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Paris, France - Former champion Maria Sharapova fought her way into the semifinals at the French Open on Tuesday. Randy White Jerseys . The seventh-seeded former world No. 1 star Sharapova came from behind to beat rising 20-year-old Venezuelan-born Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, on Court Chatrier. Muguruza, who displays easy power and a beautiful forehand and serve, shocked defending champion Serena Williams in the second round here last week. Sharapova trailed 6-1, 5-4 against Muguruza before suddenly catching fire and winning nine of the last 10 games on Day 10. The Russian also posted a comeback victory against Sam Stosur in the fourth round, winning nine straight games after trailing that one, 6-3, 4-3, against her fellow former U.S. Open champ. The 27-year-old Sharapova saved five break points while serving at 2-1 in the third set on Tuesday and then won the next game for a double-break lead, at 4-1, and cruised from there versus Muguruza to reach her fifth career French Open semi, including four straight. Sharapova avoided becoming the latest upset victim in the womens draw, which has lost seven of the top-10 seeds. The veteran Sharapova improved to 18-3 in major quarterfinals and won her 48th match at Roland Garros (against 10 losses), breaking a tie with Williams for the most among active female players. Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam with a French Open title in 2012 and lost to Williams in last years marquee finale at Roland Garros. The Russians semifinal opponent will be the 18th-seeded Eugenie Bouchard, who upended 14th-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 7-5, on Court Lenglen. Bouchard came back from a break down in the final set. The 20-year-old Bouchard will appear in her second Grand Slam semi in as many tries this year, as she was a surprise Australian Open semifinalist back in January. Shes 0-2 lifetime against Sharapova, including a straight-set second-round French Open loss last year. Two more quarterfinals will be staged on Wednesday, when fourth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep takes on 27th-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova and 10th-seeded Italian Sara Errani battles 28th-seeded German Andrea Petkovic. The former world No. 2 and former U.S. Open champion Kuznetsova titled here in 2009 and was the Roland Garros runner-up in 2006. Errani was the 2012 French Open runner-up to Sharapova. Brandon Carr Jersey Dallas Cowboys . Grabner scored on a breakaway 3:53 into overtime as the Islanders defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday. Joseph Randle Jersey Dallas Cowboys . He leaves as a potential first overall pick, and one of the most dynamic, breath-taking players in college football history.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Kerry, I am sure you will get a ton of emails on this one. Last night, the Kings went up 2-1 on the Sharks around eight minutes remaining. My question with this goal - Is Justin Williams allowed to hit the goalie with his stick? Cant this be considered goalie interference? I am a Ducks fan waiting to see my next opponent. I really think the Sharks were cheated here. The NHL says this type of play is non-reviewable. This excuse just seems like an easy way out from a judgment call. Thanks,Jake Kevari Jake: The L.A. Kings greasy second goal should have been disallowed by referee Chris Lee as per rule 69.6 when Justin Williams used his stick to push Alex Stalock, set in a statuesque pose, that resulted in both the puck and the toe of Stalocks left skate to cross the goal line into the net. It appeared that the referee was purely focused on the puck that became partially visible under the left skate of Alex Stalock after the goalie made the initial save.  If referee Lee taken had taken into account the action of Justin Williams pushing Stalock from the front of the goal crease with his hockey stick or subsequently had the opportunity to utilize video review I would hope that a different decision on the play would have been rendered. Many fans who follow me on twitter @kfraserthecall (Kings Fans perhaps?) could not comprehend that the action of Justin Williams pushing Alex Stalock with his stick became a goalie interference violation. Language contained in Rule 69 defines contact, whether incidental or otherwise, to mean any contact that is made between or among a goalkeeper and attacking player(s), whether by means of a stick or any part of the body. Some had even more difficulty accepting that Rule 69.6 applied on this play since Stalock was not knocked completely into the back of the net. Rule 69.6 reads; "In the event that a goalkeeper has been pushed into the net together with the puck by an attacking player after making a stop, the goal will be disallowed." To simplify this play, Alex Stalock made an initial save on his knees wheen Robin Regehr shot the puck from the top left side faceoff circle. Ben Gardner.   Stalocks lower body remained stationary inside the top right side of his goal crease after the puck was gobbled up in his pads. Referee Chris Lee attacked the net straddling the goal line with the whistle in a ready position near his mouth demonstrating some intent to blow the whistle and kill the play; that is until he saw the puck peek out from under Stalocks left skate blade and pad. The refs body posture and head position indicates that he was intently focused on the puck from this moment forward. Freeze frame that visual picture in your mind for a second! If in this moment, Justin Williams dove or crashed into Alex Stalock resulting in the puck entering the net, I would think most everyone would agree that "goalie interference" had been committed and the referee should disallow the goal. The exact same illegal outcome was achieved when Justin Williams used his hockey stick to push Stalock within his goal crease and off his set-stationary position which caused both the puck and the goalies left skate to cross the goal line and enter the net as demonstrated by the overhead net-cam shot. To disallow the goal under Rule 69.6 would be purely academic at this point had the referee been focused more on the action taking place at the front of the net as opposed to the puck. Ideally, the whistle (or intent to blow the whistle) should have been exercised once Justin Williams began pushing Alex Stalock with his stick, if not before! Jake, video review can only be utilized in eight specific situations as listed in Rule 38.4. At the present time interference on the goalkeeper is not one of them. I have continually stated that referees must have the ability to review their initial decision whenever contact with the goalkeeper is in question. This should be initiated by the officials on the ice, the video goal judge or through a coachs challenge. However the review is initiated, I strongly recommend that a referee(s) makes the final call after personally reviewing the play in question on a monitor in the timekeepers box. Look for expanded use of video review in some form next season. We can only hope they get it right. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '

BALTIMORE -- There wont be too many games in which James Shields throws seven innings of three-hit ball and is upstaged by a teammate. Purple Light Pink Nike Roshe Run Womens Suede Shoes . This was one of them. Omar Infante homered and tied a career high with six RBIs to carry the Kansas City Royals over the Baltimore Orioles 9-3 on Sunday. Shields (3-2) allowed two runs, struck out six and walked two in winning his third straight start. The right-hander gave up only an infield hit in the first five innings and improved to 10-7 lifetime against Baltimore, including 7-2 at Camden Yards. Shields was more impressed with Infantes performance, which included a fine defensive play at second base against Baltimore leadoff hitter Jemile Weeks. "Omar, definitely the player of the game," Shields said. "It all started with that first play he made barehanded. He had a great day today. Definitely carried our team." Infante hit a run-scoring groundout in the first inning, a sacrifice fly in the third, a two-run double in the fifth and a two-run shot in the seventh. He entered with one home run and 11 RBIs in 21 games. "It was a great day for me," Infante said. "Im happy because that has not happened too many times for a player. It was a great day for the team. Ive been working hard in the cage. The last couple of days I hit a lot of fly balls. I dont like that; I want to drive the ball." The last time Infante had six RBIs was last Sept. 13 with the Tigers against Kansas City. The starter for the Royals that day was .... James Shields. "Im glad hes on my team now," Shields said. Nori Aoki scored three runs for the Royals, who took two of three from Baltimore to conclude a 3-4 road trip that began in Cleveland. Kansas City is 12-0 when scoring at least four runs and 0-12 when scoring three runs or fewer. "I take it we need to score four runs. Were trying to do it more," manager Ned Yost said. "Its just a testament to how good our pitching is, how good our bullpen is. How good our starting pitchers are, how consistent they are that we could have that kind of record." Nelson Cruz hit his seventh homer for the Orioles, who finished with five hits. Before the game, Baltimore put slugger Chris Davis on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain. Miguel Gonzalez (1-2) gave up four runs, three earned, and six hits in six innings. "Deserved a better fate," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. The Orioles quickly got a hint of what kind of day it was going to be when Aoki, leading off the first, hit a fly to centre that popped out Adam Jones glove for a three-base error. Infante followed with a grounder to shortstop that put the Royals ahead for good. "Missed it," Jones acknowledged. It wasnt the Orioles only mistake. "We made a couple of good decisions with pitchouts (but) we werent able to execute that," Showalter said. "Those are two free outs. Then obviously, Adams one of the best centre fielders in the game. So Im not going to lament that at all. Hes been a rock for us out there. You spot them, give them those type of things that they dont earn, with Shields on the mound, thats not a good combination." Baltimore fell to 0-7 in games it makes an error. The Orioles are 12-5 without committing an error. After Jarrod Dyson singled and scored in the third, singles by Alcides Escobar and Aoki preceded Infantes double in the fifth. Baltimore closed to 4-2 in the sixth when Jemile Weeks singled and Cruz homered to centre, but Kansas Citys four-run seventh against reliever Evan Meek turned the game into a blowout. After Infante connected, Alex Gordon doubled in two runs for an 8-2 lead. "The flood gates opened," Yost said. "That broke the game open at that point." Mike Moustakas doubled in a run off Ryan Webb in the ninth, and the Orioles scored in the bottom half on a wild pitch. NOTES: Orioles LF David Lough made a fine diving catch in the eighth inning to rob Dyson of a hit. ... Cruz has 25 RBIs this month. The club record for April is 31, by Miguel Tejada in 2005. ... Kansas City went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Baltimore was 0 for 2. ... Dyson was 5 for 5 lifetime against Gonzalez before flying out in the fifth. ... Baltimores Nick Markakis got his 1,400th career hit, a single in the ninth inning. Dark Grey/Black/White Nike Free 3.0 Womens V3 Running Shoes . Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., sent a letter Friday to the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce citing the derogatory nature of the word "redskins" and suggesting the committee use its influence to persuade team owner Dan Snyder and the NFL to change the name. Womens Fluorescent Green Nike Roshe Run Mesh Shoes UK . The 11-year NBA veteran scored 18 of his 28 points in the third quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 104-96 Tuesday to match their season best of five victories in a row.Aside from a couple of details that still have to be worked out, the Toronto Maple Leafs are very close to locking up captain Dion Phaneuf to a seven-year, $49 million contract extension, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. Those details, according to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, are regarding Phaneufs no-movement and no-trade clauses in the language of the new contract. Phaneuf, 28, has been captain of the Maple Leafs for the last four seasons - shortly after being acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames in 2010. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. In 638 regular season games, the veteran blueliner has 109 goals and 354 points with 849 penalty minutess. Nike Roshe Run Orange Gray Mens Slip-On Shoes UK. Hes played 260 games of those games with Toronto, scoring 34 goals and 126 points. Signing Phaneuf would keep another one of the Maple Leafs key players in the fold for at least the next five seasons. The club signed winger Phil Kessel to an eight-year, $64 million contract extension at the start of the season and re-signed centre Tyler Bozak to a five-year, $21 million last summer. Free agent forward David Clarkson signed a seven-year, $36.75 million contract with the Maple Leafs on July 1, while wingers Joffrey Lupul and James van Riemsdyk are locked up with long-term contracts through the 2017-18 season.   cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Serena Williams says she asked for a wildcard into the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to combat boredom once she believed her back injury was on the mend. Shane Vereen Blue Jersey . "My back finally started to feel better but it wasnt better in time for me to play Doha at the level Id like to play," said Williams, in a pre-match media interview on Monday. "So then it became more about what can I play next and this was next on the calendar. "It gets boring to have to practice every day. I was like, I dont want to practice anymore. I want to play a match." The American has been sidelined with an aching back since losing a three-set, fourth-round match to Ana Ivanovic at the Australian Open last month. The top-seeded Williams isnt just playing singles this week in Dubai. She and sister Venus, who also was given a singles wildcard into the main draw, were granted a wildcard into the doubles as well. "I think its actually going to be good for me to do (play singles and doubles) because it will give me some more match play," Williams said. "I need to get used to the conditions and moving so its definitely helpful." Williams, who received a first round bye, will play the winner of the all-Russian encounter between Alisa Kleybanova and Elena Makarova in the second round. In the doubles, the Williams sisters will face the second-seeded Russian pairing of Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the first round. Stephen Gostkowski Patriots Jersey . The Korea Football Association announced Thursday that Park Joo-ho will join the 23-man squad to replace the 21-year-old Kim, a Japan-based left back who has played nine internationals since Hong Myung-bo took over as head coach last year. Tim Wright Womens Jersey . pic.twitter.com/jPRNJqXglc — #rexualassault (@rexchurko) May 28, 2014 @BarDown Iceotopes wearing chicken suits complete with sewn on numbers and our goalie is the egg! pic. NEW YORK -- The lockout of Major League Soccers referees has ended following an agreement on a five-year labour contract. The Professional Referee Organization, which manages game officials for the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS, and the Professional Soccer Referee Association, announced the agreement Thursday. Replacements had been used for the first two weekends of MLS games. The PSRA was certified by the National Labor Relations Board last May to represent referees, assistant referees and fourth officials working MLS games. The sides bargained since July, and the lockout began a day ahead of MLS openers on March 7. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service entered talks, and a tentative agreement was reached Tuesday night that was ratified by the union membershhip and approved by PROs executive board. Tedy Bruschi Jersey. . "First contracts sometimes pose difficult challenges as the parties seek to define the parameters of a new formal relationship," FMCS acting director Scot L. Beckenbaugh said in a statement. The agreement runs until Jan. 15, 2019. Lucas Middlebrook, a PRSA lawyer, said the deal includes "substantially better" compensation and "a number of non-economic work rule protections such as a just-cause standard for certain disciplinary matters and standardization of fitness testing. "In addition, the officials now have a contract protecting important quality-of-life items such as travel standards, vacation time and advance notice of match assignments," he said in an email. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '

CHICAGO -- Dale Sveums approach is low-key and universal. Cliff Avril Jersey Seattle Seahawks . He can converse with the clubhouse attendant, relate to the 25th man on the roster and chat up the multimillionaire-dollar star. Hell demand as much accountability from the Chicago Cubs veterans as he will from the younger ones. Whining will not be tolerated. Ground balls will be run out at full speed. And hell address problems directly -- face-to-face. "We wouldnt have brought him into the interview if he wasnt so well-respected by all the players hes been around," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said when Sveum was introduced Friday as the teams new manager. Now, of course, the big question: Can he win? Sveum was courted by two teams with great traditions, and he landed with the one with the current long championship drought. He was interviewed twice by both the Red Sox and the Cubs. When Chicago made an offer two days ago at the owners/GM meetings in Milwaukee, he was finally in reach of the managerial job hed been thinking about since his playing days were winding down in the late 1990s. "I think the arrow fell in the right spot. Whenever you got two places like that and youre in the running, your head is spinning a little bit," Sveum said. "I think what it came down to (is) this was just the better fit." Sveum will be staying in the NL Central. He has been Milwaukees hitting coach the last three seasons and also served as bench and third base coach with the Brewers, the team that launched his 12-year major league career in 1986. And hes had a strong relationship with Brewers star Prince Fielder, one of the biggest free agents this off-season. Sveums lone big league managerial experience lasted 16 games -- 12 at the end of the regular season in 2008 after Ned Yost was fired and four in the playoffs after the Brewers captured that wild card that season. But he was passed up twice for the full-time job as Milwaukee went with Ken Macha, then Ron Roenicke. Sveum also managed the Pirates Double-A team before he became Bostons third base coach in 2004, the year it ended an 86-year championship drought by taking the World Series. The Cubs havent won one since 1918. "The past is the past no matter where you are," Sveum said during an introductory news conference at Wrigley Field. "Youre only as good as you are right now. It doesnt really matter what happened in the past. ... The 103, 104 years blah, blah. It was that way in Boston, it was 86 years. We all know that, but the fact of the matter is when take the field the first day of spring training, its a whole new year." Sveum received a three-year deal with an option for 2015 as the Cubs continue to revamp their operation. Theo Epstein was Bostons general manager before he left last month to become the Cubs president of baseball operations, and Hoyer and scouting director Jason McLeod also worked for the Red Sox. "Dale wont get caught up in the trappings of the job," Epstein said. "Hes very comfortable in his own skin." Sveum replaces the fired Mike Quade. Also interviewed were Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin and Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. This past season under first-year manager Roenicke, the Brewers won 96 games and the NL Central as Sveum supervised one of the best offences in the National League. With Ryan Braun and Fielder leading the way, the Brewers hit an NL-high 185 homers and were third with a .261 batting average on their way to the NL Central title -- well ahead of the fifth-place Cubs. The switch-hitting Sveum was an infielder during a long major league career that included 25 homers and 95 RBIs in 1987. He was injured in an outfield collision the following season, then missed the 1989 season and was never the same player. Sveum got to play under some of the marquee managers in the game, including Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland. Each had an effect on how he plans to approach his new job. "I think the one common thread is the ability to motivate and none of them were screamers or yellers," Sveum said. "Their ability on the bench to never show any emotion or body language -- bad body language or good body language -- I think thats a big asset to show players. That even though it might be crunch time or whatever, they still seemed to be calm and bring an ease to the team." Even though he says he hasnt read the book, "Moneyball," or seen the movie, Sveum is a proponent of statistical analysis favoured by Epstein during his years in Boston, saying it gives the manager options when studying matchups and filling out lineups. And hell talk baseball for hours. Sveum was ready to start meeting with coaching staff holdovers after his news conference on a cold morning at Wrigley Field. Hes promised to improve the defence -- the Cubs made 134 errors while losing 91 games last season -- and baserunning Like everyone else, he was impressed with the offensive skills of 21-year old Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, who had 207 hits a year ago. He wants a bench coach whom he knows well because they are bound to tangle during the season. But it wont be former Brewers Hall of Famer Robin Yount, whom he calls his best friend. "Thats not going to happen," Sveum said. Byron Maxwell Jerseys . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. OBrien Schofield Jerseys . The delighted Vancouver Whitecaps coach was "lost for words" after his club scored three goals in the first 20 minutes en route to a 3-2 win over the San Jose Earthquakes.SALT LAKE CITY - Just four days after becoming one of the most disputed all-star omissions, Kyle Lowry received his consolation prize from the NBA. The Raptors point guard has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 27, through Sunday, Feb. 2, the league announced ahead of Torontos meeting with the Jazz on Monday. Lowry led off the week topping 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career - including a season-high 33 points in Wednesdays win over the Magic - carrying his team to a pair of victories without injured leading scorer DeMar DeRozan. Overall, the eighth-year guard averaged 25.0 points and 8.0 assists as Toronto finished the week with a 3-1 record. For Lowry, the recognition is long overdue. "He is one of the best point guards in the league right now," Dwane Casey said in Denver Thursday evening, hours after the all-star reserves were announced and Lowry, despite his body of work this season, was left off the list. DeRozan, a first-time all-star, was voted in by the coaches and will deservedly represent the Raptors in New Orleans later this month but Lowrys case should have been just as, if not more, compelling. Since the early-December trade of Rudy Gay, Lowry has come out of his shell, emerging as the teams leader. Hes been the Raptors most reliable contributor and a big part of the post-trade resurgence. Toronto has won 19 of 29 games since moving Gay, recording 20 or more assists in 23 of those contests. "Me personally, I thought he should have made [the All-Star team]," DeRoozan said Thursday. Jeremy Lane Jersey Seattle Seahawks. "Especially [with] what he means to this team. There are not too many players that are doing the things he is doing." Lowry, sincerely happy for his teammate, shrugged off the coaches oversight, concerning himself with team success over individual accolades. Similarly, he downplayed a couple nominations for earlier Player of the Week awards and will likely do the same after winning one, but after putting the team on his shoulders this past week, the honour comes well deserved. With DeRozan sidelined for the first time this season, nursing an ankle injury, Lowry engineered a thrilling victory over the surging Nets in Brooklyn to begin the week. In that game, Lowry become the first player this season to record at least 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals, something only LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant accomplished last year. The 27-year-old is also having a career year from beyond the arch, connecting on 16 of his 36 attempts from three-point range last week. Lowry goes into Mondays game in Utah needing nine more threes to match his career-high for treys in a season (129). Hell also chase down Morris Petersons franchise record for most three-pointers made in a single campaign (177). Lowry became the fifth Raptor to win Player of the Week, joining Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, Mike James and Jalen Rose. Also left off the All-Star squad, Suns guard Goran Dragic - Lowrys former teammate in Houston - captured the award in the West. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '

On Saturday, David Sterns 30-year tenure as the commissioner of the National Basketball Association comes to a close. wholesale jerseys . No man in the modern era has held the top office in one of the ‘Big Four sports longer than Stern and the NBA that we know today was largely molded under Sterns watch and his impact on the league is indelible. TSN basketball analyst Jack Armstrong on the legacy of David Stern: David Stern was a visionary who took the league through many challenges with a firm leadership style. Bringing financial stability, great media coverage, global visibility and incredible promotion of both star players and teams alike were just a few of the ways he was as big an impact player as anybody who wore a uniform. The league was a mess when he took over, but not now.  Adam Silver is inheriting a league in terrific shape - an NBA poised to continue to be proactive, decisive and a trendsetter on the pro sports landscape. Stern was the best commissioner the league has ever had and, arguably, the best in pro sports history.  He leaves quite a legacy. Lets look back, then, on a generation of basketball under Sterns watch and where its come from and where its headed in large part due to the man calling time on a storied career. Sterns impact on league direction did not begin with his assumption of the commissioners office in 1984, but rather with two key policies enacted while the Columbia law graduate was still the leagues Executive Vice-President: drug testing and revenue-sharing, both of which provided the framework for the two guidelines in place to this day. A lawyer first, Sterns impact on the business side of operations is obvious, both domestically and abroad. Expansion and franchise movement are hallmarks of Sterns NBA. Under the New York City natives guidance, the league has added seven teams in his 30 years (the Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Vancouver Grizzlies and Charlotte Bobcats) and relocated six more (the San Diego Clippers headed to Los Angeles, the Kings left Kansas City for Sacramento, the Grizzlies went south to Memphis, the Seattle Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Charlotte Hornets eventually became the New Orleans Pelicans and the New Jersey Nets crossed state lines into Brooklyn). Recognizing the global nature of the game, Stern sought to raise the leagues profile in two key ways. Prior to Stern assuming office, the then Washington Bullets had competed in four games against international competition (one in Israel, two in China and another in the Philippines). These were the only four games that an NBA team had competed in outside of North America. Sensing the international appetite for basketball and the potential to gain exposure abroad, Stern set in motion an initiative that, 30 years later, saw expansion into Canada and games played throughout Europe (Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the then Soviet Union, Spain, Japan, France, Georgia, Russia, Lithuania and Turkey,) Asia (Japan, Taiwan and Macau,) Latin America (Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico) and the Caribbean (Bahamas). As of Sterns retirement, 147 games, both exhibition and regular season, have been played outside of continental North America. The second prong in Sterns international plan of attack was the deployment of NBA players to international events like the FIBA World Championships and Summer Olympics, starting with the Dream Team with the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird running roughshod in Barcelona in 1992. Did Sterns plan work? Well, over his 30-year tenure, players representing 69 different countries have appeared in the NBA, a stunning testament to the games growth and popularity abroad. Stern also moved the NBA into the world of the 24-hour news cycle and took advantage of the burgeoning demand for sports programming on television. Its simply impossible to believe in 2014, but prior to David Stern, the NBA Finals were aired on tape delay. Thats right, tape delay!Stern put an end to that, signing lucrative television deals over the past 30 seasons that have ensured live broadcasts in both national and local markets. Right now, the Association is in the seventh year of an eight-year pact with Turner Sports and ABC/ESPN worth $7.44 billion. Rest assured, competition for the next TV deal will be fierce and the league can expect an even more substantial pact. The impact the TV deal had on the financial health of the league is obvious. According to Forbes, the NBAs 23 teams in 1984 were worth a collective $400 million. In the magazines latest franchise valuations, the average NBA franchise is worth $634 million, up 25 per cent from last year alone and the leagues franchises on the whole are worth an estimated $19 billion. Revenue generated from the 1982-83 season, the last prior to Sterns assumption of control, was $118 million. Last season saw revenue generation of $4.6 billion. The Draft Lottery system is another advent under Sterns reign. Phasing out the archaic system of a coin toss between the leagues bottom-two teams to determine who would select first in the annual NBA Draft, Stern introduced a lottery in 1985 that would see any team who missed out on the postseason have an opportunity at the first overall selection in the draft. The process would undergo revisions over the years, but it became an effective tool to prevent out-and-out tanking by losing teams and would be adopted by Stern acolyte Gary Bettman for use in the NHL. The growth under Stern from a business perspective is absolutely stunning, but Sterns sea change was also felt on the court and the in the locker rooms. When Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV-positive in 1991 and stepping away from the game, Stern stood next to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar on the podium, literally and figuratively. Johnson would return to the league and play again in 1995, as Stern and the rest of the NBA showed a progressive stance when it came to a proper understanding of the transmission of the disease and those living with it. Former journeyman John Amaechi came out in 2007 at the conclusion of his NBA career and Stern asserted that a players sexuality wasnt of importance. "We have a very diverse league,” Stern said at the time. “The question at the NBA is always Have you got game? Thats it, end of inquiry.” He praised Jason Collinss courage when the forward revealed his homosexuality in April of 2013. “As Adam Silver and I said to Jason, we have known the Collins family since Jason and [twin brother] Jarron joined the NBA in 2001 and they have been exemplary members of the NBA family,” Stern said in a statement. “Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue.” The NBA also showed a progressive ideal that no other professional league did when, in 1997, it became the first major league to employ female officials with the hiring of Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner as referees. From a discipline perspective, Stern has never been one to shy away on tough decisions. In 1995, Dallas Mavericks star Roy Tarpley was permanently banned from the NBA for repeated substance abuse issues. Stern followed suit that same year with Richard Dumas of the Phoenix Suns. The Miami Heats Chris “Birdman” Andersen was out of the NBA from 2006-2008 due to drug violations. Though some argue that Sterns policies could be more lenient, they were praised by one of the more high profile recipients of a ban. Micheal Ray Richardson, a former fourth overall pick of the New York Knicks in 1978, had lengthy and well-documented substance abuse issues and found himself suspended multiple times over the course of his career. In 1986 as a member of the Nets, Richardson was banned for life for three positive tests. Two years later, his suspension was upheld, but Richardson tested positive for cocaine twice in 1991. At the time, the  four-time All-Star vehemently disputed his positive results and vocally complained that the league was displaying a double standard in not disciplining Golden State Warriors star Chris Mullin for his battles with alcoholism. As the years have passed, Richardson, who coaches the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada, now credits Stern with helping turn his life around. He and Stern made amends at an exhibition game in Paris in 1997.“I went up to him at halftime just to say no hard feelings,” Richardson told Metro London in November 2013. “He doesnt know it, but he probably saved my life.” Sterns policy of ignoring a players stature when meting out discipline extended beyond drug bans. Bit players and All-Stars alike were brought to NBA justice under Stern. Latrell Sprewell, then of the Warriors, was suspended 68 games in 1997 for throttling then coach PJ Carlesimo. Metta World Peace, then Ron Artest, received a 73-game ban for his part in the infamous November 2004 “Malice at the Palace” brawl in Detroit and three other players were suspended for 25-games-plus. After Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards brought a gun into the locker room in January of 2010, the three-time All-Star was suspended for 50 games. The importance of cultivating a workable minor-league system was also recognized by Stern and implemented through the proper expansion of the National Basketball Development League, now the NBA D-League, in 2005 after its creation in 2001. For the first time, NBA teams, like their NHL and MLB counterparts, had a place where they could develop talent without taking up roster spots and use the D-League to spot talent not under NBA contract. From 2005, players with three years of service or fewer could be assigned to the D-League and in the 2011-2012 season, an agreement was reached that would allow veteran players to be assigned to the league if they chose to consent. The benefits of the D-League for the 30 franchises were obvious, but it also represented a tremendous avenue for passed over players to force teams into giving them another look. Jeremy Lin, JJ Barea and Marcin Gortat are among those who blossomed during their D-League tenures before being recalled to their parent teams, while the likes of Matt Barnes, Will Bynum and Chuck Hayes all earned NBA contracts after successful D-League stints. That same summer of 2005, Stern made another significant policy change when the league and NBAPA agreed that players would no longer be admitted into the league straight from high school. Superstars like Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady headed into the Association right after high school, but a player would now have to be 19 years of age to play in the NBA. One of the main reasons for this implementation was to encourage players to head to college and pursue an education. Many see this as naïve, referring to it as the “one-and-done rule,” as many players now will declare for the NBA Draft after their freshmen years, but it nonetheless forced an issue that few wanted to talk about. On the court, Sterns watch saw new rules introduced to both improve the game and add to its integrity. The 1998 season brought with it a ban on any sort of forearm and hand-checking anywhere above the free throw line. This allowed for more unobstructed scoring and some of the games more productive players took full advantage. In 2002, instant replay was introduced to determine whether or not shots got off prior to the expiration of game and shot clocks. Its usage was expanded in 2008, when replay could be used to discern if a basket should be worth two or three points. An epidemic in soccer and hockey, Sterns NBA took on flopping in 2012. Though rules were implemented in 1997 to try to curb it, the addition of fines (albeit, monetarily insignificant ones) were meant to add in the shaming of the practice in a further attempt to eliminate it from the game. Obviously, that process is an ongoing one. It would be completely disingenuous to suggest that the Stern commissionership was all sunshine and lollipops, because it certainly wasnt. The NBA experienced times of tumult under Sterns watch, as well. In his 30 years as commissioner, Sterns NBA has seen labour disruption four times. Thats more than any other head of any of the “Big Four” leagues. With lockouts in 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2011, seasons were shortened two of the four times and revenues suffered and acrimony lingered between the league and the NBAPA. While the Draft Lottery was a novel concept, it hasnt been without its controversy, either. To this day, some insist that the 1985 lottery, won by the Knicks who then selected Patrick Ewing with the first overall pick, was rigged in favour of the Knicks as a means to get the leagues biggest television market the best available player. However, it remains a conspiracy theory. Gambling as an issue has arisen on a couple of very prominent occasions on Sterns watch as well. When the Raptors were about to enter the league in 1995, the NBA ordered that gambling on basketball must be removed from Ontarios provincial sports lottery. The league went as far as to suggest that the expansion franchise would be upheld if there wasnt complete compliance. After three months of negotiation, the leagues wishes were adhered to and Pro-Line removed NBA basketball from its games. Fifteen years later, betting on the NBA was reintroduced to that lottery. An even heavier gambling episode occurred with the case of referee Tim Donaghy. In 2007, it was revealed that Donaghy, a 14-year veteran, was under FBI investigation for gambling on games in which he was officiating and his connections to organized crime. Donaghy was arrested and eventually pled guilty to two counts of felony conspiracy and ended up serving 15 months in a federal prison. Though Stern categorized Donaghys actions of those of a “rogue official,” North American sports largest gambling scandal since Pete Rose brought with it aspersions from the media and fans alike over the integrity of leagues officials. Stern brought about tougher background checks on potential referees, but the taint associated with the episode lingered and still does to a lesser extent today. While relocation has brought with it mostly positive results, it, too, has not been without its detractors. Obviously, there is lingering resentment in markets where franchises left, but the New Orleans Pelicans (then, the Hornets) brought a special challenge to the commissioners office when the league assumed ownership of the struggling team in late 2010. The following year, Hornets star guard Chris Paul asked to be traded and in December of 2011, a three-team deal was agreed upon that would have seen Paul move to the Lakers, Pau Gasol head to the Houston Rockets and Lamar Odom to the Hornets. Stern, however, vetoed the trade for what he called “basketball reasons.” The optics here looked bad. Here was the commissioners office intervening in a trade involving a team under league ownership. This appeared to be a blatant conflict of interest on Sterns part and one resulting from pressure from the leagues board of governors to cultivate parity (in not sending another star player to the Lakers,) but Stern stuck to his guns and the deal died. Still, Sterns detractors pale in comparison to the innovation and stability brought to the NBA under Sterns watch. After 30 years, Stern can walk away from his post proud of the forward-thinking and critical leadership he brought to a league that was crying out for somebody to grab the reins and guide. On Saturday, David Stern exits a bigger, better and more entertaining NBA than the one he entered and the teams, players and fans are all better off for it. David Stern was part-maverick, part-entrepreneur and North American sports had seen few like him before. Very likely, they wont again. nfl jerseys china . -- If the Bears make changes this off-season, it will not be at quarterback. cheap jerseys . Dribbling on the perimeter with the final seconds ticking off the clock and Washington down by a point, Wall found his opening.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Bobcats have waived seldom-used guard Ben Gordon. Charlottes roster now stands at 14 players. Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said Sunday in a statement that "with the recent acquisition of additional backcourt depth to our roster, we believe this is in the best interests of both parties." Charlotte got Gordon from the Detroit Pistons with a future first-round draft pick in June of 2012 for Corey Maggette. wholesale nfl jerseys. The Bobcats will get Detroits pick this year if it is outside the top eight. Gordon was making $13.2 million this season. Gordon never saw significant playing time in Charlotte. He played in only 19 games this season, averaging 5.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.7 minutes. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '

MILWAUKEE -- Derrick Rose faked like he was going to drive to the basket again, creating just enough of a cushion on defender Brandon Jennings. cheap jerseys . Then he slid to his left in a split second, drilling a winning shot at the buzzer. The reigning league MVP sure knows how to thrill a stadium filled with Bulls fans -- even when he isnt playing at home. Roses off-balance shot just inside the 3-point line capped a 30-point night that powered the Chicago Bulls to a 106-104 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. "It was like a kid, all the things that you dream about," Rose said. "It felt good. Youre on the road, going against a team thats giving you their all and you hit a nice shot like that." Rose was mobbed by his teammates near halfcourt as a predominantly pro-Bulls crowd roared in approval, bursting out in chants of "M-V-P!" Joakim Noah added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won eight straight. "It was like a movie," Noah said. "Hit the shot, no time left on the clock, you hear the horn, the ball goes through the net. It must be an unbelievable feeling to hit a shot like that." Jennings noted that Rose wasnt having a particularly good night shooting from outside, so the Bucks were expecting him to drive. "I tried to make him take as difficult a shot as he could," Jennings said. "I was playing him to go to the basket, of course. He hit a step-back jump shot with a hand in his face. Hey, man, you go ahead and take that one." Bucks coach Scott Skiles said Rose made an incredibly tough shot look easy. "What a luxury to have, you dont even need to run a play," Skiles said. "You can just bring it in, throw it to a guy and he can get whatever shot he wants." Ersan Ilyasova had a career-high 32 points and Drew Gooden added a season-high 27 for the Bucks, who were coming off a home win over Philadelphia on Monday. The Bulls held Jennings to 11 points on 4 for 18 shooting. Jennings had scored 27-plus points in his previous three games coming into Wednesday. With the Bulls often double-teaming Jennings on defence, especially early, Gooden was left open for several outside shots -- and he cashed in, scoring 16 first-half points to keep the Bucks in the game. "I mean, it was a little difficult," Jennings said. "But like I said, Drew was hitting shots, Ersan was playing big for us." Once again, the Bradley Center was taken over by Bulls fans -- although Chicagos home-away-from-home-court advantage wasnt quite as pronounced as it was in the Bulls Feb. 4 victory at Milwaukee, a Saturday night game that drew a huge crowd comprised mostly of Bulls fans. Still, the Bucks received a jarring greeting when they took the floor before Wednesdays game -- mostly boos -- and the crowd was decidedly pro-Bulls most of the game. When Milwaukees Mike Dunleavy Jr. missed badly in the second quarter, he was subjected to "Airball!" chants. It left the Bucks in the odd position of having to talk about tuning out the crowd at home. "It hurts a lot that we lost this one, just the fact that we played so hard for 48 minutes," Jennings said. "Guys were down there battling. We didnt let the crowd get to us at all." The crowd apparently did get his attention before the game. "I told the guys before the game, were just going to tune that out and play basketball," Jennings said. The Bulls have won all four meetings with the Bucks this season. With the Bulls up by two, Rose lost the ball out of bounds and officials initially ruled it went off a Bucks player. After a replay review, the call was reversed and the ball went to the Bucks with 55.2 seconds left. Milwaukees Beno Udrih then drove for a layup, tying the game with 42.9 seconds left. Rose drove on Jennings, then tried to hit a turnaround jumper -- and drew a foul on Jennings and hit both shots for a 104-102 lead with 32.5 left. Ilyasova scored inside, tying the game again with 24 seconds left and setting the stage for Roses last-second shot. "It was a great play by him," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He took the clock down, he didnt leave any time because it was one of those games where whoever had the ball, you thought they were going to score next." Notes: The Bulls were without guards Richard Hamilton and C.J. Watson because of injuries. Hamilton has a right shoulder injury, while Watson has a left ankle sprain. ... The Bucks were without defensive ace Luc Richard Mbah a Moute because of a right knee injury, and Udrih played despite left knee soreness. Stephen Jackson continues to sit out with hamstring soreness, and no timeline has been established for his return. wholesale jerseys . No way, absolutely no way. If you do, where do you go from there? If you want to progress as a team and as a club you have no chance if you sell players like that. cheap jerseys from china . LOUIS -- St.The St. Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup. Numbers Game breaks down the Blues acquisition of Ryan Miller and Steve Ott. The Blues Get: G Ryan Miller and C Steve Ott. Miller, 33, is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, despite rarely getting rewarded with wins by this struggling Sabres team. Millers .923 save percentage this season is the second-best of his career, bettered only by his .929 save percentage in 2009-2010, when he won the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender. Its that strong play from Miller this year that has made him an attractive commodity on the trade market because, over the past three seasons, his .926 even-strength save percentage is only okay, just barely ahead of Jaroslav Halaks .925 mark. Its also not like Miller has a sterling playoff reputation. He hasnt played beyond the first round since 2007 and his .917 career save percentage in the playoffs is actually worse than Halaks .923. The numbers arent going to present a strong edge for Miller, so the deal has to be predicated on some comfort level; that the Blues intangibly feel better about their chances with Miller than Halak. Ott is a 31-year-old forward who has been asked to handle too much ice time on a Sabres team lacking bona fide NHL talent. Hes averaging a career-high 19:42 per game -- a couple of seconds more per game than current Blues No. 1 centre David Backes -- despite getting destroyed in terms of puck possession. However, Ott had established earlier in his career that he could be a decent complementary forward, skating in a top-nine role and penalty killing while chipping in some offence and annoying just about anyone he comes in contact with. Since the start of the 2009-2010 season, Ott is the only player in the NHL to have at least 60 goals and 600 penalty minutes. In a third or fourth-line role with the Blues, though, Ott should be in position to have some success. Both Miller and Ott will be unrestricted free agents in the summer, so there isnt any grand financial commitment from the Blues, though if their playoff run goes well, its safe to assume that St. Louis would at least want to keep Miller around. The Sabres Get: G Jaroslav Halak, RW Chris Stewart, LW William Carrier, a first-round pick in 2015 and a third-round pick in 2016. Halak, 28, has been decent this season, posting a .917 save percentage (that matches his career mark) in 40 games. Hes had some ups and downs, including an injury-marred 2013 season during which he posted an .899 save perccentage but, by and large, hes been an above average goaltender throughout his 260-game NHL career. jerseys nfl cheap wholesale. Halaks .917 career save percentage is actually a hair better than Millers .916 save percentage. While Halak was moved out, its not impossible for the Sabres to flip him again prior to the deadline. Halak will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, so there are no guarantees about where hes going to be playing next year. Stewart is a 26-year-old power forward who has 15 goals, 26 points and a career-high 112 penalty minutes in 58 games this season. Those numbers are a far cry from last season, when Stewart led the Blues with 36 points in 48 games and his ice time has been knocked down to 14:42 per game, his lowest since his rookie year in 2008-2009. Even worse, Stewart has been getting torched in terms of puck possession, despite starting more than 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone. On a team as good as the Blues, thats not easy to accomplish. Nevertheless, Stewart is a big winger who can score and is under contract at a cap hit of $4.15-million for next season. If he doesnt perform well in Buffalo, Stewart could very easily be moved again, or he could get flipped even before he suits up for the  Sabres. Carrier was a second-round pick of the Blues in 2013 and has 56 points (17 G, 39 A) in 59 QMJHL games. He has the size to be a power foward and was traded to Drummondville part way through the season. Carrier will need a few years to develop, but his offensive production this year raises some questions about whether hes going to be a notable scorer as a pro. Getting the Blues first-round pick in 2015 is a nice coup for the Sabres. Its not as though the Blues can be expected to collapse and be in line for the No. 1 pick, which is earmarked for Connor McDavid, but the 2015 draft is expected to be strong, so there is likely more value for the Sabres getting that pick rather than one late in the 2014 draft. The third-round pick in 2016 is a nice sweetener, with upside, as it could be a first-round pick if the Blues reach the Western Conference Final or Miller re-signs in St. Louis. These are two teams in virtually opposite positions. The Blues are ready to take a run at the Stanley Cup and are willing to take on a couple of potential rentals to help in that regard, and while the Blues sacrificed some draft pick value, they didnt lose any core pieces of the team that has been so successful to this point in the season. 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. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '

(SportsNetwork. jerseys from china .com) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to even their series with the Dallas Mavericks Monday night when the two teams collide at American Airlines Arena for Game 4. The Mavericks took a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference first round series with a dramatic 109-108 home win Saturday. The venerable Vince Carter nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Mavs the lead in a series they could easily be up 3-0 if not for a major drought at the conclusion of Game 1. Catching an inbound pass from Jose Calderon on the left sideline, Carter pump- faked Manu Ginobili in the corner and let the shot fly as he fell out of bounds. After it went in, Carter stomped on the court and was mobbed by teammates. Dirk Nowitzki put him in a headlock. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban rushed to give him a hug. However, Dallas is already focusing on Game 4. "I think its behind us now," Carter said following Sundays practice. "It was just a great opportunity. I mean, it was just great to come in and everybody was like, Hey, man, it still was a great shot. But once practice started we kind of put that past us and we prepped ourselves for tomorrow, because this is just as big as Game 3." Carter finished with 11 points on Saturday. Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 29 points, followed by 18 from Nowitzki. Calderon chipped in 16 and Samuel Dalembert gave Dallas a lift with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Tim Duncans 22 led the way for the Spurs. Tony Parker netted 19 and Kawhi Leonard finished with 17. Tiago Splitter registered a double-double with 14 points and 13 boards, while Ginobili managed 12. As focused as the Mavericks are for Game 4, the Spurs were as pragmatic about what happened at the end of Game 3. "Vince made a shot. Manu guarded him, he did it well and Vince made a shot," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "Give him credit. There was no breakdown or anything like that. Manu was right there and he did everything he could. Vince knocked it down." Ellis, who had 12 points in the fourth quarter, hit a 3-pointer to give Dallas a lead with 6 1/2 minutes left, then a jumper the next time down the court. Later, another jumper cut San Antonios lead to one. Ellis three-point play after he was fouled on a baseline shot tied the score at 102-102 with 70 seconds remaining. Boris Diaw knocked down a baseline jumper for the Spurs but Ellis came through for the Mavericks again, tying the game with 24.9 ticks remaining on a one- handed runner. Ginobili drove around Shawn Marion at the other end and made his go-ahead bank shot over Dalembert. Then, Carter made his 3-pointer to give Dallas the win. The Spurs had won 10 in a row over the Mavs prior to the Game 2 loss. Now, theyre staring at a very difficult situation, should they lose Game 4 on Monday night. San Antonio could be the sixth No. 1 seed to lose to an eighth seed in the first round. The Spurs fell to the Memphis Grizzlies in this situation three years ago. Game 5 will be Wednesday night in San Antonio. cheap nfl jerseys . -- Philippe Cadorette made 22 saves as the Baie-Comeau Drakkar shut out the Victoriaville Tigres 3-0 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action Monday. wholesale nfl jerseys . A stick in the gut prevented him from getting off a clean drive, but it earned him the first penalty shot of his career. He converted, and Patrice Bergeron also scored a short-handed goal on Thursday night as the Bruins opened the defence of their Eastern Conference championship with a 3-1 victory over the Lightning.FRANKFURT, Germany -- Daniel Brands defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (5), 6-4 to wrap up a 4-1 win for Germany over Spain in their Davis Cup World Group first round tie on Sunday. Brands was the only German player available to play Sunday, after Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber won their doubles match Saturday for an unassailable 3-0 lead. Kohlschreiber pulled out of his reverse singles match against Sppanish No. nfl jerseys china. 1 Feliciano Lopez, while Haas was also unavailable. Florian Meyer had a shoulder injury. German captain Carsten Arriens was whistled and heckled by the home crowd when he announced there would only be one match. Germany, which last won the trophy in 1993, plays France in the quarterfinals in April, while five-time champion Spain faces a World Group playoff in September. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '

UNIONDALE, N. Emmanuel Sanders Jersey .Y. – Randy Carlyle could handle and might even expect some rustiness for 20 minutes or so after an 18-day Olympic break, but not for the entirety of what proved a dud for the Maple Leafs on Thursday in Long Island. "We gave them three goals," said Carlyle, still steaming after a 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders. "You cant win in the NHL giving three goals. Gifts. Total gifts." This was not the way Carlyle imagined his team starting the final lap of a long race to the playoffs – a blistering stretch featuring 21 more games in a hectic 44 days – but thats what he got, a sloppy, uninspired performance opposite a team that had lost seven of its previous eight games and was without its best player, John Tavares. Lacking the zip of their pre-Olympic pace – which included wins in 11 of 14 games – the Leafs managed to give away two shorthanded goals in a span of 48 seconds on the same two-minute power play before dropping a pair of third period leads. They lost the undeserved extra point in overtime when James van Riemsdyk could not corral a bouncing puck in the slot, essentially handing it to incoming Islander defender Lubomir Visnovsky, who snuck one through Jonathan Bernier. "I think mentally we looked like we were going to out-skill the hockey club we played against and they had a different attitude. They tried to grind it with us," said Carlyle afterward. "We tried to out-skill a hockey club tonight." Rust was to be expected after the two-plus week Olympic break, but not to the degree that it lingered on this night against a vastly inferior opponent. Two times in the third period did the Leafs vault in front – on goals from Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul – only to be jilted twice for that lead by Anders Lee, who scored twice in his first NHL game. Lee tapped in his first on a New York power-play, evading Phaneuf and Bernier on the fourth and final game-tying goal late in regulation. "You can expect it for a period," Carlyle said of rust, "but I think when you get down to the third period and youre up in a hockey game youd expect to be able to grind it out, tighten it up and finish the team off. "We were lucky to get a point." Perhaps the effort will offer an early warning to a club itching for a second consecutive spring of playoff hockey. While still comfortable as the first wild card in the East with 71 points that comfort has the potential – however unlikely at this point – to disappear if the Leafs were to catch a fever of bad hockey down the stretch. And with rivals in Montreal and Tampa Bay still there to be caught and Detroit just a smidge behind, heavy incentive remains to lay the foot on the pedal with just over a month left to play. "We know that we left a point here," said Phaneuf. "Thats something we have to recognize and learn from." Five Points 1. Stretch Drive Mentality It was a race to the 2008-09 postseason and Tim Gleason and the Carolina Hurricanes were in a desperate hunt to claim one of the final spots in the East. Winning 13 of their final 18 games they snuck in, landed the sixth seed and proceeded to march all the way to the conference finals.   "Thinking back I think thats what it was," Gleason told the Leaf Report. "You play as hard as you can because you needed those two points every night." Though his current team sits firm in a playoff position at the moment, Gleason hopes they latch onto his former clubs sense of nightly desperation. Thursday was in no way, shape or form a good start. "Its like a new season, a new beginning and you know youve got to come and play and get the wins when you can," said the 31-year-old. "...youve got to push when everyone else is pushing and you have to push harder than everybody else." The Olympic break could not have come at more inopportune time for the Leafs, who entered the stoppage on a scorching run that saw them emerge with points in 12 of 14 games (11-2-1). Gleason too was settling into a groove in Toronto after eight seasons in Carolina. "Its interesting because everybody is anxious for the break because its good to have a break, but you think in the back of your mind you dont want it to end because it was going in the right direction," he said. "Now I think its just more of a mental thing, knowing where we left off and what we have to do to keep the pace and pick up points when we can." 2. Lacking Defence In winning 11 of those 14 games before the break, the Leafs scored and scored quite a bit – averaging 3.64 goals per game, a number that would easily lead the league if somehow sustained. And yet in that same stretch, Toronto also gave up nearly three goals per game itself and still ranks as one of the NHLs worst defensive clubs (all of this with terrific goaltending from Bernier). Team defence remains a sore spot for the Leafs and a worrying concern ahead of the playoffs when the hockey tends to tighten with goals ever the harder to come by. "Weve talked so much about defence and we havent really applied ourselves as a team in that area," said Carlyle on Thursday morning, "and thats one of the things that weve stated from the beginning of the season that we wanted to be stingier on the defensive side of it." No team allows more shots nightly than do the Leafs and only five teams have yielded more goals, none of them currently in a playoff position. The Islanders managed five on this night, playing without their top centre, Tavares, and their second-best centre, Frans Nielsen. "Weve talked about it so many times about our goaltenders having to be taxed in too many situations," Carlyle said. "Wed like to be able to say that its a new season for us, were starting over. The defensive aspect of it has to be part of it. But it takes goals to score in the league too. We just dont want to give up too many of the quality scoring chances..." 3. Bernier Workload Only one goaltender in the NHL has faced more shots this season than Bernier and thats Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes. Of course, Smith has also started 10 more games than the 25-year-old, who made his 39th start of the season at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Bernier faced 35 shots and allowed five goals, ending a run of 12 consecutive starts yielding three or fewer. "I thought my rebound control wasnt great tonight and Ive got to make more saves," he said afterward. "Five goals, its not a good night, but at the same time we got a point and weve got to move on." Shining in his first go-around as an NHL no. 1, the stretch drive will prove an interesting testing ground for Bernier. He has not played this many games in a season since 2009-10 when he was still in the American League with Manchester. 4. No Olympic Letdown? Back in 2010 and then the bench boss in Anaheim, Carlyle had a slew of players return from the Olympics in Vancouver emotionally spent and missing the gas required to carry the Ducks as per usual. But on Thursday morning, Carlyle raised the belief that Sochi Olympians Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Nik Kulemin could actually have a leg up on their teammates having played the past few weeks. And he turned out to be fairly prescient, at least for a game. van Riemsdyk had a hand in three of the four Toronto goals, matching a career-high with three assists, while Kessel chipped in with his 32nd goal of the year, also adding a helper to what has been a scorching 2014. The 26-year-old is now tied for second in league scoring with 67 points, 30 of which have come in the New Year. "Its not too hard to get back into it," van Riemsdyk said prior to the game. "Obviously we know whats at stake. All my attention is here on the Maple Leafs. The Olympics is done and over with. Its all about the rest of the season here and what we have to accomplish here." 5. Olympic Experience An Olympian with the American squad for the first time, the 24-year-old van Riemsdyk said the experience was memorable despite a disappointing finish which saw the U.S. bounced by Canada in the semifinals and then trounced in the bronze medal game by Finland. "Obviously the ending wasnt necessarily how we wanted it go which is unfortunate, but in a tournament like that where its single elimination thats how it goes sometimes unfortunately. As far as the whole Olympic experience I thought it was pretty cool. It almost reminded me of being back in college again as far as just even the dorms and being at the cafeteria with all the other athletes." Stats-Pack 1479 – Shots faced by Jonathan Bernier this season, second most in the NHL. 67 – Points this season for Phil Kessel, now tied for second in league scoring. 29 – Points for Kessel in the past 16 games. 12 – Goals for Kessel in that same 16-game stretch. 2 – Shorthanded goals scored by the Islanders in 48 seconds of the same Toronto power-play on Thursday. 3.67 – Goals per game for the Leafs since Jan. 12. 3 – Goals against per game for the Leafs this season. 3 – Assists by James van Riemsdyk against New York, matching a career-high. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4Season: 21.8 per cent (4th) PK: 3-4Season: 77.9 per cent (29th) Quote of the Night "Gifts. Ive got no other word to describe the goals that we gave up." -Randy Carlyle, following the overtime loss to the Islanders. Up Next The Leafs head to Montreal for a Saturday showdown with the Canadiens. Joel Dreessen Jersey . "First, I would like to offer my deepest and sincerest apologies for any harm I have inflicted on University of Missouri defensive lineman, Michael Sam," the statement read. Orlando Franklin Jersey . Jarome Iginla and Zdeno Chara each had two goals, Tuukka Rask made 25 saves and the Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1 Saturday.The defending-champion Miami Heat hold top spot in the preseason edition of the TSN.ca NBA Power Rankings, but they have challengers lined up to knock them off their perch. Last years finalists, the San Antonio Spurs, are ranked second, ahead of the Indiana Pacers, a team that took Miami to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Final. After those two, the Heats closest challengers last season, come the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, two teams that made notable upgrades in the offseason. In the Nets case, they plucked proven vets Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry from Boston, along with Andrei Kirilenko from Minnesota, to give them a much more formidable rotation. In addition to a new coach, Doc Rivers, the Clipperrs brought in shooters J. Will Montgomery Jersey. .J. Redick and Jared Dudley to spread the floor, ideally creating more room for Blake Griffin in the low post and giving Chris Paul more options as he runs the offence. The Oklahoma City Thunder are ranked notably lower than might have been expected, at nine, because point guard Russell Westbrook is recovering from knee surgery. As for Canadas entry, the Toronto Raptors are ranked 22nd, stuck between contending for a playoff spot and being bad enough to contend for one of the top picks in the 2014 Draft Lottery. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. 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SUNRISE, Fla. Terrance Knighton Jersey . -- Alex Ovechkin rebounded from his Olympic disappointment. In the first game back since the break, Ovechkin scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and had two assists, and Troy Brouwer had two power-play goals, lifting the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. Nicklas Backstrom and Brooks Laich also tallied for the Capitals and Braden Holtby made 30 saves. Backstrom and Laich each had two assists. Russia was eliminated by Finland in the quarterfinals at the Sochi Games, where Ovechkin had only one goal and one assist. Brad Boyes scored twice for Florida, and Drew Shore and Tomas Fleischmann also had goals. Tim Thomas stopped 27 shots. Ovechkin broke a 4-all tie in the third period when he took a pass from Laich on the right side and sent a one-timer past Thomas at 15:43 for his 41st goal. "I think we had a pretty good game, but a couple of mistakes, a couple of turnovers almost cost us points," Ovechkin said. "But its good we bounced back and finished." Ovechkins goal came just 16 seconds after a great save by Thomas with 4:43 left in the game. Mike Green came in on a breakaway on Thomas, who slipped backward into the crease and stretched out his glove into the net as he fell. Greens shot went right into Thomass glove as he was flat on his back. "I just caught a rut on the ice or something but it turned into a really nice highlight reel save," Thomas said. "I had to make the save because I look like an idiot." Thomas save might have turned the momentum toward Florida but Ovechkin spoiled the effort. "We tied it up, we were fortunate enough for me to make that save, but (after) that type of save, the last thing you want to give up is a two-on-one," Thomas said. The Capitals beat the Panthers for the ninth time in 10 meetings. Florida lost for the sixth time in seven games. For Ovechkin, looking forward might be the best way to handle the disappointment, and this game was a good start. "Its always important when you score goals because youre going to feel great the next day and the next game," Ovechkin said. The Panthers rallied twice from two-goal deficits but it wasnt enough to stop the Capitals. "The guys showed huge character after being down. I didnt like the goals they (Washington) scored, but they fought back and got a goal at the end of the first, we fought back and tied the game up, and we give them two goals again," Panthers coach Peter Horachek said. "We fight back and tie it up, then you give them the winner. Its frustrating." Down 4-2, the Panthers tied it in the first half of the third period with two goals 82 seconds apart. Shore scored a power-play goal at 8:01 with a slap shot. Boyes tied it 4-all when he grabbed his own rebound and put it into the net at 9:23. "We lost our composure a little bit and they were able to capitalize on it," Laich said. Brouwers second power-play goal gave the Capitals a 4-2 lead. Thomas made a pad save on a shot by Ovechkin but lost his stick. Brouwer knocked in the loose puck with 47 seconds left in the second. "Were trying to make a good playoff push and we need everyone to contribute to try and find ways to get points like we did tonight," Brouwer said. The Panthers tied the score 2-2 just 40 seconds into the second. Boyes found a rebound at the right side of the net and poked in the puck. The Capitals regained the lead about three minutes later. Backstrom took a rebound that went off a Panthers defenceman and put it into the net at 3:44. The Capitals scored twice in the first period. During a power play, John Carlson took a shot from the point that was blocked by Thomas. Brouwer grabbed the rebound after it deflected off Laich and backhanded it past Thomas at 5:48 to make it 1-0. Laich then took a cross-ice pass from Ovechkin and scored on a one-timer from the right circle that went over Thomass shoulder at 8:10. The Panthers closed to 2-1 on Fleischmanns goal. Fleischmann took a pass from Jesse Winchester below the left circle and beat Holtby on the stick side at 15:27 of the first for his first goal in 23 games. NOTES: Capitals C Marcus Johansson sat out the game due to fatigue after a 20-hour plane trip from Sweden via London to return to the U.S. ... D Mike Green and C Mikhail Grabovski, who missed five and eight games respectively due to injury before the Olympic break, were back in the lineup for Thursdays game. ... Panthers C Scott Gomez and D Dylan Olsen were healthy scratches. Shannon Sharpe Jersey . In fact, cranky would best describe the Celtics mood as they packed for a trip home to play Milwaukee on Wednesday. "It was a win, thats all it was for us," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. John Elway Orange Jersey . Louis Blues return to top spot in the TSN. DETROIT -- The Phoenix Coyotes were looking for a bounce-back game, and they got it. Michael Stones goal with 4:47 left broke a tie, and the Coyotes beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on Thursday night. Phoenix was coming off 4-1 and 6-1 losses at San Jose and the New York Islanders to begin a five-game road trip. "We figured out what we have to do to be in a hockey game," said Mike Smith, who made 28 saves. Derek Morris and Antoine Vermette both had a goal and an assist, and Mikkel Boedker also scored for Phoenix. Stone fired a slap shot from the right point that went through teammate Martin Hanzals screen and caromed in off the far goal post. It came 2 seconds after a Coyotes power play ended. Stephen Weiss, who received a hooking penalty with 6:49 left, had just come out of the penalty box. "Got an opening and a chance to shoot," Stone said. "(Mike) Ribeiro mad a great pass, and I got a screen in front from Marty Hanzal. "To respond the way we did after two ugly ones is the way to go." Vermette added an empty-net goal in the last minute. Joakim Andersson and Jonathan Ericsson scored for Detroit, and Jimmy Howard stopped 35 shots. Andersson and Ericsson had goals 53 seconds apart early in the second period to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead. "I didnt think we played very well," Red Wings right wing Daniel Cleary said. "It wasnt a very good game defensively, and we didnt spend enough time in their zone. "Thats two games in a row that we havent looked like us." Detroit lost 4-1 at Boston on Saturday night. The CCoyotes also dominated in the faceoff circle, winning 46 of 70 draws. Terrance Knighton Orange Jersey. . "Our faceoffs were really strong," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "Theres always little things that you want to tweak." Andersson, Detroits third-line centre, addressed the faceoff situation. "They are known to be good faceoff guys, a couple of them, but we have to be better than we were tonight," he said. "I dont know what the stats are, but thats how I felt. "We knew those two guys (Hanzal, Vermette) are real good on faceoffs. We have to dig in better next time." Andersson put a rebound over Smiths shoulder 5:07 into the second period to tie it 1-1. It was the first goal of the season for the Red Wings third line, which also features Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi. Ericssons floating shot from the right point found its way into the net at 6:00. But Boedker made it 2-2 by scooping up a loose puck and putting it in just 1:04 later. Morris opened the scoring just 2:21 in when his slap shot from the right point got past Howard after Vermette beat Stephen Weiss cleanly on a faceoff. NOTES: Phoenix D Rostislav Klesla made his season debut. He opened the season on the injured list because of a concussion and whiplash sustained during the preseason. ... Detroit LW Patrick Eaves, on long-term injured reserve with a sprained left knee ligament and sprained left ankle, said he should be available to play on Oct. 26. ... Phoenix RW David Moss is from Detroit and played at the University of Michigan. ... Red Wings RW Daniel Cleary played with the Coyotes in 2003-04. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '