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UNIONDALE, N. Eddie Lacy Womens Jersey .Y. � Randy Carlyle could handle and might even expect some rustiness for 20 minutes or so after an 18-day Olympic break, but not for the entirety of what proved a dud for the Maple Leafs on Thursday in Long Island. "We gave them three goals," said Carlyle, still steaming after a 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders. "You cant win in the NHL giving three goals. Gifts. Total gifts." This was not the way Carlyle imagined his team starting the final lap of a long race to the playoffs � a blistering stretch featuring 21 more games in a hectic 44 days � but thats what he got, a sloppy, uninspired performance opposite a team that had lost seven of its previous eight games and was without its best player, John�Tavares. Lacking the zip of their pre-Olympic pace � which included wins in 11 of 14 games � the Leafs managed to give away two shorthanded goals in a span of 48 seconds on the same two-minute power play before dropping a pair of third period leads. They lost the undeserved extra point in overtime when James�van�Riemsdyk could not corral a bouncing puck in the slot, essentially handing it to incoming Islander defender Lubomir�Visnovsky, who snuck one through Jonathan�Bernier. "I think mentally we looked like we were going to out-skill the hockey club we played against and they had a different attitude. They tried to grind it with us," said Carlyle afterward. "We tried to out-skill a hockey club tonight." Rust was to be expected after the two-plus week Olympic break, but not to the degree that it lingered on this night against a vastly inferior opponent. Two times in the third period did the Leafs vault in front � on goals from Dion�Phaneuf and Joffrey�Lupul � only to be jilted twice for that lead by Anders�Lee, who scored twice in his first NHL game. Lee tapped in his first on a New York power-play, evading Phaneuf and Bernier on the fourth and final game-tying goal late in regulation. "You can expect it for a period," Carlyle said of rust, "but I think when you get down to the third period and youre up in a hockey game youd expect to be able to grind it out, tighten it up and finish the team off. "We were lucky to get a point." Perhaps the effort will offer an early warning to a club itching for a second consecutive spring of playoff hockey. While still comfortable as the first wild card in the East with 71 points that comfort has the potential � however unlikely at this point � to disappear if the Leafs were to catch a fever of bad hockey down the stretch. And with rivals in Montreal and Tampa Bay still there to be caught and Detroit just a smidge behind, heavy incentive remains to lay the foot on the pedal with just over a month left to play. "We know that we left a point here," said Phaneuf. "Thats something we have to recognize and learn from." Five Points 1. Stretch Drive Mentality It was a race to the 2008-09 postseason and Tim�Gleason and the Carolina Hurricanes were in a desperate hunt to claim one of the final spots in the East. Winning 13 of their final 18 games they snuck in, landed the sixth seed and proceeded to march all the way to the conference finals.�� "Thinking back I think thats what it was," Gleason told the Leaf Report. "You play as hard as you can because you needed those two points every night." Though his current team sits firm in a playoff position at the moment, Gleason hopes they latch onto his former clubs sense of nightly desperation. Thursday was in no way, shape or form a good start. "Its like a new season, a new beginning and you know youve got to come and play and get the wins when you can," said the 31-year-old. "...youve got to push when everyone else is pushing and you have to push harder than everybody else." The Olympic break could not have come at more inopportune time for the Leafs, who entered the stoppage on a scorching run that saw them emerge with points in 12 of 14 games (11-2-1). Gleason too was settling into a groove in Toronto after eight seasons in Carolina. "Its interesting because everybody is anxious for the break because its good to have a break, but you think in the back of your mind you dont want it to end because it was going in the right direction," he said. "Now I think its just more of a mental thing, knowing where we left off and what we have to do to keep the pace and pick up points when we can." 2. Lacking Defence In winning 11 of those 14 games before the break, the Leafs scored and scored quite a bit � averaging 3.64 goals per game, a number that would easily lead the league if somehow sustained. And yet in that same stretch, Toronto also gave up nearly three goals per game itself and still ranks as one of the NHLs worst defensive clubs (all of this with terrific goaltending from Bernier). Team defence remains a sore spot for the Leafs and a worrying concern ahead of the playoffs when the hockey tends to tighten with goals ever the harder to come by. "Weve talked so much about defence and we havent really applied ourselves as a team in that area," said Carlyle on Thursday morning, "and thats one of the things that weve stated from the beginning of the season that we wanted to be stingier on the defensive side of it." No team allows more shots nightly than do the Leafs and only five teams have yielded more goals, none of them currently in a playoff position. The Islanders managed five on this night, playing without their top centre, Tavares, and their second-best centre, Frans�Nielsen. "Weve talked about it so many times about our goaltenders having to be taxed in too many situations," Carlyle said. "Wed like to be able to say that its a new season for us, were starting over. The defensive aspect of it has to be part of it. But it takes goals to score in the league too. We just dont want to give up too many of the quality scoring chances..." 3. Bernier Workload Only one goaltender in the NHL has faced more shots this season than Bernier and thats Mike�Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes. Of course, Smith has also started 10 more games than the 25-year-old, who made his 39th start of the season at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Bernier faced 35 shots and allowed five goals, ending a run of 12 consecutive starts yielding three or fewer. "I thought my rebound control wasnt great tonight and Ive got to make more saves," he said afterward. "Five goals, its not a good night, but at the same time we got a point and weve got to move on." Shining in his first go-around as an NHL no. 1, the stretch drive will prove an interesting testing ground for Bernier. He has not played this many games in a season since 2009-10 when he was still in the American League with Manchester. 4. No Olympic Letdown? Back in 2010 and then the bench boss in Anaheim, Carlyle had a slew of players return from the Olympics in Vancouver emotionally spent and missing the gas required to carry the Ducks as per usual. But on Thursday morning, Carlyle raised the belief that Sochi Olympians Phil�Kessel, James�van�Riemsdyk and Nik Kulemin could actually have a leg up on their teammates having played the past few weeks. And he turned out to be fairly prescient, at least for a game. van Riemsdyk had a hand in three of the four Toronto goals, matching a career-high with three assists, while Kessel chipped in with his 32nd goal of the year, also adding a helper to what has been a scorching 2014. The 26-year-old is now tied for second in league scoring with 67 points, 30 of which have come in the New Year. "Its not too hard to get back into it," van Riemsdyk said prior to the game. "Obviously we know whats at stake. All my attention is here on the Maple Leafs. The Olympics is done and over with. Its all about the rest of the season here and what we have to accomplish here." 5. Olympic Experience An Olympian with the American squad for the first time, the 24-year-old van Riemsdyk said the experience was memorable despite a disappointing finish which saw the U.S. bounced by Canada in the semifinals and then trounced in the bronze medal game by Finland. "Obviously the ending wasnt necessarily how we wanted it go which is unfortunate, but in a tournament like that where its single elimination thats how it goes sometimes unfortunately. As far as the whole Olympic experience I thought it was pretty cool. It almost reminded me of being back in college again as far as just even the dorms and being at the cafeteria with all the other athletes." Stats-Pack 1479 � Shots faced by Jonathan�Bernier this season, second most in the NHL. 67 � Points this season for Phil�Kessel, now tied for second in league scoring. 29 � Points for Kessel in the past 16 games. 12 � Goals for Kessel in that same 16-game stretch. 2 � Shorthanded goals scored by the Islanders in 48 seconds of the same Toronto power-play on Thursday. 3.67 � Goals per game for the Leafs since Jan. 12. 3 � Goals against per game for the Leafs this season. 3 � Assists by James�van�Riemsdyk against New York, matching a career-high. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4Season: 21.8 per cent (4th) PK: 3-4Season: 77.9 per cent (29th) Quote of the Night "Gifts. Ive got no other word to describe the goals that we gave up." -Randy Carlyle, following the overtime loss to the Islanders. Up Next The Leafs head to Montreal for a Saturday showdown with the Canadiens. Elite Julius Peppers Mens Black Jersey . - Gaston Fernandez is making the most of his new job with the Portland Timbers. Paul Hornung Jersey . The London club made the announcement in a statement, naming the German as its new manager on an 18-month contract. While Fulhams statement failed to mention Meulensteens fate, the Dutchman later told BBC Radio 5 that he had been relieved of his duties at Fulham. MARANA, Ariz. -- One shot came out of bottom of a cactus, the other from the base of a desert bush with rocks scattered around it. Both times, Jason�Day felt the Match Play Championship was his to win Sunday. And both times, he watched Victor Dubuisson turn the impossible into pars in the wildest conclusion ever to a tournament that is unpredictable even in normal circumstances. "At that time, youre just thinking, Do I need to just hand him the trophy now after those two shots?" Day said. Dubuisson finally ran out of magic. Day ended the madness at Dove Mountain on the fifth extra hole when he pitched over a mound to 4 feet and made birdie, a sigh of relief as much as it was cause for celebration at capturing his first World Golf Championship. "I kept shaking my head because there was a couple of time there where I thought he was absolutely dead -- the tournament was mine," Day said. It was remarkable enough when the 23-year-old Frenchman stood in a fairway bunker on the 17th hole, 174 yards away and needing to win the last two holes to force overtime. He did just that with a 15-foot birdie and a par save from the bunker. And then came back-to-back pars that defied belief. Dubuisson sailed over the green on No. 1 and into the desert, the ball lodged at the base of a cholla. Day was in the bunker, a fairly simple shot, especially when CBS announcer David Feherty walked over and said the Frenchman would have to take a penalty drop. With an all-or-nothing swing, Dubuisson whacked his 9-iron through the sharp needs and into a TV cable. The ball scooted up a hill covered by 3-inch rough and onto the green to 4 feet below the hole. He made par to keep going. It was reminiscent of the shot Bill�Haas pulled off at East Lake from shallow water on the 17th hole in a playoff. Only this was even more improbable -- and it came with an encore. From the ninth fairway, Dubuisson pulled his approach left of the green, left of the bleacher and into the desert at the bottom of a bush. "I walked over there and it was in a tree, a flower tree of some sort, in this little crevice. I mean, it looked absolutely dead," Day said. "Im like, Yes. I hit 8-iron into 20 feet. There was so much pressure on him. And he does it again." After halving the next two holes with bogeys and pars, Day watched his opponent hit driver on the 333-yard 15th hole too far too the right. And he heard the Frenchman say under his breath, "Dead." He was only in the grass, but Day knew better. The chip was nearly impossible to get cllose. Jamari Lattimore Womens Jersey. Day was 20 feet closer, in shorter grass, and pitched to 4 feet. Dubuisson hit his flop shot 30 feet past the hole and missed the birdie putt. "Im disappointed because I made some terrible shots," Dubuisson said on the 15th green when it was over, ignoring the two that were as close to a miracle as golf allows. But they were incredible. Even the great Seve Ballesteros would have saluted this performance. "Those two shots were amazing," Dubuisson said. "I just played it like I had nothing to lose." He gained plenty in defeat. This tournament will be remembered as much for two improbable shots out of the desert as Day winning a trophy he always believed would belong to him -- even in the midst of shots that defied belief. Day won for the second time on the PGA Tour and rose to a career-best No. 4 in the world. It was the first time the championship match went overtime since the inaugural year in 1999 at La Costa, when Jeff�Maggert chipped on the second extra hole of a 36-hole final. That was like watching paint dry compared with the show Dubuisson put on. "Vic, man, he has a lot of guts," Day said. "He has a great short game -- straight out of the cactus twice. For a 23-year-old kid, hes got a lot of game. Were going to see a lot of him for years to come." Day won $1.53 million. Lost in all the theatre was that he never trailed over the final 53 holes of this fickle tournament. Dubuisson earned $906,000, all but assuring a PGA Tour card for next year. And he all but clinched a spot on the Ryder Cup team in September, moving to the top of the points table by the equivalent of about $1.5 million. Dubuisson only reached the championship match by rallying from 3-down after six holes against Ernie�Els in the morning semifinals. The Frenchman said he couldnt sleep Saturday night, perhaps because he realized he was playing a four-time major champion. He wound up beating Els with a par on the 18th hole to meet Day, who beat Rickie�Fowler 3 and 2. Fowler beat Els in 19 holes in the third-place match. For all the heroics by Dubuisson over the final hour of this amazing show, Day certainly had his moments. Perhaps his greatest feat was never losing faith he would win, even as it appeared the golfing gods were in Dubuissons corner. "The biggest thing was, How much do I want to win?" I kept saying that to myself. Last night, I kept visualizing myself with the trophy," Day said. "Im glad I could finish it off. But it was a close one." ' ' '

MADRID, Spain -- A doctor treating Diego Costa for a hamstring injury says the striker has a muscle tear that needs to be reassessed in 15 days, raising doubts about his chances of making Spains World Cup squad. DeAndre Hopkins Elite Womens Jersey . Pedro Guillen of the Cemtro clinic said in an interview with the Cadena Cope radio station that the 25-year-old Brazil-born player had a "grade one tear to the femoral biceps of his right leg," and would need 15 days convalescence before his injury could be re-evaluated. Spains opener in Brazil is June 13 against the Netherlands. Coach Vicente del Bosque said Sunday the players in his 23-man squad would need to be fit by June 2 -- the FIFA deadline for squad lists. Randy Bullock Jersey . But in the aftermath a 115-91 pounding of the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey insisted it was still invaluable for evaluating the depth of his team early in the season. Pink J.J. Watt Elite Jersey . Ames was unanimously named for induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday, becoming the 74th member of the countrys golfs shrine.1. Who hates the quiz most of all? A. John Tortorella B. Bob McKenzie C. You on a slow news weekQM: Its a dead heat between Torts and Bob. 2. What is the best team that Canada has ever assembled? A. 2014 Sochi Olympics B. 1987 Canada Cup C. 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics D. 1972 Summit SeriesQM: Im going off the board and going with Team Canada 76, featuring 16 Hall of Famers and among them the incomparable Bobby Orr in his last hurrah. It was the final meaningful hockey of his career. Orr was named Canada Cup MVP amidst controversy when teammate Denis Potvin said he deserved the honour. The series had everything, including a memorable conclusion when Darryl Sittler executed a delay move in overtime to outwait Czech goalie Vladimir Dzurilla and score the championship goal.Courtesy of HHOF.com 3. What is the biggest advantage to being the Quizmaster?QM: Asking questions is easier than answering them. 4. Who should win the Jack Adams this year? A. Patrick Roy B. Jon Cooper C. Claude Julien D. Mike BabcockQM: Im troubled by an obvious bias towards new coaches. Six of the last seven winners have been coaches in their first or second years with new teams. Obviously, their teams are starting from deficit positions - otherwise they wouldnt be new or newish hires. Too much is made of big improvements. It defies logic that, say, Roy, for all he has accomplished, has done a better coaching job in his very first NHL year than, Cup (and Olympic Gold Medal-winning)-champion coaches Julien or Babcock, who have wrung superlative results out of teams they have long coached. Now, with that all being said, Roys team DID challenge for first overall, so by any measure he has to be considered among the very best. But to be true to my thinking, Julien is my pick. 5. What was the best NHL team ever assembled? A. 83-84 Edmonton Oilers B. 81-82 New York Islanders C. 76-77 Montreal Canadiens D. 96-97 Detroit Red WingsQM: Going off the board again and going with Frank Selke Sr., who called the 19599-60 Canadiens the best of the Montreal teams that won five-straight Cup championships. Damaris Johnson Elite Womens Jersey. . Eight straight victories in the playoffs. Beliveau, Pocket Rocket, Rocket, Boom-Boom, Moore, Harvey, Johnson, Plante. Nuff said. A historical footnote: Plante wore a mask for the first time in a game in 1959-60.Courtesy: Canadiens.com 6. What is the most memorable sporting event that you have attended?QM: Game 2 of the 1972 Summit Series, coming on the heels of a 7-3 loss to the Soviets in Game 1. I had first row greens at Maple Leaf Gardens. Sitting at the end Peter Mahovlich scored one of the most memorable(shorthanded) goals I have ever witnessed. Canada won 4-1 and a country exhaled.Courtesy: Montreal Gazette 7. When did you become a "master?"QM: I became a hockey master at age eight when I collected my first hockey card set. It was the 1965-66 Topps series. I collected the set the old fashioned way: I earned it, winning most of them by playing/shooting cards. Closies, knock downs, put-ups, cover-ups. I still have the set; the corners are all beaten up because we played the games on asphalt driveways in Chateauguay, a Montreal superb. 8. Which is the best arena in history? A. Maple Leaf Gardens B. Montreal Forum C. Detroit Olympia D. Chicago StadiumQM: Boston Gah-den. It was the closest thing we will ever know to a living and breathing hockey building.Courtesy: Boston.com 9. Will you ever reveal your secret identity?QM: Theres a reason they call them secret identities. 10. Which city will be the next to get an NHL team? A. Quebec City B. Seattle C. Las Vegas D. A second team in TorontoQM: Seattle fulfills a geographical imperative. Quebec City fulfills an emotional imperative. Seattle = more money. Seattle. 11. Can you go BarDown?QM: If you watched me in the Queensway Canadians Old-Timers League, you would know the answer to that question. I spent a summer shooting pucks in my garage three years ago, determined to finally develop a shot. No shot. ' ' '

MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester City has added experience to its midfield for the Premier League title run-in by signing Chile international David Pizarro on loan from Roma for the rest of the season. Reggie White . The 32-year-old Pizarro played under City manager Roberto Mancini when both were at Inter Milan, before joining Roma in 2006. With Owen Hargreaves struggling to regain full fitness after joining City on a free transfer last summer, Mancini has been looking to add another central midfielder to his squad to cover for Yaya Toure, Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong. Pizarro has played just seven times in the league for Roma this season. Without an English title since 1968, City only leads Manchester United on goal difference after losing 1-0 at Everton on Tuesday.James Casey Jersey . -- Brian�Dawkins biggest contribution Sunday in the AFC wild card playoffs will be with his talking and not his tackling. Brandon Graham Eagles Jersey . Cassano has been at the Policlinico facility since Saturday, when he was taken for tests after suffering what the club described as a brain problem on the team plane following the teams 3-2 victory over Roma.LANDOVER, Md. -- Steve Clark stood firm to save Fabian Espindolas penalty kick in second-half stoppage time and preserve the Columbus Crews 0-0 draw with D.C. United on Saturday night. The shutout, just Columbus third of the season, prevented United (6-4-4) from leaping above the New England Revolution into first place in the Eastern Conference. Columbus (4-5-6) finished the season series against United with a win and two draws. The Crew won just once in its last 12 matches overall. Clark saved the penalty simply by remaining upright. Espindola attempted to fake the goalkeeper into a dive, and then chipped his kick straight at Clark, who caught it easily for his third stop of the game. Referee Hilario Grajeda awarded the kick after he ruled that Columbus defender Bernardo Anor handled the ball inside the penalty area. Columbus earned the draw despite missing injured leading scorer Federico Higuain (hamstring) and Costa Rican World Cup call-ups Waylon Francis and Giancarlo Gonzalez. The Crew were also without forward AAlvaro Rey, who was acquired Friday from Toronto FC for Dominic Oduro. Riley Cooper Eagles Jersey. United, which was without suspended midfielder Perry Kitchen, lost striker Eddie Johnson in the 58th minute to an apparent injury to his right leg. Columbus created more of the second-half chances. In the 55th minute, United goalkeeper Bill Hamid dove left to block Anors firm, low strike before Ethan Finlay fired his rebound effort well high. Later, D.C. defender Bobby Boswell deflected Ben Speas shot from the right just inches outside the left post. United almost got a break when Columbus defender Tony Tchani nearly deflected a cross into his own goal. But on the other end, Hamid pushed away Adam Bedells strike in the 83rd minute after Finlay found Bedell from the right side. Clark appeared to take down D.C.s Steve Birnbaum inside the penalty area in the 89th minute, but Grajeda didnt rule a foul. Clark then dove to his right to save Jared Jeffreys low shot early into stoppage time, and shortly after stopped Espindola. ' ' '

MOSCOW -- The Winter Olympics in Sochi posted a provisional surplus of $261 million, Russian organizers said Thursday. Jadeveon Clowney Jersey . The figure is $119 million higher than a previous profit figure reported in April, but is still dwarfed by the government subsidies given to the organizing committee, valued at $420 million in December. The Sochi organizing committee said its projected surplus is a record for any games. The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics produced a surplus of $232 million. The 2008 Beijing Games claimed a profit of over $146 million, while the 2012 London Olympics recorded an $8 million surplus. The surplus is only from the Sochi organizing committee, which had an operations budget of about $2 billion. It does not cover any construction or infrastructure costs. Russias overall spending for the games totalled $51 billion. Sochi organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said in a statement that all the profit would be "oriented towards the development of sport in Russia," with plans to provide "a significant sum" to Paralympic sports from the profits, plus a lump sum of $17.5 million. The organizing committee promised final results by the end of the year, by which time it expects to wind up its operations and be dissolved. As well as government subsidies, the organizing committee also earned money from merchandizing, ticket sales and sponsorships, including from Russian state-owned companies. Johnathan Joseph Jersey . When a few shots broke through that defensive front, Jonathan�Quick was there. The Kings won the Stanley Cup two years ago with that basic formula, and they can see it clicking again as they close in on another playoff run.Custom Houston Texans Jersey . -- Michael Phelps has competed in the second event of his comeback and failed to advance to the 50-meter freestyle final.ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Bobcats havent had a lot of positives things to smile about this month. One thing they have done well this season is shoot their free throws, and on Friday night it helped them secure a much-needed victory. Al�Jefferson had 30 points and 16 rebounds, Kemba�Walker added 19 points and 10 assists and the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Orlando Magic 111-101. The Magic dug out of an 18-point first-half hole and pulled to 78-76 early in the fourth quarter. However, the Bobcats shot 16 for 20 on free throws in the final period to help secure the win. "I like the way we played. We had good fight," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. "There were times there where we could have caved, but we showed good poise and good execution." Josh�McRoberts and Gerald�Henderson added 17 points apiece for Charlotte. Charlotte had lost nine of 11 entering the night and was coming off a last-second loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Bobcats appeared to be cruising early against Orlando before having to fend off the Bobcats late charge. Jefferson said he is still working his way back from an ankle injury during Charlottes loss at home to Orlando last month. "Im getting a better feel and still trying to work around this ankle, but its something I can deal with for the remainder of the year, just play through it," he said. Walker said their offence is a lot more fluid when Jefferson is touching the ball. "We want to play through him," Walker said. "We get opportunities on fast breaks and things like that, but whenever we can get him the basketball we want to because he makes all the right plays. "Were trying our best to get better every day at playing off him." Orlando committed 16 turnovers in the loss, and extended its season-high losing streak to 10 games. Arron�Afflalo scored 24 points in his return to the Magic lineup after missing three games with a strained right foot, and Tobias�Harris and Jameer�Nelson each added 18. The Magic are also now 0-12 this season without centre Nik Vucevic, who missed his sixth straight game Friday as he works his way back from a concussion. The Magic lookedd sluggish early coming off a three-hour, triple-overtime loss to Chicago on Wednesday that saw their starters play at least 43 minutes each. Andre Johnson Jersey. Orlando connected on just 1 of their first 10 field goal attempts to begin the game, allowing the Bobcats to jump out to a 21-3 lead. The Magic found some energy as they closed the half on a 50-31 spurt to take a one-point lead into halftime. Charlottes shooting kept them in the game, though, and they took a 78-74 lead into the fourth quarter. The Bobcats seemed to be in control late at 103-91, but Afflalo scored six straight points -- including a four-point play -- to get the Magic back to 103-97 with 2:55 to play. But Jefferson scored six straight points as Charlotte responded with an 8-4 run to close out the game. Harris acknowledged that the Magics ongoing shortcomings are beginning to show their wear on the team a little. Just like their one-day turnaround following the overtime loss to Chicago, they have just one day to correct their issues before hosting Boston on Sunday. "I think tonight we did show poor body language throughout the fourth quarter," Harris said. "And its tough because we werent making that many shots and they were making some tough shots. It is human nature. But going forward we have to cut that out and we have to be locked in on our team and what we can control." Jefferson said there is no real secret to what his team needs to do to gain some momentum as it heads into the second half of its schedule. "We talk about not using any excuses as a young team. We have enough talent in this room to be a playoff team," he said. "We have to find a way to get out there and win games. We have to continue to play 48 minutes and keep our mindset and our focus." NOTES: The Bobcats snapped a three-game road losing streak. ... Orlando is now 1-22 this season when its opponent scores 100 or more points. ... The Magic honoured Horace�Grant between the first and second quarter as part of the teams season-long "Legends Nights" series to commemorate its 25th anniversary season. Grant played six plus years for Orlando from 1994 to 1999 and 2001 to 2003. ' ' '

In an unusually blunt public warning, a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday called the delayed preparations for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro "the worst I have experienced. Arizona Cardinals Shop ." John Coates, who has made six trips to Brazil as part of the IOCs co-ordination commission for Rio, said the Brazilians are behind "in many, many ways" and are in worse shape than Greek organizers were in preparing for the 2004 Olympics. Despite the critical delays, the Australian said there is no backup plan and the games will take place in Rio. Coates noted that the IOC had taken the unprecedented step of embedding experts in the host city to help the local organizing committee deliver the games. "The IOC has formed a special task force to try and speed up preparations but the situation is critical on the ground," Coates told an Olympic forum in Sydney, outlining that construction delays are just part of the problem. "The IOC has adopted a more hands-on role. It is unprecedented for the IOC, but there is no plan B. We are going to Rio." Brazil has also come under fire from footballs world governing body, FIFA, for long delays in construction of stadiums and other infrastructure and the overdue delivery of venues for the World Cup, which kicks off in June. Two years out from the 2016 Olympics, the situation on the construction front is just as bleak. "We have become very concerned. They are not ready in many, many ways," Coates said. "And this is against a city thats got social issues that also have to be addressed; a country thats also trying to deal with the FIFA World Cup coming up in a few months." Coates said dealing with three levels of government in Brazil made it harder for local organizers than it was for the heavily criticized organizers of the Athens Games, which were also plagued by construction delays and earned a "yellow light" warning from then-IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. "I think this is a worse situation than Athens," Coates said. "In Athens, we were dealing with one government and some city responsibilities. Here, theres three. "There is bureaucracy, there is little co-ordination between the federal, the state government and the city -- which is responsible for a lot of the construction. The flow of funds from the federal government is not happening quickly enough. We think we need to help facilitate that." Coates, who chairs the IOC co-ordination commission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said he thinks the IOC has put the message across in Brazil. "We have to make it (the Olympics) happen and that is the IOC approach, you cant walk away from this," he said. "If it comes off -- the first (Olympic) Games on the South American continent, in a magical city in so many ways -- itll be a wonderful experience for the athletes." Work hasnt begun at Deodoro, a complex for eight Olympics sports venues, and the course that will host golfs return to the Olympic program for the first time in more than a century doesnt have grass yet. Water pollution is a big worry for sailing and other sports. Concern over the delays has been building over time but hit crisis levels at the SportAccord meeting in Belek, Turkey, earlier this month. In a rare display of unified, open criticism against an Olympic host, 18 sports federations publicly aired concerns over Rios preparations, with some sports asking about "Plan B" contingencies. The IOC has decided to send a senior troubleshooter, IOC executive director Gilbert Felli, to Brazil as part of a series of emergency measures to tackle the delays threatening the games. Coates said other experienced, high-level staff will soon be appointed. Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes fired back last week at the complaints by sports federations, saying they were making too many unnecessary demands. Paes said the federations were asking for too many "large things" that wont be used by the city after the Olympics. John Carlson Jersey . The Indians scored twice in the top of the ninth, getting the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by closer Matt�Lindstrom. Axford (0-1) came in seeking his fifth save in as many chances. Daryl Washington . Harrison combined with four relievers on a five-hitter to get his first victory since September 2012, in his first home start since April 2013, and the Rangers won 5-0 Thursday night after being overwhelmed by the Rockies the previous three games.MINNEAPOLIS -- For almost three seasons, Josh�Willinghams family was there to greet him outside the Twins clubhouse at Target Field. Willinghams family was waiting for him again on Friday, only this time the slugger came out of a different door. Willingham returned to Target Field and hit a bases-clearing double in Kansas Citys five-run fourth inning, and the surging Royals hung on to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5. When Willingham popped his head out of the visitors clubhouse after the game, his three young sons ran excitedly to be with their dad in his new surroundings. "I knew it was going to be a little strange playing against your former team," said Willingham, who was traded from the Twins to the Royals four days ago. "Im just happy we won the game tonight." Danny Dufy (8-10) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings to win his third straight start. Kansas City has won 11 of 12 and sits atop the AL Central. This one didnt come easy, though. Oswaldo�Arcia hit an RBI double in the ninth and pinch-hitter Chris�Parmelee drove him in with a groundout to cut the Royals lead to 6-5. But Greg�Holland struck out Danny Santana for his 37th save in 39 chances. After Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the third, the first six Royals hitters reached base to start the fourth off Ricky�Nolasco (5-8). Willingham drilled a bases-loaded double down the left-field line to make it 3-2. Two batters later, Alcides�Escobar tripled to score Willingham and Mike�Moustakas. Escobar also blooped an RBI single in the eighth to make it 6-3. Nolasco made his first start since going on the disabled list July 8 with an elbow strain. He struck out three and looked sharp in every inning besides the fourth. The right-hander signed a four-year, $49 million free agent contract in the off-season, the richest free agent deal in Twins history, and now has a 5.99 ERA. "I dont think its about building confidence up with a guy like him, its about results and we need to get results out of him," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We need to see him get going stronger and more consistent, and giving us a chance." After Duffy was removed, Aaron�Crow and Francisley�Bueno finished the sixth inning before Kelvvin�Herrera, Wade�Davis and Holland preserved the victory. Paul Fanaika. That trio has allowed only four runs over the last 44 1-3 innings, including two by Holland on Friday. The Royals are 19-4 over that span. Kurt�Suzuki had three hits for Minnesota. BACK-T0-BACK REVIEWS.ALMOST Third-base umpire Chris Segal called Trevor�Plouffe safe after Royals C Salvador�Perez tried to pick him off in the fourth. The call stood after a 3-minute, 23-second replay review. Two pitches later, Plouffe scored when Arcia grounded into a double play. Gardenhire wandered out of the dugout to consider challenging the Arcia call, but returned without challenging. HOLLAND TIRED "Im wearing Greg out. I cant find any way to get him a break," Royals manager Ned Yost said about his closer. "Its more my fault than it is his, but hes so good, you just have to do it." THE BODY GETS BOOED Former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura was booed loudly when he and his wife were shown on the Target Field big screen for "kiss cam." Ventura has been in the news recently after winning a $1.8 million defamation lawsuit against the estate of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle. Its probably the loudest Ventura has been booed since he wore a feather boa and wrestled as a bad guy at the old St. Paul Civic Center in the glory days of the AWA. TRAINERS ROOM: Twins: Top prospect Byron�Buxton will head to the Twins facility in Fort Myers to rehab from a concussion suffered during an outfield collision while playing for Double-A New Britain on Wednesday night. Royals: After a Thursday X-ray showed hes not ready to return, 1B Eric�Hosmer wont have his fractured right hand examined again until after the Royals current 10-game road trip ends. Once cleared, Hosmer likely would need a week or two of work before rejoining the team. UP NEXT: Yordano�Ventura (9-8, 3.45 ERA) pitches for the Royals against Minnesotas Phil�Hughes (12-8, 3.88) in the second game of this four-game series. . The Royals play 32 of their final 42 games against teams currently at or below .500. . After doubling in the eighth on Friday, Twins 1B Joe�Mauer will try to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games. ' ' '

Back in late February 1992, when the 22 clubs of the English First Division resigned en masse from the Football League, little did they know that a downsized 20 club Premier League would grow into the global juggernaut it has become two decades later. Colin Kaepernick . Now just two weeks into the new season weve already had more than enough reasons both on and off the pitch to understand why more nations across the globe are drawn into the spectacle of live broadcast coverage of the Barclays Premier League than there are member states of the United Nations. From frenzied activity in the transfer market (where weve already seen the top clubs spend over �275m), to Joey Bartons twitter briefings, fans across the world are captivated by the top flight of English football. One significant factor for the unprecedented global growth of the league has been the introduction into the league of players hailing from all four corners. To get a clearer perspective of this player revolution: back in that inaugural 1992 season there were just 11 players in the league that didnt hail from the British Isles. This summer alone, and with a week still to go before the transfer window closes, Chelsea and Manchester City have already acquired 10 overseas players. Dont kid yourself that the emergence of the internet - with its various fan engagement platforms - has only been beneficial to the MLS upstarts. In the most recent global fan survey conducted by Barclays which contains the views of over 32,000 fans from 185 countries it concluded that over 80 per cent of fans indicated a preference of the internet as their primary source of keeping up to date with the goings on of the league. A larger percentage took in live broadcasts where seven in 10 of them do so whilst wearing a replica shirt. Meanwhile on the pitch impeccable starts by both Manchester clubs alongside riveting cameos from the likes of Rooney and Ag�ero may have already provided the backdrop to a season that will likely see the champions fight it out with the blue half of Manchester. Many think the diversion of a debut in the Champions League will unhinge the FA Cop holders. No one then notice that this is a club that now can now count on the goal scoring abilities of over �200m worth of top notch attacking talent in the guise of Balotelli, Dzeko, Tevez and Ag�ero who compliment the most expensive squad ever assembled in world football. Since he took ownership of Manchester City on the eve of the 2008/2009, Sheik Mansours investment in playing squad alone is reported to have now exceeded �400m. Very active on the player movement front (with a total of 11 new players already added and 9 removed with the prospect of more coming and going before Aug. 31) the re-emergence of Liverpool as a force will fascinate all season long. The same though cant be said of their fellow Merseysiders Everton, whose very own financial viability is in question as their bankers demand they pay down a perilous debt level by selling players before entering the transfer market. For a league that tops the revolving door that is the billionaire must- have play thing, with the departure of F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone from QPR - Chelseas quaint West London cousin - weve already encountered a change of ownership this new season. Typically its a Premier League club that challenges UEFAs Financial Fairplay system. Having just commenced its transitional phase before full implementation for the 2013-14 season requires clubs only spend the revenue they directly earn. The object of derision for Jean-Luc Dehaene, the chairman of UEFAs Club Financial Control Panel, is Manchester Citys recently announced potential �400m all encompassing 10-year partnership with Etihad.If it is proven that the deal exceeds fair market price then Manchester Citys future place in the Champions League is in peril. How will Arsenal cope with the loss of three key players, including the long drawn out soap opera-type saga surrounding the departure of their captain to Barcelona? Arsene Wenger is reported to have tabled a club record breaking offer of �22m for the Rennes holding midfielder Yann MVilla. If Wengers successful he will likely have to break Arsenals transfer record for the 2nd time in a week in search of a creative player to make up for the large vacuum following the combined departures of Nasri and Fabregas. No bigger personal intrigue will be than that which is bound to stalk �50m Fernando Torres all season long. To date El Nino has only netted a solitary once in 18 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, while fellow Athletico Madrid alumni Ag�ero netted twice on his debut. As the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City circle their wagons in search of the perfect winning formula, Manchester United (winners of an incredible 12 titles in the 19 season history of the league) is at the pinnacle of the 150 year history of competitive football in England. Since the Premier League was formed Manchester United has never finished outside of the top three. As part of securing a formidable future the club is in the closing stages of preparing itself for a listing on the stock exchange. The Barclays Premier League stock exchange in question is located seven time zones away from Manchester in Singapore. Its speculated 30 per cent of the club will be on offer at a price that would bring in upwards of a $1 billion. Ordinarily across world sport it is a player that commands the most attention and adulation. Not the case with this league. That honour goes to a bespectacled Scotsman from humble Glaswegian origins who will celebrate 25 years at the helm of Manchester United on Nov. 6. Having kicked off his Manchester United life back on November 8th, 1986 with a defeat away to Oxford - nothing would prepare us for the way Sir Alex Ferguson has seized control of English football. Now on his fourth rebuild of the playing staff, which many believe will be Fergusons last, only three of the players who started last Mondays match with Tottenham were even born before Ferguson arrived at the club. In fact a few of them were not even born before Ryan Giggs first took flight down the Old Trafford left wing back in March 1991. Many astute observers believe Ferguson is preparing the groundwork for his departure to ensure minimal disruption for whenever that eventuality actually occurs. Ferguson will also celebrate a 70th birthday New Years eve. On the eve of this season Tottenhams opening match at home to Everton fell victim to the dreadful violent disturbances which occurred up and down the country earlier this month. But come next May, will it be a 13th title for Manchester United thats celebrated. But with so many clubs feeling they have a legitimate claim this season the only thing we can be certain of is that whoever does win the Barclays Premier League, one of the most prized championships in all of world sport, it will be celebrated globally. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU - Earlier today Stephen Hart named a 19 man squad for the 2 upcoming qualifiers for Brazil 2014. With the opening match scheduled for September 2nd against St. Lucia the Canadian Soccer Association through their True Patriot Love promotional campaign are engaging with media, regional associations and fan groups alike to ensure not only a large turn out at BMO Field next Friday evening but as important that those in attendance passionately support the team throughout the duration of a hoped for extended qualification campaign. Last months preliminary draw was certainly favourable for a nation that was unseeded by CONCACAF. Canada have avoided both the US and Mexico until the final phase that will see 6 nations scrap it out for CONCACAFs 3 automatic qualification spots on offer. STRIKE STUTTERING SEASONS - With news coming out of Madrid this morning of a settlement in the La Liga players strike that delayed the Spanish season kicking off the news out of Rome after lengthy inconclusive meetings between Italys governing body, the FIGC and Serie A was less promising. Unless an 11th hour compromise is made and a new collective bargaining agreement signed Italys top flight will not go ahead as planned Saturday. Combined with next weekends International break it may well be mid September before the action gets underway. This for a league that historically prides itself on shying away from scheduling midweek fixtures would have no choice but to condense its season from the traditional 36 week period or otherwise compromise the Azzurris challenge at EURO2012. This coming against the backdrop of Italys thoroughly deserved 2-1 conquest over the Spanish world champions just over a fortnight ago.� NUMBERS GAME - Harking back to a bygone era when club and international sides seemingly only changed jersey styles once a generation� how quaint it was to see at the recent USA Vs Mexico friendly in Philadelphia - Klinsmanns 1st in charge - the US players wear jerseys numbered in the old tradional way of 1 through 11. With no names on the reverse of shirts officially the USSF state this was a last minute request by their head coach but does beg the question if this is all part of Klinsmanns overhaul of Americas attitude towards the sport as he goes in search of establishing a truer identity for US soccer. Steve Johnson Jersey . 1 and No. 2 in womens golf at the World Ladies Championship. Park closed with a 6-under 67 for a five-shot victory over Suzann Pettersen in a Ladies European Tour event.Autographed Black Anquan Boldin Mens Elite Jersey ." Hextall was promoted to general manager by the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday to replace Paul Holmgren, who was elevated to president.MIAMI -- Reigning NBA MVP LeBron�James was relaxing with his wife not long ago when he looked around and was stunned to see someone wearing his Miami Heat No. 6 jersey. They were on their honeymoon in Venice. "Its kind of crazy, honestly," James said. "Theres a wow factor." James is again on top of the NBAs list of top-selling jerseys in the newest rankings released Thursday. The rankings are based on overall sales from adidas and NBAStore.com in the fourth quarter of this year, along with Black Friday and Cyber Monday holiday sales -- both of which were record-setting, the league said. Kobe�Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is No. 2 on the list, followed by Derrick�Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Kevin�Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Carmelo�Anthony of the New York Knicks. "If people love the way I play the game of basketball, love the way I inspire to be better, thats great," James said. "Everytime I see someone in my jersey, a complete stranger, its a wow factor. For me to be the No. 1 guy, to have the most jersey sales, its crazy." Theres a double-digit percentage growth in jersey sales from last year, according to the league. And with two new versions of the James jerrsey either hitting, or about to hit, the marketplace, his numbers might keep growing. Jerry Rice 49ers Jersey. James short-sleeved jersey -- the one teams are wearing on Christmas this year -- is expected to be a big seller, as will the Name Collection jersey, which the Heat will wear early next year bearing nicknames on the back. James will be going with "King James" on his jersey for those games. Stephen�Curry of the Golden State Warriors is on the list for the first time at No. 6. Other first-timers on the list include James�Harden of the Houston Rockets (No. 12) and Paul�George of the Indiana Pacers (No. 14). After Curry, Dwyane�Wade of the Miami Heat checks in at No. 7, followed by Chris�Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, Kyrie�Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Blake�Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, Russell�Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden, Rajon�Rondo of the Boston Celtics, George, and then Michael�Carter-Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 15. Carter-Williams is the lone rookie on the 15-person list. James, who also had the most popular jersey worldwide this year, has held the No. 1 position five times on the leagues list of domestic jersey sales. ' ' '

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are gaining, but the Oakland As remain the top team in the TSN. Kendrick Lewis Elite Womens Jersey .ca MLB Power Rankings. Both clubs have bolstered their respective pitching staffs, the As with a pair of starters, Jeff�Samardzija and Jason�Hammel, and the Angels with a pair of relievers, Huston�Street and Jason�Grilli, and are pulling ahead of the field. The Toronto Blue Jays, who are now 9-2 in their last 11 games, make the Gillette Move of the Week, going from 16 to 11. A rotation getting upgraded some by the addition of rookie Jimmy�Nelson lifts the Milwaukee Brewers from eight to four and a strong showing in a San Francisco sweep raises the Los Angeles Dodgers from nine to five. Five wins in six games brings the Kansas City Royals to the right side of .500 and up from 19 to 15 in this weeks rankings. Injuries have caught up to the Cincinnati Reds, who drop from four to 12. Tuesdays win over Arizona came on the heels of the Reds losing nine of the previous ten games. A 3-8 record in their previous 11 games (before Tuesdays win against Cleveland), contributed to the Seattle Mariners sliding from seven to 13 and the Indians, 2-7 in their last nine games, drop from 14 to 19. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca�and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Mens Autographed J.J. Watt Elite Blue Jersey . Even the longest of tenures with the Twins, though, dont last forever. Versatile veteran Michael�Cuddyer, voted by local beat writers as the teams most valuable player in 2011, is gone. He will be with the Colorado Rockies next season. Mens Pro Bowl J.J. Watt Elite Jersey .Y. - Dustin Tokarski stopped all 43 shots he faced as the Hamilton Bulldogs blanked the host Syracuse Crunch 3-0 on Saturday in American Hockey League action.Its a case of more bad news for the Montreal Canadiens. Forward Max�Pacioretty suffered ligament damage to his wrist and while he wont need surgery, a timeline for his return has not yet been established. Paciorettty left Monday nights loss to the Florida Panthers and was unable to return to the ice. Pink Arian Foster Elite Jersey. The 22-year-old forward has two goals and four assists in eight games this season for the Canadiens. ' ' '

ST. Golden State Warriors Cyber Monday Jersey . LOUIS -- Cincinnati scratched pitcher Mat�Latos from an injury rehabilitation start due to right elbow irritation and placed reliever Trevor�Bell on the 15-day disabled list with an aching right elbow. The Reds also activated right-hander Jonathan�Broxton from the disabled list following his recovery from a right forearm injury. Manager Bryan�Price said Tuesday that Broxton will be the stand-in closer in place of injured Aroldis�Chapman. "Id love to be able to get him into a ballgame where he just starts an inning and gets his feet wet," Price said. "If I could, Id like to get him into a game that wasnt the ninth inning for his first game, but you never know. He definitely will be our closer once we get him re-acclimated, and that might be maybe one outing." Price said he didnt believe Latos injury was serious but also said the team will take a conservative approach and reschedule a rehab appearance after the soreness was gone. The elbow bothered Latos, who had been set to pitch for Triple-A Louisville at Columbus after he threw in the bullpen Sunday. "Certainly in the next couple days we should know a lot more," Price said. A 14-game winner in each of the last two seasons, Latos is recovering from right elbow surgery last October and left knee surgery in mid-February. Price said its the first time during his rehab that the soreness has persisted. Bell was sent back to Cincinnati to be examined by team physician Dr. Timothy Kremchek. The right-hander reported pain after pitching in relief Monday in St. Louis, allowing two runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning in a 5-3 loss. Price, the Reds pitching coach the previous four years, didnt know anything was wrong until after Bell was taken out. In two games, Bell has allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning. He was among three non-roster players who made the opening day roster. Los Angeles Clippers Black Friday Jersey . The World Group first round series will now continue Monday with Spain leading 1-0. Earlier Sunday, Czech Klara Zakopalova led the second singles match against Maria Torro-Flor 6-3, 2-0. Washington Wizards Black Friday Jersey . LUCIE, Fla.BASEL, Switzerland -- Switzerland and Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer will join Borussia Moenchengladbach at the end of the season. Basel says the 25-year-old player has agreed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga club. The transfer fee was not disclosed. Moenchengladbachs current keeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been linked with a move to Barcelona. Sommer says in a statement published by Basel that "its very difficcult for me to leave Basel, but Ive always dreamed of playing in a major league. Detroit Pistons Cyber Monday Jersey. " Sommer has helped league leader Basel win the Swiss title for the past two seasons. He will leave after the World Cup, where he is expected to back up Swiss first-choice keeper Diego Benaglio. Sommer follows national teammate Granit Xhaka, who was transferred in 2012, in moving from Basel to Moenchengladbach. ' ' '

With the Montreal Canadiens losing an overtime heartbreaker to the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their second round series on Thursday, Michel Therrien isnt too worried about his teams play so far. Matt Shaughnessy Jersey . Matt�Fraser scored 1:19 into the extra period as the Bruins grabbed a 1-0 win over Montreal in a game that saw both rivals evenly matched from the net out throughout the night. "I like the way were playing," Therrien told reporters on Friday morning as the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5. "Anything can happen in a best two-out-of-three situation. Were gaining confidence every game." Playing in his first-ever playoff game, Frasers heroics helped the Bruins even the set at two games apiece after the Bruins dropped a 4-2 decision on Tuesday. The Bruins had 35 shots on Carey�Price compared to Montreals 33 on Tuukka�Rask. While the shots and scoring chances were pretty much even, Therrien and his coaching staff drew considerable criticism for playing veteran blueliner Douglas�Murray - who some pundits and fans thought could not handle the speed and puck-cycling game of the Bruins. "They were physical, blocked shots and contained well," said Therrien of Murray and his defensive partner Mike�Weaver. "(They) did a fantastic job for us." Murray, who was signed as a free agent last summer, had a team-leading eleven hits in the Canadiens two home games against the Bruins. "Its always been important for me to try to play physical but play clean and not take penalties," he told reporters on Friday. "Anytime you get praise from the coach, it feels good." The same couldnt be said for Montreals go-to threesome of Max�Pacioretty, David�Desharnais and Thomas�Vanek. The line was split up for much of the night, with Vanek playing alongside Tomas�Plekanec. Pacioretty, who scored 39 goals during the regular season, has just one in the playoffs - the power play game-winner in Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. "Some guys are having trouble contributing offensively," said Therrien. "They need to adjust to the intensity of the playoffs." Game 5 is Saturday night in Boston. Dan Williams Jersey . The Texas Rangers right-hander will probably reconsider now. Wolf pitched five strong innings for his first big league win in his first start in the majors, David�Murphy and Adrian�Beltre homered in a three-run first inning, and the Rangers avoided a sweep with a 3-1 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. Andre Ellington . -- San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco�Scutaro says he will begin the season on the disabled list.The Florida Panthers have signed right wing Brad�Boyes to a two-year contract extension. The extension is worth $2.625 million per year, according to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie. Boyes, 31, has appeared in 59 games with the Panthers this season, scoring 17 goals and 11 assists. He was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer aftter signing a one-year, $1 million deal for 2013-14. Kevin Minter Kids Jersey. Boyes was selected in the first round (24th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has appeared in 665 career NHL games with the Panthers, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders, scoring 185 goals and 250 assists. ' ' '

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TORONTO -- Four games into the MLS season, the Toronto FC training room is packed. Toby Gerhart Elite Jersey Womens . And more worrying, it is filled with marquee talent. Toronto (3-1-0) could be without as many as five starters for Saturdays visit by the Colorado Rapids (2-1-1) including two designated players whose combined pay this season is close to US$13 million. Catch the game on TSN starting at 4pm et/1pm pt. England striker Jermain Defoe (hamstring) is out for the second straight week. American midfielder Michael Bradley missed another practice Friday, his body feeling the effects of games for both the U.S. and Toronto last week. "Were giving him every single chance ... well make a decision (Saturday)," manager Ryan Nelsen said of his teams midfield general. Centre back Doneil Henry (knee) will sit out a second straight game. Jonathan Osorio (hamstring) is "probably a no" for the third week in a row and fellow midfielder Alvaro Rey (hamstring) is "very very questionable." Because of injuries and suspensions, Toronto has only five players who have started every game so far: goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defenders Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow and midfielders Bradley and Rey. And that number could be down to three after this weekend. Defoe was sidelined by a hamstring injury at Spurs earlier this season. Nelsen has said the two injuries are not linked and repeated Friday that the England star was dealing with a mild strain. Hamstrings are tricky things, especially for elite soccer players. Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, for example, ran 12.2 kilometres in Wednesdays Champions League semifinal against Barcelona. Toronto, which has used 19 players to date, has had to put the brakes on Defoe, who has wanted to resume training. Nelsen, however, sees a bigger picture. "The one thing that we dont want is obviously him coming back and getting re-injured. And so if we have to sacrifice an extra week, we have to sacrifice an extra week." Nelsen said the team has been reviewing everything at its disposal -- from heart rate to distance travelled in training -- to see if things could be done differently. The club is also learning the ins and outs of the bodies of new players like Defoe, he added. The TFC manager says there are no alarm bells about the current spate of injuries. A challenging opening to the schedule and the long winter that has kept practices until this week to artificial turf under a bubble at the team training centre havent helped. Most top soccer pros would rather gargle cod liver oil than set foot on artificial turf. Nelsen believes that this is just the kind of injury run that all clubs go through at some point. "It happens at Chelsea, it happens at Man City, it happens at every single club. Hopefully were just getting all of them done now." Said captain Steven Caldwell: "Its disappointing that weve got a few injuries but a lot of them are nobodys fault." In the case of Toronto, this is a squad that brought in at least seven new starters this season. Time has been needed on the training ground to get everyone on the same page. Youre damned if you, damned if you dont, Nelsen said of practice regimens. "Because if you pull them out of training and just rest them, then theyre not ready for the demands of a game. Were sitting with three wins because the guys are fit and organized. But we couldnt have done that if we had all wrapped them up in cotton wool." Bradley presents an interesting case in point. Rested this week, he is probably the exception to the rule that starters need to practise. If he doesnt start, speculation will grow that he is dealing with more than the variety of strains the club has pointed to. The good news is the injuries have not slowed Toronto down so far. Missing Defoe, Osorio, Henry and the suspended Caldwell last week, it still managed to topple previously unbeaten Columbus away from home. Also on the plus side, squad players like rookie defender Nick Hagglund and second-year midfielder Kyle Bekker have stepped up. And veteran Bradley Orr showed his moxie in smoothly shifting over to centre back. Nelsen says his reserves have stepped up to the challenge during the current injury glut. But he is not about to say debate over his teams depth is over. "I always got told that anybody can play one, two, three games at any level," he said. "But its the ability to spit them out week in, week out ... thats the mark of what a really good player is." Orr will likely partner Caldwell in central defence with Bekker deputizing for Osorio in midfield again. Dwayne De Rosario could start on the flank for Rey with Issey Nakajima-Farran who scored off the bench last week, possibly partnering Gilberto up front. Jeremy Hall may get the nod if Bradley cant go. The pitch at BMO Field, poor for the home opener thanks to the brutal winter, should be better Saturday although the players know it will take time to return to top condition. "Its not going to be ideal," said Caldwell, who returns from his one-game suspension. Colorado, under new head coach Pablo Mastroeni, has already defeated Portland and Vancouver this season and tied the New York Red Bulls. The lone loss was a 3-2 decision to defending champion Sporting Kansas City. "Theyve got a really nice team thats been around together as well for a bit," said Nelsen. "Theyre a team, for me, that has no real weaknesses. Theyre just a lovely, solid MLS team thats going to be very difficult." Spanish midfielder Jose Mari -- real name Jose Maria Martin Bejarano-Serrano -- introduced himself last week with two goals against Vancouver. The first, a swerving left-footed rocket, was judged the leagues goal of the week. Sen Derrick Marks Jersey . More than a month after signing the free agent centre, Bynum is expected to make his debut with Indiana on Tuesday night against Boston. Mens Blake Bortles Elite Jersey Two Tone . Agent Mike McCartney confirmed via Twitter on Sunday that Mendenhall had decided to end his playing career after six NFL seasons, all but one of them with the Pittsburgh Steelers.SEATTLE -- Once the doors to the Seattle Seahawks locker room opened, the music came blaring out. Players danced while still in uniform and donned hats reading "NFC West Champions." On their third try, the Seahawks finally got to celebrate after wrapping up the division title and home-field advantage in the playoffs with a 27-9 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Having failed two times previously, Seattle ensured the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through the Pacific Northwest. "We can check the NFC West off our list," quarterback Russell�Wilson said, "but we still have a lot more to do." Malcolm�Smith returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to get Seattle started, Marshawn�Lynch added a 2-yard scoring run in the second half and the Seahawks (13-3) matched the franchise record for wins in a season. By doing so, the favourites in the NFC for most of the season finally wrapped up the No. 1 seed after losses to San Francisco and last week to Arizona, which snapped a 14-game home winning streak. Seattle won the toughest division in the NFL behind the leagues best defence. The Seahawks home field is still feared, and they will host Green Bay, New Orleans or San Francisco in the divisional round in two weeks. Seattles combined record at home the past two seasons against those three teams: 4-0. "Its more of a sense of accomplishment," Smith said. "It would have been really sad if we didnt get that done, but were happy to be in the position that were in." Wilson finished 15 of 23 for 172 yards. Lynch finished with 97 yards on 23 carries, his best game since running for a season-best 145 yards against Atlanta in Week 10 Seattle capped the victory with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Golden�Tate early in the fourth quarter that lacked the unsportsmanlike wave that got Tate flagged on a similar TD reception in St. Louis earlier this season. Tate finished with eight catches for 129 yards, both career highs in his final regular-season game before he becomes a free agent. But with home-field advantage wrapped up, there might be a few post-season games still to come for Tate and the Seahawks. "Its an awesome feeling. Its a great feeling to feel like you really helped in this game," Tate said. The only other time Seattle had home-field advantage was 2005, the only time the Seahhawks have reached the Super Bowl. Marcedes Lewis Jersey. Theyll get a week of rest before hosting in the divisional round, and they might need the time off after a pair of key injuries Sunday to defensive tackle Brandon�Mebane (groin) and tight end Luke�Willson (leg). Willson was taken off the field on a cart in the fourth quarter with an air cast on his leg. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the team believes its not broken. Still, the upcoming week off is needed. "I definitely need it. I was getting smacked today," Tate said. Seattles defence closed the season with one of its finest performances. It started with Smiths interception return for a touchdown a week after he was tackled at the 3-yard line trying to score on an interception return. But it went beyond just the two interceptions Seattle grabbed to finish the season with a league-leading 28. Led by Mebane, Seattles defensive line flustered Kellen�Clemens. Zac�Stacy, who needed 42 yards rushing to reach 1,000 on the season, was held to 15 yards on 15 carries. The Rams had 13 yards rushing, tied for the fewest allowed in Seattle history. "They had about nine guys down there in the box," Clemens said. "You only have about seven or eight to block and they did a good job." Seattle also kept its cool while St. Louis was losing its composure. The Rams (7-9) were penalized 12 times for 87 yards. St. Louis was flagged for four personal foul penalties in the span of two plays late in the third quarter -- two on Alec�Ogletree and two on Kendall�Langford. Langford was flagged for making contact with an official, which appeared inadvertent. Langford was ejected and became incensed, slamming his helmet to the turf as he left the field. Two plays later Lynch walked in from the 2, Seattle led 20-3 and the celebration was just getting started. "This whole thing just feels like a dream to me," Seattle safety Kam�Chancellor said. "It feels good right now just to see my brothers happy." NOTES: Tate became the first Seattle player with at least eight receptions in a game since Doug�Baldwin in 2011. ... Rams P Johnny Hekker set an NFL record for net yards punting for a season. Hekker had a 44.2 net average. The previous record was 44.0 by San Franciscos Andy�Lee in 2011. ... St. Louis DE Robert�Quinn had one sack and finished with 19 for the season. ' ' '

CARDIFF -- Wales coach Warren Gatland made six changes to its starting line-up to face Scotland at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday in the Six Nations. Kareem Jackson Elite Womens Jersey . Dan Biggar will start at flyhalf for the first time of the tournament, teaming up with Mike Phillips at halfback. Three changes come in the backline with Liam Williams and Phillips replacing the injured duo Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb. Halfpenny, who dislocated his right shoulder against England, will undergo surgery on Friday and is expected to be out for up to four months. Webb has been released by the team following his ankle injury. The rest of the backs are unchanged from Sundays 29-18 loss at Twickenham that shattered Wales hopes of retaining its title while Gethin Jenkins will become Wales most-capped player when he makes his 105th appearance in the pack.? Jenkins will play alongside forwards Ken Owens and Rhodri Jones, who have been handed their first starts of the campaign. In the second row, Luke Charteris returned from injury alongside Alun Wyn Jones. "Saturday is an opportunity for us to put in a performance we know we can, and finish the Six Nations on a high," Gatland said. "Scotland will come looking to play some rugby. They had a morale-boosting win against Italy and were unlucky to lose against France in recent weeks." ------ Wales: Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North, Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins, Ken Owens, Rhodri Jones, Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau. Reserves: Richard Hibbard, Paul James, Adam Jones, Jake Ball, Justin Tipuric, Rhodri Williams, Rhys Priestland, James Hook. J.J. Watt Jersey . There is considerable interest from fans around the league as well, with all eight teams vulnerable to poaching. Perhaps his best option at landing his first choice at QB, the expansion draft also poses problems for general manager Marcel Desjardins. Custom Houston Texans Jersey . Yankees second baseman Robinson�Cano, Detroit third baseman Miguel�Cabrera and Minnesota catcher Joe�Mauer each were selected for the fifth time.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Jordan�Hill did it at both ends of the court Sunday night against the Orlando Magic, putting together his own personal highlight reel in a season during which there havent been many of those for himself or the Los Angeles Lakers. Hill had a career-high 28 points along with 13 rebounds in his first start in over nine weeks and the Lakers beat Orlando 103-94, sending the Magic to their ninth straight loss. "Youve got to be ready because you never know when your number will be called to step in there in the starting lineup," said Hill, who got the news that he would start from coach Mike DAntoni at the morning shootaround. "Just went out there and played hard, playing aggressively and played my game. I felt like nobody could stop me. "My mindset out there was that nobody could keep me off the offensive boards and nobody could keep me from the rim." Nick�Young scored 26 points off the bench, helping the Lakers end a four-game skid. Pau�Gasol had six points in 18 minutes, and sat out the second half after feeling nauseous and dizzy. A Lakers spokesperson said after the game that Gasol would spend the night in a hospital for observation. Steve�Nash, who had 11 assists in 19 minutes off the bench Friday night against Washington after missing the previous 15 games because of chronic nerve damage in his back, did not play. The 40-year-old two-time MVP has been limited to just 11 games all season because of his condition. Xavier�Henry, who was back in the lineup for just nine games after missing 28 because of a bone bruise on his right knee, was sidelined again after tearing a ligament in his left wrist in the loss to the Wizards. He will be re-examined Monday. The Lakers (23-46) have to go no worse than 8-5 the rest of the way to avoid tying the 1974-75 squad for the worst record since the franchise relocated from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960-61. But eight games on their remaining schedule are against teams that currently are over .500. "Were playing for pride," Hill said. "I mean, were still the Lakers. Were definitely one of the top organizations in the league, if not the best. So we have to take a stand for ourselves. We cant quit and weve got to keep fighting." Orlando point guard Victor�Oladipo, the second overall pick in the draft, had 21 points and 10 assists in his eighth career start while Jameer�Nelson missed his third straight game with a sore left knee. Aaron Afflalo scored 18 points for the Magic, one night after they lost 89-88 at Utah on a 3-pointer by Trey�Burke with 1. Kareem Jackson Jersey. 6 seconds remaining. "They had some bigs that were playing extremely aggressive at the rim," Orlando coach Jacque�Vaughn said. "I think Hill had an impact on the game with his energy and effort. It was through dunks, offensive rebounds, rolling to the rim and putting the ball back in. He gave his team some edge tonight." The Magic have lost 23 of their last 24 road games � the only exception a 101-90 win against Philadelphia on Feb. 26. "Were not building for next year yet," Vaughn said. "Weve still got some games to go, but what I do see is our guys getting better." The Lakers led throughout the second half, but never led by double digits. Orlando got as close as 83-80 on a 15-footer by Afflalo, but the Lakers converted 13 of 14 free throws over the final 5:18 to put it away. Youngs 3-pointer was their only field goal during the final 8 minutes. Hill, making his first start since Jan. 17, paced Los Angeles to a 55-48 halftime lead with 14 points and six rebounds. The Lakers converted seven Orlando turnovers into nine points during the first 5:03 and took a 25-17 lead on a four-point play by Young, his franchise-record fifth of the season and eighth by the team � also a franchise best. "Rest definitely helped a lot," said Hill, who missed six games earlier this month because of a sore right knee. "I felt like I could jump over the gym, jump over anything. I just felt more mobile and was able to move quicker. I was definitely able to get up and get rebounds and move my feet on defence." NOTES: Orlando faced Los Angeles in the NBA finals just five years ago, losing in five games. But the Magic are 39-113 since the start of last season after firing Stan Van Gundy and trading three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight�Howard to the Lakers � and are one of only four teams that have a worse record than the Lakers this season. ... A loss Tuesday night at home against Portland would give Orlando two double-digit losing streaks in the same season for the third time in the franchises 25-year history. It also happened last season and in 2003-04. The Magic have seven of those streaks altogether. ... The Lakers failed to sell out for the sixth time. ... The Magic fell to 0-30 on the road when trailing after three quarters. ... This was the Magics final road game against Western Conference opponents. They were 0-15. ... The Magic, who came in 0-33 when they get outrebounded, won the battle of the boards 46-34. ' ' '

TORONTO -- In the immediate moments after the Raptors 101-87 victory over Detroit on Wednesday, Toronto coach Dwane Casey sat down to watch the dying minutes of the Miami-Brooklyn game. Black LeSean McCoy Youth Elite Jersey . Amir�Johnson checked the result on his phone. With 20 games left on a thrilling season that sees Toronto poised for a playoff position for the first time in six years, the Raptors are excited, and thinking about little else. "Hell, yeah. Without a doubt, man," DeMar�DeRozan said. "Thats why I work so hard, and it always bugged me going home early, and just sitting there doing nothing. It used to make me so hungry just watching." DeRozan poured in 25 points, while Johnson scored 20 and grabbed nine rebounds in a game that was no thriller but served its purpose -- one step closer to the teams second Atlantic Division title and its first playoff berth since 2008. The Nets, who edged Miami 96-95 on Wednesday, are three games behind Toronto for the division title. "Ive got a lot of friends that play in the playoffs and I had to hear all summer them talking about their experience in the playoffs. It always pushed me even further," DeRozan said. "You just want to get there. Not even for myself, just for this organization as well. It definitely feels good that were moving in the right direction now." Kyle�Lowry had 19 points and six assists, while Jonas�Valanciunas had 13 rebounds to go with eight points for the Raptors (36-27), whove won 10 of their last 13 games. The affair wasnt pretty. The Raptors coughed up double-digit leads a couple of times -- including an 18-point third-quarter advantage that the Pistons whittled down to just five -- in a game they could have put out of reach far earlier. The Raptors went into the fourth quarter with a narrow 74-69 lead in front of the 18,247 fans at the Air Canada Centre that braved the rare March snowstorm. They scored the first nine points of the fourth to go up by 14. A wide-open three by Kentavious�Caldwell-Pope with 8:23 to go cut the Raptors lead to nine points, but that was as close as the struggling Pistons would come. Brandon�Jennings topped Detroit (25-40) with 24 points, while Andre�Drummond had 16 points and nine rebounds and Greg�Monroe had 13 points to go with 10 boards. Ugly or not, the Raptors were happy to tick off another win. "Absolutely. Im ready," Johnson said, when asked if hes thinking post-season. "Were going to win as many games as we possibly can going down the home stretch, collect these wins." Casey said hes happy his players are enjoying their success, but warns that theyve got to focus on themselves down the stretch. "It is fun. But weve got to take care of our business. We can watch (what other teams are doing), but if we dont take care of our business, its not worth crap," the coach said. "Im more concerned with what we do, and how were playing, . . .and losing leads, moreso than anything else. "I hope (the Raptors) are enjoying it but still understand how hard it is, getting there first, and then after you get there, its even harder." DeRozan, whos in his fifth season in Toronto thus has never stepped on the court for a playoff game, said he has always forced himself to watch the post-season, regardless of how frustrating it was. "I had to, just to understand and see how it was," he said. "Youre playing the same team possibly seven times in a row. Seeing the different schemes. Just trying to get a knowledge of how its played every single day." He said hes particularly thrilled to be sharing this seasons success with Johnson, who last made the playoffs with Detroit in 2009. "Thats my dog, man. Its definitely cool," DeRozan said. "I knew Amir, and Amir knew me when I was running around with the same pair of dirty shoes on, playing basketball. Amir is a helluva dude, how hard he works, and how good of a person he is." Johnson was key Wednesday night in containing Detroits frontcourt -- what Casey had predicted would be a "huge test" for Toronto. The Pistons lead the league in points in the paint and offensive rebounds, thanks largely to Drummond. The Raptors were effective inside, outrebounding Detroit 54-39 and outscoring their visitors in the paint 44-38. Casey wasnt thrilled with the second unit, saying it was "playing in mud a little bit." "We needed to keep the pace going, I thought the pace slowed down," he said. "For whatever reason we got stagnant and lost a couple of leads and thats something we have to work on." The Raptors raced out to a nine-point lead four minutes into the game, stretching it to 14 on a pullup jumper by John�Salmons before ending the first quarter up 29-21. The Raptors went almost five minutes without a point to open the second, and Bynum drained a three with 8:37 left in the half to tie the game 29-29. The Raptors managed to cobble together another 10-point lead and took a 52-45 advantage into the dressing room at halftime. A three-pointer by Lowry stretched Torontos lead to 18 points just four-and-a-half minutes into the third but the Raptors couldnt maintain it. The Pistons ended the quarter on a 14-2 run to send the game into the fourth with Toronto leading 74-69. NOTES: Patrick�Patterson missed his third straight game with an elbow injury. . . The game was the first of three straight at home. The Raptors host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday before playing a pair on the road at Atlanta and New Orleans. . . The Raptors have won four of their last five against the Pistons. Zach Ertz Eagles Jersey .Y. - Centre Corban Knight scored 3:30 into overtime, and the Abbotsford Heat rallied to edge the Utica Comets 5-4 on Wednesday in American Hockey League play. Brian Dawkins . - Wednesdays lightweight bout between Canadian Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout and K.BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Patton Robinette threw two 50-yard touchdown passes to Jordan Matthews, and Vanderbilt recovered after blowing a 24-point lead to beat Houston 41-24 on Saturday in the BBVA Compass Bowl. Robinette, starting after senior Austyn Carta-Samuels had season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, also had an 8-yard scoring run as Vanderbilt built a 24-0 lead in the first half. After Houston (8-4) pulled even by scoring 24 points in the third quarter, Vanderbilt reclaimed the lead on Brian Kimbrows 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt (9-4) closed the season with five straight wins, adding to third-year coach James Franklins status as a possible candidate for coaching vacancies, including at Penn State and with the NFL Browns and Redskins. The Commodores played in three straight bowl games under Franklin -- a first for the program -- and completed their first back-to-back nine-win seasons. Vandy players doused Franklin with a water bucket in the final seconds. Houston gained only 22 yards and had one first down in the first half but rallied with 24 points in the third quarter to pull even. Kenneth Farrow had a 6-yard scoring run and Deontay Greenberry and John OKorn threw scoring passes to Markeith Ambles. The Commodores regrouped with two big gains on direct snaps to running backs early in the fourth quarter. Jerron Seymour ran for 38 yards to the Houston 34. Riley Cooper. Kimbrows touchdown run gave the lead back to Vanderbilt. Jahmel McIntoshs interception less than a minute later gave the ball back to Vanderbilt, setting up Carey Spears 35-yard field goal. Seymour added a 2-yard scoring run with less than 2 minutes remaining. Matthews, a senior who set Southeastern Conference records for career catches and yards receiving, had five catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Matthews took advantage of a lead block by receiver Jonathan Krause to make his first touchdown catch on Vanderbilts second possession. A forced fumble by linebacker Chase Garnham set up the Commodores second touchdown. After Houstons OKorn threw a pass to Greg Ward Jr., a big hit by Garnham forced the fumbled recovered by Andrew Williamson at the Houston 16. Robinette, making his third career start, scored on an 8-yard keeper on fourth down. No Houston defender was near Matthews on his second 50-yard scoring catch in the second quarter. A lost fumble by Robinette set up Farrows 6-yard touchdown run to start Houstons third-quarter comeback. Houston built on the momentum. Daniel Spencers 62-yard run set up OKorns 6-yard touchdown pass to Ambles. OKorns 58-yard pass to Ambles set up a 30-yard field goal by Kyle Bullard. The Cougars completed their big third-quarter comeback on OKorns 67-yard touchdown pass to Greenberry to tie the game. ' ' '

UFC veteran lightweight Melvin Guillard has been released by the organization. Julius Peppers . "The Young Assassin" is mired in a 2-5 skid with one no contest that was capped off by a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night 38 in London on March 8. His manager Malki Kawa announced his release Thursday night. "Theres no doubt Melvin ran the entire fight and was incredibly passive, the complete opposite of how he used to fight," UFC president Dana White said of Guillards last performance. "There was a lot of smack talk leading up to that fight, and those are the fights that everybody gets excited about, and nine times out of 10 they end up like tonight. Those drive me crazy. "I was excited for that fight. I thought (they were) both really explosive athletes who can mix it up really well, and it just didnt happen tonight." The loss was a last straw of sorts for the inconsistent Guillard. Despite being awarded Knockout of the Night on three spearate occasions, the New Orleans native never established himself among the lightweight divisions elite. Guillard debuted in the octagon during the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2005. From 2008 to late 2011, Guillard put together his finest run, scoring eight wins in nine fights but failed to defeat household lightweight names like Nate Diaz, Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller. Guillard leaves the UFC with the third most wins, most knockdowns and most knockouts in lightweight history. Elite Nick Perry Mens Blue Jersey . Hell be hard-pressed to match an unbeaten streak like this, though. Tanaka had his unbeaten regular-season run snapped at 42 starts, allowing a career-high four runs in six innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Yankees 6-1 on Tuesday night. Letroy Guion. The Denver Nuggets played as though they were already relaxing on a tropical beach. Love started practicing early for All-Star festivities, making six of 11 shots from 3-point range and totalling 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Timberwolves to a 117-90 victory over the Nuggets on Wednesday night.KELOWNA, B.C. - Myles Bell scored four goals and added two assists as the Kelowna Rockets toppled the visiting Kamloops Blazers 7-3 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Rourke Chartier and Tyson Bell also scored for the Rockets (42-7-3), who sit first overall in the WHL standings, while Justin Kirkland and Kris Schmidl chipped in with two assists apiece. Collin Shirley had a pair of goals for the Blazers (11-37-5), who are now on a six-game slide, and Austin Douglas scored once. Kelownas Jordon Cooke made 28 saves to improve to 30-4-3 on the season. Cole Kehler allowed three goals on 12 shots for Kamloops before giving way to Bolton Pouliot, who stopped 23-of-27 shots in two periods of relief. The Rockets went 2 for 3 on the power play while the Blazers failed to score on three chances with the man advantage. --- PATS 5 WARRIORS 2 REGINA -- Chandler Stephenson scored once and set up two more as the Pats handed Moose Jaw its ninth loss in a row. Kyle Burroughs, Colby Williams, Dyson Stevenson and Dryden Hunt also scored for Regina (27-21-5) and Morgan Klimchuk chipped in with two assists. Jack Rodewald scored both goals for the Warriors (13-31-8). Reginas Daniel Wapple made 33 saves for the win as Moose Jaws Justin Paulic turned away 34-of-38 shots in defeat. --- COUGARS 6 BRONCOS 2 SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. -- Klarc Wilson and Troy Bourke each scored twice as Prince George downed the Broncos for its fourth win in a row. Adam Beukeboom made 38 saves for the Cougars (22-26-7) while Zach Pochiro and Jordan Tkatch added single goals. Colby Cave and Nathan Burns supplied the offence for Swift Current (26-19-8). Eetu Laurikainen started in net for the Broncos, but was relieved 16 minutes into the game after allowing his third goal on 13 shots. Landon Bow finished the game and stopped 14-of-17 shots. --- WHEAT KINGS 4 BLADES 1 SASKATOON -- Jordan Papirny made 33 saves and Rihards Bukarts scored twice as Brandon defeated the Blades. Eric Roy and Jesse Gabrielle also scored for the Wheat Kings (27-19-6), who ended a three-game slide, and defenceman Rene Hunter chipped in with two assists. Cameron Hebig scored the lone goal for Saskatoon (14-36-4), which is 2-8-0 in its last 10 contests. Troy Tremblay turned aside 38-of-42 shots in a losing cause. --- ICE 5 HITMEN 2 CRANBROOK, B.C. -- Tim Bozon and Austin Vettrl each had a pair of goals and Mackenzie Skapski made 21 saves as Kootenay toppled Calgary. Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and an assist for the Ice (27-21-4), who trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes of play, while Sam Reinhart tacked on two assists. The Hitmen (32-14-6) got goals from Brady Brassart and goaltender Chris Driedger, who was awarded a goal after Kootenay played the puck into its own net while playing 6-on-5 on a delayed penalty. Driedger stopped 26-of-31 shots in a losing cause. Elite Randall Cobb Pink Jersey. --- AMERICANS 4 REBELS 2 RED DEER, Alta. -- Brian Williams capped off a three-point outing with an empty-net goal as Tri-City doubled up the Rebels. Mitch Topping, Justin Gutierrez and Beau McCue also scored for the Americans (26-22-5) while Josh Thrower was given a five-minute major and game misconduct in the first period for checking to the head. Conner Bleackley and Evan Polei scored for Red Deer (27-22-3), which lost in regulation for the first time in seven outings, and Rhyse Dieno assisted on both. Eric Comrie made 27 saves for Tri-City while Taz Burman turned aside 24-of-27 shots for the Rebels. --- OIL KINGS 5 TIGERS 1 MEDICINE HAT, Alta. -- Mitchell Moroz scored twice and Cody Corbett had three assists as Edmonton extended its win streak to eight games by downing the Tigers. Reid Petryk and Curtis Lazar each had a goal and an assist for the Oil Kings (37-13-1) and Brandon Ralph had a single goal. Curtis Valk scored the lone goal for Medicine Hat (29-19-3). Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for Edmonton as Tigers goalie Marek Langhamer turned away 22-of-27 shots in defeat. --- WINTERHAWKS 3 THUNDERBIRDS 0 PORTLAND, Ore. -- Brendan Burke only had to make 16 saves for his second straight shutout as the Winterhawks blanked Seattle. Nicolas Petan and Oliver Bjorkstarnd each had a goal and an assist for Portland (36-12-5), which is 11-0-1 in its last 12 games, while Adam Rossignol added a single goal. Derrick Pouliot chipped in with two assists. Taran Kozun kicked out 46-of-49 shots for the Thunderbirds (32-16-5). Special teams were big for the Winterhawks as they scored twice on the power play and once shorthanded. --- SILVERTIPS 5 CHIEFS 4 (OT) EVERETT, Wash. -- Ivan Nikolishin scored twice, including the winner, as the Silvertips halted a six-game slide by edging Spokane. Joshua Winquist and Kohl Bauml each had a goal and two assists for Everett (26-19-8) and Patrick Bajkov added a goal and an assist. Colton Bobyk had a pair of goals for the Chiefs (31-16-5) and Mitch Holmberg and Markson Bechtold had a goal apiece. Silvertips netminder Eric Williams allowed four goals on 15 shots before giving way to Garret Hughson, who stopped 14-of-15 shots in 35 minutes of relief to earn the victory. Austin Lotz gave up two goals on five shots for Spokane and was relieved by Daniel Cotton. Cotton turned away 11-of-13 shots in 44 minutes of action. --- ROYALS 3 GIANTS 2 (OT) VICTORIA -- Joe Hicketts scored 36 seconds into extra time as the Royals slipped past Vancouver. Logan Nelson had a goal and an assist for Victoria (34-16-3) while Ben Walker scored the other. Ty Ronning and Cain Franson supplied the offence for the Giants (26-19-9). Coleman Vollrath made 23 saves for the Royals as Jared Rathjen stopped 33-of-36 shots for Vancouver. ' ' '

Neither the Ottawa Senators or Minnesota Wild are happy with their efforts from Tuesday night. A.J. Green Mens Elite Jersey Pro Bowl . The clubs see a quick turnaround as they are set to square off in Ottawa tonight with a chance to get back on track. You can watch the game on TSN, tonight at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Clarke�MacArthur and Kyle�Turris scored to erase a 2-0 deficit, but the Flyers responded with a pair of goals 23 seconds apart just past the midway point of the third period to seal the outcome. MacArthur assisted on Turris fifth goal of the season, while Robin�Lehner faced 41 shots, coming up with 37 saves. "I thought we played a good game," said Lehner. "Its too bad that I couldnt be there for the guys today. I had a bad one today. Thats life. I had a bad outing today." Craig�Anderson will get the start tonight for the Sens and is 3-6-2 with a 2.99 GAA in his career versus the Wild. The Senators will look to extend a six-game series winning streak over the Wild, having not lost to the club since March 16, 2004 in Minnesota. They have won three straight as the guest in this series since. Ottawa has eight victories and a tie in 11 all-time meetings with Minnesota. The Wild had a four-game winning streak and eight-game point streak (7-0-1) snapped with last nights 6-2 loss to the hosting Montreal Canadiens, while the Ottawa Senators lost for the third time in four games with a 5-2 setback to the Philadelphia Flyers. Minnesota didnt give itself much of a chance, giving up the games first five goals, including the first three to Montreal forward Max�Pacioretty in the second period. Nino�Niederreiter finally got the Wild on the board with 5:30 to play, while Dany�Heatley added a late power-play goal with two seconds on the clock. One day after being named the NHLs Third Star for the week ending on Nov. 17, Josh�Harding allowed three goals on 19 shots in just over 33 minutes of action. He had gone 3-0-0 with a 1.38 goals against average and .939 save percentage last week. Darcy�Kuemper came on in relief and yielded three goals on nine shots. "We did not play well. They played very well and thats usually the result," said Wild head coach Mike Yeo. "Hopefully were a little ticked off. Weve been on a good stretch here, but theres no need for us to sit here and look back on that and feel too good about that. Good teams respond, so we have to make sure we respond with a good effort (Wednesday)." Yeos decision to pull Harding early likely means the goaltender will get the start tonight over Kuemper. Harding has never started versus the Senators and has faced them just once before in relief. That came back on Feb. 14, 2009 and he faced just two shots, giving up one goal. Minnesota lost the opener of a four-game road trip and fell to 3-4-2 as the guest this season compared to 10-1-2 at home. The Wild will face a Senators club that returns home after last nights setback in Philadelphia. Giovani Bernard Jersey . Canada had opened Day 2 at the tournament with a 24-0 loss to New Zealand in the Cup quarter-final before beating Samoa 27-0 to cruise into the Plate final. The loss in the Plate final means Canada finished sixth in the rugby sevens tournament. Robert Geathers Bengals Jersey . It offers no assurances and doesnt apply any context, like, for example, taking injuries into account. Last year, this method forecasted the first round at a 7-1 clip; this year it was 5-3, with losses on Columbus, Colorado and San Jose.PHILADELPHIA -- The Flyers turned the worst start in team history into a playoff berth. They forced Game 7 after a 3-2 series deficit. The Flyers simply ran out of comebacks. Just as it has in every season since winning it all in 1975, Philadelphia heads home without a Stanley Cup. The New York Rangers eliminated the Flyers with a 2-1 win in Game 7 in the first round on Wednesday, extending their championship drought to 38 seasons, the sixth-longest streak in the NHL. There was one sliver of consolation Thursday when team captain Claude�Giroux was selected as a Hart Trophy finalist, the leagues MVP award. Giroux matched a career high with 28 goals and finished third in the NHL scoring race (86 points), helping the Flyers rally from a 3-9-0 start. Hes the fifth Flyer to be a finalist, joining Bobby Clarke, Eric�Lindros (who both won), and goalies Pelle Lindbergh and Bernie Parent. Individual award nominations are nice, and this one was sweet for Giroux after Team Canada bypassed him for the Olympics. But they simply dont compare to the thrill of hoisting the Stanley Cup. "We do have to be proud of what we did," Giroux said. "Last place and being able to come back and get everybody back on the same page. We had a lot of fun doing it. But right now, it stings a lot we cant be in the second round." Giroux had his chance in 2010 when the Flyers reached Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. But since that tantalizing run, theyve shown few signs of establishing themselves as a perennial contender. As they rallied from the bottom of the East all the way to the playoffs, the Flyers found two key cogs to their future are already in place: Coach Craig�Berube and goalie Steve�Mason. General manager Paul Holmgren made the right call when he fired Peter Laviolette after an 0-3 start and promoted the coach known as "Chief." After a small adjustment period, he had the Flyers playing as one of the top teams in the conference, leading to a 42-30-10 (94 points) finish. Mens Black Carlos Dunlap Elite Jersey. "We were stuck in a hole for a while and they battled out of it," Berube said. "They stuck together and went to a Game 7." Mason, the NHLs rookie of the year in 2008-09, pushed aside the doubts that lingered from Columbus that he could become a No. 1 goalie and blossomed into their goalie of the future. His mix of sensational saves and easygoing personality helped the Flyers start to erase the memories of Ilya�Bryzgalov from their consciousness. "This teams a lot of fun to play with and Im looking forward to growing them in the future," Mason said. Giroux, Wayne�Simmonds and Jakub�Voracek form a nice offensive nucleus. Veteran defenceman Kimmo�Timonen may decide to retire, though of the rest of the D was a sore point for the Flyers, especially in the post-season when Mason faced tough shot after tough shot with little break. The Flyers might not have made the playoffs without Mason. They might have beat the Rangers with even a solid defensive effort. "At no given time were we feeling we were out of the series, or out of it this season, for that matter," Mason said. This year, the Flyers celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Broad Street Bullies team that left a lasting mark on the league, but has done nothing to get them closer to holding that third championship parade down Philadelphia. The Flyers havent advanced past the second round since the surprising Stanley Cup finals run in 2010. But a year after missing the playoffs, the Flyers at least stabilized themselves and proved that an addition or two on the blue line can push them deeper into the post-season. "Game 7. Lose 2-1. Cant get closer than that," Giroux said. "For a young team, I think its great. Its only going to make us stronger." ' ' '

Canadian John Fairbairn finished seventh in the mens skeleton event on Saturday at the Sliding Center Sanki in Sochi. Ted Ginn Jr Kids Jersey . Fairbairn, of London, Ont., had a final run of 56.96 seconds for a combined four-run time of three minutes 48.13. Eric Neilson, of Kelowna, B.C., ended the competition in 13th place, with a combined time of 3:48.77. Russias Alexander Tretiakov completed four terrific runs en route to a gold medal, posting a time of 56.02, with a combined time of 3:44.29. Tretiakov dominated the event and gives Russia its fourth overall gold medal of the Sochi Olympics, bettering the nations total from Vancouver by one. Martins Dukurs of Latvia finished with the silver at 3:45.10, and American Matthew Antoine took bronze in 3:47.26. Jonathan Dwyer Kids Jersey . After reports emerged on Tuesday that the Toronto FC midfielder would head to Vancouver on loan, the team confirmed on Wednesday that they had, in fact, traded for the Argentine designated player. Daryl Washington Kids Jersey . Bilodeau, from Montreal, won his third straight World Cup moguls event over the weekend, edging out teammate and rival Mikael Kingsbury of Deux-Montagnes, Que. Kingsbury and Marc-Antoine Gagnon of Terrebonne, Que.PHILADELPHIA - Kevin Crowleys sixth goal of the game at 5:53 of the fourth quarter put his club ahead for good as the Philadelphia Wings edged the visiting Toronto Rock 14-13 on Saturday in National Lacrosse League action. Tracey Kelusky and Kyle Buchanan each had a pair of goals for the Wings (4-9), Ryan Ward had a goal and three assists and Garret Thul, Brodie Merrill and Pat Saunders added single goals. Philadelphias Jordan Hall chipped in wwith five assists while Crowley tacked on three for a nine-point performance. Jonathan Cooper Jersey. . Garrett Billings led the Rock (5-8) with three goals and sevens assists, Rob Hellyer and Josh Anderson added three goals apiece and Sandy Chapman, Colin Doyle, Bill Greer and Scott Johnston added the others. Evan Kirk and Kevin Croswell combined to stop 46-of-59 shots for the Wings. Torontos Nick Rose gave up 14 goals on 58 shots against. ' ' '