Alabama Outlasts South Carolina in 4-OT Thriller
It took two halves and four overtime periods, but the Alabama Crimson Tide were able to pull away from 19th-ranked South Carolina for a 90-86 upset victory Tuesday night. Riley Norris scored six of his 11 points in the fourth OT, including the go-ahead free throws with less than a minute left. The Tide were able to overcome a huge night from Sindarius Thornwell, who had a career-high 44 points, including a Gamecock record 25 free throws. Bama led by as many as 17 in the first half, and also held a 12-point lead with under five minutes left, before South Carolina rallied to force the first of four OTs. Alabama trailed by as many as seven in the second overtime, but put together a comeback of their own in the final two minutes to keep the marathon going. With the tough loss, South Carolina falls into a three-way tie with Kentucky and Florida for the SEC lead.
Ludnqvist, Rangers Give Vigneault 600th Win
Henrik Lundqvist had himself a night, which turned into a celebratory night for his head coach, Alain Vigenault. Lundqvist had a season-high 43 saves, leading the New York Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks, the 600th of Vigneault's career. Michael Grabner scored twice, while Mats Zuccarello and Oscar Lindberg also found the back of the net in New York's sixth win in eight games. Their star goalie gave up less than three goals for a sixth time in seven games, improving to 6-1-0 in that span. His 43-save effort tops his 40-save performance on November 25th against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Ducks suffered their fifth loss in the past seven games. They are now 2-15-7 when trailing after two periods.
Bruins Fire Head Coach Julien
Following weeks of speculation and rumors, the Boston Bruins confirmed it all on Tuesday by firing head coach, Claude Julien. The talks for weeks were surrounding the fact that not everyone was on the same page within the organization. Since joining the team in 2007, Julien has had plenty of success with the team, including in 2011, when they won their first Stanley Cup since 1972. They returned to the Cup Finals in 2013, only to fall to the Chicago Blackhawks. The coach also won the Jack Adams Trophy in 2008-09 as Coach of the Year. The veteran coach was in his 10th season with the Bruins, which made him the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. Chicago's Joel Quenneville now holds that title, being with the Blackhawks since 2008. Assistant coach Bruce Cassidy will take over a Boston team that sits in fourth place in the Atlantic, just two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It took two halves and four overtime periods, but the Alabama Crimson Tide were able to pull away from 19th-ranked South Carolina for a 90-86 upset victory Tuesday night. Riley Norris scored six of his 11 points in the fourth OT, including the go-ahead free throws with less than a minute left. The Tide were able to overcome a huge night from Sindarius Thornwell, who had a career-high 44 points, including a Gamecock record 25 free throws. Bama led by as many as 17 in the first half, and also held a 12-point lead with under five minutes left, before South Carolina rallied to force the first of four OTs. Alabama trailed by as many as seven in the second overtime, but put together a comeback of their own in the final two minutes to keep the marathon going. With the tough loss, South Carolina falls into a three-way tie with Kentucky and Florida for the SEC lead.
Ludnqvist, Rangers Give Vigneault 600th Win
Henrik Lundqvist had himself a night, which turned into a celebratory night for his head coach, Alain Vigenault. Lundqvist had a season-high 43 saves, leading the New York Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks, the 600th of Vigneault's career. Michael Grabner scored twice, while Mats Zuccarello and Oscar Lindberg also found the back of the net in New York's sixth win in eight games. Their star goalie gave up less than three goals for a sixth time in seven games, improving to 6-1-0 in that span. His 43-save effort tops his 40-save performance on November 25th against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Ducks suffered their fifth loss in the past seven games. They are now 2-15-7 when trailing after two periods.
Bruins Fire Head Coach Julien
Following weeks of speculation and rumors, the Boston Bruins confirmed it all on Tuesday by firing head coach, Claude Julien. The talks for weeks were surrounding the fact that not everyone was on the same page within the organization. Since joining the team in 2007, Julien has had plenty of success with the team, including in 2011, when they won their first Stanley Cup since 1972. They returned to the Cup Finals in 2013, only to fall to the Chicago Blackhawks. The coach also won the Jack Adams Trophy in 2008-09 as Coach of the Year. The veteran coach was in his 10th season with the Bruins, which made him the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. Chicago's Joel Quenneville now holds that title, being with the Blackhawks since 2008. Assistant coach Bruce Cassidy will take over a Boston team that sits in fourth place in the Atlantic, just two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs.
