Denver Avalanche defenseman Jordan Leopold will have wrist surgery and be sidelined about two months. The team said Friday that Leopold was hurt in the third period of Colorado’s 4-2 victory over the Oilers in Edmonton on Tuesday night. He fractured his wrist in February, his third significant injury last season.
Dan Ellis went more than three years between NHL starts. He probably won’t have to wait nearly as long for his next one. Ellis stopped 20 shots for his first career shutout, helping the Nashville Predators snap a six-game losing streak and beat the Atlanta Thrashers 3-0 Thursday night. Jordin Tootoo and Jerred Smithson scored for Nashville, which was one loss from tying a franchise record.
Dan Ellis went more than three years between NHL starts. He probably won’t have to wait nearly as long for his next one. Ellis stopped 20 shots for his first career shutout, helping the Nashville Predators snap a six-game losing streak and beat the Atlanta Thrashers 3-0 Thursday night. Jordin Tootoo and Jerred Smithson scored for Nashville, which was one loss from tying a franchise record.
It was the type of move a player usually tries late in a long practice. The right situation presented itself in a game for Columbus’ Rick Nash, however, and it will undoubtedly be a staple on all the highlight shows. Nash scored in his fifth straight game, this one an almost indescribable goal on a shot between his legs, and the Blue Jackets beat the St.
The Colorado Rockies hope a one-mile increase in altitude will make a world of difference. The Boston Red Sox are on a high, and it’s not just because of their 2-0 World Series lead. After filtering out of Fenway in the dead of night, they arrived at their hotel at 5 a.m. Friday and eight hours later were at Coors Field, checking out the dry, thin air of a ballpark as unique as the one off Kenmore…
Daisuke Matsuzaka drew the huge contract and all the attention. Josh Fogg took a more plodding path to the World Series. Still, anyone who’s been watching the postseason knows this: Fogg is the guy baffling batters while Dice-K has struggled to justify his hype. They’ll match up Saturday night in Game 3 at hitter-friendly Coors Field, with the Boston Red Sox holding a 2-0 edge over Fogg and the…
Asked about his team’s batting woes in the World Series, Kaz Matsui turned philosophical. “Hitting,” he said Friday through a translator, “isn’t an absolute science. Sometimes, we can hit. Sometimes, we can’t.” Right now, the Colorado Rockies are leaning more toward can’t. Colorado led the NL with a .280 batting average, but have managed just two runs in losing the first two games to Boston.
The Giles brothers reunion with their hometown San Diego Padres lasted only one season. Second baseman Marcus Giles, the younger brother of right fielder Brian Giles, was put on waivers Friday. The Padres owe Marcus a $500,000 buyout of his $4 million option. Giles opened as the Padres’ leadoff hitter but began slumping in May.
The New York Yankees are trying to set up a meeting with Alex Rodriguez while they work on picking a manager. Rodriguez has until the 10th day following the World Series to decide whether to opt out of his record $252 million, 10-year contract and become a free agent. The Yankees plan to offer him an extension and say they would drop out of talks if A-Rod opts out.
The Dodgers may return to the Los Angeles Coliseum, site of “Moon Shots,” for one game next season. If it works out, the game will be part of the team’s 50th anniversary in Los Angeles. “We’re just hoping to add it to a list of things we want to do to celebrate,” Dodgers spokeswoman Camille Johnston said Friday.
