CNOTES 2024 2025 NHL NEWS BEST BETS AND OPINION !

[Cnotes53]

Sunday’s 6-pack:
Teams who get highest %age of their points on foul shots:
26.6%— Cal State-Fullerton (6-18)
26%— Charlotte (9-15)
25.2%— Cal-Davis (13-10)
25.2%— Tarleton State (10-15)
24.6%— Temple (14-9)
24.5%— Grand Canyon (17-6)

Quote of the Day
“I remember saying, ‘Patrick, there is no future in football. You are a baseball player.’ Man, am I glad he didn’t listen to me.”
Alex Rodriguez, who advised Patrick Mahomes to play baseball instead of football.

Sunday’s quiz
How many NFL teams have never played in a Super Bowl?

Saturday’s quiz
Hubie Brown went 121-72 coaching the Kentucky Colonels in the last two years of the ABA.

Friday’s quiz
2019-20 was the last time the Golden State Warriors finished a season under .500; they went 15-50 that year, but won their 4th championship in eight years in 2022.

**************************************

Sunday’s Den: Wrapping a full day of college basketball​

Two quick notes:
Top two teams in the college basketball top 25 lost Saturday
Sunday is Saquon Barkley’s 28th birthday.

— SEC
Florida 90, Auburn 81
Gators shot 58.1% inside the arc.
Auburn led 15-5 early, but trailed 48-38 at halftime.
Loss snaps Auburn’s 14-game winning streak.

Mississippi State 76, Georgia 75
Miss State survived going 6-18 on the foul line. 6 for 18. Oy.
Miss State came into the game on a 2-5 skid.
Miss State shot 68.4% inside the arc.

Ole Miss 72, LSU 70
Rebels outscored LSU 13-0 over the last 3:15 of this game.
LSU was 12-25 on foul line, Ole Miss 20-29.
Bitter loss was LSU’s sixth in a row.
Auburn/Alabama are tied for first, two games ahead of Florida/Texas A&M
Bracketology has 13 SEC teams in the NCAA tournament.

— ACC
Clemson 77, Duke 71
Duke led 41-35 at halftime.
Duke’s star Flagg was only 6-17 from the floor.
Clemson shot 58.8% inside the arc.
It was very excellent that 85-year old Dick Vitale was one of the TV analysts for this game; it was the first TV appearance in two years for the coach Vitale. Glad he is feeling better.

Syracuse 95, Boston College 86, 3 OT’s
Really bad beat if you had Boston College +6.5
BC led by seven points in the second OT.
Syracuse led by 11 with 12:12 left in the game.
12-1 Duke leads Louisville/Clemson by a game atop the ACC.
Bracketology has four ACC teams in the NCAA tournament.

— Big X
Arizona 82, Texas Tech 73
Texas Tech shot only 37.7% from the floor.
Arizona out-rebounded the Red Raiders, 42-29.
Arizona played only 7 guys; their two subs both scored 15 points.

Kansas State 81, Kansas 73
Third straight year the Jayhawks lost in the Little Apple.
Kansas is 3-5 in its last eight games; they’re only 7-5 in Big X.
K-State shot 56.4% inside the arc.
Arizona/Houston are tied for first place, two games ahead of Texas Tech.
Bracketology has eight Big X teams in the NCAA tournament.

— Big 18
Michigan State 86, Oregon 74
Tom Izzo won his 353rd Big 18 game, tied for the most ever.
Ducks led 50-36 at halftime.
Oregon has lost five in a row, after a 16-3 start.

Michigan 70. Indiana 67
Wolverines won their 4th game in a row, all by 4 or fewer points.
Michigan led this game 43-27 at halftime.
Wolverines shot 57.6% inside the arc.
11-2 Purdue leads Michigan/Michigan State by a half-game atop the Big 18.
Bracketology has ten Big 18 teams in the NCAA tournament.

— Upsets of the Day:
Stony Brook (+12.5) 80, Hofstra 75
Niagara (+11.5) 76, Quinnipiac 75
Virginia Tech (+9.5) 65, Notre Dame 63
Florida (+8.5) 90, Auburn 81
Louisiana (+8.5) 66, Northern Illinois 64
Clemson (+7.5) 77, Duke 71
Hampton (+5.5) 84, Northeastern 75
Cal Baptist (+5.5) 85, Grand Canyon 71
Appalachian State (+4.5) 72, Ohio U 59

— Big East
Creighton 77, Marquette 67
Bluejays won their ninth game in a row.
Creighton shot 69.6% inside the arc.
Marquette has lost three games in row, for first time in three years,

Butler 82, Providence 81
Butler led by 13 with 9:2 left, hung on for dear life.
Bulldogs won consecutive games for first time since December 3rd.
Providence lost its last three games, giving up 76.7 ppg.
12-1 St John’s leads Creighton by a game atop the Big East standings.
Bracketology has four Big East teams in the NCAA tournament.

— Missouri Valley
Drake 85, Indiana State 81 OT
Drake led 49-33 with 14:58 left in the game.
Drake has won 10 in a row, is 12-2 in the MVC.
Bulldogs are 3-0 in overtime games this season.

Northern Iowa 68, Illinois State 65
Illinois State led by 8 with 4:21 left in the game.
Panthers shot 62.2% inside the arc.
Northern Iowa won five of its last six games.
12-2 Drake leads Northern Iowa by two games in the MVC.

— Conference USA
Jacksonville State 85, Western Kentucky 83
Hilltoppers led 35-16 midway thru the first half.
WKU shot 12-24 on the arc; Jax State shot 60% inside the arc.
Gamecocks won their eighth game in a row.
9-2 Jacksonville State leads Liberty/Middle Tennessee by two games.

— Summit
Omaha 85, North Dakota 74
Mavericks have won 11 of their last 12 D-I games.
Omaha shot 15-28 on the arc, North Dakota 14-33.

St Thomas 79, Denver 76
Denver led by 7 with 6:47 left in the game.
Tommies shot 60% inside arc, 9-17 on arc, scored 1.23 points/possession.
St Thomas won nine of its last 11 games.
10-1 Omaha leads St Thomas by a game atop Summit standings.

— West Coast
Washington State 87, Pepperdine 86
Pepperdine led by 12 with 6:17 left, by 7 with 1:30 left.
Coogs’ win snaps their five-game losing skid.
Wazzu shot 57.1% inside the arc.

Saint Mary’s 63, Oregon State 49
Oregon State shot 36.5% from the floor.
Saint Mary’s shot 60.6% inside the arc.
Oregon State has players from nine different countries.
Saint Mary’s leads Gonzaga/San Francisco by two games.

— Famous birthdays, February 9th:
Joe Pesci, 82
Jim Nash, 80
Judith Light, 76
Danny White, 73
Mookie Wilson, 69
John Kruk, 64
Todd Lyght, 56
Vladimir Guerrero Sr, 50
Jameer Nelson, 43
Saquon Barkley, 28
Cobie Durant, 27
Logan O’Hoppe, 25

— Ivy League
Yale 103, Cornell 88
Bulldogs ended first half on a 14-0 run.
Yale led 54-44 at halftime
Yale shot 69.8% inside arc, scored a ridiculous 1.37 points/possession.
Yale leads Cornell/Princeton by two games. Dartmouth is in 4th place; top four teams get in the conference tournament.

— Big West
Cal-San Diego 85, Cal-Irvine 67
Tritons shot 16-31 on the arc, scored 1.23 points/possession.
Irvine turned ball over 18 times (minus-6)
Anteaters were 23-28 on foul line, UCSD 11-14.
These teams are both 10-2, two games ahead of Northridge/Riverside.

— Southern
East Tennessee State 66, Samford 59
Both teams took more 3’s than 2’s.
ETSU was 21-27 on foul line; Samford was 9-18.

UNC-Greensboro/Samford/Chattanooga are tied for first, a game ahead of ETSU. This conference tournament should be excellent.

— MAC/Sun Belt had a two-day challenge this season, with total of 24 games played between the two leagues. Nothing was decided; each league won 12 of the games.

Kent State 76, Arkansas State 75
Ark State led by 5 with 4:37 left to play.
Kent was 25-28 on foul line. Red Wolves 15-18.
Ark State lost its second game in a row, after a 7-0 run.

Toledo 72, James Madison 69
JMU led 32-16 midway thru the first half.
Dukes lost despite shooting 13-24 on the arc.
Toledo has won five in row, nine of last 11 games.

 

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, February 9

NHL

Sunday, February 9

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Trend Report
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Utah vs Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games
Utah is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Washington's last 22 games when playing at home against Utah

Tampa Bay vs Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Montreal
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Montreal is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay


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[Cnotes53]

Monday’s 6-pack:
All-time passing yardage leaders for the Philadelphia Eagles:
32,873— Donovan McNabb
26,963— Ron Jaworski
22,877— Randall Cunningham
16,811— Carson Wentz
15,672— Norm Snead
14,667— Jalen Hurts

Quote of the Day
“Guys it’s been hard, but I got a lot of love and a lot of people believing in me. I’m happy to be here.”
Former NFL WR Randy Moss, who was back on TV Sunday after missing two months because he was getting treatments to battle cancer

Monday’s quiz
When ABA folded after the 1975-76 season, which four teams got absorbed into the NBA?

Sunday’s quiz
Four NFL teams have never played in a Super Bowl; Browns, Lions, Texans, Jaguars.

Saturday’s quiz
Hubie Brown went 121-72 coaching the Kentucky Colonels in the last two years of the ABA.

**************************************

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a less-than-Super Sunday​

— Eagles 40, Chiefs 22
Chiefs in first half: 20 plays, 13 yards, trailed 24-0 at halftime
Eagles in first half: 40 plays, 187 yards, plus a pick-6 by the defense.
QB Hurts threw for 221 yards, ran for 72 more.
Eagles will be the home team on Thursday night in Week 1 next season.
Teams with a pick-6 in the Super Bowl are now 13-1.

— So it turns out that Division II college basketball must be pretty good; there are two teams, Drake and Cal-San Diego, who are 22-2 and 20-4 this year; their rotations are stocked mainly with guys who were playing Division II ball last year.
Go figure.

— Bucks 135, 76ers 127— Sunday was the last game on TV for 91-year old Hubie Brown, who was an outstanding coach and an even better broadcaster.40 years ago, I met coach Brown when he was coaching the Knicks- they played an exhibition game in Glens Falls, about an hour north of where I live. Knicks-Bulls; Chicago had a rookie named Jordan, who turned out to be a pretty good player.

The day of the game, a Monday, friend of mine and I drove to Glens Falls and went into the Civic Center, where the Knicks were having their walk-through. We went down and sat on the bench and watched the practice- no one stopped us or threw us out.
After the practice, I talked to coach Brown for a few minutes about basketball statistics; I was an assistant high school coach at the time, dealing in analytics before analytics was a thing.

He was great to talk to and for decades after that, he was great to listen to. Learned a ton about basketball from listening to him. He will be missed on TV.

— Hubie Brown won an ABA championship coaching the Kentucky Colonels in 1975, the 2nd-to-last year of the ABA. Back then, ABA teams played an 84-game regular season schedule, with a 10-man roster. Lot of three games in four nights, not much load management in the ABA.

— Mike Woodson is out as Indiana’s basketball coach; Hoosiers are 14-10, 5-8 this season, after they went 63-40, 31-29 in Woodson’s first three years. Woodson was an outstanding player with the Hoosiers, played 11 years in the NBA, wound up as a head coach in the NBA for another nine years.
The rich boosters who fund the NIL stuff aren’t patient, which is why Woodson is gone now.
Am curious where Indiana will look for their next coach; firing an alum with extensive NBA experience makes it seem like a less-than-elite job. In any event, Indiana isn’t as good a job as it used to be; someone needs to tell them that.

— Famous birthdays, February 10th:
Robert Wagner, 95
Tom LaGarde, 70
Lenny Dykstra, 62
Wayne Gandy, 54
Elizabeth Banks, 51
Lance Berkman, 49
Paul Millsap, 40
Liam Hendriks, 36
Travis d’Arnaud, 36
Max Kepler, 32
Cal Quantrill, 30
Bobby Portis, 30

— Eagles’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is going to be the new coach of the New Orleans Saints; coordinators from winning teams get better jobs.

— Memphis 90, Temple 82
Game was 35-35 at halftime.
Memphis shot 63.2% inside the arc.
Temple shot 11-22 on the arc; they’re 5-0 ATS as an AAC underdog.

— Nebraska 79, Ohio State 71
Nebraska outscored Buckeyes 45-32 in second half.
Cornhuskers shot 64.5% inside the arc.
Nebraska won its fourth game in a row.

— Villanova 80, Xavier 68
Xavier led by 6 with 12:38 left in the game.
Villanova shot 12-24 on the arc, scored 1.25 points/possession.
Both of these teams seem headed to the NIT.

— Oklahoma State 86, Arizona State 73
Arizona State shot 33.3% from the floor.
Sun Devils have lost three in row, eight of last ten games.
Oklahoma State is 4-0 ATS as a Big X home favorite.

— Wichita State 75, South Florida 70
Just third win in last ten games for Wichita.
Shockers out-rebounded USF, 42-22.
Teams combined to shoot 6-30 on the arc.

— Maryland 90, Rutgers 81
Derik Queen scored 29 points, was 11-13 on foul line.
Maryland won five of its last six games.
Rutgers lost four of its last six games.

 

[Udog]

No games scheduled today. 4 Nations Face-off tournament replaces the all-star game and begins Wednesday.

 

[Udog]

What is the 4 Nations Face-Off? Everything to know about NHL midseason tournament​

The opening game of the tournament takes place on Feb. 12.


The Stanley Cup isn't the only major hockey championship up for grabs in 2025.


Instead of an All-Star Game, the NHL will hold a midseason international tournament called the 4 Nations Face-Off.


The tournament will feature only NHL players, marking the first best-on-best international tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has described the 4 Nations Face-Off as a "bit of an appetizer" ahead of the NHL's return to both the Olympics, starting with the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, and the World Cup, starting in 2028.


So, which countries are competing and who are the NHL stars taking the ice? And how will the tournament work? Here's everything you need to know:

What teams are in the 4 Nations Face-Off?​

The 4 Nations Face-Off features Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

When does the 4 Nations Face-Off start?​

The first game takes place on Wednesday, February 12.

How long is the 4 Nations Face-Off?​

The tournament concludes just over a week later on Thursday, Feb. 20.

What are the 4 Nations Face-Off locations?​

Tournament play begins at Bell Centre, home of the Canadiens in Montreal, before moving over to TD Garden, home of the Bruins in Boston.

How does the 4 Nations Face-Off work?​

The opening round features a round robin in which teams play three games, one against each of the other squads in the field. A regulation win is worth three points in the standings, an overtime or shootout win is worth two points and an overtime or shootout loss is worth one point. A regulation loss results in zero points.


The two teams with the most points after the round robin will then meet in a championship game.

What are the 4 Nations Face-Off rules?​

Games will be played on NHL-sized rinks with NHL rules, although, overtime will look a bit different.


Round robin contests that reach overtime will play 10 minutes of sudden death hockey at 3-on-3 before moving to a three-round shootout. If the championship game goes to OT, the teams will play 20-minute sudden death periods at full strength until one team scores.

What is the 4 Nations Face-Off schedule?​

Games through Feb. 15 will be played in Montreal, with the remaining action taking place in Boston. The highly anticipated Canada vs. United States showdown will be played in Montreal. Here's the full schedule (all times ET):


Feb. 12

• Canada vs. Sweden, 8 p.m.

Feb. 13

• United States vs. Finland, 8 p.m.

Feb. 15

• Finland vs. Sweden, 1 p.m.
• United States vs. Canada, 8 p.m.

Feb. 17

• Canada vs. Finland, 1 p.m.
• Sweden vs. USA, 8 p.m.

Feb. 20

• Championship game, 8 p.m.

4 Nations Face-Off rosters, captains, coaches: USA, Canada, Finland, Sweden​

Teams are permitted to carry 23 players in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Here's a full look at the rosters, head coaches and captains:


Canada

• 
  
• Head coach: Jon Cooper (Lightning)
• Captain: Sidney Crosby
• Alternate captains: Connor McDavid, Cale Makar
• Defensemen: Cale Makar (Avalanche), Josh Morrissey (Jets), Colton Parayko (Blues), Travis Sanheim (Flyers), Shea Theodore (Golden Knights), Devon Toews (Avalanche)
• Forwards: Sam Bennett (Panthers), Anthony Cirelli (Lightning), Sidney Crosby (Penguins), Brandon Hagel (Lightning), Seth Jarvis (Hurricanes), Travis Konecny (Flyers), Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche), Brad Marchand (Bruins), Mitch Marner (Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Oilers), Brayden Point (Lightning), Sam Reinhart (Panthers), Mark Stone (Golden Knights)
• Goalies: Jodan Binnington (Blues), Adin Hill (Golden Knights), Sam Montembeault (Canadiens)

Finland

• Head coach: Antti Pennanen
• Captain: Aleksander Barkov
• Alternate captains: Sebastian Aho, Mikael Granlund, Mikko Rantanen
• Defensemen: Henri Jokiharju (Sabres), Esa Lindell (Stars), Olli Maatta (Utah), Niko Mikkola (Panthers), Rasmus Ristolainen (Flyers), Urho Vaakanainen (Rangers), Juuso Valimaki (Utah)
• Forwards: Sebastian Aho (Hurricanes), Joel Armia (Canadiens), Aleksander Barkov (Panthers), Mikael Granlund (Stars), Erik Haula (Devils), Roope Hintz (Stars), Kaapo Kakko (Kraken), Patrik Laine (Canadiens), Artturi Lehkonen (Avalanche), Anton Lundell (Panthers), Eetu Luostarinen (Panthers), Mikko Rantanen (Hurricanes), Teuvo Teravainen (Blackhawks)
• Goalies: Kevin Lankinen (Canucks), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres), Juuse Saros (Predators)

Sweden

• Head coach: Sam Hallam
• Captain: Victor Hedman
• Alternate captains: Mattias Ekholm, Erik Karlsson, William Nylander
• Defensemen: Rasmus Andersson (Flames), Jonas Brodin (Wild), Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres), Mattias Ekholm (Oilers), Gustav Forsling (Panthers), Victor Hedman (Lightning), Erik Karlsson (Penguins)
• Forwards: Viktor Arvidsson (Oilers), Jesper Bratt (Devils), Leo Carlsson (Ducks), Joel Eriksson Ek (Wild), Filip Forsberg (Predators), Adrian Kempe (Kings), Elias Lindholm (Bruins), William Nylander (Maple Leafs), Gustav Nyquist (Predators), Elias Pettersson (Canucks), Lucas Raymond (Red Wings), Rickard Rakell (Penguins), Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)
• Goalies: Samuel Ersson (Flyers), Filip Gustavsson (Wild), Linus Ullmark (Senators)

Team USA

• Head coach: Mike Sullivan (Penguins)
• Captain: Auston Matthews
• Alternate captains: Charlie McAvoy, Matthew Tkachuk
• Defensemen: Brock Faber (Wild), Adam Fox (Rangers), Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights), Quinn Hughes (Canucks), Charlie McAvoy (Bruins), Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes), Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)
• Forwards: Matt Boldy (Wild), Kyle Connor (Jets), Jack Eichel (Golden Knights), Jake Guentzel (Lightning), Jack Hughes (Devils), Chris Kreider (Rangers), Dylan Larkin (Red Wings), Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs), J.T. Miller (Rangers), Brock Nelson (Islanders), Brady Tkachuk (Senators), Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers), Vincent Trocheck (Rangers)
• Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Jake Oettinger (Stars), Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)

How long will the NHL be on break?​

The final NHL games before the 4 Nations Face-Off are scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 and regular-season play will resume on Saturday, Feb. 22.

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad thru the years:
1995– $1.1M
2000— $2.2M
2005— $2.5M
2010— $3.1M
2020— $5.6M
2025— $8M

Quote of the Day
“The most important investment you can make is in yourself.”
Warren Buffett

Tuesday’s quiz
Which team is the last ACC team to win a national title in basketball?

Monday’s quiz
When ABA folded after the 1975-76 season, four teams got absorbed into the NBA:
Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Spurs

Sunday’s quiz
Four NFL teams have never played in a Super Bowl; Browns, Lions, Texans, Jaguars.

**************************************

Tuesday’s Den: 13 baseball Hall of Famers who should’ve been elected unanimously…….​

Mariano Rivera is the only Hall of Famer who was elected unanimously.

Here are 13 Hall of Famers who also should’ve been elected unanimously…….

13) Hank Aaron
755 home runs, 2,297 RBI, 6,856 total bases. He wasn’t unanimous?
Knocked in 100+ runs in eleven different seasons.
won World Series ring in 1957 with Milwaukee Braves.
OPS didn’t exist when he played, but his career OPS was .928.

12) Willie Mays
660 home runs, 1,909 RBI, won 12 Gold Gloves; who didn’t vote for him?
Had five seasons with a slugging %age over .600.
In 1954, he hit .345 with a 1.078 OPS, after he was in the military during the ’53 season.
Giants also won the World Series in 1954.

11) Ted Williams
.344 career batting average, .482 on-base %age, career OPS of 1.116.
In 1941, he hit .406, playing 143 games, with 147 walks.
He hit .316 in his last season, when he was 41 years old.
Missed three years due to military service; he was a fighter pilot.

10) Babe Ruth
714 home runs, 2,214 RBI, career OPS of 1.164
From 1920-31, he hit 40+ home runs in 10 of 12 seasons.
Hit 15 homers, had 33 RBI in 41 World Series games.
Oh yeah, he was 94-46, 2.28 in 147 starts as a pitcher.

9) Bob Gibson
251-174 with a 2.92 ERA in 482 career starts (255 complete games)
in 1968, he was 22-9, 1.12 in 34 starts, with 13 shutouts.
made All-Star team seven years in row, from 1964-70.
won two World Series MVP’s (1964/1967)

8) Rickey Henderson
scored 2,295 runs, stole 1,406 bases, both the most ever.
drew 2,190 walks, had a career on-base %age of .401
won two World Series rings, with A’s/Blue Jays.
scored 47 runs in 60 postseason games.
played for nine teams in his 25-year career.

7) Mickey Mantle
536 home runs, 1,509 RBI, a career on-base %age of .421
won seven World Series rings.
scored 42 runs, had 40 RBI in 65 playoff games.
had eight seasons with an OPS over 1.000.

— Famous birthdays, February 11th:
Tina Louise, 91
James Silas, 76
Carey Lowell, 64
Jennifer Aniston, 56
Damian Lewis, 54
Jacque Vaughn, 50
Dansby Swanson, 31
Josh Jacobs, 27

6) Tom Seaver
was 311-205, 2.86 in 647 career starts (231 career games)
made 12 All-Star Games, won three Cy Young awards.
led the Mets to the 1969 World Series title.

5) Ichiro Suzuki
career batting average of .311, scored 1,420 runs.
made 10 All-Star games, won ten Gold Gloves
was Rookie of Year/MVP in the same year (2001)

4) Greg Maddux
was 355-227, 3.16 in 740 starts in his 23-year career.
helped Braves win the 1995 World Series
made 8 All-Star games, won 18 Gold Gloves

3) Stan Musial
.331 career batting average, career OPS of .976.
made seven batting titles, won three World Series titles.
had 3,630 hits, knocked in 1,951 runs in his career.

2) Frank Robinson
won an MVP in both leagues, for Reds/Orioles.
Hit 586 career home runs, had an OPS .926.
from 1960-62, had three years in row with an OPS of 1.000+.

1) Steve Carlton
won 329 career games in 709 starts (254 complete games)
won two World Series rings, won four Cy Young awards.
in 1972, he was 27-10, 1.97 in 41 starts for a Phillies team that went 59-97.

 

[Udog]

4 Nations Face-Off tourney begins tomorrow. The regular season resumes Feb. 22.

 

[Cnotes53]

Wednesday’s 6-pack:
Complete games pitched since 2000:
138— Blue Jays
134— Indians/Guardians
130— Phillies
126— White Sox
124— Giants
122— A’s

Quote of the Day
“One sign that you’re suited for some kind of work is when you like even the parts that other people find tedious.”
Paul Graham

Wednesday’s quiz
When Virginia won that national title in 2019, who did they beat in overtime in the national championship game?

Tuesday’s quiz
Virginia is the last ACC team to win a national title in basketball, in 2019.

Monday’s quiz
When ABA folded after the 1975-76 season, four teams got absorbed into the NBA:
Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Spurs

*********************************************

Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings on a winter night…….​

— SEC
Kentucky 75, Tennessee 64
Vols led by 3 with 6:32 left in the game.
Kentucky beat Tennessee twice TY; they shot 12-24 on arc in both games.
Overall, SEC teams are shooting only 31% on arc against the Vols.

Florida 81, Mississippi State 68
Miss State led 34-33 at halftime.
Gators were 14-36 on arc, 14-25 inside arc.
Bulldogs out-rebounded Florida, 43-32.
Auburn/Alabama are tied for first, two games ahead of Florida.
Bracketology has 13 SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament.

— Big 12
Kansas State 73, Arizona 70
K-State has won six in row, after starting Big X play 1-6.
Teams combined to shoot 3-41 on arc in this game.
K-State led 35-29 at halftime; they survived shooting 16-26 on foul line.
12-1 Houston leads Arizona by a game, Texas Tech by two games.
Bracketology has eight Big X teams in the NCAA Tournament.

— Big 18
Michigan 75, Purdue 73
Michigan has won five games in a row.
Purdue led by 10 with 14:22 left to play.
Wolverines were 18-26 on foul line, Purdue 6-8

Illinois 83, UCLA 78
Illinois won the last 14 times they scored 80+ points.
Illinois is 1-7 when they score less than 80 points.
Illini scored 1.24 points possession; they out-rebounded UCLA, 36-23
Loss snaps UCLA’s six-game winning streak.
11-2 Michigan leads 11-3 Purdue, 10-3 Michigan State atop the standings.
Bracketology has ten Big 18 teams in the NCAA Tournament.

— Big East
UConn 70, Creighton 66
Liam McNeeley scored 38 points for UConn.
McNeeley was 5-10 on arc; rest of Huskies were 1-16.
Creighton PG Ashworth was 1-8 from floor, 11-12 on foul line.

Marquette 68, DePaul 58
Golden Eagles right the ship, end a three-game skid.
Teams combined to shoot 8-49 on the arc.
Marquette was 14-20 on foul line, Blue Demons 4-9
12-1 St John’s leads 11-3 Creighton, 10-4 Marquette atop the Big East.
Bracketology has four Big East teams in the NCAA Tournament.

— American
East Carolina 82, UAB 75
East Carolina shot 59.5% inside arc, scored 1.28 points/possession.
Just second loss in last ten games for UAB.

North Texas 67, Rice 61
North Texas had only five turnovers (+4)
Rice was only 12-23 on the foul line.
Mean Green won eight of its last ten games.
10-1 Memphis leads 9-3 North Texas, 8-3 UAB.

— Mountain West
San Diego State 69, San Jose State 66
San Jose State led this game 37-20 at halftime.
Spartans shot 3-10 on the foul line.
San Diego State shot 4-23 on the arc.

UNLV 77, Air Force 52
Air Force is 2-12 ATS in conference games.
12-1 New Mexico leads 12-2 Utah State atop the standings.
Bracketology has three Mountain West teams in the NCAA Tournament.

— Famous birthdays, February 12th:
Joe Don Baker, 89
Dieter Brock, 74
Joanna Kerns, 72
Dave Revering, 72
Chet Lemon, 70
Larry Nance, 66
Todd Frazier, 39
Robert Griffin III, 35
Heston Kjerstad, 26
Victor Scott, 24
Abraham Lincoln was born on this day in 1809.
Basketball great Bill Russell was born on this day in 1934.

— ACC
SMU 83, Pitt 63
SMU shot 10-20 on the arc, scored 1.22 points/possession.
Mustangs have won five games in a row.
Boston College is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games.
Clemson is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games.
Bracketology has four ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament

— Atlantic 15
George Mason 76, Saint Louis 74 OT
George Mason led by 10 with 10:33 left in regulation.
Patriots have won 10 games in a row, three of them in OT
George Mason shot 15-33 on the arc.
Dayton, St Bonaventure are both 2-8 ATS in its last ten games.
VCU is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games.
11-1 George Mason leads 9-2 VCU atop the standings.

— Missouri Valley
12-2 Drake leads 11-4 Northern Iowa, 10-4 Bradley atop the standings.
Illinois State is 6-0 ATS as an underdog, 1-7 as a favorite in MVC games
Missouri State is 4-10 ATS in MVC games.
Southern Illinois is 8-2 ATS in its last ten games.

— WAC
9-1 Utah Valley leads 7-2 Grand Canyon atop the standings.
Utah Valley is 9-1 SU/ATS in conference games.
Southern Utah is 1-6 SU/2-5 ATS in its last seven games.

— MAAC
11-2 Merrimack leads Quinnipiac/Marist by a game; this is Merrimack’s first year in the MAAC, just their sixth year as a Division I team.
Iona is 6-1 SU/5-2 ATS in its last seven games.
Rider is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games.
Sacred Heart is 5-0 SU/4-1 ATS in its last five games.
Canisius is 3-9 ATS in conference games.

— Southern Conference
Samford, Chattanooga, NC-Greensboro are tied for first, at 9-3.
45.6% of shots in SoCon games are 3-pointers, highest %age in country.
VMI is 6-6 SU/11-1 ATS in conference games.
Chattanooga won/covered its last five games.
Furman is 3-8 ATS in its last eleven games.

— Big West
Cal-San Diego/Cal-Irvine are both 10-2, two games ahead of Northridge, Riverside.
Bakersfield is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games.
Cal-Davis is 5-2 SU/7-0 ATS in its last seven games.

 

[Udog]

Canada embracing pressure at 4 Nations Face-Off​

Players fully aware of high expectations entering opener against Sweden

BROSSARD, Quebec -- The Rogers ad is posted around Montreal. It shows Connor McDavid skating in a Canada uniform beneath a bold statement -- four words in French, all caps.
“NOTRE ÉQUIPE. NOTRE SPORT.”

English translation: “OUR TEAM. OUR SPORT.”

This is the 4 Nations Face-Off, a best-on-best tournament featuring Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. But one nation claims hockey as its own and must fend off three worthy challengers.

“Obviously, as Canadians, the players feel the same way as the fans,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We expect to win, and we’re not going to be satisfied with anything but a championship.

“I think a lot of the guys in here, we feel that pressure, obviously. But that’s what we thrive under. That’s why [we’re] all superstars in this league, is because we thrive under that pressure, and it doesn’t affect our game.”
It ain’t bragging if it’s true.

The first tournament like this was Canada’s. It was literally called the Canada Cup. The five events from 1976-1991 were played predominately in Canada. Canada won four of the five.

The World Cup of Hockey was played three times from 1996-2016. Canada won two of the three tournaments.
NHL players went to the Olympics five times from 1998-2014. Canada won three of the five gold medals.
Add it up, and Canada has won nine of the 13 best-on-best tournaments, including four of the past five and each of the past three.
Among the other three nations in this tournament, the United States won the World Cup in 1996, and Sweden won gold at the Olympics in 2006. That’s it. Finland has never won a best-on-best tournament.
The players wearing the Maple Leaf today grew up watching Canada dominate on the international stage, and it’s on them carry on that legacy for the next generation.

“Definitely feel a lot of pressure,” forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “Absolutely. I think pressure is a privilege, and I’m glad there’s pressure. It means people expect a lot of us.

“We’re maybe inspiration to some young kids around the country. If I was 10 years old right now, I’d be tuned in to this tournament. So, definitely excited.”

Canada has the deepest talent pool in the world, and its national team is stacked with champions and award winners yet again.
Each team skated for the first time Monday at the Montreal Canadiens practice facility. Look at Canada’s first power-play unit: MacKinnon, McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Sam Reinhart and Cale Makar.

Defenseman Colton Parayko, who was on the penalty kill, just laughed.

“That’s quite the unit right there,” Parayko said. “A lot of speed, a lot of skill, a lot of hockey knowledge, a lot of everything, so great unit, and looking forward to watching them as the tournament goes on and build as a group and just dominate.”
But here’s the problem: They need to develop chemistry with little time. This is a short tournament with little margin for error.

Each team will play three round-robin games, earning three points for a win in regulation, two points for win in overtime or a shootout, one point for loss in OT or a shootout, and none for a loss in regulation.
Canada opens against Sweden at Bell Centre in Montreal on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS), then plays the United States there Saturday and Finland at TD Garden in Boston on Feb. 17.
The championship game is at TD Garden on Feb. 20.

“It’s not always the best players that win,” coach Jon Cooper said. “It’s the best team that wins, and I think the team that gels the quickest and kind of plays for each other, especially in such a short tournament, will have the advantage.”
Although Canada remains the largest supplier of players to the NHL by far, the other three nations in this tournament are catching up, especially the United States.

In 2016-17, following the last best-on-best tournament, 45.9 percent of NHL players came from Canada, 26.8 from the United States, 9.15 from Sweden and 3.96 from Finland.

This season, 40.7 percent of NHL players have come from Canada, 29.4 from the United States, 9.82 from Sweden and 5.70 from Finland.

“Obviously, we take a lot of pride in hockey and trying to work towards being the best,” forward Brad Marchand said. “When you think of Canada, the only thing that they want to accomplish is to win.
“But obviously, you’ve seen every other nation now, the development they’re putting into their programs. There are such small margins between any sort of team at any level. Now, the four teams in this tournament, they’re all incredible. It’s a very, very even playing field.”

Whose sport is it, really, nowadays?

Some think the United States is the favorite in this tournament, not Canada.

“That’s OK,” said Crosby, Canada’s captain. “There’s always going to be certain narratives. I think really it’s just about our group and making sure that we do everything we can to be at our best.

“Whether it’s the U.S. or Sweden or Finland, [these are] some good teams, so we’ve just got to worry about what we need to do to be the best team we can.”

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday’s 6-pack:
Players who have scored 30,000+ points in NBA games:
41,623— LeBron James
38,387— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
36,928— Karl Malone
33,643— Kobe Bryant
32,292— Michael Jordan
31,560— Dirk Nowitzki
31,419— Wilt Chamberlain
30,008— Kevin Durant
Julius Erving scored 30,026 points, when you add in his ABA scoring.

Thought of the Day
When all is said and done, usually more is said than done.

Thursday’s quiz
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA in scoring; where did he play his college basketball?

Wednesday’s quiz
When Virginia won that national title in 2019, they beat Texas Tech in overtime in the national championship game.

Tuesday’s quiz
Virginia is the last ACC team to win a national title in basketball, in 2019.

***************************************

Thursday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….​

— Red Sox signed IF Alex Bregman to a three-year contract worth $120M; there are murmurs that he will play second base for Boston, after playing third base in Houston.

— Villanova 73, St John’s 71
Villanova shot 60% inside arc, scored 1.20 points/possession.
St John’s was 11-37 on arc, 16-24 inside arc.
Loss snaps St John’s 10-game winning streak.

— Texas Tech 111, Arizona State 106, 2OT
Red Raiders have won eight of their last nine games.
ASU lost despite shooting 13-27 on the arc.
Tech was 23-32 on foul line, Sun Devils 13-16.

— TCU 73, Oklahoma State 72
Horned Frogs hit a contested 3-pointer with 0:00.4 left for the win.
TCU led by 10 with 10:45 left in the game.
TCU survived going 12-20 on the foul line.

— Notre Dame 97, Boston College 94, 2OT
BC led 41-35 at halftime; they’ve lost nine of last 10 games.
Notre Dame was 20-29 on foul line, Eagles 12-15
Markus Burton scored 32 points for Notre Dame.

— Florida State 72, Wake Forest 70
Deacons led by 16 with 8:22 left in the game.
Florida State shot 54.3% inside the arc.
When you’re a bubble team, home losses like this are a catastrophe.

— Robert Morris 68, Cleveland State 59
Colonials have won nine of their last ten games.
Cleveland State was only 2-16 on the arc.
Vikings still lead the Horizon by two games, with five left to play.

— New Mexico 71, Wyoming 67
Wyoming led by 13 in the first half, by 3 with 3:32 left in game.
New Mexico was 18-34 on foul line, Cowboys 4-14
Lobos won their seventh game in a row.

— Famous birthdays, February 13th:
Stockard Channing, 81
Randy Moss, 48
Luke Ridnour, 44
Aqib Talib, 39
Nathan Eovaldi, 35
Jaden Ivey, 23

— Baseball stuff:
Padres signed P Nick Pivetta for four years, $55M.
Marlins signed P Cal Quantrill for one year, $3.5M
Angels signed closer Kenley Jansen for one year, $10M
Dodgers/P Clayton Kershaw agreed on a one-year deal, rumored to be worth $5M, with a lot of incentives added in.
Baltimore Orioles signed OF Ramon Laureano for one year, $4M, with a team option for 2026.
Minnesota Twins signed 1B Ty France; they didn’t say for how much $$$.
Pittsburgh’s newly acquired 1B Spencer Horwitz is out 6-8 weeks after having surgery on his right wrist. Horwitz hit 12 homers in 97 games with Toronto last year.

— I’ve been spending decent amount of time late at night watching YouTube podcasts about fantasy baseball and I got wondering:
Do major league players watch these podcasts, to listen to nerdy people like myself analyze their prospects for this season? If it was me, I’d be a little curious what people were saying, then if they were critical of me, I’d look at my (large) bank account and turn the podcast off.

— Was watching a mock draft last night; Cubs’ P Shota Imanaga was a ninth-round pick, the 102nd player taken. This time last year, no one, and I mean no one, was touting Imanaga at all— they all liked Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but no one seemed to know anything about Imanaga.

— Sounds like Dodgers/Mets are both going to be using six-man pitching rotations, which is how they do things in Japan. NPL teams usually have Mondays off, then play six-game weeks.

— Random trivia that I learned today: Actress Helen Hunt, the waitress in As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson and the co-star of Mad About You, my ex-wife’s favorite TV show, was in an episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show– she was Gavin MacLeod’s daughter.

— Each player on the Philadelphia Eagles gets $171,000 for winning the Super Bowl; all the guys on the Chiefs get $96,000.

— Was watching a college hoop game the other night; kid took an open jumper from the right wing- when he landed, he landed on a defender’s foot, which is a foul. Shooters have to have the right to land, to avoid ankle injuries..
But the officials stopped the game, looked at the replay and called it a flagrant foul, which to me seemed ridiculous. Has basketball become this soft? There was zero physical contact, other than one foot landing on the other, and it didn’t seem the least bit intentional.

— When the Milwaukee Bucks traded Khris Middleton to Washington last week, they saved $29M by getting below the second salary cap apron, after Kyle Kuzma reduced his trade bonus.

 

[Udog]

USA vs Finland Prediction, Picks & Odds for Thursday's 4 Nations Face-Off Game​

With Team USA showcasing depth in every facet while boasting the tournament's best defense and goaltending, Finland will be out of its depth against the Americans on Thursday.

The 4 Nations Face-Off continues Thursday, February 13, with a Team USA and Team Finland tilt at the Bell Centre in Montreal.


This battle is a mismatch on paper, and my top Team USA vs. Team Finland predictions and betting picks expect it to play out that way on the ice.

USA vs Finland prediction​

My pick
USA -1.5 (-110 at BET99)


My analysis
The Finland blueline is going to miss Miro Heiskanen a lot, and his absence makes an already tournament-worst defense corps considerably weaker.


Finland practicing with five forwards on its No. 1 power-play unit further reinforces the lack of impact bluelines on the roster, and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen has only played 164 NHL games across his seven-year career, while Nikolas Matinpalo has suited up in just 22.


Forward depth is also a shortcoming for the Finns, while it’s a strength of Team USA. Many would also agree that the Americans have the best blueline and goaltenders in the tournament.


Star netminder Connor Hellebuyck paces the NHL with a .925 SV% and 2.06 GAA, and he’s also running the table in the advanced metrics with a league-best 0.64 goals saved above average per 60 minutes, 2.20 adjusted GAA, and 10.1 goalie point share.


By comparison, likely Finn starter Juuse Saros has an underwhelming .898 SV% and 2.95 GAA, as he's struggled all season long with Nashville.


To put the offensive firepower of the Americans in perspective, Team USA has a third line of J.T. Miller, Matt Boldy, and Brady Tkachuk, and they all boast 30-goal seasons on their resumes. The fourth line of Vincent Trocheck, Brock Nelson, and Dylan Larkin can also say the same.


This is a true mismatch, and I expect it to play out exactly that way.

USA vs Finland odds​

USA		Finland
-290	Moneyline	+230	-1.5 (-110)	Puck line	+1.5 (-110)	Over 5.5 (-120)	Total	Under 6 (+100)

How to watch USA vs Finland​

Location	Centre Bell, Montreal, QC	Date	Thursday, 2-12-2025	Puck drop	8:00 p.m. ET
TV	Sportsnet, ESPN

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday’s 6-pack:
Teams that force the highest %age of turnovers:
24%— UCLA
23.9%— Iona
23.7%— Cal-San Diego
23.6%— Texas- El Paso
23.5%— Tarleton State
23.3%— Abilene Christian

Quote of the Day
“He’s a franchise changer. He’s done that everywhere he’s gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he’s arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it’s night and day.”
Draymond Green, talking about his new teammate, Jimmy Butler

Friday’s quiz
Where did Aaron Rodgers play his college football?

Thursday’s quiz
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA in scoring; he played college basketball at Kentucky.

Wednesday’s quiz
When Virginia won the college basketball national title in 2019, they beat Texas Tech in overtime in the national championship game.

***************************************

Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here…….​

— Gonzaga 88, San Francisco 77
USF hasn’t won in Spokane since 1989- they play there every year.
Gonzaga has won its last 31 games against the Dons.
Ryan Nembhard had 18 points, 12 assists for the Zags.

— Maryland 83, Nebraska 75
Maryland has won six of its last seven games.
Terrapins shot 63.2% inside the arc.
Loss snaps Nebraska’s four-game winning streak.

— South Alabama 91, Marshall 82 OT
Marshall was 14-48 on the arc, 16-29 inside arc.
South Alabama was 27-33 on foul line, Marshall 8-11
10-3 Arkansas State leads the Sun Belt; there are four teams tied for second place, a game behind them. Sun Belt conference tournament is going to be excellent.

— NC-Wilmington 86, Charleston 66
UNCW has won nine games in a row, is 21-5.
Seahawks out-rebounded Charleston, 43-27
UNCW shot 61.4% inside the arc.

— Early returns on the Jimmy Butler trade:
Warriors 105, Rockets 98- Golden State is 3-1 since acquiring Butler.
Mavericks 118, Heat 113- Miami is 0-4 since trading Butler.

— Famous birthdays, February 14th:
Dave Dravecky, 69
Jim Kelly, 65
Meg Tilly, 65
Drew Bledsoe, 53
Richard Hamilton, 47
Derek Norris, 36
Nick Pivetta, 32
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 23
Nolan Schanuel, 23

— Talk about a euphemism; New Jersey Jets have told QB Aaron Rodgers they’re “going to move in a different direction at quarterback” which is nice way of saying they’re telling Rodgers to take a hike, after two disappointing years, where the Jets went 12-22, with Rodgers going 6-13 in his starts, while banking $75M.

Will Rodgers retire? He is 41; would another team want him? This will be one of the off season’s more interesting sub-plots.
— Former Detroit Lions HC Matt Patricia is going to be the new defensive coordinator at Ohio State; he was 13-29-1 as coach of the Lions, after they had gone 36-28 under his predecessor, Jim Caldwell. Lions are 39-28-1 since Patricia left Detroit.
— It rained in Las Vegas Thursday, first time it rained there in 214 days.

— Upsets of the Night:
Portland (+13.5) 84, Oregon State 72
North Carolina A&T (+12.5) 60, Elon 59
Pacific (+11.5) 83, LMU 58
Denver (+8.5) 68, North Dakota 64
Tennessee-Martin (+5.5) 76, SIU-Edwardsville 71
Kennesaw State (+4.5) 69, Louisiana Tech 47

— Tex-Arlington 82, Cal Baptist 79, OT
Cal Baptist led by 17 with 13:34 left in the game.
Tex-Arlington was 24-43 on foul line, Lancers were 7-8
Raysean Seamster was 10-18 on foul line, by himself.

— Cal-Davis 75, Cal-Riverside 74
Aggies were 22-27 on foul line, Riverside was 5-9
Riverside led by 10 late in first half.
Davis outscored Riverside 5-0 in the last 1:27 of the game.

— Cal-Irvine 62, Cal-Santa Barbara 60
Anteaters scored on a lob pass on an out-of-bounds under play with 0:00.6 left.
Irvine stays tied with Cal-San Diego stop the Big West.
Loss snaps the Gauchos’ three-game winning streak.

— South Dakota State 98, Omaha 85
Jackrabbits shot 10-20 on arc, scored 1.34 points/possession.
Only second loss in last 13 games for Omaha.
10-2 Omaha leads 9-2 St Thomas, 9-3 Jackrabbits atop the Summit standings.

— North Dakota State 94, Oral Roberts 88 OT
On TV, they said it was 21 below zero in Fargo Thursday; good grief.
ORU is 1-7 in its last eight games; they lost despite going 13-24 on the arc.
North Dakota State has the #2 eFG% in the country; they’re also the worst team in the country at forcing turnovers.

 

[Udog]

No games today. 4 Nations Face-Off resumes tomorrow.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Saturday’s 6-pack:
Last 10 years, NFL teams with most sacks:
486— Steelers (101-61-2)
431— Rams (91-73)
430— Broncos (74-90)
428— Eagles (97-66-1)
424— Ravens (100-64)
423— Vikings (99-64-1)

Quote of the Day
“Every now and then we need to step back and ask, how can I get better? The answer is simple—effort and attitude. Those are the two things I can control.”
Jimmy Johnson

Saturday’s quiz
How many major leaguers who have hit 600+ home runs are not in the Hall of Fame?

Friday’s quiz
Aaron Rodgers played his college football at California

Thursday’s quiz
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA in scoring; he played college basketball at Kentucky.

*****************************************************************

Saturday’s Den: NBA trends, thru the All-Star break…….

NBA trends (thru All-Star break)

Hawks (26-29):
— 4-3 SU/7-0 ATS in their last seven games.
— 1-5 ATS as a road favorite, 8-1 last nine as a road dog.
— Under 3-1 last four games

Celtics (39-16):
— 7-1 SU/5-3 ATS last eight games.
— covered their last six road games.
— 0-7-1 ATS on first night of a back/back
— under 12-6 last 18 road games.

Nets (20-34):
— won/covered six of last seven games.
— 5-2 ATS last seven as road underdog.
— under 10-1 last eleven games

Hornets (13-39):
— 1-9 SU/5-4-1 ATS last ten games.
— 4-1 ATS last five home games
— under 9-3 last 12 games.

Bulls (22-33)
— 1-5 SU/ATS in last six games.
— 1-6 ATS last seven as a road underdog.
— over 5-1 last six games
— 1-8 ATS if they played the night before.

Cavaliers (44-10):
— 8-1 SU/6-3 ATS last nine games.
— 4-1 ATS last five home games, 1-5 ATS last six as road favorite.
— over 8-3 last eleven games.

Mavericks (30-26):
— 4-2 SU/6-0 ATS last six games.
— 5-1 ATS last six as a home underdog.
— over 10-3 last 13 games
— 7-2 ATS if they played the night before.

Nuggets (36-19):
— 8-0 SU last eight games, 6-0 ATS last six
— 12-1 ATS last 13 as a home favorite.
— over 18-5 last 23 home games.
— 7-3 ATS if they played the night before.

Pistons (29-26):
— 6-2 SU/ATS last eight games.
— 15-9 ATS on the road.
— 4-7 ATS as home favorite
— 5-2 ATS as road favorite

Warriors (28-27):
— 3-1 SU since they traded for Butler.
— 1-5 ATS last six as a home underdog
— over 9-4 last 13 games

Rockets (34-21):
— 2-7 SU/ATS last nine games
— 2-9 ATS last nine as a home favorite
— 3-7-1 ATS if they played night before
— over 10-4 last 14 road games.

Pacers (30-23):
— 6-3 SU/3-6 ATS last nine games.
— 6-2 ATS last eight as a home favorite.
— 0-4 ATS last four as a home underdog.
— under 8-2 last ten games.

Clippers (31-23):
— won last three games, scoring 126 ppg.
— 15-4 ATS as a home favorite
— 1-4 ATS last five as a road favorite.
— over 7-1 last eight games.

Lakers (32-20):
— 10-2 SU/9-2-1 ATS last 12 games
— 5-1 ATS last six as a road underdog
— over 7-1 last eight games.

Grizzlies (36-18):
— 11-3 SU/8-5-1 ATS last 14 games.
— 10-4 ATS last 14 games as a home favorite.
— 7-2 ATS if they played the night before.
— over 13-2 last 15 road games

Heat (25-28):
— 0-4 SU since they traded Butler
— 1-6-1 ATS last eight games
— under 10-3 last 13 road tilts
— over 8-1 last nine home games.

Famous birthdays, February 15th:
Steve Preece, 78
Ron Cey, 77
Ken Anderson, 76
Jane Seymour, 74

Christopher MacDonald, 70
I.M. Hipp, 69
Marc Wilson, 69
Darrell Green, 65

David Archer, 63
Johnny Cueto, 39
Mark Canha, 36
Esteury Ruiz, 26

Bucks (29-24):
— 3-6 SU/2-7 ATS last nine games.
— 6-1 ATS last seven as a home favorite.
— 2-7-1 ATS if they played night before.
— over 6-1 last seven home games.

Timberwolves (31-25)
— 9-4 SU/7-6 ATS last 13 games.
— 7-4-1 ATS as an underdog.
— over 5-1 last six road games.

Pelicans (13-42):
— 1-10 SU/3-7-1 ATS last 11 games
— 4-2 ATS as a home favorite.
— 1-5 ATS last six as a road underdog.
— 2-10 ATS on first night of back/back
— over 6-2 last eight games

Knicks (36-18):
— 9-2 SU/6-5 ATS their last 11 games.
— 7-3 ATS last ten games as a road favorite.
— over 8-1 last nine games.

Thunder (44-10):
— 7-1 SU/5-2-1 ATS last eight games.
— 2-6-1 ATS on first night of back/back
— 3-6 ATS on second night of back/back
— over 9-2 last eleven home games

Magic (27-29):
— 4-11 SU/3-12 ATS last 15 games
— 5-11 ATS as a road underdog
— under 6-2 last eight games.

76ers (20-34):
— 1-7 SU/2-6 ATS last eight games
— 1-11 ATS as a home favorite
— 5-0 ATS last five as a home underdog
— over 8-3 last 11 home games

Suns (26-28):
— 1-6 SU/2-5 ATS last seven games.
— 5-13-1 ATS as home favorite.
— 3-7-1 ATS if they played the night before
— over 7-2 last nine games

Trailblazers (23-32):
— lost last three games, by 16-29-11 points.
— 8-0 ATS last eight home games.
— 7-2 ATS if they played the night before
— over 13-6 last 19 home games

Kings (28-27):
— 3-10 ATS last thirteen games
— 0-4 ATS last five as home underdog
— 3-8 ATS if they played the night before.
— over 12-5 last 17 games

Spurs (23-29):
— 3-7 SU/ATS last ten games
— 2-7 ATS last nine games as a home underdog.
— over 12-3 last fifteen games

Raptors (17-38):
— 1-5 SU/3-3 ATS last six games
— 6-0 ATS last six road games.
— over 5-2 last seven games

Jazz (13-41):
— 1-4 SU/2-3 ATS last five games.
— 5-0 ATS last five home games.
— 1-6 ATS last seven road games
— over 6-0 last six games.

Wizards (9-45):
— 6-1 ATS last seven games
— 4-1 ATS last five road games
— 2-6 ATS if they played the night before.
— over 5-1 last six games

 

[Udog]

Saturday primed to renew international hockey rivalries at 4 Nations Face-Off​

Saturday marks the tournament’s final games in Montreal before games move to TD Garden in Boston beginning Monday.

After a 24-hour break for the holiday of love, fierce international rivalries will be renewed when the 4 Nations Face-Off resumes on Saturday.

Europe will kick off the day of global clashes when Team Sweden takes on Team Finland at 1 p.m.

North America will flock to television screens for Saturday’s primetime matchup, as the NHL’s best players from Team Canada and Team USA will compete for the first time since 2016 in an 8 p.m. game at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Saturday marks the tournament’s final games in Montreal before games move to TD Garden in Boston beginning Monday.

A European matinee

Lightning captain Victor Hedman will guide Team Sweden on Saturday afternoon as the defenseman’s international squad seeks its first win of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Hedman and Sweden will play hockey rival Finland at 1 p.m.

Hedman posted an assist while playing a team-high 27 minutes, 15 seconds in Sweden’s tournament opener on Wednesday against Team Canada. That game ended in a 4-3 overtime victory for Canada, securing one standings point for Team Sweden.

Finland enters Saturday’s game fresh off Thursday’s 6-1 loss to Team USA. Finland—which does not hold any ties to the Lightning at this year’s tournament—scored the game-opening goal before allowing six unanswered tallies to the Americans.

Defenseman Henri Jokiharju scored Finland’s lone goal.

Goalie Kevin Lankinen has been named Finland's starter for Saturday’s game, while Filip Gustavsson will remain in net for Team Sweden.

What: 4 Nations Face-Off, Sweden vs. Finland.

When: Saturday, Feb. 15 @ 1 p.m. ET.

Who: D Victor Hedman (SWE).

Where: Bell Centre in Montreal.

Watch: ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS.


The border battle in primetime

The wait is over.

Team USA will face Team Canada on Saturday night, both teams fresh off victories in their tournament openers.

Lightning forward Jake Guentzel contributed a goal and assist for Team USA in Thursday’s 6-1 win over Finland, Guentzel's first career game in USA threads.

The Tampa Bay forward will see plenty of familiar faces on Saturday against Canada, a team that is led by Lightning coach Jon Cooper and features three of his usual teammates.

Canada received an assist from Tampa Bay forward Brayden Point in their tournament debut on Wednesday.

Cooper showed new bottom six line combinations at Friday’s practice, and Lightning fans got a teaser for what could be a Bolts feature on Saturday—Point centered Lightning teammates Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel.

Cirelli and Hagel each finished Wednesday’s game with a shot on goal, while Hagel’s five hits led all players.

What: 4 Nations Face-Off, USA vs Canada.

When: Saturday, Feb. 15 @ 8 p.m. ET.

Who: F Jake Guentzel (USA), F Brayden Point (CAN), F Anthony Cirelli (CAN), F Brandon Hagel (CAN), HC Jon Cooper (CAN), GM Julien BriseBois (CAN).

Where: Bell Centre in Montreal.

Watch: ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS.

 

[Snafu]

I don't see us doing well vs Sweden. Quality of defense players just isn't enough and game will be played mostly in our end.

Sad to say: Sweden 60min -110 is imo very good line.

Played also
1st period O1½
Sweden tt O2½ (60min)

cheers

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday’s 6-pack:
College football playoff teams with most players invited to the NFL Combine:
15— Ohio State
14— Georgia, Texas
12— Oregon
8— Notre Dame
6— Clemson, Tennessee
5— Penn State

Quote of the Day
“I thoroughly appreciate being a Celtic and love the people I get to work with every day.”
Brad Stevens, former Butler coach, now the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, dispelling rumors he will be the next basketball coach at Indiana

Sunday’s quiz
Butler lost the national championship game two years in a row, in 2010/2011; what league were they in back then?

Saturday’s quiz
Four major leaguers who have hit 600+ home runs are not in the Hall of Fame:
Bonds, Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Sosa.

Friday’s quiz
Aaron Rodgers played his college football at California

************************************************

Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a college basketball Saturday…….​

We’re four weeks away from Selection Sunday; spring training games start this week, now I just need it to stop snowing outside.

— SEC
Auburn 94, Alabama 85
There were 67 foul shots, only 11 turnovers in this game.
Game was 65-65 with 7:45 left to play.
Tigers were 12-30 on the arc, Alabama 5-26

Tennessee 81, Vanderbilt 76
Vandy led by 16 late in first half.
Vols shot 64.5% inside the arc.
Tennessee won four of its last five games.

LSU 82, Oklahoma 79
Sooners are 3-9 in the SEC, after a 13-0 pre-conference mark.

Mississippi State 81, Ole Miss 71
State is shooting 56% inside arc, 31.5% on the arc (#294)
Bracketology has 14 of 16 SEC teams in the Field of 68, which is unlikely to happen.

— Big 18
Underdogs were 4-0 SU/ATS in Big 18 games Saturday.
Michigan State 79, Illinois 65
Tom Izzo has now won 354 Big 18 games, the most of any coach.

Wisconsin 94, Purdue 84
Badgers outscored Purdue 58-47 in second half.
Wisconsin made 20 of 22 shots inside the arc (20 of 22- that’s 90.9%!!!)
Purdue scored 1.29 points/possession and still lost by 10.
This year is the first time since 2006 that the Badgers are in top 200 in tempo; they’ve adjusted to the times, and have done it very well.
Bracketology has ten Big 18 teams in the Field of 68

— Big East
Seton Hall (+14.5) 69, UConn 68 OT
UConn led by 7 with 0:45 left in regulation.
Seton Hall snaps its nine-game losing streak.
Pirates are 2-12 in Big East, with both wins in overtime.
Bracketology has four Big East teams in the Field of 68

— Big X
Houston 62, Arizona 58
Houston started season 4-3; they’re 17-1 since then.
Cougars have the #9 eFG% defense in the country.
Arizona led by 7 with 9:10 left in the game.
Bracketology has eight Big X teams in the Field of 68

— ACC
Clemson 72, Florida State 46
Clemson is #9 experience team in the country; they’re very good.
Tigers have won nine of their last ten games.
Clemson is shooting 38.4% on the arc (#14)
Bracketology has only three ACC teams in the Field of 68

— Upsets of the Day:
Seton Hall (+14.5) 69, UConn 68 OT
LSU (+8.5) 82, Oklahoma 79
Elon (+8.5) 81, NC-Wilmington 70
Wake Forest (+7.5) 77, SMU 66
Minnesota (+7.5) 69, USC 66
VMI (+7.5) 80, Mercer 71
Washington (+6.5) 75, Penn State 73

— Sun Belt
Underdogs were 4-3 SU/7-0 ATS in the Sun Belt Saturday.
Troy 71, Arkansas State 70
Troy snapped the Red Wolves’ 15-game home winning streak.
There are four teams tied for first place in Sun Belt, with four games left.

— Atlantic 15
George Mason 58, St Joe’s 57
St Joe’s led by 8 with 7:57 left in the game.
George Mason has won its last eleven games.
George Mason has 20+ wins for third year in a row; they haven’t been in NCAA’s since 2011. Patriots have #3 eFG% defense in country.

— Mid-American
Underdogs were 3-2 SU/5-0 ATS in the MAC Saturday.
Akron 85, Central Michigan 82
Zips have won 13 games in a row; they’re 12-0 in the MAC
Be careful with the MAC team in NCAA’s; Akron is 0-2 vs top 100 teams, losing by 16 to Yale, by 19 at Saint Mary’s.
MAC is the #24 league, both this year and last, their lowest ranking in the last 28 years.

— Summit
St Thomas 95, Omaha 84
St Thomas was 13-29 on arc, scored 1.36 points/possession
Tommies take over first place in the Summit, with four games left.
Summit is a league with good offense/bad defense; average total in their three games Saturday was 172.3.

— Famous birthdays, February 16:
Tim Cullen, 83
Glenn Abbott, 74
LeVar Burton, 68
Tracy Marrow, 67 (Ice-T)
Herb Williams, 67
Kelly Tripucka, 66
Jerome Bettis, 53
Eric Byrnes, 49
Tommy Milone, 38

— Ivy League
Yale 72, Penn 71
Yale has won nine in a row, is 8-0 in Ivy games.
Bulldogs had only three turnovers (+9)
Four of eight Ivy teams make the conference tournament; Cornell is the #4-seed right now, at 5-4, leading Brown/Harvard by a game.

— Southern
VMI 80, Mercer 71
Keydets are 7-7 in SoCon; they haven’t finished over .500 in SoCon since 2014.
VMI is also 12-2 against the spread in SoCon games this season.

Samford 76, Wofford 68
Wofford has a big guy, Kyler Filewich, who at this time last week was 24-80 on the foul line this season; that is 30%, which is terrible.
Someone has apparently convinced the young man to shoot his foul shots underhanded, the way the great Rick Barry did. Barry/Steph Curry are the two best ever on the foul line.
The last two games, Filewich was 10-16 on the foul line; good for him. He’s scoring 12 points a game, a number that figures to go up now.

— CAA
Elon 81, NC-Wilmington 70
Loss snaps the Seahawks’ nine-game winning streak.
Towson leads UNCW by two games atop the CAA; Tigers are 84-44 the last four years, but they haven’t been in the NCAA Tournament since 1991.

— Conference USA
Jacksonville State 70, Louisiana Tech 68
Jaren Pierre had 34 of Jax State’s 70 points.
Jax State was 26-30 on foul line; they were the road team.
Gamecocks have won nine of last 10 games, are 10-3 and atop the C-USA.

 

[Udog]

No games today. 4 Nations Face-Off resumes tomorrow.

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday’s 6-pack:
Over/under win totals for baseball season:
86— Diamondbacks
92— Braves
88.5— Orioles
86— Red Sox
86— Cubs
53— White Sox

Quote of the Day
“We made eight of our last 10 field goals, that’s how you close out a game……..Chris Moore played seven minutes, was plus-17……everyone contributed……..there is something to the fact that they trust each other, they do.”
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, after the Tigers’ win at Alabama

Monday’s quiz
In the TV show Ted Lasso, an English soccer team hires a new coach, who used to be the football coach at which American college?

Sunday’s quiz
Butler lost the national championship game two years in a row, in 2010/2011; they were in the Horizon League back then, which is how coach Brad Stevens vaulted into the NBA.

Saturday’s quiz
Four major leaguers who have hit 600+ home runs are not in the Hall of Fame:
Bonds, Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Sosa.

********************************************

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports weekend……..​

— St John’s 79, Creighton 73
St John’s has won 11 of its last 12 games.
Red Storm was +10 in turnovers (15-5)
Two games vs St John’s this year, Bluejays were only 17-56 on the arc.

— Michigan 86, Ohio State 83
Michigan is 20-5; they were 8-24 last season.
Wolverines have won six games in a row, all by 4 or fewer points.
Michigan out-rounded the Buckeyes, 46-31.

— Nebraska 68, Northwestern 64
Northwestern led 41-21 early in the second half.
Nebraska was 22-28 on foul line, Wildcats were 5-8.
Cornhuskers have won five of their last six games.

— New Mexico 82, Utah State 79
Aggies led 42-36 at halftime.
Lobos were 27-34 on foul line, Utah State 13-16.
New Mexico’s subs played a total of only 23:00.

— Bradley 61, Drake 59
Bradley shot 61.5% inside the arc.
Loss snaps Drake’s 11-game winning streak.
Drake still leads Bradley by a game atop the MVC standings.

— South Dakota State 94, South Dakota 91
State’s big man Cluff had 21 points, 16 rebounds.
Jackrabbits out-rebounded South Dakota, 44-30.
State won eight of its last nine games.

— Green Bay 79, Wright State 68
Green Bay snaps their 21-game losing streak.
Green Bay was 26-34 on foul line; frosh G Tweedy was 15-16.
Wright State is 4-7 in its last eleven games.

— Famous birthdays, February 17
Dick Bosman, 81
Rene Russo, 71
Neil Lomax, 66
Lou Diamond Phillips, 63
Michael Jordan, 62
David Klingler, 56
Jerry O’Connell, 51
Kelly Carlson, 49
Jeff Ulbrich, 48
Josh Willingham, 46
Case Keenum, 37
Sony Michel, 30
Monday would’ve been the great actor Hal Holbrook’s 100th birthday.


— Wichita State 84, Memphis 79 OT
Memphis led by 4 with 0:38 left in regulation.
Loss snaps the Tigers’ eight-game winning streak.
Wichita won its last four games, by 8-5-5-5 points.
PJ Carter is a senior guard for Memphis; he played for Texas-San Antonio last year, and from 2020-22, he played for the Campbell Camels. He’s scoring 5.5 ppg in 14.5 minutes/game for Memphis this season. I’m guessing that sometime down the road, he’ll be able to write a very good book about his travels through college basketball.

— Want to buy 10% of an NFL team? New Jersey Giants are selling a 10% non-controlling stake in the team- they hired an investment bank and strategic adviser explore the sale.

Giants’ ownership has been split 50-50 between the Mara and Tisch families since 1991; it is unclear how much the Giants’ franchise is worth, but the Eagles were recently valued at $8.3B- most people think the Giants are with more than that.
10% of $8B is $800M, a healthy piece of change, so if you’ve got $800M to toss around, feel free to give the Giants a call.

— Remember when NFL Films miked Chiefs coach Hank Stram during Super Bowl IV? Chiefs were a big underdog, but they whacked Minnesota 23-7 and Stram became famous because of his quirky vocabulary— “Keep matriculating the ball down the field, boys!!!”
After his coaching days were done, Stram had a good career doing Monday night games on the radio with the great Jack Buck- they were an excellent combination.

Found out this week that when NFL Films wanted to mike Stram during the Super Bowl, he held out for some money— they wound up paying him $500, which in 1970 was a decent paycheck for doing something that hadn’t been done very often. Stram did it very, very well.

— Boston College is having a rough season; they’re 10-15, 2-12 in ACC games. Three of their last five losses came in overtime, though; Eagles lost in triple OT at Syracuse February 8th, then lost the next game in double overtime at home to Notre Dame.
Eagles haven’t been in the NCAA’s since 2009; moving to the ACC hasn’t been good for their basketball program. Coach Earl Grant won a lot at Charleston; we’ll see if he can get BC over the hump.

— Bracketology has 14 SEC teams getting into the NCAA Tournament; I’m guessing it will be less than 14 teams. How can you justify a team that finished 14th in a 16-team league getting to play for a national title? Would rather see some teams who fared better in the regular season in a lesser league get to play in the NCAA’s.

— Draymond Green has made $203M in salary in his NBA career; he’s on the books for another $53M the next two seasons. He’s won four NBA championship rings.

You’d think he’d be a little more upbeat about the state of the NBA, but he thinks “It’s just who can run faster, who can hit more 3s, it’s no substance. I think it’s very boring.”

Golden State Warriors are probably more responsible than any other team for leading the NBA into this spacing and shooting era, the kind of stuff Green thinks makes the NBA “boring” but it has also made Green famous and really, really rich.
In other words, he should play ball and keep his negative thoughts to himself.

 

[Udog]

Canada, Finland to meet with championship hopes on the line at 4 Nations Face-Off​

Each looking to advance with regulation win; Sweden preparing for multiple scenarios vs. U.S.

BOSTON -- It's a must-win Monday doubleheader for potentially three teams at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
It certainly is for Canada and Finland in the afternoon game at TD Garden (1 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, truTV, SN, TVAS). If the game between the Canadians and Finns ends in regulation, the winner will advance to play the United States in the championship game at TD Garden on Thursday.

The United States is already guaranteed to finish first in the round-robin portion. It has six points from regulation wins against Finland and Canada.

"I believe that we are ready to play against Team Canada," Finland coach Antti Pennanen said. "It's going to be a big battle for us and it means a lot because we respect Team Canada a lot and the hockey history. So, it's going to be a big thing for us if we can win against that team."

If Canada-Finland does produce a winner in regulation, Sweden will be playing for only pride against the U.S. in the nightcap (8 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, truTV, SN, TVAS). It will be eliminated if the first game ends in regulation.
Sweden, Finland and Canada each has two points in the tournament standings, but Canada and Finland both won against Sweden so each owns the tiebreaker against the Swedes.

"If it's a game that doesn't mean anything we're still playing the U.S. in Boston," Sweden coach Sam Hallam said. "We know what they want to do in front of their home crowd so we need to be ready for everything."

However, if Canada-Finland goes to overtime, Sweden would remain alive and would leap both by defeating the United States in regulation, setting up a Sweden-U.S. rematch in the final.

"I don't think it changes that much in our preparations," Hallam said. "We're doing everything we can today and tomorrow to prepare to play a game, give ourselves an opportunity to play the last game. We can't have anything to do with the result in the early game so we're preparing to do the best we can and see it as a game to give us a chance to play the last game."

From Canada's perspective, forward Connor McDavid said they're treating it like a Game 7.

"The difference probably between Canada and Finland is we have massive expectations in front of us, but expectations don't win hockey games," Canada coach Jon Cooper said. "You have to go out there and perform and I think our team has performed extremely well."
The Canadians, though, lost to the Americans 3-1 in an emotionally charged, memorable round-robin game at Bell Centre on Saturday. They would like nothing more to get another shot at the U.S., but first they get the Finns, and no, they're not worried about looking past them.

"You have to marvel at the Finns because you can go to any tournament and they always seem to be the team that probably never gets the respect they deserve until they're in the final, and then you're like, 'Whoa, how did Finland get here?'" Cooper said. "But it's every tournament. It's World Juniors. They could be World Championships. They're always, always, always hanging around and it's because they just play a disciplined style. I think everybody in the country knows exactly how they play. They have an identity to them. Now you look and all of a sudden you're like 'Wow, that's (Mikko) Rantanen and that's (Aleksander) Barkov and that's (Sebastian) Aho and that's (Artturi) Lehkonen.' You just go down the list of guys that have either won Cups or been the guys that have propelled their teams to win at playoff time. And then they've always had sneaky good goaltending, always."

For Finland, it's been an emotional rollercoaster, losing 6-1 to the U.S. in a game that was 2-1 going into the third period before coming back to defeat rival Sweden 4-3 in overtime on Saturday, setting up the chance to advance to the final with a regulation win against Canada.

"I think we were just [ticked]," forward Erik Haula said of the Finns' emotions after losing to the U.S.
Finland defenseman Henri Jokiharju said to defeat the Canadians, the key is to play them much the way the U.S. did; strong defensively, always in structure, smart with the puck, with little risk.

"We've got to stick together and take their best guys, try to take them out of the game," Jokiharju said. "Stick together, skate hard, make good plays with the puck. It can't be just throwing it around. You've got to be smart for sure against these guys."

The Swedes could be going through some emotional highs and lows as the Canada-Finland game plays out. They know if it ends in regulation they will be eliminated, but the mindset, as Hallam mentioned, is to prepare as if the game means everything to them.
In fact, Sweden defenseman Mattias Ekholm said an attack mindset is what the Swedes need now after consecutive 4-3 overtime losses to Canada and Finland in Montreal.

Ekholm certainly didn't couch his comments with the what-if scenario.

"Just got to make sure that you come ready for the game and you just play your heart out," Ekholm said. "Whether you lose 6-0 or you win 6-0 doesn't really matter that much. But don't leave anything out there. I think we have the players to do it. I think it's more a mindset than X's and O's and whatnot on a drawing board at this point."

And for the Americans, they want to improve in every area, as they feel they did from their game against Finland to their game against Canada.

They want to prepare the right way for the final regardless of who they play.
They're certainly not treating it as some throwaway game in Boston even though they've already punched their ticket to the final.

"There's still a ton to play for," U.S. forward Kyle Connor said. "We've got the Olympics coming up to and we have to make sure we let Sweden know what we're about. Just not let off the gas. That's going to be the big focal point for us. And I don't think we will."