IRENE, South Africa – To beat England, the United States has to stop a player who in real life had the kind of season usually seen only in video games.

Wayne Rooney scored five goals this season against Jozy Altidore’s Hull, and three against Jonathan Spector’s West Ham. He had two against Clint Dempsey’s Fulham, and one each against Marcus Hahnemann’s Wolverhampton and Brad Guzan’s Aston Villa.

“To be honest, we’re under no illusions. We’re going to have to be at our best to beat a player like him, or to even match a player like him,” American defender Jay DeMerit said Tuesday, four days before the big game.

Rooney, the 24-year-old star of Manchester United and England’s national team, was a whirlwind this season. His 26 Premier League goals were second behind Didier Drogba’s 29. He had five more in the European Champions League and two in the League Cup.

On Jan. 23 alone, he had four goals against Hull. He has long been a star, but never before had he put together a season like this.

“He’s revered. People think of him as a sporting god, and they should,” U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said. “He’s amazing, quite simply, and he does all the things that a striker needs to do, and he does them great. And that’s why he’s considered the best one or two players in the world.”

Howard kept Rooney from scoring in two games this season, helping Everton gain a league split with Manchester United. He hasn’t allowed a goal to Rooney in four club and two national team matches, although Everton went 1-2-1 and the U.S. 0-2.

Dempsey also had big games against United, with Fulham shutting out the Red Devils at Craven Cottage to win Premier League matches in each of the last two seasons.

“We stayed compact defensively. We had two solid backs of four and, you know, we picked and choosed our moments when to get forward,” Dempsey said. “The U.S., we play similar to, or try to play similar to how we do at Fulham.”

A 5-foot-10 musclebound dynamo of strength and pace, Rooney has 25 goals in 60 appearances for England. He’s known for his temper — he was ejected for stomping on Ricardo Carvalho’s groin as England lost to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals.

But he hasn’t been tossed since United lost at Fulham in March 2009, when he was given his second yellow card of the match for throwing a ball.

“Maturity is one of the final parts of a player’s development,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “You can’t have it at 16. You can’t have it at 18. You can’t have it at 21. You have to wait until the mid-20s before they get that authority, timing and maturity that those qualities bring. And I think what we’re seeing with Wayne is quite interesting. There were signs last season that maturity was coming to his game, but not all the time. That’s what sometimes, you get with young players.”

Rooney’s increased maturity on the field and ability to temper his temper was echoed by defender Rio Ferdinand, his England and Manchester United teammate.

“I don’t see Wazza having a problem disciplinary-wise at the World Cup at all,” Ferdinand, said. “Wayne’s disciplinary record has been magnificent over the last couple of years, since the incident in Germany. He’s done so well to get where he is now.”

Still, Rooney received a yellow card Monday as England beat the local Platinum Stars 3-0 in an exhibition. Referee Jeff Selogilwe claimed Rooney swore at him.

“He is a good player when you see him on the TV, but when you see him on the pitch, he just keeps on insulting the referees,” Selogilwe said. “To me it looks like Rooney insults people and fouls other players. If he insults a referee like me, then he will use that vulgar language to other referees as well.”

Five days shy of his 17th birthday, Rooney became the youngest scorer in Premier League history when he connected for Everton against Arsenal in October 2002. He moved on to Manchester United for the 2004-05 season, and this year became one of the dominating players in Europe.

American players are concerned about limiting Rooney’s scoring, not his fiery nature. Still, they wouldn’t mind if Brazilian referee Carlos Simon disciplined him. Simon issued five yellow cards during Italy’s 2-0 victory over Ghana in the first round of the 2006 World Cup, eight more in Spain’s 3-1 win over Tunisia, and four yellows and a red as Germany beat Sweden 2-0 in the second round.

“Ultimately you try to make his day difficult,” DeMerit said of Rooney. “If you start to make those types of personalities have a difficult day, then maybe those types of things come out.”

Howard knows that stopping Rooney is a big part of solving England. He’s done it so far, but knows it will require a team effort and big individual performances.

“We’ll have our hands full. But we know that,” he said. “I think a lot of the pressure that England is facing is heavily on his shoulders, but those shoulders are broad and he relishes those opportunities.”

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AP Sports Writer Rob Harris in Rustenburg contributed to this report.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert refused to comment Tuesday on reports he has offered a job to Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and said superstar free agent LeBron James will not be consulted during the team’s search for a new coach.

Speaking at a news conference, Gilbert strongly refuted theories that James has had input on previous hires, the firing of coach Mike Brown and general manager Danny Ferry’s recent departure.

“The concept that LeBron James has been involved in any way, shape or form with firing our head coach, involved in the transition to general manager Chris Grant and will be involved in future coaching decisions and hires is totally, 100 percent and patently false,” Gilbert said. “The truth is the truth.”

“LeBron James is a significant, important, MVP player. We believe his interests and philosophy are aligned with ours. We try to make sure our decisions — they are our decisions not his decisions — will philosophically align with winning. And the other players, too.”

New GM Grant confirmed the club has had contact with Izzo and “a number” of other coaching candidates but would not provide any details.

Grant said the team has no timetable to hire a new coach.

“We have a very good team, and we want to push that team to the next level,” said Grant, who was promoted after Ferry resigned last week. “I want to find the right guy, and I want to find the right fit. That could be in a week and that could be in a month and a half.

“We’re going to make the decisions based on who that right person is and the best fit for our team.”

A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Gilbert, a Michigan State graduate, and Izzo discussed terms of a possible contract that would pay the coach up to $6 million a year for four or five seasons. Use of one of Gilbert’s jets has not been discussed.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were to be confidential.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer first reported Monday that Gilbert and Izzo talked about the framework of a deal, worth about $6 million a season for up to five years.

Izzo makes more than $3 million a season and is under contract through 2016.

According to the latest version of Izzo’s deal — which was last signed by him on Sept. 4, 2009 — he has to pay the school $500,000 within 30 days of terminating his employment if he takes a job in pro or college basketball.

A message was left Tuesday by the AP for Izzo, who didn’t confirm or deny the Cavs-related reports in a radio interview Monday night.

“I’ve taken the no-comment-on-all-of-it policy, which is a little bit unlike Tom Izzo,” he said on WILS radio in Lansing, Mich. “But I’ve been very consistent with that. And maybe to close it up, I would just say there are so many things out there that are so far-fetched right now.

“I’m the Michigan State coach and that’s what I’m going to do right now. Who knows what the future brings? But it sure isn’t at all like it’s maybe being speculated.”

Izzo led the Spartans to the Final Four this year for the sixth time in 12 seasons. The late John Wooden at UCLA and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski are the only other coaches who have accomplished that feat.

The Cavaliers fired Brown following their second-round loss to the Boston Celtics. Brown, who named the NBA’s coach of the year in 2009, led the Cavs to 127 regular-season wins the past two seasons but couldn’t get James and the team back to the finals.

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AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON – Former slugger Jose Canseco says he has told a federal grand jury that he had never seen longtime pitching ace Roger Clemens use steroids.

Canseco maintained the support he’s long held for the seven-time Cy Young Award winner, which he first stated in a March 2008 affidavit. Canseco also told the grand jury on Thursday that never possessed or asked for steroids or human growth hormone.

Brian McNamee, Clemens’ former personal trainer and a star witness, has testified that he injected Clemens with steroids and HGH. Clemens strongly denied the allegations during a 2008 congressional hearing. The grand jury was called to investigate whether Clemens lied during that hearing.

Canseco also disputed McNamee’s account Thursday, telling reporters that McNamee was a liar.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former slugger Jose Canseco completed his testimony Thursday before a federal grand jury, where he was expected to maintain his support for Roger Clemens.

The grand jury has been hearing witnesses as it weighs whether to indict Clemens for allegedly lying to Congress two years ago, when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone.

Canseco previously conveyed his support for Clemens, saying in a March 2008 affidavit he has never seen the seven-time Cy Young Award winner use, possess or ask for steroids or HGH.

One of Canseco’s lawyers has said his client’s testimony Thursday would be consistent with Canseco’s past statements. Canseco originally was set to testify in April but scheduling conflicts delayed his appearance.

Prosecutors have asked a federal grand jury in Washington to decide whether to indict Clemens for lying under oath to Congress in 2008 when the pitcher denied using steroids or HGH.

The grand jury has been hearing from witnesses for at least 16 months as it tries to decide whether a case can be made that Clemens lied under oath in 2008 when he told a congressional committee he had never taken steroids or human growth hormone.

It is not known how many witnesses have come forth or been subpoenaed because the process is secret, but an ex-pitcher (Jason Grimsley), a former gym owner from Texas (Kelly Blair) and a former New York Mets clubhouse attendant (Kirk Radomski) are among those who have passed through the third-floor courthouse doors.

Brian McNamee, Clemens’ former personal trainer and a star witness, testified May 25 before the grand jury.

McNamee, once close friends with Clemens, said in the 2007 Mitchell Report that he injected the 354-game winner with steroids and HGH at least 16 times in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Clemens denied the allegations, and both repeated their conflicting claims at a congressional hearing on Feb. 13, 2008, with Clemens saying: “I have never taken steroids or HGH.”

Lawmakers then asked Justice Department to investigate whether Clemens lied, and the case was brought to the grand jury after an 11-month FBI inquiry. In January 2009, McNamee met for five hours with Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Butler, who is leading the investigation and has been presenting evidence to the grand jury.

Umpire Jim Joyce wiped away tears as he took the field, a day after his blown call cost Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game.

Major League Baseball is still deciding whether to review the call.

Joyce and Galarraga met at home plate Thursday afternoon as the pitcher presented the umpire with the Tigers’ lineup card. Joyce shook hands with Galarraga and patted him on the shoulder.

There were some cheers when Joyce appeared at Comerica Park. There was a smattering of boos when he was introduced.

Joyce has admitted missing a call at first base Wednesday night on what would’ve been the final out. The veteran ump personally apologized to Galarraga after the game and hugged him.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball was still deciding Thursday morning whether to review the umpire’s blown call that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game.

Commissioner Bud Selig has the power to reverse umpire Jim Joyce’s missed call that came with two outs in the ninth inning Wednesday night in Detroit. Joyce ruled Cleveland’s Jason Donald safe, then admitted he got it wrong and tearfully apologized in person to the pitcher.

Joyce showed up to work Thursday in Detroit, looking as if he hadn’t slept. He appreciated the outpouring of support from umpires, family and friends but lamented strangers lashing out at his wife and children.

“I wish my family was out of this,” Joyce said, holding back tears as he spoke nearly two hours before the Cleveland-Detroit series finale. “I wish they would direct it all to me. It’s a big problem. My wife is a rock. My kids are very strong. They don’t deserve this.”

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said the team will not ask MLB to overturn the call. Selig would likely consult with his top advisers before making such a ruling. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa says the call should be overturned.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said MLB gave Joyce the option to not work Thursday’s game, but Joyce chose to stick with his job behind the plate. Leyland added that Galarraga would present the lineup card and shake hands with Joyce at home plate before the afternoon game.

In 1991, a panel headed by then-commissioner Fay Vincent took a look at the record book and decided to throw out 50 no-hitters for various reasons.

The instantly infamous play, which had social networking sites all abuzz, will add to the argument that baseball needs to expand its use of replays. As of now, they can be used only for questionable home runs.

Galarraga bitterly sipped a beer minutes after the blown call negated his place in baseball history. An apology and hug changed his attitude.

Joyce asked for a chance to apologize after the Tigers beat the Indians 3-0.

“You don’t see an umpire after the game come out and say, ‘Hey, let me tell you I’m sorry,’” Galarraga said. “He felt really bad. He didn’t even shower.”

Galarraga, who was barely known outside of Detroit a day ago, and Joyce, whose career had flourished in relative anonymity, quickly became trending topics on Twitter. At least one anti-Joyce Facebook page was created shortly after the game ended and firejimjoyce.com was launched.

“I worked with Don Denkinger, and I know what he went through, but I’ve never had a moment like this,” Joyce said.

Denkinger didn’t have to deal with the wrath of fans on Twitter or Facebook. Denkinger helped tilt the 1985 World Series by blowing a call as a first base umpire, and that followed him throughout his career.

Joyce has been calling balls and strikes and deciding if runners are out or safe as a full-time major league umpire since 1989. He has been respected enough to be on the field for two World Series, 11 other playoff series and a pair of All-Star games.

A split-second decision he made will probably haunt him for the rest of his career.

Joyce emphatically signaled safe when Cleveland’s Jason Donald clearly didn’t beat a throw to first base for what would’ve been the last out, setting off a chorus of groans and boos that echoed in Comerica Park.

Chuck Klonke, the official scorer Wednesday night with nearly three decades of experience, said he would not change the disputed play to an error from a hit to give Galarraga a no-hitter.

“I looked at the replay right after it happened, and Miguel Cabrera made a good throw and Galarraga didn’t miss the bag so you couldn’t do anything but call it a hit,” Klonke said Thursday morning. “I watched the replay from the center-field camera, which some people thought showed Galarraga might’ve bobbled the ball, and I didn’t see it that way at all. I have 24 hours to change a call, but I wouldn’t consider it. End of story.”

Not quite.

The story has transcended sports, becoming a topic on NBC’s “Today” show Thursday morning and among parents dropping off their kids at the bus stop.

It’s rare for an umpire to acknowledge a mistake in one of the few sports that relies heavily on the human eye, but Joyce did to reporters and later to Galarraga.

“It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the (stuff) out of it,” Joyce said, looking and sounding distraught as he paced in the umpires’ locker room. “I just cost that kid a perfect game.”

Leyland was livid during the game when he charged out of the dugout to argue the call and got in another heated discussion with Joyce after the final out.

Later, though, Leyland tried to give Joyce a break.

“The players are human, the umpires are human, the managers are human,” Leyland said.

Galarraga tried to calm his nerves with a beer after the game after almost getting to celebrate the first perfect game in franchise history.

He was vying for the third perfect game in the majors this year, including Roy Halladay’s gem last Saturday night. He seemed to do his job for the 27th out along with first baseman Cabrera on a play teams work on often in spring training.

Donald hit a grounder in the hole between first and second, Cabrera fielded it and threw to first, where Galarraga caught the ball at least a step ahead of Donald, replays showed.

“I feel sad,” Galarraga said.

Cabrera said he didn’t want to talk about it and Donald answered questions from reporters after a long soak in the tub.

“I didn’t know if I beat the throw or not,” Donald said. “But given the circumstances, I thought for sure I’d be called out.”

The Tigers huddled around one of the two big-screen televisions in their clubhouse, standing stoically and silently as the play was shown over and over.

“I know I played in a perfect game,” Detroit shortstop Ramon Santiago said. “In my mind, on June 2, Armando Galarraga threw a no-hitter. I’m going to get a ball signed by him.”

___

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.

PITTSBURGH – Ben Roethlisberger says he needs to be smarter about making decisions in his life and is working closely with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to make the best of his “second chance” in football.

The Steelers quarterback talked publicly Thursday for the first time since drawing a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He did not apologize for his actions in a Georgia nightclub, where a college student accused him of sexually assaulting her. But he said he has spent the last two months rethinking his life and the type of person he wants to be.

“I’ve put a lot of thought into my life, the decisions that I’ve made in the past,” Roethlisberger said. “I’ve been sitting at home thinking about things, and I’ve been working closely with the commissioner on ways to make changes, corrections. I’m looking forward to the second chance and the second opportunity — not just in football, because I think everybody knows what you’re going to get (from me) in football, but in life. I think that’s kind of what’s more important.”

Roethlisberger offered no specifics about his dealings with Goodell, who ordered him to undergo an evaluation before clearing him to take part in the Steelers’ final few spring practices, which end June 10.

“(I’m) evaluating what I need to do, and be smarter when it comes to certain things,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger can take part in training camp and preseason games, but cannot practice during his suspension. Goodell has the option of trimming the suspension to four games.

Roethlisberger spoke briefly at the end of a Steelers voluntary practice, then took two questions before a team publicist cut off the news conference. Neither question dealt with the Georgia incident, which led to no criminal charges but shamed the two-time Super Bowl winner and caused a dramatic drop in his popularity with the Steelers’ large fan base.

Coach Mike Tomlin says the team is working closely with the two-time Super Bowl winner to help him straighten out his life.

“I’ve spent a lot of time evaluating and looking at my life both on and off the field,” Roethlisberger said. “I think this is a time for me to kind of close the chapter of the last couple of years of my life and move on to a new one, kind of a new start. I’m kind of really excited about it.”

Roethlisberger, who was known for frequenting nightclubs with an entourage of friends, did not specify what changes he is making.

“Well, a lot of them are personal things, which is just something that I need to do,” Roethlisberger said of his lifestyle changes. “But it’s been neat being able to really reevaluate my life and spend time with my family and kind of reevaluate and refigure what’s important in life. … It’s a new chapter and I’m looking forward to it and it starts with football and I’m glad to be back out here.”

CHICAGO – Antti Niemi was unflappable as the Stanley Cup finals turned defensive in Game 2. Different style of game from the opener, yet another victory for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Niemi made 14 of his 32 saves in the final period and Chicago beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 to take a 2-0 series lead on Monday night.

“It’s unbelievable feeling how the people react,” Niemi said as the crowd cheered him and chanted his name after the game. “Defense was the key.”

After a 6-5 Chicago victory in the opener when the teams traded goals, both clubs tightened up their defense. The tone was more physical and chippy from the outset.

The Blackhawks, who for the second straight game got no points from their two young stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, broke through against Michael Leighton when Marian Hossa and Ben Eager scored 28 seconds apart late in the second period.

And after the Flyers got a power-play goal from Simon Gagne early in the third, Niemi withstood a late flurry from the Flyers to preserve Chicago’s seventh straight win.

“I thought their goaltender played extremely well in the third period. We had more than enough looks to tie up that game,” Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette said.

Games 3 and 4 will be played in Philadelphia on Wednesday and Friday.

Patrick Sharp fired a shot from the left circle, and after Leighton stopped it and with Chicago’s Troy Brouwer battling for the puck, Hossa poked it in from the left side with 2:51 left in the second. Hossa, in his third straight Stanley Cup finals with a different team, got his third goal of the playoffs and first since May 5 against Vancouver in the conference semifinals.

Just 28 seconds later with the crowd still abuzz, Dustin Byfuglien made a steal and passed the puck to fourth-line forward Eager. Eager skated to the right circle and unleashed a shot that beat Leighton high on the glove side to make it 2-0. It was the first goal of the playoffs for the former Flyers forward.

Philadelphia broke through with 1 second left on a power play when Gagne scored from the left circle.

Gagne nearly chipped in a tying rebound about 7 minutes later, but was denied by Niemi’s pad in close.

Leighton, who was drafted by the Blackhawks and played parts of two seasons for them, got the nod despite being pulled in Game 1 after yielding five goals on 20 shots. He made 24 saves Monday night.

Trying to get more punch, the Flyers inserted forward Daniel Carcillo into the lineup. A scratch the last three games and known for his agitating style, Carcillo was the team leader in playoff penalty minutes (30) entering the game and joined Philadelphia captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter on a first line that had been pointless in the opener.

Carcillo replaced Gagne to start the game — Gagne later returned to the top line — and immediately began to mix things up. He took a run at Chicago’s Tomas Kopecky and inadvertently flattened teammate Carter.

The Flyers were called for their first penalty of the series with 5:12 left in the opening period, bringing out a loud roar from the crowd as the Blackhawks went on a power play for the first time in nearly 75 minutes. They couldn’t score.

About three minutes later, Chicago went on another power play when there were three penalties called simultaneously — two on the Flyers with Carcillo being sent to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct.

But the Blackhawks couldn’t convert, and the first period ended scoreless, quite a contrast from Game 1 when there were five goals in the opening 20 minutes. Outshot 17-9 in the first period of the opener, the Blackhawks had a 9-3 advantage in the rematch.

One of Chicago’s best scoring chances came in front of the net as Toews tried to punch the puck in before he was wedged out by defenseman Chris Pronger, who then shoved his Olympic teammate into the boards, prompting an angry exchange.

Niemi used his right pad to stop Richards on a breakaway at 7:35 of the second, preserving the scoreless tie. And moments later, Leighton responded with a nice save on Duncan Keith in the slot after a good pass from Sharp.

Niemi then twice made stops on hard shots from Carcillo and another from Richards, but Leighton did the same against Hossa and Dave Bolland. One of Niemi’s best stops came with a stretched-out glove save against Arron Asham, prompting chants of “Ant-ti Ant-ti” from the crowd of 22,275.

The Flyers had three leads in the opener, weren’t called for a penalty, held Chicago’s top line scoreless and still lost.

NOTES: The Stanley Cup finals record for home teams that sweep the first two games is 31-2. In 1971, Chicago won the first two games at home but lost to Montreal in seven. In 2009, Detroit won the first two games at home but lost to Pittsburgh in seven. … Flyers LW James van Riemsdyk was scratched along with D Ryan Parent, who played only 41 seconds in the opener.

Two to go.

The Chicago Blackhawks took care of business at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. They head to Philadelphia holding a series lead that only four teams have ever blown in the championship round.

The Flyers did all they could in a frantic final 90 seconds against Antti Niemi. They just couldn’t score the tying goal.

The Flyers called timeout with 19.4 seconds left and put an extra man on the ice to try to send the game into overtime. They seemed to catch a break when Patrick Sharp’s shot on the empty net bounced off the post.

Philly couldn’t capitalize.

Now the Blackhawks are heading to Philadelphia for Game 3.

No problem.

The Blackhawks are 7-1 away from home in this postseason, but the Flyers are 7-1 at home in these playoffs.

Chicago is seeking its first Stanley Cup championship since the days of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita in 1961.

___

Simon Gagne and the Flyers are trying to pull off another comeback.

Gagne scored a rolling, seeing-eye goal past Antti Niemi with 1 second left on the power play to cut Chicago’s lead to 2-1 at 5:20 of the third period.

Gagne, who didn’t play much early in Game 2, scored his eighth goal of the postseason. The Flyers badly needed that goal. They had nothing to show for a second period in which they attacked Niemi and were stopped on several solid shots.

Gagne’s goal kind of trickled past Niemi.

___

Does May 28, 1987, ring a bell for Flyers fans?

If not, here’s a reminder. It’s the last time the Flyers won a game in the Stanley Cup finals. The Flyers beat Edmonton 3-2 in Game 6 at the Spectrum to force a decisive Game 7. The Oilers won that game 3-1 and started Philadelphia on its losing streak.

The Flyers were swept in four games by Detroit in 1997 and lost Game 1 of this year’s finals to Chicago.

The Blackhawks lead 2-0 entering the third period and are 20 minutes away from handing the Flyers their seventh straight loss in the finals.

Since winning two straight Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975, the Flyers have dropped their last five series appearances. Chicago has also lost five consecutive times in the finals since its last championship in 1961.

Returning home for Wednesday night’s Game 3 might not help Philadelphia, either. Only four teams in the Stanley Cup finals have rallied from a 2-0 series hole to win it all.

Two stats to remember.

The Penguins did it last year, beating Detroit on the road in Game 7 after trailing the series 3-2.

And, the Flyers already came back from a 3-0 series deficit in this postseason. They stunned the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals and became the first NHL team in 35 years to pull off that type of comeback.

So history says it can be done.

The Flyers would just like to find a way to win Game 2 and not have to worry about it.

___

Two goals in 28 seconds.

Just like that, the Blackhawks are in control.

Marian Hossa snapped a scoreless duel when he knocked in a rebound with 2:51 left in the second period to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead over the Flyers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night.

That was just the start of the scoring surge.

Ben Eager followed only moments later at 17:37 of the second with a goal from the right circle. The puck went up and over the glove of Michael Leighton — a really bad goal allowed by the Flyers goalie.

Hossa wants to end his personal Stanley Cup finals losing streak. He had been there the past two years with Pittsburgh and Detroit — and lost.

He and the Blackhawks are 20 minutes away from taking a 2-0 series edge over the Flyers. Chicago’s Antti Niemi has made the Game 2 lead stand up headed into the third period. He stopped all 15 shots by the Flyers.

___

Chicago’s Antti Niemi is in a groove.

He just made the best save of the series — a fantastic, stretched-out glove save that robbed Arron Asham. Asham fired from the top of the circle, but Niemi snared it on the far side. The Chicago crowd chanted “An-tti!” in appreciation.

Niemi has been on top of his game in the second period as the Flyers are starting to get in their shots.

___

The goalies have settled down.

After unimpressive first-game performances by Chicago’s Antti Niemi and Philadelphia’s Michael Leighton, both have been solid in through the first half of Game 2.

Niemi made a nice pad save to stop Mike Richards on a breakaway attempt. Leighton, who was yanked in Game 1, has also been strong.

The improvement of both goalies are key reasons why the game is still scoreless 10 minutes into the second period.

___

The Flyers and Blackhawks are scoreless heading into the second period of Game 2.

Not only is scoring down after a five-goal first period in Game 1, shots are on the decline, too. Chicago outshot the Flyers 9-3 in the first 20 minutes of Game 2. In the opener, the Flyers held a 17-9 edge.

No one recorded more than one shot in the first period of Game 2, except Patrick Kane, who registered three.

The Flyers also had three players sent to the box after going all of Game 1 without being called for a penalty.

One stat of note, Flyers forward Simon Gagne only played 3:26. Might he be hurt? Something to keep an eye on in the second period.

___

Must Love Hawks.

John Cusack, an Evanston, Ill., native and famous Cubs fan is throwing his support behind the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup. Cusack tweeted “go hawks” on Monday night.

Guess he’ll Tweet Anything.

Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala appears to be at Game 2. He tweeted “In the chi watching the flyers bout to tie this series up!” and posted a twitpic from behind the Flyers net.

Celebrity edge, Chicago.

___

The Chicago fans are letting Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger know exactly how they feel about him with a PG-13 rated chant.

After a brief scrum in front of Philadelphia’s net, Pronger gave a two-handed shove to Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. Then the chant erupted.

Pronger is playing in third Stanley Cup finals in five years, all with different teams.

___

What’s that? A power play for the Blackhawks?

Yes, the Flyers were finally whistled for a penalty late in the first period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals.

Blair Betts was called for cross-checking at 14:48. It was the first penalty taken by the Flyers in 74 minutes, 48 seconds of the series. They went all of Game 1 without one — something not expected out of a franchise once dubbed the “Broad Street Bullies.”

The Flyers haven’t gone a regular-season game without taking a penalty in more than 10 years. Philadelphia didn’t look rusty in its penalty kill. The Blackhawks failed to score during the advantage, keeping the game scoreless.

Chicago received its second power play with 2:33 left in the first period when Dan Carcillo was sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct at the same time coincidental minors were whistled against Flyers captain Mike Richards (elbowing) and Blackhawks forward Tomas Kopecky (roughing).

Philadelphia killed off that advantage, too, and the teams went into the first intermission scoreless.

___

All that was missing was Curly. Dan Carcillo, back in Philadelphia’s lineup for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals, pulled off a move worthy of a Three Stooges short.

Carcillo took a run at Chicago’s Tomas Kopecky to deliver a big hit. He delivered all right, on teammate Jeff Carter. Kopecky stepped to the side and Carcillo drilled Carter. Carter slammed the ice hard and his helmet flew off his head.

Carcillo, nicknamed Car Bomb, and Kopecky briefly jawed at each other after the play.

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Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals is under way. The Flyers and Blackhawks made it through the first 5 minutes of the game without scoring. Must seem like a weeklong scoring drought after the Game 1 Arena Football League atmosphere.

One key for both teams is getting their top lines going. Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien, and Philadelphia’s Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne all failed to record a point in Chicago’s 6-5 win.

Watch those players tonight. They could make the difference.

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Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals is about to start. The Chicago Blackhawks won a wild opener over the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5. This one should promise to see some tighter defense and a score more appropriate for a regular NHL game.

If not, there could be more changes in the nets.

The Flyers are sticking with Game 1 starting goalie Michael Leighton after he was yanked after allowing five goals in the opener. Brian Boucher took his place and let in the winner, but a brief goaltender controversy was brewing in Philly.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette squashed that when he decided on Sunday to stick with Leighton.

He’s still making changes.

The Flyers put forward Dan Carcillo and defenseman Oskars Bartulis in the lineup and scratched James van Riemsdyk and Ryan Parent.

Carcillo should play on the same line as Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Simon Gagne could bump down and share a line with Claude Giroux and Arron Asham.

The Flyers are looking for their first championship since winning consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975.

The Blackhawks are searching for their first title since the days of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita in 1961.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Not ready to go home just yet, the only place the Orlando Magic are headed is back to Boston.

Halfway to history.

Taking another step toward overcoming an improbable 3-0 series deficit, Dwight Howard had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 113-92 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“I don’t know if you can say you have momentum when you’re down 3-2 going into their place,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I still look at it like we’re climbing a huge mountain here. But we are playing better.”

Much better.

A series that looked like a sweep a few days ago now has the Celtics taking a slim lead into a pressure-packed Game 6 in Boston on Friday night. The Celtics are facing the possibility of playing it without Kendrick Perkins after their starting center picked up his seventh technical foul of the playoffs, a mandatory suspension unless it is overturned.

A potential Game 7 would be in Orlando.

No NBA team has won a series after losing the first three games.

The Magic, seemingly lifeless after a blowout defeat in Game 3, suddenly have hope to be the first. They broke out of their series-long shooting slump, making 13-of-25 3-pointers.

“I just feel that if we keep believing in each other and trusting one another and playing as hard as we can, anything’s possible,” Howard said.

Jameer Nelson scored 24 points, and J.J. Redick had 14 to help the Magic to a frenetic pace that the Celtics couldn’t sustain. Howard added five blocks as Orlando built an early 14-point lead that was never seriously challenged.

Rasheed Wallace had 21 points, and Rajon Rondo scored 19 for a Boston team that once seemed on its way to another NBA finals.

Now? The Celtics are stunned and dazed — and Boston fans who just watched their NHL team blow a 3-0 lead are getting uneasy.

Howard’s elbow inadvertently came down on Glen “Big Baby” Davis’ face near the basket in the third quarter, giving the Celtics forward a concussion. Davis tried to get up as play continued on the other end, wobbling his way to midcourt, almost falling flat as referee Joey Crawford kept him from tumbling to the hardwood.

Davis did not return. Reserve Marquis Daniels also was hit with a similar inadvertent elbow from Howard, leaving him dizzy, and Wallace “tweaked” his back.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Davis “blacked out” on the court, and the training staff will examine the forward Thursday.

“I don’t know what kind of tests they’re going to do with Baby. He’s a little delirious anyway,” Rivers said, chuckling.

Give the Magic a little more than a puncher’s chance.

Redick provided a big boost off the bench, making a pair of 3-pointers to highlight a 20-8 run that put Orlando ahead 51-37 in the second quarter. His swishes and crisp passing kept the Celtics scrambling, and it filled a major hole with starter Vince Carter continuing to struggle.

Amid an amped-up Amway Arena, Wallace picked up his third foul during the spurt and taunted Orlando fans all the way to bench. Wallace shouted and screamed to the stands, pointing at his ring finger for the championship he already won with Detroit — a title that has long eluded Orlando.

Things got even worse for the Celtics when Perkins was ejected after he picked up his second technical of the game and seventh of the postseason for arguing with officials. Perkins and Marcin Gortat were whistled for double technicals a few minutes prior after they got tangled up.

That means Perkins, one of the best defenders in the league on Howard, will be suspended for Game 6 unless the NBA rescinds the technical. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said a final review of the technicals was expected to be announced by mid-to-late morning Thursday.

“I didn’t think he deserved either one. But he got them,” Rivers said.

The Celtics are two games from infamy, and the pressure is mounting.

Only four times in the history of North American major pro sports leagues has a team won a playoff series after losing the first three games. Such comebacks are something Boston fans know all too well.

It has happened three times in the NHL — most recently by the Philadelphia Flyers over the Boston Bruins earlier this month — and once in baseball, when the Boston Red Sox came back to beat the New York Yankees in the 2004 AL championship series.

In 93 tries, it has just never been done in the NBA.

Here’s the Magic’s chance at history.

“We just all believe,” Nelson said. “We all believe. We know we can do it.”

NOTES: Of the 93 teams that have fallen into an 0-3 hole, only three have even forced a Game 7. … The NBA upgraded Howard’s elbow on Boston’s Kevin Garnett in Game 4 to a flagrant-one foul Wednesday. That’s Howard’s second flagrant of the playoffs; two more and he will be suspended one game.

ASHBURN, Va. – Washington Redskins receiver Santana Moss told a small group of teammates last week that he received treatments from the Canadian doctor charged with smuggling and supplying human growth hormone.

Moss portrayed the treatments as routine — and not involving banned substances — according to teammate Phillip Daniels.

“I believe he’s telling us the truth,” Daniels said Wednesday. “He got, like, three treatments, and who knows what happened after that.”

Coach Mike Shanahan was also persuaded by Moss’ version of events. The two met before Wednesday’s offseason practice, and Shanahan came away confident that Moss will not be disciplined for a possible violation of the NFL’s banned substance policies.

“I sat down and talked to Santana today and went through a bunch of situations that have happened to him,” Shanahan said. “And I feel really good about where he’s at. I feel real good that he’ll be, I don’t know if ‘vindicated’ is the word, but when people find out all the facts, everything will be OK.”

Asked directly if he had any worries that Moss will be suspended, Shanahan said. “No.”

Shanahan said his confidence was based solely on his conversation with Moss and that the Redskins had not done any investigating on their own, nor has the coach spoken to the NFL about the matter. Shanahan declined to discuss details but added: “There’s a number of things that will occur probably in the next couple of weeks.”

Moss referred questions to Shanahan.

“Coach Shanahan and I went over everything,” Moss said as he walked off the field.

Moss’ name surfaced in an affidavit in connection with the criminal complaint filed against Anthony Galea, a sports medicine doctor whose superstar clients include Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez. Galea faces federal criminal charges in the United States for allegedly bringing unapproved drugs into the country and unlawfully treating professional athletes.

Galea’s assistant was stopped at the U.S.-Canadian border in September with human growth hormone, Actovegin and vials of other drugs. The assistant was on her way to the nation’s capital, where she said a professional football player from Washington had called to request a session with Galea at a Washington-area hotel, according to the affidavit.

“They stopped somebody at the border who had stuff — who knows who they were going to see?” Daniels said. “Maybe they were coming to give (Moss) another treatment. … It’s kind of tough, man, but I believe in him.”

Cornerback Carlos Rogers said Moss shouldn’t be automatically tied to the doctor’s alleged misdeeds.

“That part of the thing wasn’t tied to him,” Rogers said. “Everybody’s put, ‘Oh, he had HGH in his bag. It’s Santana; it’s him.’ If they test Santana right now, nothing would come up in his body.”

The NFL does not test for HGH, but the league could suspend a player if it has other proof that a player has used the substance.

HGH can used to help an athlete recover from an injury. Moss revealed earlier this month that his left knee had been bothering him for three years — even though he rarely missed a game — and that he had recently decided to have arthroscopic surgery to fix the problem. He has been a limited participant at this week’s practices.

“I am in a rush to be out there with those guys,” Moss said, “but I’m not in a rush to do anything stupid with my knee.”

Daniels said Moss’ predicament should make other players wary about consulting with outside doctors.

“That’s a lesson for everybody,” Daniels said. “Make sure you know who you’re working with, go through your trainers and get the right people. And if they’re going to work on you, maybe bring them here, bring them to the facility, let the guys see what they’re doing.”

Santana has played nine years in the NFL, including the last five with the Redskins. He has led the team in yards receiving every year he’s been in Washington. He caught 70 passes for 902 yards with three touchdowns last season and played all 16 games.

“I hate that he’s got to go through this and be labeled,” Daniels said, “because I know what kind of guy he is. I know he’s a good guy. … It ain’t like Santana went online to buy stuff. He was getting treatments, and you never know how these guys do things.”

LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant dribbled toward the Lakers‘ bench, luring Channing Frye and Jason Richardson along with him. Bryant leaned back and launched a feather-soft jumper over Phoenix’s double team, neatly beating the first-quarter buzzer.

That’s about when the Suns should have noted the bright yellow brace on Bryant’s right knee is the color of a caution sign.

Even with a balky knee and a litany of additional woes, Bryant still is among the most dangerous postseason scorers in NBA history — and he had no problem giving Los Angeles an early leg up in the Western Conference finals.

Bryant scored 40 points, Lamar Odom added 19 points and 19 rebounds, and the Lakers opened the series with ruthless offensive efficiency in a 128-107 victory on Monday night.

“Just being aggressive, playing my game,” Bryant said. “Got shots, took them. Got lanes to the basket, took them.”

Pau Gasol had 21 points for the top-seeded Lakers, who won their seventh straight playoff game and snapped the Suns’ six-game streak with a phenomenal second half, highlighted by Bryant’s 21-point third quarter. He barely stepped on the Lakers’ practice court during the past week to rest his ailing knee, ankle, finger and back — all minor impediments to a major talent.

“I practice so much during the season,” Bryant said. “In the offseason, I work a lot. To take a week off, I’m not going to lose all the work I put in prior to that.”

The defending NBA champions beat the third-seeded Suns at their own uptempo game when necessary, fluidly running the court to set up baskets for Bryant in his sixth straight 30-point game. Bryant then rested for most of the fourth quarter in the 11th 40-point game of his playoff career.

“They played great, one of the best games I’ve seen them play in the playoffs this season,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “Kobe kind of controlled the whole game. I thought we could have withstood the game that he had … but when he’s making his jumper like that, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.”

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points and Steve Nash had 13 points and 13 assists for the Suns, who hadn’t lost since April 24. Robin Lopez started at center and scored 14 points in his playoff debut, but Phoenix couldn’t keep up with the champs’ height and 58-percent shooting in the Suns’ first conference finals appearance since 2006.

The Suns also ran into the same height problems faced by Utah and Oklahoma City earlier in the Lakers‘ playoff run. Los Angeles committed just nine turnovers in Game 1 — its third straight single-digit turnover game — while outrebounding the smaller Suns 42-34.

“They’re probably going to continue to be taller than us as the series goes on, so we’ve got to … make everything as tough as possible,” said Nash, whose injured eye didn’t bother him. “We played hard, but we didn’t make enough shots, and we had a few too many breakdowns.”

Both teams swept their second-round series to earn their third postseason date in five years, but the Lakers didn’t allow a week off to affect their remarkable execution. They scored easily and often, even with center Andrew Bynum managing just four points while playing shakily on his own sore knee.

After a 62-point first half for the Lakers, Bryant alternated jumpers and strong drives while Los Angeles pulled away, making a 13-2 run in the third quarter. His 13-for-23 shooting performance included three 3-pointers and 11 free throws with just one miss.

“Kobe carried a lot of the offense tonight, no doubt,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “I will say he was going to shoulder the game. He was going to take it on. He’s been very optimistic through the whole week. He felt like he had the amount of rest and shooting he had to have. He was attentive and involved (in practice).”

The Suns sent Bryant, Odom and the Lakers home for the summer in 2006 and 2007, and Los Angeles’ veterans acknowledged a measure of revenge in their minds — as long as they’re healthy enough to do it.

Jackson revealed before the game that Bryant’s right knee was drained “a while ago,” moving it to the top of the injury list for last season’s NBA finals MVP. But Bryant showed no ill effects, and he even bounced back up after hitting his head on Richardson’s knee during a drive in the first quarter.

“He’s the best scorer in the league,” said Odom, who set a career playoff high for rebounds in his most assertive game of the current postseason. “Drives, fadeaways with his back to the basket, inside-outside, with his left hand. Time off is exactly what he needed.”

NOTES: Bryant last scored 40 points in the postseason during the opener of last year’s NBA finals against Orlando. … Lakers G Sasha Vujacic appeared in his first game of the postseason after missing the first two rounds with a sprained ankle. … Bryant and Grant Hill got technical fouls for arguing with officials 57 seconds apart in the third quarter. … Larry David watched the game from the same eight-seat courtside section where his fictional alter ego infamously tripped Shaquille O’Neal during a first-season episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”