since spring training with a spiral fracture in his right leg, is scheduled for a bone sc | Forum

(Sports Network) - The surprising Detroit Red Wings will try to extend their lead in the Western Conference semifinals when they host the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks in Thursdays Game 4 at Joe Louis Arena. Mateo Kovacic Jersey . The seventh-seeded Red Wings lost Game 1 of this series by a 4-1 score before taking the next two meetings by a combined margin of 7-2. Jimmy Howard was stellar in Mondays Game 3 triumph, stopping 39 shots to help Detroit record a 3-1 win in the Motor City. Chicago hopes to even this best-of-seven series on Thursday, but the Presidents Trophy winners are just 2-3 as the road team in the playoffs. Detroit, meanwhile, is 3-1 at Joe Louis Arena during this postseason. Pavel Datsyuk, Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller all scored goals for the Red Wings on Monday. Howard made 15 saves during a scoreless first period and also turned aside 16-of-17 shots in the third. "Our hard work has been paying off," said Howard. "Guys have been taking the body and blocking shots. Were playing with a lot of heart right now and we have to keep it going." Patrick Kane had the lone goal while Corey Crawford gave up all three goals on 30 shots for the Blackhawks "Theyre playing really well right now and have a lot of things going their way," said Kane. "We just have to re-group because I thought we played very well tonight. Its going to be a good series." The Blackhawks went 0-for-4 on the power play and are just 1-for-9 on the man advantage in this series. However, Chicago still hasnt allowed a power-play goal in this postseason, killing off all 29 of the oppositions chances with the man advantage. Chicago thought it had tied the game at 2-2 early in the third period only to see the goal waved off due to a controversial goaltender interference call. Just over a minute after Chicago cut the deficit to 2-1 on Kanes goal, they had another score disallowed. Viktor Stalberg fired a shot on net from the right side that went in, but Andrew Shaw was ruled to have interfered with Howard. Several replays, however, failed to show Shaw making contact with the goaltender. "Disagree," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville when asked what he thought of the call. Shortly after the controversial call Detroit got its two-goal lead back at 6:46 as Datsyuk roofed a wrister over Crawford. On the injury front, Detroit forward Mikael Samuelsson sat out Game 3 after suffering an undisclosed injury in practice on Tuesday. He is questionable for Thursdays contest. These Central Division and Original Six foes also have met 15 times in the playoffs and Chicago has taken eight of those series. However, Detroit has claimed the last two postseason encounters, including a five-game series win when the franchises last met in the playoffs in the 2009 Western Conference finals. Chelsea Jerseys . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Willian Jersey .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Willian-Jersey/ . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers will head into the second half of the season with a full head of steam and some good news to go along with it.Clayton Kershaw, who hasnt pitched since June 26 because of a mild disk herniation in his lower back, could be back on the mound as early as next week, or by the end of the month at the worst.Manager Dave Roberts announced the timetable, the first one the Dodgers have given for their ace left-hander, before the team embarked for Arizona and the second-half opener in the desert Friday against the Diamondbacks.Were really encouraged, Roberts told reporters Thursday. For Clayton, not a whole lots left. He said hes feeling well.Roberts had already revealed his rotation to start the second half, and it did not include Kershaw. Bud Norris was slated to pitch Friday, followed by Brandon McCarthy and Kenta Maeda. When the Dodgers travel to Washington, Scott Kazmir and Hyun-Jin Ryu will pitch in the first two games of that series against the Nationals.?Roberts was not ready to say whether the rotation will be the same five pitchers the next time through, suggesting Kershaw might be ready to come back. The left-hander has already thrown a light bullpen session and was playing catch with fellow injured pitcher Brett Anderson in the Dodger Stadium outfield on Thursday.The Dodgers closed out the first half with a 7-3 homestand, winning the last three games before tthe break. Ethan Ampadu Chelsea Jersey. Since Kershaw has been out of action, the Dodgers have rallied with a 10-4 record.Getting Kershaw back into the mix only suggests better things for the 51-40 club that leads the National League wild-card race by 2? games.The staff ace was 11-2 at the time of his injury with a dominating 1.79 ERA over his first 121 innings. Under the revealed timetable, he will have two months of starts for a Dodgers team that expects to have a number of players return in upcoming weeks.Among other recovery news Roberts revealed Thursday was that Joc Pederson (bruised shoulder joint) is set to start a rehab assignment and is expected to return to the Dodgers on Tuesday at Washington. Anderson, who had his own back injury that required arthroscopic surgery, will pitch in a simulated game, then go on a minor league rehab assignment.Starter Alex Wood (triceps) is also nearing his own rehab assignment, after throwing to hitters in practice in Arizona, while reliever Yimi Garcia (biceps) is also close to a rehab assignment.Outfielder Andre Ethier, who has been out since spring training with a spiral fracture in his right leg, is scheduled for a bone scan. If that comes back clean, the Dodgers will put Ethier on a more aggressive recovery plan, Roberts said.? ' ' '