26
metronews.ca
sports
4 sports
Senators preview
Ottawa at San Jose 10:30 p.m. TV: SNET
The Senators (26-16-6) head west to kick off a five-game road trip in San Jose (26-12-5). The Sharks have won seven of their last 10. Antti Niemi is having a strong January, with five wins in seven starts, a goals-against average of 1.94 and a save percentage of .933. Brent Burns has five points in his last six games. Logan Couture, who leads San Jose with 18 goals, scored nine in December but has just two in nine games this month. Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton each have one point in their last four games.
The right man for the job RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES
THE HOCKEY NEWS MURRAY PAM
OTTAWA@METRONEWS.CA
After five years of searching, the Ottawa Senators may have finally found their ideal No. 2 centre in a 6-foot-1, 195-pound lightning rod named Kyle Turris. Since coming over in a much-debated trade with the Phoenix Coyotes, the dynamic Turris has taken some heat off Jason Spezza and the team has surged with an 11-2-2 record, solidifying themselves among the contenders in the Eastern Conference. Turris, who grew his local popularity by scoring the winner against the hated Maple Leafs Tuesday night, is the first pivot since Mike Comrie in 2006-07 to provide the kind of offence the Sens need from their secondunit centre. Mike Fisher, Antoine Vermette, Peter Regin and most recently Stephane Da Costa were all tried in that spot, but came up short. The native of New Westminster, B.C., who has three goals and 11 points in 15 games for Ottawa, is trying to shake a “problem child” label. Fair or not, it’s one that was affixed to the 22-year-old when he refused to agree to terms on a contract in Phoenix as an
Kyle Turris stickhandles the puck past Montreal’s Raphael Diaz.
unrestricted free agent last summer amid complaints he wasn’t being allowed to properly develop. He eventually inked a two-year $2.8 million contract, and promptly got his wish to be dealt. The fresh start, which included ditching his familiar No. 91 (can you feel the ghost of Alexandre
Daigle?) for lucky No. 7, has indeed been a blessing. Like his favourite player, Steve Yzerman, Turris has a defensive conscience to go with his offensive spark, posting a plus-11 mark in his first month with the Senators. A good skater and puck distributor, he has earned the praises of his peers
Nadal, Federer advance ANDREW BROWNBILL/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Scan code for more sports.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012
Spain’s Rafael Nadal didn’t drop a set and Swiss star Roger Federer didn’t pick up a racket. Both reached the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday along with several of the top women. Nadal beat German veteran Tommy Haas, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, declaring the twisted tendon in the heavily taped knee was not a concern. Just before Federer was due on Hisense Arena, he found out his scheduled opponent, Germany’s Andreas Beck, had a back
Rafael Nadal
injury and had to withdraw. “Now, I’ll just take it easy this afternoon and come out tomorrow and hit intensely, and then I’ll be ready for the next
match,” said Federer, a four-time Australian Open winner. Defending champion Kim Clijsters and No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki won their second-round matches Wednesday on their way to a potential quarter-final meeting. French Open champion Li Na also advanced, defeating Olivia Rogowska of Australia, 6-2, 6-2. She could meet Clijsters in the fourth round in a rematch of last year’s final at Melbourne Park. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
and coach Paul MacLean, who has rewarded the youngster with top-six ice time. Turris’ average of 18plus minutes per game is a far cry from the 11:18 he got in Phoenix. “He has fit in really well in the locker-room and you can tell that he is excited to be here,” said captain and Turris linemate
BASEBALL
Rangers, reach deal with Yu Yu Darvish is coming to the United States to pitch. Japan’s best pitcher and the Texas Rangers agreed before Wednesday’s deadline to a $60-million US, six-year contract. In addition to the salary, the Rangers will pay a posting fee of about $51.7 million to the Hokkaido Nippon
Daniel Alfredsson. “He wants to get better. He works real hard.” We may not be able to determine the winner of the this trade for several years and David Rundblad who was dealt away to get Turris may yet become a top defenceman in the NHL, but the early edge goes to the Senators. Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League. The deal came at the end of a 30-day negotiating window that began Dec. 19 when the Rangers’ bid to negotiate with the pitcher was accepted. Had a deal not been reached in time, Darvish would have remained with the Fighters and Texas would have kept the posting fee. When the deal was reached in Texas by his agents Don Nomura and Arn Tellem, the 25-yearold Darvish was home in Japan, where he returned for off-season training. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS