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The Montreal Canadiens fell 4-3 to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Saturday afternoon. The Rangers force teams to be at their best, and the Canadiens gave a good account of themselves, allowing the winning goal with just 23 seconds left. It feels as though it’s all going wrong with the Montreal Canadiens, but they actually entered their weekend afternoon series against the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins with a 4-2-1 record in their last seven. Wilde Horses Head Coach Martin St. Louis changed up just about every line and pairing for this contest, and he got a good response from his troops. A new line that he tried had some good moments – including the first goal. It was Christian Dvorak in the middle for Brendan Gallagher and Juraj Slafkovsky. That’s an interesting threesome because Gallagher will always drag his mates into the fight, but if his mates don’t have any talent, it really doesn’t matter. Gallagher excels at bringing out the best in good players. Dvorak should do more overall. He has the talent to do more, and there has been an expectation since he was acquired for a first-round draft choice that he’s a better player than he has shown in Montreal. Slafkovsky is in the learning phase of his career and one of the things that he can learn is to compete harder. Slafkovsky can benefit from seeing just how much Gallagher works and demands from his mates. On the first goal, it was Gallagher who won the puck in the corner. He then fed Slafkovsky who battled for his puck win, then Slafkovsky fed Mike Matheson in front of the net for the goal. It was a goal that demanded hard work from players who have the balance and strength on their skates to achieve wins in puck battles. Nick Suzuki had a strong game with Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook. Suzuki kept in a puck at the blue line in the third period. He fed to Cole Caufield who somehow find the five-hole even though the gap was the diameter of the puck. Caufield has 14 on the season. He is on pace for exactly 50 goals in the season. Late in the third period, the Canadiens tied the game on a tremendous play from the same line. It was Caufield with the pass to free Lane Hutson who faked a shot and slid a perfect pass cross-crease to Suzuki for the tally. Jonathan Quick had no chance. It was also one of Kirby Dach’s best games of the season as he lined up with Josh Anderson and Joshua Roy. Dach played with a lot of edge. The Canadiens actually won the analytics battle but fell short in special teams allowing three power-play goals. Suzuki’s line had an 87 Goals Expected share and Dach’s line had a 77. It’s not always beautiful, this game of hockey. The Rangers make you play an ‘ice-pack’ game with a lot of tough and known battlers like Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe in their line-up. If you are not ready to fight, this Rangers team will make you look like cowards. The Canadiens were ready to battle – they did not back down; they were not intimidated. Part of becoming a regular NHL is understanding there are a lot of elements to the sport and they aren’t all pretty. Despite it being the last day of November, this one felt like a playoff game. It was also a good chance for a young line-up to learn lessons well. They got angry, and they got hungry to compete. That’s a good thing. Wilde Goats Another of the NHL’s ridiculous half-measures is a concussion spotter watching the game upstairs. It’s a great idea, but it isn’t one that the league actually cares to do properly. The rules are discretionary and different spotters seem to have different standards. In the first period, Josh Anderson sought revenge on Jacob Trouba for a vicious hit on Justin Barron the last time the clubs met. Many will argue that Trouba’s hit was clean, while here it was described as predatory. Ultimately it was a legal hit in the weird world that is the “principal point of contact” NHL: as long as any hit delivered involves contact with something else before crushing the head, then it’s fine. The Canadiens clearly didn’t think it was clean because they couldn’t wait for Trouba to get on the ice – Anderson understood the assignment and pummelled him. Two times through the 55-second beatdown Trouba lost his legs. He was concussed: losing your legs from under you is a concussion symptom. However, it was apparently not a concussion symptom in the gondola at Madison Square Garden where the spotter remained. He never made a call downstairs to pull Trouba for evaluation. When Trouba’s major penalty ended, he got a series of stick-taps from the Rangers’ players on the bench. He then took his regular shift. The NHL is perfectly happy to not penalize or suspend Trouba for his predatory hits. They are also fine with a spotter allowing the players to lose their equilibrium, instead of doing what they should know is appropriate. The NHL bylaws say that the spotter is looking for a player lying motionless, with coordination issues, or a blank look. The spotter didn’t see any coordination issues with Trouba’s legs buckling twice in 55 seconds after getting smashed on the chin. The legs must have buckled as a matter of coincidence. Though the concussion spotter is a good idea, the NHL has only paid lip service to it. Wilde Cards Ivan Demidov started his rookie season in the KHL with the best numbers ever for a ‘draft plus one’ pick. One month later, Demidov was benched and it wasn’t because of poor play. Demidov counted a magnificent 18 points in his first 20 games in the KHL for SKA St. Petersburg. He was the rookie of the month in the league. He was even near the top of the scoring in the entire league. With all of the success, the expectation was that Demidov would move from averaging 11 minutes a game to perhaps as high as 17 minutes and get elevated to the top line. What happened instead is the stuff of Russian legend. Demidov had his ice time diminished game by game, and Saturday morning in a 7-5 win for SKA, the phenom sat on the bench for the entire game – he didn’t get a single shift. ESPN’s world’s best hockey prospect sat there for 60 minutes and watched it all race by him. He’s been regularly getting five minutes and even less recently. All of these games count against his scoring record, so 18 points in 20 games is now 20 points in 31 games. Those not paying attention to details might think Demidov’s struggling. The truth is that his head coach is sabotaging his season. That head coach is also the money behind the SKA operation. Roman Rotenberg isn’t actually a hockey coach, he is an oligarch in the classic Russian style and he’s punishing Demidov for wanting to go to the NHL next season. Rotenberg’s formal educational training was to lead Gazprom, a Russian oil and gas company, not a hockey roster. The equivalent level of preposterousness would be if Geoff Molson took over behind the Canadiens bench and then didn’t play Cole Caufield. In Russia, if you have the money, you do anything you want. If you want to go from vice president of Gazprom to head coach of a hockey team, no one stops you. In fact, Rotenberg extended his own contract five seasons last year as head coach. No doubt his assessment of himself was that he thought he was excellent at coaching. The worst part about this is Demidov can not leave. He won’t be able to get out of his contract this year, and the Canadiens won’t be able to throw money at this to change events. It’s a 68-game season in the KHL. SKA has played 31. This sad story has 37 games left in it. The only hope is that the head coach decides that he wants to win games, instead of winning political points with his cronies. No doubt the Canadiens can’t wait to get him to North America. Demidov is a young man with tremendous talent. He will likely be the first 100-point player for Montreal this century when he hits his stride, and no businessman who bought his way behind a hockey bench is going to change that.
Vikings have ruled out tight end Josh Oliver. What does that mean for the running game?EDUCATION | GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS When Massachusetts voters decided to ditch the state's standardized tests as a high school graduation requirement on Election Day, they joined a trend that has steadily chipped away at the use of high-stakes tests over the past two decades. The vote on the ballot question leaves only seven states with mandatory graduation exams, a number that could soon shrink further. A backlash to standardized tests has been fueled by complaints they take up too much classroom time and questions about how well they measure readiness for college or careers. It gained steam in recent years with concerns about equity and learning setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Massachusetts, a teachers union led the campaign against the graduation requirement, arguing it was keeping too many students from receiving a diploma and weighing too heavily on choices about school curriculum. The other side received backing from prominent business leaders including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and state officials including Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat. "We shouldn't have different expectations for students depending on which ZIP code they live in," Healey said. "We should have a uniformity to our expectations and they should be high for our students and our families." The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests are given in mathematics, science and technology, and English. The ballot question didn't end the tests, which are also used for assessing student progress. But passing them will no longer be required for a diploma. About 1% of high school seniors in Massachusetts, roughly 700 students, are denied a diploma each year because they failed the MCAS despite meeting other requirements. Most are English language learners or students with disabilities. Other states could abandon similar tests In the mid-2000s, a high of 27 states required students to pass an exam to graduate, according to the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union. The states that still have them, for now, are New York, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia. In New York, state officials this month proposed a timeline to phase out exit exam requirements as part of an overhaul of graduation standards. Students would still take Regents exams in math, English, science and social studies, but beginning in the 202728 school year, passing scores would no longer be required for a diploma. The plan would give students alternatives like community service or capstone projects to demonstrate proficiency. Earlier this year, the Florida Senate passed a bill that would remove testing requirements for high school graduation, but the push stalled in the House. In New Jersey, a bill to end the state's graduation exam passed the state Assembly last year but then failed to pass the Senate. In Ohio, students must pass tests in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies to graduate. Louisiana also requires students to pass a test and is the only state without an appeals process. In Texas, students must pass end-of-course assessments in algebra, English, biology and U.S. history. Debate continues over how to measure readiness Harry Feder, executive director of FairTest, which opposes the use of tests as graduation requirements, said it makes sense to shift away from the tests he calls a "cheap and easy way" to conduct education. "What we want out of high school grads isn't measured very well by a standardized test," he said, including whether students are critical thinkers, problem solvers or able to collaborate. Critics say easing the graduation requirement will result in lower standards. "The vote against the MCAS is yet another sign of the overwhelming power of the teachers unions in blue states, and will turn Massachusetts diplomas into nothing but participation trophies," said Michael Petrilli, president of the right-leaning Fordham Institute. Financial support for the elimination of the Massachusetts test requirement largely came from teachers unions, including the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which contributed millions in direct and in-kind donations, and the NEA, which donated at least $500,000. On the other side, Bloomberg contributed $2.5 million to the campaign in favor of keeping the requirement. Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said teachers have been speaking out against the requirement for more than a decade. "Students who were passing their courses were being denied diplomas because of this requirement," they said. "Educators were forced to narrow the curriculum in order to teach to the high-stakes test." Ultimately, Massachusetts voters approved getting rid of the MCAS as a graduation requirement by a margin of 59% to 41%. Get local news delivered to your inbox!ABILENE, Texas (AP) — Sam Hicks scored on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 171 yards on the ground to lead Abilene Christian to a 24-0 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday in the first round of the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats (9-4), ranked No. 15 in the FCS coaches poll and seeded 15th, qualified for the playoffs for the first time and will travel to play No. 2 seed and nine-time champion North Dakota State (10-2) on Saturday at the Fargo Dome. The Bison had a first-round bye. Abilene Christian grabbed a 7-0 lead on its second possession when Carson Haggard connected with Trey Cleveland for a 37-yard touchdown that capped a 10-play 97-yard drive. Northern Arizona (8-5), ranked 17th but unseeded for the playoffs after winning five straight to get in, picked off Haggard on the Wildcats' next two possessions but could not turn them into points. NAU went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 9:30 left before halftime, but Jordan Mukes tackled Ty Pennington for a 4-yard loss. That led to a 46-yard field goal by Ritse Vaes and a 10-0 lead at halftime. The score remained the same until Hicks' big run with 10:16 left to play. Haggard passed 6 yards to Blayne Taylor for the final score with 2:16 to go. Haggard completed 23 of 29 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions. Abilene Christian's defense allowed at least 20 points in every game during the regular season and yielded at least 30 six times. The Wildcats lost their season opener to FBS member Texas Tech 52-51 in overtime. Abilene Christian's last shutout came in a 56-0 victory over Lamar on Sept. 25, 2021. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Australia's prime minister said Sunday he was ready to "engage" with billionaire X owner Elon Musk over his criticism of the government's ban on under-16s joining social media. Anthony Albanese hailed the parliament's Thursday passage of landmark legislation requiring social media firms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent young teens from having accounts. The law, which will come into effect after 12 months, gives few details of how it will be enforced, including how sites like Facebook, Instagram and X will verify users' ages. Musk -- who has been named Donald Trump's government efficiency chief in the incoming US administration -- posted on X last month that the law "seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians". "We will talk to anyone," Albanese said when asked if he would discuss the legislation with Musk. "With regard to Elon Musk, he has an agenda. He's entitled to push that as the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter," Albanese told Australian public broadcaster ABC. When the interviewer mentioned that Musk was also Trump's "right-hand man", the prime minister replied: "We will engage, we will engage." Social media firms that fail to comply with the new law face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for "systemic breaches". Musk's platform in October lost a legal bid to avoid a US$417,000 fine levelled by Australia's online watchdog, which has accused X of failing to stamp out harmful posts. The government will decide over the next 12 months how to implement the ban, Albanese said, insisting, however, that it would not require people to provide identification. "The obligation will be on social media companies to do everything they can to make sure that those people under 16 don't have access to social media," the prime minister said. "We know that social media companies have more information about you and I than some of our friends do," he added. "We know that they are able to do that, and the obligation will be on them." Albanese said he was "determined" to implement the legislation. "I've met parents who have had to bury their children as a result of the impact that social media has had as a result of bullying, and we need to do something about it," he said. Several social media giants have promised to work with the government on implementing the law. But they have also criticised the legislation, saying it was "rushed", full of unanswered questions, and did not take into account the views of experts who opposed it. The UN children's charity UNICEF Australia warned this week that the law was no "silver bullet" against online harm and could push kids into "covert and unregulated" spaces online. djw/mp/cwl Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
50 Cent has had and continues to have plenty of beefs with hip-hop giants. One of his nastiest ones is with Ja Rule , and it still sort of seems to be going on. However, it's worth mentioning that it is nowhere as serious as it once was. It was at or near its peak in the early to mid-2000s, when he dropped "New York" featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss . Unbeknownst to the latter, him joining his once extremely mortal enemy would then lead him to become another foe. From there, Jada and Fif would go on to trade some tracks, with the former dropping the most notable in "Checkmate." However, unlike most of the feuds he has, this one with The LOX MC didn't last all that long. Over the years, Jada has explained on various occasions as to why it was so short-lived. In an interview with Talib Kweli about four years ago, he explains, "I think Fif was really a fan... We was rocking with him, rooting for him — always rooting for the underdog. His story is one of the greatest stories." That respect continued later on in the chat, "He came through one day. He called to say, ‘Yo, I’m coming through.’ He came through by himself. Sat down, kicked it for a few hours... He actually had a song for me and a song for [Styles] P to get on, on whatever album he was working on, and it’s been good ever since. It wasn’t even that serious. The people kind of blew it up more than it was." Read More: Jamie Foxx Jokes That He's Done With White Women After Suffering A Stroke Overall, that admiration and growth in their relationship has been super strong, even four years after those comments. 50 Cent popped out to Big Boy's radio station for an interview recently to talk all the major topics in the genre currently. However, they took some time to look back on this Jadakiss situation. In classic Fif fashion, he was hilariously stubborn. But in that same breath, he was willing to give Kiss his shine for his pen game during the battle. 50 believes that he never truly lost to him, but he admitted that his previous had moments where it got him to be like, "Ooh that was good." 50 also goes to say that despite the structure of the songs against him not being that well executed, the bars were just that good in his eyes. Read More: Keith Lee Reflects On Tense Encounter With Troll Who Called Him DDGTwo prototypes for China's future stealth strike fighter took the skies in broad daylight. Both appear to be advanced flying wing designs useful for attack missions. China watchers buzzed about the possible roles of a fighter that could rival US aircraft. Two prototypes for China's future stealth strike fighter took the skies in broad daylight in recent days, showcasing China's growing aerospace might as it tries to match the US. Advertisement The designs appeared intended to make a splash. One showed a triangular aircraft similar to America's retired F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter , with some notable differences. The prototype by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation lacked a tail and fin-like vertical stabilizers and was powered by three engines; a new video shows it in a low-altitude turn accompanied by a J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter. Photos and videos also recently captured a stealth prototype, attributed to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, fueling speculation the aircraft may be rivals. Advertisement pic.twitter.com/IZ9BlwjoOc — Justin Bronk (@Justin_Br0nk) December 26, 2024 The sightings immediately prompted questions among aviation watchers about whether these designs were stealthy strike aircraft (designed to ground-attack areas guarded by air defenses ) or contenders for a leap-ahead sixth-generation air superiority fighter , of the sort the US is struggling to define. Related stories "Fascinating that the [People's Liberation Army Air Force/Chinese Communist Party] have chosen to fly this prototype in daylight now," Justin Bronk, an airpower expert at the UK's RUSI think tank, said on X. "I suspect more likely to be the 5th Gen regional bomber/strike fighter project sometimes called J/H-XX." A Defense Department report released in mid-December said that China "is developing new medium- and long-range stealth bombers to strike regional and global targets." Advertisement Some more better-resolution images of CAC‘s 6th generation fighter prototype/demonstrator pic.twitter.com/FzQFyCg7AA — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 26, 2024 Both prototype aircraft appear to be flying wing designs, which more efficiently distribute an aircraft's load and reduce drag. These aircraft are more inherently unstable and require automated fly-by-wire systems that constantly change the aircraft's flight controls. The US Air Force has leaned into this design with its Northrop B-2 Spirit and Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider bombers. By eliminating a tail and vertical stabilizers, the flying wing reduces the number of angled surfaces that can produce radar returns. These types of aircraft may be able to strike defended areas before being detected on radar.
Trump mocks Trudeau as ‘governor of state’( MENAFN - Gulf Times) World number one Aryna Sabalenka says she is“fresh and ready to go” in her bid for a third straight Australian Open title, warning she has plenty of room for improvement. The 26-year-old enjoyed a sensational 2024, reaching seven finals and winning four titles, including the US Open. Her year was kickstarted by defending her Australian Open crown, beating China's high-flying Zheng Qinwen in the final. Should she win it again, she will become the first woman to claim three straight Melbourne Park singles titles since Martina Hingis between 1997-1999. “I feel fresh and ready to go,” the Belarusian said, according to the WTA website on Thursday, after arriving for the Brisbane International which starts on Sunday ahead of the Australian Open from January 12. “I love Australia and I always come here hungry and always come here ready. “I feel all the support here, and I think that's the best thing about Australia, that people are really, really, into tennis.” Reaching Brisbane finalSabalenka also began 2024 in Brisbane, reaching the final without losing a set only to crash to Kazakstan's Elena Rybakina in the decider. She spent time in the off-season at her home in Florida before heading to the Middle East to prepare for Australia and will use the Brisbane tournament to fine-tune her Grand Slam preparations. “You work hard on lots of things in the pre-season,” she said. “The first tournament before the major tournament is the one where you can try it out and see what's going to work well for you, and what's not.” Despite her rise through the ranks to be the player to beat heading into 2025, Sabalenka said there were still parts of her game that need work. “Oh, there is so many things to improve,” she said.“I mean, I'm not that good with maybe my game at the net in singles. There is a lot of things to improve in my touch game. “There is so many things, even my serve is not as good as I want it to be, so there is always (elements) to improve.” Halep to skip AO and delay start of season due to injury Simona Halep will delay her start to the 2025 season and skip the Australian Open due to pain in her knee and shoulder, the former world number one said in a social media post on Thursday. Halep, whose career stalled due to a doping ban that was reduced on appeal this year, had received a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifying tournament last week. She had finished runner-up at the Melbourne major in 2018. The 33-year-old had also been scheduled to play at a tune-up tournament in Auckland. Halep last played at the World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last week. “After playing in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately I felt pain in my knee and shoulder once again,” Halep said. “After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it is sensible to delay the start of my season,” Halep wrote on Instagram. “It's not what I wanted but I would like to thank the tournament organisers in Auckland and Australia for the wild cards and I'm sorry I won't be able to take them this time.” The Romanian said she intends to return at her home event in Cluj in early February. Halep was provisionally suspended in October 2022 after she tested positive for roxadustat - a banned drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells - at the US Open that year. She was later banned for four years, a period which was cut to nine months in March following an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The 2019 Wimbledon champion has denied knowingly taking roxadustat, blaming contaminated supplements for her positive test. MENAFN26122024000067011011ID1109033795 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.