Sports Radio 1400 WSJM @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Thursday, November 05, 2015
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
St. Louis Blues 6, Chicago Blackhawks 5 – OT
Blues 6, Blackhawks 5 – OT – Tarasenko scores in OT to lift Blues past Blackhawks, 6-5
Vladimir Tarasenko scored at 3:54 of a whistle-free overtime to give the St. Louis Blues a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Tarasenko, who also had an assist, beat Corey Crawford on the glove side from the slot for his seventh goal after taking a nifty behind-the-back centering pass from Alex Pietrangelo. Alexander Steen scored twice goals, and Robby Fabbri, Jay Bouwmeester and David Backes each had a goal and an assist in regulation for St. Louis, which allowed more than three goals for the first time this season. Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw each had a goal and an assist and Marko Dano, recalled from the minors on Monday, got his first goal to help the Blackhawks take a 5-2 lead after one period.
NHL – More details released about new Red Wings arena
Details about how fans will experience a new Detroit Red Wings hockey arena are being released. Olympia Entertainment says Wednesday that the 20,000-seat arena will include “gondola seating” suspended over the event level, a public plaza with a big video wall and ice for practice and amateur hockey. These and other so-called enhancements will cost $95 million. Construction is on target for a September 2017 opening, with mass excavation and deep foundations already completed. The $627 million arena is being called the “Detroit Events Center” during construction and will host other events. The Wings currently play at Joe Louis Arena, which opened in 1979. The new arena is part of a broader entertainment district being built north of downtown.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
Oklahoma City Thunder at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.
NFL – National Football League – Week 9
Tonight
Cleveland Browns (2-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-0), 8:25 p.m. WSJM-AM 8:00
NFL – Lions put LB DeAndre Levy on injured reserve
The Detroit Lions have put linebacker DeAndre Levy on injured reserve after he was limited to one game this season because of hip trouble. Levy had 117 solo tackles last season for the Lions. His contract was supposed to expire at the end of this season, but the team agreed to a four-year extension with him in August. He has had almost no impact in 2015, thought, and a Detroit team that lost Ndamukong Suh to free agency has flopped to a 1-7 record. The Lions signed linebacker James-Michael Johnson, who played two games for Jacksonville this season and one for Tampa Bay.
NFL – Johnny Football to start for Browns
Quarterback Johnny Manziel is getting another chance to start for the Cleveland Browns, and it will be against a familiar opponent. Manziel will play Thursday against Cincinnati while Josh McCown sits out with a sore shoulder and injured ribs. In his first NFL start last season, Manziel was chased, sacked, intercepted and taunted by the Bengals in a 30-0 embarrassment. This will be the second start this season for Manziel, who won against Tennessee in Week 2.
NCAA Basketball – Michigan extends Beilein’s contract through 2020-21
Michigan has extended John Beilein’s contract another two years, giving the basketball coach a deal that now lasts through the 2020-21 season. The school announced the extension Wednesday. The 25th-ranked Wolverines open the season next week against Northern Michigan. Michigan says Beilein’s annual compensation will increase to $3.37 million, including $1.5 million in separate deferred payments. Two years ago, following the Wolverines’ Final Four run, Michigan extended Beilein’s deal through 2018-19, giving him $2.45 million a year in total compensation. The 62-year-old Beilein is entering his ninth season at Michigan. He has led the Wolverines to two Big Ten titles.
MLB – White Sox decline option on shortstop Alexei Ramirez
The White Sox have declined a $10 million option on shortstop Alexei Ramirez and owe the former All-Star a $1 million buyout. Ramirez has played his entire career with Chicago after leaving Cuba and is a .273 hitter with 109 homers and 542 RBIs in eight seasons. He was an AL All-Star in 2014 but batted a career-low .249 this year with 10 homers and 62 RBIs.
MLB – Greinke leaves $71 million on the table
One of the National League’s top pitchers has put himself on the market. Zack Greinke has opted out of the final three years of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up a guaranteed $71 million to become a free agent again. The 32-year-old right-hander was 19-3 with a major league-best 1.66 ERA this season, striking out 200 in 222 2/3 innings. Greinke left the Angels at the end of the 2012 season and signed a $147 million, six-year contract with the Dodgers. He helped the Dodgers win three straight NL West titles but they failed to reach the World Series. The Dodgers are expected to give him a tender offer on Friday, which Greinke likely will reject. However, the move would give the team a first-round draft pick should Greinke sign elsewhere.
NCAA Football –Mid American Conference Thursday Football
Tonight
Ball State at Western Michigan, 7:30 p.m.
ECHL – East Coast Hockey League
Yesterday
Adirondack Thunder 3, Kalamazoo Wings 2 – OT
MHSAA – Kysre Gondrezick Chooses U of M
Benton Harbor Girls’ Basketball senior guard Kysre Gondrezick officially announced Wednesday afternoon that she will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall to play for the Wolverines. Kysre narrowed her final decision down to Michigan, Notre Dame, Louisville, Maryland, and Baylor. As for choosing U of M, she said “You can look at the other colleges I have listed, many of them are at a high elite level on a basketball aspect, but the question was, what can you do for me after I graduate.” Kysre finished her junior season with 1,976 career points. She enters her senior season as the #1 ranked player in the state of Michigan and #13 ranked senior in the nation. As for making the decision now, before the season started, she says she now doesn’t have to worry about who is in the stands watching and she can just play and be herself. Kysre’s sister Kalabrya is a freshman at Michigan State. As for playing against her rather than with her, Kysre said “It’s going to be so different, at the same time, although she’s my sister, I’m going to look at her like any other opponent.” Kysre currently holds a 4.32 grade point average at Benton Harbor. She plans on majoring in Communications and Broadcasting at Michigan.
MHSAA – High School Sports
VOLLEYBALL – DISTRICTS
Last Night
Class A at Niles
Mattawan 3, Portage Northern 0
Portage Central 3, Kalamazoo Central 0
Class B
Lakeshore 3, Coloma 0 at Berrien Springs
Buchanan 3, Dowagiac 0 at Berrien Springs
Coldwater 3, Vicksburg 0 at Paw Paw
Paw Paw 3, Three Rivers 0 at Paw Paw
Class C at Eau Claire
Cassopolis 3, Brandywine 1
Bridgman 3, New Buffalo 0
Class D at Lake Michigan Catholic
Lake Michigan Catholic 3, Michigan Lutheran 2
Lawrence 3, River Valley 0
Tonight
Class B at Plainwell (Semifinals)
South Haven vs. Allegan, 5:00 p.m.
Otsego vs. Plainwell, 7:00 p.m.
Class B at Berrien Springs (Finals)
Buchanan vs. Lakeshore, 6:00 p.m.
Class B at Paw Paw (Finals)
Coldwater vs. Paw Paw, 6:00 p.m.
Class C at Eau Claire (Finals)
Cassopolis vs. Bridgman, 7:00 p.m.
Class D at Lake Michigan Catholic (Finals)
Lake Michigan Catholic vs. Lawrence, 7:00 p.m.