Unlike All-Star night at Citi Field, when Rivera soaked it all in, he barely noticed it this time. He was training his thoughts on retiring the Red Sox, starting with David Ortiz.

For the the 57th time against the Red Sox, the 35th time at Fenway, the 31st time this season and the all-time record 639th time, Rivera converted the save for the Yankees’ 5-2 win.

“I don’t want to be rude, but I didn’t pay attention,” Rivera said of the ovation. “It has always been hard ballgames here. I respect the organization. I respect the fans. That’s why I give it back. I play the game the way it should be played.”

Others noticed, including the Yankees’ manager.

“I think it is the class of the fans here,” Joe Girardi said. “Even though there has been a lot of history between Mo and the Red Sox. A lot of times, he has been in games that are extremely important. I think they understand what Mo has done and what he has meant to the game.”

Rivera said he has always loved to pitch here and the reaction from the Boston fans didn’t surprise him.

“It is kind of like an appreciation,” Rivera, 43, said. “It is great that they do that, that they acknowledge you and that you have been there for so many years.”

Unlike on Tuesday at Citi Field, the rest of his teammates were behind him as he warmed up — and they noticed, starting with his catcher.

“It is huge,” Chris Stewart said. “It just shows the respect that not just baseball fans, not just Boston fans, people in general have for Mo. They know what he has accomplished throughout his career. He has been their rival for quite awhile. For them to go out of their way to salute him and tip their caps and say, ‘We respect what you have done,’ it is huge.”

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St. Louis already has won the award twice (2010, ’11), and was a finalist two other times. The 37-year-old ranked second among NHL forwards in total ice time, but was assessed just 14 penalty minutes.

Moulson is a finalist for the second straight season. He had four penalty minutes in 47 games, tied with San Jose’s Logan Couture for the fewest among the NHL’s top 50 scorers.

Kane is a Lady Byng finalist for the first time, after helping Chicago to a Presidents’ Trophy. He played 47 games and averaged 20:03 of ice time, but had just eight penalty minutes.

“Any time you’re up for an award, it’s exciting,” Kane said Thursday. “I thought maybe I had a chance at this one. I think it kind of speaks volumes of where my game has gone since my rookie season. I remember I used to take a lot of penalties that were kind of unnecessary and I kind of got that out of my game a little bit. I’m definitely happy about it. It’s an honor, for sure.”

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Quenneville led Chicago to a league-best 36-7-5 mark after opening the season by earning a point in each of its first 24 games, setting an NHL record. Quenneville previously won the award in 2000 with St. Louis.

In his first full season in Anaheim, Boudreau led the Ducks to the Pacific Division title and the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Anaheim was third overall in the NHL standings after finishing 25th the previous season. Boudreau previously won the award in 2008 with Washington.

MacLean, a finalist for the second straight year, led Ottawa to the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference while overcoming the prolonged absences of several key players.

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General manager Jim Rutherford disclosed the severity of Pitkanen’s injury Wednesday.

Pitkanen was hurt with 1:57 left in the second period of a 5-3 loss to Washington on Tuesday night. He raced down the ice while trying to beat an icing call and went hard into the boards with the Capitals’ Troy Brouwer near him.

He was on the ice in obvious pain and was taken off on a stretcher with his hands covering his face.

The Hurricanes say he broke his left calcaneus bone and is expected to be out 10-12 weeks.

Pitkanen has one goal and eight assists in 22 games for the Hurricanes, who have lost nine of 10.

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Evansville at East Carolina
When: 5:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 30, 2013
Where: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, Greenville, North Carolina

Oddsmakers currently have the Purple Aces listed as 1½-point favorites versus the Pirates, while the game’s total is sitting at 144.

Evansville was an 84-83 winner in their most recent outing on the road against Canisius. They covered the 1-point spread as underdogs.

The Evansville Purple Aces are ranked 131 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 43.8% while attempting 56.5 shots per game. The Purple Aces shooting percentages include 73.7% for free throw percentage and 37.5% for three point percentage so far this season.

Team record: 21-14 SU, 20-11-1 ATS

is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games on the road

East Carolina was a 70-58 winner in their most recent outing at home against Loyola. They covered the 2.5-point spread as favorites.

The East Carolina Pirates are ranked 124 for offensive field goal percentage shooting 43.9% while attempting 57.2 shots per game. The Pirates shooting percentages include 73.0% for free throw percentage and 35.1% for three point percentage so far this season.

Team record: 21-12 SU, 14-10-2 ATS

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

The post Evansville vs. East Carolina Free CBB Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney announced the signing Monday, but didn’t disclose financial details.

The 19-year-old Samuelsson is from Scottsdale and is the son of former NHL defenseman and ex-Coyotes assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson.

He has been playing for the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings and has 32 goals and 47 assists in 67 games this season. He currently ranks third on the team in goals and points.

Samuelson also played for the Oil Kings and Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik of the Swedish Elite League and was the 27th overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft by Phoenix.

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Ford will report to the Blue Jackets’ American Hockey League in Springfield, Mass.

Originally selected by Chicago in the eighth round, 256th overall, of the 2004 NHL draft, Ford has 72 goals and 69 assists in 256 career AHL games with Hartford, Lake Erie, Hershey and Adirondack.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pound right winger, a California native who played college hockey at Wisconsin, has four goals and nine assists in 35 AHL games this season.

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The Blackhawks announced the moves on Tuesday.

Montador was placed and cleared waivers on Monday, meaning the team retained his rights. He has appeared in only one game since suffering a concussion in February 2012 and that was in late March. He has not played this season.

Hayes has 22 goals and 17 assists for Rockford.

The Blackhawks set an NHL record by collecting at least one point in the first 24 games. That streak ended with a loss to Colorado on Friday, and they fell again to Edmonton on Sunday. Chicago’s next game is Thursday at Columbus.

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“I’m a big thinker,” Howard said during a wide-ranging, candid interview after the Los Angeles Lakers practiced Saturday afternoon. “So I just stayed in the hotel and thought about the first half of the season and how I could do better for our team.

“And I just told myself, ‘I’m going to commit myself to being better for the second half of the season.’ ”

That meant cutting sugar completely out of his diet so he could get into the kind of shape he needed to be in to be the Lakers’ defensive anchor and run coach Mike D’Antoni’s pick-and-roll sets.

That meant acknowledging that he was trying to be somebody he wasn’t the first half of the season.

And, yes, it meant admitting to himself that playing alongside the hard-driving Kobe Bryant was something that he needed both personally and professionally.

“It’s going to make me a better man and a better player from watching Kobe,” Howard said.

Playing in Los Angeles, for a franchise with expectations as high as the Lakers, is “a lot different,” Howard said.

“Besides just the expectations,” he said. “In games, I mess up and there’s somebody in the crowd saying something and I’m ready to snap at ’em. That’s not what we’re supposed to do.

“But you look at a guy like Kobe and he doesn’t care about nothing but going out there and playing hard. That’s a lesson a lot of us have to learn — especially young guys.”

Howard said he and Bryant always have had a good relationship, but it’s deepened this season, particularly since the All-Star break.

“I told him [Bryant]: ‘I’m afraid to miss. When I get out there, I don’t want to miss, and I end up missing.’ And he was like: ‘You know what? Shoot 1,000 jumpshots a day. You’re going to miss a lot of those shots. But that’s OK. Because you’re teaching yourself it’s OK to miss.’

“Now I see it. He gets out there and he might miss a couple 3s, but then he’ll make nine in a row. You see that and it just kind of gives you more inspiration.”

Howard and Bryant are coming off their best two games as Lakers, with the latter becoming the first Laker since Jerry West in 1970 to post back-to-back 40-point, 10-assist games in wins against New Orleans and Toronto, respectively. Howard has dominated defensively while averaging 22 points, 14 rebounds and 4.5 blocks.

In nine games since the All-Star break, Howard is averaging 15.4 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game. Moreover, his energy and attitude seem markedly different.

“He jumped three or four times after one ball,” D’Antoni said of Howard’s defensive performance Friday night, when he blocked five shots and intimidated several Raptors. “His conditioning didn’t allow him to do that [before].

“I think he was harshly judged because he wasn’t 100 percent. There’s all kind of little factors, but the further away he gets away from the [back] operation, the better he will be.”

Whatever the case, Los Angeles (32-31) will take it. With Utah’s loss Saturday night to the Knicks, the Lakers are now tied with the Jazz for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth.

“When I first [came to L.A.], I wanted to come here and not talk to anybody and act completely different,” Howard said. “But that’s not who I am. I’ve never been that way. I shouldn’t ever shut myself off to the world. I don’t think that’s good for the team or for me and what I want to accomplish in life.

“I thought about it and said, ‘No, I can’t change. I’ve got to mature in certain areas,’ and I think I have. But I can’t change who I am.”

When did that change take place?

“At the All-Star break,” Howard said. “I just thought about what we’re trying to accomplish as a team and I really want to win a championship. That’s the reason why I’m in LA.”

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The Canadiens also received a third-round draft pick from the Stars.

Ryder originally was drafted by Montreal and played his first four NHL seasons with the Canadiens from 2003-04 through 2007-08.

Ryder carries a $3.5 million salary this season and is slated for unrestricted free agency in July.

Cole has two more years on his contract past this season at a $4.5 million cap hit.

“[Cole] gives us more size and strength to compete in the West,” Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said. “The fact that he has this year plus two years remaining on his contract is a little security for us.”

Both players scored 35 goals last season, which established career highs for each player.

Cole has struggled this season with only three goals and three assists in 19 games. Ryder has six goals and five assists in 18 games this season.

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