Sports: Red Wings; Pistons in good position for playoffs

Red Wings

The Red Wings beat the Maple Leafs on Saturday to move ahead of Boston in third place in the Atlantic Division, and then the Wings got some help from the Blackhawks on Sunday.  Patrick Kane had three goals and an assist as Chicago beat the sagging Boston Bruins on 6-4.  Detroit and Boston each have three games left, including a head-to-head game in Boston on Thursday.  The Wings host the Fliers on Wednesday. They finish the regular season in New York on Saturday against the Rangers.

Datsyuk to Leave Detroit?

Will this season be Pavel Datsyuk's last as a Red Wing?   Reports say he’s considering a return to Russia next season.  His agent, Dan Milstein, failed to offer anything one way or the other, saying Pavel has one more year left on his NHL contract and that they’ll sit down with Ken Holland at the conclusion of the season for their annual year-end meeting.

Leafs’ Player on the Hot Seat for Hitting Red Wings’ Glendenning

Toronto Maple Leaf’s player Nazem Kadri already squawking about being fined for high-sticking Detroit's Luke Glendening on Saturday, has been summoned for a hearing with the disciplinary committee for a cross-check Saturday.   Glendening was a little shaken up, but made his way to the bench and continued on in the game. Kadri will be considered a repeat offender. He was banned for four games late last season for an illegal check to the head.

MLB Season Opens

The baseball season opened with a rematch of the World Series, and the Royals held off the Mets 4-3 in their opener at Kauffman Stadium.  Toronto beat Tampa Bay 5-3.  Pittsburgh beat the Cardinals 4-1.  A dozen more major league openers are scheduled for Monday.

Tigers

The Tigers and Marlins are the last to open, on Tuesday at Marlins Park.  The Tigers finished spring training 18-11, tied for the 6th best in all of baseball.  Justin Verlander will start for the Tigers, who announced their 25-man roster on Sunday.

The Tigers will go with 12 pitchers.   Only three, Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, and Shane Green, were with the team for opening day last year.

The Tigers’ core remains the same, with Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, Victor and J.D. Martinez, and Jose Iglesias.   But The Tigers have several new players as a result of free agent signings.  Outfielder Justin Upton, infielder Mike Aviles, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and pitchers Justin Wilson, Jordan Zimmerman, Francisco Rodriguez, Mike Pelfrey, and Mark Lowe.

• PITCHERS (12): RHP Buck Farmer, RHP Shane Greene, RHP Logan Kensing, RHP Mark Lowe, RHP Mike Pelfrey, RHP Francisco Rodriguez, LHP Kyle Ryan, RHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Drew VerHagen, RHP Justin Verlander, LHP Justin Wilson and RHP Jordan Zimmermann
• CATCHERS (2): James McCann and Jarrod Saltalamacchia
• INFIELDERS (6): Mike Aviles, Miguel Cabrera, Nick Castellanos, Jose Iglesias, Ian Kinsler and Andrew Romine
• OUTFIELDERS (4): Tyler Collins, Anthony Gose, J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton
• DESIGNATED HITTER (1): Victor Martinez

NCAA Tourney

Villanova will take on North Carolina for the NCAA College Championship, as March Madness comes to an end tonight.

North Carolina beat Syracuse by 17 and Villanova beat Oklahoma by 44!

Women’s Final

UConn routed Oregon State 80-51 and Syracuse beat Washington, 80-59, in the national semifinals at the Women's Final Four on Sunday night.   Grand Rapids native Morgan Tuck led UConn with 21.

The Huskies are one victory away from a fourth consecutive national championship, a feat never accomplished before in women's basketball.  If UConn does win on Tuesday  night coach Geno Auriemma will have an 11th national championship moving him past vaunted UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden for the most all time.

Hield Wins Naismith Award over Valentine

Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield has won the James A. Naismith Trophy as the nation's top college player, beating out Michigan State's Denzel Valentine.  Hield won the award a day after he was held to nine points in the Sooners' 95-51 loss to Villanova.

NBA/Pistons

The Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls 94-90 Saturday night and hold on to 7^th place, a half-game ahead of the Pacers and 2 ahead of the Bulls, who beat the Bucks last night.  Detroit has 5 games left and a magic number of 3 to make the playoffs. The Pistons play in Miami on Tuesday night, and then at Orlando on Wednesday.

Nascar

Kyle Busch pulled away on a restart with 11 laps to go and outran AJ Allmendinger to the finish for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Martinsville Speedway, and a sweep of the two-race weekend.  Allmendinger was second, followed by Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Brad Keselowski.

Golf

Jim Herman got his first PGA Tour victory, winning the Shell Houston Open and earn his first trip to the Masters.  He closed with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to Henrik Stenson wound up in second place with Dustin Johnson third.

Crashed Plane Belonged to Former Tiger

That plane that crashed trying to land on a California freeway once belonged to former Tiger catcher Matt Nokes, who once had to land the same plane on a highway 16 years ago. The crash on Saturday killed one person.   Nokes, who played for the Tigers in the 1990’s, landed the plane the Lancair IV  on the same highway during its second-ever flight as the result of a failed engine.