Beyond the points: 10 valuable NHL playoff performers

Ten NHL players whose playoff value goes beyond goals and assists:

• 

  By Nick Wass, AP

  
  

  Tampa Bay's Eric Brewer, right, has been one of the NHL's better late-season pickups.

By Nick Wass, AP

Tampa Bay's Eric Brewer, right, has been one of the NHL's better late-season pickups.

1. Tampa Bay's Eric Brewer: He has been among the NHL's top late-season pickups. He's leading all NHL playoff performers with 36 blocked shots and he's among the leaders with 30 hits. One of the keys to the Lightning's defense has been its shot-blocking. He's had the most playing time on the best penalty killing unit in the playoffs. The Lightning have given up two goals in 51 chances.

• 
  

  LIGHTNING: Push Capitals to the brink

  
  

2. Boston's Patrice Bergeron: In addition to being second in the league in scoring, he's leading his team with 27 hits and he has won 60.8% of his faceoffs. He has given the puck away only once in these playoffs.

3. Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk: Forget about his scoring numbers. He's also second on his team in hits and first in blocked shots and is tied for the NHL lead in postseason takeaways (13). And he wins 53.8% of his faceoffs.

4. Vancouver's Alex Edler: He is among the NHL leaders with 33 hits and 21 blocked shots, playing for a team that has given up five goals over the last roughly 16 periods.

5. San Jose's Douglas Murray: Anyone watching the Detroit-San Jose series knows the 240-pound defenseman has been a beast. He is always in the middle of the action. He has 33 hits.

6. Boston's Brad Marchand: If there was playoff rookie of the year, this feisty forward might be the favorite. He's leading the league in postseason plus-minus (plus-8). He's plus-6 on the road. He's noticeable every shift he takes.

7. Nashville's Ryan Suter: He's leading NHL playoff performers with an average of 29 minutes, 34 seconds per game. He's on that much because he's one of the NHL's smoothest defensemen at both ends of the ice.

8. Vancouver's Ryan Kesler: He didn't have a playoff goal until he scored twice on Tuesday, but even before that, he seemed to be in charge every time he was on the ice.

• 
  

  CANUCKS: Ryan Kesler has big game

  
  

9. Tampa Bay's Mattias Ohlund: How many memorable hits has he had this postseason? It seems like he has had several. He has been credited with 18 hits, and he has 33 blocked shots. He's a major contributor to Tampa Bay's success.

10. Detroit's Darren Helm: The game changes when he's on the ice because of his speed. He's the league's most dangerous 12-goal scorer. He always forechecks relentlessly.

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Justice Department asks NCAA why it doesn't have football playoff

The Department of Justice has sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert asking why the association does not have a major-college football playoff and it wants to know if Emmert believes some apsects of the Bowl Championship Series system do not serve the interests of fans, schools and players.

• 

  By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

  
  

  The BCS currently selects two teams to play in its national championship game with a formula that includes the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive poll and a computer ranking of teams.

By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

The BCS currently selects two teams to play in its national championship game with a formula that includes the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive poll and a computer ranking of teams.

Christine A. Varney, assistant attorney general in the Justice Departmen's Antitrust Division, pointed out in the letter sent Tuesday that "serious questions" continue to arise as to whether the BCS system is consistent with federal antitrust laws.

Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff recently said he plans an antitrust lawsuit against the BCS, and Varney wrote that 21 professors have requested the Justice Department conduct an investigation of the system.

"Your views would be relevant in helping us to deternine the best course of action with regard to the BCS," Varney wrote.

NCAA spokesman Bob Williams, in a statement Wednesday, said that the association will respond when it receives the letter.

"It should be noted that President Emmert consistently has said ... that the NCAA is willing to help create a playoff format for Football Bowl Subdivision football if the FBS membership makes that decision," he said.

To date, the FBS schools have opted to stick with the bowl system.

Bill Hancock, the BCS executive director, has long expressed confidence that the BCS complies with the law. "With all that's going on in the world right now and with national and state budgets being what they are, it seems like a waste of taxpayers' money to have the government looking into how college football games are played," he said.

However, Matthew Sanderson, a founder of PlayoffPAC.com., a politcal action committee pushing for a tournament, said: "I'm surprised the BCS still trots out that tired argument. This issue may not be of international importance, but this is a billion-dollar enterprise involving tax-exempt entities and institutions of higher learning."

Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday made reference to Varney's letter at a Senate hearing, while responding to a statement from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has been a critic of the BCS.

Hatch called the present system a "mess" and said that "privileged conferences" have tremendous advantages with the status quo.

"I just hope that you'll continue to follow up on that particular issue," he said. "It's an important one, I think."

"I don't disagree with you," Holder said. "You and I have talked about this issue, and I think I'm free to say that we have sent a letter to the NCAA about this issue and will be following up."

Penn State law professor Stephen Ross, an antitrust expert who once worked for the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department, called the letter "curious."

"It doesn't commit the Justice Department to anything," he said. "They haven't done any investigating, they just sent a letter."

Ross also found it "strange" for the department to make an inquiry public rather than send an investigator to talk to NCAA officials.

"They raise the question whether the BCS is operated not in a manner consistent with the principles of the antitrust law, as opposed to any suggestion in the letter that the BCS actually violates the antitrust law," Ross continued. "Then, (the letter) questions why doesn't the NCAA offer a particular product. Again, it's sort of a curious question. What is the antitrust conspiracy that would be illegal?"

Contributing: Kelly Whiteside, Associated Press

Letter From Dept of Justice to NCAA on BCS

Posted

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View the original article here

Justice Department asks NCAA why it doesn't have football playoff

The Department of Justice has sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert asking why the association does not have a major-college football playoff and it wants to know if Emmert believes some apsects of the Bowl Championship Series system do not serve the interests of fans, schools and players.

• 

  By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

  
  

  The BCS currently selects two teams to play in its national championship game with a formula that includes the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive poll and a computer ranking of teams.

By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

The BCS currently selects two teams to play in its national championship game with a formula that includes the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive poll and a computer ranking of teams.

Christine A. Varney, assistant attorney general in the Justice Departmen's Antitrust Division, pointed out in the letter sent Tuesday that "serious questions" continue to arise as to whether the BCS system is consistent with federal antitrust laws.

Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff recently said he plans an antitrust lawsuit against the BCS, and Varney wrote that 21 professors have requested the Justice Department conduct an investigation of the system.

"Your views would be relevant in helping us to deternine the best course of action with regard to the BCS," Varney wrote.

NCAA spokesman Bob Williams, in a statement Wednesday, said that the association will respond when it receives the letter.

"It should be noted that President Emmert consistently has said ... that the NCAA is willing to help create a playoff format for Football Bowl Subdivision football if the FBS membership makes that decision," he said.

To date, the FBS schools have opted to stick with the bowl system.

Bill Hancock, the BCS executive director, has long expressed confidence that the BCS complies with the law. "With all that's going on in the world right now and with national and state budgets being what they are, it seems like a waste of taxpayers' money to have the government looking into how college football games are played," he said.

However, Matthew Sanderson, a founder of PlayoffPAC.com., a politcal action committee pushing for a tournament, said: "I'm surprised the BCS still trots out that tired argument. This issue may not be of international importance, but this is a billion-dollar enterprise involving tax-exempt entities and institutions of higher learning."

Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday made reference to Varney's letter at a Senate hearing, while responding to a statement from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has been a critic of the BCS.

Hatch called the present system a "mess" and said that "privileged conferences" have tremendous advantages with the status quo.

"I just hope that you'll continue to follow up on that particular issue," he said. "It's an important one, I think."

"I don't disagree with you," Holder said. "You and I have talked about this issue, and I think I'm free to say that we have sent a letter to the NCAA about this issue and will be following up."

Penn State law professor Stephen Ross, an antitrust expert who once worked for the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department, called the letter "curious."

"It doesn't commit the Justice Department to anything," he said. "They haven't done any investigating, they just sent a letter."

Ross also found it "strange" for the department to make an inquiry public rather than send an investigator to talk to NCAA officials.

"They raise the question whether the BCS is operated not in a manner consistent with the principles of the antitrust law, as opposed to any suggestion in the letter that the BCS actually violates the antitrust law," Ross continued. "Then, (the letter) questions why doesn't the NCAA offer a particular product. Again, it's sort of a curious question. What is the antitrust conspiracy that would be illegal?"

Contributing: Kelly Whiteside, Associated Press

Letter From Dept of Justice to NCAA on BCS

Posted

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Beyond the points: 10 valuable NHL playoff performers

Ten NHL players whose playoff value goes beyond goals and assists:

• 

  By Nick Wass, AP

  
  

  Tampa Bay's Eric Brewer, right, has been one of the NHL's better late-season pickups.

By Nick Wass, AP

Tampa Bay's Eric Brewer, right, has been one of the NHL's better late-season pickups.

1. Tampa Bay's Eric Brewer: He has been among the NHL's top late-season pickups. He's leading all NHL playoff performers with 36 blocked shots and he's among the leaders with 30 hits. One of the keys to the Lightning's defense has been its shot-blocking. He's had the most playing time on the best penalty killing unit in the playoffs. The Lightning have given up two goals in 51 chances.

• 
  

  LIGHTNING: Push Capitals to the brink

  
  

2. Boston's Patrice Bergeron: In addition to being second in the league in scoring, he's leading his team with 27 hits and he has won 60.8% of his faceoffs. He has given the puck away only once in these playoffs.

3. Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk: Forget about his scoring numbers. He's also second on his team in hits and first in blocked shots and is tied for the NHL lead in postseason takeaways (13). And he wins 53.8% of his faceoffs.

4. Vancouver's Alex Edler: He is among the NHL leaders with 33 hits and 21 blocked shots, playing for a team that has given up five goals over the last roughly 16 periods.

5. San Jose's Douglas Murray: Anyone watching the Detroit-San Jose series knows the 240-pound defenseman has been a beast. He is always in the middle of the action. He has 33 hits.

6. Boston's Brad Marchand: If there was playoff rookie of the year, this feisty forward might be the favorite. He's leading the league in postseason plus-minus (plus-8). He's plus-6 on the road. He's noticeable every shift he takes.

7. Nashville's Ryan Suter: He's leading NHL playoff performers with an average of 29 minutes, 34 seconds per game. He's on that much because he's one of the NHL's smoothest defensemen at both ends of the ice.

8. Vancouver's Ryan Kesler: He didn't have a playoff goal until he scored twice on Tuesday, but even before that, he seemed to be in charge every time he was on the ice.

• 
  

  CANUCKS: Ryan Kesler has big game

  
  

9. Tampa Bay's Mattias Ohlund: How many memorable hits has he had this postseason? It seems like he has had several. He has been credited with 18 hits, and he has 33 blocked shots. He's a major contributor to Tampa Bay's success.

10. Detroit's Darren Helm: The game changes when he's on the ice because of his speed. He's the league's most dangerous 12-goal scorer. He always forechecks relentlessly.

Posted | Updated

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