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Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders has been suspended five games without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBAPA Anti-Drug Program. Ryan Anderson Womens Jersey . Sanders is recovering from surgery to repair a broken orbital bone near his right eye. He suffered the season-ending injury on Feb. 8 after taking a James Harden elbow to the face in the Bucks loss to the Houston Rockets. The suspension will begin with the next regular season game for which Sanders is eligible and physically able to play. "I apologize to the entire Bucks organization and our fans for being suspended five games for using marijuana in violation of the NBA Anti-Drug Program. I take full responsibility for my actions," Sanders said in a statement. In 23 games, Sanders averaged 7.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots. Those numbers are down from a breakout 2012-13, when the former VCU big man put up 9.8 points, 9.5 boards and 2.8 blocks per contest. Jonathan Allen Youth Jersey . David Perron had a career high four-point night with two goals and two assists as the Oilers experienced an offensive explosion, blasting the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-0 to record a rare home win for their second victory in a row. Jonathan Allen Womens Jersey . As the schedule flipped from November to December, they would go on to drop five straight, falling six games below the .500 mark before a franchise-altering trade turned them into an unrecognizable team.Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional baseball have agreed on a new posting fee to bring potential Japanese free agents to North America. The three-year deal was finalized on Monday and fundamentally changes the way Japanese players are acquired by MLB clubs. Now, if an NPB Club wishes to make one of its players available to Major League Clubs, they will notify the MLB Commissioner of the players availability and the release feethat must be paid to the NPB Club in order to secure release. The NPB Club may not set the release fee higher than $20 million and the fee cannot be changed once set by the NPB Club. The Commissioners Office will then post the player by notifying all MLB clubs of both the availability of the player and the fee sought by the NPB Club. Postings must be made between Nov. 1 and Feb. 1. A 30-day period begins the day after the player is posted, and concluding 30 days later, with any Major League Club willing to pay the release free to negotiate a contract with the posted player. If a team is able to reach an agreement with the player, the fee will then be paid out to his NPB club in installments. Should the player fail to reach an agreement with an MLB club, the release fee is not owed and the player may not be posted again until the following November. Under the current system, teams submit their top bids in secret with the highest bidder gettingg an exclusive negotiating window to sign the player. Jonathan Allen Jersey. The deal comes as MLB teams wait to hear about the potential availability of the latest Japanese phenom pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka. The New York Yankees were believed to be the front-runners for Tanaka, since their deep pockets would allow them to submit a high posting bid, while only having Tanakas salary count towards luxury tax. However, under the new system that advantage would no longer play in the Yankees favour. Since only the posting fee is luxury tax-exempt. The change levels the playing field, giving players like Tanaka the ability to choose between whichever clubs deem his services worthy of a maximum bid. Whether or not Tanaka gets posted still remains to be seen as his club - the Rakuten Golden Eagles - has been going back and forth on whether to actually make him available. Tanaka reportedly wants to play in North America, but the change to the system has made posting him less lucrative to his Japanese club. The highest bid ever submitted by an MLB club for a Japanese free agent came in January of 2012 when the Texas Rangers paid a reported $51.7 million for the right to negotiate with pitcher Yu Darvish. The Rangers and Darvish took almost the full allotted month to reach an agreement, with Darvish settling for a six-year, $60 million contract on the final day of the negotiating window. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
SARNIA, Ont. Mack Hollins Womens Jersey . -- Connor Brown scored once and set up four more as the Erie Otters doubled up the host Sarnia Sting 6-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League play. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect now has three goals and eight points in four games, which leads the OHL in scoring. Dane Fox had two goals and two assists for the Otters (2-1-1) and Connor McDavid scored once and had three points. Dylan Strome and Andre Burakovsky also scored to round out Eries offence. Nikolay Godobin scored twice and tacked on an assist for the Sting (1-2-0) and Craig Duininck had the other Sarnia goal. Oscar Dansk made 33 saves for the win as Brodie Barrick stopped 38-of-43 shots in a losing cause. Fox opened the scoring early in the first period for the Otters. But Duininck responded for the Sting at 19:26 to tie it 1-1 after 20 minutes of play. McDavid regained the lead for Erie with his first goal of the campaign, however back-to-back power-play goals from Goldobin gave Sarnia a 3-2 edge. It looked as if the Sting would hold the lead into the third period, but Strome scored late while on the man advantage to make it 3-3. Burakovsky made it 4-3 Otters with a power-play goal at 13:01 of the third and Fox and Brown scored late to secure the victory. Erie went 2 for 3 on the power play while Sarnia scored twice on seven chances with the man advantage. --- Frontenacs 5 IceDogs 1 KINGSTON, Ont., -- Lucas Peressini made 27 saves in his first OHL start as his Frontenacs downed Niagara. Samuel Schutt scored twice for the Frontenacs (3-0-0) while Sam Bennett, Lawson Crouse and Darcy Greenaway added a goal apiece. Brendan Perlini scored for the IceDogs (0-1-1) and Christopher Festarini turned away 23-of-28 shots in a losing cause. --- Greyhounds 2 Battalion 1 SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont., -- Jared McCann scored the winner with just nine seconds remaining in the third period as the Greyhounds edged North Bay. Sergey Tolchinksky had a goal and an assist for Sault Ste Marie (2-0-0) while McCann tacked on an assist for a two-point outing. Nick Paul scored the lone goal for the Battalion (2-2-0). Matt Murray made 29 saves for the victory. Brendan ONeill turned aside 24 shots in defeat. --- Storm 5 Generals 1 GUELPH, Ont., -- Robby Fabbri scored once and set up two others as the Storm downed Oshawa. Brock McGinn had two goals for Guelph (2-0-0) while Scott Kosmachuk and Chadd Bauman added a goal and an assist. Hunter Smith scored for Oshawa (2-1-0). Matthew Mancina made 18 saves for his first OHL victory. Ken Abbleby stopped 24 shots in defeat. --- Petes 5 Rangers 4 KITCHENER, Ont., -- Matt Spencer scored the winner midway through the third period as Peterborough came from behind to defeat the Rangers. Nick Ritchie had two goals and an assist for the Petes (3-1-0), who trailed 4-2 in the second period, as Eric Cornel and Chase Hatcher added a goal apiece. Eric Ming, Brent Pedersen, Ryan MacInnis and Matia Marcantuoni supplied the offence for Kitchener (1-1-0). Andrew DAgostini made 38 saves for the win while Tyson Teichmann allowed five goals on 23 shots in a losing cause. --- Knights 6 Spirit 3 LONDON, Ont., -- Josh Anderson scored twice and Anthony Stolarz made 36 saves as the Knights doubled up Saginaw. Kyle Platzer and Santino Centorame each had a goal and an assist for London (2-0-0) while Michael McCarron and Alex Basso added single goals. Cody Payne, Zach Bratina and Justin Sefton scored for the Spirit (1-3-0) and Jake Paterson turned away 47 shots in a losing effort. --- Steelheads 4 Bulls 3 (SO) MISSISSAUGA, Ont., -- Dylan Smoskowitz and Bryson Cianfrone scored in the shootout as the Steelheads edged Belleville. Smoskowitz scored twice in regulation as well for Mississauga (2-1-0) while Everett Clark had the other. Scott Simmonds had two goals for Belleville (0-2-1) and Garret Hooey scored once. Spencer Martin stopped 37 shots for the victory while Charlie Graham made 28 saves in defeat. --- Whalers 4 67s 2 OTTAWA, -- Victor Crus Rydberg scored the winner early in the third period and set up two more as Plymouth doubled up the 67s. Ryan Hartman had two goals for the Whalers (1-3-0) and Carter Sandlak added another. Dante Salituro and Brendan Bell scored for Ottawa (1-2-0). Alex Nedeljkovic made 19 saves for the win as Philippe Trudeau turned away 35 shots in a losing cause. --- Wolves 5 Colts 3 SUDBURY, Ont., --Dominik Kubalik and Connor Crisp each scored twice and combined for seven points as the Wolves downed Barrie. Mathew Campagna also scored for Sudbury (1-1-0) while Jacob Harris had four assists. Aaron Ekblad, Tyson Fawcett and Jake Dotchin supplied the scoring for the Colts (2-1-0). Franky Palazzese made 31 saves for the win while Daniel Gibl stopped 18-of-22 shots in defeat. Donnel Pumphrey Eagles Jersey .com) - Colorado forward P. Mack Hollins Eagles Jersey .She struggled with a hacking cough, she was sick, and she twice celebrated too early, but she held her composure in a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory on Saturday.On her third match point, she let her racket go before hearing a let call to what she thought was an ace. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff said Wednesday the club has reached a 10-year lease agreement with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority to stay at the Oakland Coliseum. The deal that would run through 2025 is subject to approval by the Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, which is scheduled to vote on the extension Friday. The City of Oakland and Alameda County Board of Supervisors also would have to approve the deal. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commended both sides for reaching a deal on a lease extension, while offering, "I continue to believe that the Athletics need a new facility and am fully supportive of the clubs view that the best site in Oakland is the Coliseum site." "We very much appreciate Commissioner Seligs support for Oakland to be the home of the As," coliseum authority Chairman Nate Miley added in a statement. "We also agree, and we believe the As do as well, that long-term the Coliseum is the best site for them in the East Bay." Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said Wednesday that the city is working to make sure the team remains in Oakland for years to come. "We are still negotiating, so were surprised by the announcement of an agreement," Quan said. "We plan to meet tomorrow, continue negotiations, and hope there will be an agreement soon." The two-time defending AL West champion Athletics are still hoping for a new stadium, but Wolff said a proposed site near Oaklands popular Jack London Square neighbourhood has proved not to be a feasible option. "Howard Terminal as a potential ballpark site has been and is totally rejected by MLB and the As," Wolff said in an email to The Associated Prress. Rasul Douglas Womens Jersey. Selig reiterated that in a statement Wednesday. He has long supported Wolffs efforts to build a stadium, but hasnt ruled whether the As can move into the San Francisco Giants territory in technology-rich Silicon Valley and San Jose. "Contrary to what some have suggested, the committee that has studied this issue did not determine that the Howard Terminal site was the best location for a new facility in Oakland," Selig said. The rundown Coliseum has had multiple sewage problems in the past year and an outage affecting the outfield lights against the New York Yankees on June 14. Despite the As recent on-field success, they are currently 24th in the majors in attendance with an average of 23,462 per game. "Its not something I think much about, to be honest," Oakland first baseman Brandon Moss said in New York, where the As were set to play the Mets. "Obviously, everyone knows that its well-documented, the history of the Coliseum and the things that theyve dealt with in the past few years. But honestly, as players who play in it every single night, we dont come in and say, God, we wish we had a new stadium! Obviously we do, but at the same time we understand that thats our home and thats where we play and its our job to go out and perform regardless of where we are." The Coliseum is the only stadium in the United States still used as the home for an NFL and MLB team. The Raiders are in the final year of their lease at the Coliseum and are interested in building a new stadium at the site. While the As deal is expected to contain "out clauses" for both sides, it could complicate the Raiders desire for a new stadium. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
CHICAGO -- All Masahiro Tanaka could do was put this one behind him and look forward to his next start. Samaje Perine Youth 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. The Cubs honoured the retiring Derek Jeter before the game, then handed Tanaka his first loss in nine major league starts. It was a surprising turn, considering Chicago came in with the majors worst record and the right-hander from Japan had been sensational. Tanaka (6-1) had been 34-0 in Japan and North America the last two seasons. He did drop Game 6 of the Japan Series last year before earning the save in Game 7. But post-season aside, he hadnt lost since the Seibu Lions beat the Rakuten Golden Eagles on Aug. 19, 2012. And yes, he was definitely proud of that streak. "I think I was able to get the streak going because I had support from my teammates," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "Im a little bit disappointed because I think a lot of the fans were looking for me to keep on winning. Next time out, Ill try to get a win again and get it going again." Luis Valbuena had three hits with two doubles and scored two runs for Chicago. John Baker had two hits, scored a run and drove in one. Mike Olt drove in three. Jason Hammel (5-2) pitched solid ball into the sixth and Hector Rondon retired Jeter on a grounder with the bases loaded in the ninth, preserving the win on a hot and rainy night with thunder and lightning. Tanaka had his worst outing, allowing eight hits to match a career high. He struck out seven and walked one but didnt really have his usual command. Manager Joe Girardi noticed some splitters up in the zone. Tanaka said there were issues with all his pitches, and Chicagos Starlin Castro thought there was a dip in velocity from last months meeting in New York, when he threw eight scoreless innings. Some Cubs players thought familiarity this time around helped, although Girardi dismissed that idea. "If he has his good splitter tonight I think he gives a much better performance," he said. "Since its the first time that he saw a team twice and they scored four runs, people are probably going to make a big deal out of it, but I think hes given up four runs before in a start. So I wouldnt make too much of it." Coming off his first major-league shutout against the Mets last week, Tanaka gave up RBI singles to Emilio Bonifacio in the third and to Olt in the fourth to make it 2-0. The Cubs added to their lead with two in the sixth on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Olt and Baker after Mark Teixeira singled in a run in the top half for New York. That was enough for Hammel, who allowed one run and four hits in 5 2-3 innings while striking out six and walking one. The righty took a hard one-hopper to his pitching hand while deflecting Brett Gardners single to start the game, then threw his first warmup pitch to the backstop after that. He also hit a batter and threw a wild pitch in the inning but settled down after despite some mounting soreness. "It got a little worse as the game was going on," he said. The Cubs saluted Jeter before the game, with Castro presenting him a number 2 from the famed Wrigley Field scoreboard at home plate as the crowd cheered. And there was a loud ovation when the Yankees captain batted in the first. Former Cub Soriano also got a warm welcome in his first game at Wrigley Field since the Cubs traded him to New York last July. He was 0 for 4. NOTES: Asked if theres any chance hell play after this season, Soriano said, "Yeah, I feel good." He plans to keep playing if he feels this way at the end of the season. Hes in the final year of an eight-year deal he signed with Chicago before the 2007 season. ... The Yankees wont have to leave town after this two-game series wraps up, with a four-game set at the White Sox opening Thursday. ... Cubs manager Rick Renteria said OF Justin Ruggiano is close to returning from a strained left hamstring but didnt give a specific date. He also said reliever Pedro Strop is "coming along" as he recovers from a strained left groin. Samaje Perine Redskins Jersey .Y. - Carey Price had an early feeling that one goal might be enough to settle the latest matchup between his Montreal Canadiens and longtime Original Six foe, the New York Rangers. Jonathan Allen Womens Jersey .C. -- The Steve Smith era in Carolina is over.A couple of Russians with hat tricks, a rookie goaltender with a shutout on the road, an embarrassing effort from the Buffalo Sabres, a pile of injuries, lineup news and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES Vladimir Tarasenko – The sturdy and skilled Blues winger notched three goals, including the overtime winner, to go with an assist in a 4-3 overtime win at Dallas. He and C Jori Lehtera, who had a goal and two assists, carried the day for the Blues. The third-year forward has had a major spike in shots on goal, from 2.13 per game last season to 4.50 per game this year. According to Puckalytics, among players with at least 75 minutes of 5-on-5 play, Tarasenko ranks second in shots per 60 minutes. SHOOTERS PLAYER TEAM POS. EV SHOTS/60 Nick Bjugstad Florida C 14.90 Vladimir Tarasenko St. Louis RW 14.78 Marcus Kruger Chicago C 14.12 Rick Nash N.Y. Rangers LW 13.56 Brendan Gallagher Montreal RW 13.50 Zach Parise Minnesota LW 13.26 James Neal Nashville RW 13.01 Mike Cammalleri New Jersey LW 12.58 Jason Pominville Minnesota RW 12.41 Max Pacioretty Montreal LW 12.38 Lightning Sophs – Nikita Kucherov registered his first career hat trick, giving him seven points in the past three games, and C Tyler Johnson put up four assists, leaving him with 12 points in the first 10 games of the season. Between them, they also sent 15 shots towards the Arizona goal and were Tampa Bays top two possession forwards in the game. As little as Kucherov has played (12:25 per game), his recent run has thrust him among the top point-per-minute scorers in the league: EFFICIENT POINT PRODUCERS PLAYER TEAM POS. EV PTS/60 Rick Nash N.Y. Rangers LW 6.22 Tyler Toffoli Los Angeles RW 4.90 Jeff Carter Los Angeles C 4.82 Tanner Pearson Los Angeles LW 4.80 Jakub Voracek Philadelphia RW 4.76 Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay RW 4.64 Brock Nelson N.Y. Islanders LW 4.37 Ryan Strome N.Y. Islanders RW 4.36 Jamie Benn Dallas LW 4.29 Tyler Johnson Tampa Bay C 4.20 John Gibson – The Ducks rookie goaltender posted a 38-save shutout in Chicago. Whether the Blackhawks have been going through some offensive troubles or not – and they have – a 38-save shutout at the United Centre is an accomplishment. ZEROES Buffalo Sabres – There will be many nights over the course of the season that the Sabres could qualify for this dubious honour, but 10 shots on goal against a Maple Leafs team that was allowing 33.9 shots per game previously is an extra special level of mailing it in. Mike Smith – The Coyotes goaltender surrendered six goals on 33 shots, in 49 minutes, against his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Its early, of course, but Smiths .858 save percentage in six games could start opening the door for backup Devan Dubnyk to earn more playing time. Cory Schneider – Gave up five goals on 23 shots and was pulled after the second period in an 8-3 loss to Pittsburgh. Over the previous four seasons, Schneider has the best save percentage (.928) among goaltenders to play in at least 100 games. This season, hes sitting at .901. SHORT SHIFTS Bruins rookie RW Seth Griffith scored two goals and added an assist in a 4-3 loss to Minnesota…Jets LW Andrew Ladd scored a pair of goals and C Bryan Little added three assists at the Islanders…Islanders LW Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist and D Johnny Boychuk had a pair of assists against the Jets…Senators LW Clarke MacArthur scored two goals and added an assist in a 5-2 win at Columbus, while D Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist and C Kyle Turris chipped in two assists…Penguins C Sidney Crosby had a couple of goals and nine shot attempts (6 SOG) against New Jersey, while wingers Blake Comeau, Pascal Dupuis, Patric Hornqvist and Steve Downie each contributed a goal and an assist…The line of Crosby, Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz was on for better than 82% of the even-strength shot attempts. Maple Leafs C Tyler Bozak and RW Phil Kessel both had a goal and an assist against Buffalo…Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov stoppped 49 of 51 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose…Canucks C Brad Richardson scored a pair of goals in a 4-1 win over Carolina…Canadiens G Carey Price turned aside 37 of 38 shots in a 2-1 shootout win at Calgary…Bruins D Zach Trotman led the team with eight shot attempts (3 SOG) in 11:16 of ice time vs. Samaje Perine Jersey. Minnesota…Kings RW Justin Williams was up to his old possession tricks (29 shot attempts for, 12 against, 70.7%) at Philadelphia…Blue Jackets enforcer Jared Boll had nice possession stats (14 shot attempts for, 2 against, 87.5%)in the 5-2 loss to Ottawa…Senators enforcer Chris Neil was on the other end (2 for, 12 against, 14.3%)…Stars RW Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist, with a dozen shot attempts (6 SOG) in a 4-3 overtime loss to St. Louis. Seguin now leads the league with 15 points in nine games…Sharks D Brent Burns had a goal on 11 shot attempts (5 SOG), with dominant possession stats (27 for, 5 against, 84.4%) and RW Joe Pavelski recorded 10 shots on goal at Colorado…Colorados fourth line – Cody McLeod, Daniel Briere and Marc-Andre Cliche – started two-thirds of their shifts in the offensive zone, yet had fewer than 10% of the shot attempts at even strength…Flames rookie LW Johnny Gaudreau had an assist and a career-high six shots on goal, with the Flames best possession stats (18 for, 6 against, 75.0%) against Montreal. LINEUP NEED TO KNOW Blues C David Backes left Tuesdays game against Dallas with an upper-body injury. Its a good thing the Blues have such depth down the middle if theyre going to be missing both Backes and Paul Stastny. Jets D Zach Bogosian missed Tuesdays game at the Islanders with an upper-body injury. With Bogosian out, Paul Postma played a season-high 19:23 and scored a goal. Wild D Jonas Brodin sat out against the Bruins, one night after being sent into the boards hard by Rangers LW Chris Kreider, so Mathew Dumba ended up playing a career-high 16:43 for Minnesota. Islanders LW Nikolay Kulemin was ejected after hitting Jets D Mark Stuart from behind. Blue Jackets C Artem Anisimov is going through concussion protocol, and likely out at least a week, after getting flattened by Senators D Eric Gryba. Blue Jackets D James Wisniewski joins the growing Columbus injured list, out one-to-two weeks with a broken finger. With Wisniewski out, David Savard should be the likely candidate to move up to Columbus first power play unit. G Curtis McElhinney started for the Blue Jackets, with Sergei Bobrovsky out for the next one-to-two weeks with his own broken finger. Thats a notable downgrade, as McElhinney has a career .901 save percentage. A little bit of good news for Columbus. Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson returned to the lineup, joining C Ryan Johansen and LW Scott Hartnell on the top line. With Kings C Anze Kopitar out, Mike Richards moved up the depth chart to play between Dwight King and Dustin Brown at Philadelphia. Richards played 17:51 and scored his first goal of the year. Lightning LW Alex Killorn returned to the lineup, recording an assist in 18:13 of ice time. As a result, LW Jonathan Drouin ended up playing 11:50, second-lowest among Tampa Bay skaters. With Corey Crawford out, Scott Darling made another start for the Chicago Blackhawks, and stopped 24 of 25 shots in a 1-0 loss. Canadiens C Lars Eller was benched, playing just 5:46 for Montreal at Calgary, not taking another shift after a roughing penalty at 16:01 of the second period. Flames centres Joe Colborne and Matt Stajan were hurt against Montreal. Colborne left with an upper-body injury and Stajan took a knee-on-knee hit from Canadiens D Jarred Tinordi. Senators D Mark Borowiecki had an excellent possession game (15 for, 3 against, 83.3%) against Columbus before leaving with an upper-body injury. D Carl Gunnarsson played in his first game for the Blues, logging a modest 12:53 of ice time, at Dallas. Hurricanes C Eric Staal returned to the lineup after missing two-and-a-half weeks. He played 19:50 against Vancouver, picking up an assist and five shots on goal. FANTASY FOCUS A couple of players to have an eye on in a light night on the NHL schedule: With Washington at Detroit, keep tabs on the Red Wings Darren Helm, who has recently been skating on the left side with very skilled linemates, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar. Nashville is in Edmonton and Predators D Ryan Ellis has been playing a much bigger role. More minutes leads to more points for a puck-mover like Ellis. Much of the data included comes from www.war-on-ice.com, www.puckalytics.com, www.hockeystats.ca and www.naturalstattrick.com Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
MONTREAL - The Raptors have made their eight-game exhibition slate look easy, for whatever thats worth. Chad Williams Youth Jersey . With Fridays 83-80 win over the Knicks in Montreal, Toronto closed out the pre-season with a record of 7-1, matching the franchise record for most exhibition victories and ensuring theyll finish camp with the leagues best record this fall. What does it all mean? Nothing, Dwane Casey said following his teams pre-season finale at the Bell Centre. Not one hill of beans. Exhibition, you can take this record and - I cant say what I want to say. But you can do whatever you want with the [stat sheet], because exhibition doesnt mean anything except for our conditioning and our timing and our rhythm that it gave us. Indeed, exhibition success is difficult to measure and theres no telling how it may translate to the real games. The last and only other time the Raptors have tallied seven pre-season wins was in 2006, just ahead of one of the franchises best campaigns which ultimately resulted in a division title. Last year they went 6-1 - their last game was canceled on account of a slippery court in Milwaukee - before starting the season 6-12. The lesson here: youre not likely to find much correlation between fall results and regular season success. Good teams, especially those with returning players, tend to excel year round, but there are always outliers at this point in the year. Going into Fridays action, the list of teams just below Toronto in exhibition standings included Cleveland, Golden State and Houston. No surprise there. It also included Detroit, New Orleans and Utah. So, who knows? We dont get a trophy for this? Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri joked. I think its the coaches time, its the players time, he continued. I think these guys have done a good job in preparing. I call it preparing. Its tough for us. I stay away, go to Europe to scout and get involved in other things just because you want to get down to it right away. Were here, a week out. And the reason why the Raptors feel good about where theyre at, just days before Wednesdays season opener, has almost nothing to do with wins and losses. Weve got a lot of guys from last year so we really dont have to figure out too many things, said DeMar DeRozan, who led Toronto with 15 points in Fridays exhibition finale. I think its mainly for the new guys to get implemented with our system on both ends. Its not too hard at all. As promised, Casey used Fridays contest to extend the minutes of his regulars, hoping to get them in rhythm and get comfortable in a more conventional rotation. One of his starters, Jonas Valanciunas, learned an early-season lesson courtesy of his defensive minded head coach. The third-year centre was beat on three box-outs in the opening five minutes, each resulting in an offensive rebound for Samuel Dalembert, before he was pulled and spent the rest of the half on the bench. Whatever message was sent at intermission, it was received in the third quarter when a noticeably more aggressive Valanciunas scored nine of his 13 points and added three boards. As a team, the Raptors held New York to 15 per cent shooting in the frame, besting them 14-7 on the glass and outscoring the visitors 25-11. As for those newcomers DeRozan referenced, they looked ready to start the new campaign on Friday. James Johnson was held without a point, on two shots, but earned praise from Casey after the game for his defence on Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. Casey called it his best game of the pre-season. Lou Williams did what he does best, knocking down a pair of big fourth-quarter shots and finishing with 12 points off the bench. Their first real test will come on Wednesday, following four days of practice and preparation, when they host the Hawks to open the franchises 20th season. Like a second home Le Nord Cest Nous, read advertisements situated throughout the city of Montreal, a French translation of the Raptors popular marketing slogan We The North. That message has resonated here, like it has in Toronto, throughout Canada and within the teams locker room. Fridays sellout crowd at the Bell Centre, like the packed house in Vancouver earlier this fall, served as a reminder that the Raptors are well on their way to being adopted as the countrys team, if they havent already. Its been huge, Casey said of the support his team has received throughout the Great White North. The pride that I see around the country for basketball, for the Raptors has been unbelievable. Part of the NBA Canada Series, the Raptors played their third pre-season game in Montreal. Along with Halifax, it’s the only Canadian city outside of Toronto to host three exhibition contests. DeRozan has made all three trips, first as a sophomore in 2010 and then again a couple years later. Its great, the Raptors all-star guard said of the atmosphere. Just coming off the season that we had last year and the success, just to come back around and be in Montreal, just to get that support in a different part of Canada definitely means a lot. I think We The North gives the country some pride and a good feeling about the Raptors, Casey added. Now we have to do our part in continuing to compete at a high level and I think its the way we do compete. Winning is important but I think people appreciate how hard our guys play, how we play defence, how we share the basketball and play together. I think thats a great lesson for the future of basketball in Canada. Respect for Nash Canada basketball took a hit late Thursday evening when the Los Angeles Lakers announced that Victorias Steve Nash has been ruled out for this coming season with a back injury that likely spells the end to his brilliant 18-year career. That said, the news did give Canadians and folks around the basketball universe an opportunity to pause, look back and appreciate everything the future Hall-of-Famer did as a pioneer for the sport in this country and one of the premier point guards to ever play the game. Its sad, Casey said of the two-time MVPs likely retirement. But hes done so much good; its hard to get sad for Steve because hes meant so much to Canadian basketball, to the NBA period. Hes the prototypical point guard that you teach your point guards to be like. We shouldnt be sad. Casey remembers his days coaching in Seattle - an assistant with the SuperSonics - when Nash used to come down to workout with Gary Payton, an iconic point guard of the previous generation. Ive known him for a long time, said the Raptors coach. Nothing but love and respect for his game. Nashs resume is undeniable. An eight-time all-star, the 40-year-old is third on the NBAs all-time assists list and has appeared in more post-season games than any other player without a ring in history. Amazingly, he was at the helm of the leagues best offence for nine straight years, on two different teams. The way that Phoenix [team] played, Casey said, that style of play was unique because of him. I think a lot of people tried to emulate that style of freewheeling, up and down basketball but unless you have a Steve Nash its very difficult to play that style of basketball. Hes been an unbelievable player, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry echoed. Hes done a great job for basketball in general. He kind of changed the way people look at smaller guards. Chad Williams Jersey . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. Haason Reddick Youth Jersey . Rodriguez, who has steadfastly denied using banned substances while with the New York Yankees, made the decision nearly four weeks after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz largely upheld the discipline issued last summer by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. "I think its a good move for him," former Commissioner Fay Vincent said.Here are some behind the scenes pics for you to enjoy: Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
OKLAHOMA CITY - One week after surgery on his broken right hand, Russell Westbrook is upbeat about his recovery and trying to help his injury-riddled team find a way to survive without current NBA MVP Kevin Durant and himself on the court. Cheap Tom Brady Jersey .Westbrook met with the media for the first time since suffering a small fracture early in the Thunders October 30th loss to the L.A. Clippers. He underwent surgery the following day, and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks.For the three-time NBA All-Star, it was the fourth surgery in less than two years and another frustrating moment for one of the leagues most mercurial competitors.I missed a shot and tried to come back up and get a rebound and I hit my hand on Perks (teammate Kendrick Perkins) elbow. I knew I hurt something, I thought I dislocated my finger of something. I couldnt tell until I got the ball back when I ran back down the court and couldnt dribble, said Westbrook. I was already mad once I hit my hand because I knew it wasnt gonna be good, so I was instantly upset and frustrated. Obviously, I was ready to go and ready to help my team go out and get wins, especially since we were down some guys already. It was frustrating for me, but itll be alright. Ill get back to where I was at.Already hobbled by injuries to Durant and newcomer Anthony Morrow, the injury to Westbrook wasnt the end of the misfortune. Forward Perry Jones and guards Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson have also missed games, while rookie forwards Mitch McGary and Grant Jarrett have yet to begin their NBA careers due to injuries. On most nights, the team has had only eight available players.The Thunder has been competitive in five of six games, but saw their record fall to 1-5 after a 91-89 home loss to Memphis Friday night. Oklahoma City has had to employ journeymen Sebastian Telfair and Lance Thomas in the starting lineup and recently picked up another well-travelled guard in Ish Smith.Coach Scott Brooks is trying to stay positive while waiting for the return of his superstars, which will likely not come until January. Until they can get back on the court, Brooks is trying to keep Westbrook and Durant involved in encouraging the players who are trying to hold down the fort.He and Kevin are incredible encouragers during games. They are cheering every possession and they get on guys during huddles when needed, Brooks said. Theyre involved, theyre engaged, they want to make an impact while theyre not playing and thats good to see.For his part, Westbrook is happy to play that part while he waits to return to the court.Just try to find a way that we can help guys. You dont wanna talk to nobody once you start the game because it gets annoying, Westbrook said. Youve got to find a way to get through to people even if it is off the floor, timeouts, whatever it is, just find a way to help the team out. Cheap England Patriots Jerseys . Serves hit by her surgically repaired shoulder often missed the mark, resulting in 12 double-faults. Cheap Patriots Jerseys China .Kessy tried to show what he can do playing left wing for the Oilers in 5-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday in pre-season action.SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Spurs didnt dwell on nearly blowing a 24-point lead in the second half. They won, and thats all that mattered to the veteran club. Tim Duncan had 29 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, and San Antonio overcame a fourth-quarter collapse to beat the Denver Nuggets 108-103 Wednesday night for its 15th straight victory. Tiago Splitter, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili had 10 points apiece for the Spurs (55-16), who have the leagues best record. "They made it competitive," Parker said. "They played with a lot of energy. We missed a lot of little stuff; easy layups that we always make and they got back in the game. It happens sometimes. Were not going to beat everybody by 20." It just seemed like they were after overwhelming the Nuggets in the first half. Danny Greens 3-pointer at the buzzer was his fifth of the half, giving San Antonio its largest lead of opening 24 minutes at 63-43. Green scored 16 points, all in the first half, before leaving with a foot injury early in the second. His status is unknown, but he wore a walking boot as a precaution after the game and will have an MRI on Thursday morning. "All of a sudden he couldnt walk," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "The bottom of the foot, there is something. They are going to X-ray it. I am just guessing it is plantar fasciitis or something like that." San Antonio had 19 assists while going 24 for 42 from the field and forcing nine turnovers in the first half. "We were getting embarrassed in the first half," Denver forward Darrell Arthur said. "I was upset. I had words with some of the guys in the locker room." Aaron Brooks scored 25 points and Kenneth Faried had 24 points, including 15 points in a frenzied final quarter for the Nuggets. Denver went on a 34-20 run in the final 11 minutes. "We played a good half, we played a bad half," Popovich said. "The NBA is a 48-minute game and youve got to keep playing." After leading by as many as 24 points and by 20 midway through the third quarter, San Antonio needed Duncans late heroics to preserve its win streak. Cheap Patriots Jerseys. Duncan scored all but one of the Spurs final 11 points, capping his performance with an off-balance jumper off the glass for a 107-99 lead with 30 seconds remaining. The heavily contested shot sealed the win and led Nuggets coach Brian Shaw to turn and smile at Popovich, who shook his head as well. "(Duncan) played a great all-around game," Popovich said. "Probably nobody noticed, but it was assists, boards, scoring — he was the guy that kept it together." Duncan finished the game 12 for 20, including going 4 for 5 in the final five minutes on a series of layups and jumpers. It seemed like it was going to be an early night for Duncan and San Antonios veterans after the team rolled to a sizeable early lead. The Nuggets opened at a frenetic pace and the Spurs were more than willing to play along. The teams combined for 24 shots in the opening six minutes. Green and Kawhi Leonard benefited the most from the fast start, going a combined 4 for 5 on 3-pointers. Leonard got the Spurs started by swatting Farieds jumper from behind off the opening tip and then hitting a 3-pointer and 19-footer to give San Antonio a 7-4 lead. Green then hit three consecutive 3-pointers to extend the advantage to 16-10 with 8 minutes remaining in the first quarter. Green ended the run by draining a closely contested 3 on Randy Foye after screaming for the ball as Duncan brought it up court off a rebound. "We fell asleep," Brooks said. "They got a lot of backdoors in the first half. We fell asleep on a lot of plays and allowed them to run their offence, and I think in the second half we pressured a little bit more." NOTES: Spurs F Austin Daye has become an overnight fan favourite, receiving an ovation second only to Ginobilis upon entering with 29.5 seconds remaining in the first quarter. After averaging just 2.3 minutes in four games since being acquired from Toronto, Daye scored a game-high 22 points in 29 minutes in a 113-91 victory over Philadelphia on Monday. ... Spurs F Matt Bonner (right calf strain) missed his second straight game and his ninth due to injury this season. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
PARIS - You can excuse Canadas Milos Raonic for keeping his emotions in check Friday after arguably the biggest win of his tennis career. Adoree Jackson Youth Jersey .The young Canadian finally broke through against one of the so-called Big Three of mens tennis, knocking off second-ranked Roger Federer 7-6 (5), 7-5 in quarter-final play at the Paris Masters on Friday.Raonic pumped his fist after the final point but otherwise kept his excitement level to a minimum. The victory over the Swiss star was a great accomplishment, but Raonic wants to keep focused on the big picture of succeeding in Paris and qualifying for the ATP Finals — which he achieved thanks to Kei Nishikoris win over David Ferrer later Friday.Nishikoris 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory sealed the field for the Nov. 9-16 tournament at the O2, where he and Raonic will be playing for the first time.It would have to be up there definitely at this stage of my career, Raonic said when asked if the victory over Federer was his biggest. Its all very good, but knowing everything thats on the line this week, there is some humility (to the win).There is a lot more — Ive got to keep going and finding a way to win.It was the first win in 15 career tries for Raonic against either Federer (now 1-6), top-ranked Novak Djokovic (0-3) or third-ranked Rafael Nadal (0-5).Raonic will next face Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, who qualified for the season-ending event in London with a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 win over South African Kevin Anderson.Raonic finished with 21 aces, 45 winners and 21 unforced errors. It was the first time he had taken a set off Federer since 2012 in Halle, Germany.Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, defeated Raonic in the semifinals at Cincinnati and Wimbledon earlier this season. Raonic has a 2-1 career record against Berdych, but the Czech knocked him out a year ago in Paris in the third round.Raonics confidence has been building since he recovered from a virus earlier this month. He feels his game is starting to click again.Im very motivated, Ive been trying to find this level and fortunately Ive been able to do so this week, he said. Ive definitely struggled the last few weeks. If it wasnt me having the kind of motivation to need and to want to do well here, I dont think Id have found the answers that I have this week. Jonnu Smith Jersey . Louis Blues were workmanlike, methodical and -- most of all -- effective on Monday night. Adoree Jackson Titans Jersey .S.-Cuba relations means baseball prospects get off the island and into the major leagues without payoffs to smugglers and threats from kidnappers, its hard to see the downside.The Edmonton Oilers announced on Tuesday that the club has hired Tyler Dellow to consult with Hockey Operations. Dellow is a well-known hockey blogger and pioneer in hockey analytics who generates discussion on all aspects of the game on the Twitter handle @mc79hockey. His websitee at mc79hockey. Jonnu Smith Youth Jersey. com went dark on Monday night - presumably in anticipation of the announcement. The hiring comes two weeks after the Toronto Maple Leafs hired 28-year-old Kyle Dubas, who also embraces advanced statistics, as the teams new assistant GM.Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
LOS ANGELES -- Share and share alike. Ethan Pocic Youth Jersey . That appears to be the Los Angeles Clippers mantra now that theyll be facing extended time without All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Darren Collison scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half and had seven assists in his second start at the point since Pauls injury, leading the Clippers to a 101-81 rout of the Orlando Magic on Monday night. "You cant replace Chris Paul. Hes a great player in this league. Im just going to play my game and do what I do best," Collison said. "If I go out there and make a mistake, then I make a mistake. But the one thing you can always count on is that Im always going to play hard and try to help my team. When youre aggressive, then you start to see the openings for your teammates and get them the ball." Paul, who separated his right shoulder in Fridays win at Dallas and is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks, sat behind the Clippers bench in a suit and tie while Collison unselfishly orchestrated things without a hitch against the last-place team in the Southeast Division. "I think the biggest change D.C. made today was that there were three or four times where he could have shot the ball and instead gave it to one of his teammates," coach Doc Rivers said. "When a point guard gives up shots that he could take, its almost like the other guys want to pay it back and get it back to him. Blake did it several times tonight, and Jamal did it a couple of times. So that was good to see." The Clippers enjoyed one of their best defensive efforts of the season, after surrendering 70 first-half points in each of their previous two games against Dallas and San Antonio -- both on the road. "You couldnt really ask for a better game from a lot of guys tonight," Blake Griffin said. "I mean, guys were hitting shots, guys were defending, guys were getting steals, we were running people off the 3-point line -- we did all the things that we wanted to do. And thats always encouraging. Its good to have a game like that after having such a poor first half in San Antonio." Crawford chipped in with 13 points and eight of the teams 30 assists. Griffin -- bogged down by early foul trouble -- had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. DeAndre Jordan had 17 rebounds and 14 points. "I thought our ball movement was excellent," Collison said. "Without a guy like Chris Paul, I think we tend to take the pressure off ourselves when everybodys moving the ball like that. I thought we played phenomenal, as far as the offensive end and how we moved the ball. But I think the biggest reason we had so many good attempts at the opposite end was because of our defence. We really locked down." Reserves Maurice Harkless and Victor Oladipo each scored 22 points for the Magic, who have lost four straight and 11 of their last 15 games. Centre Nikola Vucevic, who had 30 points and 21 rebounds against the Clippers in Orlandos 98-90 home loss on Nov. 6, had just two points and eight boards in 20 minutes after missing the previous two games because of sprained left ankle. He left the game after fouling Griffin near the Clippers basket and taking a hard spill with 8:18 left in the third quarter. "He had a pretty bad fall," coach Jacque Vaughn said. "Hes already been diagnosed with a concussion, so hell enter the concussion protocol and Ill leave it in the hands of the doctors now." Rivers had all of his starters on the bench at the beginning of the fourth quarter with an 85-55 lead, but he had to put them all back in after Jason Maxiells dunk capped a 16-2 run that narrowed the gap to 87-71 with 7:01 remaining. Griffin had two fouls in the first 4:05 of the game and went to the bench after the Clippers opened the game with a 12-3 run. But Jordan extended the margin to 20-3 less than 2 1-2 minutes later with a demonstrative slam dunk, after Crawford set up an alley-oop dunk by Jordan and a 22-footer by Collison. NOTES: Paul, a six-time All-Star, is averaging 18.5 points and 9.8 assists during his three seasons with the Clippers. Since he joined them, they are 11-10 when he doesnt play and 109-55 when he does. ... Vucevic missed five games last March because of a concussion after starting each of Orlandos first 68 contests. ... The Magic made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons when Rivers coached them, but they lost in the first round each time. ... No Orlando player has scored more than 26 points in any of the last 16 games since Afflalos 43-point effort in double overtime in a one-point loss to Philadelphia on Nov. 27. ... Orlando had won 11 of its previous 13 meetings with the Clippers. Delano Hill Youth Jersey . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. Shaquill Griffin Youth Jersey . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. WICHITA, Kan. -- Evansville coach Marty Simmons watched his young team race out to a big early lead on No. 4 Wichita State. Then he saw the Shockers slap on the press and come roaring right back. Its something theyve done to plenty of teams this season. D.J. Balentine had 26 points in another strong performance, but the Purple Aces were unable to hold onto an early 15-point lead and lost 81-67 at raucous Koch Arena on Saturday. "Its about the process. Its about the possession. You start thinking like that," Simmons said, when asked about getting comfortable with the big lead, "bad things are going to happen." They certainly happened quickly. Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker scored 14 points apiece for undefeated Wichita State. The Shockers comeback began when Baker scored with 8:12 remaining in the first half, starting a 27-4 run spanning halftime and turning a 15-point deficit into a 41-33 lead. The charge was fueled by a three-quarter-court pressure that forced Evansville into several turnovers, the only time that a team starting two freshmen and three sophomores looked shaky. "When theyre making their run, its like pouring gasoline on the fire," Simmons said with a shake of his head. "Thats something we have to learn from." It didnt help that the Purple Aces were mired in foul trouble. Duane Gibson and fellow guard Adam Wing each had three fouls by halftime, and four others had two fouls apiece. That included Balentine, who sat on the bench for the final couple of minutes so that he wouldnt be tempted into picking up his own third foul. The Purple Aces hung around until the midway point of the second half, when Evan Wessels basket began a run of seven straight points that gave the Shockers a 70-52 lead. Wichita State never allowed the Purple Aces (10-13, 3-7) to get close the final 8 minutes, avengiing two frustrating losses to them a year ago. Amara Darboh Womens Jersey. "The way they started, I said, Oh boy, here we go again," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. "But we finally got stops. They missed a couple and we got out in transition." The Shockers (23-0, 10-0) rallied from a 19-point deficit to defeat Missouri State earlier this season, and have often found themselves suffering through long stretches of poor play only to come out unscathed by the final buzzer. So is there a deficit too big to overcome? "Lets just hope we dont find out," Marshall said. "Im sure there is, at this point not so far, but lets just hope we dont find out anytime soon." Balentine, who was coming off a 43-point performance against Northern Iowa, finished 11 of 21 from the field. But he didnt get a whole lot of help from his teammates, who struggled against the length and athleticism of the Shockers forwards. "They play so hard and theyre so active and they have so many good pieces," Simmons said. "They change things up and they keep you off balance." Cleanthony Early added 13 points and Tekele Cotton had 12 for the Shockers, who havent lost since last years surprising run to the Final Four, and now face the toughest two-game stretch standing between them and an unbeaten regular season. First up is Indiana State on Wednesday night, followed by a trip to Northern Iowa -- the two closest teams to the Shockers in the Missouri Valley standings. Incidentally, the only Valley school with a better start than the Shockers was the Indiana State team led by Larry Bird, which won its first 33 games before losing an iconic NCAA title game to Magic Johnson and Michigan State on March 26, 1979. "Its something a lot of people have talked about," Baker said. "Were excited about it." Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
Most diminutive players are forced to take the long road to NHL arenas, if they get there at all. Marcus Williams Saints Jersey . The Habs Brendan Gallagher waited until the fifth round to hear his name called at the 2010 draft. Teammate David Desharnais never heard his name called and needed to ply his trade in the ECHL before the Habs took notice and signed him as a free agent. Mike Weaver was similarly undrafted. Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec went in the third round of their respective drafts. St. Louis was passed over by midget teams, ironically, ignored by the QMJHL, undrafted, signed by the Flames but later bought out after being exposed and unselected during the 2000 expansion draft, signed by Tampa Bay, and then became a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer, Stanley Cup winner, and Olympic gold medalist. But too small to play in this mans NHL, for sure.(h/tNational Post)If smaller skaters are in tough against the closed-mindedness of hockeys front offices, then life is near impossible for wee goalies. If the hockey community had its way, Dustin Tokarski would be working the take-out window at a Tim Hortons in Saskatchewan. At 511, he is everything the scouts are not looking for in a goalie. He is not the prototype. He is not Carey Price. Tampa Bay scout Charlie Hodge (himself a small, 56, NHL goaltender who accomplished nothing in the league with his limited stature other than six Stanley Cups and two Vezinas) had to beg the Lightning to draft Tokarski in the fifth round. And while, despite Montreal folklores contention, the legend of Tokarski is still being written, his play in the Eastern Conference Final is argument for a less structured approach to the game in both drafting and roster building.In a league that clings desperately to intangibles like "grit", "sandpaper", and "hockey sense", its laughable that they ignore these very qualities in players simply because they couldnt look Chris Pronger in the eye if standing on a barstool. And perhaps its the fact that they are ignored that makes them the players they are, products of adversity. More likely its a lack of ambition and creativity in front offices, which denies ambitious and creative players the opportunity to play in the league, and to better the game.The argument in favour of a broader notion of what makes an NHLer is on the ice this postseason, and in particular in the Rangers-Habs series and their respective runs to the Conference Final. Desharnais has been arguably Montreals best forward, if not their most consistent. Gallagher is proving that strength comes from within, and not gigantism. Tokarski has gone from relative obscurity to revelation. Weaver is more adept at blocking shots than Peter Budaj. Sixth-rounder Hagelin is proving to be perhaps the fastest skater in the league. Zucarello, affectionately nicknamed the Hobbit, is a force with his speed and creativity. And the grandfather of them all, St. Louis, is authoring a tale for the ages, the kind of postseason story that makes the playoffs so compelling.(h/t 5 Minutes For Fighting)Maurice Richard, Bobby Hull and son Brett were 510. Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr were measured at 6, but they were wearing their shoes. Guy Lafleur was also listed at 6, but at least two of those inches were hair. At some point during the 90s, when scouting staffs inflated and Eric Lindros arrived, the NHL experienced a sea change in philosophy. They became infatuated with size and believed they could manufacture skill and scoring through systems. The result was lower scoring, issues with concussions, and endless tinkering with rules in order to create the very scoring that they themselves had diluted. In witnessing one of the most entertaining and compelling postseasons in recent memory, one hopes that the NHL can again changes its ways, and value skill no matter what size the package it comes in. Marcus Williams Womens Jersey . The stakes were higher, the competition more fierce and the atmosphere was that of a playoff game - something the young, upstart Raptors have five weeks to better prepare themselves for or the result will be eerily similar. Marshon Lattimore Saints Jersey . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.Luca Congi is no longer a Hamilton Tiger-Cat. The team announced on Thursday that it had agreed to the players request for a release. "Wed like to thank Luca for his contributions to our team on the field and in our community," said Ti-Cats head coach and general manager Kent Austin in a release. "He was a true professional throughout hiis time in Hamilton and we wish him the best in the future. Alvin Kamara Womens Jersey. ." Congi spent the last two seasons in Hamilton where he went 67 for 91 in field goal attempts. Prior to that, the 30-year-old native of Waterloo, Ontario spent six seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Simon Fraser product was a CFL East All-Star in 2012. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
VANCOUVER - Jordon Cooke stopped 22 shots as the Kelowna Rockets extended their win streak by downing the host Vancouver Giants 4-2 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Cheap Raiders Jerseys Authentic . Cooke improved his season record to 22-1-2 as Kelowna earned its 14th straight victory. Tyson Baillie had a goal and an assist for the Rockets (30-3-2) while Cole Linaker, Colton Heffley and Madison Bowey each scored once. Jackson Houck and Anthony Ast scored for the Giants (17-14-7) as Jared Rathjen turned away 28-of-32 shots in a losing cause. Kelowna went 3 for 6 on the power play while Vancouver failed to score on four chances with the man advantage. Giants defenceman Shaun Dosanjh was given a game misconduct in the third period for an illegal check to the head. --- BRONCOS 4 WARRIORS 1 MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Landon Bow made 35 saves, including 15 in the third period, as Swift Current downed the Warriors. Brett Lernout, Colby Cave, Jake DeBrusk and Zac Mackay scored for the Broncos (21-13-6) and Andrew Johnson chipped in with two assists. Bryson Gore scored the lone goal for Moose Jaw (11-22-6), which is 3-6-1 in its last 10 games. Justin Paulic turned away 22-of-26 shots for the Warriors. --- PATS 8 WHEAT KINGS 4 REGINA — Chandler Stephenson had two goals and an assist and Boston Leier scored once and set up three more as the Pats doubled Brandon. Connor Gay had a goal and two assists for Regina (19-15-4), which halted a four-game slide, while Geordie Maguire, Carter Hansen, Adam Brooks and Dmitry Sinitsyn added a goal each. Tim McGauley scored twice for the Wheat Kings (19-15-3) and Ryley Lindgren and John Quenneville had the others. Dawson MacAuley made 22 saves for the Pats as Curtis Honey turned away 43-of-51 shots for Brandon. --- RAIDERS 4 BLADES 2 SASKATOON — Prince Albert opened up a four-goal lead en route to handing the Blades their 13th straight defeat. Gage Quinney, Darcy Zaharichuk, Jayden Hart and Ryan Coghlan supplied the offence for the Raiders (19-16-2). Nathan Burns and Graham Millar scored for Saskatoon (10-27-3), which hasnt won a game since Nov. 22 when it beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-2. Cole Cheveldave made 31 saves for Prince Albert while Alex Moodie turned aside 34-of-38 shots for the Blades. --- HITMEN 6 OIL KINGS 2 CALGARY — Elliott Peterson registered his first-career hat trick and Chris Driedger made 34 saves as the Hitmen toppled Edmonton. Chase Lang, Pavel Padakin and Jake Virtanen also scored for Calgary (23-8-5), which remains atop the Eastern Conference standings. Mads Eller and Brett Pollock registered goals for the Oil Kings (23-11-1) and Henrik Samuelsson assisted on both. Edmontons Tristan Jarry gave up five goals on 15 shots. --- TIGERS 4 HURRICANES 2 MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Kyle Becker and Chad Labelle each had a goal and an assist as the Tigers doubled up Lethbridge. Curtis Valk and Logan McVeigh also scored for Medicine Hat (22-12-3) while Blake Penner received a charging major and game misconduct 5:45 into the first period. Russell Maxwell and Brady Ramsay had a goal apiece for the Hurricanes (7-28-5), who failed to earn their third straight victory. Zac Robidoux made 21 saves for the Tigers. Lethbridges Teagan Sacher started in net but left the game less than six minutes into the first period. Corbin Boes took over and stopped 38-of-41 shots in relief. --- WINTERHAWKS 4 AMERICANS 1 PORTLAND, Ore. — Brendan Burke stopped 30 shots as the Winterhawks beat Tri-City to improve to 13-3-1 on home ice. Adam De Champlain and Dominic Turgeon each had a goal and an assist for Portland (25-8-4) while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Tyson Predinchuk added the others. The Americans (17-17-4) got their lone goal from Brian Williams. Eric Comrie started in net for Tri-City and allowed four goals on 26 shots before giving way to Evan Sarthou, who stopped all 12 shots he faced in 20 minutes of action. --- SILVERTIPS 4 THUNDERBIRDS 3 (OT) KENT, Wash. — Brayden Low scored 3:26 into extra time and Daniel Cotton made 39 saves as Everett edged Seattle. Carson Stadnyk had a pair of goals for the Silvertips (23-11-4) and Jujhar Khaira scored once. Branden Troock, Ryan Gropp and Roberts Lipsbergs scored for the Thunderbirds (22-10-5) and Shea Theodore chipped in with two assists. Seattles Danny Mumaugh stopped 37 shots in a losing cause. --- ICE 2 CHIEFS 1 SPOKANE, Wash. — Mackenzie Skapski turned away 36-of-37 shots as Kootenay halted the Chiefs four-game win streak. Levi Cable and Zach McPhee scored in the first period for the Ice (19-17-3), with McPhees coming by way of the man advantage. Dominic Zwerger responded in the second period for Spokane (22-13-2). Eric Williams made 20 saves for the Chiefs, who fell to 11-7-1 on home ice. --- ROYALS 5 COUGARS 2 VICTORIA — Brandon Magee scored once and set up two more as the Royals defeated Prince George. Austin Carroll and Axel Blomqvist each had a goal and an assist for Victoria (25-13-2) while Ben Walker and Jack Palmer scored a goal apiece. Todd Fiddler and Klarc Wilson scored for the Cougars (14-20-5) and Jordan Tkatch assisted on both of his clubs goals. Coleman Vollrath made 33 saves for the Royals. Prince Georges Ty Edmonds turned away 24-of-29 shots in defeat. --- Cheap Cordarrelle Patterson Jersey . The Blueshirts hope to stay alive once again when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sundays Game 6 battle at Madison Square Garden. Cheap Raiders Jerseys China . TSN 1290s coverage begins with Hustler & Lawless at 3pm. Rick Ralph hosts the Official Jets Pre-game Show at 5pm. VITORIA, Spain -- Former NBA star Lamar Odom has agreed to a short-term deal with Spanish basketball club Baskonia. The former Los Angeles Lakers forward has a two-month contract, the club said on Tuesday. Odom, an NBA free agent who hasnt played since finishing out last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, is filling a roster spot that opened up because of injury. Baskonia said the deal includes an option to extend the contract until the close of the season. Odom, 34 and a two-time NBA champion with the Lakers who has also played for the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, was expected in the Basque capital of Vitoria this week, and could make his debut on Saturday against Valladolid. "Were very happy to have signed a very important player who has had a long and fruitful career in the NBA," Baskonia president Josean Querejeta said in a statement. &qquot;Weve worked very hard over the last couple of days to make this happen, we felt we needed a boost and had to break the collective cloud that has been hanging over us over the last while so we could get back to winning. Wholesale Raiders Jerseys. " Baskonia was ninth in the 18-team Spanish league and last in its Euroleague group, with a match against fellow Spanish club Barcelona on Thursday. The 2.09-meter (6-foot-10) power forward averaged a career-low 4.0 points and 5.9 rebounds last season with the Clippers. Off-court distractions seemed to consume him after last season as he was arrested for drunken driving last summer before getting divorced from wife Khloe Kardashian, who he starred with in a reality television show, in December. 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MADRID, Spain -- Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Madrid Open with the same injury that limited his performance at the Monte Carlo Masters last month. Adrian Peterson Saints Jersey . The second-ranked Djokovic says "I did everything possible in order to play in Madrid ... but unfortunately my right arm injury has flared up again." Djokovic lost in the semifinals at Monte Carlo to Roger Federer. The Serb played with heavy strapping on his right wrist and was unable to serve or return to his usual level. The second-seeded Djokovic was set to play against either Martin Cilic or Joao Sousa. Djokovic says he will now work toward playing in his next tournament in Rome, which starts May 11. Marcus Williams Youth Jersey .Currently no, Tatjana Haenni, FIFAs deputy director of the competitions division and head of womens competitions, said Tuesday in an interview from Ottawa. Marshon Lattimore Youth Jersey . Murakami gracefully executed a double triple toe jump and a triple flip jump that put her at the top of a tightly contested race with 64.73 points, just ahead of Li Zijun of China on 62. SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Kyle Okposo scored the tying goal with 1:37 left in regulation and got the game-winner in the fourth round of a shootout to help the New York Islanders snap a 10-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. Thomas Vanek also scored in regulation and the shootout for the Islanders. Kevin Poulin made 46 saves and was outstanding early to keep the Islanders in the game until they broke through with two third-period goals. Then he stopped three of four attempts in the shootout despite appearing to injure himself on a pad save against Joe Pavelski in the first round. Patrick Marleau and Pavelski scored for the Sharks, who blew a 2-0 lead and have lost four straight. Antti Niemi made 26 saves. The Sharks seemed to be in control with a two-goal lead heading into the third, but the game changed after Vanek knocked in a rebound of John Tavares shot in the opening minute of the period. The Islanders controlled the play for much of the rest of the period before getting the equalizer shortly after pulling Poulin for an extra skater. Tavares cleanly won a faceoff from Pavelski, and Okposo fired a shot through a screen by Vanek that beat Niemi. The Islanders then snapped their skid in the shootout. New York had also lost 10 straight road games in regulation since beating Ottawa 5-4 in a shootout on Nov. 1. After being stopped on their first 23 shots by Poulin, the Sharks finally broke through early in the second when they got their fourth power plaay thanks to an after-the-whistle roughing penalty against Matt Carkner. Alvin Kamara Womens Jersey. San Jose made the Islanders pay right away for that lack of discipline when Marleau got a rebound in the circle and shot it under a diving Poulin to make it 1-0. The Sharks had converted three of their previous 42 chances on the power play. The Islanders, playing the back end of back-to-back games, got few chances and little luck. They finally got a power-play chance midway through the second period, but Vanek hit the post and the rebound skipped over Tavares stick. The Sharks added to the lead later in the period when Pavelski knocked a rebound of Dan Boyles shot into an empty net for his 10th goal to make it 2-0. The Sharks thoroughly dominated the opening period, outshooting the Islanders 18-3 and getting three power plays. They even had a two-man advantage after Eric Boulton and Travis Hamonic took consecutive delay-of-game penalties. Despite all that, they couldnt get a single puck past Poulin. He robbed Marleau with a blind pad save during a delayed penalty for his best save and made five stops on the three power plays to keep the game scoreless after one. NOTES: The 18 shots were the second-most for the Sharks in a scoreless first period, one behind the team record of 19 set Dec. 30, 2006, at Phoenix. ... Former Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov, sidelined with a groin injury, got a loud ovation when he was shown on the video board in his first trip back to San Jose as a visiting player. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '