Saturday, 31 May 2014

Kings-Blackhawks Game 7 preview - USA TODAY

The defending champion Chicago Blackhawks' best strategy for taking down the Los Angeles Kings in Sunday's Game 7 (8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) might simply be to know thyself.

When the Blackhawks analyze the Kings, it is like looking in the mirror.

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The teams have a number of similarities, including the fact they are both dangerous offensive teams. In an era when goals are challenging to produce, the winning team has scored three or more goals in all six games.

Here are six matchups that matter as the teams determine who'll face the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final:

Anze Kopitar vs. Jonathan Toews: The Selke Trophy finalists are exceptional two-way forwards. They have faced each other often in this series, and neither coach seems to mind that matchup. The Kings' Kopitar leads the NHL in playoff scoring with 23 points in 21 games. However, he doesn't have a goal in the Western Conference Final and has four assists in the six games.

The Kings have won two Game 7 on the road this spring, and Kopitar has totaled two goals and two assists in those games. It's not much of a leap to conclude that if he has a big game, the Kings will win Game 7. Toews probably knows that as well.

Toews has been the more productive of the two in the series, registering three goals and three assists. Plus, he has scored four game-winning goals in Chicago's 11 playoff wins this spring.

Marian Gaborik vs. Patrick Kane: Kane is the Blackhawks' most dangerous goal scorer, and Gaborik has become that player for the Kings.

MORE: Kane leads Game 6 win

Gaborik leads all NHL playoff scorers with 11 goals, but Kane has a history of scoring big goals in big games. The dynamic small winger has two goals and five assists over the past two games as Chicago rallied from a 3-1 series deficit.

Gaborik has been shut out in four of the games in this series. The Kings need him to match or better Kane's production.

Drew Doughty vs. Duncan Keith: Chicago's Keith is expected to win the Norris Trophy as the regular season's best defenseman, but he might be the second-best defenseman in this series in terms of impact on his team.

PHOTOS: Blackhawks vs. Kings

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Doughty has had three goals and four assists in this series, making him the team's second-highest scorer. He has been a visible presence. But Keith had the tying goal in third period of Game 6.

Game 7 would dictate that both defensemen play a safer brand of hockey, and that might favor Keith. Maybe it's a toss-up. Both players are capable of being difference-makers.

Carter and Co. vs. Chicago's secondary scorers: Kings forward Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson played a major role in helping the Kings build a 3-1 series lead. They have given the Kings impressive scoring depth.

MORE: Blackhawks score bank-shot goal

But those three were a combined minus 6 in Game 6. Meanwhile, Chicago role player Ben Smith has scored a couple of big goals in each of the past two games.

Andrew Shaw's return to the lineup in Game 3 and his elevation to Kane's line in Game 5 gave the Blackhawks a lift. Secondary scoring should be important in Game 7.

Kings' power play vs. Chicago's penalty killers: The Blackhawks were the NHL's best playoff penalty-killing team after two rounds, but they have given up six power play goals in this series.

One can guess that penalty killing will be an area of emphasis for the Blackhawks going into Game 7.

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Jonathan Quick vs. Corey Crawford: Chicago's Crawford and Los Angeles' Quick both have Stanley Cup rings, and both have poor save percentages in this series. Quick has slightly better numbers in the series, but his goals-against average is 3.02 and his save percentage is .886.

In this series, both goalies have looked exceptional at times and average at times. Either could be the difference in Game 7.

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Phil Mickelson says he's cooperating with FBI - USA TODAY

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DUBLIN, Ohio – Following an even-par 72 Saturday in the third round of The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance, Phil Mickelson reiterated he has done nothing wrong and has cooperated in an

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GAMETHREAD: LSU vs SLU, 2pm, ESPN3 - And the Valley Shook

LINEUPS

LSU

RF Laird

SS Bregman

LF Fraley

DH McMullen

C Scivicque

1B Moore

2B Hale

CF Stevenson

3B Ibarra

Southeastern

CF Seward

C Fisher

RF Gobold

3B Hoffman

DH Midyett

1B Roberson

SS Menard

LF Cedotal

2B Williams

SLU- RHP Andro Cutura (10-2, 1.72 ERA, 99.2 IP, 19 BB, 95 K)

LSU- LHP Jared Poche' (9-3, 2.21 ERA, 69.2 IP, 23 BB, 43 K)

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Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl: Flight to freedom - CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl writes on a paper plate because the helicopter is too loud
  • "SF?" he writes to the crew in a shorthand for "Special Forces?"
  • "Yes," at least one tells him, "we've been looking for you for a long time!"
  • Bergdahl breaks down after realizing he's freed after five years in enemy captivity

(CNN) -- It was another day in nearly five years of captivity for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, and he didn't know what the 18 Taliban fighters had in store for him Saturday.

There, in the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, the heavily armed fighters turned Bergdahl over to U.S. military commandos.

The soldier's plight had come to an end.

Within minutes he was airborne. The helicopter's rotors whooped so loudly that Bergdahl couldn't communicate clearly with the men on board.

So he grabbed a paper plate and wrote three characters: "SF?"

The men understood: Special Forces?

The U.S. commandos didn't bother to write back.

"Yes!" shouted at least one over the roar of the flight. "We've been looking for you for a long time!"

Captivity

The long road to freedom began for Bergdahl with his capture on June 30, 2009, in Afghanistan's Paktika province, where he was deployed with the 25th Infantry Division.

The soldier disappeared after finishing a guard shift at a combat outpost.

It was about 4:30 a.m. when he was first reported missing, and by 7 a.m. his comrades began an all-out search to find him, according to secret military reports made public by WikiLeaks in 2010.

But there was no sign of the soldier. According to the reports, radio conversations between suspected militants picked up by U.S. reconnaissance aircraft confirmed he had been captured.

Conflicting details have since emerged about how the militants managed to capture Bergdahl. Published accounts have varied widely, from claims he walked off the post to another that he was grabbed from a latrine.

U.S. officials believe he was captured by the Taliban, but may have been held by the Haqqani Network, a terror group that operates along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The group is aligned with the Taliban and al Qaeda.

In the ensuing years, there were occasional video clips released by his captors. The so-called proof-of-life videos appeared to show the soldier gaunt and disheveled. Over time, he appeared with a beard

The U.S. government acknowledged in May 2012 that it had been engaged in direct talks with the Taliban to free Bergdahl. The Taliban, according to officials, broke off those talks.

For more than year, there was no word of the soldier.

Road to freedom

Then, in November 2013, the Taliban signaled it was prepared to talk, according to senior administration officials.

In return, the United States asked for proof of life, they said.

That proof came in December in the form of a video of Bergdahl, the first in three years. And it showed the effects years of captivity had on the soldier, who appeared haggard and unwell.

With neither U.S. officials or the Taliban trusting each other, Qatari officials took on the role of intermediary.

The negotiations began in earnest last week, with Qatar ferrying messages back and forth between U.S. officials and the Taliban.

It culminated in Doha, with the agreement that called for the handover of Bergdahl in exchange for five detainees held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, the administration officials said.

As Taliban fighters headed with Bergdahl toward an agreed upon meeting point in Afghanistan, on the other side of the world Qataris officials were waiting for the five detainees to be released.

According to senior administration officials, the Qatari officials met the detainees on a runway at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

How the Qataris signaled to the Taliban that the detainees were in the custody is unclear, and administration officials have not detailed the communications.

Flight to freedom

It was late afternoon Saturday in Afghanistan, about 10:30 a.m. ET, when Bergdahl surrounded by 18 Taliban fighters was led to a meeting point.

There, waiting, were U.S. commandos, according to the officials. In the air above, helicopter gunships circled.

Slowly, Bergdahl walked toward the commandos.

It is believed the soldier was searched by the commandos, who as a matter of protocol would check to make sure the Taliban had not strapped explosives on him.

Within a matter of minutes, Bergdahl was aboard a helicopter bound for Bagram Air Base.

On the helicopter, with the knowledge he was in the hands of Special Forces, Bergdahl broke down and cried.

He was free.

CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

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Friday, 30 May 2014

Scout Willis launches topless protest - CNN

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

updated 5:28 PM EDT, Thu May 29, 2014

Scout Willis attends a party earlier this month. She wore a more revealing outfit this week.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Willis is protesting an Instagram policy
  • She walks down the streets of New York topless
  • Willis says it was about "helping women feel empowered"

(CNN) -- Scout Willis definitely walks the walk.

The 22-year-old daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis took a topless stroll down the streets of New York and documented it on social media to protest what she says is discrimination on the photo sharing site Instagram.

Wearing just a skirt, shoes, her purse and a determined look, Willis walked around the streets of Manhattan and even did a bit of shopping for some flowers. She tweeted the pics as well as "Legal in NYC but not on Instagram," and "What @Instagram won't let you see #FreeTheNipple."

The New York Daily News reported that Willis launched her skin campaign after Instagram removed one of her photos it said violated its community guidelines. The picture reportedly included a sweatshirt that depicted two topless women with the nipples visible.

The actress said Instagram removed her account, but she complained that other explicit photos -- including one with a woman hiding her nipples using a pair of handguns -- were allowed.

"Made a new Instagram, gonna post lots of beautiful photos of naked women I think. Tasteful, non aggressive, whomever wants to see can, if not," Willis tweeted before her topless walk.

She also explained on Twitter the message she was hoping to spread.

"This is about helping women feel empowered to make personal choices about their bodies not dictated by what society says is decent," she tweeted.

In New York City it is legal for a law-abiding woman to be topless in public.

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Heat eliminate Pacers in blowout win to advance to 4th straight Finals - ESPN

Heat Advance To 4th Straight Finals With Rout

MIAMI -- For the entirety of the regular season, the supremacy of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference was brought into serious question by the Indiana Pacers.

Then came the playoffs.

And the question was answered -- emphatically.

The Heat became the third franchise in NBA history to reach the title series in four consecutive seasons, a laugher of a conference-title finale getting them there again Friday night. LeBron James and Chris Bosh each scored 25 points, and Miami eliminated the Pacers for the third straight year with a 117-92 romp in Game 6 of the East championship series.

"I'm blessed. Very blessed. Very humbled," James said. "And we won't take this opportunity for granted. It's an unbelievable franchise, it's an unbelievable group. And we know we still have work to do, but we won't take this for granted. We're going to four straight Finals and we will never take this for granted."

Dwyane Wade and Rashard Lewis each scored 13 points for Miami, which trailed 9-2 before ripping off 54 of the next 75 points to erase any doubt by halftime. The Heat set a franchise record with their 11th straight home postseason win, going back to the final two games of last season's NBA Finals, leading by 37 at one point.

"The group loves to compete and loves to compete at the highest level, and be pushed to new levels," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Indiana led the East for much of the regular season, one where the Pacers were fueled by the memory of losing Game 7 of the East finals in Miami a year ago. So they spent this season with a clear goal: Toppling Miami as kings of the East.

The Pacers were two games better in the regular season.

They were two games worse in the postseason. Game 7, this time, would have been in Indianapolis. The Pacers just had no shot of making it happen, not on this night.

"It's bitterly disappointing to fall short of our goals," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "It's bitterly disappointing to lose to this team three years in a row. But we're competing against the Michael Jordan of our era, the Chicago Bulls of our era, and you have to tip your hats to them for the way they played this whole series."

Paul George had 29 points for Indiana, David West scored 16 and Lance Stephenson -- booed all night -- finished with 11.

"No regrets. All of us played hard. They were just the better team, and they won," Stephenson said.

So now, the Celtics and Lakers have some company.

Until Friday, they were the only teams in NBA history to reach the Finals in four straight years. The Heat have joined them, and their quest for a third straight title starts in either San Antonio or Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

"It's all about 15 special men and what they've been able to accomplish these last four years," said Heat managing general partner Micky Arison, who handed the East title trophy to Greg Oden. "Just a little bit more work to do, but I'm really proud of the incredible job that these guys have done."

The way they played in Game 6 made a prophet out of Bosh, who predicted Miami would play its best game of the season. The numbers suggested he was right, and then some.

Miami's largest lead at any point this season, before Game 6, was 36 points. Indiana's largest deficit of the season had been 35 points.

After a layup by James with 3:39 left in the third, the margin in this one was a whopping 37 -- 86-49. James' night ended not long afterward.

"It was just one of those games that we want to play from beginning to end," Bosh said. "Here on our home court, we wanted to make a statement."

There were the now-requisite Stephenson events, adding intrigue to the first half. The Indiana guard walked over to James and tapped him in the face in the opening minutes, stood over him after both got tangled under the basket, and got whistled for a flagrant foul for striking Norris Cole in the head in the second quarter.

It was the end of a memorable series for Stephenson, none of which really had anything to do with basketball. His string of newsworthy moments from these East finals started when he talked about the health of Wade's knees before the series and reached an apex in Game 5 when he blew into James' ear and walked into a Heat huddle.

When it was over, Stephenson went out and shook hands with plenty of Heat players, as did the rest of his teammates.

"To work so hard and to get to where we are now really hurts," Stephenson said.

The Heat were bothered by it all -- "angry," Spoelstra confessed -- but got the last laugh. Big Brother, again, reigned supreme in this rivalry.

Vogel was using the big brother-little brother analogy earlier in the series, telling the tale of how at some point in every sibling rivalry the younger one has to make a stand.

Indiana thought it would happen now.

The Heat, obviously, had other ideas.

"They've won championships," West said Friday when asked if the Pacers considered themselves Miami's equal. "No, we're not equal."

West said those words about eight hours before game time.

They were in no dispute at night's end.

NOTES: James appeared in what became his 100th playoff victory. ... The Pacers are now 7-12 against Miami in the last three postseasons, and 20-10 against everybody else. ... Wade and Udonis Haslem are going to the NBA Finals for the fifth time in nine seasons -- with a 15-67 season on their record during that stretch as well. ... Chris Andersen returned from a thigh injury, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 13 minutes for Miami.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

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Mayor: It's Tacky For Kate Middleton Bare Bottom Photo Proceeds To Benefit ... - Huffington Post

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