Good morning New York sports fans! There's nothing like waking up after two New York teams played Game 7s last night. It made it even easier to gloat to all those other fans too, because both teams walked away winners. We're talking about the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils, of course, as both teams won their respective final games and moved on to the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Devils Down Panthers, 3-2, In Double OT
If you missed this game, then you missed one of the biggest water cooler topics of the day. New Jersey, leading 2-0 in the third period, once again blew a lead to the Florida Panthers. The two teams entered overtime tied, where Martin Brodeur really shined - stopping three quality chances at the start, and blanking Florida throughout the first overtime period. Rookie Adam Henrique, a finalist for the Calder Trophy, went on to score the game-winner - his second of the game - just 3:47 into the second overtime. Brodeur stopped 43 of 45 shots as the Devils advance to the second round for the first time since 2007. They'll begin their series Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
After the jump, check out how the Blueshirts made their move past the Ottawa Senators, the New York Knicks add to the Charlotte Bobcats misery and an amazin' comeback for the New York Mets.
Rangers Hold Off Senators, 2-1
The Garden was rocking last night, and the Rangers rewarded their home fans with a big Game 7 win. All the scoring happened in the middle period, where both Marc Stall and Dan Girardi scored their first postseason goals, giving New York a 2-0 lead. Ottawa would battle back, cutting the deficit to one with a Daniel Alfreddson powerplay tally. Henrik Lundqvist then shut the door, stopping all nine Senators shots in the third period for the win. New York moves on to face the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. That series begins Saturday.
Knicks Down Bobcats, Help Secure Worst Record In NBA History
The Knicks didn't do anything to help the Charlotte Bobcats feel better about their season, handing them their 23rd straight loss. The win clinched the seventh-seed for New York, who will face the Miami Heat in the first round. J.R. Smith led all scorers with 22 points off the bench, and Amare Stoudemire finished with 21. No word on whether the Garden fans will continue to cheer LeBron James during the playoffs.
NFL Draft Underway
There wasn't much drama when the NFL Draft started last night, with the top two picks already decided. After that, it went from zero to crazy, with teams swapping picks to move up and down the order. With the 14th pick in the draft, the New York Jets selected North Carolina defensive end Quinton Couples. The New York Giants closed the first round, selecting Virginia Tech running back David Wilson. The second round gets underway today.
An Amazin Comeback
The New York Mets broke out the brooms yesterday, sweeping the Miami Marlins with a 3-2 walk-off win yesterday at Citi Field. The Mets spoiled the return of Jose Reyes, who made his first trip back to Citi Field since signing with Miami in the offseason. Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit the walk-off, breaking the tie with a bases-loaded single to plate the tying and winning runs. It's the second series sweep this month for the Mets, who are 11-8 on the season.
Video(s) Of The Day
How about some Game 7 winners, starting with the sudden death winner:
And then the Girardi winner:
I may be biased, but I think there's nothing better than playoff hockey. Both videos courtesy of NHL.com.