Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...
I Dig Sports

I Dig Sports

Murray & Peers lose in first match together since 2015

Published in Tennis
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 11:48

Top seeds Jamie Murray and John Peers - playing together for the first time in more than three years - were knocked out of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech in the first round.

Britain's Murray and Australian Peers were beaten 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (7-9) 10-6 by Denmark's Frederik Nielsen and the Netherlands' Matwe Middelkoop.

Murray and Peers split after reaching the ATP World Tour Finals in 2015.

Elsewhere, Germany's Alexander Zverev reached the singles second round.

The top seed beat Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 6-4 6-4 and will play Spain's Jaume Munar next.

PASS Oxford Plains Opener Postponed

Published in Racing
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 11:46

NAPLES, Maine – With three inches of snow on the ground and with more snow and rain in the forecast, officials with the Pro All Stars Series and Oxford Plains Speedway felt it best to postpone this weekend’s PASS/ACT doubleheader to April 27-28.

There will be practice for all divisions on Saturday, April 27, along with the Oxford Plains Speedway regular season opener set to begin at 4 p.m.

On Sunday, April 28, racing will begin at 1:30 p.m. featuring the Honey Badger Bar & Grill 150 for the PASS Super Late Models.

The ACT Late Models will also be racing for 150 laps, along with the PASS Modifieds, North East Mini Stock Tour, and Street Stocks.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Justin Thomas has already collected a major championship, but he knows that he’s otherwise underperformed in the big events. Here at the Masters, the major he wants to win as much as any, the results just haven’t been what he’s expected.

In three attempts at Augusta National, Thomas’ best finish was a tie for 17th last year. But that was with a final-round 73, when others near the top of the leaderboard were making birdies in droves.

“I’ve had a hard time at this event every year because I love this golf course so much and I feel like it fits my game so well,” Thomas said Tuesday at the Masters. “I really feel like I should have a great chance to win and I think that gets in my own way sometimes, or at least it has the past couple years.” 

Rather than preparing the same way as the past three years, Thomas took a different approach this time around. No more grinding back home on the practice range. No more six-hour days burning in the hot sun. Instead of working hard on his game and trying to maintain that form all the way through the end of the Masters, Thomas decided to get away and chill.

“I just went on a little vacation with my parents down in the Bahamas to get my mind in a good place, and my dad and I would just go play golf like we did when I was eight, nine years old,” Thomas said. “Just having fun, going fishing, hang by the pool, do whatever just to try to get relaxed.”

Thomas, ranked No. 5 in the Official World Golf Ranking, won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow; but in 13 majors as a professional, he has only three top-10 finishes to go along with missed two cuts. His three finishes at the Masters are T-39, T-22 and T-17.

Thomas and his father, Mike, have dissected his major performances and narrowed in on the Masters, in particular. The two feel like Thomas has played too conservatively at Augusta National. When Thomas has, say, an 8-iron in his hand, he’s trying to figure out where he can miss instead of trying to knock the ball stiff, just as he does at every other tournament during the year.

“You obviously have to pick your spots and understand when it’s smart and when you have to play conservative, or when you can play aggressive vs. conservative,” Thomas said. “But as a whole, I think that we’ve figured out that I may be over-respecting the golf course, at least with the last couple of years.”

Tiger recalls two times he 'needed' to win at Augusta

Published in Golf
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 07:33

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods really wants to win again, but he doesn’t need to win. He doesn’t need to win here at the Masters, or anywhere else for that matter. Woods’ 14 majors and 80 PGA Tour victories could be etched in history books forever and his place in the game would be solidified.

But, believe it or not, there were times in Woods’ career where he felt like he absolutely “needed” to win. The two that immediately came to mind were both here at Augusta National.

“One, don’t blow the lead I had in ’97, because of what happened the previous year,” Woods said Tuesday at the Masters regarding his march to a first green jacket. His reference to the year before was to when Greg Norman began the final round with a six-shot lead and lost to Nick Faldo by five.

“I didn’t want to lose a nine-shot lead, so I was able to win that one,” Woods said with a smirk.

The other time Woods felt like he needed to win was here in 2001, when he entered the Masters already in possession of three consecutive majors. Of course, he defeated David Duval by two shots to win his second green jacket and capture the Tiger Slam by winning four straight majors.

“I mean, that’s nine months of just getting asked the same question,” Woods said, “and to pull it off like that one, yeah, I needed to win that one to get all four.”

LIVE: Liverpool vs. FC Porto

Published in Soccer
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 12:02

Saves 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Saves 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

LIVE: Tottenham vs. Manchester City

Published in Soccer
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 12:02

Saves 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 1
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Goals 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Offsides 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Saves 0

  • Shots 0
  • 0 Shots on Target
  • Fouls Committed 0
  • 0 Fouls Against
  • Assists 0
  • Discipline
    • 0 Yellow
    • 0 Red

Tiger eyes confidence of fast start at Masters

Published in Breaking News
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 12:33

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tiger Woods was surprised to learn Tuesday that he is the last player to win the Masters despite being outside of the top 10 after the first round at Augusta National.

It is telling that every winner of the year's first major has been no worse than 10th since Woods' fourth Masters victory in 2005. And it should have more meaning to Woods, who has been plagued by slow starts over the past two years since returning from spinal fusion surgery.

Woods begins play in his 22nd Masters on Thursday at Augusta National, where he has broken 70 just once in an opening round and been under par just four times after day one since 2005.

"That's a very interesting stat,'' Woods said. "I know that most of the winners have come from the final group, but I didn't know that one after the first day. It's interesting because I think this is one of the courses you can make up a lot of ground. You can get on one of these hot rounds and make up some shots, like I did in '05 against Chris (DiMarco). I got on a nice little run, made seven (birdies) in a row (in the third round) and next thing you know, I'm in the lead. I think that's where this golf course allows you to do that, but you get going the other way pretty quickly, too.

"I just think if you get off to a quick start here, a solid start, it gives us a lot of confidence going forward.''

Woods has not done that here or mostly anywhere of late. In 22 stroke-play tournaments starting in January 2018, Woods has shot in the 60s just four times, and none have been this year. He shot a first-round 65 last September on his way to his 80th PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship.

That win, and some of the other progress Woods has made, gives him confidence that he can win a major title after 11 years since capturing his 14th at the 2008 U.S. Open.

"I feel like I can win. I've proven that I can do it and I put myself there with a chance to win the last two major championships of the year last year,'' Woods said, referring to a sixth-place tie at The Open and a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. "I was right there and just needed to have a couple more things to go my way and not throw away a couple shots here and there, which I was able to do at East Lake.

"I just feel like that I've improved a lot over the past 12, 14 months, but I've more than anything just proven to myself that I can play at this level again. I've worked my way back into one of the players that can win events.''

Not hurting matters is the fact that Woods visited Augusta National on April 3 for practice and shot 65 despite a three-putt bogey on the first hole. Although the course typically plays considerably different a week prior to the Masters -- and has been soaked with rain the last two days -- shooting a good score helped confirm a few things.

"It doesn't really matter, but it is something that I feel it's I know that I can play this golf course. I've had some success here,'' Woods said. "I just wanted to do a quick scouting trip and get a feel for how this golf course is going to be playing, especially see No. 5 (the lengthening of the hole), see the changes to the green, well the entire hole, and see what they did to 18, as well, and was able to do that. I played well on top of that.''

This will be Woods' sixth start of 2019, after a tie for 20th at the Farmers Insurance Open, a tie for 15th at the Genesis Open, a tie for 10th at the WGC-Mexico Championship, a tie for 30th at the Players Championship and a tie for fifth at his last event, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship, where he lost in the quarterfinals.

Woods will be grouped the first two rounds with China's Haotong Li and Spain's Jon Rahm. They begin play at 11:04 a.m. on Thursday.

Decker Gets More Truck Races With DGR-Crosley

Published in Racing
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 11:01

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – DGR-Crosley has added six races to Natalie Decker’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series schedule.

The 21-year-old Eagle River, Wis. native, joined DGR-Crosley’s driver development program earlier this year with plans of running 11 Gander Trucks races. With the support of her partner N29 Technologies, Decker will now be piloting her No. 54 Toyota Tundra in 17 races throughout the season.

Decker’s Gander Trucks schedule for the remainder of the season is as follows: Dover International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Gateway Motorsports Park, Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz., and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Decker has three Truck Series starts under her belt in 2019. Her first start at Daytona Int’l Speedway ended in a fiery crash. After a rough debut in Daytona, Decker and her N29 Technologies team went to the 1.5-mile tracks of Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway where they finished 24th and 13th, respectively.

“I’m so excited to add more races with DGR-Crosley,” said Decker. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to be with this team. David [Gilliland] does such a great job with putting the right people in the right positions, and I’m learning so much and enjoy working with Frank [Kerr, crew chief] and all my guys. I didn’t think that I would be racing this much this year in the Trucks, but I’m so excited that we are. I love competing in the Truck Series – it’s challenging but so fun. Looking forward to continuing to learn as much as possible and putting together solid finishes. This year is all about learning and getting experience.”

Team co-owner David Gilliland thinks the added races will be beneficial to Decker and her young career.

“I think it’s great that Natalie and N29 Technologies have decided to pick up more races this season,” said Gilliland. “Seat time is so important, and we see her progressing and learning every race. She has a great team of people helping her, and consistently keeping her in the seat is going to be very beneficial.”

Decker’s next race will be on May 3 at Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals look as strong as ever heading into the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. But the Carolina Hurricanes have been proving doubters wrong all season -- and having lots of fun while they're at it. Who wins this series? Let's break it down.

How they got here: Yes, the Capitals spent the summer splashing in fountains and celebrating the franchise's first Stanley Cup, but the hangover wasn't as severe as many feared. Washington won its fourth straight division title.

The Capitals did slump at times -- including a seven-game losing streak in mid-January -- but had some dominant stretches too. The captain set the tone. Alex Ovechkin cruised to his second-consecutive Rocket Trophy, and eighth overall. Ovechkin's 51 goals were 26 more than his closest teammate. The Caps began the season with nearly the same roster they ended with in June. They would add along the way -- including depth defenseman Nick Jensen and veteran winger Carl Hagelin, a force on the penalty kill -- but also lost some. They sent playoff hero Devante Smith-Pelly to the minors, and lost top pairing defenseman Michal Kempny to injury late in the season.

Carolina, meanwhile, has been injected by new energy. In his first full season as the majority owner, Tom Dundon has been intimately involved in day-to-day operations while Rod Brind'Amour shined as a rookie NHL head coach. With elaborate postgame celebrations -- which drew the ire of many traditionalists in hockey media -- and a fast-paced game, the Canes improved attendance and clinched their first playoff berth in a decade, snapping the NHL's longest postseason drought. The "Bunch of Jerks" had a bunch of fun. They also boasted a strong defensive structure. Young Finns Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho, plus captain Justin Williams, set the bar offensively.

When projected starting goalie Scott Darling faltered, Carolina benefited from surprise performances from both Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney.

First line: Aho led the Hurricanes in scoring with a career-high 30 goals and 53 assists. He's due for a star turn, and there's no better place to make your mark than the playoffs -- especially if he gets the chance to go up against Washington's top center, Evgeny Kuznetsov. That said, it's hard to imagine Ovechkin, or his line, slowing down anytime soon. The Hurricanes might have a hard time in particular finding an answer to Tom Wilson (most teams do). Advantage: Caps

Depth: The Canes flex some talent (and scoring production) on their second line, but after that, there's a significant drop off. The Capitals are also strong on their second line, and the third line has been especially impressive this season, thanks to a career-high 22 goals from Brett Connolly. Advantage: Caps

Defense: The Canes boast a surplus of capable defensemen, especially ones who can contribute offensively. The blue line is Carolina's biggest area of strength. The Caps are without top-pairing defenseman Kempny, a huge blow considering how effective the young Czech was in last season's Cup run. The Jensen acquisition was a prescient one. Advantage: Canes

Goaltending: Unlike last spring, Washington enters the playoffs with no uncertainty in net: Braden Holtby is the guy. Holtby ended the season with five straight wins and a .947 save percentage across those games. Mrazek has been a delight for the Canes this season; but this isn't the first time we've seen flashes of brilliance from the 26-year-old. His challenge now is sustaining it. Advantage: Caps

Health: Losing Kempny is significant, as the Caps are still juggling defensive pairs. Advantage: Canes

Special teams: The Caps' penalty killing unit has seen improvements, especially since adding Hagelin via trade, while the Canes have a top-10 unit. Washington's power play is slightly above league average; the Canes' power play is slightly below. Advantage: tie

Coaching: Rod Brind'Amour and Todd Reirden are in their first seasons as NHL head coaches. Brind'Amour has experiences of long playoff runs as a player, including winning the Cup with Carolina in 2006; Reirden has experience of a long playoff run from last spring, as a lead assistant for the Cup-winning Caps. Advantage: tie

Prediction: Caps in five

The Boston Bruins-Toronto Maple Leafs matchup in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs seemed preordained for months. Can the addition of John Tavares carry the rest of the Leafs to finally slay their demons? Let's break it down:

How they got here: The Bruins overcame injuries to the majority of their roster -- only four players appeared in more than 75 games, and none was a defenseman -- to again end up one of the NHL's top teams, with a 49-24-9 record and 107 points. They were third in goals against (2.59 per game) and 11th in goals (at 3.13) per game, fueled by Brad Marchand's 100-point season, David Pastrnak's 38 goals in 66 games and 73 points from David Krejci, matching his career high.

The Maple Leafs added free-agent prize John Tavares last summer but struggled with consistency this season, especially on defense. They were fourth in the NHL in goals per game at 3.49 but a middling 12th in goals against (3.04). They generate as many shots (33.4) as they surrender (33.1). The Leafs are a 100-point team (46-28-8), and they have a deep forward group and a capable goaltender. But are they good enough defensively to win this war against the rival Bruins?

First line: In the past, we might have skipped to the "Advantage: Bruins" part of this entry, but the line of Patrice Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak was actually a bit less effective than it was in dominating the league last season. Its goals-for percentage dropped form 63.64 to 53.85. Metrics such as expected goals for percentage (56.28) and high-danger shot attempt percentage (54.07) at 5-on-5 dipped as well. Granted, they played 462:16 together compared to 535 minutes in the previous season due to injuries. The Toronto line of Tavares, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman played 817 minutes together and was outstanding: 60.92 goals-for percentage, 56.82 high-danger shot attempts percentage and 53 goals generated. Basing this strictly on their play this season? Advantage: tie

Depth: The Leafs have their greatest advantage at the forward spot. Beyond Marner (94 points) and Tavares (88) is Auston Matthews (73 points in 68 games), who skated with combinations of Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander. Nazem Kadri, who was suspended for three games in the playoff series against the Bruins last year, and Patrick Marleau lead the third line. After their top line, the Bruins' best duo has been Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, who had 27 goals in a breakout campaign. Danton Heinen, Charlie Coyle, Marcus Johansson, rookie Karson Kuhlman and Sean Kuraly (currently injured) can all contribute. Noel Acciari and veteran David Backes, if he plays, are among the grinders. Advantage: Maple Leafs

Defense: As much as the forwards are an advantage for the Leafs, the blue line is an advantage for the Bruins. The depth of this group was on full display through a season of injuries, as only one defenseman (Brandon Carlo) played more than 70 games. It'll be tested again, as Kevan Miller will likely miss the start of the series. Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy are the top pairing, with Torey Krug (53 points) and Carlo next. Matt Grzelcyk will likely pair with Steven Kampfer, with Miller and John Moore out. For the Leafs, Morgan Rielly (72 points) and veteran (some would say liability) Ron Hainsey form the top pairing, with Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev as the second duo, followed by Travis Dermott and Jake "minus-5 in Game 7 last year" Gardiner as the other duo. Advantage: Bruins

Goaltending: The Bruins had the seventh-best team save percentage in the NHL, at .912 with nine shutouts. Tuukka Rask (27-13-5) was good, but backup Jaroslav Halak was even better (22-11-4), with a .922 save percentage and 16.30 goals saved above average. Frederik Andersen of Toronto once again faced a ton of shots (1,958) and made a ton of saves (1,796) for a .917 save percentage, often being the best player on the ice for the Leafs. His goals saved above average at 5-on-5 was 9.88. But the Bruins' duo is just a shade better. Advantage: Bruins

Coaching: Bruce Cassidy deserves a massive amount of credit (and perhaps a Jack Adams nomination) for leading the Bruins through their injuries to tie for second in the NHL in points. Mike Babcock, meanwhile, is starting to hear it from the critics who wonder about the Leafs' player usage and defensive stability. He is one of the most respected coaches in the NHL ... and one who hasn't won a playoff round since Nicklas Lidstrom retired. Advantage: Bruins

Health: The Bruins are without Miller, center Sean Kuraly and defenseman John Moore to start the series, but all could be back at some point. Toronto is fairly healthy. Advantage: Maple Leafs

Special teams: The Bruins have the third-best power play in the NHL, at 25.9 percent, while the Leafs are eighth, at 21.8 percent. Their penalty kills had identical 79.9 percent rates, though the Bruins were short-handed more times (244) than the Leafs (204). Advantage: Bruins

Prediction: Maple Leafs in seven. Andersen is the key to this series, as Toronto has no alternative in goal and because he has been the team's best defense all season. If he's able to steal a couple of games, this Toronto offense was second only to the Lightning in 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes (3.03). The Buds pull the upset.

Soccer

Yamal can emulate Messi, Cruyff at Barça - Deco

Yamal can emulate Messi, Cruyff at Barça - Deco

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBarcelona sporting director Deco has said Lamine Yamal has everythi...

Rooney 'surprised' by Tuchel getting England job

Rooney 'surprised' by Tuchel getting England job

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFormer England forward Wayne Rooney has said he is surprised at the...

Feds charge fan with arson for flares in Orlando

Feds charge fan with arson for flares in Orlando

EmailPrintA man has been charged with "arson of a building that led to personal injuries" after rele...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Source: LeBron to sit out preseason finale

Source: LeBron to sit out preseason finale

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX - LeBron James' preseason is finished, giving the 39-year-o...

76ers' McCain diagnosed with pulmonary contusion

76ers' McCain diagnosed with pulmonary contusion

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia 76ers first-round pick Jared McCain wa...

Baseball

Mets turn to Peterson, Dodgers to Flaherty in G5

Mets turn to Peterson, Dodgers to Flaherty in G5

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Attempting to avoid elimination against the Los Angeles...

Breaking down the wildest moments of Yankees-Guardians Game 3

Breaking down the wildest moments of Yankees-Guardians Game 3

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCLEVELAND -- For nearly an hour Thursday night, the New York Yankee...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated