ekansekans's blog: "df"

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa was taken off the ice on a stretcher and briefly hospitalized after being hit by Phoenixs Raffi Torres in the first period of Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series on Tuesday night. Antonio Smith Jersey . Hossa was near the boards at centre ice and had just turned and passed the puck when Torres left his skates and delivered a late shot with his shoulder that knocked Hossa to the ice. Hossa was down for about five minutes as medical personnel rushed immediately to his side, and then was taken off of the ice. It was the latest ugly incident in a young playoff season that has seen seven suspensions handed out in just over a week. Torres hit -- which will almost certainly be reviewed by the league -- was witnessed live by league commissioner Gary Bettman, who was in the stands for the game. Hossa, who led the Blackhawks with 77 points this season, was taken to the hospital and released Tuesday night, the Blackhawks said. He is expected to recover completely, but there is no timetable for his return. "After initial evaluation on the ice, (Hossa) was taken by ambulance to the hospital for further testing, which yielded encouraging results," team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in a statement given by the Blackhawks after Chicagos 3-2 overtime loss. "He has been released from the hospital and we are monitoring him closely at home." Torres said after the game that he hoped Hossa is all right, but added "as far as the hit goes, I felt like it was a hockey play. I was just trying to finish my hit out there." When asked if he felt he left his skates, Torres said "Im not going to answer that." He then left a scrum when asked if he thought he was going to be suspended. Seconds after the hit, Chicagos Brandon Bolig was given a 10-minute misconduct for roughing. Chicago coach Joel Quenneville could be looking at a fine from the league after he called out the officiating for not penalizing Torres. "I had a hard time, I saw exactly what happened," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "It was right in front of me all four (officials) missed it. "The refereeing tonight was a disgrace." Torres, who had run-ins with the Blackhawks previously while with Vancouver, wasnt penalized. Last season, in Game 3 of the first-round series, Torres delivered a hard hit to Brent Seabrook. "Its tough. You saw the hit," Chicagos Patrick Kane said between periods. "I think itll be reviewed by the league. Its just tough you dont get a power play out of it. Hossas a big part of our team so someones going to have to step up and fill the void." Coyotes coach Dave Tippett tried to downplay the incident after the game. "It looked to me like he was finishing his check but I havent looked at it in depth yet," he said. NHL players took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the latest controversial hit in these contentious playoffs. "Just witnessed another suspension in the Chicago Phoenix series....!," posted Dallas captain Brenden Morrow. Toronto forward Tyler Bozak posted: "Really hope Hossa is okay. Hate seeing stuff like that!" Player agent Allan Walsh added: "This has spiraled from out of control to total chaos. Do we really need a player to die on the ice for this insanity to stop?" -- With files from The Canadian Press. Shayne Graham Jersey . Sandoval, recovered from a hamstring strain, was 2 for 4 with a double in his third and final rehab game with Class A San Jose on Sunday. Hes hitting .299 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs with the parent club. Whitney Mercilus Jersey .J. -- The Super Bowl-champion New York Giants and two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora have ended their feud. http://www.shopnfltexansgear.com/andre-johnson-jersey/ . Born and raised in Weyburn, Sask., Labatte played his university football with the Regina Rams before beginning a four-year stint with the CFLs Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Red Owen Daniels Jersey .C. -- Jessica Shepley became the new torchbearer for Canadian womens golf Friday -- at least temporarily. Texans Kevin Walter Jersey . It turned out the same way it did a week earlier in Martinsville. When the Sprint Cup points leader finally climbed out of the cockpit of his No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet more than 30 minutes later Friday, after Brad Keselowski and the rest of the field failed to top his lap of 191.BOSTON -- Boston manager Bobby Valentine has been around long enough to understand how fiery second baseman Dustin Pedroia takes each at-bat. "Dustin is the most determined, talented player Ive ever seen," Valentine, in his first year with the Red Sox, said after Pedroias two-run homer broke a tie and helped Boston to a 7-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night. "He was upset after he left the runner on second (in his previous at-bat)," Valentine said. "I knew he was going to do something." Pedroia, the 2008 AL MVP, also finished with three RBIs to support Clay Buchholzs eight solid innings that carried Boston to its third straight win. With the game tied 2-all in the sixth, Pedroia homered into the first row of seats above the Green Monster after Crawford drew a leadoff walk. Buchholz (9-3) allowed two earned runs and five hits. He improved to 5-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his last eight starts. "Everything feels in synch right now," he said of his recent success. He not only feel like hes on a roll, but feels the team may be getting on a run, too. "Its pitching and hitting at the same time," he said. "Youve got to pitch and hit well to go on a streak like we need to go on." The Red Sox opened a 10-game homestand -- their longest of the season -- after taking the final two of three-game set at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. Will Middlebrooks had a two-run homer and Carl Crawford added an RBI triple for Boston. Austin Jackson began the game with a homer and Miguel Cabrera had an RBI single for the Tigers, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Max Scherzer (10-6) gave up five runs in 6 1-3 innings, striking out nine. "Obviously the pitch to Pedroia, I completely missed my spot," Scherzer said. "Thats whats frustrating -- when you dont execute pitches the way you want to and you get burned by it. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth." Tigers manager Jim Leyland felt Scherzer may have been too concerned with the speedy Crawford on first. "I think in that particular situation, to be honest with you -- I dont know this for a fact -- I think he was a little conscious of Crawford and maybe rushed it just a little bit and probably didnt get it exactly where he wanted to," he said. Detroit had taken a 1-0 lead when Jackson hit Buchholzs second pitch of the game into the first row of seats above the left-field wall. Quintin Berry folloowed with a double off the wall, but the right-hander retired the next three batters, grabbing Cabreras hard one-hop shot back to the mound for the first out before getting the next two easily. Donnie Jones Womens Jersey. Boston took a 2-1 edge in the bottom half. Jacoby Ellsbury drew a leadoff walk and scored on Crawford triples off the left-field wall. Crawford scored on Pedroias groundout. The Tigers tied it at 2 in the third. Omar Infante tripled off the left-field wall and scored on Cabreras single. But with the bases loaded, Delmon Young bounced into an inning-ending double play. Buchholz then retired the next nine batters before Detroit scored an unearned run in the seventh. Brennan Boesch opened the inning by striking out, but reached when catcher Kelly Shoppach had the ball get away from him and hit Boesch as he was running to first on the missed third strike. One out later, Alex Avila had an RBI double into the right-centre field gap, closing the score to 4-3. In the seventh, Ellsburys RBI single -- the last batter Scherzer faced -- came after Shoppach had his second career triple, sending a drive to the centre-field wall that caromed away from Jackson and rolled toward left. Scherzer was sharp after Bostons two-run first, holding the Red Sox to a pair of singles until Pedroias homer. Middlebrooks homered off reliever Phil Coke in the eighth. NOTES: Boston OF Ryan Sweeney left the game for a defensive replacement in the ninth inning. Valentine said he did something with his and hand and couldnt throw, but Sweeney said he "punched a door" and will have x-rays Tuesday. ... Leyland managed his 3,278th game, moving him into 15th place on the career list. ... With the non-waiver trading deadline approaching Tuesday, Valentine opened his pregame news conference by joking: "Ive been assured Im not going to be traded." ... Valentine also said DH David Ortiz, eligible to come off the 15-day DL after being sidelined with a strained right Achilles, was unable do some agility running over the weekend, but was "running in the pool" on Monday. "Hes not far away (from returning), but I dont know if Wednesdays the magical day," Valentine said. ... Shoppachs other triple came at Kansas City on May 7. ... A roar and chats "USA! USA!" were heard when the centre-field board showed the Olympic medal count. ... The Red Sox took three of four from the Tigers at Fenway Park in late May. ' ' '