News & Neuigkeiten » second goal of the season after a Flyers miscue.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- When its all said and done at the end of this season, NASCAR just might have to thank Hurricane Matthew for saving its Chase.It sure didnt seem like that when rain was trying to swamp the weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. No track activity Friday, nothing again on Saturday and no buzz about the opening race of the second round of the playoffs.Forced to run two races on Sunday, both NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway somehow managed to pull off a miracle. They got a pair of decent races on a perfect North Carolina fall afternoon -- not great races, but good enough that the Chase now warrants some chatter .Even better, conversation will be about drivers and the standings and how teams are going to react after a race of attrition at Charlotte caused five championship drivers to finish 30th or worse. Now, only eight points separate Denny Hamlin in the transfer position from last-place Kevin Harvick.Do you know what that means? A reprieve from talking about laser inspection, changing rules and encumbered finishes.Finally, a chance to focus on what should really matter: the racing!The word drama was bandied about often Sunday as contender after contender went to the garage. First up was Joey Logano , who had a wrecked car because of a tire issue. Then Harvick pulled into his stall with a mechanical problem. Austin Dillon was spun by Martin Truex Jr. on a restart. Chase Elliott was collected in that accident. Then Hamlin had an engine failure while running second late in the race.None of that is the kind of drama that has driven the Chase the last two years. That excitement centered around Brad Keselowski getting tackled, Keselowski getting punched and Matt Kenseths running feud with Logano. Yes, those are the instances that make NASCAR a watercooler conversation on Monday mornings, but the drivers absolutely abhor the sensationalism and scrutiny that comes with such displays of emotion or personality.So now theyve provided an opportunity to really look at the racing and wonder how each team will react in this suddenly intense Chase.The first round didnt knock anyones socks off -- two Truex wins and a Harvick victory -- and no shocking elimination. Everyone probably wanted Tony Stewart to make it out of the first round, but nobody thought he was running well enough to do it. Stewart getting knocked out was hardly the same level of stunner as Jimmie Johnsons first-round elimination a year ago.But after Sundays opener , this round has the potential for some serious nail-biting over the next two weeks. Some really big names are going to be eliminated at Talladega Superspeedway, where the Chase field will be trimmed from 12 to eight drivers.Free from worry is Johnson, the somewhat surprise winner on Sunday. It was his eighth victory at the Hendrick Motorsports home track, but Johnson has been a bit overlooked the last three years. Hed failed in the first two years of the elimination format to get past the second round, and theres been no reason to think that Hendrick Motorsports can compete with the four Toyota drivers or Harvick.But a summer of hard work has suddenly put Hendrick on the radar , and both Johnson and teammate Elliott have turned it up in the Chase. Now, Johnson has a spot in the round of eight, and his sights squarely on a seventh championship.History has shown that Johnson dominance does little for the NASCAR fan base, and theres been a total lack of appreciation for his five consecutive championships and six overall. But his win at Charlotte felt different. There was a sense that seven might actually be doable, and Johnsons pursuit of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in the record books could be embraced this year.Whether Johnson moves your meter, his hunt for that seventh title is surely more entertaining that which driver fails the laser inspection each week.So thank you, NASCAR. Thank you, Chase teams. Thank you, Charlotte Motor Speedway. Thank you, Jimmie Johnson.Finally, theres something to talk about in NASCAR. Swell Bottle Liberty Of London . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Swell Water Bottle Floral . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. http://www.ukswellbottle.com/ .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Swell Bottles Uk . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. Swell Bottles Uk Sale .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. PHILADELPHIA -- The Detroit Red Wings ended a couple lengthy skids Tuesday night.One was nearly 20 years old. Thats not the one that mattered to coach Jeff Blashill, though.Andreas Athanasiou tied it midway through the third period and had the only score in the shootout, helping the Red Wings snap a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.Tomas Tatar also scored for Detroit, which ended a 12-game regular season losing streak in Philadelphia dating to Jan. 25, 1997. The Red Wings did win the first two games of the 1997 Stanley Cup Final in Philadelphia on their way to a four-game sweep.Id focus more on this year, Blashill said. The other one has not a whole lot to do with this team.The Red Wings had lost three contests during their skid by one goal.I thought we played well at times in those five games, but we werent getting results, Blashill said. You play good, you have to find a way to get results. And we found a way tonight.Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux scored and Jakub Voracek had a pair of assists for the Flyers.In the shootout, all three Philadelphia skaters -- Travis Konecny, Giroux and Voracek -- missed.Its a valuable point (lost), Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said.After Gustav Nyquist and Frans Nielsen misfired for Detroit, Athanasiou beat Steve Mason on the backhand. Athanasiou pumped his fist along the side boards as his teammates came out to congratulate him.Its definitely a good feeling to end the losing slump and get back on the right track, Athanasiou said. You can see the spirits are already high.Couturier made it 2-1 off a setup by Voracek 6:51 into the third period. After his wraparound attempt was denied by Jimmy Howard, Voracek sent the puck back in front of the net and Couturier poked it home for his fourth goal of the season but first in 11 games.Athanasiou tied it with 8:47 left when hee raced past Flyers defensemen Brandon Manning and Radko Gudas before deking around Mason with a forehand shot.dddddddddddd.I saw a little space, Athanasiou said. Fortunately enough, I got through.Said Hakstol: The pace and speed he attacks with is hard to handle.Mason, making his first start since Oct. 29, made 33 saves.I thought (Mason) was excellent, Hakstol said.Howard made consecutive starts for the first time this season after making 26 stops in Detroits 2-1 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. He stopped 23 shots.The Flyers recorded a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit last Tuesday in Philadelphia.Giroux gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 6 1/2 minutes in. Voracek sent a cross-ice pass to Giroux and the Flyers captain went to his knees as he one-timed it high over Howards left shoulder.The Red Wings answered just over two minutes later when Tatar netted his second goal of the season after a Flyers miscue. Philadelphias Brandon Manning attempted to clear the puck from next to his own goal but it was blocked by Henrik Zetterberg, who set up Tatar from behind the net for the point-blank shot.Game notes Red Wings D Tyler Bertuzzi made his NHL debut in place of Thomas Vanek, who missed his seventh game with a lower body injury. Vanek is on longterm IR and is out until at least Nov. 20. Bertuzzi is the nephew of former NHL player Todd Bertuzzi. ... Flyers F Wayne Simmonds got a knockout of Jonathan Ericsson with a left hook during a second-period fight. ... The teams wrap their three-game season series on Dec. 11 in Detroit. ... Konecny delivered big second-period hits to Justin Abdelkader and Steve Ott.UP NEXTFlyers: At Maple Leafs on Friday night.Red Wings: Host Vancouver on Thursday night. ' ' '