Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
Ty Conklin didn't hesitate. Maybe it's because he's a fellow goalie — or maybe it's because Steve Mason has been that good. But when asked who he thought should win the Calder Trophy, Conklin was emphatic.
"Steve Mason. Absolutely," Conklin told Sporting News. "No offense to the other guys, they're outstanding players, but I don't think any of those guys have had near the impact on their team Steve Mason has had."
The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the verge of the first playoff berth in franchise history, and there's no doubt they have Mason to thank for the accomplishment.
He's 32-18-5 with a 2.22 goals-against average and a save percentage of .918. He leads the league in shutouts with 10. All this at age 20.
The success has surprised some, but not those in Columbus.
"I think the numbers might surprise us, but not his play," Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "His play — we saw it last year when he was at training camp. We saw it during the summer. We felt this is just the type of player he is."
And yes, he'll likely run away with rookie of the year honors when the award is announced June 18 at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas.
But that shouldn't discount an overall stellar crop of rookies this season. They can't all win the Calder, but this group deserves recognition for outstanding rookie success.
1. Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators
If you're trying to figure out how Nashville has stayed in the playoff race, it's actually quite simple. Rinne has been that good. His .922 save percentage is actually better than Mason's, and he entered Wednesday's play tied for second in the league with seven shutouts despite playing in only 47 games. "The sky is the limit for those two," Conklin said of Rinne and Mason.
2. Bobby Ryan, Anaheim Ducks
Ryan pulled ahead of Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg for the rookie point lead on Tuesday and he has done it in 13 fewer games. Ryan has been instrumental in the Ducks' resurgence and has 51 points in 59 games since Anaheim found the salary cap room to promote him. He also earned points in the dressing room Tuesday for his first career fight when he took on Edmonton's Steve Staios.
3. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun recently made the case for Doughty to win rookie of the year, comparing him to a young Scott Niedermayer. He's a 19-year-old defenseman playing against opposing teams' top lines on a regular basis, and he's holding his own. Doughty and Jack Johnson will anchor a talented Los Angeles blue line for a long time.
4. Kris Versteeg, Chicago Blackhawks
A fast start by Versteeg had people talking back-to-back Calders for the Blackhawks. A former Bruins fifth-round pick, Versteeg has been a great fit in Chicago where he adds grit to profile that already has plenty of speed and skill. "He's a right-handed guy who plays with a lot of skill guys there," Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg told Sporting News. "They can feed him the puck and he's a good finisher. He's a hard-working guy, too. That helps him."
5. Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie, St. Louis Blues
The Blues' improbable playoff run has been sparked by two rookies who have developed faster than even the most optimistic Blues fan could have predicted. Berglund has put up better numbers, with 47 points in 70 games, but Oshie's hard-hitting style has made him a fan-favorite in St. Louis. Sending 6-4 Jackets forward Rick Nash to the ice twice in one weekend is likely to enhance one's reputation.
Other notable rookies:
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
ProHockeyTalk headlines |
 | Video: NHL from NBC Sports |
 Gretzky says Cup race is wide open In the latest NHL Network news update, Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky talks about the division races and how 22 teams have a shot to win it all this year. |
 | Slideshow |
 | NHL All-Stars Take a look at the players who competed in Team Chara's 12-9 victory over Team Alfredsson. more photos |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
| Slideshow |
 |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
