Ovechkin leads Capitals to 6-0 start
NHL: Alex Ovechkin scored two goals and the Washington Capitals used a three-goal third period to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Thursday night at Philadelphia.
Ovechkin, the two-time league MVP, was off to a slow start with only one goal in the first five games. He ended that slump with goals in the first and third periods to lift the Capitals to a 6-0 start for the first time in team history. Washington had never started better than 4-0.
The Capitals stormed into Philadelphia and roughed-up Ilya Bryzgalov, scoring three goals in a 2:54 span in the third. The game was billed as a matchup between Bryzgalov and Washington’s Tomas Vokoun. The duel never materialized. Vokoun was nearly flawless after allowing Claude Giroux’s early goal in the first.
• Bruins triple up Toronto: Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin had a goal and two assists each and the Boston Bruins handed Toronto its first regulation loss, 6-2 at Boston.
The Stanley Cup champions scored two power-play goals, matching their total in the first six games of the season, and won for the second time in five games. It was just the second time in 41 regular-season games that they scored twice with a man advantage.
More games at risk after NBA talks stall
NBA: The breakdown of NBA labor talks in New York likely will force more games to be canceled after negotiations failed to yield a deal to end the lockout.
After 30 hours of negotiations over three days, the two sides remained divided over two main issues – the division of revenues and the structure of the salary cap system.
Union president Derek Fisher acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
“This is not in any way about ego,” he said. “There are a lot of people’s livelihoods at stake separate from us.”
Without a deal, NBA Commissioner David Stern must decide soon on the next round of cancellations. The season was supposed to begin Nov. 1, but all games through Nov. 14 – 100 in total – have been scrapped, costing players about $170 million in salaries.
Donald takes shot at tour money title
Golf: Luke Donald figured he might have to win at Disney to have his best shot at capturing the PGA Tour money title. He took a good step in the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with a 6-under-par 66 for a seven-way share of the lead.
Donald is playing the opening two rounds with Webb Simpson, whose runner-up finish last week at Sea Island gave him a $363,029 lead in the money list. Simpson also played bogey-free on the easier Palm course for a 68.
Spokane native Alex Prugh opened with a 76.
• Tseng takes lead in home event: Top-ranked Yani Tseng opened her home event with a 4-under 68 in front of a large gallery to join Japan’s Ai Miyazato atop the leaderboard in the LPGA Taiwan Championship at Yang Mei.
Americans Jennifer Song and Morgan Pressel and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist of Sweden opened with 69s. Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., was another two shots back
Former NFL players move to litigation
Football: After congressional hearings, increased media attention and revised rules, the NFL’s concussion saga has entered its next phase: litigation.
More than 125 former pro football players are suing the league – and, in most cases, helmet-maker Riddell – via at least five complaints brought in state or federal courts over the past few months and as recently as last week. They say the NFL should have done more to warn about the dangers of head injuries and should do more to help retired players.
“We’ve moved on from a debate about whether or not it’s really a problem – it’s clear it is – to the next question: What do we do about it?” said Richard Lewis, a lawyer representing players in a class-action suit filed in California state court.
• SWAC suspends 41 players: The Southwestern Athletic Conference suspended 41 players after a postgame fight between Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The conference announced the suspensions and undisclosed fines against the universities. Most of the suspensions were for one game, but eight players will miss two for using “excessive force.”
Red Bulls edge Union to claim playoff spot
MLS: The New York Red Bulls took advantage of an own goal in the eighth minute to beat the Philadelphia Union 1-0 at Harrison, N.J., clinching an MLS playoff spot.
New York (10-8-16) pulled into a tie with Houston and Colorado with 46 points for the eighth of 10 playoff spots.
U.S. gold-medal grab slows in Guadalajara
Pan American Games: Gold proved to be scarce for the United States at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
After days of winning title after title, the Americans stalled a bit on Day 6, earning only two gold medals – one in swimming and one in shooting.
American swimmer Elizabeth Pelton finished first in the women’s 200-meter backstroke.
In softball, the six-time defending champion Americans gave up five runs in the first inning but still beat Canada 12-5 to improve their record to 6-0.