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What do you need to know about last nights big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say, Morning, Joe.No holding back the Flyers: The Philadelphia Flyers extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 4-3 victory over the struggling Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. Its the franchises longest run since a 13-game streak during the 1985-86 season. Philadelphia has propelled itself into the playoff picture in the Metropolitan Division -- they are tied with the New York Rangers for second, but the Rangers have a game in hand -- with 41 points. How far can the Flyers take this? Im not talking about the winning streak, because that could end tomorrow, but Philadelphias chances of earning a playoff berth are looking good. It helps that goalie Steve Mason has been solid with an 8-0-0 record, along with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in his past eight starts. Forward Brayden Schenn, 25, has also become clutch, scoring the winning goal in three consecutive games. The Flyers are a confident group -- win, lose or draw. You get the sense they can sustain this type of success.No retribution: The big game came and went and there was no retribution against Phil Kessel for his tweet about Team USA during the World Cup of Hockey. The Pittsburgh Penguins winger, who was left off the American roster, sent out a tweet after the team went 0-3 in the September tournament that the U.S. players did not like. At the time, David Backes of the Boston Bruins said those types of comments arent forgotten. On Wednesday, the Bruins and Penguins played for the first time since the tweet, and before the game Backes said his focus was on the two points and not Kessel. Backes still acknowledged that Kessel was wrong, but nothing came of it during Pittsburghs 4-3 overtime win. Kessel has not commented on the incident since. The two teams face off again on Jan. 22 and 26.Burns topping the charts: San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns?is once again in the Norris Trophy conversation. He finished third in voting last season, behind winner Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings and the Ottawa Senators Erik Karlsson, whom he played against Wednesday night in a 4-3 shootout win. Burns game is on target, and he now has 13 goals and 15 assists in 30 games. His ability to influence the game at both ends of the ice is crucial to the Sharks success; theres no way they would have reached the Stanley Cup finals last season without his services. If you were to pick the Norris winner today, the Montreal Canadiens Shea Weber would be atop that list. His plus-18, along with 18 points in 29 games, has been impressive. But Burns, the leagues leading goal-scorer among defensemen (he has six more goals than Karlsson, who also has 28 points), is right there with him. . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. SAO PAULO -- Every time Australian goalkeeper Lydia Williams launched a kick, the Brazilian crowd chanted a homophobic slur.It wasnt a personal attack on Williams. But it was ugly.Brazilian journalists believed it was the first time the chant had been used at a womens football game in the Olympic host country.Matildas coach Alen Stajcic and his players didnt understand the word chanted by a standing-room section behind one goal in the 20,521-strong crowd which watched Australias 2-0 loss to Canada.I dont understand the language or the culture or where that has evolved from, Stajcic said post-game.Its not really forr me to say around the the culture of that comment and how it has evolved in Brazilian football because that is maybe a negative.ddddddddddddAnd I dont know, as I said, the history behind it.It doesnt sound pleasant.The Sao Paulo crowd also used the chant when the Canadian goalkeeper kicked the ball.Local journalists said it wasnt personally directed at the `keepers, but an offensive habit which first reared during the 2014 World Cup, when Arena Corinthians hosted the tournament opener. ' ' '
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