Norfolk, VA, May 4, 2012 – Mike Kostka and Tyler Johnson had a goal and an assist each, and Dustin Tokarski made 27 saves, as the Norfolk Admirals defeated the Connecticut Whale, 4-1, Friday night at Scope Arena in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series.

The best-of-seven series is now even at one game apiece.

Penalties hurt the Whale in their first postseason loss in five games, as Norfolk was 2/11 on the power play.  The Whale were 1/7 on the man advantage, as Andre Deveaux scored the only Connecticut goal of the game on a second-period power play.  Cam Talbot absorbed his first playoff loss in the Whale goal, despite making 36 saves.

The Whale generated numerous chances in the first period but could not beat Tokarski, and the Admirals would bury a pair of opportunities at the other end.

Alex Killorn gave Norfolk the game’s first lead at the 3:00 mark, after a good forecheck by defenseman Keith Aulie worked the puck loose.  Pierre-Cedric Labrie centered to Killorn, who snapped the puck past Talbot.

After furious Whale power-play pressure was fought off by Tokarski, Kostka scored a second Admiral goal at 17:44.  Alexandre Picard, who had served three minor penalties in the period, threaded a pass from the right-wing side across the slot to the defenseman Kostka, whose low shot beat Talbot.

The two teams then traded power-play goals in the second frame, starting at 9:02 when Deveaux, a 20-goals-scorer in the regular season got his first of the playoffs off of a goalmouth scramble.  A Deveaux pass went off of Marek Hrivik’s skate and into the goal crease.  Kelsey Tessier, who was going hard towards the goal, was knocked down into the net, and Deveaux found the loose puck and poked it in.

Norfolk replied on a five-on-three, however, after Kris Newbury took a cross-checking penalty at the 15-minute mark with Wade Redden already in the box for roughing.  Johnson had a pass from the left side of the goalmouth blocked, but the puck went off of a Whale defender right back to Johnson, and his shot just eluded a diving Talbot for a 3-1 Norfolk advantage.

The Admiral man advantage unit struck again at 4:41 of the third period to create the final margin, after a tripping call against Newbury at 3:40.

The best-of-seven series now switches to the XL Center in Hartford for Games Three and Four, which will be this Sunday, May 6 and Monday, May 7, with faceoff at 7:00 both nights (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com, live video streaming at www.ahllive.com).  Tickets for Games Three and Four are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Playoff ticket packages are also available that include tickets to all possible home playoff games.  To speak to a Whale account executive about a playoff ticket package, call (860) 728-3366.  More information is available at www.ctwhale.com.

To continue reading, please click the read more button below if you're on the home page.

After enjoying the day off on Thursday, the Boston Red Sox will finish up their six game, seven day homestand starting tonight when they welcome the Baltimore Orioles for the first of a three-game set at Historic Fenway Park

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Orioles television market, you can catch the game on MASN. If you can't catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Jon Lester becomes the first Red Sox pitcher to make six starts tonight. In his previous five starts, Lester is 1-2 with a 4.65 ERA. He made two starts against the Orioles in 2011 and was 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA (4 ER/14 IP). Lester has owned the Orioles in his career as he is 14-0 with a 2.36 ERA in 18 starts.

Wei-Yin Chen, the first Taiwanese player in Orioles history, makes his fifth start of the 2012 season for Buck Showalter. In his previous four starts, Chen is 2-0 with a 2.22 ERA (6 ER/24.1 IP). He has not faced the Red Sox in his brief career.

Click on the read more button below to see today's lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight and day if you're on the home page.

The cold, damp weather plus some good pitching in the last two games hasn't been kind to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park this week. And it's not expected to change until Sunday at the earliest. The weather that is.

Hopefully the weather along with some good Red Sox pitching cools off the surprising Baltimore Orioles who come to the Fens for a three-game weekend set. Sure it's early in the season but the Orioles are playing some good baseball right now as they sit at 16-9 and 1.5 games out of first place.

The last time the Red Sox faced the Orioles, the fortunes of the local nine changed. It was the Orioles who eliminated the Red Sox from a playoff spot in the last game of the 2011 season.

So while the players may not say this publicly, you have to think they would love nothing more than getting some revenge by picking up a weekend sweep. The Red Sox definitely could need that right now after dropping two straight games to fall back below .500 at 11-13.

The landscape of the AL East did change a little yesterday after the New York Yankees announced that closer Mariano Rivera would miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL during batting practice. Yes he plays for the Yankees but Rivera has earned the respect of everyone. He's one of the few Yankees to get an "ovation" at Fenway Park.

But back to the Red Sox.

Right now Adrian Gonzalez is mired in a slump for the ages for him. He's 0 for his last 17 at the plate. We all know he's way too good of a hitter for this to happen. You can bet that he spent sometime yesterday on the off day analyzing his swing and I'd say he'll probably do more of that this afternoon before the game.

The Red Sox do have the right guy on the mound tonight in Jon Lester to turn things around. Lester has owned the Orioles in his career as he is 14-0 with 2.36 ERA in 18 career starts. We need his dominance of them to continue tonight.

As expected, the Red Sox called up Aaron Cook last night. He'll take the place of Josh Beckett on Saturday. The Red Sox sent down Jose Iglesias to make room for Cook. Iglesias had been called up to provide depth for Kevin Youkilis before he was placed on the DL and Will Middlebrooks came up.

We'll be back later with today's lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. So for now, let's take at look at the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at how the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox fare each night. Game story and box score links as well as links to team rosters, team stats and league standings can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

We all knew that the Boston Red Sox were going to call up Aaron Cook from Triple-A Pawtucket. Well now the move is official.

To make room for Cook on the 40-man roster, Carl Crawford was moved to the 60-day DL. Jose Iglesias was optioned to the PawSox to make room for Cook on the 25-man roster.

Here's the full release from the Red Sox:

The Boston Red Sox today selected right-handed pitcher Aaron Cook to the active Major League roster from Triple-A Pawtucket. The club also announced that shortstop Jose Iglesias was optioned to Pawtucket following Wednesday night’s game.

To make room for Cook on the 40-man roster, the club transferred outfielder Carl Crawford to the 60-day disabled list. Cook is scheduled to start against the Orioles on Saturday at Fenway Park.

Cook, 33, began the season with Triple-A Pawtucket after signing with Boston as a minor league free agent on January 11. In five starts for the PawSox, he went 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA (7 ER/33.1 IP), 13 strikeouts, 11 walks and 26 hits allowed.

The right-hander entered today ranked third in the International League in ERA and innings pitched and first among all Triple-A hurlers with two complete games, each 7.0 innings in length. He yielded three or fewer runs over 5.0 innings or more in all five starts, including three outings allowing one run or less. A National League All-Star with Colorado in 2008, Cook is 72-68 with a 4.53 ERA (660 ER/1,312.1 IP) in 238 career Major League appearances, including 206 starts, all with the Rockies over the last 10 seasons from 2002-11.

Iglesias did not appear in a game for Boston after being recalled from Pawtucket on Tuesday. In 23 contests for the PawSox this season, the 22-year-old is 19-for-88 (.216) with a double, five RBI, 10 walks, 11 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Crawford, 30, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 4 (retroactive to March 26) recovering from left wrist surgery.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

The New England Patriots signed wide receiver Jabar Gaffney to a two-year contract bringing back one of QB Tom Brady’s favorite targets to Foxboro.

Gaffney, a member of the Patriots from 2006 to 2008, is a former 2nd round pick (33rd overall) of the Houston Texans in the 2002 NF Draft out of the University of Florida.

In addition to the Texans and Patriots, Gaffney has played for the Denver Broncos and last season for the Washington Redskins.

Entering his 11th season in the NFL, Gaffney has 443 career catches for 5,622 yards and 24 TD’s.

He is the son of former New York Jets WR Derrick Gaffney and the cousin of free agent CB Lito Sheppard.

In addition to Gaffney’s signing the team also has released WR Tiquan Underwood after one season with the team.  Underwood, a former 7th round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Rutgers, is well known for his cool high top fade haircut.

This is the fourth time the Patriots have released Underwood since last September; it includes being released on the night before Super Bowl XLVII only to be re-signed two days later.

It appears Underwood’s release is in direct relation to the Gaffney signing as not counting Wes Welker, who is yet to sign his franchise tender, the team has 11 wide receivers currently on the roster.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

photo credit: Getty Images

HARTFORD, May 3, 2012:  Whalers Sports & Entertainment announced today that Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Calder Cup Playoff series between the Connecticut Whale and the Norfolk Admirals will be aired live state-wide on CPTV Sports this Monday, May 7.

Game Four, which faces off at 7:00 PM Monday night at the XL Center, will be CPTV Sports' first live broadcast since their statewide expansion in April. Check cptvsports.org for cable channel locations on Cablevision, Charter, Cox, Comcast and Thames River cable systems.  Monday’s telecast will also be the first Whale franchise playoff game to be televised since the 2004 postseason.

Game Two of the best-of-seven series, which the Whale leads, 1-0, is Friday night at Scope in Norfolk (7:30 PM faceoff, “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com, live video streaming at www.ahllive.com). The series then switches to the XL Center in Hartford for Games Three and Four, which will be this Sunday, May 6 and Monday, May 7, with faceoff at 7:00 both nights.

Tickets for Games Three and Four at the XL Center are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Playoff ticket packages are also available that include tickets to all possible home playoff games. To speak to a Whale account executive about a playoff ticket package, call (860) 728-3366. More information is available at www.ctwhale.com.

The Tavern Downtown, at 100 Allyn St. in Hartford, will host a special viewing party for Friday’s Game Two. The ahllive feed will be shown on at least one TV at The Tavern Downtown, which will offer Happy Hour specials of $1 off draft and bottled beers, $2 off mixed well drinks, $2 off house wines, $1 off shots, and $4 Whaler Ales, which include the customer keeping the glass. Appetizers will be out for Happy Hour from 5-7 PM, and there will be $2 sliders starting at 7 PM. There will also be raffles and handouts.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

By Bob Crawford

The pressure cooker of pro sports can make for some strange situations, and hockey history has seen many a family battle, with gentlemen sharing the same last name going up against one another in opposing jerseys.

Most of those have been sibling clashes, with brother combinations like Phil and Tony Esposito, the Staal brothers, the Sutter clan, Scott and Rob Niedermayer, Keith and Wayne Primeau, etc., knocking heads.

The current Connecticut Whale vs. Norfolk Admirals series, though, features a father and son locking horns, in the Whale’s Christian Thomas and his dad, Steve.

Christian Thomas joined the Whale from the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League April 4 and played in Connecticut’s last five regular season games, and all four playoff contests to date.  Steve Thomas is Player Development Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Norfolk’s parent club, and while he is not an official member of the Admirals’ coaching staff, often assists Head Coach John Cooper and Assistant Coach Mike Flanagan, both in practice and behind the bench.

Game One of the Whale/Admirals series Wednesday was the first time the two Thomas men had faced each other on opposing sides.  Given that his pride and joy was going to be front and center in the opponent’s lineup, Steve Thomas was conflicted, right up to the start of Wednesday’s game, about whether he should go back behind the bench.

To continue reading, please click the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Note: Pitching matchups are subject to change

Friday, May 4 @ 7:10 PM

Wei-Yin Chen, LHP (2-0, 2.22) vs Jon Lester, LHP (1-2, 4.65)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Gameday Audio

Saturday, May 5 @ 1:10 PM

Jason Hammel, RHP (3-1, 1.97) vs Aaron Cook, RHP (0-0, -.--)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Gameday Audio

Sunday, May 6 @ 1:35 PM

Tommy Hunter, RHP (2-1, 4.56) vs Clay Buchholz, RHP (3-1, 8.69)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Gameday Audio

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.