Niemi standing tall for Hawks

Hockey Betting Lines

06/01/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The consensus among hockey experts is that the Chicago Blackhawks' biggest weakness is in net, but so far in the Stanley Cup Finals, Antti Niemi has not cooperated with that assessment.

Niemi almost single-handedly kept the Philadelphia Flyers from tying the best- of-seven series at one game apiece Monday night, saving his best goaltending for when his team needed it most.

Despite getting thoroughly outplayed in the final 20 minutes of Game 2, the Blackhawks were able to hold on for a 2-1 victory. Niemi was the biggest reason for the close victory, as he made 32 saves on the night and stopped 14- of-15 shots in the third period.

So far, Niemi has owned the third period in the Stanley Cup Finals, and his team is taking a 2-0 lead to Philadelphia as a result. After giving up five goals in the first 40 minutes of Saturday's wild Game 1, the Finnish netminder shut the door by stopping all six shots he faced in the third period to help Chicago take that game by a 6-5 count.

While he was solid in the third period of Game 1, Niemi's performance on Monday night was nothing short of game-saving.

Chicago had grabbed a 2-0 lead on a pair of quick goals by Marian Hossa and Ben Eager late in the second period. But, the Flyers' Simon Gagne scored on the power play 5:20 into the third period and Philadelphia continued to dominate the remainder of the game. When Chicago's skaters weren't able to block shots in front of Niemi, the goaltender was always there to deny the tying goal.

"I think our "D" played maybe a little bit better in front of the net in blocking shots and letting me see the puck," said Niemi after Game 2. "But it's always a little bit about the luck, too, how you see the puck, and how it bounces."

One thing we always hear about Niemi is his ability to stay on an even keel. He has the ability to never get too high after a strong game or too low after a sub-par performance, like the one in the series opener that had folks questioning his ability yet again.

Through this whirlwind of a season, Niemi has displayed a quiet confidence that is obviously serving him well on hockey's biggest stage.

It also served him well back in September when Niemi outplayed Corey Crawford for the right to begin the season as Cristobal Huet's backup. Of course, Niemi would eventually supplant Huet as the starter, but he has never taken his promotion for granted.

An undrafted free agent signed by Chicago in 2008, Niemi had played in just three NHL games prior to the 2009-10 campaign and none of those were playoff contests. In fact, if the 26-year-old was born about two weeks later he would have been considered a rookie this season.

"Maybe that's better he's had no experience," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said of Niemi after Game 2. "He just shows up to play every night. He works real hard in practice. He doesn't like any pucks getting by him. We're real confident when he's in net."

Niemi is quickly becoming a legend in Chicago, where the hockey fans haven't celebrated a Stanley Cup title since 1961. If he continues to play the way he did on Monday night, the Blackhawks will be lifting the most famous trophy in sports soon enough.

FLYERS LOOKING FOR HELP AT HOME

While Niemi was able to thwart Philadelphia's comeback chances in Games 1 and 2 in Chicago, the Flyers are hoping to get back in the series with the next two games on home ice.

Of course, Philadelphia joined a select group earlier this postseason when it came back from a 3-0 series deficit to oust Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals, so rallying from two games down shouldn't seem like too daunting of a task for the Flyers.

As good as Niemi was in Game 2, the Flyers are still feeling confident after dominating the third period on Monday.

"It's just a bounce here or there. Unfortunately, they're getting them right now," said Flyers captain Mike Richards. "But we have to work harder to create some for ourselves."

Philly's play at home in this postseason should be a source of hope for the Flyers. The Orange and Black is 7-1 at the Wachovia Center in the playoffs.

"Obviously, not the way we wanted to start the series," Richards added. "But going home, I said all along, we played well there. We feel very comfortable playing there. So we have to go in and play like we have been lately."

The Flyers are right to be confident about their chances of getting back in this series in Philadelphia, but Chicago has also been superb on the road in the postseason, going 7-1 away from United Center.

Philadelphia also has to compete with history once again because only two teams in NHL history have lost the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals on the road and come back to win the series.

Luckily for the Flyers, they don't have to look far for inspiration, Pittsburgh pulled off the feat last spring, losing Games 1 and 2 in Detroit before winning the series in seven.

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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

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