Quickie Sports Chowdah Update for February 23rd, 2013

AP Photo/Mike Carlson

NHL- Something rather curious happened during the Bruins fairly lengthy hiatus this week. While they've played exactly one game since Sunday, Montreal has won three out of their last four contests and the Ottawa Sentaors have won four straight during the same timeframe. The lengthy interval between games for Boston combined with the good week that both Ottawa and Montreal have had mean that the Bruins have slipped into 3rd place in the Northeast Division - despite winning two consecutive contests.

The most recent win for the Bruins came on Thursday night against a team they were supposed to face off against during winter storm Nemo earlier this month- the Tampa Bay Lightning. That contest was supposed to take place on April 25th, but because of the blizzard-related state of emergency in Boston, it was postponed until April 25th, 2012.

However, the first Bruins-Lightning game of the 2013 season took place in Tampa, FL instead. Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead vs Tampa Bay thanks to goals from Nathan Horton and Patrice Bergeron before the Lightning's Steven Stamkos put Tampa Bay on the board. The Lightning would tie the contest up at 2-2 on a Cory Conacher goal in the second. However a few minutes later, the Bruins would take the lead for good on a Brad Marchand goal. Nathan Horton would give Boston some additional insurance with a goal in the 3rd to give Boston the 4-2 win.

Tukka Rask stopped 24 of 26 shots faced on Thursday night while Anders Lindback stopped 22 shots on a similar number faced by by Rask.

The Bruins swing through the Sunshine State continues on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 ET with a matchup against the Flordida Panthers. This game will be televised on both NESN and the NHL network in select markets.

NASCAR- At least 28 people were injured at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday during a massive collision on the final lap of NASCAR's junior cirucit Nationwide Series.

Saturday's wreck happened after driver Regan Smith, who was leading the race, attempted to block another driver as they were nearing the checkered flag and hit the other car, a report on NASCAR.com said.

The crash sent driver Kyle Larson's car airborne and ripped out its engine, although he climbed out of the wreckage afterward unhurt.

"I was getting pushed from behind, it felt like," Larson told ESPN after the crash.

"By the time my spotter said, 'Lift,' or to go low, I believe, it was too late and I was in the wreck. Then I felt like it was slowing down, and it looked like I could see the ground, and had some flames in the cockpit. Luckily, I was all right and could get out of the car quick," he added.

The injured were carried away on stretchers from the chaotic scene in the stands. They were taken to Halifax Health Medical Center and Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

The crash involved 10 vehicles and some of the spectators undergoing medical tratment at Daytona include a 14 year old.

WINTER OLYMPICS- Less than a week after the US Luge team's practice sleds went missing from the back of a truck, a Pennsylvania man who discovered the sleds by the side of the road contacted State Police about his discovery.

A representative from the USA Luge team had reportedly lost the sleds after failing to secure them to the truck properly during a recruiting trip to eastern Pennsylvania. The man, identified as Mike Miller from Moore Township, PA, had heard about the missing sleds in media reports and turned them over to the Pennsylvania State Police on Friday.

Sports Chowdah Recap for Feb 11-12; Georgian Luger Dies in Crash, Delays Help Vonn? B's Make it 3 Straight, The Truck is Ft. Meyers Bound

(Ivan Sekretarev/AP)

WINTER OLYMPICS: Even before the opening ceremonies, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympiad was already marred by tragedy when 21 year old luger Nodar Kumaritashvili from the Republic of Georgia lost control of his sled at speeds approaching 90 MPH during the qualifying round of the men's luge before going over the track wall before crashing into an unpadded steel pole near the finish line. Rescue workers came to Kumaritashvili's aid within seconds and administered CPR before he was airlifted to a trauma center in Whistler, BC where he was pronounced dead.

The potential hazards of the Whistler course had been discussed in the months leading up to the Olympics. Several countries- including Team USA- were upset on restrictions placed over access to the track. Members of the Canadian team were the only ones who had access to the track prior to the Olympics.

USA Women's Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, already nursing a bruised shin that put her participation in doubt, caught a break from mother nature after rainy weather postponed practice for the women's event Thursday and Friday. This gives Vonn a few extra days to recoup before hitting the slopes.

The opening ceremonies didn't quite go as planned at Vancouver's BC palace when a hydraulic arm that was supposed to raise a section of the cauldron that was supposed to be simultaneously lit by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, NBA All-Star Steve Nash, skier Nancy Greene and speed-skater Catorina LeMay Doan. Despite through rehearsals, the section Doan was supposed to light never rose, so the Saskatchewan native saluted the crowd with the torch while awaiting further instruction.

NHL: The Boston Bruins winning streak has been extended to three games in a row after holding off the Tampa Bay Lighning to win 5-4 Thursday night. Michael Ryder and Milan Lucic had two goals each and Tukka Rask stopped 31 of 35 shots faced, although he was spotted a 5-0 lead courtesy of Ryder, Lucic and Miroslav Satan. The Bruins will travel across the peninsula to take on the Florida Panthers Saturday night.

Elsewhere in the NHL: Ilya Kovalchuk made his first goal with the New Jersey Devils count, snapping a 2-2 deadlock in the 3rd period during the Devil's 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators Friday night. New Jersey traded three players and a #1 draft pick to obtain Kovalchuck from the Atlanta Thrashers last week.

(David L Ryan/Boston Globe)

MLB: TRUCK DAY IS HERE! As I'm typing this, most of the Red Sox spring-training equipment should be making its way down I-95 on it's way to Ft. Meyers [No Lisa Kelly, but the cargo is in good hands nonetheless- NANESB!]. Pitchers and catcher's report Feb. 19th.