racing after finishing second in the 1996 Jockey Club Gold Cup

(SportsNetwork.com) - Bill Peters was able to enjoy playoff hockey for each of his three seasons serving as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings, but the current bench boss of Carolina has a uphill battle ahead of him if he is to get his Hurricanes club to the postseason. The first-year head coach faces his former team on Sunday evening as the Hurricanes play host to the Red Wings. Peters spent the previous three seasons as an assistant on Detroit head coach Mike Babcocks staff, working primarily with the Red Wings defensemen and penalty kill units. He was then picked by Carolina in June to replace the fired Kirk Muller, becoming the 13th head coach in franchise history. Sunday will mark the first time he faces the Red Wings and Babcock as a NHL head coach. Time will tell, Peters told the Raleigh News and Observer. Its going to be an exiting day to play Detroit and coach against Babs, but Ill be focused on what we have to do in that game and getting the two points. Sunday will also see 23-year-old Andrej Nestrasil face the Red Wings for the first time. He was a third-round pick by Detroit in 2009 and made his NHL debut with the club this season, notching a pair of assists in 13 games. He was waived by Detroit in the hopes of returning him to the minor leagues, but Carolina claimed him on Nov. 20. Nestrasil has a goal and an assist in six games with the Hurricanes. Carolina is last in the Metropolitan Division and has lost two of three so far on a five-game homestand that ends on Monday versus New Jersey. The Hurricanes were bested 4-2 by the Washington Capitals on Thursday last time out. The Caps got a tie-breaking goal from Eric Fehr with 4:02 remaining as he capitalized on a turnover by Riley Nash. We need better puck management late in the game, said Peters. Alexander Semin scored his first goal in 20 games this season, tying the contest 3:19 into the third period. The tally was the 500th point of his career. Semin, a former 40-goal scorer who had 22 tallies for the Hurricanes last season, had logged just five assists through his first 19 games. With Cam Ward out due to a lower-body injury, Anton Khudobin got the start and made 26 saves. Despite the solid effort, he fell to 0-6-2 this season with a 2.88 goals against average and .903 save percentage. It is unknown if Ward is healthy enough to start today or if Khudobin will face Detroit for the first time in his career. Ward is 2-4-1 versus the Red Wings with a 2.70 GAA and .929 save percentage. Detroit concludes a set of back-to-back games today after rallying to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Saturday. Darren Helm got the go-ahead goal 7:40 into the third period. The Red Wings trailed 2-0 deep into the second period before getting goals from Riley Sheahan and Luke Glendening just over a minute apart. Jimmy Howard stoned the Rangers over the final two frames, finishing with 26 saves in the 500th victory of Babcocks career. (Howard) just put up a wall of plywood there, said Babcock. If they get three (goals), we dont win, so it was a real good job by Howie in the final 40 minutes. Detroit won three of four on its homestand and has picked up a victory in eight of 10 overall. Babcock is expected to give backup Petr Mrazek the start tonight, the first of his career against the Hurricanes. He has won both of his starts this season, giving up seven goals on 56 shots faced. The Red Wings have won six of their past eight versus the Canes, winning in overtime in their only trip to Carolina last season. Wholesale Custom Jerseys . “The shootout, theres nothing wrong with it, I think its an exciting part of the game but its just one small aspect,” said Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. “Its a skill exhibition. If you can get it back closer to regular hockey and have it decided that way; that would be my preference.” “I dont think its a knock on the shootout, I think more of the managers would like to see it end in overtime,” added Washington Capitals GM George McPhee. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . Two-time Olympic bronze medallists Savchenko and Szolkowy received 79.02 points to finish ahead of world bronze medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, who had 77.01 points. https://www.wholesalejerseys2020.com/ . The shortstop still grieves, but it will be nights like the one Segura had in a 5-2 victory Monday over the Cincinnati Reds that will provide some distraction. Wholesale Stitched Jerseys . The Tiger-Cats announced on Friday the linebacker has signed a new contract with the team through the 2016 season. China Jerseys . Forward Iker Muniain scored the winner in the 70th minute after Bilbaos incessant pressure recovered the ball and sparked a counterattack inside Barcelonas half. Neymar was once again tagged to pick up Messis goal-scoring duties, but when he wasnt frustrated by slippery footing Bilbaos defence got the better of him.Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Hall of Fame thoroughbred Cigar has died at the age of 24. A former two-time Horse of the Year, Cigar passed away after surgery at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. The stallion had been living at the Kentucky Horse Park. Cigar had been experiencing arthritis-related health issues over the past six months and was in outstanding physical and mental condition other than the osteoarthritis he was suffering from in several of his cervical vertebrae, said Kathy Hopkins, director of equine operations for the Kentucky Horse Park. Medical therapies had failed to relieve the pressure that the arthritis was causing on his spine, which had resulted in instability in his hind legs. Cigar was owned by Allen Paulson and trained by Bill Mott with Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey serving as his primary rider. The horse was named Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996, as well as champion older male thoroughbred for those years, and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2002. The great champion Cigar thrilled racing fans and surely brought new ones to the sport as he compiled win after win in his incredible streak of victories, said Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. An example of racing at its best, he continued to serve as an ambassador, bringing joy to countless visitors to the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he will be missed. The future champion began racing as a 3-year-old in 1993, but did not win his first stakes race until capturing thhe NYRA Mile at Aqueduct in November 1994.dddddddddddd The stakes is now called the Cigar Mile in his honor. Cigar had a 16-race winning streak from October 1994 through July 1996 that included victories in the first running of the Dubai World Cup in 1996, 1995 Breeders Cup Classic, two Donn and Massachusetts Handicaps, Hollywood Gold Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup. The champion was retired from racing after finishing second in the 1996 Jockey Club Gold Cup and third in the Breeders Cup Classic. He closed his Hall of Fame career with 19 wins, 15 in stakes, from 33 starts with then- record earnings of $9,999,815. Cigar was an incredible horse who left an everlasting mark on the racing world, said Ted Nicholson, interim executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. We are honored that Cigar was able to spend so many years of his life here at the park where he was visited by so many fans and will always be remembered. Cigar was sent to Coolmore in Versailles, Kentucky as a stallion, but he was found to be infertile and was transferred to the Kentucky Horse Park in 1999. Like the other Hall of Champions horses who died in retirement at the park, Cigar will be buried on the Memorial Walk of Champions near thoroughbreds Alysheba, Bold Forbes, Forego, John Henry and Kona Gold; standardbreds Cam Fella and Rambling Willie; American Saddlebreds CH Imperator, CH Skywatch and CH Gypsy Supreme; and American Quarter Horse Sgt. Pepper Feature. ' ' '