MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 SPORTS

Zimmerman Boxing eyes match Corinthians fans Golovkin retains WBA title ORLANDO: George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of second-degree murder last year invade ground MONACO: Kazakh star Gennady Golovkin defended his WBA middleweight crown with a seventh in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, plans to take up celebrity round knock-out of Ghana’s Osumanu Adama in Monte Carlo. boxing and is on the lookout for an opponent, the website Radar Online reported. SAO PAULO: Around 100 furious Corinthians fans, armed with The 31-year-old, a silver medallist at the 2004 Olympics in Athens when an amateur, took his Zimmerman, 30, linked to the Radar Online report in a post on his Twitter account with sticks and iron bars, invaded their team’s training ground in record to a perfect 29 victories in as many fights and 26 of those coming inside the distance. the words, “Here we go.” Promoter Damon Feldman is behind the celebrity boxing Saturday, demanding to speak to the players about the 5-1 mid- Adama was dropped three times on Saturday night before referee Luis Pabon waved off the match, set to take place on March 1, according to Radar Online. week defeat by Santos, the club said. contest. The 33-year-old Chicago-based Ghanaian’s record dropped to 22 Startled club directors considered calling off Sunday’s match “Boxing isn’t new to me,” Zimmerman told Radar Online in wins, with 16 KOs, and four defeats. against Ponte Preta before declaring that it would go ahead, and an article posted on the celebrity news outlet’s website The first knock-down came at the end of the first round from an last week. said that employees were attacked and robbed during the invasion. Photographs showed the fans, many of them shirtless and overhand right before Adama took to using his reach advantage Zimmerman began boxing long before the February to keep Golovkin at bay with his jab. 2012 incident with 17-year-old Martin that drew national some hooded, forcing their way into the training ground in Sao But he was knocked down again at the end of the sixth attention, he told Radar Online. The case polarized the Paulo after making a hole in the fence, just as the team were about nation around issues of racial justice, self defense and to start a practice session. round and when he was put on the canvas in the seventh gun control. Zimmerman’s plans to enter the ring come Brazilian media reported that the players fled to their dressing from a jab, the referee decided he’d seen enough. after he successfully capitalized on his celebrity in room and locked themselves in before police reinforcements Golovkin, considered one of the best pound-for-pound December by auctioning a flag painting on eBay, selling arrived and negotiated with the supporters for two hours. (P4P) fighters in the world now wants to fight WBC champion the artwork for just over $100,000. Some of the pro- Coach Mano Menezes agreed to hold a meeting with five rep- Sergio Martinez of Argentina, also considered a top 10 P4P ceeds from the event would go to an animal rescue char- resentatives of the supporters. “The Corinthians directors repudiate fighter. “I felt comfortable right from the beginning of the fight, ity, Zimmerman told Radar Online, but he declined to name and deeply lament the acts of vandalism by a group of supporters he wasn’t easy to box but he never hurt me,” said the Kazakh. He at the training ground this morning,” the club said in a statement, the organization. He also suggested he might not box said he wants to fight Martinez “to prove who is the best adding that they would co-operate with police to identify and pun- again after the event. “Obviously if I get my butt kicked middleweight right now.” —AP around, then no!” he told the website. —Reuters ish the culprits. —Reuters Lightning strike down Canadiens

MONTREAL: Nate Thompson scored twice, dominated the pace but Bobrovsky made several time all season. Anaheim has lost three of five at including the winner at 4:36 of overtime, to give big stops to maintain the two-goal lead. He Honda Center after opening the season 20-0-2 at the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the improved to 11-2 in his last 13 starts. home. Montreal Canadiens on Saturday afternoon. Columbus has won the last six meetings with Ellis had sat out the Stars’ previous nine Ben Bishop stopped 28 shots for Tampa Bay, the Panthers, dating to 2007, and is 9-4 in the games since Jan. 12, but Kari Lehtonen’s veteran which snapped a two-game losing streak. Daniel series. Tim Thomas had 26 saves for the Panthers, backup posted Dallas’ third shutout victory in six Briere scored for Montreal. Carey Price made 34 who have lost three straight. games. Ellis played 23 games with Anaheim from saves. Thompson scored the clincher when Alex February 2011 to 2012. Captain Jamie Benn Killorn found him all alone in from of Price. MAPLE LEAFS 6, SENATORS 3 added an empty-net goal with 28 seconds left for The Lightning have a five-point advantage Phil Kessel scored three goals as Toronto beat the Stars, who snapped a five-game road skid. over the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division. After Ottawa for its sixth straight win at home. With the Lightning took a 1-0 lead in the second peri- 5:59 left, Tyler Bozak fed a pass to Kessel, who FLAMES 4, WILD 3 SOCHI: A worker climbs the roof of the Bolshoy ice dome, home to the ice hockey events od, Briere tied it at 7:25 of the third, taking a scored his 30th goal of the season to complete Mikael Backlund scored two goals, including in the seaside cluster prior to the start of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. —AFP cross-ice pass from captain Brian Gionta and fir- his hat trick and give Toronto a 4-3 lead. the winner 2:25 into overtime to give Calgary a ing home his ninth of the season over Bishop’s Kessel is second in the NHL in goals this sea- victory over Minnesota. Backlund took the puck shoulder. The goal was Briere’s second in as many son. Toronto’s (30-21-6) streak is its longest since to the net and sent a pass to Sean Monahan for a games. the Maple Leafs concluded the 2006-07 season shot that was stopped by goalie Darcy Kuemper. First teams arrive as Thompson was credited with the game’s first with 10 straight home victories. They have won The puck bounced into the air, and Backlund bat- goal, at 5:58 of the second, after defenseman P.K. Russia races to finish Subban put the puck in his own net. FLYERS 2, KINGS 0 SOCHI: Russia yesterday welcomed the first see whether it is capable of hosting a Steve Mason posted his second shutout in teams to its southern resort of Sochi less world class Games amid concerns about three games with 35 saves and Wayne Simmonds than a week ahead of the start to the issues ranging from the risk of attacks by scored his 100th NHL goal, leading Philadelphia Olympic Games, as organisers worked all Caucasus militants and Russia’s now noto- over Los Angeles. out to finish accommodation on time. The rious law against gay propaganda. It was the 22nd career shutout and third this Games, the biggest event Russia has hosted Russia is proudly presenting what it season for Mason, who stopped 33 shots in a 5-0 since the fall of the Soviet Union, are to get sees as a new concept for the Games, with win against Detroit last Tuesday after getting underway on February 7 at a ceremony stadium events like figure skating and ice pulled by coach Craig Berube in two of his previ- starting at 2014 local time (1614 GMT) that hockey held in the Olympic Park on the ous three starts. Mason got a break with less than is expected to project Russia’s status as a temperate coastline and the alpine and 31/2 minutes left, when Justin Williams tried a world and sporting power. nordic events in the snowy mountains wraparound and hit the left post. Athletes from five teams, including New above. Claude Giroux added his 17th goal on a power Zealand and Japan, were given official wel- Despite being billed as the Sochi play with 1:58 left, converting a cross-ice pass at coming ceremonies as they arrived at the Games, the event is centred over 30 kilo- the left of the crease from Scott Hartnell while Olympic Village ahead of the main influx of metres to the south of the city close to the Matt Greene was serving an interference penalty. athletes next week. resort of Adler, with self contained “moun- Media arriving early for the Games have tain” and “coastal” clusters. AVALANCHE 7, SABRES 1 found organisers racing against the clock to A security blanket has descended on Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, finish accommodation on time, with rooms the area after the deadly suicide bombings and Gabriel Landeskog also had two goals as still being furnished even after journalists in Volgograd in December that killed 34 Colorado beat Buffalo. Nathan MacKinnon had a had checked in. people and exposed the risk of militant goal and two assists and Semyon Varlamov had “There are still some issues to be solved attacks on the Games. 27 saves for the Avalanche, who have won three as it is always just before the games,” Cars need a special permit to enter the straight. MONTREAL: Teddy Purcell No. 16 of the Tampa Bay Lightning stick handles the puck in front of International Olympic Committee president Sochi area and airport-style security is in Varlamov also had his second assist of the sea- Daniel Briere No. 48 of the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre. —AFP Thomas Bach acknowledged as he attend- force for commuters using local trains, with son. The Avalanche were playing their final home ed a session of the IOC executive board in hundreds of volunteers body-searching game before going on a four-game East Coast five straight over Ottawa. Bozak stretched the ted it down and past Kuemper to give Calgary a Sochi. “But always in this respect we are in passengers at each station. road trip ahead of the Olympic break. They have lead to two goals with 1:33 remaining, one-tim- 5-0 homestand. contact with the organising committee and Australian Olympic team chef de mis- won eight of 10 and are 35-14-5. It’s their best ing a pass from Kessel past Craig Anderson for his The last time the Flames swept a homestand we hope that the situation will be solved in sion Ian Chesterman said team members start to a season since 2000-01 when they won 11th goal. Nazem Kadri added an empty-netter that long was in 1997, Jarome Iginla’s rookie sea- the next couple of days,” he added. are banned from travelling into Sochi city the Stanley Cup. with 28 seconds to go. Joffrey Lupul also scored son. TJ Galiardi, with his first goal in 38 games, After winning the right to host the as a security precaution. Closely watched Marc-Andre Cliche scored his first NHL goal for Toronto. Chris Neil scored two goals, and and Dennis Wideman also scored for Calgary (21- Games in a bid spearheaded by President will be the enforcement of the “gay propa- and Tyson Barrie also scored for the Avalanche. Colin Greening added one for Ottawa (24-21-10). 27-7), which hadn’t won five in a row since March Vladimir Putin, Russia had to build almost ganda” law passed by the Russian parlia- Matt D’Agostini scored Buffalo. 2012. all its infrastructure from scratch in an ment last year which bans the promotion BLUES 4, PREDATORS 3 Mark Giordano had two assists to extend his almost virgin area, a drive that has caused of homosexuality to minors. The law, which BRUINS 4, OILERS 0 Vladimir Tarasenko scored and added an assist career-high point streak to nine games. Matt huge concern among environmental activists say is patently homophobic, David Krejci scored a second-period power- in regulation, and then netted the deciding goal Cooke, Dany Heatley and Keith Ballard scored for activists. prompted calls in some quarters for a boy- play goal and Chad Johnson made 22 saves for in the shootout to lead St. Louis over Nashville. Minnesota (29-21-7). “The first time I visited the Olympic Park cott of the Games although these were his second career shutout as Boston earned a vic- Brian Elliott, who has won 14 of his last 15 at was in August 2009 and it was an empty never followed up at a political level. tory over Edmonton. home, stopped three of four shots in the SHARKS 2, BLACKHAWKS 1 site. I’m not afraid that things are not yet The so-called “mayor” of the coastal Krejci’s 12th goal of the season at 2:06 of the shootout. Nashville fell to 1-7 in the tiebreaker. Joe Thornton capped San Jose’s perfect completed-they are tiny details and will be Olympic village is the Russian pole vault second period was enough for the Bruins to win Jaden Schwartz and David Backes also scored shootout with a nifty move past Corey Crawford finished soon,” said Oleg Kharchenko, the champion Elena Isinbayeva who caused a for the sixth time in their past eight games and for the Blues, who have beaten the Predators that helped the Sharks snap a three-game losing chief architect from state contractor furore with her anti-gay remarks at the maintain the second-best record in the Eastern eight of the last nine. Elliott made 28 saves to streak with a victory over Chicago. Olympstroi. World Athletics Championships in August. Conference. end a three-game losing streak. Paul Gaustad, Joe Pavelski scored a short-handed goal and Teams from New Zealand, Mongolia, The weather, however should pose little Dougie Hamilton, Carl Soderberg and Torey Mike Fisher and Roman Josi scored the Nashville opened the shootout with a goal. Patrick Marleau Japan, Belgium and the Philippines are the problem. Krug scored in the third for Boston. Jarome Iginla goals, and Carter Hutton turned aside 31 shots. also scored in the tiebreaker for the Sharks, who first being ceremonially welcomed on According to the Russian weather cen- and Zdeno Chara each had two assists. have won eight of their past nine shootouts. Sunday in the two Olympic villages by the tre’s chief Sochi forecaster Valery Lukyanov, Edmonton goalie Ben Scrivens was coming off STARS 2, DUCKS 0 Antti Niemi made 29 saves and stopped Patrick sea and by the mountains. The Russian temperatures are near ideal for the first a scintillating performance against San Jose on Dan Ellis made 26 saves against his former Sharp in the second round of the shootout. team is due to arrive on February 5. days of the Games, reaching up to 12 Wednesday, when he set the NHL regular-season team in his 14th career shutout, and Trevor Daley Brandon Saad scored a power-play goal, and degrees Celsius by the sea but freezing record for saves in a regulation shutout with 59 scored in Dallas’ victory over Anaheim. Crawford made 38 saves for the Blackhawks, who High security nicely down to a minimum of minus 12 at during the Oilers’ 3-0 win over the Sharks. Jonas Hiller stopped 25 shots for the NHL- have lost five of six games as they limp toward The world will be scrutinising Russia to night in the mountains. —AFP Scrivens made 37 saves on Saturday. leading Ducks, who were shut out for the first the Olympic break. —AP

COYOTES 3, PENGUINS 1 Zbynek Michalek scored against his former team, his first goal in 83 games, as Phoenix NHL results/standings Canadian curlers became the first Pacific Division team to beat Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh in regula- Boston 4, Edmonton 0; Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1 (OT); Colorado 7, Buffalo 1; Philadelphia 2, Los set to rock Sochi tion this season. Angeles 0; Toronto 6, Ottawa 3; Columbus 4, Florida 1; St. Louis 4, Nashville 3 (SO); Phoenix 3, Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh 1; Calgary 4, Minnesota 3 (OT); Dallas 2, Anaheim 0; San Jose 2, Chicago 1 (SO). CANADA: Canada and Sweden will seek to Olympic lineup at the 1998 Nagano Phoenix, and Radim Vrbata scored the third goal Western Conference Eastern Conference complete curling Olympic gold medal hat- Winter Games, Canadian rinks have won for the Coyotes. Michalek’s previous goal was Pacific Division Atlantic Division tricks at the Sochi Olympics while trying to medals at each edition in the men’s and scored on March 5, 2012, for Pittsburgh against Boston 35 16 3 164 119 73 Phoenix. W L OTL GF GA PTS nudge the ancient niche sport a little clos- women’s events. Tampa Bay 32 18 5 162 137 69 Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins, who er to the modern mainstream. Anaheim 40 12 5 189 139 85 Toronto 30 21 6 170 176 66 A game played with brooms, curling CANADA DOMINANT entered 8-0-1 against Pacific Division foes. The San Jose 35 15 6 168 134 76 Montreal 29 20 6 136 137 64 will never sweep spectators off their feet On the men’s side Canada has been the Penguins, who had won three straight over the Detroit 24 19 11 139 152 59 the same way the downhill racers will but dominant force, taking silver in Nagano Coyotes, made their first appearance in Arizona Los Angeles 30 21 6 134 122 66 Ottawa 24 21 10 158 176 58 every four years the sporting world renews and Salt Lake City and gold in Turin and in 3 1-2 years. Vancouver 27 20 9 142 147 63 Florida 21 27 7 133 174 49 its fascination with the medieval game Vancouver. Mike Smith, back in goal after Phoenix had Phoenix 26 19 10 159 164 62 gone with Thomas Greiss the previous two Buffalo 15 31 8 105 161 38 that has surprisingly produced some of the The torch has now been passed to Brad Calgary 21 27 7 132 173 49 Olympics’ highest television ratings. Jacobs who will try to skip Canada to a games, made 23 saves. Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre With nearly one million registered third straight gold in Sochi while Jennifer Fleury stopped 27 shots. Edmonton 18 33 6 147 194 42 Metropolitan Division curlers in Canada, more than the rest of Jones will bid to put the Canadian women Pittsburgh 38 15 2 176 132 78 the world combined, the sport enjoys a on top of the podium for the first time BLUE JACKETS 4, PANTHERS 1 Central Division NY Rangers 30 23 3 145 140 63 high profile in the country with competi- since Nagano and end a run of silver and Linemates Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner Columbus 28 23 4 163 154 60 Chicago 33 10 14 200 158 80 tions routinely attracting sold-out crowds bronze medal finishes. each had a goal and an assist in the first period, Philadelphia 27 23 6 152 163 60 and top television ratings. Jacobs’s fist-pumping foursome head to and Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves to lead St. Louis 37 12 5 185 125 79 Carolina 25 20 9 137 151 59 But along with that popularity come Russia as the title favourites having Columbus past Florida. Colorado 35 14 5 165 142 75 New Jersey 23 21 12 132 140 58 expectations. Only the Canadian men’s marched through the Canadian Olympic tri- After Brad Boyes cut Florida’s deficit to 2-1 ear- Minnesota 29 21 7 140 144 65 Washington 24 22 9 158 167 57 and women’s ice hockey teams in Sochi als - considered by many a higher quality ly in the second period, Nick Foligno and Mark NY Islanders 21 28 8 159 191 50 Dallas 25 21 9 158 160 59 will be under greater pressure than the competition than the Olympics - undefeat- Letestu scored for the Blue Jackets. Nathan Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one curlers to bring home gold. ed, including a victory over reigning Horton had two assists in the opening 20 min- Nashville 25 23 9 142 172 59 point in the standings and are not included in Since curling was added to the Olympic champion Kevin Martin. —Reuters utes. Winnipeg 26 25 5 159 165 57 the loss column (L). Down 3-1 going into the third, the Panthers