Hockey Today - June 6
Wed, Jun 6, 2007
By Associated Press
SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, June 6
Ottawa at Anaheim (8 p.m. EDT). The Ducks can win their first Stanley Cup.
JUST DUCKY
All Anaheim needs to win its first Stanley Cup is a victory on home ice. The Ducks are 5-0 in the Stanley Cup finals at home and 7-0 when they have a chance to finish off any playoff series.
HE'S BACK
Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger was suspended for Game 4 by the NHL, but will return to action Wednesday night. Senators center Dean McAmmond missed Game 4 because of what team officials labeled a concussion resulting from an elbow by Pronger.
ICE COLD
The Stanley Cup finals have brought record low ratings to NBC for a prime-time program, sports or otherwise. Ottawa's 5-3 victory over Anaheim in Game 3 Saturday night received a 1.1 national rating and a 2 share, the network said Tuesday. That matched a rerun of ''The West Wing'' on July 23, 2005, which also drew a 1.1 rating. Saturday's rating was down 31 percent from last year's Game 3 between Edmonton and Carolina, which had a 1.6/3.
SPEAKING
''The first thing is you've got to believe. If you don't, there's no point in showing up. It's a great chance we have here - we're still alive. A lot of players don't ever get this far.'' - - Ottawa forward Antoine Vermette, on the Senators' chances down 3-1 to Anaheim in the Stanley Cup finals.
Islanders to buy out Alexei Yashin's contract
June 6, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -The New York Islanders said they will buy out the four years remaining on captain Alexei Yashin's 10-year contract.
``This decision was one of the hardest I have ever had to make'' Islanders' owner Charles Wang said in a statement on the team's Web site Wednesday. ``The organization holds Alexei in the highest regard - as a player, as a teammate and as a person. He was part of the revival of the franchise at a time when we had not qualified for the playoffs for eight seasons.''
Yashin was traded to the Islanders by the Ottawa Senators after the 2000-01 season. The Islanders later signed the Russian to a 10-year deal worth $87.5 million. He had 119 goals and 171 assists for 290 points in 346 games, but struggled the last two seasons.
``The Islanders have treated me with the utmost respect,'' Yashin said on the Islanders' Web site. ``I've always believed in the vision Charles Wang has for the organization and although I won't be a part of it, I believe that the team is headed in the right direction. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life.''
Yashin missed 24 games this season with a sprained right knee. He was scoreless in the Islanders' 4-1 first-round playoff loss to the Buffalo Sabres.