Stars, Americans clinch: Sunday notes

Grand Rapids scored first Sunday. Texas ran past them and away to a huge Game 6 win at home, ending the series. It’ll be Trevor Smith and Toronto against the Stars for the Western Conference championship. They’ll start Friday.

Over in Minsk, the big news was an apparent right-knee injury to Alex Ovechkin, though the later reports were that it may not be as bad as it first looked. For the United States, though, amazing what a few hours can do. Last night you looked at Finland as a tough one and a game they might really, really need to win. Then Seth Jones’ dump-in bounces off a stanchion, Brock Nelson gets to the net to tap it in, and a few hours later the U.S. has clinched a playoff spot. What a world. Tyler Johnson had the other two goals in a huge win. Finland had a couple of golden opportunities in the first period, finding Jori Lehtera wide open at the back door on a power play, but on neither chance could he get a shot off. Russia won that other game over Germany to secure that spot for the U.S. and clinch the top spot in the pool.

On the other side, Canada beat Sweden on Ryan Ellis’ overtime goal (Anders Nilsson made 28 saves), and the Czechs beat Norway on a Vlad Sobotka goal to break out of that everybody-has-seven-points morass.

Interesting interview, via Tyler Cowen, on recruitment to Wall Street from the Ivies and how it’s messing the kids up.

And RIP, Jerry Vale.

Michael Fornabaio