“He played shortstop, second, third. A flyball hitter, so we’re going to see if we can take advantage of the left-handed bat at Yankee Stadium. He’s a very good fielder, more so than a bat,” general manager Brian Casahman said. “Gives us a little bit better of a platoon situation because all the left side of infield bats are right-handed. Simple as that.”

New York designated shortstop Alberto Gonzalez for assignment on Saturday to make room for Brignac on the 40-man roster. The Yankees acquired Gonzalez from the Chicago Cubs on May 9.

Brignac should get immediate playing time in an infield that has been relying on a mix of rookies and bench players to take over for All-Stars Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez since the start of the season.

The Yankees signed Kevin Youkilis this winter to play third base, but he went on the disabled list with a bad back in late April. Jeter’s backup at shortstop, Eduardo Nunez, was placed on the DL a week ago with an oblique strain, and he still hasn’t started baseball activities.

Youkilis said earlier this month, he thinks he will be able to return to the field when he is eligible to come off the disabled list, however Yankees manager Joe Girardi is not so sure.

Brignac was hitting .250 with one homer and six RBIs in limited action for the Rockies before he was designated for assignment Thursday. He could cut into the playing time of Jayson Nix and rookie David Adams.

“I envision him as a choice that (manager) Joe Girardi will look at every day to see whether he wants to play him any spot in the infield,” Cashman said.

The Yankees made the deal with Colorado late Friday night and could not immediately get in touch with Brignac so the 27-year-old did not arrive in time for the start of the Yankees’ game against Toronto Saturday.

A second-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2004, Brignac is a .228 hitter with 11 homers and 73 RBIs in 719 at-bats over six seasons. The Rays traded him to Colorado on Feb. 14.

Gonzalez was 3 for 9 for New York and pitched to one batter Wednesday, getting the final out of the Yankees’ 12-2 loss to Seattle.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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With that in mind, here are 10 things to know about the Preakness — and beyond.

1. ELEVEN HAVE DONE IT. Starting in 1919 with Sir Barton, 11 horses have won the Triple Crown, sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Orb will be trying to become the 34th horse with a Triple Crown chance. Of the horses who failed, 19 didn’t win the Belmont and three didn’t make the race, including I’ll Have Another in 2012. Last year’s Derby and Preakness winner was scratched the day before the Belmont with a tendon injury and retired.

2. INSIDE SLOT. Orb leaves from the No. 1 post in the Preakness, not among the most popular places to start. Since 1961, only one horse — Tabasco Cat in 1994 — has won from the rail.

3. SECOND CHANCERS AND NEW SHOOTERS. Kentucky Derby winner Orb will be facing five familiar foes from the Derby and three new shooters. The Derby five are Mylute, Oxbow, Will Take Charge, Itsmyluckyday and Goldencents; the fresh faces are Departing, Govenor Charlie and Titletown Five.

4. SHORTER DISTANCE. The Preakness distance is 1 3-16 miles, a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby, and five sixteenths shorter than the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes, called the Test of the Champion. The longer distance is considered one of the major reasons why Triple tries are thwarted. In recent years, two horses who won the Preakness convincingly — Funny Cide by 9½ lengths in 2003 and Smarty Jones by a record 11½ lengths in 2004 — fell short in the Belmont. Funny Cide was a length off the lead with a quarter-mile to go and finished third; Smarty Jones was passed in the final 70 yards by Birdstone.

5. A NICE REBOUND. Goldencents and Co. are looking for a little Preakness history. If the horse wins, he will top Louis Quatorze for the best rebound from the Derby. In 1996, Louis Quatorze finished 16th in the Derby and won the Preakness two weeks later. Goldencents was 17th in the Derby. A win would make Kevin Krigger the first black jockey to win the race since Willie Simms with Sly Fox in 1898, and it would make Doug O’Neill the first back-to-back Preakness winning trainer since Bob Baffert in 2001 and 2002.

6. THREE CHANCES. D. Wayne Lukas has one-third of the field in the nine-horse Preakness. The 77-year-old trainer is seeking his sixth Preakness win, which would break a second-place tie with Bob Baffert and Thomas J. Healey. The leader is Robert Wyndham Walden with seven, including five in a row starting in 1878. Lukas also is seeking a record 14th win in Triple Crown race win, which would put him one ahead of “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons. Lukas trains Oxbow, Will Take Charge and Titletown Five.

7. ROSIE’S RUN. Rosie Napravnik will be aboard 5-1 second choice Mylute. A win would make the rider who started her career in Maryland the first female to win the Preakness. She posted the best finish for a female rider in the Derby when Mylute ran fifth.

8. HOF LINEUP. There are a half-dozen Hall of Famers in the Preakness. The trainers are Shug McGaughey (Orb), D. Wayne Lukas (Oxbow, Will Take Charge and Titletown Five) and Bob Baffert (Govenor Charlie); the jockeys are Gary Stevens (Oxbow), Mike Smith (Will Take Charge) and John Velazquez (Itsmyluckyday).

9. THE GREATEST. The fastest Preakness was run by 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Big Red won in 1:53. By comparison, last year’s winner I’ll Have Another won in 1:55.94. For those looking ahead, Secretariat also has the record for the Belmont, covering the 1½ miles in 2:24. The second-fastest time is 2:26 by Easy Goer in 1989 and A.P. Indy in 1992. Union Rags won last year in 2:30.42.

10. THE DISAPPOINTMENTS. If Orb wins the Preakness, he will become the ninth horse since Silver Charm in 1997 to have a chance at the Triple Crown. The others who missed after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness were (Real Quiet, 1998), Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones (2004), Big Brown (2008) and I’ll Have Another (2012), who never made the race because of an injury.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Yep, the Yankees have placed yet another star player on the 15-day disabled list.

New York placed left-handed pitcher Andy Pettitte on the DL with a strained left trapezius on Friday evening ahead of the Yankees’ series-opening game against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.

The three-time All-Star left his start against the Mariners after just 4 2/3 innings on Thursday night. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks before departing prematurely due to the injury.

The club recalled starting pitcher Vidal Nuno to take his place in the rotation. Nuno made his first major league start this past Monday and won, allowing no runs on three hits in five innings against Cleveland.

Earlier on Friday, manager Joe Girardi said that he was not too worried about the 40-year-old’s back. In fact, he was unsure if he would even have to miss a start.

“I don’t think Andy’s (injury) is too bad,” Girardi said after Friday night’s game. “His trap just kind of got a knot in it, and to me it was affecting his velocity. That’s why I took him out. It’s muscular, but I don’t know what that means going forward.”

The Yankees are hoping that Pettitte will be able to return to the mound as soon as he’s eligible to come off the disabled list, WFAN’s Sweeny Murti reported.

In his 18th year in the league, the five-time World Series champion is off to a 4-3 start with a 3.83 ERA. He’s allowed 15 walks and struck out 39 in 49 1/3 innings.

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Saturday’s feature of the day is the Preakness Stakes. We took a long look at that, but there are a few races I like at Belmont Park and Monmouth Park as well that we can discuss.

Last week, we hit a couple of winners and exotic wagers at Monmouth Park. Let’s aim for more.

We head to Belmont Park first.

Race 5: 20K Maidens — 5 1/2 Furlongs on the dirt

King Keene hasn’t won in 15 tries, but showed some early speed in his last race, placing by three lengths. A shorter race and good post position should help. Skyhook gets a major class drop, and after taking a wide trip in last, should be in the mix. Getting Ortiz on the mount looks favorable. Woburn catches the outside draw, but ran a good one the last time out, and had a solid work last week. It’s worth keeping on eye on.

Race 9: The Grade-2 Vagrancy Handicap, $200k Purse — 6 1/2 Furlongs on the dirt

Miss d’Oro is coming off a second-place performance in the Distaff, and recent works show she is ready to go. She has hit the board in each of her seven starts, including four wins and one at this distance. She may choose to go closer to the lead early. Spectacular Sky will hit the lead from the beginning and will try to wire the field. Has hit the board 14 of 19 tries, including six wins. Irish Exchange will have some value, with a ML of 12-1, but if she brings her best she could take this group. Exotics play, for sure.

Now we head down to Monmouth Park and look at the feature race at the Jersey Shore on Preakness day.

Race 11: The Grade-3  Red Bank Stakes, $100K Purse — 1 Mile on the turf

Hobbs is coming off a nice closing win in the Turf Classic at Tampa Downs. He has five turf wins and draws Elvis Trujillo on the mount. He should be coming around the turn and flying late. Finale should be two or three lengths from the lead, and if he has anything left in the tank, he should be heard from late. Would expect an early move from jockey Chris DeCarlo is this horse is going to win. Todd Pletcher horses always get bet at Monmouth. Expect the price to shrink from 6-1. Za Approval is coming off a nice win in the Appleton Stakes against similar, and, like Hobbs, this horse has to be held off late. Joe Bravo gets the call for Christopher Clement and will be tough to ignore.

Obviously the Preakness is the top race of the day, but if you’re in the mix for the day of racing, these are some very appealing races.

I will be tweeting out some picks all day @BMonzoWFAN.  

Good luck!

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New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson was wrong for changing his lineup, going big, benching Pablo Prigioni and trying to match Indiana’s size and toughness down low.

Instead of approaching the ebbs and flows of the Eastern Conference semifinals like a team that had won over 50 games with a style and identity of three-point shooting, floor spacing, and, most importantly, Carmelo Anthony’s versatility in the power-forward position, Woodson panicked.

By going big, double-teaming an average offensive player in Roy Hibbert and letting Indiana dictate the pace and flow of the series, New York found themselves in a 3-1 hole heading into Game 5.

While hearing Woodson admit that he was wrong would be satisfying to some Knick fans, it’s unnecessary. By adjusting back to the formula that helped New York reach this point for the first time in over a decade, Woodson admitted everything that needed to be disclosed.

Sitting down Amar’e Stoudemire and Jason Kidd wasn’t about respect, it was about playing to win. Riding the hot hand in Chris Copeland wasn’t about fairness, it was about finding a jump shooter ready and able to knock down shots.

Despite the 3-2 lead, Indiana isn’t much better than New York. They may be longer and stronger, but they’ve also had the luxury of New York falling into a collective shooting hole. Through five games, this series is where many felt it would be — on the verge of being very, very even.

WFAN takes many calls and thoughts on the Knicks. Over the course of the season, countless calls about rotations, minutes, Copeland and Woodson have lit up the lines. On Thursday, those calls were heard.

Ultimately, this series will be determined by adjustments. We’ll never know what Game 4 would have looked like with the Game 5 decisions, but it’s irrelevant now.

There’s many reasons why Woodson has had a successful tenure in New York. From talent to chemistry to accountability to Anthony’s top 5 MVP finish, the deck has dealt Woodson a good hand to succeed at Madison Square Garden.

Yet, not every coach could have adjusted the way he has. From the tinkering of the rotation to injuries to minute restrictions to suspensions, Woodson has had a challenge since taking over for Mike D’Antoni last year.

That’s why hearing Woodson admit a mistake isn’t necessary. All coaches make them over the course of a series, but the better coaches aren’t stubborn.

They readjust, finding the right formula before it’s truly too late. If you watched the immortal D’Antoni in Los Angeles this season, adjusting and readjusting with a roster not specifically designed for his style was the issue.

Aesthetically pleasing basketball is fun, but winning basketball is all the matters.

When Indiana wanted to go big, Woodson gave in, losing the compass of his basketball team. Ultimately, he allowed Frank Vogel to outcoach him and guide the flow of the series.

On Thursday night, he admitted his mistake, one substitution at a time.

As the chess match continues on Saturday night in Indiana, trust Woodson. It took five games, but he once again has the pulse of his team against Indiana’s strengths and weaknesses.

For Knicks fans, nothing more can be asked.

Joe Giglio was the winner of Fantasy Phenom III in 2012. You can hear him on WFAN this Saturday from 1-3 a.m. Twitter? He’s on it @JoeGiglioSports.

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40-year-old pitcher Andy Pettitte joined the long list of ailing Yankee veterans on Thursday night, leaving in the fifth inning of a 3-2 loss to Seattle. The diagnosis was said to be a left trapezius strain. The lefty had reportedly experienced upper back tightness for several innings, but after a massage in the clubhouse during the top of the fourth inning, he felt well enough to return to pitch the fifth. The symptoms returned immediately, and his only fastball of the inning was clocked at 87 mph, below his usual modest velocity of 88-91.

After a successful start to this season, Pettitte experienced some difficulties in frustrating losses to Oakland and Houston, afterward acknowledging that he had “misplaced” his cutter. His form returned against Kansas City, and he was pitching well on Thursday night without any obvious pain — despite the “knot” in his upper back — until being pulled with two outs in the fifth.

This isn’t Pettitte’s first strain in recent years, and the Yankees have to hope that he will rebound from this one much faster than he did from the groin strain that kept him out of action for two months in 2010.

SO WHERE IS THE TRAPEZIUS, AND WHAT IS ITS ROLE?

The trap muscle (view image here) is shaped like a trapezoid and covers a wide region, originating at the cervical and thoracic vertebrae and inserting on the bony spine of the scapula (shoulder blade) and at the shoulder region on a prominence called the acromion (which is an extension of the scapula). The acromion is positioned like a hood over the joint. See this great image.

One of the main roles of the traps is to stabilize the shoulder blade with movements of the arm. It does this along with several other muscles in the region, most notably the serratus anterior. As a result, portions of the trap are recruited to act with many movements of the upper extremities.

The trapezius muscle has fibers that are oriented to form three distinct sections: the upper, middle and lower traps. When all sections act in unison, their common function — to pinch the shoulder blades together — is the effect. This is known as scapular adduction or retraction.

Acting alone, the upper trap enables us to shrug our shoulders and also helps to suspend the shoulder girdle. This portion of the muscle is generally strong and overused. You will often note people who are weightlifting or performing manual labor hiking their shoulders, substituting their upper traps for weaker muscles that should be working on a more stable shoulder blade.

The upper trap also acts to upwardly rotate the shoulder blade and is one of the muscle groups whose role it is to tilt the head (toward the side that is contracting) or rotate it (away).

The important middle trap acts primarily to retract the scapulae, though it also plays a role in scapular rotation.

The lower trap works (with the serratus anterior) to hold the shoulder blade to the chest wall so it does not shift. Like the upper trap, it also assists with an upward rotation of the scapula.

The middle and lower traps are often weaker than they should be or lack the necessary endurance. When this is the case, it results in overuse of the upper trap, hence the undesired hiking of the shoulders with elevation of the arm.

There are specific exercises to strengthen the lower and middle traps in relative isolation.  Though shoulder shrugs for the upper traps seem to be popular in the gym, especially amongst men, I am not a fan. Focusing instead on the other, weaker portions of the trap with specific wall exercises, seated presses and even light weights in specific positions will accomplish this. Form is crucial to avoid substitution of stronger muscles.

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The Jets said they are aware of the arrest and are gathering information.

According to state police, Goodson was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 31-year-old Garant Evans of Roselle. After receiving a 911 call from a tow-truck driver at about 3:15 a.m., police found them stopped in the left lane of Interstate 80 west in Denville, about 25 miles west of New York city.

State Police Sgt. Adam Grossman said both men were charged with marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and weapons offenses stemming from a 45-caliber semi-automatic handgun found in the vehicle. Grossman wouldn’t say whether either man was the registered owner of the gun.

Evans also was charged with DWI, several traffic violations and possession of a weapon with a prior felony.

Both men were being held Friday pending transfer to the Morris County jail, Evans on $150,000 bail and Goodson on $50,000 bail. It was not immediately known when they were scheduled to appear in court.

Goodson, 25, of Spring, Tex., played three seasons for Carolina and one for Oakland before the Jets signed him to a three-year, $6.9 million deal on March 15. He received a $1 million signing bonus.

The Panthers drafted him in 2009 out of Texas A&M. He ran for 221 yards and caught 16 passes for 195 yards last season for the Raiders.

Two weeks ago, the Jets cut defensive end Claude Davis and cornerback Cliff Harris after they were arrested and charged with marijuana possession in Morristown, several miles from where Goodson was arrested.

The Jets train in nearby Florham Park.

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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

CHICAGO (AP) — Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has a habit of attracting attention.

Maybe you recall the former No. 1 overall pick hitting the Internet last season, when photos show him partying in Madison, Wis. Or the 2009 arrest in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., after an altercation with a cab driver.

All that seems so long ago for Kane, who on Thursday was named one of the finalists for the Lady Byng trophy given to the NHL player who exhibits the best sportsmanship and “gentlemanly conduct” along with top skills on the ice.

That shouldn’t be a surprise given Kane’s dazzling talent. He stepped right into the Blackhawks lineup and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. He scored 30 goals and 88 points in the 2009-10 regular season, then added 10 goals and 18 assists in the playoffs as the Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years.

Then came this lockout-shortened season and the 24-year-old Kane has had the most effective season of his six-year career, according to coach Joel Quenneville, whose team holds a leads 1-0 in its Western Conference seminal series against Detroit. Game 2 will be played in Chicago on Saturday.

“I thought Kaner really progressed in his game this year,” Quenneville said. “Offensively he had the puck more than he ever did. I thought he had more speed, more pace to his game. He seemed to be more aware positionally and technically. He definitely improved his play in his own end. It thought his overall game was to a new level this year.

Kane led Chicago this season with 55 points, on 23 goals and 32 assists. More than his passing and playmaking — including a handful of jaw-dropping 360-degree pirouettes — have improved.

“I though each and every year Kaner has gotten better as a player in all aspect of his game,” Quenneville said. “He’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten better and he’s growing up as well.”

Kane, who has never taken a fighting major in the NHL, has been smarter, too. His penalty minute total has dropped from 52 as a rookie to just eight last season.

“I thought maybe I’d have a chance at this one (award) and I think it kind of speaks volumes for where my game has gone since my rookie season,” Kane said. “I remember I used to take a lot of penalties that were kind of unnecessary. I kind have got that out of my game a little bit. I’m definitely happy about it. It’s an honor.”

Kane has yet to score in six playoff games this season. But he has been visible on the ice, with six assists and a plus-4 rating.

“I just play my game and if the pass is there I’ll try to make the pass,” he said. “If it’s a shot, then I’ll shoot. That’s the thing with our team. If one or two guys aren’t scoring, then other guys are stepping up. That’s the way it’s been all year. Whoever it might be, that’s why we’ve been so successful.”

The Blackhawks anticipate a stiffer challenge from the Red Wings in Game 2. After Chicago defeated Detroit 4-1 on Wednesday night, coach Mike Babcock said his team was tired, coming off a seven-game upset of Anaheim in the opening round.

“I expect them to be better for sure,” Quenneville said. “Those Western trips back-and-forth add up.”

Babcock, who gave his team a day off Thursday, predicted the Red Wings will be re-energized on Saturday

“We have no reason not to be very good in the next game,” he said. “We got to get back at her and playing at a high tempo because obviously they were playing at a level (in Game 1) that we weren’t playing at.”

Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall added: “We know we’re better than this.”

Kane will be ready. As for the Lady Byng award, seven Blackhawks have won it but none since Stan Mikita in 1968.

“It’s an award that definitely a great honor,” he said. “I think it’s got a little different view now from players. Like it says in the (description), it’s skill and sportsmanship put together.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Rangers had an opportunity to jump on top of the Bruins and steal the first game of the series.

Boston started the series with three of their veteran defensemen sidelined. Dennis Seidenberg, perhaps the most underrated player on the team, injured his leg in the seventh game of the series against Toronto and was unavailable.

Andrew Ference and Wade Redden were also unavailable. Yes, that Redden.

Bruins head coach Claude Julien had to go with three rookies in their place. Dougie Hamilton, who may well become a star in the NHL in the future, was asked to take a regular turn after spending much of the first round in the press box. The Bruins had recalled Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug from the team’s minor-league affiliate in Providence.

CBS BOSTON: TOUCHER & RICH’S DRUNKEN BRUINS RECAP

Did any of this enter into John Tortorella’s thinking as he devised his team’s strategy?

Take away three veteran defensemen who have seen it all in their careers and bring in three babies who are just feeling their way.

If Tortorella had wanted to take home-ice advantage away from the Bruins, he could have attacked the defense with an extra forechecker and forced the action.

Instead, he stuck with his usual plan of attack, which is to play defense throughout and do whatever he can to protect goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Now there’s a player who needs protection.

Lundqvist is the best goalie in the NHL and probably the best goalie in the world. The Bruins, another defensive-minded team, rarely light up the scoreboard. They are the gang that can’t shoot straight. For every shot that ends up on goal, they usually have an equal number that can’t even find their way to the target.

RANGERS VS. BRUINS MAP: MAKE YOUR MARK!

Instead of pressing the three youngsters and forcing them to carry the puck up ice decisively, they gave them a wide, welcoming swath of ice and allowed the youngsters to feel comfortable.

As a result, the Bruins were not under pressure in Game 1. They took most of the action to the Rangers and used a decisive overtime period that ended when Brad Marchand took a slick pass from Patrice Bergeron and tucked it between Lundqvist’s legs.

Bruins 3, Rangers 2.

This should have been a game in which the Bruins panicked because the Rangers’ forwards undressed the Boston defensemen in the offensive zone.

While it seems unlikely that Ference is going to be back soon, Seidenberg and Redden may be back by the second game. Perhaps not until the third game.

HARTNETT: RANGERS CAN’T REPEAT WALKING-DEAD PERFORMANCE IN GAME 2

Under most circumstances, the Rangers’ game plan is appropriate for their personnel. There is not a lot of goal-scoring talent, even with the presence of Rick Nash — we’re still waiting for his first postseason goal with the Blueshirts – and Brad Richards, who has slowed down quite a bit.

So it usually makes sense to play stellar defense, depend on Lundqvist and wait for the opponent to make a mistake or two.

But not in Game 1 against the injured Bruins. You don’t let a trio of rookies feel comfortable in their own zone. You put the heat on them and make them sweat and work when they carry the puck. You aggressively forecheck so you can get turnovers and force Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask into making acrobatic saves.

It seems obvious, but it takes a courageous decision by a coach who is set in his ways.

It would have made him uncomfortable, but it would have been the right choice.

Tortorella didn’t make it and the Rangers are down a game.

Hand that loss to the Rangers’ coach.

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WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin played the last two games of the Washington Capitals’ season with what the team says is a hairline fracture in his left foot.

Capitals spokesman Sergey Kocharov writes in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday that Ovechkin’s foot was hurt during Game 6 of Washington’s first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers.

Washington lost that game 1-0 Sunday, and then lost 5-0 Monday in Game 7.

Ovechkin, who led the NHL with 32 goals during the regular season, scored only once against the Rangers, in Game 1.

He played Thursday for Russia in an 8-3 loss to the United States in the world championships in Finland.

Ovechkin’s injury was first reported by The Washington Post’s website.

Related:Jason La Canfora Says Ted Leonsis is Delusional

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(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Marchand scored the game-winner for Boston 15:40 into overtime on Thursday night, giving Boston a 3-2 OT win and a 1-0 series lead over the Rangers.

For Marchand, it was all about turning the page from a goal-less series and focusing on the new task at hand.

“It’s a whole new series and we’re happy to play the Rangers,” Marchand said after the game. “They’re a very good team and a very good battle. It’s nice to finally get one there and get the monkey off the back, and hopefully they keep coming.”

Hurley: B’s Capitalize On OT Power-Play, Ride Momentum To Win

The Rangers had the upper hand during regulation, but the Bruins dominated in overtime — putting 16 shots on net. The Rangers managed just five shots, but the B’s were still worried that even though they were dictating the action, one of those silly playoff goals could do them in.

“That’s usually how it goes in the playoffs. One team does very well in overtime and then the other team gets a lucky one. We hit so many posts and had so many very good opportunities. They were bound to get one,” said Marchand. “We’re happy that we’re able to capitalize in these overtime games. They’re very tough games to be in, but we’re happy with the win tonight.”

Kalman: Chara Once Again Bruins’ Blue-Line Workhorse

Hopefully this is the start of something good for the slumping Marchand, who led Boston with 18 goals in the regular season but hadn’t scored in his last 11 games. Marchand became a hero for Boston during their Stanley Cup run in 2011, scoring 11 goals to set a new Bruins record, and he received a message from his then-linemate Mark Recchi prior to Thursday night with a few words of encouragement.

“He just texted me and told me to play my game and not to worry about anything else,” said Marchand. “The goals and stuff will come. It’s nice to hear from him. He’s obviously a guy that I went through a lot when I played with him, and it was good to hear from him again.”

Maybe Recchi should shoot Marchand a text before every game. And on that note, maybe Marchand should get morning skates off as well.

There was a scare early Thursday when Marchand appeared to leave the ice in pain during the Bruins’ morning skate. But head coach Claude Julien quickly dismissed it as anything serious, and now he’s wondering if he should let Marchand leave practice early from now on.

“I think that’s what he needed to do, get off the ice early so he could score that winning goal. Whatever works is good for us,” Julien joked after the win. “I thought Brad, personally, I thought that was one of his better games so far in the playoffs. He skated well, made some great plays, he took pucks to the net and that’s the Brad Marchand that we know. It was nice to see him really bring his A-game to the table.”

“Claude knows I hate morning skates,” said Marchand. “He used to yell at me when we won the Cup there because I wouldn’t even take a stride. I just wanted to get off early.”

Marchand wasn’t the only player on the Bruins second line to struggle during the series against the Leafs, which prompted Julien to swap out Tyler Seguin with Jaromir Jagr. No one was sure how the Marchand-Jagr-Patrice Bergeron line would pan out, but the Bruins head coach said over the last two games, the line has shown a lot of promise.

“We put them together; we weren’t quite sure how it would turn out, but the first game, which was Game Seven, as the game went on, they got a little bit better, but I thought tonight, again, they took another step in the right direction,” said Julien. “They did a great job of cycling the puck down low in the offensive zone, and hanging on to it. That was a good line for us, and we’re going to need that because we don’t want to just rely on the [David] Krejci line to produce, but we want a little bit more out of our other lines.”

After barely making a whisper last series, the Bruins’ second line is starting to make some noise. And it should come as no surprise that Marchand is the one to get that noise started.

Tune in to every Bruins playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes before every game!

Two weeks ago, Orb came from the back of the pack in the mud to catch Normandy Invasion and hold off Revolutionary, Golden Soul and Mylute to win the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

It wasn’t easy for Orb, trained by Shug McGaughey, and it won’t get easier at Pimlico for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the immortal Triple Crown of horse racing.

There’s a smaller field of competitors, with only a total of nine horses, but most are capable of winning the race.

Orb drew the unfortunate rail, taking the first post. But the distance and less crowded track should make it a lot easier for jockey Joel Rosario to manipulate traffic and figure out his initial move.

Let’s break down the field, starting with Orb on the rail:

Orb is a closer. He will be coming off the pace, which may be a quick one (not as quick as the Derby with Palace Malace running a half-mile at 45 seconds). Even with his post position, Orb should be sitting six to seven lengths from the lead around the back stretch. If the pace is slow, I would expect Rosario to move him a little earlier than normal. He is 5 for 8 in his career and 4 for 4 this year. I expect Orb to be headed to the Belmont Stakes looking for the Triple Crown. He is currently at even money, but I think 4/5 will be the price when the race goes off.

MORE: ORB PURSUES PART 2

Goldencents has the second post position and I expect Kevin Krigger to revert him back to his previous role going directly to the lead.  His success has come close to or in the lead and I think if he is going to do anything here, he has to get close early. I don’t see him having a hard time doing so, either. Doug O’Neill loves to run them out there, but I think if he goes to the lead, he will be caught by more than one horse.

Titletown Five is another horse that has found most of his success when going to the lead. The third post certainly will make that part of it easy. I like the connections with D. Wayne Lukas and Julien Leparoux on the mount, but when I think Leparoux, I think turf racing and a huge closer. This horse seems outclassed and will off at a big price. May be worth leaving on superfecta tickets, but that’s about it.

Departing has done very little wrong in his five career races. He is 4 for 5 for Albert Stall with Brian Hernandez on the mount. He took the G3 Illinois Derby with ease last month. The question here is can he hang with this class? He should be placed right off the pace and be flying down the stretch. Good horses do good things, and I expect this horse to be close in the end. Include this guy on most if not all exotic tickets.

Mylute gets another chance for Tom Amoss and Rosie Napravnik. He was made the second favorite, behind Orb, on the morning line, and quite frankly that puzzled me. I think he runs well and has some kick, but I don’t see this horse having a winning instinct. He is 0 for 3 this year, and only 2 for 10 in his career. Worth an exotic ticket play, but not a winner.

Oxbow has been the victim of bad trip after bad trip. In the Derby, he got bumped and was the victim of a super-fast pace.  Gary Stevens gets the call, this horse finally gets a good post position and I think will be live on the tote boards. He should be close to the lead — and if Stevens can get the trip, it wouldn’t surprise me if Oxbow pulls of the upset. Is it likely? Probably not. But at 10-1, it may be worth playing.

Will Take Charge was my price horse in the Derby, and if not for having to check up for a fading Verrazano, may have found himself in the money at over 30-1. This time, people will be playing him a little more and I wouldn’t be shocked if he goes off at 8-1. Lukas is playing this horse to win, and brought in hall of fame jockey Mike Smith to take the ride. I just see this as a horse that can run when asked, and I think he is a big-time value play on the win as well as someone to keep on all exotic tickets. His one workout between the races was decent and I think he is ready to go.

Govenor Charlie comes from the West with Bob Baffert. The winner of the G3 Sunland Derby is 2 for 3 and ridden by Martin Garcia. The Baffert stable knows how to win, but this horse hasn’t raced against great competition. In a nine-horse field and Beyers numbers of 94 and 95, you certainly cannot completely dismiss him, but I don’t see him taking much of a piece here.  He does come from champion sprinter Midnight Lute, but I am staying away.

Itsmyluckyday moves from Elvis Trujillo to John Velazquez and will get plenty of attention during the race. The morning line is 10-1, but I could see him being bet down to 5-1. He worked last weekend at Monmouth Park, and looked good, but I don’t think this horse is great at longer than a mile. He has a good post on the outside, and can dictate where he wants to go — and having Velazquez is big — but I don’t see the win coming. I will certainly leave on a handful of tickets, but not going crazy.

MORE: HOW I’D BET $100

As first glance the weather for race looks good, which makes Preakness day that much better.

I think this race is going to go pretty much as expected. With the speed, Goldencents, perhaps Titletown Five and Oxbow will be on the lead, followed by the rest of the group just off the pace. I could see Orb dropping to last early and based on the pace making his move early or late. I just really think if Orb gets the trip, he will be able to catch leaders and come away with the win.

I like Will Take Charge to sit close and finish behind Orb when it’s over.

I think a lot of people will bet Oxbow, Itsmyluckyday and Mylute. I’m hoping they get a lot of attention and keep Orb over even money and Will Take Charge in double digits.

Departing also will be on most of my tickets, including every trifecta and superfecta.

My tops picks:  Orb, Will Take Charge, Departing

Throw away: Goldencents, Govenor Charlie, Titletown Five

Good luck to everyone!

Follow Monzo on Twitter for last-minute thoughts or his plays throughout the day: @BMonzoWFAN.

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But the former Indianapolis Colt, still a free agent late in the offseason, is looking for a job.

Back in February, the seven-time Pro Bowler said that he would love to head east and play for the G-Men.

“Playing in New York would be attractive,” Freeney told SiriusXM Radio at the time. “Playing for (the Giants) would be a dream.”

Three months later, the 33-year-old is still interested in playing for New York.

“His heart is with … talking to him, he would love to be with the Giants,” Hugh Freeney, Dwight’s father, told Sirius radio’s Adam Schein. “But the Giants unfortunately … doesn’t have the money for it. They’re broke.”

OK, then. General manager Jerry Reese is, indeed, always conscious of the salary cap, although Freeney could be a good fit in East Rutherford after Osi Umenyiora signed a two-year deal with the Falcons on March 27. Reese also has to be careful as Victor Cruz’s potential long-term extension hangs in the balance.

Born in Hartford, Conn., the former first-round pick grew up a Giants fans and idolized the legendary Lawrence Taylor. After attending high school in Bloomfield, Conn., he played his collegiate ball at Syracuse University in upstate New York.

A three-time First-Team All-Pro and the AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, Freeney recorded 12 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble in 14 games in 2012. He has amassed 10-plus sacks seven times in his career, including 2004 when he led the NFL with 16.

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With three minutes left, the San Jose Sharks appeared to be cruising toward a well-deserved win over Los Angeles. After two penalties and two dynamic power-play goals, the Kings were halfway to the Western Conference finals.

And even the Kings weren’t quite sure how they got there.

Brown tied it with 1:43 left and Trevor Lewis scored the tiebreaking power-play goal 22 seconds later, propelling the defending Stanley Cup champions to a 4-3 victory Thursday night and a 2-0 series lead.

“It’s huge, I guess,” Brown said. “Two minutes left, down one, it’s about capitalizing. The power play is about scoring big goals, and we found a way to do that. We’re happy with the result, but we have to play better. We can’t let it get to that situation every night.”

Brown scored during a 5-on-3 advantage and Lewis provided the winner on a loose puck with 1:21 left, sending Staples Center into shocked celebration. The Kings won their 12th straight home game since March and their sixth straight postseason game, but only after getting outplayed for long stretches and needing late-game magic to thrive.

“It’s a roller coaster, but when you go through the experience of everything we did last year, you keep your emotions in check,” Brown said. “Even when that happens, you know there’s a lot of work still to do.”

Game 3 is Saturday night at the Shark Tank.

Jeff Carter scored on the Kings’ first shot and added an assist on Brown’s goal. Drew Doughty scored an early power-play goal for Los Angeles, which didn’t really get rolling until the third period — and with two late goals, the Kings landed one of the most amazing victories in their relatively thin playoff history.

“We found a way,” Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter said. “You know what? The power play was on. We’ve been talking about it. We’ve been getting good looks and good opportunities and not finishing, and we got it from different guys.”

Jonathan Quick made 28 saves for the Kings, tying Kelly Hrudey’s franchise record with his 26th career playoff victory. Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots for the Sharks, but was powerless to stop the Kings’ power play.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first career playoff goal with 11:04 to play for the Sharks, who were doomed by their late penalties after rallying from an early two-goal deficit. Coach Todd McLellan left his team alone in the dressing room afterward.

“I liked our game,” McLellan said. “We’ll meet (Friday) at the rink, and I’ll tell our team that. The thing I like about our team, maybe in the past, this would have bothered our team more, but with the group of guys we have, I think we can recover from this.”

Patrick Marleau and Brad Stuart scored second-period goals for the Sharks, who largely dominated the first two periods with another barrage of superior speed and skill. None of it mattered when the Kings charged ahead.

“We’ve got to put it behind us,” said Stuart, who had a goal and an assist. “There’s two ways for us to respond. We can either fold up and say, ‘Oh, at least we tried,’ or we can say, ‘You know what? We can win.’

“I think 5-on-5, we were the better team. We keep doing those kinds of things, we’ll get our wins. That’s what we have to do. We have to respond in that way. We’re being tested, and it’s about how we’re going to respond. The key for us is to come out and do a lot of the same things we were doing tonight.”

After Vlasic’s score on a rebound of Stuart’s shot off the end boards, the Sharks seemed to be cruising to a win — until Stuart was whistled for tripping with 2:41 to play. Just 22 seconds later, Vlasic joined him in the box when he shot the puck over the glass, although Vlasic claimed the puck had deflected off Carter.

The Kings scored 36 seconds later, with Brown pounding home his second goal of the postseason. Lewis got the winner shortly after the ensuing faceoff, finding a loose puck on the back side of a scrum in front of Niemi after a shot by rookie Tyler Toffoli.

Lewis hadn’t scored in the postseason, but the depth forward scored two goals in the Kings’ Cup-clinching win over New Jersey last June.

“Power play got it done in the end when we needed it most,” Lewis said. “We’ve got some work to do to clean things up, but it’s a big win for us.”

The Kings played without veteran center Jarret Stoll, who didn’t return to Game 1 after a hit from San Jose’s Raffi Torres late in the second period. Torres was suspended for the rest of the series Thursday by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for his illegal check to the head after a hearing in New York.

Brad Richardson contributed a key power-play assist while filling in for Stoll.

Los Angeles has won six straight home playoff games dating to last season’s Stanley Cup clincher, but none was more surprising than this victory. The Sharks appeared to be sure Quick couldn’t steal another win after the Kings took the opener despite getting outshot 35-20.

Quick’s streak of more than 125 minutes of shutout hockey ended in the second period with two quick San Jose goals. Vlasic then gave San Jose its first lead with a rebound goal on Stuart’s shot off the end boards midway through the period, capping a lengthy scramble near Quick’s net. Vlasic didn’t score a goal in his first 73 career playoff games.

The Kings were forced to make several changes in the absence of Stoll, the third-line center and faceoff specialist who excels on special teams. Stoll was replaced by Richardson, who played 13 postseason games during the Kings’ championship run last summer.

The Sharks replaced Torres by juggling their lineup, promoting Joe Pavelski to the second line and using several new combinations. Tim Kennedy was in uniform for just his second game of the postseason for San Jose, which also played without injured forward Marty Havlat.

NOTES: Sharks F Adam Burish sat out his second straight game after playing in all four games against Vancouver. He was replaced again by Bracken Kearns. Havlat hasn’t played since the playoff opener in Vancouver while nursing a lower-body injury. … Richardson hadn’t played since the Kings’ playoff opener against St. Louis on April 30. He appeared in just 16 regular-season games. … Quick hadn’t allowed a goal since early in the second period of the Kings’ series-clinching win over St. Louis six days earlier.

The NHL announced the suspension a few hours before the Kings hosted the Sharks in Game 2. Stoll wasn’t expected to play for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Stoll didn’t return to Game 1 after Torres hit him late in the second period of the Kings’ 2-0 victory. Torres got only a minor penalty for charging on the hit, and coach Todd McLellan and captain Joe Thornton echoed Torres’ belief that the hit was completely legal.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety sharply disagreed while handing down a fourth suspension for Torres, considered a repeat offender in dangerous hits under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Torres flew to New York for an in-person hearing Thursday.

While playing for Phoenix last season, Torres received a 21-game suspension — initially 25 games — for a high hit on Chicago star Marian Hossa in the first round of the playoffs. Torres was suspended for two games in January 2012 for charging Minnesota defenseman Nate Prosser, and he sat out four games in April 2011 for a hit to the head of Edmonton’s Jordan Eberle while playing for Vancouver.

Stoll was bent forward while trying to play a bouncing puck when Torres approached him from the side for a violent hit. Stoll’s head snapped back violently before he fell forward onto the ice.

In an explanatory video released by Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s senior vice president of player safety, he said Stoll’s head was “the principal point of contact” in the hit, creating grounds for suspension. Although Torres initially made contact with Stoll’s right shoulder, Shanahan ruled that the shoulder hit was only a glancing blow, as evidenced by the direction both players traveled after the contact.

Torres claimed he had changed his ways during a largely incident-free season with Phoenix and San Jose, his sixth team in six seasons. He has been a dependable depth forward this season for the Sharks and Coyotes, scoring 18 points with just 17 penalty minutes in 39 games.

The Kings lose much more in the absence of Stoll, their veteran third-line center. Stoll is a faceoff specialist and a top penalty-killer with a strong two-way game.

Brad Richardson, who played 13 playoff games during the Kings’ championship run last year, is expected to take Stoll’s spot in the lineup.

Los Angeles hasn’t disclosed the nature of Stoll’s injury or a timetable for his recovery.

Torres, Thornton and McLellan all claimed the hit was completely legal, while Kings coach Darryl Sutter called it “careless.” Torres and Stoll are friends after three seasons as teammates in Edmonton from 2005-08.

“We were kind of shocked to hear he has to fly to New York for the hearing, because we didn’t see anything wrong on the play,” Thornton said Wednesday. “It’s unfortunate that Raffi has to go through this again.”

McLellan prepared for Torres’ likely absence by moving Joe Pavelski onto the Sharks’ second line on the left wing with Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. Scott Gomez moved into Pavelski’s spot on the third line, and Tim Kennedy is likely to suit up on the fourth line.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

You might despise John Tortorella for his curt interactions with the media or disagree with his coaching philosophies. Even if you’re the staunchest Tortorella hater, you have to give him credit for one thing: he’s always brutally honest, especially after a souring overtime defeat in the playoffs.

“I thought it was pretty even going into the overtime, but we get spanked in the overtime,” Tortorella said after Thursday’s loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 1.

Tortorella is never going to give you a bull-flop description of his team’s play. If the Rangers sucked, he’ll tell you they sucked. And Torts will probably give it to you in those exact words. He’s a straight shooter.

The Bruins attacked Henrik Lundqvist’s net, wave after wave of pressure in overtime, while the shuffling Rangers couldn’t even get out of their own way. Eventually, the dam was going to break as Boston out-shot New York 16-5 in overtime.

CBS BOSTON: TOUCHER & RICH’S DRUNKEN BRUINS RECAP

It was a costly mistake pass by Derick Brassard that was the final blow in Game 1, though any one of the 17 turnovers made by the “Walking-Dead Rangers” could have resulted in Bruins goals.

“It was a surge, we couldn’t stop it,” Tortorella said.

LUNDQVIST’S FRUSTRATION GROWING

After the Rangers dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in overtime, Lundqvist shouldered the blame for what he described as a “technical thing.”

“I gotta see the guy in the middle. I was too focused on the puck,” Lundqvist said of Brad Marchand’s game-winning goal.

Endearing accountability is what you get from the highly self-critical Lundqvist on any given night. He willingly accepts blame and carries it on his back as extra motivation. That’s just the kind of guy he is -– but really, Lundqvist doesn’t deserve any blame for the loss.

Yet, there was a unusual hint of frustration at his teammates when Lundqvist was asked about his history of losing playoff games in overtime. Lundqvist is a career 3-11 in those situations.

“Have I played bad in overtime? No. Can I score? No. Is it frustrating? Yes. My record is terrible in overtime, but I’ve got to stick with it, play my game and hopefully it will turn around,” Lundqvist said.

RANGERS OUT OF SYNC IN GAME 1

Lundqvist was forced into making 45 saves, largely due to the 17 giveaways committed by his teammates in Game 1.

The Rangers were scatterbrained in their execution all night. They failed to string together simple passes and played like an out-of-sync orchestra.

They found new depths of despair in a lifeless power play that sunk to 2-for-31 in the 2013 playoffs. If you didn’t think the Rangers could possibly get worse on the power play, they discovered new levels of inadequacy Thursday.

“I don’t think we played up to our standards,” admitted winger Mats Zuccarello.

RANGERS VS. BRUINS MAP: MAKE YOUR MARK!

It was Brassard’s inexcusable cross-ice pass that doomed the Rangers to an overtime defeat. Ryan McDonagh was caught up ice and Brassard unleashed a brainless pass in the offensive zone that allowed the Bruins to rush on a three-on-two break. Brad Marchand out-muscled the tiny Zuccarello and cut into the low-slot.

Patrice Bergeron placed a inch-perfect pass on the tape of Marchand’s stick. Marchand, playfully known as “Nose Face Killah” coolly put the puck through Lundqvist’s five hole and sent TD Garden into a frenzy.

ZOMBIE-NATION BLUESHIRTS GUNNED DOWN BY ‘NOSE FACE KILLAH’

The Bruins’ goal song, “Kernkraft 400” by German electro group Zombie Nation, blared over the TD Garden speakers as teammates rushed a leaping Marchand.

It was fitting, as the Rangers played close to a group of brainless zombies for most of the night, only lacking a lust for flesh — or in their case a lust for goals. The obvious hustle of Boston’s Marchand and Bergeron was absent from the majority of the Rangers, who couldn’t keep their legs churning with an energy equal to the goal-thirsty Bruins.

Lundqvist contended with 15 shots in overtime. He and his trusty posts and crossbar surrounding him were the reason why the Rangers were able to limp on for 15:40 seconds before Marchand’s “Killah” blow.

On the other end of the ice, no one would blame Tuukka Rask had he taken a seat in his crease during the 9-plus minutes the Rangers went without registering a shot on goal in overtime. Rask only had to bat away six saves in overtime.

HUGE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

If there’s something that Rangers fans can cling to, it’s that the Bruins probably played their best hockey in Game 1, the Rangers played their absolute worst – and the Blueshirts were only done in by an overtime goal.

You have to imagine the Rangers’ top guns will give them more in Game 2 should they figure out a way to break through the Bruins’ defensive wall and establish a forecheck.

An aggressive forecheck is a staple of the Rangers’ game and went largely missing throughout. It’s hard to envision the Blueshirts playing this flat again in this series.

If you’re an optimistic type, you can hang your hat on knowing that the Rangers have a lot of time between now and Sunday to correct things.  Game 1 might’ve made brutal watching for Rangers fans, but it’s only one game.

And it’s hardly reason to count the Blueshirts out.

You can follow Sean on Twitter @HartnettHockey.

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The club has “had several conversations with Roc Nation Sports about Robinson Cano’s future with the team,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner told reporters on Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.

Cano, set to be a free agent after this season, moved on from super-agent Scott Boras in early April. At that time he agreed to be co-represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports, “a full-service sports management company.”

Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports is handling the negotiations for the four-time All-Star, the newspaper reported.

When speaking with WFAN host Mike Francesa in February, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman admitted that the club made a significant offer to the 30-year-old in the offseason.

“(Cano) is an exceptional, high-end player who is a season away from free agency,” Cashman said at the time. “Right now where that takes him and us remains to be seen. We’re not commenting any further than acknowledging that we made a significant offer and had some dialogue with his agent, Scott Boras. But other than that, there’s not much really to say.”

The two-time Gold Glove Award winner told Francesa in February that he was simply going to let Boras handle the proceedings.

“I already talked about the contract,” Cano said. “But, you know, my focus right now is all about the 2013 season … You know what? I just let my agent handle that, because myself, I don’t want to keep talking about the same thing. I just want to keep my mind in the game.”

When told that fans were worried about losing him, Cano replied, “Well, I mean — still have one more year left, so you gotta produce and win another title.”

According to CBSSports.com/WFAN baseball insider Jon Heyman, it’s believed that Cano wants a deal for 10 years and $200 million-plus. The Yankees, with $114 million over five years still owed to Alex Rodriguez, have a stated goal of getting under the $189 million luxury tax threshold by 2014.

The two-time Gold Glove Award winner is off to an excellent start this season, batting .298 with 10 homers and 26 RBIs in 168 at-bats.

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After watching Games 3 and 4, it would be hard to make the case that the Knicks can win on Saturday night in Indiana.

They shot 35 percent, were dominated on the boards, and lost by double digits in both road games. The Pacers looked like the much better team.

So why will Game 6 be different?

Here’s a dose of hope:

1. The Pacers got career games from Roy Hibbert in Game 3 and George Hill in Game 4.

Hill was ruled out of Game 5 – a win for New York – and is still questionable for Game 6 with a concussion.  Will another Pacers player step up and put together a 20-point performance? The Knicks, on the other hand, didn’t get better-than-average games from any of their players. Eventually someone on the Knicks is going to get hot and take over a game. Right?

2. The Knicks have star power in Carmelo Anthony.

Melo was good in Game 5, but shot only 12-for-28. He missed plenty of make-able shots, including three of the point-blank variety near the rim. Anthony has only been better than 45 percent once in this series (Game 2, 50 percent), and under 40 percent three times. To win an elimination game on the road, Carmelo needs to be a difference maker. I know his shoulder is hampering him, and he deserves credit for fighting through the injury, but if he has a big game left, the Knicks need it in Game 6.

3. The Knicks were horrific on offense in Indiana but still lost by only 11 and 10 points.

They didn’t score over 85 points in either game. They were still hanging around in the fourth quarter. The Pacers didn’t light it up either, finishing with only 82 points in Game 3 and 93 in Game 4. If the Knicks can muster only a decent offensive performance, they’ll score enough points to win. The Pacers are turnover-prone and go through long bouts of missed shots. New York needs to take advantage of those droughts and get easy baskets in transition. If the Knicks score 90, they win the game.

4. Mike Woodson’s long-overdue adjustments might just give N.Y. the edge on offense.

By keeping Jason Kidd and Amar’e Stoudemire on the bench in the second half of Game 5, giving their minutes to Chris Copeland, the Knicks got the added offense needed to get over the top. Copeland scored more points in 19 minutes Thursday night (13) than Kidd and Stoudemire over the entire series. If Woodson keeps those two veterans on the bench for the entirety of Game 6, he might give the Knicks the added offensive boost they need. Fans and writers had been calling for Copeland to play, and rarely are they proven as right as they were in Game 5. Woodson can’t be stubborn here. If Kidd and Stoudemire’s egos are hurt a little bit, so be it. The Knicks’ rotation in Game 6 needs to be Raymond Felton, Pablo Prigioni, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Anthony, Copeland, Kenyon Martin and Tyson Chandler. That’s it.

5. Say goodbye to double troubles.

The Knicks’ defensive adjustments in Game 5 probably looked a lot better because Hill wasn’t in the game, but the Knicks’ decision to not double-team the Pacers’ big men was huge. Indiana never got going from the perimeter and as expected, and Roy Hibbert and West combined to shoot just 10-of-24 in their post isolations. The Knicks can live with that. They started doubling again in the fourth quarter, but sticking to the man-to-man defense needs to be the plan going forward. It also helped the Knicks on the boards since there weren’t any mismatches under the basket from all the rotating.

6. Welcome back, J.R.

Smith only shot 4-of-11 in the game, but he looked a lot more like his usual self. He appears closer to hitting one of those hot games, which would be all the Knicks need to force a Game 7. Shumpert’s been cold too, and the Knicks would really like it if he could catch fire.

7. One of these games is finally going to go down the wire, right?

So far we haven’t had a game come down to one possession in the final minute. I think that happens in Game 6. With the Knicks’ roster full of guys who can score one-on-one, you would think they have the advantage in those situations. If Hill is out, by the way, the Knicks better win the series. The Pacers are not the same team offensively or defensively without him. His absence down the stretch in a close game will be costly.

_______________

Of course there are problems, too. Chandler and Felton are obviously banged up and you wonder how effective they will be. Hibbert was in foul trouble in Game 5; can the Knicks draw those in Indiana? The Pacers were also dreadful at the free-throw line Thursday, something that won’t continue.

I’m still waiting for the Knicks to finally have a hot-shooting game. Is shooting 45 percent from the field and hitting 10 threes too much to ask? That’s all they need in Game 6.

Honestly, my gut is saying the Knicks will lose on Saturday night. Their shooting has been so putrid, I have a hard time believing the offense will be sharp enough to win.

But one game can indeed change an entire series. The Knicks hope it was Game 5.

No matter how it ends, Game 6 is going to be one Knicks fans will remember for a long time. It’s fitting it’ll come against the longtime rival Pacers.

Saturday night should be a lot of fun — and I hope you’ll be hearing from me on Monday for a Game 7 preview.

You can follow me on Twitter @Schmeelk for everything Knicks, Giants and New York sports.

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NEW YORK (WLNY) – This July, Major League Baseball’s best players will hop on the 7 train and head to Queens for the All-Star game — it’s the first time Citi Field is hosting the mid-summer classic.

More: The 5 Best Restaurants Near Citi Field

But first, the T-Mobile All-Star FanFest Ticket Hunt takes place this weekend.

Hall of Famer Mookie Wilson stopped by The Couch to talk about the event — and the current Mets team.

“I like some of the young talent, I really do,” Wilson said of his former ball club. “Sometimes that don’t always translate into wins, but we have to be patient. We have some young talent that’s really coming up. They have to learn how to play and win at the major league level and that’s what we’re missing right now.”

Wilson had nothing but good things to say about rising-star pitcher Matt Harvey’s talent level.

“Outstanding,” Wilson said. “He’s pitching way beyond his age.”

And as for the infamous 1986 play — the ball Wilson hit that went between Bill Buckner’s legs in the World Series?

Wilson said rarely a day goes by where he doesn’t get approached about it — and that’s okay.

“It never gets old,” he said. “It’s amazing, it keeps you young.”

Tickets for T-Mobile All-Star FanFest and Taco Bell All-Star Sunday can be purchased at AllStarGame.com, Mets.com, the Citi Field Box Office or by calling 1-888-FanFest (326-3378).

“We’ve got everybody and their brother whining up there in Washington about what happened in that series,” the Rangers coach said Wednesday. “And I think that’s a big reason why they lose that series.”

That didn’t sit so well with his coaching counterpart in D.C., who disputed the notion and even claimed to have the upper hand in the throwing-dukes department.

“Well, I think he’s out of line,” Oates told 106.7 The Fan in Washington on Thursday. “He should be worrying about his own series. We didn’t whine once during the series. I never complained. I don’t know, did you guys ever hear me complain about officiating?”

When asked if he could beat up Tortorella “in a one-on-one situation,” Oates replied, “Yes. Easily.”

Oates admitted Alex Ovechkin was guilty of complaining after Game 7, but said there was none of that during the series. The Capitals star made headlines for not-so-subtly hinting at an NHL conspiracy to force a Game 7 to a Russian reporter.

“No one complained before any game,” Oates said. “I met with a supervisor before Game 7. You meet with a supervisor before every single game. We never complained about anything.”

The Rangers dropped Game 1 of their second-round series against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

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Garrard, whose balky knee forced him to walk away from the game, says the team has offered him “a shot at that coaching thing with an internship in training camp.”

The 35-year-old was signed this offseason to compete for New York’s starting quarterback job. He could still make the summer road trip to Cortland, N.Y., but instead of being in the mix he’d be helping to guide QBs Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Greg McElroy and Matt Simms.

“I told them I’d talk with my wife about it, so I could still work with those guys,” Garrard told USA Today on Thursday. “It’s definitely something I’m considering.”

Also on Thursday, Garrard told SiriusXM NFL Radio that his surgically repaired left knee kept swelling up on him after workouts.

“I’d get four or five days of good work on it in and then the next two days it is swollen and I have to do everything I can to get the swelling out,” Garrard said. “Start the next week over and it would just be the same process every time, and so it was never just allowing me to just go on and just play without any worries.

“So I just kept thinking: ‘How am I going to compete for the starting job if every four days I’ve got to stop and have an ice bag on my knee while the guys are practicing?’”

Garrard was signed in March to provide veteran competition for Sanchez. But Garrard hadn’t played in a regular-season game in the NFL since 2010 because of injuries. After appearing to be the front-runner ahead of rookie Ryan Tannehill and veteran Matt Moore, the former Jacksonville Jaguars star was cut by the Miami Dolphins last summer after he needed arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

But, he was feeling healthy this offseason and passed his physical with the team. Garrard was expected to be in the mix to compete for the Jets’ starting job along with Sanchez and second-round pick Smith. New York, which cut Tim Tebow two weeks ago, also has McElroy and Simms on the roster.

“My knee just never really quite got back to, not to where it was before, but not even just well enough to, it was well enough to get out and run around and stuff, but it would still swell on me,” Garrard said. “I thought, ‘I look pretty good right now. Maybe if I get on with the team, the treatment that they have there, the round-the-clock treatments you pretty much get, that should probably help me out.’ So that’s how I was thinking.”

Garrard was also asked if the team drafting Smith played any role in his decision.

“Oh, no, it didn’t play into it at all,” he said. “I was in Miami last year when they got Tannehill in the first round, Blaine Gabbert in the first round (in Jacksonville). So I’ve been through that before. That wasn’t an issue at all. It was really just my knee and my health.”

Garrard has the internship with the Jets to consider, as well as finishing his degree and pursuing a radio or TV gig as a football analyst.

“I’m very blessed and very fortunate that I am able to walk away from the game without any real crazy injuries,” he said. “The future is still bright. I’ve just got to kind of take my time and decide on what I really want to get down and do.”

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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Controversy from within is one thing, and heaven knows the Jets generate plenty of that.

But when somebody from the outside jumps unprovoked on the pile, well, that should get everybody’s hackles up.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith decided to go cheap-school with a shot about Mark Sanchez during Wednesday’s co-hosting gig on a Charlotte radio-gab show. Apparently out of thoughts of geographical or demographical relevance, he blurted that he wouldn’t let the embattled quarterback throw him “a paper bag sandwich.”

Aside from one’s preference of sandwich-thrower running directly proportional to one’s hunger level, let’s also point out that Smith makes his current living catching passes from Cam Newton. As far as anyone knows in New York and New Jersey, there are no plans as of yet to trade Sanchez to Carolina. Nor is Carolina likely to send Smith up here. So the throwing of food, pigskins, or any other object from Sanchez’s arm should be of no concern to the flighty and, some might say, unstable, wide receiver.

This is not the first time the opinionated and often animated Smith has overstepped the bounds of class. He was briefly jailed in 2002 for a film-room punchout of practice squad player Anthony Bright. Smith put Bright in the hospital for two days with a broken nose, and wound up in anger management counseling.

In calmer times, Smith remains one of the NFL’s more colorful guys, always quick with an opinion. Clearly, he’s trying to make some inroads into broadcasting, and as Tiki Barber showed the New York crowd, shock-jock tactics are the quickest way to a regular paycheck. But just as Tiki brought legions of critics into Eli Manning’s camp, Smith managed to turn Sanchez into a sympathetic character here.

If the Jets find any unity at all this year, the back of the defense should be circling Dec. 15. That’s when the two teams meet, and that’s when the Jets should be planning one or two on-field get-togethers with Smith regardless of whether Sanchez or Geno Smith starts that game.

It’s like Vegas. What goes on in Florham Park stays in Florham Park. It’s certainly none of Smith’s concern.

On the other hand, no one could blame anyone outside the Jets locker room for having a small, private laugh at the goings-on inside. The same day as Smith unleashed his salvo from afar, free-agent pickup David Garrard threw a hand grenade into the organization’s planned training camp competition by announcing his retirement due to knee problems.

Didn’t see that coming, right? The guy hadn’t played since 2010 because of back and knee issues. This year, he didn’t even make it to training camp, much less serve as a 35-year-old placeholder for Smith. A handful of offseason training sessions, and that was it for the ex-Jaguar. He’s probably better off. At least he’ll leave with his sanity.

The circus rolls on. It’s a two-man race now between Sanchez and Smith, and the emotionally frail veteran will have to beat out a cocky, strong-armed rookie who has made an instant fan out of owner Woody Johnson.

Rex Ryan is still running things at center ring, for sure. But it’s the Jets’ circus. And it’s the Jets fans’ circus.

It’s not Smith’s. Never was, never will be.

Let him get his own sandwich.

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But manager Joe Girardi didn’t sound too concerned.

“I don’t think Andy’s (injury) is too bad,” Girardi said after New York’s 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners. “His trap just kind of got a knot in it, and to me it was affecting his velocity. That’s why I took him out. It’s muscular, but I don’t know what that means going forward.”

Pettitte missed a start in April because of lower back spasms. This was diagnosed as a tight left trapezius muscle, near his pitching shoulder.

It was too soon to determine whether he would miss his next turn.

“Obviously, I’m realistic,” Pettitte said. “I know how these guys are. I asked them if I could stay out there and try to get through it out there. I’m hoping it’s a spasm and it settles down.”

Seeking his 250th win, Pettitte started feeling uncomfortable in the fourth inning, when Seattle took a 2-1 lead on an infield single by Brendan Ryan, who had been in a 5-for-60 slide.

Pettitte said he saw a trainer after the inning, and his back “loosened up and loosened up really good.” Then came the fifth.

“It completely locked back up on me,” Pettitte said. “I couldn’t get extended at all. I really just felt like I was kind of cutting everything off and really just trying to throw it in there, just almost slower than slow to tell you the truth.”

Pettitte (4-3) allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in 4 2-3 innings with five strikeouts, struggling again with his command. In the fourth, he ran into foul territory on the third base side to make a basket catch on Raul Ibanez’s low popup but said that didn’t figure into his back problem.

“It was just really tight,” Pettitte said. “I couldn’t get extended at all. I really just felt like I was kind of cutting everything off and just really trying to throw it in there almost slower than slow, to tell you the truth.”

Girardi said the Yankees are “going to go through this probably a little bit” with the 40-year-old starter.

“There’s no doubt I’m getting old. But I don’t want to sit there and tell you that that’s the exact reason why,” Pettitte said. “I look around the league and I see all kind of people on the DL with all kind of problems that are a lot younger than me, too.”

Twelve Yankees already have been on the disabled list this year, costing a total of 332 games. Yankees catcher Chris Stewart could be next with a leg injury.

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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The defenses in this series are too good, so the difference is something else.

“It’s just a matter of who wants it more,” Anthony said.

On Thursday night, that was the Knicks.

Anthony scored 28 points and New York avoided elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 85-75 victory over Indiana in Game 5.

“I was totally impressed because we met the challenge,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “I think as a coach you come into games like this and you want to see who’s going to step up and make plays, and I thought we did that tonight. We were the better team in terms of doing that.”

Reserves J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland each had 13 points for the Knicks, who trail 3-2 and will need a victory Saturday in Indiana to force a seventh game back here Monday. They are trying to become the ninth NBA team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series.

“It’s a blessing. I’m extremely excited that I could have some kind of impact on the game,” said Copeland. “I’m going to stay aggressive, my teammates and coaching staff want me to stay aggressive. … And I’m going to keep shooting.”

Anthony, who didn’t make a basket in the fourth quarter of either game in Indiana, made a jumper midway through the fourth quarter after Indiana closed within four points. He followed with two free throws, Raymond Felton made a layup, and the Knicks were never in jeopardy again.

Paul George had 23 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Pacers. They played without point guard George Hill because of a concussion and committed 19 turnovers.

“We’ve just got to play more solid. There’s no other way to put it,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.

George battled foul trouble and couldn’t contain Anthony quite as well as he had while the Pacers easily won the previous two games.

Anthony made his first two shots as New York raced to a 7-0 lead in a game in which it never trailed. He finished only 12 of 28, but got plenty of bench help.

“We didn’t shoot the ball very well, but we made shots at the crucial time,” Anthony said.

David West had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who were trying to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2004.

“We didn’t play well. It was a bad game for us and we were still there,” George said.

The winner will face the defending NBA champion Miami Heat in a series that will start Wednesday.

New York didn’t really shake its scoring slump, shooting only 41 percent from the field, but put together a few runs during the game to open just enough space against a Pacers team that shot 36 percent and was a dismal 19 of 33 at the free throw line.

They clearly missed Hill after learning about four hours before the game they would be without him.

Vogel said Hill was hurt after a collision with Knicks center Tyson Chandler during the first half of Indiana’s 93-82 victory on Tuesday. Hill finished the game and scored 26 points, but experienced some headaches and showed concussion symptoms since and wasn’t able to pass the league’s concussion tests so he could play Thursday night.

The Knicks went back to their regular lineup, reinserting Pablo Prigioni, after going with a bigger group in Game 4 in a futile effort to match Indiana on the boards. The smaller group did a better job, getting outrebounded only 43-40.

“We’re not going to go out without fighting,” Chandler said.

The Knicks finally opened it up midway through the third quarter with a 12-4 run, started by Smith’s bank shot and featuring a 3-pointer and follow shot from Copeland, who got more playing time while Woodson gave little to veterans Amare Stoudemire and the slumping Jason Kidd, who missed his only shot and remains scoreless in the series.

“Coaching is a feel. It’s not always what players want at the end of the day, it’s about winning,” Woodson said. “That’s all I’m in it for.”

Anthony made a jumper and a 3-pointer on his first two shots, and Iman Shumpert followed with another jumper for a 7-0 start. Smith got a big ovation when he checked in, which grew much louder when he made his first shot, dribbling back behind the arc for a 3-pointer that made it 17-12 with 2:56 left in the opening quarter.

Smith has endured a miserable stretch since elbowing Boston’s Jason Terry in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the first round. Suspended for Game 4, he hasn’t relocated his shot since, hitting 28 percent in the first four games and has been criticized for not being focused after he was seen out a nightclub with singer Rihanna the night before Game 1 — a day game.

He was only 4 of 11, but hit the jumper that started the Knicks’ run in the third quarter.

“Still didn’t shoot the best but it always helps coming home and playing in front of these fans,” Smith said. “Hopefully the little bit of rhythm that I did get carries me over.”

The Knicks extended their 19-15 lead after one to 32-23 on Copeland’s 3-pointer with 7:06 remaining in the second. The Pacers chipped away for most of the half, but couldn’t take the lead in part because of their sloppy free throw shooting, going 8 of 16 in the half that agonizingly wouldn’t end when both Chandler and the Pacers’ Sam Young committed fouls more than 30 feet from the basket in the final 2.4 seconds.

NOTES: Kidd is 0 for 8 in the series, part of a 0-for-17 skid that began with Game 3 against Boston in the first round. The 40-year-old point guard, surely headed for the Hall of Fame, is 3 of 25 in the postseason and hasn’t scored since hitting a 3-pointer against the Celtics in Game 2 on April 23. He played 5 minutes and Stoudemire played 6½. … The Phoenix Suns are the last team to win a series after trailing 3-1, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006. The Brooklyn Nets forced Chicago to a seventh game in the first round, but dropped Game 7 on their home floor. … West was 5 of 13 in the first half. The other four Indiana starters were 5 for 23.

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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Below you can listen to — and download — all of the memorable audio from today’s (05/17) edition of the Boomer & Carton Morning Extravaganza in one nice little package for your convenience.

Until Monday morning at 6 a.m., when the guys make their return to the airwaves, stay classy New York!!!

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The Rangers lost to the Boston Bruins in overtime in Game 1.  Nash still has yet to light up the lamp! Yankees lost 3-2, and they also lost Andy Pettitte and Chris Stewart to injuries. Girardi talked a bit about Chris Stewart’s groin injury and Pettitte spoke about his healing process. The Mets actually won a game, and the Toronto Blue Jays are making their way in to town to play the Yankees. The Blue Jays are on a four-game winning streak and R.A. Dickey makes another return to New York City.

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Despite the Rangers’ setback, the Booms was in pretty good spirits, partly because of the Knicks’ triumph and partly because it’s Friday, which means a two day break from Craigie.  Speaking of Craigie, he was all sorts of fired up after the Knicks’ win.  He was so fired up, in fact, that he’s looking right past Game 6 and preparing for a Game 7 at MSG.

So it was in that manner that things got under way this morning…

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Freewheeling? No.

Artistic? No.

High scoring? Definitely not.

Compelling and can’t miss? Without a doubt.

There’s something magical about the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers facing off in a playoff series. A four-decade absence in playoff competition will do that.

Forget the nostalgia. These are two teams that will mirror each other in approach and intensity every night.

LISTEN: BRUINS’ CAMPBELL ON 98.5 THE SPORTS HUB

The television broadcasts will be compelling. However, the in-person thumping that will take place at the two gardens — TD and Madison Square — will be thunderous.

It seems likely that the team that survives will be huge underdogs against the Pittsburgh Penguins (assuming they dispose of the pesky Ottawa Senators) in the Eastern Conference finals. However, that survivor will be battle-tested and somewhat vicious once the current series is over.

LUNDQVIST, SHOT-BLOCKING RANGERS READY TO DROP THE PUCK IN BOSTON

The Rangers have the advantage at the start of the series. The Bruins’ defense is awfully depleted, and it’s not likely that defensemen Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Wade Redden will play in the opener.

Zdeno Chara is usually the Boston defenseman who gets the most attention, but Seidenberg is clearly the second best of the group. He is a big thumper himself and can carry the puck out of trouble. Ference is a smart and underrated player who can step up into the attack.

Rangers fans certainly know Redden. John Tortorella banished him when he didn’t fit the coach’s eye, and he was a trade-deadline pickup for the Bruins. Redden has been well worth the sixth-round draft pick that he cost them.

HARTNETT: BLUESHIRTS IN 6

The Bruins will use youngsters Dougie Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug in their place if the veteran trio can’t play. Hamilton is a future star, but he is mistake-prone at this point. So are the other two, but that didn’t stop Bartkowski from playing a strong Game 7 against Toronto.

The Rangers are going to have to attack the Bruins with their strong forechecking game. That’s the way both teams play on a regular basis, but with three young defensemen in the lineup, it will almost certainly pay huge dividends for the Rangers.

There’s bound to be some nervousness, and mistakes are likely. The Rangers must be like piranhas after the first hint of blood in the water.

Henrik Lundqvist will get tested at some point in the series, but if there’s one game in which the Rangers should leave him to his own devices and go into a full-fledged attack mode, it’s this one.

The Bruins are going to be using young defensemen who will likely make mistakes. Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask may be left hung out to dry on several occasions if the Rangers attack with ferocity.

CBS BOSTON’S BRUINS-RANGERS PREVIEW

If the Rangers give up a breakaway or two, it’s no big deal. They have Lundqvist in the net.

Do you think he’s going to give up more than one goal? Not the way he’s been playing.

The Rangers have an opportunity in Game 1 to set the tone of the series. The Bruins are still in the clouds after their seventh-game miracle comeback vs. Toronto.

They will eventually focus, but it won’t be in the first game.

It is the Rangers’ game for the taking.

His hit on Los Angeles center Jarret Stoll might have erased much of that work and put both players’ postseason futures in doubt.

Stoll is likely to miss Game 2 of the Kings’ second-round playoff series against the Sharks on Thursday night. The valuable two-way forward didn’t return to the series opener after a hard hit from Torres late in the second period of Los Angeles’ 2-0 victory.

Kings coach Darryl Sutter implied Wednesday that Stoll could be out for a significant length of time. Torres also might be sidelined for a stretch after he travels to New York for a disciplinary hearing Thursday with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, which suspended him until the hearing is completed.

“I thought it was careless,” Sutter said of Torres’ hit, which occurred near the sideboards after the puck rolled away from Stoll.

A lengthy suspension wouldn’t make Sutter feel any better about Torres’ play, either: “Our player is quite a bit more important than theirs.”

During the defending Stanley Cup champions’ 2-0 victory over the Sharks, Stoll was bent forward when Torres approached him from the side for a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. Stoll’s head also snapped back violently before he fell forward onto the ice. Torres was called for a minor penalty for charging, and Stoll didn’t return to the game.

Most of the Kings declined to weigh in on the hit’s legality after Wednesday’s light practice, claiming they hadn’t seen replays. Stoll attended the Kings’ team meeting before practice, but wasn’t on the ice.

The Sharks had much stronger opinions about the play: Torres, captain Joe Thornton and coach Todd McLellan all said the hit was perfectly legal, and shouldn’t even have resulted in San Jose’s only penalty in Game 1.

“We questioned the call of a charging penalty,” Thornton said. “So we were kind of shocked to hear he has to fly to New York for the hearing, because we didn’t see anything wrong on the play. … It’s unfortunate that Raffi has to go through this again.”

Further complicating matters, Stoll and Torres are friends after three seasons as teammates with the Edmonton Oilers from 2005-08.

The Kings would lose plenty without Stoll, a stalwart on their championship team last summer. Stoll is their third-line center and a top penalty-killer and faceoff specialist, playing a valuable two-way game while also logging time on the power play.

Although he doesn’t score many points, getting just one assist in seven playoff games this spring, Stoll scored the series-winning goal in last season’s upset of top-seeded Vancouver in the first round on the way to the title. He also has a history of apparent concussions earlier in his career.

“He’s a big loss, one of our most valuable guys,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “Everybody else will have to step up if we want to keep going forward.”

Torres’ absence isn’t likely to affect the Sharks’ offensive efforts against goalie Jonathan Quick, who shut them out on 35 shots in the series opener. But Stoll’s absence on defense changes the mix for Los Angeles, which must entrust additional ice time to role players without one of its leaders.

Brad Richardson, who played 13 games during the Kings’ championship playoff run, is likely to replace Stoll in the lineup for Game 2. Richardson hasn’t played in this postseason since Game 1 of the Kings’ first-round series with St. Louis.

“It’s huge, because he’s one of our clutch players,” Richardson said of Stoll. “He’s the first guy on the penalty kill, and he’s a power-play guy.”

Even if it is deemed legal, the hit ignites another round of trouble for Torres, the journeyman forward whose ugly reputation has surfaced again.

While playing for Phoenix last season, Torres received a 21-game suspension — initially 25 games — for a high hit on Chicago star Marian Hossa in the first round of the playoffs. That play cemented Torres’ identity as a cheap shot artist and dangerous player in many NHL minds.

But the former No. 5 overall draft pick insists he has cleaned up his game during a season of largely trouble-free play with San Jose, his sixth team in six seasons.

“If he is going to miss some games, we’re going to miss him,” said Sharks forward Logan Couture, who thought the hit was clean from his on-ice viewpoint. “But it’s an opportunity for other guys to step up the physical play and try to take over his role. We’re going to support Raffi, and whatever happens, happens.”

Kings forward Dustin Penner thought Torres’ hit was objectionable mostly because it was unnecessary. He sees little comparison to the hit by Ottawa’s Eric Gryba on Montreal center Lars Eller in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, resulting in a two-game suspension for a blow that left Eller with a concussion and a broken nose. Eller didn’t return to the series as the Senators advanced.

“I think that hit (in Ottawa) was fine,” Penner said. “I know some people don’t, but it’s a split-second decision. You guys can slow it down to .001 milliseconds, but he’s got to make that hit, and this one (by Torres), he probably didn’t need to make that hit. That’s where I see the difference.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Chicago dominated the final two periods in its first game in the Western Conference semifinals since it won the Stanley Cup in 2010. Marian Hossa scored the opening goal, and Patrick Sharp had an empty-netter and two assists to give him nine points in the playoffs.

Jimmy Howard finished with 38 stops in a terrific performance, but Detroit still lost to rival Chicago for the eighth straight time dating to last season.

The series resumes on Saturday afternoon at the United Center.

The 75th all-time playoff game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings was tied at 1 after two periods, and Howard made a great stop on a breakaway by Dave Bolland 4½ minutes into the third.

Chicago kept working and went in front to stay on a heady play by Oduya. He drifted in from the point and sent Sharp’s pass past Howard on the glove side with 12 minutes left. Kruger then jumped on a loose puck and sent a backhander into the upper right corner to make it 3-1.

That was more than enough for Crawford, who caught a break when Damien Brunner’s rebound attempt went off the crossbar and straight down before it was swept away with about three minutes left.

The opener of the 16th playoff series between the Original Six teams was the first game for Chicago since it eliminated Minnesota last Thursday. Detroit closed out Anaheim with a 3-2 win in Game 7 on Sunday night, taking the final two games of the series against the second-seeded Ducks.

Despite the long break, there was no sign of rust for the Blackhawks. And the Red Wings skated right with Chicago despite all that travel in the first round and the thrilling conclusion to the series against Anaheim.

This one was fast and frenetic from the start. Two similar teams more than familiar with the other’s style, energized by their first playoff meeting since Detroit beat Chicago in five games in the 2009 Western Conference final.

The Blackhawks struck first, taking advantage of the first power-play opportunity of the game. With Gustav Nyquist in the box for hooking, Sharp forced a turnover along the boards and Jonathan Toews sent the puck to Hossa, who one-timed it past Howard at 9:03.

Detroit needed less than two minutes to respond, tying it when Brunner poked in a rebound for his third career playoff goal. The rookie center also contributed three assists in the first round against the Ducks.

The Blackhawks killed off two power plays created by penalties on Andrew Shaw. They killed off another one when Nick Leddy was sent off for delay of game in the second period, making them a perfect 20 for 20 on the penalty kill in the postseason and sinking Detroit to 1 for 18 on power plays against Chicago, including the regular season.

After Leddy’s penalty, the Blackhawks controlled most of the action for a while. They had a 17-5 advantage in shots in the period. They just couldn’t solve Howard, who made a great glove stop on a wide-open Hossa with 6:39 remaining. Detroit also killed off two Chicago power plays to keep it tied headed to the third.

NOTES: It was the 800th game between the teams. … Detroit F Justin Abdelkader was shaken up after he collided with Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival in the first period. He was helped to the bench after a few moments down on the ice, but eventually returned to the game. … Blackhawks F Viktor Stalberg was a healthy scratch. Coach Joel Quenneville said it was a “coach’s decision” and Stalberg could get back on the ice at any point. He said he talked to Stalberg about the decision to bench him for the opener. … Toews and Pavel Datsyuk of the Red Wings joined Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins as finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. Datsyuk, a three-time winner, tied with Toews for the league lead in takeaways with 56. … Chicago has won eight of the previous 15 playoff series against Detroit.

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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

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