Officers in southwest suburban Indian Head Park responded around 6:45 p.m. to a report of a home invasion on Briarwood Court. When they arrived, a girl who lives in the home told them she had been cut by a masked man she encountered in her kitchen.
Police warned residents to keep their doors locked and outdoor lights on after the invasion.
Police said there was no sign of forced entry. The investigation is ongoing, and no one is in custody.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Mavericks edge Bulls 99-98 for 3rd straight win
By JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP) -- Wesley Matthews made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with 12 seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Chicago Bulls 99-98 on Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
Six players scored in double figures for the Mavericks, including all five starters. Harrison Barnes had 20 points, Seth Curry added 18 and Dirk Nowitzki finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Dallas trailed 98-96 after Jimmy Butler made a long jumper over Matthews with 23 seconds left, but Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle decided against a timeout and Deron Williams drove into the lane before kicking out to Matthews for the 3.
Chicago had one last chance, but Dwyane Wade missed a potential game-winning jumper from the corner on his 35th birthday as time expired.
Butler finished with 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who had won two in a row. Robin Lopez scored 21, and Wade had 17 on 8-for-21 shooting.
Wade's fadeaway jumper gave the Bulls a 94-90 lead with about 3 1/2 minutes left, but they were unable to close out Dallas. Chicago has dropped four in a row against the Mavericks, including a 107-82 loss in their first meeting of the season.
Chicago played without forward Taj Gibson, sidelined by left ankle soreness. Paul Zipser, a second-round pick in last year's draft, started in Gibson's spot and finished with five points and three rebounds in his 13th game of the season.
Gibson, averaging 12 points and 7.3 rebounds, could return Friday night at Atlanta. He had played in every game this season.
Dallas put together a 15-4 run spanning halftime to open a 64-51 lead on Barnes' turnaround jumper with 8:38 left in the third. But Chicago kept chipping away at the deficit, and Lopez's three-point play off a pass from Butler trimmed the Mavericks' lead to 76-74 heading into the fourth.
Williams had 11 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Dallas, and reserve J.J. Barea scored 12 points. Matthews went 3 for 5 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: C Andrew Bogut missed his third straight game with a right hamstring strain.
Bulls: Butler received his Olympic championship ring during a pregame ceremony. He helped the U.S. win gold in Rio de Janeiro last summer. ... F Doug McDermott, who scored a career-high 31 points in Chicago's 108-104 victory at Memphis on Sunday night, finished with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Visit Miami on Thursday night. The Mavericks have lost nine of their last 10 regular-season games against the Heat.
Bulls: Visit Atlanta on Friday night. The Bulls have dropped five in a row against the Hawks, including a 115-107 defeat at Atlanta on Nov. 9.
AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP) -- Wesley Matthews made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with 12 seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Chicago Bulls 99-98 on Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
Six players scored in double figures for the Mavericks, including all five starters. Harrison Barnes had 20 points, Seth Curry added 18 and Dirk Nowitzki finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Dallas trailed 98-96 after Jimmy Butler made a long jumper over Matthews with 23 seconds left, but Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle decided against a timeout and Deron Williams drove into the lane before kicking out to Matthews for the 3.
Chicago had one last chance, but Dwyane Wade missed a potential game-winning jumper from the corner on his 35th birthday as time expired.
Butler finished with 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who had won two in a row. Robin Lopez scored 21, and Wade had 17 on 8-for-21 shooting.
Wade's fadeaway jumper gave the Bulls a 94-90 lead with about 3 1/2 minutes left, but they were unable to close out Dallas. Chicago has dropped four in a row against the Mavericks, including a 107-82 loss in their first meeting of the season.
Chicago played without forward Taj Gibson, sidelined by left ankle soreness. Paul Zipser, a second-round pick in last year's draft, started in Gibson's spot and finished with five points and three rebounds in his 13th game of the season.
Gibson, averaging 12 points and 7.3 rebounds, could return Friday night at Atlanta. He had played in every game this season.
Dallas put together a 15-4 run spanning halftime to open a 64-51 lead on Barnes' turnaround jumper with 8:38 left in the third. But Chicago kept chipping away at the deficit, and Lopez's three-point play off a pass from Butler trimmed the Mavericks' lead to 76-74 heading into the fourth.
Williams had 11 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Dallas, and reserve J.J. Barea scored 12 points. Matthews went 3 for 5 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: C Andrew Bogut missed his third straight game with a right hamstring strain.
Bulls: Butler received his Olympic championship ring during a pregame ceremony. He helped the U.S. win gold in Rio de Janeiro last summer. ... F Doug McDermott, who scored a career-high 31 points in Chicago's 108-104 victory at Memphis on Sunday night, finished with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Visit Miami on Thursday night. The Mavericks have lost nine of their last 10 regular-season games against the Heat.
Bulls: Visit Atlanta on Friday night. The Bulls have dropped five in a row against the Hawks, including a 115-107 defeat at Atlanta on Nov. 9.
Hinostroza rallies Blackhawks to 6-4 win over Avalanche
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) -- Vinnie Hinostroza scored twice in the third period, including the go-ahead goal with 11:49 remaining, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied for a 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
Tanner Kero had two goals and Nick Schmaltz and Brent Seabrook also scored for Chicago, which snapped a two-game skid.
The Blackhawks switched around their line combinations, breaking up the Jonathan Toews-Marian Hossa tandem in an effort to spark the offense. It certainly worked with Hinostroza, Kero and Hossa combining for eight points. Hossa had three assists.
Matt Duchene had two goals and Blake Comeau and Matt Nieto also scored for the last-place Avalanche, who wrapped up a four-game homestand with a 1-3 mark. This game felt more like a road game, though, with all the Blackhawk fans in attendance.
The loudest cheer of the night came when Hinostroza scored the game-winner by tapping a shot past Semyon Varlamov.
Colorado pulled Varlamov with around 35 seconds remaining, but couldn't get anything past Corey Crawford. Kero added an empty-netter with 10.6 seconds left.
Hinostroza tied the game at 4 early in the third period when he took a long pass from Seabrook and skated in all alone, lifting a wrist shot over Varlamov.
The 22-year-old Hinostroza entered with four career goals.
There were a combined four goals scored in a frenzied second period, with Colorado taking a 3-2 lead on Nieto's first goal of the season. The advantage lasted all of 19 seconds as Kero answered.
On the play, Hossa had his first assist of the night to give him 600 for his career. He's the 32nd player in NHL history to record 500 goals and 600 assists.
In the first period, Duchene scored a rare power-play goal for the Avalanche. They were 2 of 41 on the man advantage over the last 11 games before Duchene tipped Nathan MacKinnon's shot past Crawford.
Given how far they're fallen, the Avalanche could soon be looking at a possible shake-up. Duchene, the team's leading goal scorer, captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Tyson Barrie have been frequently mentioned in trade rumors. The trio are part of the core that general manager Joe Sakic has been trying to build around for the last few seasons.
"I believe in the guys we have in this room," Barrie said. "It's about learning, but you can only say that for so long.
"It would be a lot of fun to win with these guys. I don't think we're too far off."
NOTES: Schmaltz scored his second goal of the season. The 20-year-old center was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League last Saturday. ... Seabrook scored his first goal since Nov. 18 at Calgary. ... F Rene Bourque played in his 700th NHL game.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: At Boston on Friday.
Avalanche: Start a two-game trip, beginning Thursday in Anaheim.
AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) -- Vinnie Hinostroza scored twice in the third period, including the go-ahead goal with 11:49 remaining, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied for a 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
Tanner Kero had two goals and Nick Schmaltz and Brent Seabrook also scored for Chicago, which snapped a two-game skid.
The Blackhawks switched around their line combinations, breaking up the Jonathan Toews-Marian Hossa tandem in an effort to spark the offense. It certainly worked with Hinostroza, Kero and Hossa combining for eight points. Hossa had three assists.
Matt Duchene had two goals and Blake Comeau and Matt Nieto also scored for the last-place Avalanche, who wrapped up a four-game homestand with a 1-3 mark. This game felt more like a road game, though, with all the Blackhawk fans in attendance.
The loudest cheer of the night came when Hinostroza scored the game-winner by tapping a shot past Semyon Varlamov.
Colorado pulled Varlamov with around 35 seconds remaining, but couldn't get anything past Corey Crawford. Kero added an empty-netter with 10.6 seconds left.
Hinostroza tied the game at 4 early in the third period when he took a long pass from Seabrook and skated in all alone, lifting a wrist shot over Varlamov.
The 22-year-old Hinostroza entered with four career goals.
There were a combined four goals scored in a frenzied second period, with Colorado taking a 3-2 lead on Nieto's first goal of the season. The advantage lasted all of 19 seconds as Kero answered.
On the play, Hossa had his first assist of the night to give him 600 for his career. He's the 32nd player in NHL history to record 500 goals and 600 assists.
In the first period, Duchene scored a rare power-play goal for the Avalanche. They were 2 of 41 on the man advantage over the last 11 games before Duchene tipped Nathan MacKinnon's shot past Crawford.
Given how far they're fallen, the Avalanche could soon be looking at a possible shake-up. Duchene, the team's leading goal scorer, captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Tyson Barrie have been frequently mentioned in trade rumors. The trio are part of the core that general manager Joe Sakic has been trying to build around for the last few seasons.
"I believe in the guys we have in this room," Barrie said. "It's about learning, but you can only say that for so long.
"It would be a lot of fun to win with these guys. I don't think we're too far off."
NOTES: Schmaltz scored his second goal of the season. The 20-year-old center was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League last Saturday. ... Seabrook scored his first goal since Nov. 18 at Calgary. ... F Rene Bourque played in his 700th NHL game.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: At Boston on Friday.
Avalanche: Start a two-game trip, beginning Thursday in Anaheim.
Monday, January 16, 2017
McDermott scores career-best 31 to lead Bulls past Grizzlies
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Doug McDermott’s troubles vanished in one quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies.
McDermott scored a career-high 31 points, including the final two free throws of the Chicago Bulls’ 108-104 victory over Memphis on Sunday night.
McDermott, who was 7 of 31 from the field in his four previous games, got 20 of his points in the second quarter, helping replace the scoring missing from Dwyane Wade, who did not play on the second night of a back-to-back after the Bulls beat New Orleans at home Saturday.
”You can’t be perfect every game, so you’ve just got to find a way to contribute out there and continue to work on your game,” said McDermott, who missed only one of seven shots in the second frame. ”That’s what I’ve done, and I was rewarded for the hard work.”
Taj Gibson finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, and Jimmy Butler had 16 points.
Despite McDermott’s first-half scoring, the Bulls were still in a battle at the end. Chicago broke a 104-all tie – the 11th in the game – with 26 seconds left on a 15-footer from Butler, who also made an 18-footer with 53.6 seconds remaining. McDermott closed the scoring with a pair of free throws with just under seven seconds left.
Butler’s steal of the ensuing inbound pass sealed the Bulls’ second-straight win.
Mike Conley led Memphis with 28 points and eight assists, and Marc Gasol had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Zach Randolph finished with 15 points and a season-best 16 boards.
The game featured 16 lead changes, and neither team held a double-digit lead.
”We couldn’t get to our defensive coverage to save our lives down the stretch,” Memphis coach David Fizdale said. ”The second and fourth quarters, we didn’t defend at the level we are capable of defending.”
TIP-INS
Bulls: Nikola Mirotic missed his fourth straight game dealing with an illness. … McDermott’s 22 first-half points were more than his total for the four previous games (21). … Chicago scored 14 points in the first quarter, a season low for the opening frame, but its 38 points in the second was a season-high for a quarter by any Memphis opponent.
Grizzlies: Gasol made a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, marking 17 games this season he has made multiple shots from outside the arc. … Memphis made 11 3-pointers in the game and has converted at least 10 3s in 20 games this season, including 11 of the last 14 games.
MLK HOLIDAY
This is the 15th season Memphis has hosted a game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. The Grizzlies are 6-9 in the holiday game.
In recognition of the holiday, Memphis wore special MLK50 Pride uniforms. The black jerseys have sea foam blue numbers, letters and piping with the full T-shirt look instead of the normal sleeveless. The piping replicated the railing in front the rooms at the Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated in 1968, and the blue color was similar to the doors on the rooms.
MISSING WADE
Wade’s absence meant missing a reunion with Fizdale. Both left the Miami Heat organization after last season – Wade signing with the Bulls and Fizdale getting his first head coaching job in Memphis. Fizdale said he is sort of a ”basketball romantic” and would like to have seen Wade retire in Miami. But he predicted after the player’s career ”his statue will be out front and (Wade) will be remembered as the great player that he should be.”
UP NEXT
Bulls: Return home to face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Grizzlies: Memphis travels to Washington to face the Wizards on Wednesday night.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Doug McDermott’s troubles vanished in one quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies.
McDermott scored a career-high 31 points, including the final two free throws of the Chicago Bulls’ 108-104 victory over Memphis on Sunday night.
McDermott, who was 7 of 31 from the field in his four previous games, got 20 of his points in the second quarter, helping replace the scoring missing from Dwyane Wade, who did not play on the second night of a back-to-back after the Bulls beat New Orleans at home Saturday.
”You can’t be perfect every game, so you’ve just got to find a way to contribute out there and continue to work on your game,” said McDermott, who missed only one of seven shots in the second frame. ”That’s what I’ve done, and I was rewarded for the hard work.”
Taj Gibson finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, and Jimmy Butler had 16 points.
Despite McDermott’s first-half scoring, the Bulls were still in a battle at the end. Chicago broke a 104-all tie – the 11th in the game – with 26 seconds left on a 15-footer from Butler, who also made an 18-footer with 53.6 seconds remaining. McDermott closed the scoring with a pair of free throws with just under seven seconds left.
Butler’s steal of the ensuing inbound pass sealed the Bulls’ second-straight win.
Mike Conley led Memphis with 28 points and eight assists, and Marc Gasol had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Zach Randolph finished with 15 points and a season-best 16 boards.
The game featured 16 lead changes, and neither team held a double-digit lead.
”We couldn’t get to our defensive coverage to save our lives down the stretch,” Memphis coach David Fizdale said. ”The second and fourth quarters, we didn’t defend at the level we are capable of defending.”
TIP-INS
Bulls: Nikola Mirotic missed his fourth straight game dealing with an illness. … McDermott’s 22 first-half points were more than his total for the four previous games (21). … Chicago scored 14 points in the first quarter, a season low for the opening frame, but its 38 points in the second was a season-high for a quarter by any Memphis opponent.
Grizzlies: Gasol made a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, marking 17 games this season he has made multiple shots from outside the arc. … Memphis made 11 3-pointers in the game and has converted at least 10 3s in 20 games this season, including 11 of the last 14 games.
MLK HOLIDAY
This is the 15th season Memphis has hosted a game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. The Grizzlies are 6-9 in the holiday game.
In recognition of the holiday, Memphis wore special MLK50 Pride uniforms. The black jerseys have sea foam blue numbers, letters and piping with the full T-shirt look instead of the normal sleeveless. The piping replicated the railing in front the rooms at the Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated in 1968, and the blue color was similar to the doors on the rooms.
MISSING WADE
Wade’s absence meant missing a reunion with Fizdale. Both left the Miami Heat organization after last season – Wade signing with the Bulls and Fizdale getting his first head coaching job in Memphis. Fizdale said he is sort of a ”basketball romantic” and would like to have seen Wade retire in Miami. But he predicted after the player’s career ”his statue will be out front and (Wade) will be remembered as the great player that he should be.”
UP NEXT
Bulls: Return home to face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Grizzlies: Memphis travels to Washington to face the Wizards on Wednesday night.
Surging Wild beat Blackhawks 3-2 for Western Conference lead
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO (AP) Playing on the road for the second straight night against one of their biggest rivals, Devan Dubnyk and the Minnesota Wild rallied to another impressive victory.
Not much to complain about for Wild coach Bruce Boudreau.
”They just refuse to lose at this stage,” he said.
Dubnyk made 33 saves, Jason Pominville scored in the third period and Minnesota beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday to grab sole possession of the top spot in the Western Conference.
Nino Niederreiter and Chris Stewart also scored as Minnesota earned its fourth straight win and improved to 17-1-1 since Dec. 4. The Wild also beat the Blackhawks for the eighth straight time.
”To beat this team eight times in a row is really something,” said Boudreau, who was behind the bench in Anaheim when the Ducks were eliminated by the Blackhawks in the 2015 Western Conference finals. ”I don’t understand how you can do it. I wish I had had that knowledge a couple years ago.”
Minnesota (28-9-5) jumped in front for good when Marco Scandella shot the puck behind the net and it caromed right to Pominville standing all alone on the right side of the crease. He knocked it into the open net for his sixth of the season at 5:08.
Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter was sent off for tripping with 22.4 seconds left, but Chicago was unable to get a good look even with the 6-on-4 advantage.
”It’s a big game, just point-wise,” Dubnyk said. ”If we want to be in first place, we’re going to have to win games against these guys.”
Patrick Kane scored twice on a whopping 12 shots for the Blackhawks (27-14-5), who were coming off an ugly 6-0 loss at Washington. Artem Anisimov, battling an illness, had two assists, and Corey Crawford made 29 stops.
”Frustrating. Even though it was 2-0, at 2-2 you still feel good being in a tie game going to the third at home playing a team playing on back-to-back nights,” Kane said. ”Tough not to get anything out of that game.”
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville called Friday night’s performance against the Capitals a failure ”across the board,” and he went with seven defensemen for the Blackhawks’ first game of the season against Minnesota. He also leaned heavily on Kane, who has six goals and 12 assists in his last 14 games.
”Kaner had the touch tonight,” Quenneville said.
The reigning NHL MVP beat Dubnyk on the stick side at 4:33 of the first, and then added his 14th of the season in the second. The winger dug the puck out of the faceoff circle and snapped it over Dubnyk’s left shoulder for a 2-0 lead at 4:16.
Minnesota got one back after Anisimov was sent off for tripping at 5:04 of the second. Jonas Brodin’s long shot went off Wild center Mikael Granlund in front and dropped to the ice near Niederreiter, who slammed it in for his 12th.
Stewart tied it at 2 when he beat Crawford on the short side from the left circle with 9 minutes left. Stewart also scored in Minnesota’s 5-4 victory at Dallas on Saturday night.
”We didn’t have the best legs right from the get-go, but I feel like we found a way,” Niederreiter said. ”Then we kind of find a rhythm and kept going.”
NOTES: Kane played more than 27 minutes in his first multigoal game of the season. … The Blackhawks scratched forwards Andrew Desjardins and Jordin Tootoo. … D Nate Prosser and RW Kurtis Gabriel were inactive for Minnesota.
UP NEXT
Wild: Begin a four-game homestand Tuesday night against New Jersey.
Blackhawks: Visit Colorado on Tuesday night.
CHICAGO (AP) Playing on the road for the second straight night against one of their biggest rivals, Devan Dubnyk and the Minnesota Wild rallied to another impressive victory.
Not much to complain about for Wild coach Bruce Boudreau.
”They just refuse to lose at this stage,” he said.
Dubnyk made 33 saves, Jason Pominville scored in the third period and Minnesota beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday to grab sole possession of the top spot in the Western Conference.
Nino Niederreiter and Chris Stewart also scored as Minnesota earned its fourth straight win and improved to 17-1-1 since Dec. 4. The Wild also beat the Blackhawks for the eighth straight time.
”To beat this team eight times in a row is really something,” said Boudreau, who was behind the bench in Anaheim when the Ducks were eliminated by the Blackhawks in the 2015 Western Conference finals. ”I don’t understand how you can do it. I wish I had had that knowledge a couple years ago.”
Minnesota (28-9-5) jumped in front for good when Marco Scandella shot the puck behind the net and it caromed right to Pominville standing all alone on the right side of the crease. He knocked it into the open net for his sixth of the season at 5:08.
Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter was sent off for tripping with 22.4 seconds left, but Chicago was unable to get a good look even with the 6-on-4 advantage.
”It’s a big game, just point-wise,” Dubnyk said. ”If we want to be in first place, we’re going to have to win games against these guys.”
Patrick Kane scored twice on a whopping 12 shots for the Blackhawks (27-14-5), who were coming off an ugly 6-0 loss at Washington. Artem Anisimov, battling an illness, had two assists, and Corey Crawford made 29 stops.
”Frustrating. Even though it was 2-0, at 2-2 you still feel good being in a tie game going to the third at home playing a team playing on back-to-back nights,” Kane said. ”Tough not to get anything out of that game.”
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville called Friday night’s performance against the Capitals a failure ”across the board,” and he went with seven defensemen for the Blackhawks’ first game of the season against Minnesota. He also leaned heavily on Kane, who has six goals and 12 assists in his last 14 games.
”Kaner had the touch tonight,” Quenneville said.
The reigning NHL MVP beat Dubnyk on the stick side at 4:33 of the first, and then added his 14th of the season in the second. The winger dug the puck out of the faceoff circle and snapped it over Dubnyk’s left shoulder for a 2-0 lead at 4:16.
Minnesota got one back after Anisimov was sent off for tripping at 5:04 of the second. Jonas Brodin’s long shot went off Wild center Mikael Granlund in front and dropped to the ice near Niederreiter, who slammed it in for his 12th.
Stewart tied it at 2 when he beat Crawford on the short side from the left circle with 9 minutes left. Stewart also scored in Minnesota’s 5-4 victory at Dallas on Saturday night.
”We didn’t have the best legs right from the get-go, but I feel like we found a way,” Niederreiter said. ”Then we kind of find a rhythm and kept going.”
NOTES: Kane played more than 27 minutes in his first multigoal game of the season. … The Blackhawks scratched forwards Andrew Desjardins and Jordin Tootoo. … D Nate Prosser and RW Kurtis Gabriel were inactive for Minnesota.
UP NEXT
Wild: Begin a four-game homestand Tuesday night against New Jersey.
Blackhawks: Visit Colorado on Tuesday night.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Capitals rout Blackhawks 6-0 to extend winning streak to 8
WASHINGTON (AP) Jay Beagle can’t explain his offensive success against the Chicago Blackhawks.
It’s much easier to see why his Washington Capitals are rolling against everybody.
Beagle scored twice to solidify his status as a Blackhawks killer and Washington blew out Chicago 6-0 on Friday night to win its eighth consecutive game. In a showdown of the NHL’s hottest teams, the Capitals looked the part and the Blackhawks fell flat, ending their winning streak at four.
During their eight-game run to vault to the top of the league standings, the Capitals have snapped five opposing winning streaks of three or more.
”We’re playing good hockey right now and we’re starting to get confident in our game, in our structure,” said Beagle, who has eight goals this season and is just two shy of tying his career high. ”Getting these wins against great teams can only build that confidence, and we just got to keep going moving forward.”
Beagle’s inexplicable, self-admitted ”weird” showing of six goals in eight career games against the Blackhawks notwithstanding, this winning streak has been built on contributions from almost every player. Three different lines were in on the scoring Friday as all six goals came at even strength.
But the biggest piece of the streak is goaltender Braden Holtby, who looks to be back in Vezina Trophy form. Holtby stopped all 24 shots he faced against the Blackhawks and is 9-2-2 with a 1.34 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and five shutouts in his past 14 games.
Holtby and the Capitals haven’t allowed an even-strength goal in five games dating to when he was pulled against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 3.
”I worked on a few things that I wanted to get better at, but we’ve been playing pretty well through that stretch, too,” said Holtby, who leads the league with six shutouts. ”There’s still things to work on, but our game and my game are going in the right direction.”
Chicago’s game was going in the right direction but took a nosedive Friday. A would-be goal from Vinnie Hinostroza was called back for goaltender interference and Corey Crawford was pulled after allowing five goals on 30 shots. There were no positives to be found.
Coach Joel Quenneville called it a failure ”across the board.”
”It was a big game to start with and we didn’t meet the challenge,” Quenneville said. ”Let’s forget about this one because there’s nothing good about it.”
It’s all good right now for the Capitals, who had four short-handed shots to the Blackhawks’ two on the power play. In reaching 61 points, they passed the Columbus Blue Jackets – who played later at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night – for first in the Metropolitan Division, the Eastern Conference and the NHL.
Coach Barry Trotz has eased the minutes burden on Alex Ovechkin and his top players and been rewarded with scoring depth. He was pleased that ”all four lines were pulling on the rope” against Chicago, just the latest in a line of top teams Washington has beaten.
Just in 2017, the Capitals have ended the Maple Leafs’ winning streak at five, the Blue Jackets’ at 16, the Montreal Canadiens’ at three, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ at five and then the Blackhawks’ at four. Now they have their own winning streak, which center Nicklas Backstrom said ”doesn’t matter.”
”Obviously you know it’s eight in a row, but you’re playing every other day so you just try to reset and get back to work,” Backstrom said. ”We’ve just got to play good next game.”
NOTES: D Karl Alzner became the first player in Capitals franchise history to play 500 consecutive regular-season games. Alzner joined Keith Yandle and Jay Bouwmeester as the only defensemen since 1943-44 to play 500 games in a row. Baseball ironman Cal Ripken Jr. was featured in a video message congratulating Alzner on the achievement. … Washington improved to 23-3-3 when scoring first. … D Michal Rozsival returned to the Blackhawks’ lineup after missing six consecutive games as a healthy scratch, replacing Michal Kempny.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: Host the Central Division-rival Wild on Sunday, their first game against Minnesota this season. The Wild trail the Blackhawks by just two points and have played five fewer games.
Capitals: Try to make it nine straight when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday at 1 p.m., moved back from 12:30 as a domino effect from the Steelers-Chiefs AFC playoff game shifting to prime time because of weather in Kansas City.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Knicks beat Bulls with big games from Anthony, Rose, Noah
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- To Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, it didn't matter much that they were playing their former team.
At this point, the New York Knicks just needed to beat somebody.
Carmelo Anthony had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, Rose and Noah had big games against Chicago, and the Knicks beat the short-handed Bulls 104-89 on Thursday night.
"Tonight's game was because it was the next game," Rose said. "We were desperate to win and I'm just happy that we got the win."
Rose scored 17 points in his return to Madison Square Garden after skipping the last game here, and Noah finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds as the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak. Rookie forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas had a season-high 19 points.
The Knicks bounced back from a loss at the buzzer in Philadelphia on Wednesday to win for the first time this season on the second night of back-to-back games.
Dwyane Wade scored 22 for the Bulls, who were missing star swingman Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Denzel Valentine, all because of illness. They dropped their third straight.
Playing without starting forward Kristaps Porzingis, New York won for just the second time in 11 games, a much-needed victory after the mystery surrounding Rose - and then its second buzzer-beating loss of the month.
"I haven't been in situations like this too many times in my career, but I've definitely been in situations where there's been adversity and I think that today a lot of guys showed what they were made of," Noah said.
Rose went home to Chicago on Monday without telling the team, returned to practice the next day and said his absence was for family reasons. The Knicks fined him but put him back in the starting lineup and he has played well in both games since.
Rose was cheered during pregame introductions and then helped the Knicks race to an 8-0 lead. They pulled away by limiting Chicago to 14 points in the third quarter.
Butler and Mirotic both missed their second straight game. Valentine felt sick at the arena and was sent back to the hotel.
"We've got three guys out. We don't have the luxury of missing key guys," Wade said. "So hopefully Saturday, hopefully we don't have any more down. Hopefully Saturday we get at least one or two back."
The Bulls ended up giving little-used, little-known rookie Paul Zipser his first career start at forward. He had a season-high seven points in just his 11th appearance of the season.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Jerian Grant, traded to Chicago in the deal that brought Rose to New York, scored 14 points off the bench. ... Chicago was 3 for 18 (16.7 percent) on 3-pointers.
Knicks: The Knicks are 1-7 on the second night of back-to-backs. ... Porzingis missed three games recently with the Achilles problem, and coach Jeff Hornacek said the injury could have contributed to Porzingis being short on his jumpers Wednesday, including the airball that led to the 76ers' winning shot. Hornacek said Porzingis had soreness and stiffness Thursday but there was no tear or sign of serious injury.
ROSE'S RESPONSE
Rose said he didn't think much about how the crowd would greet him, saying he's been booed in Chicago, too.
"I'm used to it and if they did boo me tonight it's no hard feelings," Rose said. "I know this is sports and I know they're very passionate about their sports and like I said, I said sorry to my team, I apologized and that was something that will never happen again."
ZIPSER'S CHANCE
Zipser had played in just one of the Bulls' five games this month, 10 all season and his high game was three points. But coach Fred Hoiberg said when he told the forward from Germany's Bayern Munich that he would be starting, "He looked me right in the eye and said, 'I'll be ready, Coach.'"
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Chicago swept the series in 2015-16 for the seventh time in 10 seasons.
Knicks: Visit Toronto on Sunday, trying to snap a four-game losing streak to the Raptors.
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- To Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, it didn't matter much that they were playing their former team.
At this point, the New York Knicks just needed to beat somebody.
Carmelo Anthony had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, Rose and Noah had big games against Chicago, and the Knicks beat the short-handed Bulls 104-89 on Thursday night.
"Tonight's game was because it was the next game," Rose said. "We were desperate to win and I'm just happy that we got the win."
Rose scored 17 points in his return to Madison Square Garden after skipping the last game here, and Noah finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds as the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak. Rookie forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas had a season-high 19 points.
The Knicks bounced back from a loss at the buzzer in Philadelphia on Wednesday to win for the first time this season on the second night of back-to-back games.
Dwyane Wade scored 22 for the Bulls, who were missing star swingman Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Denzel Valentine, all because of illness. They dropped their third straight.
Playing without starting forward Kristaps Porzingis, New York won for just the second time in 11 games, a much-needed victory after the mystery surrounding Rose - and then its second buzzer-beating loss of the month.
"I haven't been in situations like this too many times in my career, but I've definitely been in situations where there's been adversity and I think that today a lot of guys showed what they were made of," Noah said.
Rose went home to Chicago on Monday without telling the team, returned to practice the next day and said his absence was for family reasons. The Knicks fined him but put him back in the starting lineup and he has played well in both games since.
Rose was cheered during pregame introductions and then helped the Knicks race to an 8-0 lead. They pulled away by limiting Chicago to 14 points in the third quarter.
Butler and Mirotic both missed their second straight game. Valentine felt sick at the arena and was sent back to the hotel.
"We've got three guys out. We don't have the luxury of missing key guys," Wade said. "So hopefully Saturday, hopefully we don't have any more down. Hopefully Saturday we get at least one or two back."
The Bulls ended up giving little-used, little-known rookie Paul Zipser his first career start at forward. He had a season-high seven points in just his 11th appearance of the season.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Jerian Grant, traded to Chicago in the deal that brought Rose to New York, scored 14 points off the bench. ... Chicago was 3 for 18 (16.7 percent) on 3-pointers.
Knicks: The Knicks are 1-7 on the second night of back-to-backs. ... Porzingis missed three games recently with the Achilles problem, and coach Jeff Hornacek said the injury could have contributed to Porzingis being short on his jumpers Wednesday, including the airball that led to the 76ers' winning shot. Hornacek said Porzingis had soreness and stiffness Thursday but there was no tear or sign of serious injury.
ROSE'S RESPONSE
Rose said he didn't think much about how the crowd would greet him, saying he's been booed in Chicago, too.
"I'm used to it and if they did boo me tonight it's no hard feelings," Rose said. "I know this is sports and I know they're very passionate about their sports and like I said, I said sorry to my team, I apologized and that was something that will never happen again."
ZIPSER'S CHANCE
Zipser had played in just one of the Bulls' five games this month, 10 all season and his high game was three points. But coach Fred Hoiberg said when he told the forward from Germany's Bayern Munich that he would be starting, "He looked me right in the eye and said, 'I'll be ready, Coach.'"
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Chicago swept the series in 2015-16 for the seventh time in 10 seasons.
Knicks: Visit Toronto on Sunday, trying to snap a four-game losing streak to the Raptors.
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