srijeda, 30.03.2011.
Devils forward Parise close to return
New Jersey Devils left-winger Zach Parise practised again Tuesday without pain in his right knee, five months after surgery.
He had a rigorous 90-minute workout and skated freely with the Devils' third line. He's practised just three times since he was cleared to skate last month. He's not sure when he'll return to the ice after sitting out since Nov. 2 when he had surgery for a torn meniscus.
"I can't say one way or the other," Parise said. "It was nice to get another practice under my belt and it felt good to be out there."
Coach Jacques Lemaire said he liked the way Parise looked in practice.
"He's getting better and better," Lemaire said. "He looks fine and fit. He's been away for so long and he said he feels good after being back a week. Getting back to play will certainly give him confidence. It's always tough after a long injury."
Parise had three goals and three assists in 12 games before the injury on Oct. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings.
"I am adjusting to the pace better," Parise said. "I want to not worry about my knee and my timing. I want the injury to be the last thing on my mind. I don't want the knee to be in the way."
Parise said he's not thinking about his pending free agency as the season winds down.
"The contract is the least of my worries," he said. "I hope they're thinking of bringing me back. I'm not worried about long-term effects. It's all about my psyche and wanting to play again."
Parise said he hoped to hear about the team's decision on his playing status before the Devils host the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
"I would like to know today, so this way I'm not sitting around wondering," Parise said. "It's been three months and I knew it would be three months. I knew it would take a long time to heal, but I didn't think it would be this long."
Ilya Kovalchuk is expected back after missing Monday's practice with a bruised right foot and ankle. He took two shots to the feet in Saturday's 2-0 loss to Buffalo.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to play," Kovalchuk said. "I'm not even worried about it. I usually heal pretty quickly. Lucky for me there were no fractures."
The Devils are just about eliminated from the Eastern Conference race, falling 12 points behind Buffalo with seven games to play. Any combination of three Buffalo points or New Jersey lost points would knock the Devils from the playoffs for the first time since 1995-96.
The Devils went 10-29-2, then improved to 23-2-2 before losing five of their last six games.
"We're going to push until the last second of the last game," Kovalchuk said. "We have a lot of pride and have shown a lot of character to come back the way we did. We're going to push right until the end."
srijeda, 23.03.2011.
Kendrys Morales is set back by a new injury, will open season on the DL
Reporting from Tempe, Ariz. — The return of Angels first baseman Kendrys Morales, already clouded by his slower-than-anticipated recovery from a broken lower left leg, has been pushed back even further.
Morales has soreness in the ball of his left foot, an injury that is not directly related to his surgery to repair the broken leg but has slowed his rehabilitation from it.
Morales returned to Los Angeles on Monday to be examined by Dr. Phil Kwong, a foot and ankle specialist. An MRI test revealed no structural damage in the foot, but there is too much inflammation for Morales to resume his running program.
"He's still working through some flexibility issues with his ankle and foot, and until those are resolved he can't move forward," General Manager Tony Reagins said. "He's day to day right now."
The Angels expected Morales, who broke his leg while jumping on home plate after a game-winning home run last May 29, to be a "full go" for the start of spring training.
He has been a no-go. The switch-hitting slugger, who in 2009 hit .306 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in, has not played in an exhibition game this spring and will open the season on the disabled list.
He began running from home to first on March 15, but the pain in his foot, which may have been caused by ill-fitting spikes, prevented him from rounding the bases aggressively.
"Obviously, we'd prefer he was ready, but we understand the significance of the injury," Reagins said. "If we can be conservative and smart on the front end, hopefully it will benefit us in the long run."
The Angels are expected to open the season with Mark Trumbo at first. The rookie has had an excellent spring, entering Tuesday with a .340 average, five homers and 13 RBIs. But he also had 13 strikeouts and no walks in 47 at-bats, and he has only 15 at-bats in the big leagues.
"Spring training is spring training," Reagins said. "You still have to go out there and do it at the major league level, in season, but it's good to see what he's done in spring training."
Trumbo had 36 homers and 122 RBIs at triple-A Salt Lake last season, but having Morales in the middle of the lineup would give the Angels a much better chance of winning the American League West title.
"I'm real confident in saying he'll be back in relatively short order," Reagins said. "I'm not anticipating him being out for months."
Back on track
Dan Haren gave up eight runs in 6 2/3 innings, but the right-hander called Tuesday's 95-pitch outing against a Cubs triple-A team a huge step in the right direction.
"I felt really good; I left a lot of balls up, but my arm speed is finally back," Haren said. "That was the longest dead-arm period I've ever had. I haven't felt good since [a March 7 game in] Mesa.
"But it bounced back today, and I'm glad."
Pineiro update
Joel Pineiro, who left Sunday's triple-A start after two innings because of tightness in his right shoulder blade, will remain in Arizona after the Angels break camp. He will pitch in a minor league game March 30.
With two off days in the first week of the regular season, the Angels won't need a fifth starter until April 10, so they could open the season with Pineiro on the DL and carry an extra reliever or position player.
srijeda, 16.03.2011.
Thrashers and Devils look to remain in playoff conversation
When the Atlanta Thrashers take on the Devils up in New Jersey tonight, both teams will be looking to keep themselves within mentioning distance of the eighth and final playoff spot. Currently the Thrashers are tied with the Toronto Maple Leaves at 70 points…thanks to the Lightning’s 6-2 win in Toronto last night. Both trail the ninth-place Carolina Hurricanes by two points and the Rangers and Sabres, who occupy the last two postseason slots, by six.
Atlanta does have one more game remaining than do the Leafs and the Devils will be looking to move into a three-way tie.
Even with their current winning ways, New Jersey has had a tough time making up ground in the race recently. Even though they’ve gone 7-2 in their past nine games, they have only been able to go from 10 points out of a playoff spot to 8 in that time.
For their part, the Thrashers have netted 7 of a possible 8 points during their last four games…all of which have required overtime to settle. The lone loss during that time came last Friday when Travis Zajac’s OT tally allowed the Devils to escape Atlanta with two points.
But both they and the Thrashers know that procuring these important 2 points is vital.
Consider that on top of all the other games involving teams close to these two teams in the standings, the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes are paired up with each other tonight while the Canes will host the Maple Leafs tomorrow evening. So there are going to be points doled to those we are competing with to remain viable playoff contenders.
We can only hope that those games don’t require overtime.
Because of that, winning tonight doesn’t guarantee climbing a notch on the playoff ladder…it’ll simply keep them in the discussion. But losing, especially in regulation, will deal one of these two teams a serious blow to their chances.
“We have to win”, defenseman Ron Hainsey stated regarding the Thrashers situation. “The position we’re in, we have to win a large majority, probably .800. If we get a stretch where we don’t get wins in two or three in a row, that’ll probably be the end of us.”
“As long as we keep winning, we’ll be in the conversation.”
Following tonight’s battle with the Devils, the Thrashers will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Flyers in town. One can expect they’ll have the events of last Saturday night still in mind as they pay Thrasherville a call and will look to exact a certain measure of revenge.
Then it’ll be off to Buffalo for a tilt with the Sabres before a four day break between games.
Whether or not the Thrashers will still be mentioned then on the NHL talking heads shows when they break down the playoff picture will depend a lot on how they do this week.
četvrtak, 10.03.2011.
Soccer club planning to buy Bavarian Inn property
The Bavarian Soccer Club plans to buy a 14-acre property that includes Glendale's Bavarian Inn restaurant, leading the City of Glendale to drop a similar purchase plan, City Administrator Richard Maslowski said Wednesday.
The soccer club is one of five German culture clubs that make up United German Societies, which owns the Bavarian Inn as well as Old Heidelberg Park and some adjacent soccer fields.
The soccer club will create a new business plan for the Bavarian Inn, which has seen a decline in business in recent years, said Cathy Shaw, club president. She said the club plans to maintain the park, which hosts an annual Oktoberfest, and the soccer fields.
The purchase is scheduled to close Friday.
In February, the Glendale Common Council voted unanimously to authorize a negotiated purchase agreement.
The council wanted to prevent the property, which is west of I-43 and north of W. Lexington Blvd., from being sold at a March 14 sheriff's auction. That sale was set to satisfy a $1.2 million foreclosure judgment owed to Mitchell Bank by Deutsches Land Inc., an affiliate of United German Societies.
A foreclosure sale could put the property in the control of a development firm, which could replace the current uses with new residential and commercial buildings, Maslowski said.
City officials want to ensure that the soccer fields and park are maintained as community amenities, Maslowski said.
Since then, city officials have met with Bavarian Soccer Club officials and the club's financial backers, and believe the club's plan to buy and maintain the property will be successful, Maslowski said.
The Bavarian Inn has scaled back its operations over the past two years. It's now open on just Tuesday and Friday nights, along with being available for wedding receptions and other special events.
The restaurant will be open to the general public Friday, and for a private event on Saturday, said John Klingseisen, president of the United German Societies board of directors. But the fate of the business after those days will depend in part on whether the soccer club is able to complete its purchase, he said.
The Bavarian Inn has faced higher expenses, including a long court battle with Glendale over its property taxes.
In 1999, the state Supreme Court denied tax-exempt status for the property and ruled that tax-exempt groups must prove their properties are used for benevolent purposes. Glendale officials say much of the Deutsches Land property is used for a business purpose through the operation of the Bavarian Inn, which includes a bar and banquet facilities.
srijeda, 02.03.2011.
NEPD Radio: Colin Kaepernick
Over 3000 yards passing and 1000 yards rushing from a high-powered “Pistol” offense will get you noticed by a lot of NFL teams. Back that up by showing teams some pocket presence and an arm with so much promise that we are having trouble deciding whether to call it a “laser” or a “cannon” and you have yourself a fast-rising prospect.
We’ll have the privilege of chatting with that player Tuesday night at 6pm, when former Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick will be joining NEPD Radio.
If you have any questions for Colin, leave them below in the comments section and we’ll try and work them in on air.
Also on the docket, we’ll be getting in the Valentine’s Day mood and discussing other prospects that we love – including the afore-mentioned Kaepernick, a Big 12 defensive back, an SEC lineman, and more.
