INDIANAPOLIS -- Theres something about teams on a hot streak that makes the Indiana Pacers want to beat them. Dont expect to leave with momentum after playing in Indianapolis. "Its a different story when you come to play here," Paul George said. "Whatever youve done previously, when a team comes in hot, we make that commitment that its going to be tough to play here." George scored 31 points, making four 3-pointers, to lead the Pacers to a 116-92 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. David West had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Lance Stephenson added 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Pacers (30-7), who have won five of six. The victory clinched the Eastern Conference coaching spot for Frank Vogel, since the Pacers are guaranteed to have the best winning percentage in the conference through games of Feb. 2 with Miamis Erik Spoelstra ineligible after coaching last year. "My name is on the release, but this is recognition of our teams success," Vogel said. "Its a team honour and Im really excited about it." George was fouled driving to the basket with 8:36 remaining and converted the three-point play before Luis Scola made a free throw to cap off a 16-2 run in the fourth quarter. George sparked the big run for Indiana with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pacers an 86-74 lead at the end of the third quarter. The shot took away any hope the Kings (13-23) had left after Marcus Thornton made a 3 with seconds left to put Sacramento within nine. George then opened the fourth with another 3-pointer. "Throughout our whole locker room weve built that culture as were going to be dominant at home," George said. "And were working towards being that team on the road as well, but its just something about home that we just try to protect." The NBAs top defensive team had little trouble against a Sacramento team that scored over 100 points in 18 of the previous 19 games and held the Kings to under 100 points for the first time in 12 games. Sacramento coach Mike Malone said taking care of the ball played a big role. Indiana forced 15 turnovers and scored 22 points off the Kings mistakes. "To win on the road in the NBA against a great team, we cannot have the kind of turnovers we had," he said. "Theyre the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA for a reason." And despite breaking away with 19 third-quarter points, DeMarcus Cousins, who finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds, caused few problems for the Pacers. He scored 12 points in the first half, with just three defensive rebounds, before he scored nine of Sacramentos first 13 to open the second half. "He was really the only one to go off," Roy Hibbert said. "Everyone else was under their average, so Im happy about that." Rudy Gay, who finished with 12 points, was the only other player to reach double-figure scoring for the Kings, whose season-best, three-game winning streak was snapped. "I thought we reverted back to our old ways tonight," Gay said. "We have to do a better job of proving we are a changed team." Cousins picked up his third foul with 5:22 left in the third when Hibbert went up for a follow shot. Hibbert split from the line to give Indiana a 68-58 lead and Indiana kept just enough room. The Pacers host New York and the Los Angeles Clippers before making a trip to the West Coast for five games. Indiana didnt waste any time taking a lead on the Kings, opening the game on an 11-2 run. Hibbert converted a three-point play, George Hill made a layup and George dunked before Stephenson and West scored to give the Pacers the early lead with 8:27 remaining in the first quarter. Then the Kings scored eight straight. The Kings went on a late 7-2 run, but West scored to give the Pacers a 59-45 halftime lead. Notes: Vogel is 141-81 as Pacers coach. ... Thornton and Isaiah Thomas, Sacramentos starting guards, combined for one assist. Cheap Vapormax Mens .com) - The Boston Bruins announced Monday that the team has signed goaltender Niklas Svedberg to a one-year contract. Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit Black Anthracite . -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wanted to keep Logan Mankins with the team for a long time. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/ . -- Creighton apparently has Villanovas number. Cheap Vapormax 2019 . - Zac Leslie scored two goals and assisted on two more, and Justin Nichols made 34 saves as the Guelph Storm blanked the Kitchener Rangers 6-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday. Vapormax 3 Clearance . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday.BOSTON - Defending Olympic silver medallists Meryl Davis and Charlie White earned their sixth consecutive national ice dance title Saturday at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. They finished with 200.19 points for a cushion of almost 20 points over the second-place team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Their sixth national championship broke the record for ice dance set by Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. The reigning world champions gave an energetic and emotional routine dance "Sheherazade" by the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to win. Bates and Chock were second with 181.44 points. Siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani 170.44 were third. Earlier, Simon Shnapir and Marissa Castelli won the pairs championship. The championship ladies free skate was scheduled for later Saturday. The mens championship is on Sunday. The U.S. Olympic figure skating teams will be announced Sunday. The top three in dance and top two in pairs are expected — but not guaranteed — to get spots. After showing up to a mid-week news conference in a Boston Bruins T-shirt and ski cap, Shnapir turned to a Saville Row-style shirt and tie — accessorized by a gun holster — for a James Bond-themed routine with Castelli that earned them the pairs title. "I grabbed her hand and I said, Lets just stay out here for a second and enjoy this moment," Shnapir, of suburban Sudbury, said after the victory put them in position for a spot on the U.S. team for the Sochi Olympics. "Who knows if well ever have an opportunity like this again?" Skating to the music from Skyfall, Castelli and Shnapir totalled 205.71 points to protect the lead they built with the top performance Thursday in the short program. "Right now were just still in shock ourselves," said Castelli, of Cranston, R.I. "Were just trying to process everything." Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay finished second with 201.72 points. Caydee Denneyy and John Coughlin moved up to third, with 201.dddddddddddd43, after receiving the highest score in Saturdays free skate. "We didnt leave anything on the table. We skated just as hard and as passionate as we could," Bartholomay said. "Were both just completely on Cloud 9 right now. We are aware that second place is not locked in. But we gave it everything we had against some tremendous competition." Skating in front of their home crowd on the rink the Bruins call home, Shnapir tossed Castelli high into the air for a triple twist and then threw her into a high-point value quad salchow that she finished with a fall — their only major mistake of the routine. He also did a triple toe loop when she went around twice, costing them some points. They were shaken, but nor stirred. "We left some points on the table, but were really thrilled with the result here," Shnapir said, adding that they did not consider ditching the quad. "There really wasnt a decision. Wed been doing it all year. ... We dont make any changes last minute." When they finished at the centre of the rink where their hometown Bruins play, Shnapir struck the Bond pose: standing sideways with his hands up, ready to turn and fire. The crowd showered them with appreciation and the judges did the same, handing them scores of 132.58 for the free skate — the third best on the day, but good enough to protect their lead. Thats because they finished the short program more than six points ahead of the second-place Zhang and Bartholomay. The 2013 third-place finishers skated a clean program and earned 135.22 points to a mistake-free Les Miserable routine that brought the crowd to its feet. Denney and Coughlin, skating to Phantom of the Opera, earned the highest score of the day with 136.03. After years of narrow pairs fields, this years competition was deeper, with a half-dozen teams capable of reaching the podium at nationals. ' ' '

LOS ANGELES -- A.J. Ellis hasnt had many opportunities to drive in important runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season because of his two stints on the disabled list. But Ellis was in the batters box at the right time Saturday night. His bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth inning lifted the Dodgers 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres and increased his RBI total to seven. "Its great to be in those situations. Its something you always want to be a part of," Ellis said. "After the eighth inning, I looked up at the scoreboard. I saw where I was hitting and I said, You know, theres a chance something could happen in the ninth. "And I got in a position to be the guy who drives in the big run." Adrian Gonzalez greeted Kevin Quackenbush (1-2) with a leadoff double before Matt Kemp struck out and Andre Ethier was intentionally walked. Juan Uribe then worked out a seven-pitch walk that included two checked swings that were upheld on appeal by first base umpire Jim Wolf. Ellis then lifted a 1-2 pitch to right field after Padres manager Bud Black then employed a drawn-in five-man infield. "You cant even look at them," Ellis said. "One of the worst things you can do as a hitter is try to direct the ball. You just hit it where its pitched. In that situation, Im looking to get a ball in the outfield, anyway, so the infield is the least of my concerns. Im just looking for something up that I could hit to centre or right, and I was really happy to find a pitch up there." Kenley Jansen (1-3) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory, striking out cleanup hitter Yasmani Grandal with runners at first and second. The Dodgers win, coupled with San Franciscos loss, put the Dodgers back in front of the Giants by a full game in the NL West. Left-hander Paul Maholm, coming out of the bullpen to make a spot start for the injured Josh Beckett, threw 64 pitches through the first six innings -- using just nine in the first, third, fourth and sixth. "Unfortunately for Josh, he had to miss a start and go on the DL, so I had to step in," Maholm said. "Ive made it known to the front office that I want to start, and thats my gig. But I signed up for this. So whenever the call, they call -- whether its one hitter or a couple of innings, I just want to pitch." It was Maholms 250th career start, his eighth this season and first since May 14 against the Marlins, when he was charged with 10 runs -- five earned -- over 3 2-3 innings in a 13-3 loss at Dodger Stadium. The Padres only hits off him were singles in the fourth and seventh by Chase Headley, whose solo homer in Thursdays series opener ended Clayton Kershaws string of 41 consecutive scoreless innings. Maholm, who came in 1-6 with a 4.27 ERA in his eight previous career starts against San Diego, was lifted by manager Don Mattingly after Headleys leadoff hit. Brandon League finished the seventh after retiring Carlos Quentin on a double-play grounder to third with his second pitch. Ian Kennedy held the Dodgers to three hits over eight innings and struck out eight, after back-to-back victories over Cincinnati and Colorado. This was the third straight start in which he pitched at least six innings while allowing fewer than two earned runs, and the ninth overall under those circumstances. St. Louis Adam Wainwright leads the NL with 12 such outings. "Thats a really good lineup, but youve just got to navigate through it and execute pitches," Kennedy said. "Later on in the game, my curveball was better, sharper. It wasnt very good in the bullpen and I was bouncing it. But my fastball location was keeping me ahead of guys." Dodgers All-Star right fielder Yasiel Puig was ejected by umpire David Rackley after he took a called third strike to end the third inning. His only other ejection in the majors was on June 11, 2013 -- his ninth big league game -- after a bench-clearing incident that also involved Kennedy. NOTES: By virtue of Puigs ejection, Ethier and Kemp found themselves at the same positions they had for most of their careers before Puig came along. Ethier moved from centre to right, Kemp from left to centre, and Carl Crawford went in to play left. ... The Padres are taking advantage of the four-day All-Star break by optioning RHP Jesse Hahn (5-2, 2.21 ERA) to Triple-A El Paso after he pitched six innings of three-hit ball Friday night in his seventh big league start and beat the Dodgers 6-3. Manager Bud Black said the club will continue to keep a close eye on Hahns innings the rest of the season. ... INF Jace Peterson was recalled by the Padres to fill in for injured 1B Tommy Medica, who was removed from Thursdays game because of tightness in his groin and remains on the active roster. ... Kershaw shaved off his scraggly beard for Sunday nights trip to Minnesota and his fourth career All-Star game. Francisco Cervelli Braves Jersey . Bouchard went down to a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Svitolina in her opening match at the Sony Open on Friday. Bouchard got the rivalry going two years ago when she won the junior Wimbledon title over Svitolina. Babe Ruth Jersey . After a 10-game skid, winning sure feels good. Atlantas third error in the last two innings allowed Jackie Bradley Jr. https://www.cheapbraves.com/1083o-brian-mccann-jersey-braves.html . 9 Baylor Bears just needed some time to get on track in their first game after the Christmas break. Ronald Acuna Jr. Jersey . "I honestly dont know," he said. Try this: 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds by Rajon Rondo, a 62-37 rebounding advantage by the Celtics and a horrible 4-for-30 shooting performance on 3-pointers by the Nets. Hank Aaron Jersey . There, I saw a teenaged boy with tears in his eyes, being consoled by strength and conditioning coach Randy Lee.PRATTVILLE, Ala. - South Koreas Mi Jung Hur birdied four of the last eight holes Saturday for a 5-under 67 and a share of the lead with Paula Reto in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.Beginning of the round my putting wasnt that good, Hur said. But after turned the nine holes, my putting gets better and better, so I had a low score.Reto, the second-round leader, birdied three of the final five holes for a 70 to match Hur at 15-under 201 on Capitol Hills links-style Senator layout.I didnt start too well, said Reto, a former Purdue player from South Africa. I had a couple bogeys and a double there, but I kept patient and just focused on one shot at a time and it kind of helped me out toward the end of the round.Hur won her lone LPGA Tour title in 2009, and Reto is winless in her rookie season.Top-ranked Stacy Lewis and Kris Tamulis were tied for third at 11 under. Lewis, the 2012 winner in the event dropped from the schedule last year after losing its title sponsor, had a 70.For the way I played, the score ended up pretty good, said Lewis, the tour leader with three victories this year. I didnt play well. It was kind of a struggle all day and just had to work pretty hard to shoot what I did. But Im stilll within striking distance, still have a chance for tomorrow, which that was the goal going into the week.ddddddddddddTamulis shot 65, the best round of the day.I wasnt really trying to chase anybody, Tamulis said. Didnt have a great middle of my round yesterday, so I was just going out there. I had some really good numbers today and was able to just kind of go for it.Reto rebounded from her double bogey on the par-3 seventh with birdies on the next two holes.I wasnt kind of where I wanted to be with my mental and stuff, said Reto, who started playing golf at 16 in 2005 when she moved to Florida with her family So, I just took a couple seconds to myself just to rethink everything, just kind of stayed in there.They will play in the same group again Sunday.Im just going to focus on each shot and I will do my best for tomorrow, Hur said. Play with Paula will be fun, not much pressure. I mean, she made me so comfortable.Reto is in position to win after missing 11 cuts in 18 starts this year.It would be really cool. That would put the cherry on the cake, said Reto, coming off a ninth-place tie in Portland, Oregon. But Im not going to think about it. Im just going to have fun and stuff. ' ' '

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Texas Rangers needed a reason to feel good about themselves on getaway day before starting a pivotal six-game homestand that includes a series against the team theyre fighting for the AL West title. They got it from a bullpen that ate up 5 2-3 innings and prevented a three-game sweep by the Los Angeles Angels, a team they will face in a four-game series that wraps up the regular season schedule. Alex Rios homered in the first and drove in the go-ahead run with a bloop double in the seventh, Elvis Andrus also had two RBIs, and the Rangers hung on for a 4-3 victory Sunday. They remained 1 1-2 games out of first place, as Oakland beat Houston 7-2 to complete a three-game sweep. "It was a very big win. We needed it bad," manager Ron Washington said. "They took the lead, but we didnt give in. We just kept fighting and were able to make some good things happen. Its only one win, but it was huge." Angels rookie Buddy Boshers walked Leonys Martin with one out in the seventh and Ian Kinsler greeted Michael Kohn (1-2) with a ground-rule double into the left field corner. Andrus followed with a looper into right-centre and was robbed of a hit on a diving catch by right fielder Kole Calhoun, but Martin scored the tying run on the sacrifice fly. "Youve got to find a way to win games, and sometimes its going to be with bloopers," Andrus said. "It was a tremendous play by Martin, to be able to read that flyball and the fielder at the same time and then tag up." Centre fielder Mike Trout then attempted a diving catch on another Texas leaguer by Rios in left-centre, but missed it as Kinsler scored. "You could call it a break," Washington said. "Sometimes in a game, you need breaks. But you make your breaks by making contact. And when you make contact, things can happen." Alexi Ogando (6-4) got the victory with 1 1-3 scoreless innings. Neal Cotts gave up a leadoff double in the eighth to Calhoun, who advanced on Mark Trumbos groundout and was stranded when Tanner Scheppers struck out Hank Conger with the infield in and retired Grant Green on a flyball to centre. "Trumbo hits the ball to the right side to get the runner to third, and Im sitting there and saying: We need a strikeout here," Washington said. "We got the strikeout, then he made Green put the ball in play and we got a line drive to Martin. There was the good inning right there, and we certainly needed that." Joe Nathan, the seventh Rangers pitcher, got three outs in the ninth for his 39th save in 41 attempts and helped them avoid what would have been the Angels first three-game sweep against them since September 2009. "Fortunately weve got 12 or 13 guys out there in the pen, so weve got plenty of arms to stretch it out," Nathan said. "We feel confident in all of those guys -- not just to bring them out in the fourth and fifth inning, but to come in late in the game in tight situations. We love when our starters go deep -- but when this is what we need to do on a given day, were more than glad to do that. Weve got guys with experience who know how to throw the baseball." Rangers rookie Nick Tepesch was charged with two runs and four hits in 3 1-3 innings and struck out five in his first start off the disabled list, after pitching 3 1-3 innings out of the bullpen at Oakland last Monday in his first relief outing in the big leagues. The 24-year-old right-hander was winless in eight consecutive starts before beating Houston on July 5, then was sidelined with inflammation in his elbow. Tepesch was lifted after 63 pitches with a runner at first and the score tied 1-all. Trumbo was held at third on Congers double to left field, and subsequently erased in a rundown on Greens fielders choice grounder to third baseman Adrian Beltre. But No. 9 hitter Andrew Romine lined the next pitch down the left field line for a two-run double that put the Angels ahead 3-1. The Rangers got one of the runs back in the fifth on an Andrus RBI single against Jason Vargas, who allowed two runs and six hits over six innings and struck out eight. Rios, the third batter Vargas faced, homered to left-centre for his 16th this season and fourth against the Halos. Kole Calhoun tied it with his sixth of the season leading off the second. "You never know where numbers are going to end up for a young player, but theres absolutely no doubt that he has the ability to drive the ball," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Hes a strong little guy. What his numbers will end up being, thats just going to be a function of him just continuing to put good swings on the ball." NOTES: Rangers opening day starter Matt Harrison, whose season ended after his second outing on April 6 because of back problems that required surgery twice in a span of nine days to repair a herniated disc, is scheduled to undergo Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery on his right side in Dallas on Monday. Harrison missed the final three months of the 2009 campaign because of the same ailment, then won 18 games last season to tie Kenny Rogers 2004 club record for left-handers. ... Andrus stole his 36th and 37th bases, tying his career best from 2011. Robinson Cano Jersey . has left the San Jose Sharks to become the Boston Bruins director of player personnel. Jamie Moyer Mariners Jersey . Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion. https://www.cheapmariners.com/2345k-dave-valle-jersey-mariners.html . - The Denver Broncos kept rookie wide receiver Tavarres King from joining the Green Bay Packers by promoting him to their active roster Tuesday. Taylor Guilbeau Mariners Jersey . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it. Ichiro Suzuki Jersey . The England international had both goals in TFCs season-opening 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.Malky Mackay says he wants to speak to Celtic about succeeding Ronny Deila as manager. Mackay, 44, was sacked by Wigan a year ago and has put himself forward after it was announced this week that Deila would be leaving Celtic Park in the summer.Former Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad boss David Moyes is the Sky Bet favourite to take over and both he and former Celtic manager Neil Lennon told Sky Sports this week that they were interested in the role. But former Celtic defender Mackay told Sky Sports News HQ on Friday: If Celtic wanted to talk to me, Id certainly be keen to do that.I think the next five-year period at Celtic is a crucial one. I think a record 10 titles in a row is achievable and a strong focus should be there.But for that to happen, I think there is a detailed and strategic plan needed going forward. I think I could help with that and bring a fresh approach. Moyes says he will wait until the summer to make a decision on the Celtic job Ive got an understanding of the club and an ability for that to happen.dddddddddddd.Mackay began his managerial career at Watford, keeping them in the Championship in 2010-11 before joining Cardiff, who he got promoted to the Premier League as second-tier champions in 2012-13.But he was sacked in December 2013 after falling out with owner Vincent Tan over his and sporting director Iain Moodys transfer policy and became the subject of an FA investigation over accusations of racist, sexist and homophobic text messages.The FA did not charge Mackay, who admitted the content of the messages was disrespectful of other cultures, but he missed out on the Crystal Palace managers job in the same period, where Moody had been working and later resigned.Mackay took over at Wigan in 2014 but, during his 138-day tenure, Wigan achieved 19 points from a possible 72, winning just five games out of 24 in the Championship. Also See: Griffiths targets Deila send-off Celtic v Ross County preview Evans: Leeds before Celtic Moyes: No rush for Celtic job ' ' '

The New York Islanders snapped a five-year playoff drought in 2012-2013, which raised franchise expectations, leading to disappointment last season when the Islanders fell out of playoff contention. Off-Season Game Plan looks at an Islanders team that has accumulated some young talent, yet has a difficult decision to make. When the rest of the Metropolitan Division got off to a mediocre start, the Islanders sensed opportunity and made a trade to acquire Thomas Vanek from the Buffalo Sabres. It was an aggressive move, but potentially costly because, not only was Vanek moved again when the Islanders were out of contention, but the Islanders also owe the Sabres a first-round pick in either 2014 or 2015. Considering the potential franchise players (Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid) at the top of the 2015 Draft, there could be temptation to keep that pick, surrendering the fifth overall pick in this years draft. The natural leap there, however, is that the Islanders organization would be making a choice with the expectation that next seasons pick would have more value than this years pick and the fifth overall pick seems pretty valuable. If we listen to what Garth Snow told season-ticket holders, the expectation is that the Isles will make the pick this year. Another consideration for the franchise is that there have been talks to sell the club and a change in ownership can always be a factor in a teams front office decisions. In most cases, that tends to lead to more aggressive decisions, as new owners want to put their stamp on the team, but that may take some time before its going to a) happen at all and b) make a difference in the teams management. Aside from those factors, there should be some urgency for the Islanders to take advantage of John Tavares best years. Tavares will be 24-years-old by the time next season begins and its high time that the Islanders provided him with the supporting cast necessary to be a playoff team. That doesnt mean a total face-lift, but it means upgrading their goaltending (a recent trade for Jaroslav Halaks rights is a step in that direction), finding Tavares a new left winger and, if theyre really feeling ambitious, perhaps bringing in a veteran defenceman to handle top-four minutes. In past years there has been more of a defeatist sense with the Islanders, who have made the playoffs once since 2007, but its not quite that way this year. There is talent, both on the roster and on the way, and some optimism with the franchises upcoming move to Brooklyn. For that optimism to hold, however, the Islanders could use a productive summer of roster improvement. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACHGarth Snow/Jack Capuano Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit John Tavares 79.81 59 24 42 66 49.7% $5.5M Kyle Okposo 77.58 71 27 42 69 50.0% $2.8M Frans Nielsen 73.13 80 25 33 58 50.7% $2.75M Ryan Strome 67.03 37 7 11 18 52.0% $863K Michael Grabner 66.65 64 12 14 26 50.8% $3.0M Josh Bailey 65.88 77 8 30 38 52.4% $3.3M Brock Nelson 64.96 72 14 12 26 53.2% $900K Cal Clutterbuck 63.47 73 12 7 19 48.8% $2.75M Colin McDonald 61.18 70 8 10 18 47.2% $638K Matt Martin 59.65 79 8 6 14 44.9% $1.0M Eric Boulton 56.82 23 2 2 4 36.8% $650K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Casey Cizikas 58.74 80 6 10 16 43.9% RFA $793K John Tavares is one of the games premier offensive players, ranking fourth in points per game (1.03) over the past three seasons. He suffered a knee injury at the Olympics, ending his year early, and his point production was driven more by high-percentage shooting than in years past, but hes hitting his prime years, so the Isles need to find him a left winger and figure out how to surround him with a supporting cast that can make the most of his talents. When the Islanders opened the 2013-2014 season, Kyle Okposo was coming off a season in which he scored four goals in 48 games and was facing competition from free agent addition Pierre-Marc Bouchard to fill the departed Brad Boyes spot at right wing on the top line. Fast forward to the end of the season and Okposo finished as the Isles leading scorer, even putting up 10 points in 12 games without Tavares before suffering his own lower-body injury. After handling a first-line scorers role and putting up his career-best season, expectations will be much higher for Okposo next year. One of the reasons that the Islanders are free to turn Tavares loose offensively is that Frans Nielsen plays such a reliable two-way game. Nielsen scored a career-high 58 points last season and put up positive possession numbers despite facing the toughest assignments and starting more of his shifts in the defensive zone. Was underrated and underpaid for years, now seems to be known and acknowledged enough to merely be underpaid. Highly-touted prospect Ryan Strome split his first pro season between the AHL (where he had 13 goals and 49 points in 37 games for Bridgeport) and the NHL, where his point production was mediocre, but his possession stats were excellent -- a sign of potentially good things to come. Stromes emergence as an offensive threat will help ease the pressure on Tavares and give the Islanders the scoring depth they need to be a legit playoff team. Few, if any, can get around the ice as quickly as Michael Grabner, who seems to create breakaways with ease, yet he didnt finish at a particularly high rate last season and hes never been much of a playmaker, so he hasnt been able to duplicate his 32-goal, 52-point rookie season of 2010-2011. It would be great if Grabner was a 30-goal scorer, but a consistent 20-plus would be okay too. It hasnt been the smoothest path for Josh Bailey, since being drafted ninth overall in 2008, yet there are three forwards from that draft (Steven Stamkos, Jordna Eberle, Derek Stepan) to record more than his 177 points since. He managed just eight goals last season, yet still hit for a career-best 38 points. It still seems as though there is room for him to have more favourable percentages that will lead to an offensive breakthrough, but only if he can consistently generate shots like he did during the 2012-2013 lockout season. 22-year-old Brock Nelson didnt get a lot of publicity, but had a strong rookie campaign nevertheless, delivering excellent relative possession numbers, and earning more ice time as the season progressed. As he matures, Nelson could be a fine complementary scorer and two-way forward; its a matter of finding the right spot for him. Its going to be difficult for Cal Clutterbuck to live up to his end of the Nino Niederreiter trade, but thats not Clutterbucks fault. Hes not a high-end skill player, but hits a lot, scores a little (a dozen or more goals in four of the past five seasons) and can be a useful bottom-six winger. Colin McDonald didnt stick in the NHL as a regular until he was 28-years-old, but hes held a regular spot in the lineup for the past couple seasons. McDonald is an inexpensive fourth-line option, but doesnt warrant a bigger role if the Islanders are going to be a playoff team. A tough guy who has scrapped 45 times over the past four seasons, Matt Martin has struggled to put up decent possession numbers, which makes it tough to justify his ice time, but its remained a constant, in the 11-12 minute range per game in four-plus NHL seasons. Martin has accrued a league-best 1266 hits over the past four seasons, leading the league in each of the past three. Veteran enforcer Eric Boulton is way overmatchedat the non-pugilistic part of the game, which does justify how little he plays for the Islanders, dressing for 38 of 127 games over the past two seasons. With Martin and Clutterbuck already providing a physical element, there doesnt seem to be as much need for Boultons presence. Casey Cizikas is a 23-year-old centre with good speed, and a physical game, but hes also struggled in possession terms. It may be a function of his linemates (most frequently, Martin and McDonald), but if Cizikas is going to rise up the depth chart at some point, then hell need to improve that aspect of the game. A lot of the improvement up front for the Islanders can come from young players like Strome, Bailey, Nelson and prospect Anders Lee, who showed well late in the season, but there is also an opening on Tavares left wing that needs to be filled, a spot that has been held by Thomas Vanek and Matt Moulson in recent years. Free agents Mike Cammalleri, Jussi Jokinen or Marian Gaborik might be a worthy addition and allow the complementary young forwards to develop at a more reasonable pace. However, if a veteran isnt signed up front, some combination of Bailey, Nelson and Anders Lee could be adequate down the left side. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Lubomir Visnovsky 69.22 24 3 8 11 54.1% $4.75M Travis Hamonic 65.19 69 3 15 18 50.2% $3.857M Thomas Hickey 64.09 82 4 18 22 50.6% $675K Brian Strait 60.70 47 3 6 9 44.3% $775K Matt Carkner 56.58 53 0 3 3 49.5% $1.5M Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Calvin de Haan 67.19 51 3 13 16 52.2% RFA $870K Matt Donovan 65.59 52 2 14 16 53.8% RFA $875K Radek Martinek 60.30 13 0 3 3 52.1% UFA $600K A 37-year-old defenceman who missed 58 games due to concussions last season, Lubomir Visnovsky may nonetheless be an important part of the Islanders blueline next season, if hes healthy. Hes always been a really good puck-moving defenceman who turns in sensational relative possession numbers. He hasnt gained much ground offensively, since scoring 26 points in 62 games as a rookie, but Travis Hamonic is a beast on the blueline, facing tough assignments and logging more than 25 minutes per game last season. Hes the cornerstone of this group and at a bargain price. A funny thing happened on the way to Thomas Hickey being a massive bust, taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 Draft. Since landing with the Islanders, Hickey has been a positive possession player and handled more ice time late in the year, once Andrew MacDonald was traded. He doesnt have ideal size, and his point production is modest (26 points in 121 career games), but Hickey now has a foundation on which he can build his NHL career. The Islanders took a similar waiver-wire approach with Brian Strait as they did with Hickey, hoping that another teams cast-off would work out. Strait hasnt fared quite as well thus far, but is reasonably priced to fill a role as a seventh defenceman. Matt Carkner is a bruiser, though one that isnt trusted to handle a regular turn on the blueline and, when he does, it tends to be against lesser competition. So long as the Islanders want someone to tangle with heavyweights, Carkner is more than capable in that regard. Having both Carkner and Boulton seems like two big bodies for one need. After injuries slowed his progress, Calvin de Haan quickly worked his way into the Islanders lineup last season and was not only effective, but he had solid possession numbers while paired most frequently with Hamonic, which meant more difficult matchups. A smart blueliner who can move the puck, de Haan ought to play a big role next season after playing a big role down the stretch. Matt Donovan has been very productive in the AHL, putting up 119 points in 160 games, and had strong possession numbers for the Islanders in 52 games last season; strong enough that he deserves a regular turn on the blueline.excellent possession numbers. If he can improve his skating, he could be a real threat as soon as next season. While the Islanders could certainly use another veteran hand (Tom Gilbert? Mark Fayne?) to stabilize their defence, its also feasible that they could add a top prospect, like Griffin Reinhart, to the mix and depend on the development of young players, and possibly a healthier season for Visnovsky, to get improved results. Free Agent Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Jaroslav Halak 67.85 52 29 13 7 2.25 .921 UFA $3.75M Evgeni Nabokov 63.76 40 15 14 8 2.74 .905 UFA $3.25M Kevin Poulin 56.33 28 11 16 1 3.29 .891 RFA $577K The Islanders have already made a move to address their goaltending, dealing a fourth-round pick to the Washington Capitals for pending free agent Jaroslav Halak. Should the Islanders get Halak signed to a new contract, he will represent a notable upgrade over Evgeni Nabokov. Over the past three seasons, Halak has a .921 save percentage, compared to .910 for Nabokov. If Halak faced, say, 1500 shots, that would (with those percentages holding steady) result in a 16.5-goal difference. Theres also no guarantee that the Islanders will get Halak signed, so they could be forced to look into other options (Ryan Miller, Jonas Hiller, James Reimer), but Halak was clearly their preferred option. Part of the reason that the Islanders need more stability in goal is that their pair of 24-year-old prospects -- Anders Nilsson and Kevin Poulin -- havent been up to the task. In 72 career games, theyve combined for an .899 save percentage, which isnt nearly good enough. Its also a small enough sample that there is room for at least one of them to develop into a bona fide NHL goaltender. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Griffin Reinhart D Edmonton (WHL) 4-17-21, +20, 45 GP Ryan Pulock D Brandon (WHL) 23-40-63, -4, 66 GP Anders Lee LW Bridgeport (AHL) 22-19-41, +1, 54 GP Ville Pokka D Karpat (SML) 6-21-27, +32, 54 GP Sebastian Collberg RW Frolunda (SEL) 3-6-9, -2, 40 GP Scott Mayfield D Bridgeport (AHL) 3-15-18, even, 71 GP Adam Pelech D Erie (OHL) 9-45-54, +52, 60 GP Johan Sundstrom C Bridgeport (AHL) 8-10-18, -10, 40 GP Anders Nilsson G Bridgeport (AHL) 2.81 GAA, .901 SV%, 29 GP Mike Halmo LW Bridgeport (AHL) 18-20-38, +11, 56 GP The fourth overall pick in 2012, Griffin Reinhart is a big defenceman who can skate and make smart decisions. He hasnt been as consistently aggressive as might be expected for a blueliner with his size, but its pretty fair to consider that Reinhart will have a chance to earn a spot on the Isles blueline next season. Drafted 15th overall last summer, Ryan Pulock has a rocket shot from the blueline and put up 210 points in four WHL seasons. Hes the power play quarterback of the future and that ability gives him a higher ceiling than some of the others in the organization. Power forward Anders Lee impressed in a late-season audition with the Islanders, scoring nine goals and 14 points in 22 games, while putting up A second-round pick in 2012, Ville Pokka had a big year in his third season in the SM-Liiga in Finland (to say nothing of winning gold in the World Junior Hockey Championship), and the Isles still need to get him signed before June 1st. Given his play, the leverage likely rests with Pokka, as he looks like a quality blueline prospect. Drafted in the second round in 2012, Sebastian Collberg was the main piece that the Islanders received from Montreal in the Thomas Vanek trade. He has skills, but is on the small side and, as one might expect, has had more success in junior than in the Swedish Elite League to this point. Big and nasty blueliner Scott Mayfield had a decent first year as a pro, earning a five-game trial with the Islanders late in the year. He can use more seasoning, but his physical game is something that ought to endear him to the Islanders. Adam Pelech was a third-round pick in 2012 and hes a steady, smart defender. With some time in the AHL, he could develop in a shutdown role. Taken in the second round in 2011, Johan Sundstrom had 50 points in 99 AHL games since arriving from Sweden. He has good size and held his own in a checking role for 11 games with the Isles late in the year. 6-foot-5 goaltender Anders Nilsson counts as a prospect since hes played more AHL than NHL games, but he and Kevin Poulin are both battling for the backup job and, to this point, neither one has been able to grab it firmly. A scrappy winger who was signed as an undrafted free agent, Mike Halmo has made solid progress in his first two pro seasons and got into 20 games for the Islanders last season. He managed one point, but had solid possession stats. The Islanders have taken some home-run swings in the draft, with selections of skilled Russians Kirill Kabanov and Kirill Petrov, though its entirely possible that neither is going to ultimately end up playing for the Islanders. Islanders advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT5th (could be relinquished to Buffalo) - Sam Bennett, Leon Draisaitl, Michael Dal Colle FREE AGENCYAccording to www.capgeek.com, the Islanders have approximately $37.0M committed to the 2013-2014 salary cap for 15 players. Check out my possible Islanders lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: First-line winger, top-four defenceman, goaltenders.What I said the Islanders needed last year: Three top nine forwards, one top pair defenceman, starting goaltender.They added: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Cal Clutterbuck, Brock Nelson, Peter Regin, Matt Donovan. TRADE MARKETJosh Bailey, Michael Grabner, Cal Clutterbuck, Lubomir Visnovsky, Brian Strait. 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. Gary Sanchez Yankees Jersey . -- The Atlanta Braves are facing the possibility of losing another pitcher for the season after general manager Frank Wren said Saturday that Cory Gearrin has a serious injury to his right elbow. Joe DiMaggio Yankees Jersey .com) - The St. https://www.cheapyankees.com/2331g-elston-howard-jersey-yankees.html . "Youre next." Hardly. Iguodala tormented his former team with a game better than any he ever played in eight seasons with the 76ers. Cheap Yankees Jerseys . "Win basketball games," Collins said. He will get at least a few more chances. Collins played the final minutes of a winning home debut with the Brooklyn Nets, who cooled off the Chicago Bulls with a 96-80 victory Monday night. Phil Rizzuto Yankees Jersey . With the Canadiens leading by one to start the third period, Price turned away 16 shots by the Panthers in the final frame to give Montreal a 2-1 victory over Florida on Monday night. The Panthers (16-21-6) outshot Montreal 16-10 in the final frame, but were repeatedly frustrated by Price, who made 26 saves on the night.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Hours before John Loyer made his debut as Detroits interim coach, Chauncey Billups offered a preview. "Hes always very energetic at all times," Billups said. "I dont know what were going to do in second halves because he wont have a voice. He always loses his voice in the first half." Billups assessment was spot on, at least through one game. Loyer coached the Pistons to a 109-100 win over San Antonio on Monday, yelling out instructions in a raspy voice from the sideline on a night his team led comfortably for the entire second half. It was an immediate contrast to the mild-mannered Maurice Cheeks, the coach the Pistons fired a day earlier. Of course, sideline demeanours can be deceiving -- and Loyer was careful not to take too much credit for the teams sharp performance against the Spurs. "Its not about me," he said. "Im just glad our guys played hard." Loyer was in his third season as an assistant for the Pistons when he was abruptly promoted after Cheeks dismissal. He was a holdover from Lawrence Franks staff, remaining in the fold after Cheeks was hired last off-season. Loyer has also been an assistant for the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers. The Pistons scored 26 points off turnovers against San Antonio and led by as many as 23. "Certain events happened that are beyond our control, but we were able to come out and focus on playing basketball," forward Josh Smith said. "We came out with a big win against a great team." Loyer takes over the Pistons at a time when patience is growing thin. Detroit signed Smith and traded for Brandon Jennings in the off-season, bbut the results have been mixed at best.dddddddddddd Even after beating San Antonio, the Pistons are 22-29. They were tied for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference entering Tuesday night. Detroit had won four of six when Cheeks was let go, so its hard to tell if the win Monday could be attributed at all to the coaching change. Jennings played well for Loyer -- just as he did in the last couple games under Cheeks. "The last four out of six, weve still been playing the same way," Jennings said after the win over San Antonio. "Were just trying to keep it going." Cheeks, a former point guard, was given the task of mentoring Jennings, but Jennings says he can still look to Billups for veteran guidance. Jennings performance down the stretch may make or break Detroits playoff chances. Jennings made a point of saying that Cheeks was like a father figure to him, but he hopes to stay in the offensive groove hes found over the past few games. "Im back to having fun, instead of just taking everything so personally and thinking about too much," Jennings said. "Im just hooping." Detroit hosts Cleveland on Wednesday, then plays a home-and-home with Charlotte -- another team in the mix for the post-season in the East. So the Pistons will have a chance to build on their recent success and create some positive vibes right away for their new coach. "Change for changes sake doesnt do much," Loyer said. "Anybody can change. We need positive change, and I thought our guys came out and had great effort (Monday night), great determination. You try to set a little bit of a tone every day. Thankfully, our guys, they set the tone." ' ' '

Dewi Morris reflects on Andy Robinsons departure from Bristol and whether its too late to save their season... So the decision has finally been made and Andy Robinson has been sacked by Bristol.The board had lost confidence with him. In reply Robinson said that he was surprised and disappointed by that decision, but I think he was on his own there. Chris Booy and the board must now take stock of their own situation, and questions must be asked of them as well. Talk is cheap. It is now time for Bristol to make the right decisions moving forward, even if it requires taking a few steps back?first. Dewi Morris Why on earth was Robinson given a three-year contract before a ball had been kicked this season?Surely the sensible decision would have been to review and react when you are at certain points during the season. After all it has not been plain sailing getting back into the Premiership in the first place.Bristol must get it right this time and if it takes going back down to the Championship, so be it. QUIZ: Englands last win over SA Andy Robinson was coach when England last beat the Boks in 2006 but can you name the starting XV? Last week, Sky Sports viewers were treated to an excellent performance by London Irish, the hot favourites for promotion back to the top table.There was more collective concentration and clarity in that performance for 80 minutes against London Scottish than I have witnessed from Bristol over the last three years.Talking to Bob Casey in the week prior to the game he said it was very simple. They got an experienced guy on board who talks straight. That person was Brendan Venter. Bristol need a Brendan Venter-type figure to help shape the club, says Dewi With Venters help and advice Irish have stripped back the club to where they want it to be, and the only place to do that was in the Championship.You need time to build a game plan and develop players and coaches. Players that really want to play for that club and coaches that know all about that club and want to be part of it again. Nick Kennedy, Declan Danaher and Paul Hodgson to name but three. England vs South Africa November 12, 2016, 2:00pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Venters mantra is crawl, walk, run. The basics must be put in place first - the set piece, defence, game plan, etc - and then you move it up a level.Bristol have struggled because their foundations have not been put in place. Talk is cheap. It is now time to make the right decisions moving forward, even if it requires taking a few steps back first. Also See: Robinson departs Bristol Etzebeth is Premiership bound Bristol losing run goes on Rugby Union on Sky Custom Jerseys Adidas . CNN and Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Tancredi Palmeri broke the news via Twitter Tuesday afternoon. Italian Football Association President Giancarlo Abete has also resigned, according to Palmeri. Custom Jerseys Nike . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland. https://www.cheapcustomjerseysonline.com/ . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. Custom Jerseys China . Bibeau, Torontos sixth-round pick at No. 172 overall in last years draft, was named the outstanding goaltender of the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup. Wholesale Custom Jerseys .com) - The Denver Nuggets snapped a losing streak last time out and will try to carry that momentum Saturday night when they welcome the Indiana Pacers to the Pepsi Center.CALGARY -- It was an Olympic heroes welcome for the unlikeliest of heroes at Calgary International Airport Tuesday. Gilmore Junio stepped aside to let Denny Morrison race the 1,000 metres at the Winter Olympics in Sochi and watched his teammate deliver a silver for Canadas first speedskating medal in Sochi and follow that up with a bronze in the 1,500. But the homecoming in Calgary was all about Junio. One sign read "Gilmore for PM" while another said "Gilmore Junio won gold in the hearts of Canada". "Im pretty surprised and it definitely caught me off guard," said a beaming Junio with Morrison at his side. "When we made the decision within our team it was just such an easy decision to let him skate because he was skating so well. "This was really pleasant surprise. You see this on TV for the hockey players and stuff like that and I never thought Id be walking into one these. Its all because of him," he said with a nod to Morrison. "He makes me look good so Ill ride his coattails for a bit." Morrison, with his silver and bronze medals hanging around his neck, added to Junios accolades. "Its pretty neat how much attention this has gotten and this guy is one of the greatest guys in the world," he said. "He does things like this all the time and this is just another one of those things that Gilmore would do.dddddddddddd" Junios parents, Gino and Julie, were taken aback by the attention. "Actually we were just thinking to wait outside in the cell parking lot and I had texted him when youre done, text me and Ill pick you up," Gino said with a laugh. "We didnt really expect this. We were overwhelmed with the signs of support for him. This is amazing." Kelly Murray travelled from Red Deer, Alta., to show off her "Gilbert for PM" sign. "Its because what he did for the country was pretty special. Theres not a lot of people who would do that," she said. "He must have put the country first ahead of his own ambitions." Junio still has his ambitions and refused a request from a photographer to reach over and touch Morrisons silver medal. "Ive said I wont touch Dennys medal until Ive got my own. Thats kind of a hockey player mentality where you dont touch the Stanley Cup until you get it," he said. "But from what Ive seen it looks pretty good." Morrison is hoping to share in a future medal ceremony with his teammate. "If it all works out to the very best therell be a team sprint event in 2018 and we can be on the same team and win together that way." ' ' '

PHILADELPHIA -- Wayne Simmonds scored three goals and Steve Mason stopped 34 shots to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Theres little time for rest, too. The Flyers and Rangers play again Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Simmonds scored in the first period and twice more in the second for his first career post-season hat trick. Mason survived a busy first period and stopping 31 straight shots until Carl Hagelin scored late in the third. Mats Zuccarello also scored for New York in the final minute. By the third, Simmonds had already helped stake the Flyers to a 4-0 lead and the outcome was a mere formality. Erik Gustafsson also scored and Claude Giroux had an empty-netter for the Flyers, who will try for a second win in New York this series. Simmonds, a 28-goal scorer who had one in the first five games, completed the hat trick with 4:41 left in the second. With a short turnaround, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was yanked for Cam Talbot to open the third period. Lundqvist stopped 19 of 23 shots. He couldnt stop Simmonds. Simmonds camped out in the dirty area, in front of the crease, and pounded home three short goals that had Flyers fans going wild. On the brink of elimination, about the only thing that could slow down the Flyers were their fans -- the game was delayed for a lengthy cleanup after they littered the ice with hats. Someone even threw a shoe. Outplayed for most of the series, the Flyers were lucky to escape the first period with a 1-0 lead. They were careless with the puck in their own zone and had nine turnovers, which led to a ton of work for Mason, who made 13 saves in the period. Simmonds put Philadelphia in front with his third hack at a rebound on a power play. Across the street, the rain-delayed Philadelphia Phillies rang the home run Liberty Bell in celebration of the goal. Simmonds, a 6-foot-2, 183-pound forward, was just warming up. Brayden Schenn stripped New Yorks Dan Girardi of the puck, and then lost control in front of the crease. Simmonds was perfectly positioned off to Lundqvists right side and pounded in the trickling puck for a 2-0 lead just 1:32 into the second. Simmonds again was just outside the crease to knock in his third goal late in the second for the 4-0 lead. After a sloppy first, the puck just seemed to bounce Philadelphias way. Gustafsson, who did not play the first five games, came storming out of the penalty box in the second period, his stick hit the puck in a flash and he scored for a 3-0 lead. "It was a lot of fun when I saw the puck come down to me," he said. "I think it took a fortunate bounce. I almost thought Lundqvist was going to get it, but luckily the puck went in." Mason, who had never won a post-season game until this season, was hardly challenged in the last two periods as he chased the shutout. He snared Benoit Pouliots point-blank shot in the second period and made an out-of-nowhere kick save against John Moore in the third to keep the comfortable lead. The Rangers had scored four goals in three other games this series. New York is 13-2 in series it has led 3-2, but the Rangers have lost 12 straight games in which they had a series lead. NOTES: Flyers D Nicklas Grossmann underwent surgery to repair tendon damage in his right ankle suffered in Game 4. He could miss up to 10 weeks. ... Simmonds gave the Flyers their first two-goal lead of the series since his empty-net goal in the final minute sealed the win in Game 2. ... The Flyers beat the Rangers 4-3 on May 5, 1974, in the only other time the teams played a Game 7. They went on to beat Boston to win their first Stanley Cup. Bruce Sutter Cardinals Jersey . Olsen, who is 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, can play either centre or guard. The 25-year-old Olsen played 16 games and made four starts in 2012 with the New Orleans Saints. Tim McCarver Cardinals Jersey . Napoli hit two home runs, Jonny Gomes and prized rookie Xander Bogaerts also connected, and the Red Sox kept up their dizzying scoring spree at Yankee Stadium by bashing New York 13-9 Saturday for a fifth straight win. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/114t-ted-simmons-jersey-cardinals.html .C. -- The Steve Smith era in Carolina is over. Stan Musial Cardinals Jersey .com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. Harrison Bader Cardinals Jersey . This has become the Raptors mantra as they embark on a new era with a new regime and, in the not-so-distant future, a new image. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Serge Ibaka pointed to the sky, soaking in the cheers from the adoring home crowd moments before coming out of a game that just a few days earlier, he never imagined he could play. He scored 15 points in a dramatic return from what was thought to be a season-ending left calf strain, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 106-97 on Sunday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. Ibaka started after missing the first two games of the series. The Thunder originally said he would miss the rest of the playoffs, but changed course Friday. His presence helped the Thunder dominate and cut the Spurs lead in the series to 2-1. Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks took Ibaka out with 3:17 remaining and the Thunder ahead by 20. "When you talk about a teammate, thats everything you want in a teammate," Thunder forward Kevin Durant said. "I gained so much more respect for Serge for sacrificing himself for the team. Regardless of what happened tonight, thats something you want beside you." Ibaka made six of seven shots and was a threat that gave Durant and Russell Westbrook relief. Westbrook had 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Durant added 25 points and 10 rebounds. On defence, Ibaka was a strong physical presence who blocked and altered shots and used his still formidable mobility to close out on shooters. He had seven rebounds, four blocks and a seemingly endless amount of energy. "Serge has put so much work in throughout the season that missing a couple of days didnt hurt him," Westbrook said. "Tonight, he jumped right back into where he was." Manu Ginobili scored 23 points and Tim Duncan added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Spurs. Game 4 is Tuesday night at Oklahoma City. The Thunder outrebounded the Spurs 52-36 after losing the battle of the boards in the first two games. San Antonio, which shot at least 50 per cent in the first two games, shot just 40 per cent on Sunday night. The first two games looked like a layup drill for the Spurs. This time, they were forced to reset numerous times. The passes were not as quick or as easy. "I was very disappointed that we didnt come out with more of a foot in the neck sort of attitude," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "t;They killed us on the boards, they beat us in 50-50 balls and thats very disappointing to me.dddddddddddd." San Antonio won Game 2 112-77, leaving the Thunder humiliated. "I knew that we were a better team than losing by 30," Brooks said. "Its not us. It was us that night, but were a much better team than that. I have a lot of respect for San Antonio, but theyre not that much better than us." Things were different from the start with Ibakas return. Brooks also inserted speedy Reggie Jackson into the starting lineup in Thabo Sefoloshas place. Jackson finished with 15 points. "We bounced back tonight. We always talk about that bounce-back ability and we had that tonight," Brooks said. The crowd roared when Ibakas name was announced during pregame introductions, and it got even louder when he started playing. He had eight points, three rebounds and two blocks in just over six minutes of play in the first quarter. Twice in the final minute of the first half, Ginobili hit 3-pointers, and both times, Westbrook answered with a 3-pointer. The last one, with 0.6 seconds left, gave the Thunder a 57-53 lead. Oklahoma City shot 56 per cent in the first half but turned the ball over 12 times. Ginobili had 20 points and made 5 of 7 3-pointers before the break to keep the Spurs close. Oklahoma City extended its lead to 83-76 at the end of the third quarter. A runner by Durant, then a 3-pointer by Caron Butler pushed the Thunder lead to 90-76 with just over 10 minutes to play. "Hopefully we realize that if were not intense, not very sharp and dont hustle like crazy, were not going to win here," Ginobili said. "They showed us reality. Hopefully we react in game four and play a much better game." Notes: Thunder C Kendrick Perkins picked up his third foul eight minutes into the game. He played just 13 minutes and finished with four points and three rebounds. Backup centre Steven Adams, a rookie, had seven points and nine rebounds. ... Thunder G Derek Fisher took a hit and was bleeding from the top of his head in the first quarter. He got six stitches. ... The Thunder shot 63 per cent from the field in the first quarter but trailed 29-28 at the end of the period. ... Ginobili scored just three points in the second half. ' ' '

BARCELONA, Spain - Andres Iniesta signed a three-year contract extension Monday that will keep him at Barcelona at least through the end of the 2017-18 season. The contract includes a clause that from 2018 the midfielder will automatically extend his contract on a yearly basis if he plays in a non-disclosed number of games per season. The 29-year-old Iniesta has helped Barcelona win 21 trophies, including three Champions League titles and six Spanish league titles. He has scored 48 goals for Barcelona. Iniesta has also played a major role in helping Spain win the World Cup and the past two European Championships. Iniesta joined Barcelonas football academy at the age of 12 and debuted with the first team in 2002. He played his 480th match with Barcelona on Sunday, when it rallied to win 5-2 at Getafe to retain its share of the Spanish league lead with Atletico Madrid. Iniesta said after Sundays match that he was happy with his new contract — announced by the club last week — because it meant "its possible I will retire at Barca." Besides Iniesta, Barcelona has Lionel Messi, Neymar, Sergio Busquets and Cristian Tello all under contract for the next five seasons. Signed Tom Brady Jersey . MacLean clocked 8:24.91 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 8:27.59 set by Brittany Reimer of Victoria at the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal. MacLean and Tabitha Baumann of Ottawa -- second in 8:32.37 -- both went under the qualifying standard to be nominated to the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific teams. Michael Jordan Jersey Swingman . - Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, leaving Tennessee trying to rally with Ryan Fitzpatrick. https://www.sportsstarsjerseys.com/michael-jordan-jersey/ .ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks. Moving up, from 10 to seven this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won seven straight despite a depleted lineup. Custom Sports Jerseys . -- David Price didnt think he would be in Port Charlotte this spring. Tom Brady Jersey Super Bowl . The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers.ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- Abbotsfords Sven Baertschi continued his hot streak, scoring a goal and assisting on another to help lift the Heat to a 5-3 victory over the Rockford IceHogs in American Hockey League action on Saturday. Baertschi, currently riding a five game point streak, scored the game winner for Abbotsford. The 21-year-old Swiss native currently has 10 points over that span. Baertschi made it 4-1 for Abbotsford at 1:25 of the third when he recovered a missed Kane Lafranchise shot in front of the net and jammed it into a gaping net. Max Reinhart picked up three assists for Abbotsford (39-25-7), extending his point streak to seven games. Blair Jones had a goal and two assists in his first game back from injury. Corban Knight scored his fourth goal in his last two games, while Derek Smith added a tally in his 300th AHL game. Joni Ortio stopped 23 shots in Abbotsfords victory. Adam Clendening, Ross Garret, and Stephen Johns scored for Rockford (32-28-9). Rookie Ryan Hartman notched his first two professional points with two assists. Jason LaBarbera stopped 13 shots for the IceHogs in a relief effort. Reinhart backhanded a feed on the power play to Abbotsfords Knight who beat Rockfords Kent Simpson glove side from the slot at 4:33 of the first.dddddddddddd Abbotsford defender Derek Smith, playing in his 300th career game, received a pass from midway through the first from Baertschi, who blasted it through several bodies for his sixth goal of the season. Just 0:33 seconds later, Reinhart passed it to Jones at the left circle who toe dragged it to the crease and jammed it through Simpsons five-hole to give the Heat a 3-0 edge. After allowing three goals on the first four shots, Simpson was pulled in favour of LaBarbera. Ross got the IceHogs on the board at 16:33 of the second, receiving a pass from Hartman near the goal-line and throwing it on net and under Ortios arm. With 2:26 remaining in the period, Klas Dahlbeck picked up a rebound at the point and fired it towards an open net, but Ortio dove across the crease in desperation to keep the score 3-1. Clendening cut the score to 4-2 at 6:40 of the third, receiving a pass from Phillip Danault at the right circle and firing a slap shot on Ortio, who flubbed a glove save. Johns, playing in just his second career AHL game, found himself alone behind the net and wrapped it around to squeak it past a sprawling Ortio at 10:06 of the third. Brett Olson added an empty-net goal with 0:31 seconds remaining in the game. ' ' '

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Buffalo Bills receiver Marquise Goodwin did not practice because of a head injury, leaving his status uncertain to play at Houston on Sunday. The Bills announced Thursday that Goodwin was going through the NFLs concussion testing protocol, which he must pass before being cleared to play. Its unclear when the injury happened, but Goodwin was limited in practice a day earlier because of an illness. Buffalo (2-1) is already down backup receiver Marcus Easley, who was already ruled out after hurting his left leg blocking on a kickoff return in a loss to San Diego last weekend. Starting left guard Chris Williams missed his second straight practice because of a sore back. Safety DaNorris Searcy is expected to play after hurting his left ankle against the Chargers. Adidas NMD R1 White . While the pair of Spain internationals return, midfielder Xavi Hernandez will not be included in the squad after failing to recover from a muscle strain to his left leg. Adidas NMD Wolf Grey . Golden States second straight road win wasnt painless. David Lee scored a season-high 29 points -- 13 in the fourth quarter -- and Nate Robinson added 17 points, leading the Warriors to a 105-95 win Tuesday night over the road-worn Cleveland Cavaliers. http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/wholesale-pharrell-adidas-nmd-hu-china.html . Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza scored in the shootout to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday night. Adidas NMD Mens Black and White . He made another correct read. The Browns, who have been shuttling quarterbacks on and off the field all season, finally got some good news on that front: Campbells ribs are only bruised. Adidas NMD Factory Outlet . She was a pioneer. She did things on skis that made the birds take notice. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants secondary has gotten a lot stronger in the past couple of days, and so has their return game. A year after missing the playoffs for the second straight season, the Giants continued to be a player in free agency, signing cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, formerly with Denver. Terms of the contract were not immediately available. A person with knowledge of the deal also confirmed late Monday night that the Giants have reached an agreement with former Denver Broncos kick returner Trindon Holliday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because Holliday has to pass physical Tuesday before the team will announce the move. Holliday returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the Broncos 41-23 win over the Giants in the second week of last season. The deals come just a day after the Giants confirmed the signing of former Seahawks cornerback Walter Thurmond and Chiefs safety Quintin Demps. Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara are probably penciled in as the starters at cornerback, with Thurmond, Jayron Hosley and Trumaine McBride backing them up. The safety spots will be just as strong with Antrel Rolle, Will Hill, Demps and Stevie Brown on the roster. Demps led the league in kickoff returns with a 30.1 yard average, while Holliday was sixth at 27.7 yards. Holiday was seventh in punt returns with an 8.5 yard average. The Giants have been very active since free agency started last week. They signed running back Rashad Jennings, guard Geoff Schwartz, re-signed free agent middlee linebacker Jon Beason and added former Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain.dddddddddddd They also re-signed running back Peyton Hillis, kicker Josh Brown, Stevie Brown, McBride and fullback Henry Hynoski. "The main thing, bringing in guys from Kansas City, Seattle, you can see what theyre doing, trying to bring guys that are going to come in and lead by example," said Rodgers-Cromartie, who started in the Super Bowl along with Thurmond. "Thats always a plus." A 2008 first round-draft choice and 2009 Pro Bowler, Rodgers-Cromartie is entering his seventh NFL season. He has also been with Arizona and Philadelphia, playing with Rolle while with the Cardinals. "He brought me in, took me under his wing and took care of me," Cromartie Rodgers said of Rolle. "So to be reunited with him is just a blessing. I know the things that hes done in his career and the man hes become. Thats going to be a help for me." Rodgers-Cromartie has played in 92 regular-season games with 75 starts and has started all nine post-season games in which he played. His career totals include 239 tackles (205 solo) and 19 interceptions. Rodgers-Cromartie joined the Broncos last season as a free agent and played in 15 regular-season games with 13 starts at right cornerback. He finished the season with 31 tackles (25 solo), a team-high 15 passes defenced, and tied for the Broncos lead with three interceptions, including one of an Eli Manning pass late in the second quarter in Denvers victory over the Giants at the Meadowlands on Sept. 15. ' ' '

NASHVILLE -- Undeterred by his scoring drought, Ryan Ellis just kept shooting and it paid off Tuesday night. Ellis ended a 42-game scoring drought by notching the first of Nashvilles three third-period goals and added an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Shea Weber scored in the first period, Craig Smith and Viktor Stalberg followed Ellis with goals in the third, and David Legwand had three assists to help Nashville snap a three-game losing streak. Lee Stempniak and Mikael Backlund scored for Calgary, which has lost four of its last five. Weber opened the scoring at 15:52 of the first period. With Nashville on a power play, Roman Josi sent a pass from above the right faceoff circle to Weber above the left, where he blasted a one-timer over the glove of Flames goaltender Karri Ramo. The Predators outshot Calgary 15-10 in the first. "We turned the puck over in the first period," Calgary coach Bob Hartley said. "We kind of gave them the first period that we didnt want to give them. We had no intensity. If its not for Karri Ramo, we could have gone on the plane after the first period." The Predators entered Tuesday with the leagues seventh-ranked power play, but had not scored a goal on the man advantage in their last four games. A night after recording his first-career NHL shutout in Carolina, Ramo got the start Tuesday and made 30 saves. The Flames drew even with 1:04 remaining in the first. From behind the Nashville net, Jiri Hudler carried the puck just above the goal line on the left side and slid a pass to an unchecked Stempniak in the lower part of the right faceoff circle. His shot beat Nashville goaltender Carter Hutton for his seventh goal of the season. Stempniaks goal was his first since Dec. 7, a span of 17 games. "I thought I did a good job tonight of handling the puck and keeping the forecheck at bay," Hutton said. "I thought we had the edge in the first. I thought (Ramo) made a lot of good saves and for me, I was able to make a couple of saves and handle the puck and get in the game." Hutton saw his first game action since a disappointing effort in Carolina on Jan. 5 that drew some criticism from Nashville coach Barry Trotz. He recovered nicely Tuesday night, making 22 saves. "That was a good bounce-back game for him," Trotz said. "I thought we did a really good job of containing Calgary for the most part, especially in the first two periods." Nashville went in front for good at 55 seconds of the third when Ellis carried the puck in on the left side, cut to the high slot and beat Ramo with a slap shot for his second goal of the season. "You just keep shooting, I think thats the biggest thing," Ellis said. "Our forwards did a good job of driving the net, and luckily it went in." Less than two minutes later, Smith gave Nashville a 3-1 lead on another Predators power play. Seth Jones slap shot from the centre of the blue line hit traffic in front of the Calgary net, and Smith dug the puck out and beat Ramo with a wrist shot to the glove side. Calgary though they had cut the Nashville lead at 4:17 of the third, but the officials ruled that Mark Giordano had played the puck to a teammate with a high stick. Stalberg put Nashville ahead 4-1 at 10:52 of the third when his redirection of Ellis shot got by Ramo, but Backlund made it a two-goal game at 13:07 with a nice move off the right half wall before beating Hutton on the stick side with a wrist shot. Backlund has a goal in each of his last three games. "Its nice for personal confidence," Backlund said. "Thats what everybody wants to do, and everybody tries to do. Im happy about it, but at the same time, if we dont win games, Im not satisfied." NOTES: Hudler had two assists in the game. He has assists in three consecutive games. ... Nashville is 17-2-4 when scoring first this season. ... The Predators concluded a five game home stand 2-2-1. . It was the first three-assist game for Legwand this season and the fourth of his career. Custom Jerseys Nike .The Hanwha Eagles said the team was impressed with Morgans contact ability and base-running skills.The 34-year-old debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007 and hit . Custom Jerseys Cheap .com) - Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points with eight rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 92-80 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. https://www.cheapcustomjerseysonline.com/ . In the late match, Shinji Okazaki scored two goals to pace Mainz to a 3-2 victory at Werder Bremen. Goals from Milan Badelj, Maximilian Beister and Hakan Calhanoglu ended Hamburgs two-match losing run and kept Hannover winless in seven games. Custom Jerseys Adidas .com) - The Kansas City Chiefs activated linebacker Joe Mays from short-term injured reserve on Saturday. Custom Jerseys .J. -- Omar Cummings helped the Houston Dynamo advance to the MLS Eastern Conference finals.TSN.cas NHL Play of the Year showdown continues today with a starter and a finisher. The final match-up of the Round of 32 sees Calgary netminder Reto Berras acrobatics pitted against Hurricanes forward Nathan Gerbe and his breakaway theatrics. Weve already seen some kick saves in the opening round, but Berras easily gets top marks for distance. Jack Johnson has a good look at the net on a Blue Jackets power play, but Berra comes out of nowhere with a denial. Going into a full roll, the Finnish netminder not only gets his pad up to stop it, but connects with a near-bicycle kick to fire the rebound out of the crease in a move thats "more Pele than Brodeur." Gerbe wins a foot race for a breakaway and then goes into ffull "skills competition" mode for the finish.dddddddddddd Easily beating a pair of Flyers to a loose puck, Gerbe barrels in all alone on Steve Mason. Cutting across the net, Gerbe drops the puck between his legs and reaches back for the flip shot going against the flow. Mason manages to get a piece of it, but by the time the puck is in the net, Gerbe is already halfway back to the bench. He treats the unbelievable move like its just another day at the office. You can watch the highlights and make your decision here (http://poy.tsn.ca). Every vote counts, so watch all the plays and take part in the TSN.ca Play of the Year Showdown. Let us know who you voted for via Twitter by using the hashtag #tsnklondikepoy. ' ' '

INDIANAPOLIS - Pacers coach Frank Vogel says the Pacers need to be better offensively and become more versatile defensively to play for a championship next season. Vogel still believes Indiana can get there without overhauling the roster. The Pacers have already answered one key question: Vogel will return as coach. When asked if his appearance Monday was indicative he would be back next season, Vogel simply said: "Yes." Now comes the hard part. First, the Pacers must determine whether to re-sign Lance Stephenson, who becomes a free agent in July, and how much the Pacers are willing to spend to bring him back. Air Max 90 Soldes . -- Chris Jones and Louisville have done a tremendous job protecting the basketball this season and thats led to easy victories. Air Max 95 Pas Cher Femme . -- Down to 10 men and behind on the scoreboard, Toronto FC displayed its perseverance. https://www.grossistechaussurepascher.fr/grossiste-chinois-chaussures-pas-cher-soldes-en-ligne-142a.html . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday. Air Max 720 Pas Cher Homme . Iwakuma pitched seven strong innings to stay unbeaten in road games since last July, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. Grossiste Chinois Nike Air Max . -- Dee Ford prefers to keep things simple: Play hard and fast, and let others worry about his NFL draft stock. TORONTO -- Kevin Pillar had a chat with slugger Jose Bautista as they practised their swings shortly before the Toronto Blue Jays took on the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. Bautista offered some words of encouragement for the backup outfielder and told him to be aggressive at the plate. It proved to be sage advice. Pillar hit a one-out flare to right field off Casey Fien that drove in pinch-runner Erik Kratz with the winning run to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 walkoff victory at Rogers Centre. "It was a slider off the plate and I was just able to nestle it in somewhere," Pillar said. "And it feels good." Earlier in the inning, Pillar made a miscue in left field by diving for Kurt Suzukis sinking liner. He couldnt come up with the ball and it rolled by him, allowing the Twins to move within a run. Eduardo Escobar followed with a blooper off closer Casey Janssen that landed just inside the left-field line and brought Suzuki home with the tying run. "Baseball is a weird game," Pillar said. "You get a chance to make up for a mistake that you made maybe in the previous inning or early in the game. I was fortunate enough to make that happen." Edwin Encarnacion had staked Toronto (39-26) to an early lead with a three-run homer in the first inning off Minnesota starter Ricky Nolasco. Jose Reyes added a solo homer in the fifth inning for the Blue Jays, who lead the major leagues with 91 home runs. With the win, the Blue Jays remained 5 1/2 games ahead of second-place Baltimore in the American League East division standings. The Orioles defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-0 Monday. It was Torontos 16th victory in its last 20 games. "Weve been playing good baseball but you still need to win some of those games like that," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "For the longest time, everything has been going our way. Tonight things didnt go our way but we still managed to come out and pull out a nice win." Minnesota (29-33) scored a pair of quick runs off Toronto starter R.A. Dickey before many fans had taken their seats on a glorious spring evening. Danny Santana hit his first career leadoff home run and Brian&nnbsp;Dozier followed with a rainbow shot just inside the foul pole in left field.dddddddddddd Dickey settled down after that, retiring 11 straight batters at one point before Josh Willinghams triple in the sixth inning. The Twins loaded the bases but Dustin McGowan came on and got Trevor Plouffe to ground into a double play to end the threat. Janssen (1-0), who blew his second save of the season, gave up three hits in the ninth inning. With the crowd deflated after the Twins tied the game, Minnesota pitcher Matt Guerrier (0-1) walked Dioner Navarro to open the bottom of the ninth. Kratz came in to pinch-run, moved to second on a Reyes single and then scored with room to spare. "You walk the leadoff guy, you give yourself pretty much a mess and anything can happen after that," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. Pillar, who entered the game in the ninth as a defensive replacement for Melky Cabrera, said his defensive miscue was on his mind when he came to the plate. Thinking about his chat with Bautista, Pillar swung and missed the first two times before making contact. "Its a huge roller-coaster of emotions right there," he said. "I guess thats baseball. Theres a lot of ups and downs. You have to find a way to get back centred and deal with the task at hand." Notes: Encarnacion leads the Blue Jays with 20 homers this season. Reyes now has four homers this year. Dozier has 13 home runs while Santana has gone deep twice. ... Dickey allowed five hits, two earned runs, two walks and had three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. ... Nolasco allowed seven hits, four earned runs and a pair of walks. He had six strikeouts. ... Morales signed a one-year, prorated contract Sunday. The Cuban slugger hit .277 with 23 homers and 80 RBIs with Seattle last season. ... The Twins have hit four leadoff home runs this season. ... Toronto southpaw J.A. Happ is scheduled to start Tuesday night against right-hander Kevin Correia. ... The teams will wrap up the series Wednesday with an early afternoon game. ... Bautista has reached base safely in 62 of 65 games this season. ... Announced attendance was 19,428. The game took two hours 53 minutes to play. ' ' '