Hart has 34 saves in Flyers’ 4-1 win over Bruins
Larry Stalbaum has had an incredibly successful career in harness racing. The Michigan native’s career started all the way back in the 1980’s and now some 35 years later, the veteran is still enjoying big time success on the track. Stalbaum owns many of the horses he trains and also does a lot of catch- driving.
In fact, the numbers Larry has piled up in the sulky over the years have been terrific and on Monday, he reached an impressive career milestone. Stalbaum came into Monday with 5,998 career wins as a driver. After guiding trotter Bold Creation to victory midway through the matinee card, Stalbaum had just one drive remaining for the day when he sat behind the Melissa Beckwith-trained Scarlett Raider.
Scarlett Raider was a secondplace finisher in two consecutive starts heading into Monday’s try when he was dismissed at odds of 14-1. When the race’s favorite made an early break and a few of the other top contenders slugged it out early, the table was set for a closer and when the curtain rose, it was Scarlett Raider emerging victorious to give Stalbaum the milestone win. A sign recognizing the incredible driving feat was presented to Larry in the winner’s circle.
Though Stalbaum made history on Monday, that afternoon’s card was just the start of what would be a huge week for the veteran reinsman. The Tuesday program kicked off with Stalbaum picking up a catch-drive as he replaced an injured Chris Long to sit behind the Andy Sardella-trained Stonebridge Mach. That pacer got a firstover journey as a big longshot at odds of 24-1 but raced like a favorite as he powered past his rivals to record the upset win. A pair of Stalbaum trainees rounded out yet another big day at the Spa for aggressive and talented sulky star. 2019’s Pacer of the Year at Saratoga, Crockets Cullen N was the odds-on favorite in the $8,500 Open Pace on Tuesday and Stalbaum wasted little time powering the stalwart out to the front- end.
Crockets Cullen N posted sizzling fractions throughout. After getting to the first quarter in 26.3, the track’s defending champ went to the half in 55.3 before clicking off three quarters in 1:23.4. The nine year old star stopped the timer in 1:52.4 to win his fourth Open Pace of the year and his incredible thirteenth since September of last season. A dominant force once again in the ‘20 campaign, Crockets Cullen N is certainly on pace to repeat as the track’s top pacer. Stalbaum ended up securing a hat trick on Tuesday when he guided his Jericho Willie to a first- over victory late in the card. A nine-time winner in ‘19, Jericho Willie prevailed for the first time this season for Stalbaum who has been on a tear.
Wednesday evening wound up being more of the same for Stalbaum who not only made three more trips to the winner’s circle but did so while piloting horses that he trains. In fact, another Stalbaum trainee won an Open as his Miss Irish Rose A went coast-to- coast to score her third victory of the season in the Fillies and Mares Open at the Spa.
TORONTO (AP) » Carter Hart and the Philadelphia Flyers sure didn’t look stale following a 4 ½-month pause to the NHL season.
Hart stopped 34 shots, and the Flyers got a balanced and opportunistic attack in opening the expanded playoffs seeding round with a 4-1 win over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Michael Raff l had a goal and assist, while Nate Thompson, Philippe Myers and Scott Laughton also scored for the Flyers. Hart, 11 days shy of his 22nd birthday, became the youngest goalie in Flyers history to win a playoff game.
“Once you get out there and start playing, the game really slows down,” said Hart, who picked up from where he left off after closing the season going 9-2 and allowing just 21 goals.
“He doesn’t look 21 to me,” Thompson said of Hart. “He’s pretty poised and off the ice he carries himself well beyond his years. A true pro. He’s our backbone back there.”
The Bruins, by comparison, looked old and sluggish in their playoff debut, and nothing like the team which led the NHL with 44 wins, 100 points, and allowed a league-low 167 goals.
“I’m thinking we need to make a better freaking play with the puck,” coach Bruce Cassidy said, bluntly, complaining about the number of turnovers and a costly line change. “We need to make better plays with the puck, be stronger onit, take care of it, moreurgency. You can use any adjective you want. That to me was the difference in the game.”
If there were a bright side, the Bruins — like the Flyers — are among the top four Eastern Conference teams competing in a round-robin seeding tournament and already assured of advancing to the first round.
That doesn’t mean the Bruins are taking this performance for granted, especially a team that has a Stay Hungry” tagline, in reference to losing the Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to St. Louis last year.
“Right now, we have to change some things,” defenseman Torey Krug said. “We’ve got to start building our game the right way. If we don’t, we’re going to be showing up to Game 1 of our first series not feeling comfortable.”
Chris Wagner scored for the Bruins, who came out flat and were without starting goalie Tuukka Rask, who was deemed unfit to play.
Jaroslav Halak stopped 25 shots starting in place of the Vezina Trophy finalist, who broke a finger on his left hand before the start of training camp.
Rask was healthy enough to start in Boston’s 4-1 exhibition game loss to Columbus on Wednesday. He allowed three goals on 23 shots over 30 minutes, before giving way to Halak. Cassidy said Rask was feeling better, and hoped he could return for Boston’s game against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
Hart surpassed Pete Peeters, who was nearly 23 in winning Game 1 of Philadelphia’s preliminary series over Edmonton in 1980.
Raffl opened the scoring 5:33 into the second period when he was set up alone driving to the net by Travis Sandheim, who kept the puck in at the blueline. Thompson scored 3:58 later with a snap shot from the left circle on a play that began with teammate Ivan Provorov pouncing on a Bruins’ turnover in the neutral zone.
AndevenwhentheBruins scored on Wagner’s wraparound goal with 1:09 left in the second period, they allowed the Flyers to regain the two-goal edge on Myers’ goal 8 seconds later.