This week’s best and worst around the NHLThis week’s best and worst around the NHL
Vladimir Tarasenko had a monster game in the Blues’ victory over the Oilers, nearly pulling off a double Gordie Howe hat trick.
Day: November 25, 2017
Best and Worst of the Week: Tavares, Tarasenko and the softest goal of the yearBest and Worst of the Week: Tavares, Tarasenko and the softest goal of the year
Here are some of the best and worst highlights of the week from across the NHL.
McLaughlin’s maiden Supercars title loomsMcLaughlin’s maiden Supercars title looms
Ford star Scott McLaughlin is poised to be crowned Supercars champion for the first time at the season finale in Newcastle.
Mariners set to make best pitch for OhtaniMariners set to make best pitch for Ohtani
Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto, debuting a new weekly podcast with club broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith, made no effort to hide his team’s eagerness to recruit Shohei Ohtani now that there’s a posting process in place to allow the Japanese two-way star to pursue a Major League career.
Bottas determined to convert pole after Brazil defeatBottas determined to convert pole after Brazil defeat
Valtteri Bottas is determined to convert pole position into victory in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, having failed to do so a fortnight ago in Brazil.
Oft-overlooked Simmons has case for HallOft-overlooked Simmons has case for Hall
Ted Simmons is probably the most surprising player on this year’s Modern Era Committee Hall of Fame ballot, but not because he lacks a worthy resume. There’s a good argument for him, but he is the only player on the ballot who got almost no support from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Day takes Australian Open leadDay takes Australian Open lead
SYDNEY — Jason Day is prepared for a pressure-filled final round at the Australian Open on Sunday. Day moved into position for his first Australian Open title after shooting a 2-under 69 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead. Jordan Spieth didn’t move up the leaderboard much after a 70 but still feels he still has a chance to win his third title Down Under. Day, making his first appearance back home since 2013, birdied the 18th for a 54-hole total of 203, 10-under par, after a tough, windy day that made low scoring difficult. He’s expecting more of the same on Sunday. “It’s going to be just as tough, or if not tougher,” Day said. “So a lot more patience and hopefully I can pull through with a win.” Day has a strong recent record of converting 54-hole leads into victories on the PGA TOUR. He’s six for 13, but he’s converted five of his past six, including the 2015 PGA Championship. Second-round leader Lucas Herbert was in second place after a 71. Jonas Blixt of Sweden shot 66 to move into a third-place tie with Australian Matt Jones (68), three behind Day. Herbert had a two-stroke lead over Day, but on the par-3, 172-meter 11th, he pulled his tee shot into thick native bushes. He and spectators searched but couldn’t find his ball, so Herbert jogged back to the tee to hit his third shot, eventually making a double-bogey 5 to fall level with Day. “I was actually really happy to make three with the second ball,” Herbert said. “I tried not to get too stressed about that and just make some more good swings coming in.” Day, who hit only three of seven fairways on his even-par front nine, was in trouble off the first tee when he pushed his shot into the woodchips and trees. But he made a remarkable shot — between two trees and over another — and was just in front of the green for his third shot. He pitched to about five feet and made the putt for par. “I think anything in the 60s tomorrow will seal the deal,” said Day. “I just need to focus on the golf course and not do anything too crazy.” Defending champion Spieth left himself a daunting task, sitting eight strokes behind Day. Spieth bogeyed the fourth hole after three pars to open his round. He got that shot back with a birdie on the par-4 sixth, then needed putts of 12 feet and three feet to save par on the next two holes. He hit wayward tee shots on the final three holes of the front nine, bogeying the ninth for a 1-over 36. On the back, he birdied the par-5 14th to get back to even par on the day, then added a tap-in birdie on the 18th. When Spieth won his first Australian Open in 2014, he shot a then-course record 63 in the final round at The Australian to win by six shots. “Yeah, that’s what we need,” Spieth said. “We need 8-under; that would probably be enough given the conditions for tomorrow, may not even need that much but it’s going to be so difficult tomorrow that I’ll go out and try and get under par early and just see what the golf course gets to.” Spieth said six strokes was the largest deficit he’d made up in the final round of a tournament as a professional. “So, if there’s any place to come from way behind, it’s here, from where I’ve seen,” he said. “Tomorrow’s going to be a grind for the leaders, going off even later. If I can sneak a few breaks in, get a couple of long putts to go or chip in or something like that. I’m going to have to have some magic.”
Day takes lead at Australian OpenDay takes lead at Australian Open
SYDNEY, Australia – It took three rounds – and doesn’t include Jordan Spieth – but a PGA TOUR experienced crew have taken the Australian Open by the scruff of the neck. Four of the top five players on the leaderboard are regulars and winners on the TOUR, headed by local favorite Jason Day who leads at 10-under. Day has won 10 times on the PGA TOUR but has never won his national Open. The last time he visited his home shores he won the World Cup with Adam Scott in 2013 and his Aussie fans have been begging for an opportunity such as this for the last four years. He may never get a better opportunity than this to carve his name into the Stonehaven Cup, which already has legends of golf including Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, Tom Watson, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth adorned on it. “You can look at the names on the Cup, a lot of Hall of Fame members, a lot of great players, a lot of future Hall of Fame members,â€� Day said. “It would be nice to add my name to that list as well, but the hardest thing for me, you don’t want to get ahead of yourself and it’s easy tonight be able to think about the possibility of holding the Stonehaven Cup for the first time. “I don’t want to win it just once, I’d like to come back and win it multiple times.â€� Young Aussie Lucas Herbert is the outlier at 9-under before the hunting TOUR level pack begins. Former Houston Open winner Matt Jones, who also won the Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club two years ago, sits tied third with three-time TOUR winner Jonas Blixt at 7-under. Jones is a member at The Australian and grew up on the course. “I think anyone that plays a golf course for years and years is going to have an advantage, just knowing where to miss shots and how to manage the course would be an advantage for me,â€� he said ahead of his Sunday chase. “Jason’s a world class player, former No. 1 in the world. He’d be the favourite to win but we’ve seen many upsets before and as long as I manage my game and give myself birdie opportunities, anything to happen.â€� Blixt’s teammate in his 2017 Zurich Classic win, Australian Cameron Smith, is fifth at 6-under. He is hoping to draw on the experience of an epic final round and playoff battle with Scott Brown and Kevin Kisner when chasing Day down. “Zurich was probably one of the best experiences of my life as far as getting in the moment and being in contention,â€� Smith, who has finished inside the top-5 of his two PGA TOUR starts this season, said. “I think that will help me heaps tomorrow, obviously been there and doing it on the big circuit is a big help.â€� For the record, defending champion Spieth sits eight shots back. He hasn’t given up hope but knows it’s an extreme long shot. He is expecting high winds like in 2014 when he blitzed the final round field with an 8-under 63 to win the title. “We need 8-under; that would probably be enough given the conditions for tomorrow, may not even need that much but it’s going to be so difficult tomorrow that I’ll go out and try and get under par early and just see what the golf course gets to,â€� Spieth said. Despite the quality of the chasing pack, Day remains the prohibitive favorite. He hasn’t won since his 2016 PLAYERS Championship triumph, which at the time was an eighth TOUR win in 17 starts. On the TOUR he has converted six of 13 54-hole leads, including five of his last six. But despite his clear experience advantage, he expects to feel the butterflies in the stomach Sunday. His win drought is similar to the ones faced by Rory McIlroy (2013) and Jordan Spieth (2014) before they won in Australia. They then followed the drought-breaker with stellar multiple major winning seasons. “I know it’s going to be a very difficult day tomorrow with regard to what we’re going to have out there, the pressure, the wind, the fans, the media and everything out there,â€� Day said. “It’s been a while since I’ve won, so obviously everyone’s going to be nervous out there. “But it’s a good nervous; without nerves you don’t get in the zone and without being in the zone, you don’t shoot the scores that you can shoot. “I’m going to enjoy the challenge of trying to win again tomorrow and it’s going to be a lot of fun getting out there and playing against these guys out there.â€�
Vettel: Gap to Mercedes bigger than expectedVettel: Gap to Mercedes bigger than expected
Sebastian Vettel was left surprised by the gap to Mercedes in qualifying as he settled for third on the grid for 2017’s finale.