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timesleader.com
THE TIMES LEADER
C A L D E R C U P P L AY O F F S HERSHEY BEARS
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SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
NFL DRAFT
WBS PENGUINS
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DO OR DIE TONIGHT ASSOCIATED PRESS
Penn State’s Devon Still poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected 53rd overall by the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday in New York.
Still finally the one for the Bengals A potential first-round selection, the defensive lineman from Penn State was taken in the second round, 53rd overall. By DEREK LEVARSE dlevarse@timesleader.com
SEAN SIMMERS/THE PATRIOT-NEWS
The Penguins’ Brandon DeFazio skates off the ice after being hit with a stick during the Hershey Bears’ 4-1 win Friday at Giant Center.
Facing elimination, Hershey again able to foil Pens By TOM VENESKY tvenesky@timesleader.com
HERSHEY – The Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins lost more than the game Friday. Their power play went missing as well. The Penguins were blanked on nine power play opportunities while Hershey connected on three of its four chances to take Game 4 of their opening round Calder Cup playoff series 4-1. The win allows Hershey to even up the best-of-five series at two games apiece and force a deciding Game 5 tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena. After watching their 2-0 series lead
evaporate, the Penguins still aren’t hitting the panic button. “Now it’s a one game series,� defenseman Alexandre Picard said. “We don’t feel like there’s any momentum swings. We don’t believe in momentum. The way we’re thinking right now is it’s a one game series.� For the second straight game, the Bears built a two-goal lead. On Friday, they did it with a tally late in the first period and another midway through the second. On Wednesday, the Penguins spotted the Bears a two-goal lead in the first period. Still, head coach John Hynes said
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See TONIGHT, Page 5B
Matchups make for interesting opening round of postseason By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer
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first two periods. But just like Game 3, the Penguins chipped away at the Hershey lead. This time it was Jason Williams, who poked in an Alex Grant pass from across the crease to cut the Bears’ lead to 2-1 with two minutes left in the second period. The Penguins received another boost in the waning seconds when Schilling was called for cross-checking at 19:29, allowing plenty of power play time to carry over into the third period. The Penguins failed to capitalize on
N B A P L AYO F F S
In this April 15 photo, New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony, left, and Miami Heat’s LeBron James jockey for position during the second half in New York. It’s LeBron vs. Carmelo as the Heat and Knicks renew an old playoff rivalry on Saturday.
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the Penguins’ starts in both games weren’t all that bad. “On both nights we missed a primetime chance, and they came down and scored,� he said. “On both nights we had good starts.� Hershey’s first goal came after Picard just missed the net on a two-onone chance. The Bears rushed back the other way and connected when a Zach Miskovic pass deflected off Cameron Schilling’s leg and past Brad Thiessen to make it 1-0. Both Hershey goals came on the power play, while the Penguins faltered with the man advantage, blanking on six opportunities through the
Yes, the shortened yet surprisingly successful regular season is the books and the playoffs promise to be even better. “I think our fans are hungry for the playoffs,� Commissioner David Stern said. “Our network partners are excited by the prospect, and you know, I think, I can tell you, I’m looking forward to it in the same way. So I think it’s going to be great.�
The sprint to the NBA playoffs is over and the postseason lineup is one of the most intriguing ever. LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony, the young and confident Oklahoma City Thunder looking for an early knockout against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, two Los Angeles teams shooting for one title and the venerable San Antonio Spurs looking for a second lockout-season title. See MATCHUPS, Page 5B
The first 50 picks had passed. Six other defensive tackles had been drafted, including a rival from the Big Ten. Devon Still was one of just two prospects in attendance at the NFL draft whose name had not been called. Needless to say, the Penn State All-American wasn’t looking too pleased. All of it figures to make the chip on Still’s shoulder a little bit bigger in his rookie season with Cincinnati. The award-winning defensive tackle was drafted by the Bengals in the second round on Friday with the 53rd overall pick. “I’m just happy to have an opportunity to play in the NFL,� Still said on stage at Radio City Music Hall moments after being selected. “I’m just ready to go to work for the team that invested in me.’� Throughout his breakout senior season, Still said he was motivated by pundits who said he wouldn’t be able to make it at the next level, vowing to become one of the top linemen in the nation. He did just that in 2011 and was initially See STILL, Page 5B
Fleener, Luck together again By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer
NEW YORK — Coby Fleener heard his name, grabbed his phone and immediately contacted his new teammate in Indianapolis — and old teammate from Stanford. The overnight wait paid off for the Stanford tight end. He’s reuniting with his college quarterback, a guy named Andrew Luck. Fleener wasn’t chosen in the first round of the NFL draft, in which Luck was the top selection. He got a nice consolation prize Friday night when the Indianapolis Colts grabbed him with the second pick of the second round. Among the other notable selections on the second day of the draft were: Oregon running back LaMichael James by San Francisco, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson by Seattle and Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw by Baltimore. Chances are very good Fleener will become a starter — and a main target — for Luck in Indianapolis. “I just sent him a text message that had a lot of exclamation points in it,� said Fleener, who had 10 touchdown catches last season and 18 for his career in Stanford’s prodigious offense. See NFL, Page 5B
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