professional sports. He once was a standout linebacker for the Eagles of BC, until he was diagnosed with cancer.

After months of treatment and support, Herzlich was able to return to the college football field in his senior year. He was then given a chance by the New York Giants to showcase his abilities; he has certainly raised a few eyebrows among the Giants’ coaching staff.

On a gloomier note, Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas will most likely be out for the entire season after tearing his right ACL while rushing the quarterback. Thomas led the team in tackles and interceptions each of the last two years.

 Thomas is the third cornerback for the Giants to be severely injured. Bruce Johnson is sidelined for the season with a ruptured Achilles and rookie first round pick Prince Amukamara has broken his left foot. Amukamara is projected to be out of commission until midseason.

Drury Done

Posted by Tyler Murry on

On Friday, Chris Drury announced his retirement from the NHL after 12 seasons. Drury played 892 games and finished with 255 goals and 615 points.

Rangers GM Glen Slather had this to say about Drury’s career, “Throughout his career,Chris Drury was always a great competitor, a tremendous leader and teammate, and the heart and soul type of player that every team would love to have.”

He began his career in Colorado where he won the Stanley Cup and spent a brief time in Calgary before becoming a member of the Buffalo Sabres.  For the next three years Drury played for the Buffalo Sabres racking up points including a career high 69 points in his final season in Buffalo.  From there the veteren center played for the New York Rangers until his contract was bought out this offseason.

Eagles-Steelers Preseason Recap

Posted by contributor123 on

By: Chris Salerno

It was a rough night for the Philadelphia Eagles and their superstar quarterback Michael Vick in a 24-14 loss to the Steelers. Vick passed for a below average 5-for-12 with 3 passes being intercepted by the Steelers’ stellar defense and no touchdowns,  resulting in an abysmal 13.5 quarterback rating. Contrary to what occurred in the game on August 18, interceptions are not a familiar part of Vick’s game. Last year, he threw only 6 interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 100.2! That is the Michael Vick that Eagles fans expect to show up every game. Although this game was shaky, especially for Vick, there is little doubt in the minds of the coaching staff and the faithful Philly fans that the reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year is the one to lead their beloved Eagles back to the Super Bowl.

On the other hand, Vick’s counterpart Ben Roethlisberger had a terrific game. Big Ben went 8-for-12 passing for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns. Roethlisberger’s outstanding performance earned him a passer rating of 140.6. The two-time Super Bowl Champion did all of this damage to the defense and the ego of the Eagles in just one quarter of play.

A notable absence from the game was that of Philadelphia wide receiver and kick return specialist Jeremy Maclin. Maclin has not been to practice since training camp has started. The Eagles wide out had been repetitively stating that he was suffering from an “undisclosed illness” but consistently reassuring fans and coaches that this illness is not career threatening and that he plans to be ready to play for the team at the start of the regular season. The mystery surrounding Maclin’s condition has finally been solved. The Missouri University Alum had been undergoing tests due to a recent cancer scare. The test results were negative for Lymphoma and Maclin should be able to practice within 7-10 days from August 17. Maclin is a vital part of the Philadelphia offense that was 2nd in the NFL. Last year Maclin had 70 receptions for 964 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Possibly the most entertaining part of the night came from broadcaster Terry Bradshaw’s faux pas. Bradshaw mistakenly showed his lack of knowledge of our fine country’s geography. The former Pittsburgh Steeler was quoted saying “I was out of the country for a while, I was in Hawaii.” Bradshaw’s commentary partner Joe Buck quickly corrected him, but Bradshaw dug his hole a little deeper when he responded asking “When?”