SPORTS

Tottenham “Hot” SpuUF 5 x-i:ve:

 

S ince Harry Redknapp became the manager for

Tottenham, the team has performed extremely well.
Tottenham is probably the hottest team in the English
Premier League in the past three to four weeks.

The Hotspur will battle against Blackburn at home
on Sunday, November 23" in the premier league
game. Will they get another victory this time? In all
likelihood, they will.

The “Top Four,’ Manchester United, Liverpool,
Chelsea and Arsenal, all have games to play on this
Saturday, November 22". Man Utd. will visit Aston
Villa; everyone expects that the “Red Devils” will win
this one, but it could end in a tie. Before this game,
Man Utd. had not played well on the road this season.
Their record is two wins, two draws, and two losses.
They have scored seven goals, but have given up six
goals. Although Rooney, C. Ronaldo and Berbatov
could score goals up front, their defensemen have not
been consistent in recent games. On the other hand,
Aston Villa’s home record is three wins, two draws, and
one loss. Their forwards are not as strong as Man Utd.
players, but Villa could play a defensive style and try to
tie this game to get one point for the standings.

Liverpool will host Fulham at Anified. The host
is still unbeaten at home this season. What a fantastic
record! Their number one striker, Fernando Torres and
other players, like Robbie Keane, Dirt Kurt and Steven
Gerrard have great scoring ability. Their defensemen
and goalie also play well at home. However, Fulham
has played five games on the road, and their record is

one draw and four losses. The scoring ability of Fulham
is pretty weak because they had only scored two goals.
In all likelihood, Liverpool could win this one easily by
three goals at least.

The host, Chelsea, will be challenged by
Newcastle. The road record for the latter team is
unacceptable because they had lost four out of
six games and with no victories at all. Also, their
defensemen are very weak at the back of the field.
However, “the Blue,” Chelsea, had scored 13 goals, and
only lost three goals in six games. This record indicates
that the scoring ability for Chelsea is outstanding.
Especially this forward, Nicolas Anelka has scored 10
goals in 11 games this season. Most likely, he will score
again. Also, their captain, Frank Lampard, is a great
passer and he can score for his team as well. Besides
them, their defensemen and goalie play well at home.
At the end, Chelsea could win by two goals at least.

Finally, Arsenal will visit Manchester City.
Arsenal’s road record is three wins, one draw and two
losses and the home record of Man City is three wins
and two losses. The records of both teams are very
similar. This Brazilian star, Robinho, is hot; he has
scored seven goals in nine games this season and he
will be the key man for Man City to score. For Arsenal,
Emmanuel Adebayor will probably have some goals in
this match. Overall, this game could end up in a tie.

 

 

ae is one of the most valued commodities in the NHL these
days. And in Phoenix, Coyotes head coach and part-owner, Wayne
Gretzky, has been carefully assembling an up-and-coming team
based on youth, speed and skill, through excellent player evaluation
and terrific drafting.

The Coyotes already have a club policy in place that they
won't acquire new players over the age of 30 who don’t have much
chance of improving. The core of the franchise includes a variety
of young talent that any team in the league would be envious of.
Take 19-year-old New Westminster native, Kyle Turris, who was
the third overall selection in the 2007 NHL entry draft. Turris is
expected to be one of the league’s elite offensive players in the years
to come. He is a lightning-fast, strong skater and has tremendous
offensive instincts. He’s shown an elusive ability to avoid oncoming
body checkers and his shot is deadly accurate. Turris played just
one year with the Wisconsin Badgers before signing a deal with
the Coyotes and turning pro. Gretzky is very high on Turris and
has even compared the former Burnaby Express all-star to him at a
young age.

Turris certainly isn’t the only future star developing in Arizona.

Centerman Peter Mueller is just 20-years-old but already has a

full season with the Coyotes under his belt. The Bloomington,
Minnesota native was taken eighth overall in the 2006 draft, and
so far, he’s delivered on all the hype that came with him. He was a
star with the Everett Silvertips, racking up 58 points in 52 games
during his draft year, and 78 points in only 51 games during his final
campaign before joining the Coyotes. During his freshman season
in the NHL, Mueller scored a solid 22 goals and added 32 assists
for 54 points, while missing just one game. He also suited up for the
United States in the 2008 World Hockey Championships, setting up
four goals. Mueller, who cemented himself as a top prospect after
his breathtaking performances with the U.S. World Junior team,
has so far displayed a slippery way with the puck and has, at times,
dominated play in the offensive zone. He’s a terrific passer who can
lead the rush and set up play on the fly.

Right-winger Mikkel Bodker is only 18-year-old, but he
too has already made the Coyotes. Taken eighth overall in the
2008 draft, after a distinguished junior career with Frolunda HC
in Sweden, Bodker is just the second Danish player to play in the
NHL. He has already been hailed as a club comerstone and is
expected to be a frontline forward very soon. He has one of the
quickest releases in the NHL that goes with his powerful and sniper-
like shot. He has tremendous speed and is a dynamic offensive

player that should become a game-breaker.

Martin Hanzal, 21, is yet another young Coyotes forward with
skill to spare. The Czech native was drafted by Gretzky 17" overall
in 2005, and has also played a full season in Phoenix. While his
development has been slower than Mueller’s, he is still projected, at
6’5, to be a power forward with the team. Like many other Coyotes,
he has excellent offensive ability.

Viktor Tikhonov, the grandson of the legendary Soviet coach,
was drafted just this past year, 28" overall. However, he’s made the
Coyotes full time and has suddenly emerged as an electric offensive
weapon. Only 20, he is a skilled passer and puck handler who has
a history of producing in Europe from the heavy areas. He vaulted
himself into high-level status with his scintillating World Junior
tournament this year, where he scored five goals and two assists in
seven games and received top forward honours for the event.

The players mentioned are just the Coyotes’ very best young
players. They have an assortment of others, including speedster
Enver Lisin, first-rounder Alex Bourret, Jared Staal, youngest of
the Staal brothers and goalie Al Montoya. With players like them in
the system, a compliment of veterans such as Shane Doan and Ed
Jovanovski in addition to having a coach like Gretzky, the Coyotes
could be Stanley Cup contenders very soon. a