Page 18 - Aruba Today

A18

SPORTSTuesday 8 March 2016

Mushers set off from Alaska Kane steers
town as Iditarod race begins Blackhawks to 4-1

win over Red Wings

Four- time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Lance Mackey prepares his sled ahead of the The Associated Press Chicago Blackhawks right
official start of this year’s race on Sunday, March 6, 2016, in Willow, Alaska. Mackey said his pain CHICAGO (AP) — Patrick wing Patrick Kane celebrates
level has decreased a little from last year, when blood circulation problems made it difficult for Kane scored his 38th goal after scoring his goal dur-
him to finish the race. on the first shot of the game ing the first period of an NHL
to steer the Chicago Black- hockey game against the De-
Associated Press hawks to a 4-1 win over the troit Red Wings Sunday, March
Detroit Red Wings in the 6, 2016, in Chicago.
MARK THIESSEN the fierce winds along the dogs’ fault. This team, in my National Hockey League
Associated Press Bering Sea coast. opinion, and I know what on Sunday. Associated Press
WILLOW, Alaska (AP) — He said there are “a lot of kind of dogs it takes, this Jonathan Toews also
Eighty-five mushers set off really good teams, there’s team has what it takes. It’s scored for the defending against Calgary 24 hours
to conquer the toughest a lot of people who could up to me now to show the Stanley Cup holders as earlier.
terrain this nation has to of- win. There’s a lot of people world, and they deserve it,” the Blackhawks (41-21-5) Kyle Palmieri scored his 25th
fer, vying to become the that maybe should win that he said. joined the Dallas Stars on goal of the season for New
first to reach Alaska’s west- won’t. That’s actually why Also in this year’s race is top of the Western Confer- Jersey, which played with-
ern coast with their dog we go run the race, and two-time champion Rob- ence with 87 points. out injured All-Star goalten-
teams. we’ll figure it out in a cou- ert Sorlie of Oslo. He leads “We’ve got a lot of division der Cory Schneider, who
Scott Janssen, an under- ple of weeks,” he said. a large Norwegian contin- games coming up,” Toews had limited Pittsburgh to six
taker from Anchorage who Besides Seavey, there are gency among the mushers. said. “Those aren’t going to goals in the last six meet-
is known as the Mushing six other former champi- But Mats Pettersson will tell be easy ones. It’ll be good ings.
Mortician, was the first to ons in the race, including you there are eight Norwe- preparation for the end of Lauri Korpikoski scored the
leave across Willow Lake in four-time winner Lance gians in the race, and not the year.” winner late in the second
the staggered start to the Mackey. Last year, Mackey nine. Antoine Roussel scored the period as the Edmonton
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race struggled to finish the race. “I feel a little bit lonely,” he go-ahead goal late in the Oilers edged the Winnipeg
Sunday. The cancer survivor also said because everyone be- third period to lead Dallas Jets 2-1.
Dallas Seavey was only has a condition which af- lieves he’s Norwegian, too. past the Ottawa Senators Patrick Maroon also scored
wearing a long-sleeved fects blood circulation in his “I have to tell every guy I’m 2-1. for Edmonton, which
shirt as he packed his sled hands, and he had prob- Swedish.” Jason Spezza also scored moved out of last place in
under blue skies and warm lems caring for his dogs last Adding to the international for the Stars, and Kari the Western Conference
temperatures. He said it felt year. His brother, musher flair of the race is Kim Frank- Lehtonen made 23 saves. — one point ahead of Cal-
just like another day for him Jason Mackey, helped with lin, a 49-year-old musher Zack Smith scored the lone gary and tied with Winni-
and his dogs, doing their dog care so Lance could from Herts, England. goal for Ottawa. Andrew peg with 59 points.
thing. finish the race. This is her second race to Hammond turned aside 23 Jori Lehtera, back follow-
That could be bad news When asked Sunday if his Nome, but she’s still con- shots in the loss, which left ing a three-game absence
for the field as Seavey has hands were good, Lance sidered a rookie after be- the Senators six points be- after being hit in the face
won three out of the last Mackey said, “Well, to a ing withdrawn at the Rohn hind the Red Wings for the by a puck, scored in his re-
four races. degree.” checkpoint in 2008. She final wild-card spot in the turn to the lineup as the St.
“If we have a good race, He has had continued had to qualify for the Idi- Eastern Conference. Louis Blues held on to beat
we should have a good fin- treatment on his hands, tarod last winter. In New York, Cal Clutter- the Minnesota Wild 4-2.q
ish. If we can maximize this including a surgery last “It sounds like it’s going to buck scored the tiebreak-
team, we’ll get there fast,” month that took out a nail be a hard, fast trail and it’s ing goal with 1:28 remain-
he said of the dash for the bed on one finger. He said going to be a rough start to ing in the third period as
finish line under the burled the pain level has been re- the race, I think,” she said, the Islanders defeated the
arch in Nome. The winner duced a bit, and he was adding her goal is to keep Rangers 6-4.
is expected in about nine ready to get the race start- everything under control. Johnny Boychuk had two
days after traveling over ed. “I just want to run a slow, goals for the Islanders, Kyle
two mountain ranges, the “If we don’t have a good steady, safe race,” Franklin Okposo had a goal and
Yukon River and battling run this year, it’s not the said.q an assist, Brock Nelson also
scored and Frans Nielsen
added an empty-netter
with 1:01 remaining.
Across the Hudson River,
Evgeni Malkin scored two
goals as the Pittsburgh Pen-
guins took advantage of a
couple of defensive lapses
by the New Jersey Devils to
win 6-1.
Matt Cullen, Nick Bonino,
Bryan Rust and Scott Wilson
also scored. Backup Matt
Murray made 17 saves as
the Penguins rebounded
from a dismal performance