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(Sports Network) – The Cleveland Indians take aim at a series win this afternoon when they play the rubber match of a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Marty Mcsorley Jersey. Cleveland snapped a seven-game home losing streak and won for the first time in six tries overall on Tuesday, as Carlos Carrasco gave up just three hits in 8 1/3 scoreless innings, while Shelley Duncan drove in the only run in a 1-0 win. Carrasco (5-3) retired the first 13 batters he faced and ended with six strikeouts and just one walk for the Indians, who had dropped five straight games, including a 6-4 loss in the series opener on Monday. Carlos was tremendous, Indians manager Manny Acta said of his starter. He had a very good fastball and kept it down at their knees and got a ton of groundballs. The win also snapped an eight-game losing streak to their Central Division rivals dating back to last season. Francisco Liriano (3-6) returned from the 15-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation and allowed an unearned run in five innings for the Twins, who had a five-game winning streak stopped. He struck out seven batters and surrendered just three hits. I think we ran into a buzz saw pitcher tonight, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. He was very good and didnt give us much of a chance to get things going. Like the Indians Justin Masterson has had trouble finding the win column and today he attempts his first victory in eight starts. Masterson fell for the second straight time on Friday against Texas, as he allowed four runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 frames. Since opening the year 5-0, Masterson has lost his last four decisions and has seen his earned run average rise to 3.28. Mastersons struggles may continue this afternoon, as he has never beaten the Twins, going 0-4 with a 4.82 ERA in eight games (five starts). Minnesota, meanwhile, will counter with Carl Pavano, who won for the first time in seven starts his last time out. Pavano went the distance to defeat the Kansas City Royals on Friday, holding them to a pair of runs and nine hits to earn the 100th win of his career, upping his mark on the year to 3-5 to go along with a 4.83 ERA. Pavano beat the Indians back on April 24 and is 3-2 in six starts against them with a 2.95 ERA. The Twins have won three of their four matchups with the Indians this season. Dale Hunter Jersey.J. — One of the fixtures of the NHL playoffs is going to be missing this season — the New Jersey Devils. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey. A woman enters the Beverly Hills, Calif., building Monday, Feb. 9, 2009 where the clinic of Dr. Michael Kamrava is located. The mother who gave birth to octuplets identified the West Coast IVF Clinic in Beverly Hills in this building as the one which provided in-vitro fertilization for all 14 of her children. Brad Richards Jersey. Especially for Brad Gushue recently. Gushue and his Newfoundland team might be the 2006 Olympic mens curling champions, but they had to scrub their way to victory in their third game of the Grey Power World Cup of Curling at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga yesterday. Marc Staal Jersey. Xi will pay the visits at the invitations of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Angolan Vice President Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos and Botswanan Vice President Mompati Merafhe. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey. Many players were still on the championships three courses, but Bjorns lead looked certain to hold at the end of the first round. BOSTON — The Boston Bruins have already put their brutal October behind them. The defending Stanley Cup champions opened November with a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, getting back-to-back goals from Johnny Boychuk and Daniel Paille 47 seconds apart to break open a tie game in the third period. After going 3-7 in October, the Bruins looked much more like the team that hoisted the Cup in June than the bumbling bunch that returned this fall and finished the opening month with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. ”We were dumping the puck well, retrieving the puck well. I thought that you just could tell we were getting better and better every shift that we did that,” said Chris Kelly, who had a goal and an assist. ”I thought for the most part that was the most consistent effort that weve had so far this year.” Zdeno Chara had two assists for the Bruins, who ended the Senators six-game winning streak. Boston outshot Ottawa 41-26 and shut down the NHLs top power play, holding Ottawa scoreless on three chances with the man advantage. Ottawa had 13 power-play goals in its first 12 games. The Bruins controlled the second period and took a 3-2 lead on goals by Patrice Bergeron and Kelly, then put in two more after Ottawas Jared Cowen tied it at 3-all on his first NHL goal with 14:56 left in the game. Boychuk gave Boston a 4-3 lead with a slap shot from the point for his first goal of the season, and less than a minute later Shawn Thornton tipped a pass to Paille for a breakaway goal that put the Bruins up by two. That was a big enough cushion for Tim Thomas (4-4), who finished with 23 saves. ”We definitely had the puck the most that weve had it all year, at least thats what it felt like,” Thomas said. ”We had it in their end and we just had our feet moving.” Craig Anderson (6-3) stopped 36 shots for Ottawa, which hadnt lost since Oct. 18. ”I think the Stanley Cup champions showed up and they decided they wanted to play. They were determined to win, and the solutions thatt we had for them werent working,” Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said. Jaromir Jagr Jersey. ”They were quicker than us. They were on the puck better than we were. They made us play in our end way, way too much. When those things happen, bad things happen.” Nick Foligno finished with a goal and two assists, and Stephane DaCosta had a goal and his first NHL assist for Ottawa. After getting outplayed in the second, the Senators grinded out the early part of the third and tied it when Foligno dropped a pass back to the point to Cowen, who fired a slap shot past a screen of players and Thomas right pad. But Boychuk tied it on a blast from the point with 13:19 to go, and Paille got loose for a breakaway goal on Anderson with 12:42 left. ”We stayed patient and we stayed strong in the defensive zone,” Paille said. ”Toward the end of the game we didnt give them too much.” Foligno gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead in the first period when he grabbed a loose puck and lofted a backhander off Thomas blocker. The puck dropped behind him, and Bobby Butler crashed the net for Ottawa, occupying Thomas and the Bruins as the puck trickled across the goal line. Milan Lucic tied it with a power-play goal with 12:48 left in the first, lifting a rebound over Anderson, but Ottawa struck again barely a minute later. Foligno pounced on a loose puck and slid a backward pass between his legs to DaCosta, who poked a shot past Thomas as the details of Lucics goal were being announced to the crowd. NOTES: Ottawa hadnt lost since falling to 1-5 with a 7-2 loss to Philadelphia. … Bergerons goal in the second period extended his point streak to five games. … Chara had his second multipoint game of the season. … Bergeron tied it at 2-all early in the second on a wrist shot from the slot off a pass from Tyler Seguin during a 3-on-2 rush with Brad Marchand, who also got an assist. … Shawn Thornton and Ottawas Zenon Konopka squared off in a long fight just after the opening goal. Neither player made much contact despite throwing numerous haymakers. ’ ’ ’

To say heavy snowfall has almost paralyzed North (and parts of Central) China is to state the obvious. Zach Parise Jersey. Vehicles on many highways and expressways in north, northeastern and northwestern China have either come to a standstill or are moving at a snails pace. In even cities such as Beijing, which has received its heaviest snowfall in 54 years, venturing out has become treacherous business whether one is walking on pavements or inching forward cautiously in a car or a bus. So one can imagine what people are going through in cities and towns and villages not used to or prepared for snow at all. Tens of thousands of people are stranded on the highways and airports and railway stations across north and northwestern China. The blocking of highways means thousands of tons of essentials and perishables like vegetables and fruits cannot reach their destinations, making life more difficult for the people, especially the poor. Even before yesterday mornings snowfall, more than 10,000 vehicles and 30,000 people had been stranded in Shanxi province alone. Shanxi experienced its heaviest snowfall since 1951, and neighboring Hebei since 1987. A majority of highways in Hebei have been closed, blocking tens of thousands of vehicles and passengers just on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Expressway. Related readings: Snow pear snow fungus sweet dessert North Chinas vegetable prices soar due to snow Gas station collapses amid heavy snow Jinan traffic police offer public tips for snow travel The heavy snow has forced authorities to close Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Xian and Zhengzhou airports for safety reasons. Airports in cities such as Beijing, Urumqi, Yinchuan, Xining and Hohhot have been compelled to cancel or defer (indefinitely) hundreds of flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. This winters snow has already claimed three lives. Three children died and 28 were injured when the roof of a primary school canteen in Handan, Hebei, collapsed late on Wednesday, according to Xinhua. All these bring back cold, bitter memories of January-February last year when millions of people returning home to celebrate Spring Festival were caught in one of the worst sleet and snowstorm the country has seen, which didnt spare even the eastern, central and southern parts of the country. Power cuts, disruptions in water supply and lack of essential commodities in large parts of the country worsened the condition of the people. It was only because of the backbreaking efforts of workers, soldiers, committed officials and ordinary people that the death toll was so low. Truly, the country rose as one, as it had done after the Sichuan earthquake in May last year. We were taken by surprise then, and blamed the weather gods for the plight of those caught in the web of the changing climate. But we promised to learn a lesson – better adapt to climate change – and be prepared for any eventuality. But have we? Can we defend ourselves by saying November is too early to take precautionary steps against heavy snow? But this is not the time to point accusing fingers. Heavy snowfall had indeed been forecast for this week. And last winters experience should have made us realize what heavy snow means. We have accepted that global warming is a reality and poses a threat to China and the rest of the world. We have resolved to fight climate change, as well as adapt to it. And last years snowstorms steeled that resolve. Adapting to climate change, however, doesnt mean confining our actions to certain areas like building dams to prevent floods and provide irrigation during droughts. It doesnt mean only switching on the central heating system cities such as Beijing in case winter sets in earlier than expected. Adapting also means using every possible administrative and communications channel to help the people in many different ways, and warn them of the dangers lurking at the corners. Since heavy snow had been forecast, we could have at least warned people against hitting the highways unless it was absolutely necessary. We could have used the press and public notification networks, such as TV, the Internet and mobile phone services for the purpose. They could have been used to warn air passengers, too, about the possible cancellation or postponement of their flights. We could have ensured that remoter areas in North China had had enough supply of food and other essentials to last the cold, dark days. We ordinary people can come with only ordinary suggestions. Its for the government officials to think and plan about the more intricate and complicated issue. And that is not a tough ask, given the advancement we have made in technology and communications. (China Daily 11132009 page8) Shane Doan Jersey. Milwaukees Chris Dickerson had two hits and two runs batted in and Mike McClendon worked three scoreless innings to earn his first major-league win as the Brewers won, 6-5, on Saturday. Ryan Braun hit his first home run since July 24 while Prince Fielder singled, scored a run, drove in a run and walked twice to lead the Brewers to a fourth straight win. Ryan Callahan Jersey. It was the fourth straight road win for the Isles, who have given up four goals in those wins. Jets did get 38 shots at Evgeni Nabokov, their highest shot total in 10 games, but after getting five in Pittsburgh Saturday, the offense again dried up. Martin Brodeur Jersey. The officers, who were working at a ferry terminal near Stockholm, made photocopies of the womens passport photos and placed them in a binder. They also noted the date of birth next to each entry, the Stockholm police department said. Jaromir Jagr Jersey. Modin, who had seven goals and three assists in 36 games this season with the Atlanta Thrashers prior to the trade, played for the 2003-2004 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Marc Staal Jersey. According to Newsday, team ownership has been ”extremely pleased” with the direction of the team under Minaya. The extension will lock him up through 2013, as he originally signed a five-year contract that runs through 2009.NEW YORK — Johnathan Taylor and Buddy Lamothe may never play baseball again after accidents left them partially paralyzed. That didnt matter to the teams that picked them Wednesday during the final rounds of the Major League Baseball draft. Taylor, an outfielder from the University of Georgia, was a 33rd-round pick of the Texas Rangers, while Lamothe, a reliever from San Jacinto College, was the Houston Astros 40th-round selection. Taylor was left paralyzed from the chest down after he broke his neck in March during a game when he collided with teammate Zach Cone, the Rangers supplemental-round pick Monday. Texas director of amateur scouting Kip Fagg said the teams selection of Taylor was ”something we felt was right.” ”We would have drafted him either way, regardless of any other circumstances involving his injury or Zachs draft status,” Fagg said. ”Our area scout in Georgia, Ryan Coe, has had a relationship with Johnathan since he was a high school player. The club has always liked his passion and ability as a player.” Taylor hit .335 last year as a sophomore for the Bulldogs, and was hitting .182 with two RBIs in 11 games at the time of his injury. Fagg added that he and a few other Texas officials visited Cone during ”the course of normal pre-draft activity” and gave him a Rangers jersey to give to Taylor that was signed by the entire Rangers team. ”This was truly a classy move and a great gesture on the part of the Texas Rangers organization,” Georgia coach David Perno said. ”J.T. is definitely a player worthy of getting drafted. Hes been a big part of our program, and we are all very excited for him. When I talked to him after he got the call, he was in the middle of his rehabilitation work, laughing and having a good time and was thrilled to be drafted.” Taylor was injured March 6 against Florida State and has been undergoing outpatient treatment at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. He also attended a pair of Georgia games since his accident. ”Were all very proud of him,” said Tandra Taylor, Jonathans mother. ”Its just amazing, and when he got the call, his face lit up and we were all very excited. Alex Ovechkin Jersey It was awesome news.” Cone, taken by the Rangers with the 37th overall selection, was thrilled the team also took his injured buddy. ”I was pumped up when the Rangers told me they were thinking about drafting J.T., and then I got a call saying that they had drafted him,” Cone said. ”I was already planning on going over to see him and now we can talk about the Rangers. This made my day. Its just awesome, and Im so happy for him.” Lamothe, in his first season at San Jacinto, was injured last month in a diving accident in San Marcos, Texas. The hard-throwing right-hander from Lyndonville, Vt., was 0-2 with a 0.77 earned-run average and 28 strikeouts in 23 1-3 innings pitched. According to an update on a website dedicated to him, the 20-year-old Lamothe is undergoing inpatient rehabilitation in Houston, with the hope hell be released for outpatient therapy in the next few weeks. A total of 1,530 players were selected during the three-day draft, with rounds 31-50 held via conference call Wednesday. Three big league managers saw their sons get taken by their own teams in the later rounds, including Oaklands Bob Geren (Brett, in the 42nd round), the Los Angeles Angels Mike Scioscia (Matthew, 45th round) and Torontos John Farrell (Shane, 46th round). The Blue Jays also took Jacob Wakamatsu, the son of bench coach Don Wakamatsu, in the 48th round. Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. drafted his nephew, Andrew, in the 47th round. St. Louis took Liberty catcher Casey Rasmus, the brother of outfielder Colby Rasmus, in the 36th round. The sons of former major leaguers Bobby Bonilla, Alex Fernandez and Charlie Leibrandt were also among the players whose names were called Wednesday. Pitchers were the most commonly picked players this year with 793, including 575 right-handers. Every state except Maine was represented, and 61 foreign-born players were taken, led by 33 from Canada. Vanderbilt University had the most college players drafted with 12, including first-rounder Sonny Gray. Pittsburgh took UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole with the No. 1 overall pick Monday night. ’ ’ ’

BOSTON (AP) – Tyler Seguin is ready to make his NHL playoff debut with the Boston Bruins. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. The second overall pick in last years draft is expected to play Saturday night in place of Patrice Bergeron in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bruins gave no update on Bergerons condition Wednesday after he sustained a mild concussion Friday night in the finale of the conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers. General manager Peter Chiarelli said Saturday its a safe assumption Bergeron would miss one or two games. Bergeron has been one of Bostons best players in the playoffs. Seguin had 11 goals and 11 assists in 76 regular-season games, but was a healthy scratch in all 11 playoff games. Brooks Laich Jersey. A spokesman for the provincial border defense authority said two men and a woman with the organization were buried, but he said the names would have to be released by the Ministry of Public Security in Beijing. He said he could give no further information on the peace-keepers, nor did he know the identities of the other five people who were buried. Alexander Semin Jersey. Henrik Sedin scored a goal and handed out an assist for the Canucks, who have won six of eight. Alexandre Burrows also scored in the victory, while Daniel Sedin had a pair of assists. Ryan Callahan Jersey. After going 13-3 in the regular season (losing to only the New York Jets, Houston Texans, and in a meaningless final game of the season to the Indianapolis Colts), the Titans lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. Kazmir (6-1) extended his unbeaten streak to six games, allowing just two runs on six hits without a walk. He fanned six in the gem, helping Tampa snap a three-game losing streak. ”It was nice to go deep into the game,” Kazmir said. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey. Louis Cardinals took a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers to wrap up a three-game set at Miller Park. Pineiro (7-9) threw the 12th complete game of his career as he was charged with just one run on three hits with five strikeouts.When the game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills at Rogers Centre was announced it was hard to picture there would be too much riding on the outcome. In the preseason the Bills looked like they had a chance to contend but the Dolphins were coming off a horrible 1-15 campaign in 2007. Now the Dolphins are 7-5, sitting with the New England Patriots in second behind the 8-4 New York Jets in the AFC East. The 6-6 Bills have had their injury troubles and need a win over the rival Dolphins to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Patriots will be in Seattle to face the woeful Seahawks (2-10) on Sunday. After getting crushed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in their game last Sunday, one would have to expect New England to pick up a win. The Jets are in San Francisco to face the 49ers (4-8). Enter the first regular season game in Canada on December 7th at Rogers Centre; add in a closed roof, questions at QB for the Bills, the Buffalo/Miami rivalry and you have an interesting match-up with lots hanging in the balance for both clubs. Plus, there is the looming question of an NFL team landing full-time in Canada hanging over this one. Well put the larger ”NFL in Canada” issue aside, until next week, and go with the simple question; Bills or Dolphins, who wins this Sunday? Drop us a line (keep it between 25 – 200 words) and include your name and city, maybe well put it up. Click here to call your Audible or email nfl@tsn.ca. If you are the rapid reply type, click the Your Call button below. This is a match-up between two teams that have found them with true NFL QBs for the first time in a couple of years. Edwards has proven to be a leader for the Bills and Pennington left (was pushed out from) the Jets to find a new home in Miami. The difference between the two teams is the durability of the QB. When Edwards is hurt or not in the lineup, the Bills have lost. Pennington, on the other hand, has been healthy and getting great help up front from his offensive line. With the dome closed, Edwards questionable, and a playoff spot available, Miami will have no trouble getting up, over and around the Bills for the win. Kirk Hansen Although the Bills have played poorly of late, the fact that this is a rivalry game makes previous games somewhat obsolete. Coupled with the two big injuries for the Dolphins (Camarillo and Smiley) this is going to be a tight game. Still I think my Dolphins will pull it out in the end, 26-20. The Jets signing Brett Favre was the best thing that ever happened to the Dolphins – and by the way – the Bills should have gone after Pennington even if they were convinced Edwards was the guy for the future. Pete – Brampton, ON I really have to say that this should be a decided win for the Miami Dolphins – the Bills are already without their starting QB and possibly without their featured back in Lynch. J.P. Losman is a sack waiting to happen and hes facing arguably the most effective pass rusher this season in Joey Porter. Led by Chad Pennington and the Wildcat offence, the Dolphins rarely turn the ball over and are one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL – I just dont see where Buffalo can take advantage of the Phins on this one. My call..20-3 Miami. Phinhead Drew The drubbing Buffalo gave KC recently is not an indication of anything regarding the Bills. Their home games against Cleveland and SF are. These Bills just love finding a way to lose now. Ass for the Dolphins. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey They just find ways to win. Other than getting thumped by New England a couple of weeks ago, theyre scrapping their way to wins. Ill acknowledge theyre not exactly beating NFLs elite, but theyre winning. (Buffalo isnt exactly losing to NFLs elite either) Miami will find a way to beat another non-elite NFL team this Sunday. Raymond D. – Mississauga, ON How about those Dolphins?! I have no doubt they will win since they have momentum and Buffalo does not plus their injuries. Also put a southern team in a nice climate controlled environment and they dont have the same handicap as playing Buffalo in temperatures below freezing. As an aside, remember that Dallas went from 1-15 to a Super Bowl in two seasons. They had about the same first season after the 1-15 as Miami albeit the Dolphins dont necessarily have the crop of rising stars that Dallas had. Frank Like Parcells says .. ”They are what they are” and Buffalo hasnt beaten many + .500 teams this year, if any. The Dolphins went into New England and put a spanking on the team theyre currently tied with. I cant see Buffalo winning this game, I really cant Wally (NOTE: Wally picked 21-17 as the score in his subject line) If you look at this game on the periphery it would appear the Dolphins have the upper hand. The Bills will probably be without Trent Edwards and I just read their website blog and Marshawn Lynch hurt himself in practice. Despite those factors, I think the Bills are going to take this game on Sunday, just a feeling. GO BILLS! Christian – Hamilton, ON Generally, where this game should be played, Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo would have the advantage. With the cold weather, a warm environment from Florida coming up to play in the colder Buffalo area. But, with the game being moved indoors, that advantage suddenly gets taken away, and we are playing on an even level now. Buffalos defense has been pretty terrible in recent weeks, and I think that Chad Pennington will be able to take care of that. Mix in a little bit of Ronnie Brown, and Ricky Williams, and the Dolphins have a recipe for success. Plus, I dont think JP Losman is to be trusted for Buffalo, and it sounds like Trent Edwards wont be in the game. Miami 23 – Buffalo 17 Tyler (NOTE: Tyler and Craig – below – both picked 23-17 as the score) For Buffalo fans it will once again be difficult to watch the Bills bumble around both on the field and especially on the sidelines. The Bills head coach has only 1 winning season. This will not be his second! He must go! To bad the GM and Owner dont have the guts to do it. M. Owen Doug Flutie drops back to pass – Torontos fan are screaming in unison cheering on their beloved CFL idol as he tucks the ball under his right arm and dives into the end-zone for a last second, game winning touchdown. Woops – instead its 2008 and JP Losman audibles out at the line, watches the game clock expire and the thousands of Bills fans in attendance go home unhappy – another typical Losman drive – all hype, no finish. The game was over before it started when Edwards went down last week. 23-17 Dolphins. Craig Expect Ricky Williams to have a huge game. Not only does the city of Toronto inspire him but his steps have been getting more and more ferocious as the season has progressed. The Bills will put in a good effort due to the desperation, but the Dupes win a nail biter. Markie ’ ’ ’

PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard and the defending champs are back in the World Series — proving last year was no fluke and looking even more dangerous this time around. Dale Hunter Jersey. Jayson Werth homered twice, Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz also connected and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to win their second straight NL pennant. Brad Lidge closed it out, Howard was selected NL championship series MVP and the Phillies became the first team to reach consecutive World Series since the New York Yankees in 2000-01. ”I can get used to it,” manager Charlie Manuel told a cheering crowd. ”We got one more step and were going to get it.” Now, Jimmy Rollins and crew wait for their next opponent. Theyll go for their third World Series title beginning next Wednesday night at New York or Los Angeles. The Yankees lead the Angels 3-1 in the ALCS, which resumes Thursday night at Angel Stadium. Meanwhile, slugger Manny Ramirez, manager Joe Torre and the rest of the Dodgers go home after leading the NL with 95 wins in the regular season and sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the division series. ”Theyre confident, theyre talented, and theyre going where we all want to go right now — the World Series,” Torre said, praising the power-hitting Phillies. With a big night at the plate, Philadelphia overcame another shaky outing by 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP Cole Hamels. Los Angeles closed to 9-4 in the eighth, but Ryan Madson escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Russell Martin of Chelsea, Que., and retiring Casey Blake on a grounder. After beating Tampa Bay in last years World Series, the Phillies are trying to become the first repeat champions from the NL since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-76. The Yankees were the last team to win consecutive titles when they captured three in a row from 1998-2000. ”We got one more step,” Howard said. ”Then we got action.” Andre Ethier, James Loney and pinch-hitter Orlando Hudson hit solo homers for the Dodgers, who also lost to the Phillies in five games in last years NLCS. The teams combined to tie the record of seven homers in a post-season game. It was the fifth time thats happened. ”They were better than us,” Ramirez said. ”You saw what they were capable of doing.” Fireworks exploded over Citizens Bank Park after Victorino caught a fly ball for the final out. The NL East champions, who beat Colorado in four games in the opening round, met Lidge in the middle of the diamond to celebrate and began putting on hats with the stitched-in logo of ”WS2009.” After trophy ceremonies on the field, players retreated to the clubhouse to spray champagne and celebrate. On the 29th anniversary of their first World Series title, the Phillies became the first NL team to win consecutive pennants since the Atlanta Braves did it 13 years ago. ”Big games call for big times,” Werth said. ”Hopefully, we can keep it going. Weve got four more games to win.” Five pitchers tossed 4 2-3 strong innings in relief of an ineffective Hamels, who hasnt been the dominant ace he was last post-season. Chad Durbin earned the win by retiring all four batters he faced, including Ramirez representing the tying run in the fifth. Lidge, who has bounced back from a rough season with a 0.00 ERA during the playoffs, worked a scoreless ninth. ”I always believed it was going to turn around,” Lidge said. ”One of the biggest things was I was starting to feel really healthy at the end of the season.” Hamels allowed three runs and five hits in 4 1-3 innings. Still, he got a standing ovation on his way to the dugout. Vicente Padilla, the former Phillie who was excellent in his first two playoff starts, lasted just three-plus innings and gave up six runs. Once considered the NLs laughingstock, the Phillies have been thinking dynasty since riding down Broad Street on flatbed trucks during the citys first championship parade in 25 years last October. So what that theyre the team of 10,000 losses? The sad-sack losers of the past are a distant memory in Philadelphia. This will be Philadelphias seventh trip to the World Series in 127 years. The Phillies beat Kansas City in 1980 and lost in 1915, 1950, 1983 and 1993. The Yankees swept Philadelphia in 50, winning the first three games of that series by one run. Another sellout crowd implored their team to ”Beat LA!” and waved their white-and-red rally towels, rocking Citizens Bank Park on a beautiful, 17 C night. It was only 8 C on Monday night. Coming off a dramatic comeback win in Game 4, capped by Rollins two-run double with two outs in the ninth, the Phillies got it going with two outs in the first. Chase Utley walked to reach safely for the 25th straight post-season game, tying Boog Powells major league record. Padilla wanted no part of Howard, who hit .333 with two homers and eight RBIs in the series. He walked him on four pitches after firing three inside fastballs, hoping to make the big slugger a little uneasy. Padilla then threw three straight balls to Werth. The fired-up crowd roared louder with every pitch out of the strike zone. After taking two strikes, Werth sent a drive to the seats in right-centre for a 3-1 lead. Fans gave Werth a curtain call and another standing ovation when he ran out to right field in the top of the second. Werths solo shot off Hong-Chih Kuo in the seventh gave him five homers this post-season and made it 9-3. Ethier put the Dodgers up 1-0 in the first when he connected on a 1-2 fastball down the middle, sending it into the seats in right-centre. Loneys shot in the second also came on a 1-2 pitch, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Victorino hit a two-run shot to left off Game 1 starter Clayton Kershaw for an 8-3 lead in the sixth. Notes: Dallas Green, manager of the 1980 Phillies championship team, threw out the first pitch to Manuel. Green got a big hug from Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa, the shortstop on the 80 team. … The Phillies are 2-2 against the Dodgers in the NLCS. Los Angeles won in 1977-78. Alex Ovechkin Jersey. Jackson suffered the left knee injury during a non-contact drill on Wednesday. It marks the second year in a row that he has torn an ACL. According to the Indianapolis Star, Sanders will require surgery on his left elbow. ESPN reports that Sanders suffered a torn biceps tendon and will be out for the remainder of the season. Brad Richards Jersey. 1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg has a dislocation in his left knee joint and should be fine for spring training. Marc Staal Jersey.K. Subban and didnt return to the second-round playoff game. Staal, who scored in the opening period, came up limping on Friday night after Subban accidentally undercut him behind the net. Brandon Dubinsky Jersey. Ueda, who won this event in 2007, made her fourth straight birdie on the par-4 18th when she chipped in from the edge of the green to finish at 13-under 131. ”I think I did a good job and it wasnt hard today,” said Ueda, whose Mizuno Classic win in 2007 earned her LPGA membership in 2008. Scott Stevens Jersey. O.J. Mayo added 17 points and six rebounds for the Grizzlies, who bounced back from an 82-71 drubbing by the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in their season- opener. Marc Gasol chipped in 10 points, while Darrell Arthur hauled in 10 boards in the win. PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — He knew his game was getting close, and he broke through with flair Sunday in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. That turned out to be Phil Mickelson, not Tiger Woods. In a big, big way. Mickelson went from a six-shot deficit to a two-shot lead in just six holes, closed with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot victory over Charlie Wi and gave Woods a Sunday thrashing not many saw coming. Mickelson and Woods played in the second-to-last group, and Mickelson beat him by 11 shots. He won for the fourth time at Pebble Beach, and became only the ninth player in PGA Tour history with 40 wins. ”Pebble Beach … it feels awesome no matter what number it is,” Mickelson said. It was anything but that for Woods, who was reduced to a supporting role on a cool, overcast day along the Pacific. Right when it looked as though Woods might still be in the game after holing a bunker shot for birdie on the par-3 12th, Mickelson answered by pouring in a 30-foot par putt. Mickelson seized control for good with a 40-foot par save on the 15th hole, and he played it safe — Mickelson is capable of that every once in a while — on the 18th hole and still made birdie. Wi, who started the final round with a three-shot lead, four-putted for double bogey on the opening hole and never quite recovered. He closed with back-to-back birdies for an even-par 72 and his fifth runner-up finish on tour. It was the third straight week on tour that the winner started the final round at least six shots behind a 54-hole leader going after his first tour victory. The shocker, though, was how Woods fell apart. He has been taking big strides with his game over the past few months, and he looked poised to break through after a 67 in the third round at Pebble Beach got him to within four shots of the lead. But he failed to make birdie on the easy opening stretch at Pebble Beach, and even when he made his first birdie at the par-5 sixth, Mickelson poured in a 20-foot eagle putt to take the outright lead. ”I didnt hit it as bad as the score indicated, but I putted awful,” Woods said. ”As good as I felt on the greens yesterday, I felt bad today. Anything I tried to do wasnt working. Consequently, I made a ton of mistakes on the green.” Two weeks ago in his 2012 debut at Abu Dhabi, Woods was tied for the lead with unheralded Robert Rock going into the final round and didnt break par, tying for third. Woods used to own Mickelson, but that changed at the 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship. This was the fifth straight time Mickelson posted the better score when playing in the same group as Woods in the final round. Mickelson has won three of those tournaments, although they have yet to be in the final group on those occasions. Mickelson started his season sluuggishly, failing to crack the top 25 at the Humana Challenge and Phoenix Open, and missing the cut at Torrey Pines. Ilya Kovalchuk Jersey He said his putting was as good as ever, and it was a matter of getting his game in sync. It simply sang on Sunday, mostly his amazing touch on the greens — a long eagle putt at No. 2 that caught part of the hole, long two-putts for par and enough birdies to make him a winner at Pebble Beach again. ”It feels just amazing,” Mickelson said. ”I felt like my game was there, but coming out the first couple of weeks, I posted some horrendous scores and started to question it. To be able to play the way I did the last 18 holes really means a lot.” Mickelson finished at 17-under 269 and earned US$1.152 million for his first win since the Houston Open last year. He will move to No. 11 in the world. Ricky Barnes closed with a 67 and finished third. Kevin Na tied for fifth and earned a spot in the Match Play Championship in two weeks at Arizona. Wi talked about battling the demons of self-doubt, and they must have had the first green surrounded. Equipped with a three-shot lead to start the final round, Wi four-putted from 35 feet above the hole for a double bogey. Just like that, the game was on. That still wasnt enough for Woods to get in on the action. Standing in the sixth fairway, Woods was only one shot out of the lead, yet the sleeves of his red shirt and his name on the leaderboard didnt seem to make him stand out the way it has before. The opening holes had something to do with that, and watching Mickelson play alongside him. Mickelson nearly holed an eagle putt across the second green; Woods missed a five-foot birdie putt that stayed just above the hole. Mickelson holed a 15-foot birdie putt down the hill at the fourth; Woods had a 30-foot putt up the hill that was three feet short. Mickelsons tee shot on the par-3 fifth settled a foot from the cup. Woods missed his birdie putt from 12 feet. Yes, there was a big charge at Pebble Beach — from Lefty. Mickelson started the day six shots behind and went two shots ahead with an eagle on the sixth hole. Woods then vanished in a series of blunders — missing a 2 1/2-foot par putt on the seventh, missed a five-foot par putt on the eighth, and a third straight bogey at No. 9 when he hit his approach into the bunker. The only hope for Woods came on the 12th, when he holed his bunker shot. It looked like it might be a two-shot swing, pulling him to within three of the lead, until Mickelson made his 30-footer for par. On the next hole, Mickelson hit an approach to 2 feet and Woods tee shot landed in a divot. ”Its frustrating because I had a chance,” Woods said. ”All I had to do was get off to a good, solid start. And I didnt do that.” ’ ’ ’

Ryan Briscoe got the better of Scott Dixon on the second and final day of IndyCar testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Patrik Elias Jersey. The Team Penske driver set the fastest lap Wednesday night, 25.198 which was just 3-100ths of a second quicker than Dixon. It was also the fastest overall lap over the course of the two day session. Andretti Green Racing drivers Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan were next with only 2-100ths of a second separating the teammates. Mario Moraes in the KV Racing machine rounded out the top five, who were separated by less than 2-10ths of a second. Will Power, substituting for Helio Castroneves once again, was sixth quickest while Dan Wheldon made his testing debut with Panther Racing, finishing seventh. Mike Conway in the Dreyer & Reinbold car was the top rookie in eighth followed by Graham Rahal and Hideki Mutoh in 10th. A field of 21 drivers took to the track, the most for a spring-time open test since 2002. Dario Franchitti, third quickest on Tuesday, had to settle for the 11th fastest time with Vitor Meira and EJ Viso hot on his tail. Danica Patrick finished just ahead of her nemesis, Milka Duno, who is set to run a third car for Newman/Haas/Lanigan this year. Robert Doornbos, who had not raced on an oval until this week in Miami, was 17th – down 10 spots from his showing on Tuesday. The Dutchman admitted that oval racing presented a new set of challenges, such as getting used to having someone talking in your ear through the turns. ”It was actually quite cool running wheel-to-wheel when I ran with Marco (Andretti). Its weird. You dont see the car but you hear the engine noise when its really close to you and you hear your spotter say Hes still there, hes still there. Its a great experience.” Justin Wilson, in his second full day with Dale Coyne Racing, was 19th behind Raphael Matos and just ahead of Jaime Camara. For the second straight day, Stanton Barrett rounded out the field, some 7-10ths of a second off the pace. Several drivers attended the open test searching for a ride in 2009. They included Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tomas Scheckter, Bruno Junqueira and Oriol Servia. ”It makes you wonder what we have to do,” said the Spaniard. ”Im here because I want to do this. I havent looked at any other series, because this is what I believe, and I believe in the product.” ”Everybody has the perfect excuse right now with the (financial) crisis. Its tough, but I still think there is room for open wheel even with the crisis. People still want to see us racing. We provide a good show, and Im a good driver. Thats why I keep my hopes up that something good will happen.” The IndyCar teams will be back on the test track March 22 in Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. Alexander Semin Jersey. One of the more interesting races has been for top coach of the first half. A number of strong candidates have emerged so far this season, whether theyve taken a previous downtrodden team and turned it into a contender, or theyve ensured their front-running team has continued to play at a high level with no drop-off in effort. Brandon Dubinsky Jersey. We have, I think, penciled in four D and Im not sure where those four D will fit, but there are a couple of wide-open spots there and its important that we develop some young defensemen. Dustin Brown Jersey. Colorado and San Jose, the only two teams that have clinched a playoff berth, are battling for the West Division title, while the other ten clubs have their eyes on the six remaining playoff spots. Ray Whitney Jersey. Italys Enrico Toccacelo(C) won the A1 Grand Prix feature race in Beijing November 12,2006.[Xinhua] Toccacelo clocked a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, 15. Ryan Callahan Jersey. Billy Humphrey had 12 points and five assists for Georgia (17-16), which picked up the conferences automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning three games in two days. Georgia got 11 points from Sundiata Gaines. Dave Bliss added eight points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who won their second conference title in school history and first since the 1983 campaign.San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – David Eckstein drove in the eventual winning run in a three-run seventh frame, as San Diego rallied to down Houston, 4-3, at Petco Park. Ecksteins hit helped San Diego snap a six-game losing streak to Houston, as Josh Banks (1-0) picked up the victory. Banks gave up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk over seven frames. Eckstein had three hits for the Padres, who have won three of four. Heath Bell made it interesting in the ninth by walking two men with two outs but he got Michael Bourn to line out to Tony Gwynn for the final out and his 22nd save. Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer and Miguel Tejada finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI for the Astros, who had won four of five coming in. Chris Sampson (4-1) took the loss after surrendering all three runs in the seventh on four hits. His failure to protect the lead gave Mike Hampton a no-decision despite an effective outing from the veteran southpaw. Hampton gave up one run on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk over six frames after being activated from the 15-day disabled list. He spent time on the DL with a strained left groin. ”I felt comfortable,” said Hampton. ”Between my time off I worked on slowing things down a little bit. I put that to work and thought it was pretty effective.” Houston did all of its damage in the third as Bourn singled with one out and used his rocket speed to circle the bases on Tejadas line drive into the left-field gap for a double. Berkman followed with a long shot over the center-field wall forr the 3-0 edge. Mike Knuble Jersey. The Padres got one back on Scott Hairstons one-out double and Adrian Gonzalezs RBI triple to dead center. Gonzalez slid hard into third base, walked it off, but was removed one batter later after being looked at by the head trainer. He was replaced by Kyle Blanks and is considered day-to-day due to a strained right knee. ”A couple of times when I locked out my knee really hurt,” said Gonzalez. ”I was trying to stay away from locking it out and putting pressure on it.” San Diego struck for three runs just after stretch time against the Astros bullpen. Chase Headley singled on a grounder to center, then after a strike out, Everth Cabrera bunted Headley to second. Will Venable came on as a pinch hitter and stroked a run-scoring two-bagger to right field. Gwynns base hit to right allowed Venable to round third and cross the plate. Gwynn went to second on the throw then scored on Ecksteins single to center for a 4-3 edge. Game Notes: Banks made his first start since last August…The Padres won on manager Bud Blacks 52nd birthday…Houston will also face San Francisco on this seven- game West Coast road trip…Gonzalez finished the month of June with 32 walks, breaking Rickey Hendersons franchise record of 27 for June, set in 1996… Gene Tenace holds the single-month club record with 34 walks in July of 1977…Including Tuesdays contest, Gonzalez has appeared in each of the Padres last 283 games dating back to August 15, 2007. His consecutive games played streak is the longest active streak in the majors. ’ ’ ’

Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – LeBron James filled up the stat sheet with 27 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and four blocked shots, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 111-107 win over the Indiana Pacers. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey. James great all-around night, capped by an incredible block of a T.J. Ford layup in the final minutes, was enough to help the Cavs edge Indiana, which got a 33-point effort from Danny Granger. Mo Williams scored 21 points and Anderson Varejao added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Cavs, who won their third straight. Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 17 points for Cleveland. Marquis Daniels scored 17 points and grabbed 11 boards for the Pacers, who have dropped three of four to start the season. Ford added 13 points for Indiana. James tied the back-and-forth affair at 84-84 with a jumper with nine minutes to play in regulation, and the Cavs soon carved out a nine-point lead. The Pacers cut back to within 108-104 on two Granger free throws with 1:36 left, but James drained a long three from the wing to put Cleveland back up by seven. Granger answered with a trey of his own, though, and a missed James three was tipped out into an easy layup try for Ford. James sprinted back across the court and leapt from behind Ford, though, slapping the ball just as it left Fords hands. The block prevented Indiana from pulling to within two points, and Granger missed a three from the corner in the final seconds as Cleveland held on. The Pacers opened with an 18-8 push, and led 29-20 after one quarter. The Cavs opened the second frame with a 13-0 run, but the Pacers were able to take a 48-43 lead into the intermission. Indiana led by 10 early in the third quarter, but the Cavs were able to pull within 74-71 entering the final 12 minutes. GAME NOTES: The Pacers made all 11 free throws they attempted, while the Cavaliers made 24-of-28 from the charity stripe..The Cavs won all four meetings last season, and have won eight straight over Indiana..Wally Szczerbiak scored 11 points off the bench for Cleveland. Zach Parise Jersey.C. – Adam Brown made 25 saves to earn his 12th victory and third shutout of the season and back the Kelowna Rockets to a 2-0 win over the Prince George Cougars in Western Hockey League action Saturday night. Mark Messier Jersey. I know why but there is nothing I can do about it. Ilya Kovalchuk Jersey. What remains unclear is when he will again be the first man off the bench for Dallas. ”Well, I can go tonight, but I dont think the doctor is going to let me,” Terry said with one of his characteristic grins Thursday night before the Mavericks home game against Boston. Ryan Callahan Jersey. But Nash, speaking after the Suns opened their practice facilities to returning players on Thursday, believes that Hills services will be coveted around the NBA and it will take ”a great offer” to keep him in Phoenix. Mark Messier Jersey. Georges Laraque devrait annoncer ce samedi sa nouvelle vocation au sein du parti écologiste lors dun événement qui se tiendra à Montréal. Cest du moins ce qua révélé le parti dans un communiqué transmis vendredi. Un représentant du Parti vert a cependant précisé que le joueur de hockey nannoncera pas son intention de se présenter comme candidat pour le parti lors des prochaines élections fédérales. CEDAR PARK, Texas – Ben Walter scored the shootout winner as the Abbotsford Heat rallied to beat the Texas Stars 3-2 in American Hockey League action Friday. Trailing 2-0 late in the third period, the Heats Brendan Mikkelson scored at 15:56 on a power play before Raitis Ivanas goal with 47 seconds left forced extra time. Walter, Jon Rheault aand Dustin Sylvester each scored for Abbotsford (9-4-1) in the shootout, while Texas shooters failed to beat Heat goaltender Leland Irving. Alexander Semin Jersey. Matt Fraser and Raymond Sawada each scored in the second period for the Stars (6-5-1). Irving finished with 34 saves, while at the other end Richard Bachman stopped 20 shots. ’ ’ ’

NEWARK, N. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey.J. — LeBron James swears he wasnt trying to send a message, though his coach couldnt help but notice. ”You could kind of tell after about halfway through, he took three alley-oop lobs and a 360. I think without even talking to him that kind of spoke to us in volume that he was ready to go,” Erik Spoelstra said. That was during the morning shootaround. Then James did roughly the same thing against the New Jersey Nets. James returned to the lineup and scored 22 of his 32 points in the first quarter, and the Miami Heat rolled to a 101-90 victory on Saturday night despite playing without Dwyane Wade. Wade missed his third straight game with a bruised left foot, but James had the game under control by the time his all-star teammate arrived at his seat on the bench. James made his first seven shots, leaping high for dunks, lobs and blocked shots and showing no effects from the sprained left ankle that forced him to miss a game. The NBAs leading scorer added nine assists and seven rebounds. ”If I feel like Im good to go, then Im going to go out and play my game,” James said. ”Im not going to give no restriction, just try to do the things I do out on the court and I was able to get a couple of breakaways, some easy points, get to the free throw line and I was able to test the ankle out in the first quarter.” Chris Bosh added 16 points after a slow start for the Heat, who won their third straight and ran the NBAs best record to 8-1. They hope to have Wade back when they move to the West for the final three games of a five-game trip. Kris Humphries tied a career high with 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Nets, who shot just 33.7 per cent in front of a sellout crowd of 18,711. Deron Williams had 10 points and 10 assists but was just 4 of 16 from the field. James took part in the morning shootaround, but the Heat didnt decide he would play until shortly before tipoff in order to see how he felt after warming up. And he denied his dunk show in the morning was designed to get Spoelstras attention. ”No, I dont need to show no coaches what I can do,” he said, laughing. ”Ive been in this league long enough. Just trying to test it out this morning, try to get it warm, get it loose and see what I could do, what I couldnt do.” Once the game started, he did it all. James took a hit but converted the basket for a three-point play barely a minute into the game during the Heats 10-0 start. He hung on the rim as the backboard shook for a couple of seconds after one dunk, appearing to motion to someone near the court. Wade also worked out prior to the game before the Heat decided to give him additional rest. He arrived at the Heat bench near the end of the first quarter, just in time to see James throw down a fast-break dunk in the final minute and later hit a 19-foot jumper with 0.2 seconds left for a 31-18 lead. ”Mainly we turned the ball over and hes gone,” said Nets coach Avery Johnson, whose teams 22 turnovers led to 26 points. ”Hes a combination of a wide receiver, tight end, running back once he gets two or three steps on you.” James finally missed after returning from a second-quarter rest, off on an attempted bank shot, but made his final shot of the half and Miami took a 57-35 lead into halftime. Bosh, who had 33 points and 14 rebounds Thursday in the Heats triple-overtime victory in Atlanta without the other two-thirds of the Big Three, shot 1 for 6 in the first half. The Nets were 15 of 31 behind the arc in Fridays 97-85 victory over Toronto, and Johnson said the 3-ball needed to be a weapon because his team has no post game with starting centre Brook Lopez out with a broken right foot. But the Nets missed 18 of their first 21 Saturday before finishing 10 of 33. Williams criticized his play and the teams. ”I like the offence. I like the system. I just think were not executing good,” he said. ”Were not finishing. Were not hitting shots. You know were messing up plays. Were not on the right spots. Yesterday we were. Today we werent. Its a night and day frame you know where we were yesterday.” Still, the Nets cut it to 10 on Williams 3-pointer with 4:27 left in the third, and had a chance to get closer on their next possession when rookie MarShon Brooks drove for a layup. But James blocked the shot to trigger a fast break that led to Shane Battiers 3-pointer, and rookie Norris Cole followed with one to make it 72-56. Udonis Haslem had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat. Notes: Spoelstra said injured swingman Mike Miller (hernia surgery) will take place in his first practice with contact Monday in California. Also, Spoelstra said Eddy Curry (hip) is getting closer to being cleared for full contact and was ”very encouraged” by the oft-injured centres progress. … Lopez said his recovery from surgery was going well and that an X-ray Saturday was negative. He was injured in a pre-season game at New York on Dec. 21 and learned the extent of the injury the next day. ”I didnt see it coming at all,” he said. ”I thought it was a tweaked ankle or something.” … Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald was at the game. Dale Hunter Jersey. [Agencies] BAGHDAD – Suicide bombers in a crowded Baghdad commercial district and Saddam Husseins hometown of Tikrit killed at least 33 people Sunday as insurgents tried to turn a monthslong deadlock over forming a new Iraqi government to their advantage. Alex Ovechkin Jersey. Louis, MO (Sports Network) – Clint Barmes had two hits and drove in two runs as the Colorado Rockies completed a four-game sweep of the St. Marty Mcsorley Jersey. The mainland believed the Taiwan authorities would take necessary measures to maintain security of the talks and the mainland delegation, said Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference in Beijing. Brian Leetch Jersey. — Although the ring was even heavier than Charles Woodson expected, it felt just right on his hand. Ryan Callahan Jersey. Kobe Bryant scored 33 points and had 10 assists, but was hampered by a back injury and struggled from the field, shooting 13-for-33 and 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. Mehmet Okur scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Utah, and Andrei Kirilenko added 15 points.The WNBA punished so many players for their roles in this weeks skirmish that the league is staggering the suspensions by alphabetical order. None of us can recall an incident like this, WNBA president Donna Orender said Thursday during a conference call. The league suspended Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn and 10 players following the dustup between the Shock and the visiting Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Shock forward Plenette Pierson was suspended for four games, the harshest penalty, for initiating and escalating the altercation. In our opinion, Plenette was the aggressor, said Renee Brown, the WNBAs chief of basketball operations and player relations Mahorn was suspended for two games, as were Shannon Bobbitt and Murriel Page of the Sparks, for the incident at The Palace of Auburn Hills. As a team, were incensed that Rick Mahorn was suspended, Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Houston, where the Shock were scheduled to play the Comets. He was trying to be a peacemaker and now hes being thrown under the bus. Brown said Mahorn only started off as a peacemaker before he shoved Sparks star Lisa Leslie. Then he took it a step too far, she said. When he pushed Lisa, it escalated the situation. Players suspended for one game included Detroits Kara Braxton, Tasha Humphrey, Elaine Powell and Sheri Sam, along with Los Angeles Leslie, Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones. I think the fines that were handed out were just, Los Angeles Sparks coach Michaell Cooper said. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey I dont think there is anyone in this league that condones fighting. All players know what happens when you leave the floor and throw a punch. Unfortunately were missing four of our five starters. Thats something that well have to deal with but thats why they call it a team sport. Pam Wheeler, director of operations for the WNBA players union, said officials are in the process of interviewing players affected by the fines and suspensions while reviewing video of the end of the game. A determination of any appeals or grievances will be made shortly, Wheeler said in a statement. The melee at The Palace in suburban Detroit – where the infamous brawl between the Pistons, Indiana Pacers and fans was in 2004 – broke out with 4.6 seconds left in a game won by the Sparks. Parker and Pierson got tangled and fell to the court. Deanna Nolan tackled Parker, and Mahorn appeared to push Leslie to the court. Milton-Jones responded by punching Mahorn in the back. The fracas started moments after Parker and Detroits Cheryl Ford had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker. After Ford tried to restrain Pierson, her right knee buckled and she left the floor in a wheelchair and will miss the rest of the season and playoffs due to a torn knee ligament. Rare buzz was generated for the WNBA by the skirmish, but the source of the spotlight doesnt thrill the league. Theres no doubt that there has been a tremendous amount of attention, but its not the type of attention that we seek, Orender said. ’ ’ ’

Rubber ducks are being used to help scientists understand global warming and melting glaciers. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. Nasa researchers have dropped 90 ducks into holes in Greenlands fastest moving glacier, the Jakobshavn Glacier in Baffin Bay, between Greenland and Canada. Theres a reward for the return of the Nasa ducks. [Agencies] The toys have each been labelled with the words science experiment and reward in three languages, along with an e-mail address. If they are found scientists will be able to track how the water moves through the ice and provide information about the movement of glaciers. Scientists are still unsure about why glaciers speed up in summer and head towards the sea. One theory is that the summer sun melts ice on top of the glaciers surface, creating pools that flow into tubular holes in the glacier called moulins. These moulins carry some water to the bottom of the glacier, where it acts as a lubricant to speed the movement of ice toward the coast. The Jakobshavn Glacier is believed to be the source of the iceberg that sank the Titanic in 1912 and is important to researchers because it discharges nearly 7 per cent of all the ice coming off Greenland. Alberto Behar of Nasas Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California said none of the ducks had been reported yet. We havent heard back but it may take some time until somebody actually finds it and decides to send us an e-mail that they have found it, he said. These are places that are quite remote so there arent people walking around. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey. German Andrea Petkovic will be on the other side of the net from Henin in Saturdays final. The top-seeded former world No. 1 Henin blew past fifth-seeded Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes on Day 6 at Autotron Rosmalen. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. I can almost rule out the possibility of high inflation this year, said He Keng, vice-chairman of the Financial and Economic Committee of the National Peoples Congress. He said the consumer price index (CPI), a major measure of inflation, would be around 3 percent for the whole of this year, a target set by the central government early this month. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey. Brett Holman got the Socceroos off to a great start with a goal in the 11th minute, but the Aussies were reduced to 10 men in the 24th when Harry Kewell received a straight red card for handling the ball on his own goal line. Asamoah Gyan converted the penalty kick, but Ghana was unable to take advantage of the situation, settling for a point that moves it to the top of the group with four points. Brooks Laich Jersey. Related readings: Authorities consider separate probe into hostage tragedy HK to mourn hostage victims on Thursday Chinese tourists tense after hostage tragedy HK govt to spare no effort in assisting hostage families Rep. Anthony Rolando Golez Jr. Mike Green Jersey. Even the longest of tenures with the Twins, though, dont last forever. Versatile veteran Michael Cuddyer, voted by local beat writers as the teams most valuable player in 2011, is gone. He will be with the Colorado Rockies next season.Own The Podium promoted from within Thursday, naming Anne Merklinger as its new chief executive officer. Merklinger was OTPs director of summer sport under former CEO Alex Baumann, who stepped down Oct. 1 to take a similar position in the New Zealand sport system. Own The Podium divides about $70 million annually in federal government funding between summer and winter sport, so Merklinger now holds one of the most powerful positions in Canadian sport. Her job is to continue Canadas success in international sport following the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. ”Weve realized how important it is to Canada for our athletes to do well,” Merklinger told The Canadian Press on Thursday. ”We saw with the success in Vancouver, the impact it had on our country. Theres such an awareness and so much momentum to carry forward. ”Weve seen the impact that athletes winning medals has on building communities and developing national unity and pride.” OTP oversees many aspects of an elite athletes life in between Olympic Games and works in concert with the Canadian Olympic Committee. The COC prepares athletes for the Games environment and looks after their needs on the ground at Games. The selection of Merklinger provides continuity in the organization, particularly in summer sport with the Summer Games just six months from now in London. The 53-year-old from Ottawa is a former national team swimmer and a curler who competed in four national championships. She was an athlete in the Canadian sport system up until 2006 when she retired from curling. Merklinger served as director general of CanoeKayak Canada for several years before joining OTP in 2009. She doesnt feel as a woman thats shes broken through a glass ceiling to get OTPs top job. ”I dont ever think of my gender throughout my sport career and compare,” Merklinger said. ”Im aware of the different approaches I might use and how they may differ from a male perspective, but in terms of a leadership approach, the gender lens doesnt really enter into any of my thinking. ”The network of people who have mentored me along the way are highly accomplished men and women and I use that network to shape my own approach and my own thinking.” The CEO of OTP must be politically astute as the job requires lobbying the federal government for funding. ”I actually relish that part of it,” Merklinger said. ”I know for us to achieve our objectives as a nation in terms of being a world-leading high-performance country, we need all those partners fully engaged with us working together. ”Without those relationships getting stronger, we wont be able to affect the improvement we need as quickly.” Merklinger is now the ultimate decision-maker on which sport federations get more money than others. Money is distributed based on a sports medal potential at Olympic Games. ”If you were to ask around within the summer sport community they would know that I didnt shy away from making the difficult decisions,” she said. When Baumann resigned, executive search company Odgers Berndtson donated its services free of charge and launched a global search for a suitable replacement. OTP boaard chairman John Furlong, formerly the head of the Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee (VANOC), said about 100 candidates from Australia, the United States, Europe, Britain, Asia and Canada applied for the job. Alex Ovechkin Jersey Merklinger was among three to make a short list. ”The best person to lead us was already on our team.,” Furlong said during a conference call. ”Anne is a very uniquely qualified individual. Her career has soared on both the summer and winter side.” ”She has an experience as an athlete in summer and winter and has worked on both sides. She has the kind of savvy you need and shes tough. This is a very tough process to prepare athletes. Youre under a lot of pressure and you have to make very difficult decisions and some of them are often not that well received.” Merklinger, winter sport director Ken Read and operations director Joanne Mortimore jointly ran OTP after Baumanns departure. Read, a former national team skier, told The Canadian Press late last year he was not interested in pursuing the job of CEO. Merklinger was put through four separate interviews before earning board approval. The final one was Monday when members of the OTP board took turns firing questions at her. ”I said in our staff meeting theres still blood on my pillow,” Merklinger said with a laugh. ”Its been a real whirlwind couple of days.” OTP must hire a director of summer sport following her promotion. OTP was established five years out from the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. It was a $117-million plan designed to help Canadian athletes win more medals than any other country at their own Games. Canada finished third in the overall medal count but won the most gold at 14, which was a record for a single Winter Games. Canada also won 19 medals, including 10 gold, in the Paralympic Games. Not so strong in summer sport, Canadas goal for London is more modest. It is to finish among the top-12 countries in overall medals and among the top eight in the gold medals at the Paralympics. ”This is a very key year for us obviously because we have been pouring it on to get the summer program to the place where we all feel the winter program now is,” Furlong said. Merklinger is the third person and the third former athlete named to the job after Baumann and Roger Jackson. Jackson, an Olympic champion in rowing, stepped down following the 2010 Games. Baumann, an Olympic gold medallist in swimming, was also overseeing summer sport within the organization when he was promoted to CEO that year. Merklinger curled in four Scotties Tournaments of Hearts and skipped Ontario to the final in 1998 and 2000. She swam on the Canadian team from 1977 to 1981 and won a silver medal in breaststroke at the 1979 World University Games. Merklinger lives in Ottawa with her husband Don and has two children — Megan, 22 and Connor, 18. Shes been a sports administrator for over 20 years. In addition to running the canoe and kayak association, Merklinger has worked with Special Olympics Canada and the Commission for Inclusion of Athletes with a Disability, as well as serving as president of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation from 2001 to 2004. ’ ’ ’

Ottawa Senators prospect Patrick Wiercioch took a puck to the throat in tonights game between the Senators AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators and the Norfolk Admirals. Brad Richards Jersey. Wiercioch was taken to the hospital but is in stable condition and his teammates in Binghamton were told that he should be okay. The 21-year-old defenceman will require further evaluation to see if swelling in the area occurs, and more on the extent of the injury will be known Saturday. Wiercioch was playing the point on a Senators power play when a clearing shot struck him in the throat. In 26 games with Binghamton this season, Wiercioch has two goals and 12 points. Marian Gaborik Jersey. — Aric Almirolas enjoyed his first win in the NASCAR Truck Series at Dover last month, yet he freely admits it was decidedly lacking in style points. Sean Avery Jersey. Special coverage: A(H1N1) Flu Related readings: WHO: Chinas H1N1 vaccine safe, effective V. Premier stresses safety in H1N1 flu inoculation Experts argue safety issues of domestic A(H1N1) flu vaccine Although some investigations are still ongoing, results of completed investigations reported to the WHO have ruled out that the pandemic vaccine is the cause of death, said Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the UN agencys vaccine research initiative. Shane Doan Jersey. Eagles coach Andy Reid says Vick is ”still sore” and ”these next few days will tell” if he plays Sunday. Vick broke his two lower ribs on the second play of the Eagles 21-17 loss to Arizona on Sunday. Phoenix Coyotes Jersey. The venue, located on the shores of False Creek in downtown Vancouver, will be home to regular concerts and comedy shows during the Games, organizers announced Tuesday. Other musical acts scheduled to perform include rocker Tom Cochrane, Regina blues guitarist Colin James and Nova Scotia-raised country singer George Canyon. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey. Toronto enters this eight-game trip, which also includes stops in Arizona and Anaheim, with an impressive 24-17 record and victories in 12 of their past 16 tilts. A powerful offense that leads the majors with 65 homers and ranks third overall with 212 runs scored has played a big part in the teams strong surge, and the Blue Jays flexed their muscles once again in an 11-2 rout of American League Central leader Minnesota on Tuesday. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -New Jersey Devils defenseman Paul Martin will be sidelined another month after having a setback in his recovery from a broken left forearm. Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said Wednesday that Martin had minor surgery on his arm on Tuesday. The Devils executive said the outside of the fractture was healing but the inside was not healing at the rate the doctors wanted. Sean Avery Jersey Martin broke his arm on Oct. 24 when he was hit by a Bill Guerin shot in a game at Pittsburgh. Martin is a candidate for the U.S. Olympic team. Lamoriello thinks there still is a chance he can play when the Games get underway on Feb. 16. ’ ’ ’

Tweet Tune into NHL Live! on Thursday (12-2 p. Jaromir Jagr Jersey.m. ET, NHL Network, XM Radio and NHL.com) as the finalists for this year’s Calder Trophy will be announced. The Calder is awarded to the NHLs top rookie. Also on the show with co-hosts Deb Placey and E.J. Hradek will be Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle, Calgary forward Chris Higgins, hockey analyst Mike Milbury, Carolina Hurricanes and Versus play-by-play man John Forslund and Colorado Avalanche radio analyst Mike Moser. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. The 28-year-old Gaudin said in an email Wednesday to The Associated Press that he is joining the Marlins for the 2012 season. The well-travelled right-hander — who joins his eighth team entering his 10th season — went 1-1 with a 6. Derek Stepan Jersey. Marie Greyhounds 4-1 in Ontario Hockey League action Thursday. Scott Timmins and Adam Henrique also scored for Windsor (14-3-3) while Hall, the OHLs scoring leader, also had an assist. Sean Avery Jersey. Related readings: DPRK warns of nuclear war amid tensions S.Korea regrets on DPRKs nuclear pursuit DPRK opposes UN resolution, vows to pursue more nuclear weapons Japan warns DPRK against new missile launch Clinton warns to re-list DPRK as state sponsor of terrorism The purpose of the DPRK missile program, the commentary said, was self-defense and securing the countrys independence. Mike Knuble Jersey.C. — B.C. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. Guangzhou has entered Asian Games time from now on. Preparations for the event are right on track, Xu Ruisheng, executive deputy secretary general of Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, said.GREEN BAY, Wis. – Eli Manning has arrived, and just in time to take his New York Giants on an improbable trip to the Super Bowl. A suddenly matured Manning guided the Giants to their 10th straight road win Sunday, a frostbitten 23-20 overtime victory over Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers for the NFC championship. Now comes Mission Impossible: playing the unbeaten New England Patriots in two weeks for the NFL title. Manning wasnt the only Giant who came through. Lawrence Tynes kicked the winning 47-yard field goal with 12:25 to go after two earlier misses. He missed a 36-yarder at the end of regulation following a bad snap, and also was wide left on a 43-yarder with 6:49 remaining. But he got a reprieve in overtime after Corey Webster intercepted a struggling Favre. He nailed his kick, then sprinted directly to the locker room while the rest of his frozen teammates celebrated on the field. I screwed it up twice, Tynes said. Thank God we got another opportunity. The Giants grabbed their first NFC championship in seven years, capping a month-long surge that reversed a trend of mediocrity built around Mannings inconsistency. He has been a revelation in the playoffs, however, and his calm leadership keyed New Yorks turnaround. Manning shook off below-zero temperatures and a wind chill that would make a Siberian husky shiver. He repeatedly put the Giants (13-6) in position to win in the third-coldest championship game ever – and certainly the most frigid of his young career. And then he saw Tynes make his first game-winning field goal of the season in the first OT title game in nine years. We havent been given a shot, but were here and I think were deserving of it, Manning said. Right now Im excited as I can be. Last year older brother Peyton finally won a Super Bowl, earning MVP honours to boot. He stayed away Sunday, but father Archie and mother Olivia were on hand for the biggest moment of their youngest sons career. As for Favre, his emotions were clear. I was disappointed that the last pass I threw was intercepted. Just a month ago, Elis moxie was being questioned as the Giants struggled to clinch a wild-card berth. He responded with the best work of his four-year career, including four touchdown passes in the season finale against the Patriots. He and the Giants are getting another shot at New England, the first team to go 18-0. The Patriots will be after their fourth Super Bowl title in seven years on Feb. 3 at Glendale, Ariz., as well as the first completely perfect season since Miami went 17-0 in 1972. But dont discount New York, which led the Patriots by 12 points in the third quarter before falling 38-35 on Dec. 29. We just came out here and played our hearts out, said Plaxico Burress, who had a career-high 11 catches for 154 yards. The Giants have won at Tampa and Dallas since, and now at Lambeau Field, where they shut down Brett Favre nearly all game. Favre, seeking a return to the Super Bowl after a decades absence, struggled in the -19 C temperature. He wound up 19-for-35 for 236 yards and two interceptions. The second, by Corey Webster in overtime, set up Tynes winner. When Tynes missed a 43-yard field goal with 6:49 remaining, it was just a temporary setback. And when he floppedd on the kick that ended regulation, Tynes could only ask for one more try. Marc Staal Jersey Webster gave it to him, and he sent the Giants into the Super Bowl. New York was aided greatly by four penalties against the Packers during the Giants seven-minute, 69-yard march to begin the second half. Brandon Jacobs bolted in from about an inch out after successive offside calls just moments after his third-down fumble was recovered by tight end Kevin Boss. But the biggest miscue was Nick Collins 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on Manning, whose throw was blocked on a third-down play. Jacobs faked a Lambeau Leap after his score, incensing the hardy souls in the full house of 72,470. They were stamping their frozen feet in delight seconds later when Tramon Williams, seemingly trapped along the left sideline, cut right and returned the kickoff 49 yards to the New York 39. Then it was the Giants turn to commit a costly, senseless penalty when Sam Madison negated a third-down stop with a personal foul against Vernand Morency. Favre immediately pounced with a brilliant play-fake that sprung tight end Donald Lee free in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard TD reception and a 17-13 lead. With the footing holding on a field heated by pipes underneath, Domenik Hixon got the Giants next scoring drive started with a 33-yard kickoff runback. Then, Manning kept picking apart the Packers staple man coverage, a 23-yard diving catch by Amani Toomer setting up rookie Ahmad Bradshaws four-yard TD run. Rookie Mason Crosbys 37-yard field goal tied it 20-20 after a huge break for the Packers. Favres desperation heave was intercepted by R.W. McQuarters deep in New York territory, but he fumbled when he was hit by Grant on his return. Tackle Mark Tauscher recovered, giving the Packers another life. Manning was, well, cool on New Yorks first series, driving the Giants 71 yards on 14 plays, going 5-for-8 for 55 yards before Tynes kicked a 29-yarder. Green Bay went backward on its next series, an ugly three-and-out on which Favre passed three times, all behind the line of scrimmage. Total yardage: minus-3 yards. Just as unseemly was 20-year veteran punter Jeff Feagles first kick in a championship game on New Yorks next possession, a 21-yard shank. After Tynes nailed a 37-yarder for a 6-0 lead, Koren Robinson had Packers fans holding their breath as he overran the kickoff, then bobbled it before recovering at the Green Bay 10. Then Favre and Donald Driver took their breath away with the longest pass in team playoff history. The cagey veteran receiver shook off a bump by Webster to break free as Favre double-pumped. Driver caught the ball at the 29 and raced the final 71 yards being chased by three Giants. None came close to preventing Drivers first touchdown in four months. Favre extended his NFL record with his 18th straight post-season game with a TD pass. Few have been so spectacular. Crosby added a 36-yard field goal with 1:30 left in the half for a 10-6 lead. But Burress snatched the ball from Al Harris for a 32-yard completion, then dropped a long pass near the Green Bay end zone. Most players from both teams sprinted to the locker rooms at halftime the way Driver sped away from defenders on his touchdown. ’ ’ ’

Newark, DE (Sports Network) – Charles Jenkins scored 23 points and the Hofstra Pride nipped the Delaware Blue Hens, 61-58, in a Colonial Athletic Association showdown at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark. Mike Green Jersey. Mike Moore added 17 pints for Hofstra (17-9, 11-4 CAA), which ran its winning streak to three game. Greg Washington pitched in with 11 points and six boards, while David Imes tore down a game-high 12 caroms. Devon Saddler scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Blue Hens (11-14, 6-9), who have now dropped five straight games. Hofstra held Delaware to a dismal 19.2 percent shooting performance from the floor in the first half, opening a 31-20 lead at the intermission. The Blue Hens rallied from an 11-point deficit with under six minutes left, but Jenkins scored six points in the final two minutes to give Hofstra the three-point win. Hofstra, which defeated Delaware for the fifth time in a row, made 16-of-20 free throws for the game. Phoenix Coyotes Jersey. Carlos Villanueva (1-0) set down Chicago in order in the ninth and Kevin Gregg (0-1) returned to pitch the bottom half after being called upon to close out the eighth. Jason Kendall was retired on a ground out but Chris Duffy, who was part of a double switch in the top part of the inning, drew a walk. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey. Related readings: Explosion at illegal coal mine kills 2, injures 16 Coal mine flood traps 9,?eight confirmed alive Nine trapped after coal mine flooded in?C China Blast kills 47 in Henan coal mine Liu Xianghua, deputy director of the Coal Mining Bureau in Yiyang city, said rescuers had found bodies of three of the mines under the mine shaft, and helped bring out six others to hospital, where they failed emergency treatment. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. Terms of the deal were not available. Adams has played his entire career with Dallas since being drafted with the 38th overall selection in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Michigan State. Ryan Callahan Jersey. But Jones says he still has so much to learn in mixed martial arts. The 24-year-old Jones defends his light-heavyweight title Saturday night against former champion Lyoto (The Dragon) Machida at UFC 140 in the Air Canada Centre. Alexander Semin JerseyBLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Detroit Pistons centre Ben Wallace has waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of drunken driving and unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon. Wallace and his lawyer were in 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills on Monday and they indicated they would waive a hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence for him to stand trial. The case will move to Oakkland County Circuit Court. Drew Doughty Jersey Defence lawyer Steve Fishman said he would look at reports in the case before deciding how to proceed. Police in nearby Bloomfield Township said the 37-year-old Wallace was arrested during a traffic stop about 3 a.m. Sept. 24 after officers observed a Cadillac Escalade being driven erratically. Police said they found an unloaded pistol in a backpack. ’ ’ ’

The first Chinese archway opens in Antwerp, the largest port city in Belgium, on Sept 29, 2010. Marc Staal Jersey. The archway is designed by Tianjin Metallurgy Planning abd Design Institute.[PhotoXinhua] Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page Brandon Dubinsky Jersey. Tolivers touchdown was his second of the game, capping off a wild final series that saw a controversial fake field goal attempt. LSU (6-0, 4-0 SEC), which squandered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead, remained unbeaten again by the slimmest of margins. Dale Hunter Jersey. — Carlos Marmol, once a catcher in the minors, has been rewarded for his expertise as a closer. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey. The Blue Jays starter could barely spit out the words to describe his performance in a 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night. Dustin Brown Jersey. Related readings: Monetary policy should consider resource price reforms No change in current loose monetary policy: PBOC PBOC likely to adopt a tighter monetary policy: report China to continue loose monetary policy Chinas monetary policy covered four considerations, Zhou said at a forum on development and reform in Chinas financial sector in Beijing, referring to low inflation, economic growth, employment and balance of international payments. Brooks Laich Jersey. Marty Turco made 25 saves for the Stars, 5-1-1 in their last seven. Mark Parrish had a power-play goal, and Landon Wilson also scored for Dallas. Turco stopped Patrik Elias on a breakaway with 3:05 left and made a sliding save on Devils top scorer Zach Parises shot from the left circle with about 14 minutes remaining to preserve the 3-2 lead. ATLANTA (AP) -Dustin Byfuglien scored at 1:30 of overtime to give the Atlanta Thrashers a 2-1 victory over New York on Sunday, extending the Islanders losing streak to 13 games. The Islanders have their longest winless streak since a 14-game slide Feb. 13-March 15, 1990. That streak included three ties. Byfuglien, a playoff star for the Chicago Blackhawks last season, leads the NHL with four winning shots this season. Ondrej Pavelec stopped 28 shots for Atlanta. New Yorks Michael Grabner opened the scoring with 13 seconds left in the second period, and Nik Antropov tied oit on a power play early in the third. The Islanders have only 12 goals in their last 11 games. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey DETROIT (AP) – Henrik Zetterberg tied it on a power play with 3.2 seconds left in regulation and goalie Jimmy Howard off for an extra attacker, and Nicklas Lidstrom scored at 1:38 of overtime for Detroit. Zetterberg had two goals, Lidstrom added two assists and Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and two assists. Johan Franzen also scored for Detroit, which trailed 4-2 midway through the third period. Brian Rafalski had three assists and Howard made 23 saves. Jarome Iginla had two goals and an assist and Niklas Hagman and Alex Tanguay also scored for Calgary. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 33 shots. Iginla has five goals and an assist in his last two games. ’ ’ ’

TEMPE, Ariz. Ray Whitney Jersey. – Hideki Matsui is looking forward to a fresh start with the Angels. The 35-year-old joined the Angels after seven seasons with the New York Yankees by signing a one-year, US$6 million deal in the off-season. Matsui, who hit .274 with 28 homers and 90 RBIs last season, will counted on to replace the offence of Vladimir Guerrero, who signed a free-agent deal with the Rangers. The 2009 World Series MVP told reporters through an interpreter on Thursday that his surgically repaired knees were not entirely at 100 per cent but that he felt good, adding he would like to help the team in the outfield if hes healthy enough. Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels would be careful with Matsui throughout spring, similar to the way they were with Guerrero, who also had knee problems. ”Hell get his work done and well be able to evaluate him, but its certainly going to be what he feels comfortable doing,” Scioscia said. ”If hes going to go through drills and he cant come back and do it again the next day, I think some of those questions are going to be answered pretty quick.” Scioscia said hes hoping Matsui can be a key part of the batting order. Matsui figures to be the Angels near full-time designated hitter as Juan Rivera is slated for left with Torii Hunter in centre and former Yankees teammate Bobby Abreu in right. ”Were excited to have him and were excited to have him, hopefully, be that presence in the middle of our lineup,” Scioscia said. ”If you look at our lineup, I think Hideki is going to be one of the big keystones of where our lineup can get in a hurry. Hes still an offensive force.” Derek Stepan Jersey. Schwartzels hole-in-one helped him climb to the top of a tight leaderboard, where he was joined by countryman Andrew McLardy and second-round leader David Drysdale of Scotland. They stood at 11-under-par 202 for a one-shot lead over three players. Dale Hunter Jersey. After going 13-3 in the regular season (losing to only the New York Jets, Houston Texans, and in a meaningless final game of the season to the Indianapolis Colts), the Titans lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. Alexander Semin Jersey. high-scoring centre while the other is a 65”, 210lb defenceman. Brooks Laich Jersey. The 26-year-old Deslauriers went 16-28-4 with a 3.26 goals against average in 48 games last season. He is 20-31-4 in 58 games over the last two seasons and was a second-round pick by the Oilers in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Jamie Langenbrunner Jersey. Two pigs race through a turn during the afternoon pig races at the Cattaraugus County Fair in Little Valley, New York, Aug. 4, 2007. [Agencies] Paul Smokov, 84, raising cattle on a 1,750-acre ranch north of the town Steel, North Dakota, forecasts the weather by peering at two of brown, glistening, foot-long spleens on his kitchen counter.The FIA says the current budget cap crisis is masking the real objective of the Formula One Teams Association, which is to take control of the rules making process and the commercial rights of the sport. In a lengthy statement released on Tuesday, the governing body meticulously detailed the ongoing dispute between the two sides as the latest deadline seems destined to come and go without a resolution. ”The FIA and FOM (Formula One Management) have together spent decades building the FIA Formula One World Championship into the most watched motor sport competition in history,” read the statement. ”In light of the success of the FIAs Championship, FOTA – made up of participants who come and go as it suits them – has set itself two clear objectives: to take over the regulation of Formula One from the FIA and to expropriate the commercial rights for itself. These are not objectives which the FIA can accept.” The FIA says one of the reasons why it is refusing to back down on its budget cap stance is the lessons learned from the engine freeze issue years ago. ”The lesson which emerged from five years of attempts to contain engine costs was that real savings could only be achieved by the removal of technical freedom. All attempts to limit expenditure by ever-tighter technical restrictions failed. Mike Knuble Jersey” ”If we apply these lessons to the rest of a Formula One car, we can see that attempts to rein in expenditure with detailed rules will not work. They did not work on the engine and they will not work on the chassis. Detailed rules stifle inventiveness and innovation.” ”If we wish to see innovative technology in Formula One, the only way is to limit expenditure and allow the engineers freedom to do their best within a fixed budget. Without technical innovation, Formula One will wither and die. Without real cost constraints, Formula One will lose its teams… With a limit on expenditure, the cleverest and most innovative engineering team will win. It will no longer be possible to substitute a massive budget for intellectual ability.” The FIAs statement comes on the heels of a meeting on Monday between financial representatives on both sides aimed at resolving the budget cap dispute. According to the governing body, the FOTA representatives did not have a mandate to discuss the 2010 regulations and as a result the current FIA regulations for next season ”remain as published”. A deadline of Friday has been set by FIA for the eight current F1 teams to remove the conditions of their entry into next years championship or they will be rejected. ’ ’ ’

Australia and China should strengthen and broaden cooperation to ensure regional stability and prosperity Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is in China on the final leg of her three-nation Asian tour. Sean Avery Jersey. As her second major diplomatic tour since replacing Kevin Rudd as Australias prime minister on June 24, 2010, Gillards Asian tour, which also took in Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), underscores the important role East Asia plays on the Australian governments diplomatic chessboard. Related readings: China, Australia ties get trade boost China, Australia sign $600m iron ore deal China, Australia sign science, tourism deals Sinopec to buy LNG from Australia Gillards first visit after taking office was to the United States, demonstrating Australias US-tilted foreign policy and security strategy. However, East Asia has assumed an increasingly prominent position in Australias foreign policy in recent years. It is close economic ties with East Asian countries such as China that have helped Australia maintain its steady economic development. Exports to East Asian countries accounted for 67.3 percent of Australias total exports in 2010, while imports from the region accounted for 52.4 percent of its total imports. With the rapid development of economic and trade ties with China in recent years, China has replaced Japan as Australias most important trading partner. Gillards trip has come at a time when East Asian cooperation and integration have entered a crucial stage, as indicated by the trilateral cooperation among China, Japan and the ROK and their bilateral free trade areas. The expanded East Asian Summit membership, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other cooperative mechanisms have also strengthened the cooperation among East Asian nations. For Australia, participating in this East Asian cooperation is of vital importance and smooth coordination with China will help facilitate and expedite this. China and Australia are both members of many multilateral cooperative mechanisms, such as the East Asia Summit, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the G20 and they share common interests. Chinas ongoing economic restructuring and its efforts to transform its development model will also benefit Australias industrial and economic development. Previous Page 1 2 Next Page Previous Page 1 2 Next Page Ilya Kovalchuk Jersey. McIntyre, 22, has 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points and 42 penalty minutes in 26 games with Colgate (ECAC) this season. The 6-0, 185-lb. forward is in his third season with the Red Raiders where he has career totals of 37 goals and 42 assists for 79 points and 155 penalty minutes in 105 games. Brooks Laich Jersey. Related readings: Severe ice, crew errors cause Cuban plane crash Wealthiest village to purchase 20 aircraft in 5 yrs China AVIC inks deal with COMAC to sell 100 jets overseas China delivers first upgraded passenger aircraft The green laser tracked the Airbus A320 as it was flying north over Lake Macquarie in NSW about 9:15 pm (local time) on Wednesday. Shane Doan Jersey. – Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies muscled their way to an important victory. Brandon Dubinsky Jersey. DeMar DeRozan added 17 points and Sonny Weems scored 14 points as the Raptors closed out a 2-2 homestand. Andrea Bargnani, who missed Torontos game on Sunday with flu-like symptoms, had 14 points while James Johnson finished with 13 points and five boards. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. I survived World War Two and wasnt afraid, so whats there to be afraid of now? she said after clambering out of her jumpsuit this weekend. Babcia (granny) Krysia is not your ordinary gran, explained one of her teenaged granddaughters. Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) – Ashton Gibbs poured in 25 points as the fourth-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers cruised to a 71-59 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats at Petersen Events Center. Gilbert Brown posted 11 points while Brad Wanamaker had eight points and seven rebounds for the Panthers (21-2, 9-1 Big East), who have won their past two after losing to Notre Dame. I really like how we came out and played, said Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. We focused on a couple of things offensively this week and really saw it early. We took great shots, got great shots and really put ourselves in a position offensively with our movement and execution – that was great to see and help get us out to that great lead. Larry Davis had 13 points and Anthony McClain added 10 for the Bearcats (18-5, 5-5), who have dropped their past two decisions. We were unable to take care of the basketball and that put us way to far behind, said Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin. We put ourselves in too deep of a hole with our turnovers in the first half. That being said we missed a lot of layups and we missed some wide open shots. We lost by 12 to a great team on the road and its going to be tough to watch the film and the missed layups. Jaromir Jagr Jersey. Pitt never trailed in this game and held a 13-4 lead just over five minutes in on Gibbs three-pointer. Six unanswered points from Cincinnati capped on a Davis jumper made it a three-point game halfway through the first half, but Pitt answered with the next six points. The Panthers got the final six points of the first half capped on Wanamakers layup to take a 40-23 lead into the break. Consecutive three-balls to start the second half gave Pitt a 46-23 lead, but Cincinnati made a late charge to get back into the game. Trailing by 22 points, McClain put in a layup that kick-started a 14-2 run with Cashmere Wright putting in a jumper to make it a 61-51 game with just over three minutes to play. However, the Bearcats didnt score over the next minute and the team was unable to get closer than nine points back the rest of the way. GAME NOTES:Pitt plays at West Virginia on Monday…Cincinnati plays at DePaul on Tuesday…Pitt now holds an 8-7 edge in the series thanks to winning the past five contests…Pitt made 46.8 percent of its shots while Cincinnati hit 33.3 percent from the floor. ’ ’ ’

(Sports Network) – The streaking San Antonio Spurs will roll into Oklahoma City this evening for a showdown against Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Scott Stevens Jersey. San Antonio has won six in a row and kept its winning ways intact with Saturdays 116-93 rout of the visiting Philadelphia 76ers in the Alamo City. Tony Parker had 24 points and seven assists, Manu Ginobili added 18 points and DeJuan Blair chipped in 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. I thought (Parker) had an excellent game, said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. It might have been his best game when you combine the aggressiveness on offense, the attention to detail and tenacity defensively against good scoring guards. I thought he did a fine job. The Spurs also got 16 points from George Hill and put the Sixers away early with a 22-2 run. They will put their 3-0 road mark on the line tonight. Tim Duncan has scored in single digits the last two games and is still battling flu-like symptoms. San Antonio has won seven straight and 23 of the last 24 home games versus Philadelphia, which hasnt won in the Alamo City since an 83-77 victory on January 3, 2004. Meanwhile, the Thunder will close out a four-game homestand Sunday and have won two straight and three of their last four games. In a 110-108 victory versus Portland on Friday, Russell Westbrook finished with a career-high 36 points and Durant scored 34 points to help the Thunder improve to 2-1 on the residency and 3-2 overall at home this season. We got the stops we needed in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks said. Our guys really responded by buckling down on defense. Serge Ibaka, Nenad Krstic and James Harden each finished with 12 points in a winning cause. Durant is leading the NBA with 28.9 points per contest. On the injury front for Oklahoma City, forward Jeff Green is questionable with a sprained left ankle and has missed three straight games. San Antonio won three of four matchups with the Thunder a year ago and is 15-5 in the previous 20 contests in this series. The Spurs are unbeaten in their last three trips to OKC. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey. The team announced the move Friday. Valverde signed a US$14 million, two-year deal in 2010 with the club holding a $9 million option for 2012. Sean Avery Jersey. Ma Jiwen purchased and dug up 10 hectares of waste land in the 1980s in his hometown in Linxian County, a practice in line with the agriculture policy then, which aimed to expand rural cultivation. Jujube and peach trees were planted on the barren lands, bringing success to Ma, who was once hailed a as a farming paragon. Marian Gaborik Jersey. The domestic sales of cars, sports-utility vehicles (SUV), minivans and multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) hit 10.26 million units last year, surging from 6.4 million units in 2008, said Rao Da, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association on Friday. Alexander Semin Jersey. – Although Jean-Sebastien Gigueres career has changed drastically since he lost his starting job in Anaheim, the veteran goalie is eager to remind the Ducks — or any potential suitors — that he can still make stops when they matter. Dale Hunter Jersey. The fourth-year pro is a restricted free agent from the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts can keep him by matching the Bengals offer within a week.PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — To Johan Santana and the New York Mets, this was a most pleasant spring sight. The lefty ace returned to the mound for his first game against major league hitters in 18 months and pitched two scoreless innings Tuesday as a Mets split squad beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6. Santana walked his first batter on five pitches. But a single marked the only other runner against Santana, who threw 17 of 29 pitches for strikes. The two-time Cy Young winner last pitched to big league hitters on Sept. 2, 2010, in a game in Atlanta. Two weeks later he underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. ”Finally I had an opportunity to go out there and finally get the first one out of the way,” Santana said. ”… I was excited about today. Even as I was preparing myself prior to the game, I was anxious to go out there and do it.” This time last year, Santana was working toward a potential return in June, but the Mets shut him down in August after he pitched just five innings with the Class A St. Lucie Mets. MARINERS 8, REDS 6 PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Seattle ace Felix Hernandez struck out four in three hitless innings. Hernandez hit the first batter he faced this spring, then retired nine in a row. The right-hander threw 26 of his 35 pitches for strikes. Seattle star Ichiro Suzuki went 3 for 3 with two RBIs. Mat Latos, expected to serve as Cincinnatis No. 2 starter, allowed two hits in two scoreless innings in his spring debut. The Reds acquired the right-hander when they traded four players to San Diego in December. TIGERS 3, MARLINS 1 JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Jose Reyes was hitless in three at-bats in his spring debut for the Marlins. Reyes was part of an off-season overhaul for Miami. The speedy shortstop agreed to a $106 million, six-year contract with the Marlins over the winter, leaving the New York Mets in free agency. Tigers starter Rick Porcello allowed an unearned run and a hit over two innings. ANGELS 6, WHITE SOX 2 TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Albert Pujols doubled again and scored in the Angels victory. Pujols narrowly missed his first spring homer, doubling deep to left-centre field off Matt Thornton in the third. His first time up, Pujols walked and scored on Jorge Cantus two-run single off John Danks. Pujols left the Cardinals and signed with the Angels in the off-season. The three-time NL MVP went 2 for 3 with a double Monday in his exhibition debut with his new team. PHILLIES 7, BLUE JAYS 0 DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Cliff Lee and Kyle Kendrick each threw two innings, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over Toronto. Lee yielded a hit in the first and second before giving way to Kendrick, who allowed a hit, struck out two and walked none. Shane Victorino hit a two-run single off Rick VandenHurk during a four-run third inning. John Mayberry Jr. also singled in a run and Ty Wigginton had a sacrifice fly. Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero tossed two innings of one-hit ball. PIRATES 7, YANKEES 4 BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Andrew McCutchen had two hits and two RBIs hours after agreeing to a new deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. McCutchen hit a run-scoring single off Yankees ace CC Sabathia in the first and doubled in the third. The Pirates and McCutchen announced a $51.5 million, six-year contract for the All-Star centre fielder earlier in the day. Sabathia pitched two innings and allowed a run and three hits. Right-hander Phil Hughes reached his pitch limit in 1 1-3 innings and was charged with two runs and four hits. CUBS 11, ROCKIES 4 MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs and a double to send Dale Sveum to his first victory since he was hired to manage the Cubs in November. Soriano led off the Cubs four-run second inning with a drive that hit halfway up the scoreboard in left field. He led off the third with a double to the wall in centre and added a two-run homer in a four-run fifth. Guillermo Moscoso gave up four runs and five hits in two innings for Colorado. Cubs right-hander Matt Garza allowed two runs and three hits over two innings in his spring debut. GIANTS 8, DODGERS 4 GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Melky Cabrera homered from both siides of the plate in the Giants win. Mark Messier Jersey San Francisco left-hander Barry Zito gave up four hits and two runs in two innings. He threw 28 strikes in 35 pitches in his first spring outing. Dodgers starter Ted Lilly struggled, yielding five runs, including two homers, in two innings. Andre Ethier homered for Los Angeles. NATIONALS 5, BRAVES 2 LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Gio Gonzalez pitched three scoreless innings in his Washington debut, leading the Nationals over the Atlanta Braves. Gonzalez, acquired in a trade during the off-season from the Oakland Athletics, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two. He was 16-12 last season with Oakland and had a 3.12 ERA. No other Nationals pitcher had more than 10 wins last season. Jayson Werth, coming off a disappointing 2011 season, homered to put the Nationals ahead. ATHLETICS 6, BREWERS 0 PHOENIX (AP) — Jemile Weeks had two hits and tackled his older brother Rickie to end a rundown, helping the Athletics get the victory. Oakland left-hander Tommy Milone pitched three innings of one-hit ball. Milone is one of four players acquired from Washington for right-hander Gio Gonzalez on December 23. Milone walked Rickie Weeks to lead off the game but picked him off first base. Jemile was the last player with the ball in the ensuing rundown and he chased his brother from halfway between first and second before getting down a diving tag at the first-base bag. Yovani Gallardo struck out four in two shutout innings for Milwaukee. RANGERS 16, DIAMONDBACKS 3 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Elvis Andrus singled, doubled, scored twice and had a sacrifice fly for Texas. A day after going 3 for 3, the star shortstop started out with two more hits. Conor Jackson hit a solo home run and Nelson Cruz singled in two runs for the Rangers, who outhit the Diamondbacks 19-5. Texas starter Matt Harrison threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and hitting a batter. Arizonas Joe Saunders gave up two runs and five hits in two innings. ASTROS 4, METS (SS) 1 KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Wandy Rodriguez pitched three shutout innings and the Houston Astros beat a Mets split squad. Brad Snyder and Chris Snyder homered for the Astros, and first baseman Carlos Lee went 1 for 3 in his first spring game. Lee also made a sliding catch in front of the Mets dugout. Josh Satin had two of New Yorks five hits and drove in a run. RED SOX 5, ORIOLES 4 FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Daniel Bard, whos in the process of converting from a reliever to starter, opened with two hitless innings and the Boston Red Sox beat Baltimore. Bard struck out two and walked one. The 26-year-old righty has made 192 appearances in three seasons, all of them in relief. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled and scored for Boston. Wilson Betemit drove in two runs for Baltimore and Nick Johnson singled and scored. TWINS 3, RAYS 2 PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Scott Baker pitched two hitless innings in his spring debut as the Minnesota Twins beat Tampa Bay. The outing was a good sign for Baker, who went 8-6 with a 3.14 ERA for the Twins before an elbow injury ended his 2011 season. The Rays are winless in their four exhibition games, with three of the losses to Minnesota. ROYALS (SS) 7, PADRES 4 SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Luke Hochevar worked two scoreless innings for the Royals split-squad, and Max Ramirez hit two homers and drove in four runs. Hochevar, the first player picked in the 2006 draft, allowed one single, walked one and struck out one. He threw 19 of 29 pitches for strikes. Ramirez, a non-roster invitee, hit a solo homer in the fourth and a three-run shot in the sixth. Tim Stauffer, the Padres opening-day starter last season, gave up a run and two hits in two innings. INDIANS 3, ROYALS (SS) 2 GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Shelley Duncan hit a three-run homer to power Cleveland to the victory. Duncan connected in the third inning against reliever Zach Miner, working his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2010. Starting pitchers Will Smith for Kansas City and Kevin Slowey of Cleveland each worked two scoreless innings. Irving Falu hit a two-run homer for Kansas City. ’ ’ ’

Boston, MA (Sports Network) – Ray Allen finished with 23 points, making 10- of-15 field goals, as the Boston Celtics dominated the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-78, at TD Banknorth Garden. Phoenix Coyotes Jersey. Kevin Garnett added 16 points, while Rajon Rondo ended with 12 assists, six rebounds and six points for the Celtics, who ran their winning streak to a season-best seven games. Boston has already had one win streak of six games this campaign, and stands at 15-2 overall. ”I thought the defense was — just deflections alone — was phenomenal tonight,” Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said. ”So when we get stops and we push the ball up the floor and run, and then we share the basketball, again, we can be a good team when we do those things.” Elton Brand had 18 points and eight boards for the Sixers, who have lost three in a row. Lou Williams added 15 points off the bench, while Andre Miller contributed 12 in the loss. ”Ive been there. Ive been beat by 20, 25 points,” Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks said. ”So its, yeah, its frustrating for anyone to get beat like that. So, yeah, I understand the frustration. You just keep working.” The Celtics scored six straight points — on a Garnett jumper, Paul Pierce layup and Kendrick Perkins dunk — to take a 10-4 lead almost midway through the first quarter. Boston couldnt expand its lead, going into the second quarter up 22-16, but opened the new stanza with an 11-0 run to take firm control. Allen had a pair of layups in the stretch, and Leon Powe had five points, including a three-point play that gave Boston a 33-16 advantage with about 8 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Celtics continued to front-run, and two baskets to end the second gave the home team a 46-28 lead at halftime. Boston ended the third with five straight points to lead 73-47 going into the fourth, then cruised the rest of the way. Game Notes: This was the first meeting between the clubs this season. Boston won three of the four matchups in 2007-08, and has taken seven of the last 11 overall..Sixers forward Marreese Speights was ejected in the final minute for shoving the Celtics Brian Scalabrine..Powe had 10 points..The Celtics shot 51.3 percent (39-of-76) from the field, while the Sixers made just 41.6 percent (32-of-77) of their shots. Jaromir Jagr Jersey.C. – The Carolina Panthers are expected to be without offensive tackle Jeff Otah and centre Ryan Kalil on Sunday when they host the Arizona Cardinals. Henrik Lundqvist Jersey. Floyd finished with 109 yards on six receptions for the Irish (8-5), who earned their second bowl victory in three seasons and finished the year with four straight victories. Robert Hughes added 81 yards on 27 carries, Cierre Wood also rushed for 81 yards, including a 34-yard score, and the Notre Dame defense recorded four interceptions during the victory. Mike Green Jersey. The system was begun in 2003 and had been put into place in 3,137 procuratorates, accounting for 86.5 percent of the total procuratorial organs, Hu Zejun, executive deputy procurator-general of the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate, said during a nationwide teleconference held on Thursday. Zach Parise Jersey. Ryan Braun hit a ground-rule, RBI double in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games while Corey Hart also had an RBI double for the Brewers, who came into the game having lost five of seven. Marc Staal Jersey. Goergl, who also beat Vonn to take the world downhill title last year, went down the 2.85-kilometre Kaernten-Franz Klammer course in one minute 48.40 seconds. Julia Mancuso of the United States was second, 0. OTTAWA — Freddie Hamilton is hoping three goals was enough to turn some heads at Hockey Canada. Hamiltons hat trick led the way for the Ontario Hockey League all-stars as they defeated Russia 10-7 on Thursday in Game 3 of the Subway Super Series. The 19-year-old is hoping the performance helps secure a spot on Canadas roster at the IIHF World Junior Championships in December. ”It would be great to be a part of (the World Juniors),” said Hamilton. Hamiltons younger brother Dougie joined him on the ice and chipped in with two assists. The two brothers play for the Niagara IceDogs, and Freddie Hamilton said playing with Dougie in the all-star game was special. ”I was really excited to play this game and to be part of this was a great experience,” said Hamilton. ”All these experiences have been fun with him around. We really support each other.” In the eight-year history of the series the OHL was unbeaten against the Russians. That record looked in jeopardy as the OHL trailed the Russians 5-4 heading into the third, but a six-goal, third period outburst allowed the OHL to make it 17-0. ”Its something pretty cool that weve done that,” said Hamilton of the record. ”To be a part of that is pretty fun.” Hamiltons Niagara teammates Ryan Strome and Mark Scheifele scored twice, while Tanner Pearson, Nathan Chiarlitti and Seth Griffith also scored for the OHL. Ivan Telegin and Bulat Shavaleev led the way for the Russians with two goals each. Pavel Kulikov, Alex Khokhlachev and Nikita Gusev also scored. The Russians came in leading the series after defeating the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the first two games. The Russians opened the scoring at the five-minute mark of the first, but the OHL replied with three consecutive goals, two on the power play, to take a 3-1 lead after the first period. Brandon Dubinsky Jersey The second period belonged to the Russians, who scored four goals. Telegin made it 3-2 scoring in the opening minutes of the period, but Hamilton scored his second of the night two minutes later to regain the two-goal lead for the OHL. From that point on the Russians dominated with goals by Khokhlachev, Gusev and another by Telegin. Nail Yakupov, a member of the Sarnia Sting and considered a potential first-overall pick in this summers NHL draft, had just two assists, but it was also his first game with the Russians. ”It was tough because I didnt get to even have a practice with them,” said Yakupov. ”I told them this would be a hard game because these guys are the best in the OHL, but I think we played well.” OHL goaltender Mark Visentin, who allowed three goals on 14 shots, was replaced by Andrew DAgostini midway through the period. DAgostini didnt fare much better, allowing two more goals before the end of the period. Russia made it 6-4 early in the third, but the OHL replied 16 seconds later with the first of six straight goals. ”I think we played a little too passive in the second and tried to hold our lead,” said Scheifele. ”I felt we stepped it up in the third and played more aggressive, played more of our game and it was good.” Russian goalie Sergey Kostenko was replaced by Pavel Suchkov after allowing seven goals on 26 shots. The Subway Super Series continues Monday night in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., with the Russians again facing the OHL. ’ ’ ’

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Canadians were on the mark Thursday at the Parapan American Games. Anze Kopitar Jersey. Kevin Evans of Jaffray, B.C. won gold and Robert Hudson of Leoville, Sask., took silver in the mens individual compound category of archery. Evans beat Hudson 7-3 to take first place in the competition. ”It was a beautiful competition,” Evans said. ”Im very excited. I needed to win here to go to London. Dreams come true. It seems like stars were in line.” Canadian athletes added six more medals in athletics, bringing the medal total in track and field to 13 (seven silver and six bronze). Virginia McLachlan of Windsor, Ont., captured her second medal of the games in with a silver the womens T37 classification 100-metre final. McLachlans time of 16.74 seconds was second to Brazils Jenifer Santos. ”This medal is really special to me. I dedicate this to my grandma,” said McLachlan, who also won silver in the 200-metre final. Kyle Whitehouse of St. Catharines, Ont., also captured his second medal of the games when he won the silver medal in the mens T38 200-metre final in a personal best time of 24.37 seconds. Brazils Edson Pinheiro won the gold medal in 24.03 seconds. Whitehouse was not satisfied with silver. ”I know I could have caught (Pinheiro). I dont know why I slowed down, I could have beaten him,” Whitehouse said. On his 20th birthday, Shayne Dobson of Campbellton, N.B., captured a bronze medal in new Canadian record time of two minutes 19.06 seconds in the mens T37 800-metre final. Jason Dunkerley and guide runner Cody Boast, both from Ottawa, raced to silver in the mens visually impaired 1500-metre final in 4:20.17. Christy Campbell of Kitchener, Ont., took bronze in the womens T34 100-metre final. Rachael Burrows of Barrie, Ont., crossed the line just behind Campbell in 23.35 seconds. Calgarys Alister McQueen won bronze in the mens F44 javelin with a throw of 22.02 metres. Canadas undefeated womens wheelchair basketball team qualified for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London with a 71-59 semifinal win over Mexico. Cindy Ouellet of Quebec City led Canada with 25 points, while Janet McLachlan of West Vancouver, B.C., added 21 points and 17 rebounds. Canada will face the United States for the gold medal on Saturday. Canadas sitting volleyball team failed to qualify for the 2012 Games after a 25-9, 25-8 25-13 semifinal loss to Brazil. Greg Stewart of Kamloops, B.C., led the Canadian attack with nine points. ”We were not mentally prepared to play a semifinal match today at this level and be successful,” said Canadas head coach Ian Halliday. ”While we were physically prepared and had some confidence from our successes yesterday, we just werent prepared to compete against a team with the passion of Brazil.” Nicklas Backstrom Jersey. As per usual, the starters were on their game, especially in the second half. Scott Stevens Jersey. Donovan underwent tests on Saturday which reviled medial collateral ligament (MCL), and possibly anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage, but surgery is not expected. The Timmins, Ont. Marc Staal Jersey. The 22nd-ranked Tursunov will face U.S. number one Andy Roddick in the first reverse singles on Sunday. Marat Safin is scheduled to take on James Blake in the final match. Dale Hunter Jersey. Mais il ignore toujours quand il pourra reprendre lentra?nement. La présence de Crosby au match des étoiles, le 30 janvier, à Raleigh, en Caroline du Nord, demeure incertaine. Il a toutefois mentionné, mardi, quil y avait une ?mince possibilité? quil puisse prendre part au match. Brandon Dubinsky Jersey. ”There is a lot of sandpaper to Tylers game,” Rush general manager Derek Keenan said in a release. ”He plays the game tough, plays with grit, and he has good speed to be in the right position.BRANAS, Sweden — Marielle Thompsons breakout year in World Cup ski cross continued Saturday. The 19-year-old Canadian led the womens final from start to finish to move into the lead in the ladies overall standings. ”Its definitely a good sport to be standing in going into the final races,” the Whistler, B.C., resident said on a conference call. ”Im still thinking about skiing how Ive been skiing — skiing smart and keeping my confidence up.” Thompson, who leads second-place Ophelie David of France by 10 points, got out of the gate quickly in the final and avoided a collision that took out some of her competitors. ”The start was definitely a big part of the race. Getting out in front definitely helped,” said Thompson, who also won at Blue Mountain, Ont., on Feb. 3. ”I heard a few screams out of the start, some girls getting tangled up, so I was glad I got out of there.” Emilie Serain of Switzerland was second, while David was third. On the mens side, Calgarys Brady Leman made it to the final but had to settle for fourrth. Patrik Elias Jersey Despite missing the podium, the 25-year-old moved back into first place in the mens overall standings with 425 points. ”Its definitely pretty cool to wear the leaders bib around and be in this position,” Leman said. ”If you asked me at the start of the season if I would have been World Cup leader heading into final, I would have probably said No. ”My goal at the start of the season was to finish top-3 with a good year.” Finlands Jouni Pellinen won Saturdays race, while Slovenias Filip Flisar was second and Andreas Matt of Austria was third. Switzerlands Alex Fiva, who finished seventh, is second in the overall standings behind Leman with 418 points. World champion Chris Del Bosco of Montreal went out in the quarter-finals after a teammate lost control in front of him. Canada has won the ski cross Nations Cup team award the past three seasons but has never won an individual ski cross Crystal Globe. The last two World Cup races of the season are scheduled for next weekend in Grindelwald, Switzerland. ’ ’ ’

Wang Cuiling, 42, head of Chinas first 24-hour suicide prevention hotline under the Beijing Huilongguan Hospital. Brooks Laich Jersey. [Guan Xin China Daily] BEIJING – At 4 am one spring day, Wang Cuiling was sitting alone in her workroom, dozing away her 16-hour shift. But she was shaken out of her stupor when the phone rang and a weak, low voice spoke to her. I just cut my wrist. The wound is deep and blood is all over the floor Wang felt herself shivering all over from the call. That was seven years ago. Wang is now the head of a suicide prevention hotline. But she still remembers the fear from her first phone conversation with someone who wanted to commit suicide. Operating a suicide prevention hotline is challenging, but that is the very reason I love it, Wang said. The challenges urge me to grow more as a person, she said. Wang, 42, used to be a nurse at the Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, one of the three largest psychiatric hospitals in the country. She became an operator when the suicide hotline was started eight years ago. At the end of 2002, the Beijing Huilongguan Hospital opened Chinas first 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. By last April, it had received 530,000 incoming calls, answered 130,000 and saved more than 5,000 callers who tried to kill themselves. The number, 800-810-1117, was known as the lifeline. However, when Wang started her career at the hotline, she barely had any idea about the psychology behind her work. The training and back-up system was not complete at the beginning. I started to take the phones only after three days of training, she said. Luckily, there were no high-risk cases, Wang said. High-risk callers refer to those who have feasible plans to kill themselves and make up 5 percent of total calls, Wang said. Among the 34 to 40 phone calls the hotline receives every 24 hours, 80 percent are just calling to express their resentment over issues and pour out their troubles. After a few months working on the line, Wang initially became sick of the callers pessimism and sorrow. All the callers said their lives were messed up, but I felt it was not my fault, she said. Wang used to be, in her own words, a self-willed person. She soon became impatient with the callers problems. I tried to hide my feelings. But once you mix your own feelings with the callers, you wont be able to focus on their problems in an objective manner, she said. To do her job better, Wang attended psychotherapy classes and earned a postgraduate degree from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2004. As her knowledge on psychology accumulated, Wang gradually understood the bitterness of the callers. They wouldnt have called if they were not suffering, Wang said. And they are not deliberately taking the anger out on me. One day in 2004, a middle-aged woman called the hotline. For half an hour, she shouted wildly to the operator who tried every means to calm her down. Hearing the screams on the phone, Wang took over from the operator. I lowered my voice and spoke to the phone in a deep tone, Wang said. Because I knew that persuading wouldnt work in that situation. All she needed was a listener. The woman was still shouting. There is simply no justice in society. My neighbors discriminate me and all my colleagues want to mess me up, the caller had said. Then, all of a sudden, she seemed to calm down and asked: Wait a minute, the voice is different, did you change operators? Yes, Wang said. In the following 20 minutes, she succeeded in talking the woman out of her problems. While such psychology works well on peoples venting out their various emotions in such ways, suicide is quite another matter. It is about a life. It comes within an inch of death. And my job is to pull it back, Wang said. Wang got her first call from an attempted suicide case that spring night in 2003 when she was struck with fear after the woman said she had cut her wrist. For about two or three minutes, I could hear myself talking to her in a disordered way, but I cannot remember what I said, Wang said. After talking for a while, Wang recovered from the initial panic. She asked the caller about the depth of her wound, the amount of bleeding and the reason for her attempted suicide. The caller said she was undergoing an unhappy marriage that included a child in school. After a 20-minute conversation, Wang persuaded the woman to dress the wound with a bandage. The woman was back in normal condition when hotline staff called her back the next day. But some were not so lucky. In 2004, a woman called and said she had written her last words and would kill herself straight away. She was so different. She talked suicide in a calm but determined voice and refused to give any details, Wang said. I could feel that she was raging inside, but her voice calm. So I sensed her determination to die. Learning that the woman had problems with her husband, Wang persuaded her to release her husbands number. But when Wang finally contacted the husband, she was told the woman had died. My heart chilled when I heard that, Wang said. In the following two or three months, Wang could not stop feeling guilty about it. Did I do anything wrong? Did I say something that caused her death? she kept asking herself. Wang said she has to thank Zhang Yanping, deputy director of the hotline center at that time, for pulling through that period. Zhang took out the record of the call and listened to it again and again with Wang. Zhang told Wang that she had done everything she could to help the woman. But the most important thing, as Zhang said, was that the hotline is only a phone line, it cannot solve peoples problems in real life. And the choice is always in the callers hands. Wang, now a tutor herself, frequently tells her students about these cases. There is someone else Wang said she is thankful to – her husband Qi. He is my psychiatrist, Wang said. Without his support, I could not have worked at full strength. Since Wang worked on the hotline in 2002, she has taken night shifts constantly and goes home late. Qi took up the responsibility of taking care of their child and cooking their meals. I cant say that I like doing this, Qi said. But I want Wang to do the things she likes. As the years go by, Wang hears more stories on the phone and she feels luckier than ever to have a happy marriage. I used to be self-centered and I would snap at my husband whenever I was upset, Wang said. Then I tried to think from another perspective and took another look at what Qi had done for me, Wang said. Personal growth and evolution are the best gifts from her job, Wang said. Alexander Semin Jersey. That was bad news for the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers. Jrue Holiday scored 20 points to lead six Philadelphia players in double figures as the 76ers rolled to a 99-84 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday night. Patrik Elias Jersey.5 seconds remaining, as the New Jersey Nets escaped Milwaukee with a 99-95 victory over the Bucks. Brook Lopez recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds and hit the clinching free throws in the final seconds for the Nets, who have won three of four and are now just a half-game behind the Bucks for the final seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Phoenix Coyotes Jersey. Loch was fastest in both runs for a combined time of one minute 46.981 seconds. The 22-year-old has a 145-point lead in the overall standings with three races remaining. Ralf Palik was second in 1:47. Brooks Laich Jersey. The top-seeded Rangers now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0, with Game Three back in Kitchener Monday evening. Matt Halischuk scored on a penalty shot midway through the second period, with Mike Duco netting the other Kitchener goal. Marian Gaborik Jersey. Luongo made 38 saves and defenceman Willie Mitchell broke a scoreless tie and the Vancouver Canucks topped the struggling Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night.Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) – The Edmonton Oilers on Thursday traded forward Tim Sestito to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a conditional draft pick. The 24-year-old Sestito played in one game for Edmonton in 2008-09 and spent most of the last two seasons with tthe Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. Mark Messier Jersey In 51 games for Springfield this past season, Sestito posted five goals in 51 games. Sestito, a native of Rome, New York, was originally signed by Edmonton as a free agent in August, 2006. ’ ’ ’

Montreal assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich has verbally agreed to become the new head coach of the Toronto Argonauts next season. Jamie Langenbrunner Jersey. The Argos have called a media conference for Thursday at Noon et to announce their new coach. Milanovich, who has served as the Als offensive coordinator for the last four seasons, was given permission by the Als to be interviewed for the head coaching position. During his time with Montreal, Milanovich has led one of the most potent attacks in the Canadian Football League. The Argos posted 397 points last season, the second lowest total in the league. Anze Kopitar Jersey. — Michigan States Tom Izzo squeezes his basketball camps into a 10-day window, trying to focus on teaching fundamentals to kids and freeing up the rest of the summer for his family and recruiting. Brian Leetch Jersey. The signings Thursday meant Austin, a restricted free agent, would return to Dallas after being courted by the New York Jets. The Jets never made an offer. Austin signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as a rookie. Brandon Dubinsky Jersey. Williams informed tournament director Eugene Lapierre she had a knee injury. The same left knee problem kept her out of an event this week in Cincinnati and has interrupted her preparation for the U. Mike Green Jersey. Most importantly, it gave head coach Bill Peters and his assistants something to focus on ahead of next weeks Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament. Mike Knuble Jersey. Ahmadinejads comments, made during an address to Intelligence Ministry staff, come amid escalating tensions between the West and Tehran over its disputed nuclear program. They show that Iran has no intention of toning itself down even with tighter sanctions looming because of its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. HONG KONG – Liang Wenchong has secured Chinas representation in Asias defense to European challenge at the 4th edition of the golf Royal Trophy. The 31-year-old Liang was the first Chinese golfer to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit and the winner of nine professional career titles. He also held the 18-hole Asian Tour record of a stunning 12-under-par 60 at the Indian Open. It is a tremendous honor to represent China in the Asian Team and to represent Asia in the Royal Trophy again, said Liang, winner of tournamment titles in the European Tour, Japan Tour and Asian Tour. Martin Brodeur Jersey I want to make China proud of the way I represent the nation within the Asian Team and I want to contribute to bring victory to Asia. Liang joined six players previously nominated by Asian Captain Naomichi Ozaki from Japan for the Asian defense while the European Team would be led by eight-time Ryder Cup player Colin Montgomerie. The 4th edition of the Royal Trophy would be played on January 8-10, 2010 at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. ’ ’ ’

TORONTO — Hamilton Bulldogs backup goalie Robert Mayer knew he had nothing to lose when he entered Mondays game down 3-0 to the Toronto Marlies. Drew Doughty Jersey. Mayer replaced starter Nathan Lawson, who gave up three goals on five shots in the games first six minutes, and was perfect the rest of the way as the Bulldogs stormed back to defeat Toronto 6-3 in American Hockey League play at Air Canada Centre. Mayer made 29 saves and Bulldogs scored four times in the second and twice more in the third to upset the North Division leading Marlies. ”Mayer was the difference because he kept us in the game in the first period,” Bulldogs head coach Clement Jodoin said. ”He made three great saves. It could have been 4-0 or 5-0 for them.” Olivier Fortier, with two, Ian Schultz, Phil DeSimone, Aaron Palushaj and Andreas Engqvist, into an empty net, scored for Hamilton (12-13-4). Jerry DAmigo, Joe Colborne and Ryan Hamilton had the goals for Toronto (16-11-4). Ben Scrivens made 24 saves. The game was played at Air Canada Centre after the Marlies were forced out of Ricoh Coliseum because of the Cirque du Soleil show. The crowd of 13,238 was the highest to take in a Marlies game this season and most went home disappointed. It started well for Toronto as DAmigo scored just a minute and a half in after taking a cross-ice pass from Luca Caputi. After Engqvist took a delay of game penalty, Toronto added to the lead. Greg Scott found Colborne in front and he buried a rebound past Lawson. ”I thought we played so well in the first period. We were dictating the game, we were dominating the game,” Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins said. Hamilton was in the right place to bang in a rebound at 5:19 to make it 3-0 and end Lawsons night. He finished with just two saves on five shots. Luck did help in Meyers performance. The first shot he faced came from Matt Caruana, who hit the post. ”I was lucky, that first shot hit the post. I just tried my best,” said the Czech-born Mayer. ”I had nothing to lose but it came out good.” The Bulldogs found their legs in the second and got on the board just two and a half minutes in. Fortier let a wrist shot go from the right side that eluded Scrivens and tucked in under the crossbar. ”I think they thought that Hamilton was going to roll over and die,” Eakins said. ”These games are 60 minutes long and Hamilton did not roll over and die. We got a rude awakening with the quick goals that they scored.” The Bulldogs second came less than three minutes later at 5:19 when Mitch Wahl found Schultz through the middle. He went high on Scrivens for his second of the season. Seconds after the restart, Marlies defenceman Jeff Finger caused a melee after hitting Hamiltons Zack Fitzgerald from behind. Finger was given five minutes for boarding and a game misconduct. The equalizer came on the resulting power play. After Toronto couldnt clear the zone, the puck found its way to Fortier, who tied the score 3-3. ”I didnt have to panic but I was mad about the way we came out. But after that, they did regroup,” said Jodoin, whose team hadnt played in eight days coming in. Hamilton took its first lead with 4:30 left in the period. Palushaj was given room to get to the front of the net and he beat Scrivens with a backhander. DeSimone added a power-play goal in the third before Engqvist scored into an empty net. Sean Avery Jersey. – The Medicine Hat Tigers mauled the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 9-2 in Western Hockey League action Saturday night. Martin Brodeur Jersey.m. ET, VERSUS, TSN2). Doan suffered a lower-body injury during Fridays game at Dallas, and is considered ”week to week.” He did not make the trip with the team, and also has been ruled out of Wednesdays game in Chicago. Marian Gaborik Jersey. Nolasco (13-8) won for the fourth time in five starts and the eighth time in 10 outings for the Marlins, who matched a season-high with four straight wins. The righty allowed six hits and a walk while fanning eight for Florida. Weve got to tip our hats to the hitters this series, Nolasco said. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer could be forgiven for wanting to put some space between themselves and the always dangerous Woods at the Emirates Golf Course. Instead, they both say the third-ranked Woods remains the biggest draw in professional golf and returning to the form that saw him win 14 majors can only be good for the game. Brad Richards Jersey. He told his players that all they had to do to earn a day off was get 20 assists against the Houston Rockets. The plan worked so well that Kevin Durant and some of the Thunders other starters started their time off a little early. Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki yells after landing awkwardly during the second quarter of the NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City on Monday. Dallas won 103-93. Nowitzki left the game with what the Mavericks said was a sore right knee. Alonzo Adams Associated Press Dallas star falls but team still maintains hot streak with win OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma – The Dallas Mavericks were already without their coach after knee surgery, then lost Dirk Nowitzki to his own knee injury. And the Mavericks just kept rolling on the road. Caron Butler scored 21 points and the Mavericks shook off the loss of Nowitzki in the second quarter to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-93 on Monday night for their 17th victory in 18 games. Nowitzki scored 13 points before leaving with 9:10 left in the second with what the Mavericks said was a sore right knee. Shawn Marion scored 20 points off the bench to help replace him. You hate to see the big German go down, guard Jason Terry said. But we saw him at halftime and he was smiling. He told us, No problem. You guys got this. Dallas improved to 11-1 on the road this season, best in the NBA, and 24-5 overall. Just a great team win, said Mavs assistant Dwane Casey, running the team while Rick Carlisle recovers frrom his surgery. Marty Mcsorley Jersey Huge team win. The guys pulled together. We had to get into a rhythm offensively. It took us a while to find it. This should be a huge confidence boost for our guys. Casey said he didnt believe Nowitzkis injury was serious. Kevin Durant scored 28 points, one game after a season-high 44 points on Christmas against Denver. James Harden had 18 for the Thunder, who dropped their second in a row to the Mavericks this season. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said his teams approach did not change after Nowitzkis injury. I knew this team was a defensive team. They have the record of 24-5 because they have a talented group of guys that play well, he said. Dirk is one of the best players, but he isnt the only guy on their team. Terry was 5 of 8 from the floor in the fourth quarter and scored 11 of his 13 points in the final period. The Mavs held Durant to just five points in the final period. The Thunder led 84-83 with nine minutes left but Dallas scored the next seven points. We just picked a bad time to miss shots, Brooks said. They did a good job of making shots in the fourth quarter. DeShawn Stevenson had 12 points for the Mavericks. Jason Kidd finished with 10 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Associated Press (China Daily 12292010 page22) ’ ’ ’