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HELSINKI, Finland -- There couldnt have been a worse seat in the house for Canadas best player on the night. Wholesale Jerseys . John Tavares was stuck in the penalty box after an unlucky delay of game penalty on Saturday when Jack Johnson delivered a moment rarely seen at the IIHF World Hockey Championship: A U.S. victory over Canada. The American captain took advantage of the extra ice during a 4-on-3 overtime and beat Cam Ward with a wrist shot through traffic to secure the 5-4 win. It was the first time the U.S. had beaten Canada at this tournament since 2001 and just the fourth time in 42 tries overall. "It was a tough way to finish," said Tavares. The final dagger came after he batted the puck over the shorter glass at Hartwall Arena from his own zone with just one second to play in regulation. He probably couldnt repeat the feat if he tried. "It kind of just summed up the way the night went for us," said Canadian coach Brent Sutter. The rivals played an entertaining back-and-forth game and Tavares was a standout for Canada along with linemates Jeff Skinner and Patrick Sharp. He scored a goal and an assist, won 11 of 14 faceoffs and was named the teams player of the game despite the costly penalty at the end. The victory came with a shot of confidence for the underdog Americans. Whether or not it ends up being costly for Canada depends entirely on how the players respond to it. "Its not like its the end of the world," said Sutter. "Its one game. ... Its still right there for us so we just have to get focused for our next game." That will come Monday against France, a team the Americans beat 7-2 to open the tournament. The world championship remains the one international hockey tournament where success has eluded the Americans and this group is out to change that. Johnson wears his countrys colours prouder than most -- hes competing in his fifth world championship at the age of 25 -- and famously quipped during the Vancouver Olympics that he disliked Team Canada. For him, this victory was about "bragging rights." "Everyone on that team, we see throughout the course of the year in the NHL," said Johnson. "Some guys are teammates, some guys you see quite a bit. Whenever you play Canada its a big stage and a big deal." Johnson rose to the occasion with two goals while Jim Slater, Patrick Dwyer and Nate Thompson each had one for the Americans (2-0-0). Jimmy Howard made 30 saves. Tavares, Skinner, Evander Kane and Duncan Keith replied for Canada (1-0-1). It was clear from the get-go that the U.S. had come to play, with Slater opening the scoring just 70 seconds into the game. Tavares soon tied it and the teams continued to swap leads right until the final buzzer. "We did some good things but I still think we need some more consistency in our game and we need to establish the way we want to play," said Tavares. "Unfortunately, we couldnt grab it and take control of it when we had good moments in the game." The U.S. gained the edge with special teams, scoring twice on the power play and once while short-handed. That costly goal came off the stick of Dwyer early in the third period after a turnover. There were four Canadian players in the vicinity when he beat Ward on a wraparound. "That short-handed goal they got -- that should never happen to you," said Sutter. Even still, the Canadian team can take some solace in the fact it never backed down. Not only did Canada tie the score after Dwyers goal, it also fought back after Thompson made it 4-3 with less than five minutes to play in regulation. As a result, Sutter was measured in his assessment of the game. He preached the need for a better overall effort in the defensive end and indicated that the line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Jamie Benn "hit the wall." Canadian goaltender Cam Ward had a good game despite surrendering five goals -- the U.S. outshot Canada 46-23 -- leading to one undeniable conclusion. "When it was all said and done, the best team won tonight," said Sutter. Notes:@ Duncan Keith led Canada with 22:35 of ice time ... Keith also tied Dion Phaneuf with a team-high four shots on goal ... Junior prospect Ryan Murray was used sparingly until the third period, when he filled in for the injured Marc-Edouard Vlasic ... Vlasic suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury and is "day to day," according to Sutter ... Announced attendance was 6,842. Wholesale Jerseys Cheap . -- Henrik Zetterberg didnt wait long to make an impact in his first game back from injury. Cheap Jerseys . 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. LISBON, Portugal -- Cristiano Ronaldo has two Champions League winner medals to show off along with his two world player of the year awards. That is, when hes done showing off his ripped physique. Ronaldos penalty at the end of extra time Saturday sealed a 4-1 victory for Real Madrid over Atletico Madrid, which led deep into stoppage time after 90 minutes. The 29-year-old Portuguese star then ripped off his shirt in celebration and struck a pose showing off his muscles. Soon, Ronaldo was being hugged by Portugals state president, Anibal Cavaco Silva, and patted on the back by Spains King Juan Carlos before collecting his medal from UEFA President Michel Platini -- who also hugged him. Just another night of Ronaldo being soccers biggest showman and undisputed current best player. "Since day one at the club Ive felt ready for this," said the Madrid star after helping end the clubs wait since 2002 for a coveted 10th European title in his fifth season there. "The pressure is making me a better player. It was worth risking (my injury) since were champions," Ronaldo told reporters. The Madrid star now heads to Brazil to cap his stellar season at the World Cup, where Group G rivals Germany, the United States and Ghana await him. Ronaldo will arrive with confidence peaking, even if his finishing fell from his own absurdly high standards Saturday. His 51st goal of the season came from his ninth attempt, including two trademark free kicks which tested Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois within his limits. One missed second-half chance seemed scripted for Ronaldo: hanging high to meet a Sergio Ramos cross, neck muscles tightening to drive his forehead at the ball. An untypically tame connection glanced tthe ball wide. Cheap Jerseys Free shipping. Six years ago, in his first Champions League final, Ronaldo met the moment and ball to arrow his header into Chelseas goal and give Manchester United the lead in Moscow. The eventual manner of victory in 2008 was as dramatic as Saturdays proved. Then, Ronaldo was the only Man United player to have his penalty saved in a shootout, before Chelsea captain John Terry struck a post with the potentially decisive kick. When Edwin van der Sar sealed victory with a save, Ronaldo lay crying in the centre circle alone as teammates raced toward the goalkeeper. Still, Man Uniteds European title helped propel Ronaldo over great rival Lionel Messi in January 2009 to win his first FIFA world player award. Messi beat Ronaldo in the next Champions League final, scoring in Barcelonas 2-0 win. That night in Rome announced Messis rise above Ronaldo in footballs firmament. Confirmation came with Messis election to the FIFA honour for an unprecedented four straight years. Ronaldo stopped the streak in January on another tearful evening. His young son Cristiano stood beside him on stage and Pele also wept at this shoulder. The accolade was acclaimed as reward for hard work to hone his body and raise an already prolific scoring record. There were no tears Saturday, and Ronaldo was at the heart of the party. It was in the same Stadium of Light in Lisbon that Ronaldo lost in his first major final -- a stunning 1-0 upset for Greece over host Portugal in the 2004 European Championship. With this measure of redemption, Ronaldo closed on the three Champions League titles held by 26-year-old Messi. The World Cup stage offers Ronaldo the stage to show he can also close the gap in world player honours. jersyes nfl wholesale ' ' ' |
