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MONTREAL -- There was something familiar about the way coach Mike Babcocks Detroit Red Wings checking smothered the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. Brian Winters Youth Jersey . It was almost exactly like the way Babcocks Team Canada won gold at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The result was a 2-1 Red Wings victory on Swedish Olympian Gustav Nyquists rebound goal with 28 seconds left in overtime. "(Babcock) always stressed that we play this way," said Johan Franzen, who returned from a concussion to assist on both Detroit goals. "This is how you win games. "Especially coming down the stretch here and going into the playoffs, this is how you have to play hockey. Youve got to track like never before, and always be above their guys and make it small for them so you can create turnovers. Then you give your team a lot of opportunities." Franzen set up a power-play goal 14:01 into the first period by Todd Bertuzzi for Detroit (27-20-12). Captain Brian Gionta scored for Montreal (32-21-7) with 29 seconds left in regulation time after goalie Peter Budaj was pulled for an extra attacker. Babcocks defence-first style helped Canada go 6-0 at the Olympics, surrendering only three goals along the way. Giontas goal was the first against a Babcock-coached team since Lauris Darzins got one at 15:41 of the first period of Canadas 2-1 quarter-final win over Latvia. Canada shut out the United States 1-0 in the semifinals and then topped Sweden 3-0 in the final on Sunday. "Its tough to compare," said Nyquist. "Its a different style of game on a smaller rink here. "It was an adjustment for a few guys out there. But it was nice to get the win." There were a handful of Olympians of both sides who had trickled back over the past week as their teams were eliminated. It made for slow, scrambling hockey with few good scoring chances on either side. Detroit had a 30-20 shot advantage, and fans booed as Montreal tested Jimmy Howard only twice in the second frame. "Im sure guys noticed the time difference a bit," said Nyquist. "You have to battle through it. "It was the middle of the night in Sochi, but weve been back for three days and were starting to get it back. Well get some sleep before we play in Ottawa (on Thursday night)." The Canadiens salvaged a point when Gionta collected a puck at the side of the net in a scramble and backhanded the tying goal into a top corner. "The execution was not there tonight for both teams," said Montreal coach Michel Therrien. "Both teams played solid defensively. "There wasnt much space on the ice. But we put ourselves in position to get a point. Its disappointing that we didnt score in overtime or get to the shootout." Franzen fed Bertuzzi at the edge of the crease for a power-play goal 14:01 into the game after Canadian Olympian P.K. Subban was called for roughing. Bertuzzi returned to the lineup after missing eight games with an upper-body problem. Franzen had sat out six in a row and 21 of the last 22 with his concussion, but said he felt fine after the game. In overtime, Franzen tipped a Danny DeKeyser shot and the rebound went to Nyquist for a shot into an open side. Budaj had been slated to start in goal for Montreal even before Canadian Olympian Carey Price suffered a lower-body injury during the teams game-day skate. He is to start again when Montreal visits Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The 21,273 at the Bell Centre gave a rousing ovation to 12 members of Canadian mens and womens hockey gold medallist teams from the Sochi Olympics in a pre-game ceremony. The biggest cheers went to Marie-Philip Poulin, who had two goals in the womens final, and to Babcock and Canadiens players Price and Subban. Notes: Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk and Travis Moen returned from injuries, but Michael Bournival and Brandon Prust remain sidelined. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski was recalled from AHL Hamilton. . . The Red Wings played the 3,000th road game of their history. They are 1,086-1,439-475 away from Detroit. Chris Ivory Womens Jersey . This week, topics cover if and when the Blue Jays should start rebuilding, how good catchers handle a pitching staff and how best to develop young pitchers to best avoid arm problems. Leger Douzable Womens Jersey . Not to be outdone, Atletico Madrid bettered its title rivals by demolishing 10-man Getafe 7-0 with Diego Costa returning from injury to score with a brilliant bicycle kick. "It was an almost perfect night," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates came up with a second straight comeback win. "Youve got to believe, though. Can you have faith?" said Jordy Mercer, whose pinch-hit double in the seventh inning tied the score. The next inning Neil Walker hit a two-run double to cap the comeback from a five-run deficit as Pittsburgh beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6 on Saturday night. The Pirates erased a 5-3, ninth-inning deficit in a win over the Blue Jays on Friday and clawed back from deficits of 5-0 in the fourth a 6-2 in the seventh Saturday. Aaron Loup relieved R.A. Dickey after Clint Barmes leadoff double in the seventh, and the Pirates tied the score on Josh Harrisons RBI double, Pedro Alvarezs run-scoring groundout and Mercers two-run double. "It just blew up on us," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I cant tell you anything more than that." The game-tying hit was a longtime coming for Mercer, who entered the game with a .151 batting average and hadnt driven in a run since April 15. "I know everybody here has my back so I dont think its really a confidence issue," Mercer said. "I think getting a hit for the team was bigger than anything." One inning later, Ike Davis reached on a one-out infield single against Todd Redmond (0-3), Harrison singled and Walker hit a drive off the top of the wall in centre field. "Tonight was one of the nights we didnt play real great defence, we didnt pitch real well, but somehow we found a way to win in the end," Walker said. "It doesnt have to be pretty." The Pirates could have boosted their lead in the ninth, but Starling Marte lined out to first against Chad Jenkins with the bases loaded. Bryan Morris (3-0) pitched a perfect eighth, and Mark Melancon earned his first save of the season in place of injured closer Jason Grilli, retiring Colby Ramus on a game-ending groundout with two on. Pittsburgh, which overcame four errors, won consecutive games for the first time since beating St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs on April 6 and 8. Torontos Jose ;Bautista hit his ninth homer of the year, extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. Jaiquawn Jarrett Womens Jersey. He set a Blue Jays record by reaching base in a 30th consecutive game. "I dont think that were going to start pointing fingers at anybody just because weve lost a couple games in a particular fashion," Bautista said. Dickey allowed three runs, five hits and four walks, lowering his ERA to 5.01. "Hes a quality pitcher, an All-Star, hes won 20 games in the big leagues and he was on tonight," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "So as soon as hes out, its just better. Its no knock against anybody else, its just going to be different." Pirates starter Francisco Liriano gave up five runs -- four earned -- six hits and three walks in 3 2-3 innings, the second straight start he failed to reach the fourth. "I was trying to throw my sinker down and away and just missed my spots," Liriano said. Toronto built its early lead on Jose Reyes RBI double in the third and a four-run fourth that included Brett Lawries run-scoring double over Marte in left, Rasmus RBI single, Steve Tollesons run-scoring, double-play grounder and a bases-loaded walk to Melky Cabrera. Pittsburghs comeback began in the fourth when Dickey threw a run-scoring wild pitch, and Barmes hit an RBI groundout. "Were a little bit shell-shocked right now," Gibbons said. "But weve got to turn it around. Heck, its the start of May." NOTES: The Blue Jays removed RHP Sergio Santos from his role as interim closer after he blew three of his past four save opportunities. Gibbons said Toronto will use a closer-by-committee approach until Casey Janssen (oblique) returns from the DL. ... After optioning RHP Brandon Cumpton to the minor leagues Saturday, the Pirates have an open spot in their rotation Monday when they start a three-game set against San Francisco. LHP Wandy Rodriguez (right knee) could return from the DL. ... Toronto RHP Dustin McGowan (1-1, 5.87) is scheduled to pitch Sunday against Pittsburgh RHP Edinson Volquez (1-2, 3.21).Cheap Jerseys ' ' ' |
