Canadiens' Tanguay to miss six weeks

January 2, 2009

With 11 points from their last six games, the Montreal Canadiens have been successful of late despite missing some key components. They'll try to continue that trend tonight at New Jersey without at least one other quality player and possibly two. Winger Alex Tanguay, who has 10 goals and is third on the team with 26 points, will miss six weeks after injuring his left shoulder in a victory at Tampa Bay Tuesday. According to TSN.ca, Tanguay didn't specify whether he'd suffered a separation, dislocation, or strain. The 29-year-old, hurt when hit by Evgeni Artyukhin, did indicate yesterday that he won't need surgery. Saku Koivu is believed to be suffering from a high ankle sprain and hasn't played since Dec. 11. Christopher Higgins (shoulder), Mathieu Dandenault (broken arm), and enforcer Georges Laraque (groin) also are injured. In addition, goalie Carey Price is day-to-day with a lower-body injury that is not related to his recent left knee problem, TSN.ca reported. Price "tweaked something" during the pregame warm-up Tuesday, said coach Guy Carbonneau, but didn't tell the coaches, played against Tampa Bay, and won. He is expected to miss tonight's game . . . Former University of New Hampshire standout Daniel Winnik was sent to San Antonio (AHL) by the Phoenix Coyotes. Winnik, who had 11 goals and 15 assists as a rookie with the Coyotes last season, had one assist in 23 games for Phoenix this season.

New York Jets running back Thomas Jones suggested quarterback Brett Favre should have been benched for his poor performance in a season-ending 24-17 loss to Miami last Sunday. "If somebody is not playing well, they need to come out of the game," Jones told New York Hot 97 FM Tuesday. "You're jeopardizing the whole team because you're having a bad day. To me, that's not fair to everybody else." Favre was intercepted three times by the Dolphins.

Ohio State star Chris "Beanie" Wells isn't ready to say whether Monday's Fiesta Bowl against Texas will be his last game for the Buckeyes. "I personally feel like I haven't done enough at Ohio State . . . to move on to the next level," the junior running back said. "I don't want to say I'm leaning toward staying or I'm leaning toward going. All I'm saying is I do want to be the best Buckeye to ever come through here." Wells ran for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns despite missing three games after injuring his foot in the season opener. Two weeks ago, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel suggested it should be an easy decision considering he thinks Wells will be a top NFL draft choice and that it may be time to go . . . Josh Freeman, who holds most of Kansas State's career passing records, is expected to announce he's skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft . . . Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops earned $3 million when the calendar flipped. A clause in Stoops's contract - approved in 2005 by the university's board of regents - provided for the coach to receive a so-called "stay bonus" of $3 million after completing 10 seasons as the Sooners' coach . . . California coach Jeff Tedford agreed to a two-year contract extension that takes him through the 2015 season . . . Tulsa coach Todd Graham agreed to a 10-year contract that could keep him with the Golden Hurricane through the 2018 season . . . Longtime broadcaster Terry Bowden, who engineered turnarounds at Auburn, Salem College, and Samford, returned to coaching at Division 2 North Alabama.

Barry Bonds, who hasn't given up hope of playing next season, recently underwent hip surgery and could be recovered by Opening Day, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing a source familiar with the operation. Next up for Bonds is a trial in the middle of spring training on charges of lying to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice in the BALCO case. Baseball's home run king would not be 100 percent at the start of spring training in six weeks, the Chronicle reported.

Andy Murray defeated James Blake, 6-2, 6-2, to set up a semifinal meeting with No. 2 Roger Federer at the inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship in the United Arab Emirates. In the other first-round match, Nikolay Davydenko ousted Andy Roddick, 6-4, 6-4, and will face No. 1 Rafael Nadal in today's other semifinal. Nadal and Federer received first-round byes in the event, which is not part of the ATP Tour but features six of the world's top 10 players and offers a winner-take-all prize of $250,000.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt edged United States swimmer Michael Phelps in a vote for the 2008 athlete of the year by the international media. Olympic pole vault champ Yelena Isinbayeva took the top place as sportswoman of the year and Spain's soccer team was voted team of the year for winning the European Championship. In a poll by the International Sports Press Association, journalists from 96 nations gave Bolt 1,673 points to 1,557 for Phelps. Bolt won three Olympic gold medals, setting world records in the 100 meters, 200, and 400 relay. Phelps made history by winning eight golds . . . Wolfgang Loitzl of Austria earned his first World Cup victory, winning the second leg of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.