Seemingly down and out following a Gaborik fake, Smith was somehow able to make a diving stick save to prevent the Rangers’ sniper from burying the puck in the empty net for the game-winning goal.  Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t do it a second time, as Gaborik scored in the shootout and the Rangers earned the victory.

But don’t let that stop you from appreciating Smith’s incredible save in overtime.  Is this the save of the year right now?

While I’m not so sure which NHL team Clinton usually roots for, I’m going to assume that he left the game a happy man, as the Rangers treated him to a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory, as well as a souvenir puck.  However, someone should probably inform the former president that the “Jagr salute” doesn’t quite fly as a celebration in New York, unless it’s being performed by the Rangers’ enforcer-turned-goalscorer, Michael Rupp.

Here is a look at Clinton catching a puck and giving the “Jagr salute.”

While playing for the Caracas Lions of Venezuela’s professional baseball league during the MLB offseason, Torrealba had some choice words following a strikeout.  Those words got the 33-year-old ejected, but he wouldn’t go quietly, as he got in the face of umpire Dario Rivero Jr, before delivering a stiff right to the side of his head.

Dario would be a little shaken up by the shot, but he was able to walk it off.  As for Torrealba, he received a 66-game suspension, which means he probably won’t be playing anymore baseball until the 2012 MLB season opens up in April.

Here is a look at the punch that will force Torrealba to take a break and rest up during the winter months.

The fight broke out immediately following a face-off early in the third period and lasted for a hard-fought 50 seconds, earning both of these combatants a spot on the “Frozen Fisticuffs Fight of the Night” for Thursday, December 22, 2011.

Doing the giving was Rangers forward Ryan Callahan, who swatted at an airborne puck along the boards.  As for the receiver, that would be Islanders forward Matt Moulson, who took said swatted puck square in the face.

A puck to the face may not seem like much of a gift, but for two crosstown rivals that clearly hate each other, I’d say it’s a good start.

During the first episode of HBO’s 24/7 Flyers/Rangers: Road to the NHL Winter Classic, Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov enlighten us all about the universe, Russian alcohol, tigers and Chinese laws.  This time around he is comparing his white Siberian Husky to a beautiful blond woman.  I guess he likes his women furry and on all fours.  I’d hate to hear what types of things he does with his pet when they are alone.

Bryzgalov was already having a difficult time getting someone to sit at the same table as him during team meals following his words of wisdom from the series’ first episode.  Something tells me that the Flyers goaltender could be eating lunch in his very own room by the time episode three airs next week.

Here is a look at Bryzgalov being teased by his teammates and explaining the similarities between his husky and a gorgeous blond woman.

During last night’s game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers, Janssen thought he had Tim Erixon lined up along the boards for a big hit, but when the Rangers’ defenseman sidestepped the check at the last second, it caused the Devils’ enforcer to go crashing into his own bench at full speed.

Janssen spent the following five seconds trying to get his body right-side-up, as his legs dangled in the air while his head was buried between the legs of Devils’ captain Zach Parise.

You can watch all the awkwardness unfold in the video below.

Hat Tip- [http://www.totalprosports.com/?p=74996 With the 2012 Bridgestone Winter Classic less than two weeks away, hundreds of workers are putting the final touches on the hockey rink that has been set up at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for the January 2nd game between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

The process of making the ice, putting the boards together, setting up the team’s respective benches, and everything else that goes into creating a suitable NHL hockey rink can take well over a month’s worth of work.  Thankfully, the people at NHL.com have condensed all of the work done thus far into a quick 54-second clip.

Unfortunately, the haven’t been able to put the boards up or create the ice as of yet.  Apparently, they have been having a difficult time getting Roy Halladay off the field as he prepares for the 2012 MLB season.

And in case you were wondering, we’re serious!  And we can prove it, thanks to the image below!

Hat Tip Pic – [Barstool Philly]

Opening day is something special, even for the most casual of baseball fans. It serves to let us know that winter is over, and we can shed our layers and get back outside. For the more die-hard fans, it represents the optimism of a new season and a look at the team you’ll be spending the next eight months with. And for everyone, it means beer and hot dogs until you can’t move. Here are the best cities for their home openers.

9. Arlington, Texas
Now, Texas has never really been a hotbed of baseball passion, but the success of the Rangers has given fans an optimism they’ve never had before. Couple that with the fact that March/April are the only two months that aren’t oppressively hot or cold all year, and the season opener is an event here that might actually be taking on some meaning. Stay tuned.
 
 
 
8. San Diego
San Diego doesn’t have the most engaged sports fans in the US, but that’s understandable. When one lives in a city as nice as SD, it seems a little silly to put too much stock in local sports teams when there’s so much you could be doing yourself. Well, the downtown charm of PETCO Park, combined with the fact that the weather in San Diego is always perfect means that this town makes the list, even if no one in the stadium can name your five-man rotation.

7. St. Louis
A baseball town through and through, Busch Stadium is Mecca for many baseball fans. Bob Costas, can live anywhere in the US, and he chooses St. Louis for the baseball. And if it’s good enough for Costas, don’t you think it’s good enough for you? What? You think you’re better than Costas? You’re dead wrong. I often find all the tradition and pageantry of baseball to be a little annoying, but if it’s your thing, there’s no better place to spend opening day than in St. Louis.

6. San Francisco
Granted, this year might be the best year ever to see the home opener in San Fran. In case you didn’t notice (spoiler alert!), they won the World Series. So a pretty strong baseball town is becoming an insufferably smug baseball town. And it was a pretty smug town to begin with. Of course, if you’re a Giants fan, you’ll be completely fine with the new attitude. And if you’re not…why the hell are you going to the Giants home opener?

Also, the opener will be great as you watch the fans distance themselves from Barry Bonds as his trial begins. “Barry who? Never heard of ‘em.”

5. Baltimore
Almost two decades into the life of Camden Yards and still universally agreed that this is the best place to watch Major League Baseball in the country. Even The Wire couldn’t set back Baltimore from a baseball standpoint. It’s a retro ballpark that isn’t all up in your face about it, it’s got stuff to do should the game get out of hand, and the food is said to be among the best in the country. Granted, they finished 30 games out of their division last year, but isn’t opening day all about optimism? I vote yes. That and getting drunk when you should be at work.

4. Philadelphia
Citizens Bank Park is a pretty good place to watch a game, save for the fact that it’s a little further outside of downtown than I would like. Phillies fans (or any Philadelphia sports fans) aren’t exactly my cup of tea, as they regularly hold contests to see who can project the most vomit on little girls and often beat orphans with socks full of batteries during the 7th inning stretch, but they’ve had a run of luck recently. Further, “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” does the tailgate scene justice.

3. Atlanta
Having clenched the wild-card last year, things look up for the Braves. Like Texas, the weather in the ATL only lends itself to three bearable months per year, so gather ye rosebuds will you can, Braves fans. Granted, they might not have the rotation that they did in 1992, but lightening doesn’t strike twice.
 
 
 
2. Detroit
A .500 team in a city that’s looking more and more like cold-war Warsaw every day. Why would this park make the list? Because when so much is going wrong in Detroit, its residents have done a pretty spectacular job of banding around their sports teams for some semblance of optimism and community. Cause when you’re city is getting overrun with feral dogs, and all your hope is put into a rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” a special thing is happening.

1. New York (Yankees)
I know, I know. Red Sox fans, leave your death threats in the comments. There’s something about the first game in New York, when you see all the fans on the train, decked out in their gear that isn’t replicated anywhere in the nation, not even in Boston. Further, Boston, despite being three hours away, is a LOT colder than NYC is this time of year, creating a much more hospitable environment in the Bronx. You don’t have to like the Yankees, but you should probably respect them (if not their fans). Though their stadium is new(ish), they have done a good job of preserving the history of the most storied franchise in all of America’s sports history. Not a bad place to spend opening day.

The first one comes from the Scottish League, where bitter rivals Celtic and Rangers took liberties on one another throughout their Scottish Cup match on Wednesday.  Ten yellow cards were handed out, along with three reds (all to Rangers players: Steven Whittaker, Majid Bougherra and El Hadji Diouf).  It was a feisty affair that also included a half-time fight between the two teams in the tunnel, and a shoving match between coaches at the end of the game.

Here is a look at what transpired at half-time and at the end of the game.

As for the second brawl, that took place during a match between Macclesfield and Wycombe of England’s fourth division.  Surprisingly, at the conclusion of this melee only three red cards were handed out.

Looks like jolly old England isn’t always so jolly.

Hat Tips – [Deadspin] and [The Big Lead]