Noel can't do it himself as Sixers lose tight one to Kings

Sacramento, CA -- DeMarcus Cousins recorded 33 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and forced a turnover on the game's final possession to seal the Sacramento Kings' 107-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Rudy Gay complemented Cousins with 21 points, and Sacramento held on by the skin of its teeth for its first three-game winning streak since November.

"The energy of the team and the spirit of the team right now since I have been here, this is by far the best," said Kings coach George Karl.

Robert Covington netted a team-high 21 points for the Sixers, who have dropped 16 straight on the road. Thomas Robinson, the fifth overall pick in the 2012 by the Kings, scored a career-high 16 points against his former team, while Nerlens Noel held his own against Cousins with 14 points, 10 boards and six blocked shots.

Covington scored 12 points in a 1:14 span in the middle stages of the fourth quarter, connecting on three 3-pointers and converting a three-point play the old-fashioned way.

His triple with 6:12 remaining broke a 100-100 tie and signified the Sixers' last make from the field. From there, they went 0-for-5 and committed eight of their 21 turnovers.

Two Gay free throws pulled Sacramento even at 105-105 with 1:20 remaining, and on the next Kings possession, Ray McCallum snuck for a putback of a Cousins miss.

After Covington went 1-of-2 at the foul line with 39.5 seconds to go, Noel blocked a Cousins shot and forced him into a rushed fadeaway that drew iron.

Brett Brown called timeout with 8.2 seconds remaining and tried having Thompson play hero.
Cousins, though, stripped the ball near the foul line, and the Kings survived a tight battle.

The Sixers, the lowest scoring team in the NBA this season, exploded for 70 points in the first half -- just 21 below their average coming in. They shot 56.3 percent from the field, made eight 3-pointers and only turned it over four times.

Cousins' double-double in the first half (21-10) helped the Kings keep pace in the up-and-down style of play, but they still trailed 70-63 at the break.

Things slowed down considerably in the third quarter, and a 10-point Philadelphia lead was erased with a 14-0 Kings run. Gay scored the final six points of the surge, and the hosts were in front 87-84 entering the fourth.

Notes: Ish Smith totaled 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and seven turnovers for the Sixers, who made 13 3s ... The Kings outscored Philadelphia at the free throw line 30-13 ... Sacramento will start a four-game road trip Wednesday against Phoenix ... Philadelphia, which had won six straight in Sacramento, closes out its three-game trek at Denver on Wednesday.

Luukko signs ATO with Phantoms

The end-of-college-season pickle race is upon us, and the Phantoms chimed in with some roster news on Tuesday.

Nick Luukko, son of former Comcast/Flyers rep Peter, signed an amateur tryout contract with the AHL club through the end of the season.

The younger Luukko just concluded his senior campaign for the University of Vermont, totaling two goals and 12 assists over 41 games. UVM's 2014-15 season concluded with a Hockey East semifinal loss to UMass-Lowell.

In four years under Kevin Sneddon, the 23-year-old native of West Chester, PA picked up eight goals and 27 assists in 131 appearances.

Viewing set for Bednarik

PHILADELPHIA - Funeral arrangements for Pro Football Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik were set on Monday.


A viewing will be held on Thursday, March 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. at Connell Funeral Home in Bethlehem, Pa. A private mass for friends and family will follow on Friday.

Bednarik, one of the best players in Eagles history, passed at an assisted living facility in Richland, Pennsylvania following a brief illness over the weekend at 89.

Soul firm up regular-season roster

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Soul have announced their 2015 team.  

The 35-man roster was trimmed down to 24 (21 active and three inactive) after a two-week training camp at The Field House in Moorestown, NJ.  

Below is the team’s Opening Week roster:

PHILADELPHIA SOUL 2015 REGULAR-SEASON ROSTER

NO.	POS	PLAYER	HGT	WGT	DOB	COLLEGE
1	DB	Kent Richardson	6’0	200	4/21/87	West Virginia
2	LB	Beau Bell	6’2	245	5/26/86	UNLV
3	WR	Marco Thomas	6’0	190	11/27/83	Western Illinois
5	QB	Dan Raudabaugh	6’3	230	3/30/87	Miami (OH)
6	DB	Brandon Freeman	6’2	205	3/5/85	Massachusetts
7	K	Carlos Martinez	5’8	180	6/4/80	Buena Vista (IA)
9	QB	Bryan Randall	6’1	218	8/16/83	Virginia Tech
11	WR	Xavier Boyce	6’4	220	8/17/90	Norfolk State
12	DL	Bryan Robinson	6’3	286	1/25/86	Wesley
13	DL	Padric Scott	6’1	300	1/8/90	Florida A&M
15	WR	Harvey Binford	6’0	185	1/20/91	Lindenwood
18	LB	Joe Goosby	6’1	235	9/6/86	Tulane
19	WR	Ryan McDaniel	6’3	198	9/8/88	Samford
21	WR	Shaun Kauleinamoku	5’10	185	5/24/87	Western Oregon
22	DB	Dwayne Hollis	5’10	185	7/7/89	N. C. Wesleyan
23	DB/KR	LaRico Stevenson	5’10	205	8/22/84	West Georgia
24	FB	Tommy Taggart	6’3	275	5/17/86	Oklahoma
25	DB	James Romain	5’11	180	8/6/87	Delaware State
42	DL/LB	Caleb Bostic	6’3	260	8/25/88	Miami (OH)
72	OL	Keith Newell	6’6	315	1/10/88	Delaware State
74	OL	Shannon Breen	6’5	310	3/16/89	W.V. Wesleyan
76	OL	Adam Smith	6’5	320	4/9/90	Western Kentucky
77	OL	Neal Tivis	6’5	325	11/18/88	Abilene Christian
99	DL	Justin Lawrence	6’2	305	6/19/87	Morgan State

Other Soul roster moves include: activated K Carlos Martinez from the Refused to Report list; placed DL/LB Jake Metz and WR Lonnie Outlaw on the Injured Reserve list; activated WR Dominique Curry and WR Xavier Boyce from Physical Unable to Perform list.  The team also placed DB Raymond Little and DL/LB Jerome Williams on recallable reassignment.

“We very excited with the roster we put together this year,” said Soul head coach Clint Dolezel.  “This roster is as good as any we have put together over the last three years and we believe that we have a legitimate shot to compete for a championship in 2015.”

The Soul will begin their quest for the ArenaBowl XXVIII Championship on Sunday, March 29 at the Amway Arena in Orlando.

Flyers let another point slip away in Edmonton

Edmonton, AB -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins started the scoring and ended it.

Nugent-Hopkins scored the game-winning goal with 2:14 left in overtime as the Edmonton Oilers topped the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Saturday.

After Ben Scrivens made several big saves early in the extra session, Nikita Nikitin fired a shot from the left circle. Ray Emery knocked it down with his glove, but Nugent-Hopkins backhanded the rebound into the net to give the Oilers the win.

"Any time you get a chance to bury it, you have to capitalize and luckily we did tonight," said Nugent-Hopkins.

Nugent-Hopkins finished with two goals and an assist, Jordan Eberle scored and added a helper and Teddy Purcell and Matt Hendricks also lit the lamp for the Oilers, who have earned points in four straight games (2-0-2). Scrivens made 27 saves.

Claude Giroux scored twice, Jakub Voracek supplied three assists, while Michael Raffl and Ryan White also provided offense for the Flyers, who have lost four straight games and nine in a row on the road, which is the most since an 0-8-2 stretch during the 1991-92 season.

"They had some nice plays and when they had a chance to put it in, they did," said Giroux.
Emery made 29 stops in a surprise start after Steve Mason skated off the ice during pre-game warmups with an illness.

After a frantic six-goal first period, Eberle provided the lone goal of the second as he put the Oilers in front 4-3 at 1:11 by elevating a backhander over Emery to finish off an odd-man rush.

The final stanza started the same way as the first two periods, with a quick goal. Voracek sent a pass from below the goal line to Raffl, who tied the game at 4-4 with a wrister from the right circle 46 seconds into the frame.

Each goaltender made quality stops down the stretch as Scrivens denied Nick Cousins on a breakaway with six minutes to play and Emery stopped a Taylor Hall one-timer and covered up the loose puck in the crease with just over a minute to play.

The Oilers wasted no time getting on the board as Eberle gathered a puck behind the net and sent it off Flyers defenseman Mark Streit's skate in the crease, where Nugent-Hopkins backhanded it in just 51 seconds into the game.

Less than four minutes later, Giroux tied the game after taking Voracek's quick feed and snapping a low shot past Scrivens.

Giroux tallied again to give Philadelphia a 2-1 lead, as he stickhandled the puck at the left circle, moved in on net and wristed the puck past a screened Scrivens with eight minutes to play in the first period.

Just over two minutes later, White jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone, embarked on a 2-on-1 with Zac Rinaldo and beat Scrivens off a give-and-go for a 3-1 game.

The high-scoring opening frame continued as Derek Roy emerged from behind the net and sent the puck to Purcell, who wristed a shot into the net at 16:15 and Hendricks tapped in a loose puck in front to tie the game at 3-3 with 30.8 seconds to go.

Notes: Eberle extended his point streak to seven games ... Hall tallied an assist in his return to the lineup after missing 23 of the last 24 games with a leg injury ... Oilers defenseman Andrew Ference played in his 900th NHL game ... The Flyers dropped all three games during their Western Canada road trip (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton) for the first time since Feb. 27-March 2, 1986 ... Flyers forward Matt Read returned to the lineup after missing two games for the birth of his daughter ... Philadelphia played its 24th game past regulation this season, tying a franchise record which was set in 1998-99.

'Nova defies expectations once again, falls short vs. NC State

Pittsburgh, PA -- Add another monumental upset to the list for North Carolina State this season.

Except this one punched its ticket into the Sweet 16.

Trevor Lacey had 17 points and six rebounds, Abdul-Malik Abu and Lennard Freeman added double-doubles and the eighth-seeded Wolfpack shocked No. 1 seed Villanova 71-68 in third-round action from the East Region.

Abu posted 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Freeman supplied 11 points and 12 boards for NC State (22-13), which stormed back from a 16-point second half deficit to beat LSU in the second round.

The Wolfpack handed Duke its first loss in January and added road wins against Louisville and North Carolina in February.

"We respect Villanova, but we've seen good teams," NC State coach Mark Gottfried said. "We've seen  a lot of them in our conference. You see them about every night. So a league like that prepares you for games like tonight."

Saturday's stunner was aided by a poor Villanova shooting performance.

The Wildcats, who shot a season-high 63 percent during their second-round win against Lafayette, were 31.1 percent (19-of-61) from the floor in this one and connected on just 9-of-28 from beyond the arc.

Darrun Hilliard hit a trio of 3-pointers in the final 1:29 and his final one pulled the Wildcats within 69-68 with 1.4 seconds remaining.

Ralston Turner sunk a pair of foul shots at the other end, but Josh Hart's ensuing inbounds pass downcourt was thrown into a sea of NC State players and intercepted.

Hilliard was 6-of-10 from 3-point range and Phil Booth was 3-of-4 from long distance, but the rest of the Wildcats combined to go 0-of-14.

NC State also outrebounded them 45-32.

Hilliard finished with 27 points and JayVaughn Pinkston provided 13 points and six boards for Villanova (33-3), which had won 16 straight games coming in.

This is the second straight NCAA Tournament the Wildcats have been upset in the third round. They were beaten by eventual national-champion and seventh- seeded Connecticut as a No. 2 seed last year.

"I know we have to answer to the fact that we did not get to the second weekend again," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "It's not going to define us within our program. It's going to define us outside of our program, and we accept that."

The Wildcats trailed by as many as 12 in the second half but two Pinkston free throws preceded his three-point play to cut the deficit to 62-59 with 2:26 remaining.

NC State, though, answered with a pair of baskets as Lacey hit a tough step- back jumper from the left elbow and Anthony "Cat" Barber drove in for a layup to extend the advantage back to seven with under two minutes to play.

Hilliard then sandwiched a pair of 3s around a 1-of-2 effort from the charity stripe by Barber for a 67-65 Wolfpack lead with 44 ticks on the clock.

Villanova's full-court pressure forced an errant pass from Lacey, but Dylan Ennis' trey from the top of the arc was off the mark. Barber was fouled again, but hit both of his bonus shots this time to make it a two-possession contest.

Earlier, six straight points from the Wolfpack helped them race out to a 13-7 margin.

Hilliard hit a 3 to make it 13-10 and neither team led by more than four the rest of the half. Lacey's right wing 3 at the horn staked NC State to a 32-28 cushion at the break.

The Wolfpack began the second half on a 13-5 run to build their 12-point spread. Barber found Abu for a layup to cap the surge for a 45-33 margin at the 13:29 mark.

Notes: This is the second time that a Gottfried-coached team has knocked off a No. 1 seed in the Round of 32. His 2004 Alabama team knocked off top-seeded Stanford in the second round ... Villanova was 21-of-23 from the foul line ... The Wildcats were 5-of-16 from beyond the arc in the second half ... Abu pulled down six of NC State's 13 offensive rebounds.

Red card costs Union against FC Dallas

Former Union GK Chris Seitz stoned his old club

By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

Chester, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - Undisciplined play cost the Philadelphia Union on Saturday in front of 16,031 at PPL Park as the home side was whitewashed by FC Dallas, 2-0.

It was the first setback of the season for the Union (0-1-2) after back-to-back draws against Colorado and Real Salt Lake. FC Dallas (3-0-0), meanwhile, is the only MLS team with the maximum number of points through three matches.

The turning point of the game came in the 41st minute when Union midfielder Zach Pfeffer, making his fourth career start in place of the injured Cristian Maidana, was shown a red card and tossed for elbowing Mauro Diaz of FC Dallas.

“I’ll have to look at the tape again but it’s two short guys running full speed,” Union coach Jim Curtin said. “Diaz looked to make a sharp cut back and there is a contact with the face. That was a big crack down. We always have these initiatives in the off season with what they’re (referees) going to crack down on and that was one of them so I guess maybe it was premature to immediately flash the red.”


Philadelphia was outplaying FC Dallas to that point but playing a man down against the powerful club from North Texas was too much to ask.

Tesho Akindele opened the scoring for Dallas in the 49th minute, interrupting a clearing attempt by Fabinho, in for an injured Sheanon Williams,  before beating Union goalkeeper Rais M'bolhi to the short side.

“It hurts – injuries are always going to affect you because now you’re going to your bench,” Curtin said of Williams' absence after the defender was removed due to a strained hamstring in the 22nd minute.

Less than 10 minutes later Dallas added another when Fabian Castillo tried a cross that missed its intended target but did find Ryan Hollingshead outside the box, who finished from distance to put FCD up 2-0.

Dallas netminder Chris Seitz, who was the Union's GK in the club's inaugural season, had five saves and has allowed just one goal in FCD's three matches this season.

He was tested early when Sebastien Le Toux unleashed some fancy footwork in the 7th minute, setting up Andrew Wenger but Seitz was up to the task.

In the 15th minute, Williams' throw-in nearly found a head in the box before being punched away by Seitz.

The Union actually outshot FCD 8-3 at the half and was up 4-2 on corner kicks but Pfeffer's mental mistake changed the complexion of things. By the end Philadelphia still has a 12-10 advantage in shots, including a 5-3 edge on goal.

“I thought the game had a good tempo to it, good start,” Curtin said. “I thought we had some good chances in the first 10 minutes. We had some real good looks at goal. We were kind of clinical with our chance. The red card happens and from there, credit to Dallas, they out-played us from that point on. They’re a good team and anytime you’re going to play down a man with stoppage time it’s going to be difficult.”

The contest was originally scheduled for Friday but was postponed a day due to the spring snowstorm that blanketed the area.

Next up for the Union is a visit to Bridgeview, Ill. for a bout against the Chicago Fire on March 29.

“We have to go on the road and get a result now,” Curtin said. “We’ve got behind the eight ball but you have to win your home games. Ideally, I had us on six points in three games. We’re on two points now but the goal was a least six or more so we’re behind. We have to go somewhere now and win on the road.”

'Concrete Charlie' leaves the Eagles nest

Philadelphia, PA -- The last of the NFL's Iron Men has passed on.

Philadelphia Eagles Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker and center Chuck Bednarik died early Saturday morning following a brief illness at an assisted living facility in Richland, Pennsylvania, the team announced. He was 89.

One of the last two-way players in the NFL, Bednarik played a franchise-record 14 seasons with the Eagles from 1949-1962 and was part of two NFL Championship squads in 1949 and 1960.

"With the passing of Chuck Bednarik, the Eagles and our fans have lost a legend," said Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie in a statement. "Philadelphia fans grow up expecting toughness, all-out effort and a workmanlike attitude from this team and so much of that image has its roots in the way Chuck played the game. He was a Hall of Famer, a champion and an all-time Eagle. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this time."

Bednarik had arrived with the Eagles as the NFL's first overall draft pick in 1949 after two All-American seasons at the University of Pennsylvania.

A native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Bednarik made eight Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967, his first year of eligibility. His No. 60 jersey is one of nine numbers to be retired by the Eagles. He played in 169 career games, notching 20 interceptions on defense, including one returned for a touchdown.

"I have had the opportunity to spend time with Chuck Bednarik, who is truly one of the most unique players that this game has ever seen," said Eagles coach Chip Kelly. "The foundation of this organization and this league is built on the backs of past greats, with Chuck at the forefront.

"The way he played the game with an endless passion and tenacity helped establish the standard of excellence that this organization stands for; one that we strive to achieve each and every day."

Known as one of the most devastating tacklers and toughest players in the NFL, Bednarik earned the nickname "Concrete Charlie" from his offseason job as a concrete salesman for the Warner Company. He was a gunner on a B-24 in World War II before his football career.

A well-traveled iconic photograph of Bednarik truimphal over the body of New York Giants back Frank Gifford underscores the man's toughness and ruthlessness on the gridiron. Gifford's injuries were so great from the hit that he had to miss the entire 1961 season while recovering. 

Former Temple football player Matt Brown charged with human trafficking:

(The Phanatic Magazine) - Former Temple football star Matt Brown was arrested Tuesday and charged with prostituting three teenage girls, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Brown and another man, Anthony Leon Eley, Jr., were arrested on human trafficking charges after they set up the three underage girls — ages 14, 16 and 17 -- with.an undercover Baltimore vice detective.

Police alleged Brown and Eley met the detectives at the Baltimore County hotel on Tuesday night with the girls.

The 5-foot-5 Brown, the son of well-known Baltimore-area attorney Warren Brown, was a wide receiver, running back and special teams star for Temple from 2009-2012. He finished his four-year career with the Owls with 2,068 kickoff return yards and was named the Big East Conference's special teams player of the year in 2012.

Brown signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going undrafted in 2013 but was released.

Union and FC Dallas moved to Saturday

CHESTER, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - Spring snow has forced the Philadelphia Union to move their match against FC Dallas back a day.

The game -- originally scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. --  has been rescheduled for Saturday afternoon. Kickoff will be 4 p.m.

“We had every intention to play our match as originally scheduled, but the current weather conditions will challenge the safety of our fans, players, and staff, and they always will be our first priority,” Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz said in a statement released by the team. “With a sunny day in the high 50’s forecasted for tomorrow, we look forward to welcoming everyone to a magnificent setting at PPL Park.”

The Union have opened the 2015 season with back-to-back draws while FC Dallas is perfect thus far (2-0-0).

Flyers downward slide continues with loss to Flames

Calgary, AB -- Did you hear the one about the kid from Jersey who showed up to play against the team for which he rooted as a kid? Did anyone stay up late enough to watch?

If not, let it be known that Calder Trophy candidate Johnny Gaudreau's goal and two assists paced Calgary in a 4-1 decision over Philadelphia at the Saddledome.

Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie also scored while Jiri Hudler and Kris Russell tacked on two assists apiece for the Flames, who vaulted over idle Los Angeles for third place in the Pacific Division and into more favorable playoff positioning.

Karri Ramo backed up his offense with a 26-save effort.

Claude Giroux provided the lone tally for the Flyers, who dropped their eighth straight contest away from home (0-5-3) with their first loss in Calgary in 14 years.

Steve Mason started and absorbed the loss after yielding two goals on 16 shots. Ray Emery finished up by allowing the other two scores on 10 shots.

Seconds before a Ryan White cross-checking minor was set to expire, Monahan's one-timer off the rush from a pass by Gaudreau provided a 3-1 advantage for Calgary at 3:09 of the third period.

Gaudreau capped his night by adding a goal during a two-man advantage thanks to a Hudler dish with 7:02 elapsed.

Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman finally snapped a scoreless deadlock with 3:45 to play in the second period, beating Mason through the pads on a rush from the right wing.

Giroux and Jakub Voracek failed to hook up on a 2-on-0 down low with just under three minutes left in the period, and Calgary took advantage a short time later. Brodie's right-point floater deflected off Philly blueliner Nick Schultz en route and beat Mason with 2:03 to go.

Emery was summoned from the bench, and Voracek hit Giroux for a goal with 8.8 seconds left before intermission. For the Flyers captain, it marked his first goal since Feb. 26, a span of 11 games.

Notes: Gaudreau posted his fourth three-point performance of his rookie season ... Calgary failed to surrender the game's first goal for the fourth time in its last 17 games ... Mason fell to 1-12-6 on the road this season, receiving two or fewer goals in support on 17 occasions ... Flyers forward Matt Read rejoined the team after being present for the birth of his daughter ... Michael Del Zotto returned to the Philadelphia lineup after suffering through a lower-body injury ... Prior to the contest, the Flames agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with former Western Michigan defenseman Kenney Morrison.

Villanova takes down Lafayette in easy NCAA test

Pittsburgh, PA -- Dylan Ennis led a razor-sharp Villanova offense with 16 points and the top-seeded Wildcats rolled to a 93-52 win over Lafayette in the NCAA Tournament East Region second round.

The Wildcats looked every bit the part of a national championship contender in their tournament opener, shooting a torrid 63.2 percent from the field and going 11-of-22 from 3-point range while committing just eight turnovers in an overwhelming performance.

"I think we are offensively playing as well as we have all season," Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. "It's a good, good time to do it."

Daniel Ochefu chipped in 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting and Ryan Arcidiacono had 13 points for Villanova (33-2), which will take a school-record 16-game win streak into Saturday's Round of 32 matchup with either North Carolina State or LSU.

Darrun Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston added 12 points each while finishing a combined 10-of-13 from the floor.

Dan Trist paced 16th-seeded Lafayette (20-13), the champions of the Patriot League Tournament, with 18 points and Seth Hinrichs netted 13 for the Leopards.

The overmatched Leopards never posed a threat for Villanova, which began the game on an 11-2 run and owned a 19-8 lead midway through the first half prior to breaking the contest wide open.

Kris Jenkins buried back-to-back 3-pointers to ignite a 13-0 stretch in which the Wildcats scored on five consecutive possessions. Josh Hart capped the surge with a triple of his own, staking Villanova to a commanding 34-13 advantage with six minutes still to play in the period.

"We know what kind of team they were. We have a lot of respect for them. They came into our house last year and gave us a great battle," Hilliard said of Lafayette. "We were down late in the game and we knew if we didn't come in and kind of play defense the way we were supposed to, it could be an easy, closer game. It was great to come out and kind of jump on them from the start."

The Wildcats closed out the stanza on an 8-0 spurt to head into the break up by a 49-26 count, having shot 62.5 percent for the half and outscoring Lafayette 24-10 in the paint.

"I think playing the No. 2 team in the nation, we were a little nervous," Hinrichs admitted. "But we just didn't execute to come out to start. We knew we had to get off to a good start and we didn't do that tonight."

Villanova remained hot coming out of the intermission, knocking down its first six field goal attempts of the second half and stretching the lead to 63-30. Arcidiacono hit three of those shots while accounting for seven points during a 14-2 run.

Lafayette never got the margin under 31 points from there, with the Wildcats going ahead by as much as 45 when an Ennis trey made the score 84-39 with 8:59 remaining.

"It's hard to come back against them. They handle the ball so well," Leopards head coach Fran O'Hanlon remarked. "We knew coming in here how well they handle the ball. It's not like we could pressure them or trap them. They just move it too well."

Notes: Villanova posted a 75-59 win over Lafayette when the teams squared off at the Pavilion in the 2013-14 season opener ... O'Hanlon was a guard for Villanova from 1967-70 and still holds the Wildcats' single-game record for assists. He was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 1992 ... The Leopards fell to 0-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and were making their first appearance since 2000 ... Villanova has now won 30 straight games in which it has scored 70 points or more ... The Wildcats improved to 17-0 all-time against current Patriot League members but had two close calls against the league during the regular season, earning a 77-66 win over Lehigh and a 72-65 decision over Bucknell.

Villanova's Cherry named CAA Football Student-Athlete of the Year

RICHMOND, Va. – Villanova junior Don Cherry has been named 2014 CAA Football Student-Athlete of the Year, headlining a list of 205 honorees named to the league’s Academic All-Conference Team on Thursday.

Cherry is a standout both in football and in the classroom at Villanova. He carries a cumulative 3.38 GPA while majoring in finance, and was a member of the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Team. Cherry is also a three-time selection to the Villanova Dean’s List, and was chosen as the VU Student-Athlete of the Month last December.

On the field, Cherry posted 134 tackles, 21.5 tackles-for-loss, 10 sacks and five forced fumbles in 2014, ranking among the CAA Football leaders in each category. The impressive statistics earned Cherry a runner-up finish in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the top defensive player in the FCS. The linebacker was also named to the AP, Sports Network, College Sporting News and Walter Camp All-America Teams, and the All-CAA Football First Team.

"Don Cherry is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be,” said Villanova head coach Andy Talley. “He is a true All-American who is very deserving of this honor."

Of the 205 CAA Football Academic All-Conference selections, Delaware leads the way with 28 honorees, followed by New Hampshire with 23, and James Madison and Villanova with 20 apiece.

Union loan Cruz to Norwegian club

Chester, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union has loaned veteran midfielder Danny Cruz to FK Bodo/Glimt of Tippeligaen, the top division of Norwegian football for the 2015 season.

Cruz, 25, originally joined the Union in August of 2012 via trade with D.C. United as forward Lionard Pajoy went the other way in the deal. Since then, Cruz has played in 70 games for Philadelphia, with 60 starts, and has scored seven goals with five assists.

In 2013, he was tied for second on the team in games played (32) and starts (32) and was third on the team in shots (56). Cruz, however, is no longer a part of the mix and had yet to play for the Union in the 2015 MLS Regular Season.

“This is a great opportunity for Danny to play regularly and we know he’ll represent our club well while in Norway.” technical director Chris Albright said. “While we’re confident in our depth on the wings, this also gives us important salary cap relief as we continue to shape our roster throughout the season."

Cruz played collegiately at UNLV and was originally drafted by Houston Dynamo with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. During his six-year career, Cruz has played in 137 games and has started 99 games. He’s scored 12 goals and handed out 13 assists.

FK Bodo/Glimt, meanwhile, earned promotion into Tippeligaen two years ago. The league start its season next month.

Game Points with Matthew Ross: John McMullen Analyzes NFL Free Agency Signings

Game Points with Matthew Ross: John McMullen Analyzes NFL Free Agency Signings

Around the Rink: Cousins call-up conundrum edition

Right up there at the top of the list of hockey cliches, alongside "we have to play a full 60 minutes," "we can't get ahead of ourselves," and "we can't afford to watch the scoreboard," is one which applies to the Flyers and Phantoms at the moment.

"They know the deal."

As in, call-ups from the AHL to the NHL for a variety of reasons are a constant threat to team chemistry because the parent club has to be protected at all times due to injuries and suspensions.

Nick Cousins has caught the eyes of many observers thanks to hot stretches in January and February, during which he accumulated 31 of his team-leading 55 points this season. Included in this run of success are a pair of hat tricks (Jan, 17 vs. Binghamton and March 11 at Toronto), two four-point games, three three-point efforts and seven more two-point nights. He also earned Player of the Month accolades in January and added AHL Player of the Week honors to the ledger this afternoon after a four-goal, six-point surge in three games.

As a result, the 21-year-old Ontarian surged to the top of the Phantoms scoring list, breezing by second-place Brandon Manning by a count of 55-42 after All-Star selection and defenseman Manning led the club just after the new year.

Guess what? As the Phantoms try to break through the floor of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, Manning is up with Philadelphia, and Cousins is getting his first shot at the Show because the Flyers are suddenly one forward short due to the season-ending injury to R.J. Umberger revealed over the weekend.

That leaves Terry Murray in Allentown short two top point producers for a team ranked 11th in their conference and eight points out of a playoff spot with 16 games left, dead last in the league in penalty minutes and 10th in total offense out in the cold for an indefinite period of time.

It's made all the more confusing because the Flyers, perpetual leavers of points on the table, have been all but officially eliminated from playoff contention. After a 2-1 shootout loss in Ottawa on Sunday night, they're nine points back of Boston with 11 games to go. Do you believe in miracles? Yes?? Then that's what has to happen for the Orange and Black to make it.

But as Phantoms' veteran forward and chief mouthpiece Andrew Gordon said back in mid-November when Scott Laughton was the first of the farm team to get a look under the microscope, they "know the deal" and have to move on playing the game they know how to play regardless of who dresses.

How fair and how right is that? In the wake of Laughton's recall (which came shortly after Shayne Gostisbehere's ACL injury), Lehigh Valley struggled to get its bearings, going 3-3-2. Just about the time Cousins started heating up, the offense went cold for a prolonged stretch of two or fewer goals in eight of 13 games during which the club went 4-9-0.

Now, you're asking an offense on life support to pick up the pieces during a presumed postseason push because Ron Hextall needs an extra forward for a quixotic playoff race of his own?

Wait one second...are they all right or aren't they? After finishing a stretch where six of seven games took place at home, the Phantoms went 2-3-2. Currently in the middle of a five-game road trip, LV has posted wins at Toronto, Providence and Bridgeport with Hartford and Worcester to come.

The message sent is "hold on, brother, we're keeping things together until you get back." Which is nice, but what happens if Cousins is unable to maintain the pace which characterized his second half that earned his call-up in the first place? The house of cards is poised to collapse. Isn't it wiser to wait until one, the other, or both teams are eliminated?

Having presided over the mess that was the Phantoms in Glens Falls, Hextall should be acutely aware that the AHL team -- one housed in a state-of-the-art building with state-of-the-art facilities and packed by a fan base which waited five years for the moment to buy into the kids -- should be given the best possible chance to succeed without paying too high a cost up the chain.

Allentown places fifth in the AHL in average attendance (8,103) and has seen multiple sellouts with crowds twice as big as Adirondack ever received on good nights. The new batch of faithful fans have to be given a reason to stick around in numbers that large, and a playoff berth for the first time since leaving the Spectrum would look mighty good on that ledger.

Instead, the best player on the club, which allowed them to be this close to the final playoff berth, is suddenly spirited into the NHL universe, like some hockey version of The Rapture. Umberger wasn't a glowing example of a bottom-six forward, so why not elevate Jay Rosehill and make the remaining Flyers schedule at least entertaining while he causes havoc alongside the train wreck that is Zac Rinaldo?

If Cousins is up for more than five games, it costs the Flyers nothing but it very likely costs the Phantoms a shot at extending their season which has already been a hit on the bottom line. Philly continues its road trip in Western Canada this week unlikely to gain much ground. Besides, when is it ever a lock that a certain player will play significant minutes, or in certain games at all, during any given recall? And with Craig Berube calling the lineup shots, anything is possible. Cousins deserves better if he's going to be showcased, and buried on the fourth line doesn't cut it.

Recall that Vinny Prospal was tearing up the AHL in the Phantoms' initial season of 1996-97, and earned a permanent recall to the NHL in March of that year and never went back. In the long run, the Phantoms were stacked with offense to spare and eventually won the Calder Cup the following season. The relationship of Cousins to the Phantoms is too precious right now to keep him away for long.

With Cousins elevated, the best Hextall can do to fill the gap is ex-Cornell forward Cole Bardreau as the college season winds down and fresh-faced kids try to stick on ELCs.

If development is the goal one level down, and with several players supposedly set to audition come training camp, Hextall has to recognize that a full and complete roster unbroken by injury call-ups with a chance to take part in a playoff pressure cooker provides the best chance for that development to continue.

College Prospect Updates

For the fifth consecutive week, North Dakota was voted the No. 1 team in the country by the weekly USCHO.com poll, and that means senior forward Michael Parks has drawn increased scrutiny as part of the top team in the nation.


Unfortunately, the Flyers' 2010 fifth-round pick has struggled of late under the weight of increased responsibility. After senior scorer Mark MacMillan was lost for the second time this season due to injury, Parks went cold, going pointless in five straight even as the Fighting Sioux ended up winning the NCHC title and advanced to the conference semis.

Over the weekend, Parks finally got off the schneid with an assist in UND's series-clinching 3-2 win over Colorado College. The St. Louis native still ranks second on the club with 32 points fourth in goals, but Drake Caggiula, the Schmaltz brothers and Brendan O'Donnell have picked up the slack in the meantime.

North Dakota faces St. Cloud State this weekend.

Philadelphia's other senior prospect is Vermont defenseman Nick Luukko, who gets to prolong his collegiate career for at least one more night.

Luukko is not a defenseman where point totals will indicate success, as the Catamounts have taken a page from UMass-Lowell coach Norm Bazin's book and played textbook team-wide shutdown defense backed with solid goaltending. Nonetheless, he shares in the success of UVM's three-game quarterfinal take-down of second-seeded BC in the Hockey East quarterfinals last weekend.

After losing 4-2 on Friday, the Catamounts and goaltender Brady Hoffman allowed just one goal over the final two nights to seal their first trip to Boston in five years. UVM will take on UML this Friday at TD Garden.

Freshman defenseman and 2014 selection Mark Friedman has some more hockey ahead of him. His now No. 9 Bowling Green Falcons dismantled Northern Michigan in two straight over the weekend to advance to the WCHA's Final Five. Taking a backseat to more experienced blueliners, the Toronto native finished the weekend with six shots on goal and a plus-1. Up next, Michigan Tech in Friday's semifinals.

David Drake, UConn freshman forward and Flyers' 2013 pick, ended his season last weekend as the Huskies fell in two straight to New Hampshire. He ended the year with five points in 32 games, a minus-15 rating and 39 blocked shots.

Another frosh blueliner and 2013 Flyers draft selection, Terrance Amorosa, finished his first season with five points in 14 games along with a plus-5 in limited minutes. Clarkson's playoff hopes were dashed by RPI in a deciding Game 3 of the ECAC quarters last weekend.

And Merrick Madsen (6th round, 2013) continues his ride on the pine as Steve Michalek tends Harvard's goal. The Crimson reached Lake Placid and the ECAC semis after gutting out a 3-2 OT win over rival Yale on Sunday. Up next is 2013 national runners-up Quinnipiac.

Detroit Demolition Day 

In a surprise move, the Flyers ripped through the Red Wings, 7-2, on Saturday afternoon. A four-goal third period was marked by a Brayden Schenn hat trick that was and then wasn't, a goal from Zac Rinaldo off a no-look pass from Ryan White, and a ready-made internet meme of a Red Wings fan holding his head in his hands after the seventh and final goal eluded Jimmy Howard.

The Orange and Black have won 10 straight at home against Detroit, since dropping a 4-1 decision in the clubs' first-ever meeting in the "new" Flyers arena. In fact, excepting the Wings' two victories to open the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, they have only beaten Philly once here since 1993.

In that span, the Flyers claimed a Black Friday triumph over the team which set an NHL record for most wins in one season (62, 1995-96); had a player who quit hockey to become an actor record a hat trick (Alex Daigle, 3/14/98) in a 6-1 thrashing of the defending Cup champions; saw a guy who went 122 games without scoring beat them in a 1-0 game (Kent Manderville, 3/31/01); had a goon (Todd Fedoruk) score on a breakaway to cap a five-goal third period in a 6-1 rout (Feb. 2007).

Those seven goals marked the most for the Flyers at home against the Red Wings since Oct. 7, 1990 in a similar 7-2 final. That contest saw Detroit score the first two in the game's first 3:23, only to have Philadelphia roar back with seven in a row thanks to the first goals of the season from Norm Lacombe, Tim Kerr, Jiri Latal, Craig Berube and Tony Horacek. 

In an era where home-ice advantage doesn't mean anything, and with a generation now removed from the Flyers dominating teams like the Kings, Blues and Penguins for years in the Spectrum, it's amazing that the club's current great win-prevention run comes against a franchise it should be emulating more regarding front office operations and philosophy.

'Nova wins Big East, gains #1 seed in NCAAs

New York, NY -- After capturing their first Big East Tournament title in 20 years, the Villanova Wildcats have officially been rewarded. 

Dylan Ennis led a sharp offensive display with 16 points and the fourth-ranked Wildcats shined on the defensive end as well in an impressive 69-52 victory over Xavier that had Villanova cutting down the nets at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1995.

Villanova (32-2) was in control for nearly the entire night in rolling to a school-record 15th consecutive win, one that sealed a No. 1 regional seed when the NCAA Tournament brackets were announced Sunday evening.

 Jay Wright's team will take on Patriot League winner Lafayette in Thursday's 1-16 matchup on Thursday in Pittsburgh at a time yet to be determined.

Josh Hart added 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting to lock down tournament MVP honors, while Darrun Hilliard hit a trio of 3-pointers in a 12-point effort for a Wildcats squad that hit on 50 percent of its
field goal attempts.

Conversely, the sixth-seeded Musketeers appeared to have little left in the tank after reaching Saturday's final on a pair of hard-fought narrow decisions over Butler and Georgetown over the
previous two days.

Xavier (21-13) was held to a 2-of-15 rate from beyond the arc and shot just 37.9 percent overall while never seriously threatening Villanova after falling behind by double digits late in the first half.
Dee Davis and Jalen Reynolds paced the Musketeers with 13 points each.

A focused Villanova team opened up an early 13-6 lead after burying three straight shots over a 49-second span, then closed the first half with a flourish to put Xavier in a hole it never could get out of.

Consecutive layups by Myles Davis and Reynolds had the Musketeers down just 17-14 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the period, but Villanova responded by hitting its next four shots -- including 3-pointers from Hilliard and Phil Booth -- during a 10-0 run that stretched the margin to double digits.

Hart drained a triple shortly afterward, and the Wildcats were up by 16 before an Remy Abell trey with 40 seconds left cut Xavier's deficit to 34-21 at the break.

Villanova hit at a 52 percent clip from the field in the first half and remained red-hot after the intermission, with Hilliard and Ryan Arcidiacono sinking 3-pointers during an 8-0 spurt that increased the lead to 42-21 just over two minutes into the second.

Xavier scored the next six points and later got within 54-41 on Dee Davis' 3- point play with just over 10 minutes remaining. However, Ennis knocked down a trey on the other end to start a 7-0 run that put any comeback hopes squarely to rest.

Notes: Villanova was appearing in its first Big East Tournament final since losing to Boston College in 1997, and captured its lone other title two years earlier by defeating Connecticut ... Hart, the Big East Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 17.7 points while shooting 72.4 percent from the floor in the Wildcats' three tournament wins. The sophomore is the first player to win MVP honors coming off the bench ... Xavier played without freshman guard J.P. Macura due to an ankle injury sustained in Friday's win over Georgetown ... The Musketeers, expected to make the NCAA field for the ninth time in 10 years, had won four of their last five tournament finals coming in. All came during their tenure in the Atlantic 10.

A few games too late, but Flyers pour it on in rout of Red Wings

Philadelphia, PA -- There's really no sense in asking where the offense has been recently. You've just gotta sit back and enjoy the deluge when it comes because it's a rare occurrence -- and doesn't stand a chance of happening again this season.

Brayden Schenn channeled the forgotten Alexandre Daigle with his two-goal performance which should have been a hat trick, and the Philadelphia Flyers played inhospitable host once more in a 7-2 rout over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday afternoon.

Wayne Simmonds picked up a disputed goal and two assists while Matt Read, Zac Rinaldo, Nicklas Grossmann and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare also scored for the Flyers, who snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to a four-goal third-period blitz.

Steve Mason turned aside 31 shots in the win, a game in which he didn't have to play contortionist like Thursday's shootout setback in St. Louis.

Justin Abdelkader and Erik Cole scored for the Red Wings, who have lost four of their last five and still haven't won here since Game 2 of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. Jimmy Howard's first trip to Philadelphia turned into a full-on nightmare after he was tagged for all seven goals on 36 shots in the loss.
 
The hosts took a 4-1 lead just 11 seconds into the third. Jakub Voracek flew into the zone on the left wing  and missed wide of the short side with his shot, but the puck bounced off the boards back to Voracek, who merely chipped it over to the slot where Schenn snapped it home.

Immediately after the score, dozens of hats rained down upon the ice in celebration of the Flyers' first home hat trick since Scott Hartnell on Jan. 22, 2012 against Boston. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, the official scoring of Schenn's first marker was changed, robbing him of his first career trifecta.

That was a bitter pill in an otherwise brilliant effort by the Orange and Black. Daigle had pumped home three scores against the then-defending Cup champion Wings exactly 17 years ago today in a 6-1 win which was also a matinee contest. 

Bellemare scored his fifth of the season off a Detroit turnover in its own end at 8:22 to give the Flyers a
four-goal lead, while Cole notched a nifty mid-air redirection marker on the power play with 9:03 left.

Read's power-play goal came off a redirect of an Andrew MacDonald pass with 3:20 to play and Rinaldo shocked the sellout crowd when he scored his first of the season less than a minute later. He was in perfect position to tap in a no-look Ryan White pass from the left side which accounted for the final margin.

The scoring was started at 5:22 of the first on the power play. Mark Streit's left-point blast from near the blue line appeared to clearly deflect off Schenn in the high slot and maybe grab a piece of Simmonds on the way past Howard. Official scoring kept it the former's goal for quite a while. 

The Flyers took a 2-0 lead with 2:53 to play in the first as Grossman took a pass from Sean Couturier and skated down the middle on a short break, snapping the puck into the left corner for his fifth of the season.

Detroit got on the board 4:14 into the second when Abdelkader slipped the puck between the pads of Mason on a short break for his 19th of the season, but the Flyers got it back with another power-play goal.

With Pavel Datsyuk in the box for tripping, Claude Giroux sent a shot on net from the left circle that was stopped, as was Simmonds' rebound chance. That rebound went out front and Schenn was able to backhand it home from his knees at 13:39 of the second.

Notes: Philly hasn't lost a regular season home game against Detroit since Jan. 25, 1997 ... The Flyers play their next four games on the road starting Sunday in Ottawa and continuing on to Western Canada ... The Wings continue their four-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Sunday ... Prior to the contest, Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced that forward R.J. Umberger will miss the remainder of the season with multiple injuries. A forward will be recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in anticipation of the road swing ... The Flyers were 3-for-4 on the power play, while the Red Wings went 1-for-3.

Sixers still trying to finish strong, beat Kings

Philadelphia, PA -- Robert Covington scored 24 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 114-107 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

Nerlens Noel had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Jerami Grant chipped in 13 points for Philadelphia, which has won two of its last three since a four-game losing skid.

DeMarcus Cousins had an outstanding performance in defeat, tying a season high of 39 points with a career-high 24 rebounds, also becoming the first player in the NBA this season to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game. Cousins had 22 points and 15 rebounds in the opening half, but the Kings fell for the fifth time in their last six games.

The last player in the NBA to go for as many as 39 points with 24 rebounds was Chris Webber, also playing with Sacramento, in 2001.

Rudy Gay posted 24 points in the setback and Derrick Williams added 15 off the bench. Sacramento closes out its lengthy eight-game road trip on Saturday at Washington.

The Kings led by as many as 18 in the third, but Philadelphia took an 88-82 lead heading into the fourth thanks to an 18-2 run over the final 4:13 of the quarter.

"The flow of the game was ours in the second quarter, the flow of the game turned midway through the third and we never got it back," Kings coach George Karl said.

The Sixers held Sacramento scoreless for 4:29 bridging the third and fourth quarters as they built a 13-point edge. A quick 6-0 burst for the Kings later on in the fourth cut the deficit to seven, 102-95, with under five minutes left.

Cousins continued to assert himself on the inside, with his layup at 1:15 cutting the Kings' deficit to 106-103.

After a turnover by Andre Miller on a transition drive to the basket, Philadelphia ran a slow developing pick-and-roll with Ish Smith baiting Cousins and Ray McCallum to the basket before lobbing it up to Noel for the slam.

Miller was whistled for a loose ball foul on the ensuing Kings possession and Smith knocked down two free throws to secure the win.

"That first half was as poor a defensive half as we played all year. It is a complete misrepresentation of who we are," said Sixers coach Brett Brown. "To the guys credit they found a way to get back in it in a big way."

Covington had eight points over the first four-plus minutes of the game to help the Sixers grab a 14-12 lead. He totaled 11 in the first quarter and the Sixers led 29-22 entering the second quarter.

Sacramento settled in to start the second as it opened the frame on a 15-4 run for a 37-33 lead. The Kings ended the final three minutes of the half on a 15-4 surge. Cousins knocked down two free throws before Williams canned a 3- pointer to stake Sacramento to a 64-51 lead at halftime.

Notes: Smith, Luc Mbah a Moute, JaKarr Sampson and Hollis Thompson all contributed 10 points in the win ... Smith had a career high-tying nine assists for Philadelphia ... The Sixers scored 27 points off 18 Kings turnovers ... Cousins went 15-of-20 from the foul line ... Philadelphia went 9-of-32 from beyond the arc.

Murder for the money: Mason can't save Flyers from SO loss to Blues

St. Louis, MO -- Steve Mason finally let some frustration out during an unemotional series of comments told through a glazed expression following Tuesday's 2-1 home loss to the Dallas Stars.

One wonders what's in store for his teammates after a second consecutive start where the offense in front of him was equally as hard to find as justice in nearby Ferguson.

In the end, the twin terrors of T.J. Oshie and Vladimir Tarasenko scored in the shootout, ruining a brilliant 35-save effort by Mason in regulation and overtime, and St. Louis claimed a 1-0 decision over Philadelphia at Scottrade Center.

Brian Elliott turned aside 28 shots for the Blues, who provided head coach Ken Hitchcock with his 700th win as a head coach against the team which he led from 2002-2006.

Hitchcock's record with his current club stretched to 167-74-25. He won 277 games with Dallas (1996-2002), 131 for Philadelphia and 125 guiding Columbus (2006-10).

Mason was credited with his third shutout of the year, but lost his second 1-0 shootout result for the Flyers, who suffered a similar defeat in their last trip to St. Louis back on Apr. 1.

This latest setback came on the heels of Boston's 3-2 shootout win against Tampa Bay earlier in the night, pushing the Orange and Black further towards the brink of elimination at 10 points back with 13 games remaining.

What's more, is that the Flyers' stretch of futility in one of the toughest locales in the Western Conference has reached a span of 149:32 of game action. It's a trivia question for sure -- Danny Briere was the last player to score in St. Louis, as his goal early in the third period of an eventual 2-1 overtime loss took place on Oct. 9, 2010. 

Mason, for all his contortions, nonetheless fell to 1-10-6 on the road this year despite having a 2.76 goals-against average and .907 save percentage away from the Wells Fargo Center.

The Philadelphia netminder stopped all 16 shots he faced through two periods, then came up with 19 more through the game's final 25 minutes.

Mason's best stop occurred just after the midway point of the third. He dove from left to right to rob Jaden Schwartz -- who had an open net at which to shoot after a slick pass from Tarasenko -- by smothering the puck with his right pad.

Elliott had to be sharp late as well, turning away a right-circle drive from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare halfway through overtime and stopping Carlo Colaiacovo from the left wing on the next shift.

Philly failed to solve Elliott despite three power-play chances in the opening period.

Mason turned away a Paul Stastny chance and immediately sprawled across his crease to rob Dmitrij Jaskin before the eight-minute mark of the second...

Alex Steen appeared to have given his club a lead, but while he beat Mason, the puck struck the right post flush on a power play with 40 seconds before the second intermission.

Notes: Hitchcock joined Scotty Bowman (1,244), Al Arbour (782) and Joel Quenneville (745) as the only head coaches in NHL history to win at least 700 regular-season games ... St. Louis improved to 9-3 in shootouts and Philadelphia fell to 3-8 ... Mason also wound up on the wrong side of a 1-0 game decided in a shootout back on Nov. 24 at Uniondale, where he stopped all 46 Islanders chances ... Prior to the contest, the Flyers announced the signing of former Cornell forward Cole Bardreau to an entry-level contract.