Leafs, Senators play pivotal Game Five
TORONTO, May 10 (UPI) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs look to ride the momentum from Game Four and take a three games to two advantage Friday night when they host the Ottawa Senators in Game Five of their NHL
Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Alyn McCauley scored both goals as the Maple Leafs came from behind to deal the Senators their first home loss in the playoffs Wednesday, 2-1.
Gary Roberts, who scored the game-winning goal in triple overtime of Game Two, assisted on both tallies.
Toronto was outshot, 25-24, but held a 14-11 advantage in the second period, and goalie Curtis Joseph made 24 saves, including 11 in the final period as handed Ottawa its first regulation loss of the postseason.
The Maple Leafs, already without the services of several key players, including Mats Sundin and Mikael Renberg, may not have defenseman Karel Pilar for Game Five. Pilar suffered an injured thumb in the third period Wednesday and may be out a week.
Defenseman Jyrki Lumme, who played in Game Three after sustaining a concussion in Game Two, sat out Wednesday's game, but may be forced back into the lineup because of Pilar's injury.
Ottawa defenseman Sami Salo, who left Game Four with an upper body injury, is probable for Friday's contest. Roberts leads Toronto in scoring with four goals and 11 points while McCauley has three goals and nine points.
Captain Daniel Alfredsson leads the way for Ottawa with five goals and five assists while Radek Bonk and Marian Hossa each have two goals and eight points.
Senators goaltender Patrick Lalime became the 14th goalie to record four shutouts in one playoff year when he blanked Toronto, 5-0, in Game One.
Caps fire Ron Wilson
WASHINGTON, May 10 (UPI) -- Citing his relationship with the team, the Washington Capitals Friday fired Coach Ron Wilson, four years after he guided them to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The only surprise about his firing was the length of time it took.
The 46-year-old Wilson led the Capitals to their only Finals appearance in 1998, but failed to win a playoff series the last three years, missing out on the postseason altogether this year.
General Manager George McPhee said the decision was a "difficult" one, but added that Wilson's relationship with the team had "run its course."
"After an analysis of the past season, a coaching change was in the best interests of the Washington Capitals," McPhee said. "We are very appreciative of Ron's contributions to the organization, and we wish him well."
Wilson was hurt by injuries to several key players, including superstar right wing Jaromir Jagr, who was supposed to make the Caps a playoff shoo-in this year after being acquired from Pittsburgh.
Jagr was hurt early in the season, and the Capitals got off to another slow start. They rallied late in the campaign, but came up short in the playoff chase with a 36-33-11-2 mark.
Wilson took over in 1997 and guided the Caps to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season. But they missed the playoffs in 1999 and lost first-round matchups with the Penguins in 2000 and 2001.
Wilson went 192-159-51-8 in five seasons with the Caps. He also has coached the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and has a career mark of 312-304-82-8.
Panthers dump Fletcher
SUNRISE, Fla., May 10 (UPI) -- The Florida Panthers shook up their front office Friday, firing interim general manager Chuck Fletcher and replacing him with Rick Dudley.
Fletcher had taken over for Bill Torrey on Dec. 3, and was instrumental in trading superstar right wing Pavel Bure from a team that finished 28th in the NHL at 22-44-10-6.
Dudley was general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning for three seasons before resigning in February. He acquired goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin from Phoenix, but was strapped by a limited payroll and watched the team go 63-123-21-14 during his stint.
In Florida, Dudley will have to decide on the future of Mike Keenan as coach. He also has the top choice in the 2002 draft and the job of turning around a franchise that has gone 44-82-23-15 the past two seasons.
Panthers ownership partner Jordan Zimmerman said Friday's move is "another positive step in securing the future success" of the team, citing Dudley's excellence at every level of professional hockey.
Dudley played six NHL seasons, then coached the Buffalo Sabres to an 85-72-31 record from 1989-92. But he has made his mark in hockey as a GM, leading teams to the finals eight times in
12 years in three different minor leagues.
In 1998, Dudley got his first NHL front office job as GM of the Senators. He helped build a team that went 44-23-15, a 20-point improvement, during the 1998-99 season.
Dudley took over in Tampa Bay the following year, and retooled the Lightning back to respectability, thanks in part to the acquisition of Khabibulin.
"We feel he is the right man to lead out organization into the future, continue the growth of the Panthers' team and stress the importance of our partnership with the South Florida community," Zimmerman said.
The Panthers have been to the playoffs just three times in their history, failing to win a pair of series since their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996.
This past season, Florida traded Bure, the best player in franchise history. He led the league in goals the previous two seasons.
Celtics, Spurs host key NBA playoff games
BOSTON, May 10 (UPI) -- The Boston Celtics will try to remain unbeaten at home in the playoff this season when they host the Detroit Pistons Friday night in Game Three of their Eastern Conference semifinals.
The series is tied a game apiece.
The Celtics made use of their home-court advantage against Philadelphia in the first round, getting all three of their wins at the FleetCenter. They regained the home-court edge with a Game Two victory over the Pistons Wednesday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Pistons, who scored 96 points in Game One, shot only 33 percent (27-of-82) and were outrebounded by nearly 20.
Detroit is winless in two road games during the 2002 playoffs, and set a team record with 12 three-pointers in Game Two. The Pistons were outscored, 42-18, in the paint. Detroit has lost its last four visits to the FleetCenter over the past two regular seasons, including two games here this season by a combined 29 points.
Elsewhere, the San Antonio Spurs may have center David Robinson back in the lineup when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at the Alamodome for Game Three of their Western Conference semifinals.
Robinson has been sidelined for the last six games with an aggravated disc in his lower back.
His presence for the pivotal Game Three could provide the Spurs with an excellent chance to better defender Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, who is battling his own health problem.
O'Neal has been affected by a cut he suffered on his right hand prior to Game Two, and also suffered a sprained left ankle during Game Two. The All-Star center has been dealing with an arthritic big toe on his right foot throughout the season.
San Antonio posted an 88-85 victory Tuesday behind Tim Duncan, who collected 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and five rebounds. On Wednesday, Duncan was announced as the 2002 NBA Most Valuable Player, beating out New Jersey's Jason Kidd by the narrowest margin in five years.
The Spurs snapped the Lakers' 18-game postseason winning streak against Western Conference opponents, dating back to the 2000 playoffs.
San Antonio has won its last five conference semifinal games at the Alamodome since losing Game Five to the Utah Jazz in 1998. The Spurs won both meetings with the Lakers here in the 1999 conference semifinals as they rolled to the NBA title.
Reports: Dunleavy to enter NBA Draft
DURHAM, N.C., May 10 (UPI) -- Published and broadcast reports Friday indicated that versatile 6-9 swingman Mike Dunleavy of Duke has decided to forego his final year of college eligibility and will enter the NBA Draft in June.
Sources close to the Duke program have told the Durham (N.C.) Herald-Sun and the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer that the Lake Oswego, Ore., native would put his name on the NBA's list of underclassmen but would not hire an agent, giving him the option to take his name off the list about a week before the draft.
ESPN.com reported Dunleavy, who is fairly thin, would hold a news conference Saturday to make an official announcement.
His listed playing weight last season was 220 pounds.
Underclassmen wanting to declare have until Sunday to do so. If he declares, Dunleavy would the third Duke player to make the decision since the 2001-02 season ended, joining point guard Jason Williams and center Carlos Boozer, who is projected as a power forward in the pros.
Dunleavy, who father, Mike, Sr., is a former NBA coach and currently works as an analyst for NBC, averaged 17.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest for the Blue Devils this past season.
A number of basketball people have wondered if he has the physical bulk needed to take the daily pounding he's likely to absorb in the pro game. There have also been questions about his ability to play defense.
If he decides to return for his senior campaign, the First-Team All-ACC choice would likely be the top candidate for national Player of the Year honors.
Cubs place Zambrano on DL
CHICAGO, May 10 (UPI) -- The Chicago Cubs Friday placed righthander Carlos Zambrano on the 15-day disabled list and purchased the contract of infielder Bobby Hill from Triple-A Iowa of the Pacific Coast League.
Zambrano has a strained pitching elbow. The 6-5, 250-pounder relieved starter Jason Bere in the sixth inning Thursday and battled control problems as well as pain his elbow. He allowed one hit and walked five in 1 1/3 innings before the pain caused him to leave.
Zambrano, who does not turn 21 until June 1, has made 11 appearances out of the bullpen, allowing five runs and 13 hits in 11 innings.
Hill was hitting .269 with a .392 on-base percentage, and a PCL-leading nine stolen bases. He is expected to get a chance to play second base as Delino DeShields is hitting just .194.
The 24-year-old Hill signed with the Cubs last year after spending 2000 with the Newark Bears of the Independent Atlantic League. He was selected in the second round of the 2000 draft by the Cubs but did not sign.
Last season, Hill hit .301 with three homers, 21 RBI and 20 steals in 57 games with Double-A West Tennessee.
Padres recall Tankersley
ATLANTA, May 10 (UPI) -- Righthander Dennis Tankersley, the San Diego Padres' top pitching prospect, has been called up from the minor leagues and will make his major league debut Friday night in Atlanta against the Braves.
Tankersley was recalled from Double-A Mobile of the Southern League, where he was 2-1 with a 2.64 ERA in seven starts, striking out 30 in 30 2/3 innings. He fills the roster spot of veteran righthander Kevin Jarvis, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained elbow.
The 23-year-old Tankersley is 23-10 with a 2.54 ERA in 70 appearances, 64 starts, and was the Padres' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2001.
Tankersley made his last start for Mobile on Sunday, allowing four hits in four scoreless innings. He will make a quantum leap in class in his start against the Braves. He will be opposed by four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux.
Jarvis is 2-3 with a 2.45 ERA in five starts. He came off the disabled list last Saturday and pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But he continued to be bothered by the elbow and will undergo an MRI.
