Canucks rally to defeat Sharks Vancouver 3, San Jose 2

 

Vancouver Canucks celebrate a third-period goal by Henrik Sedin (2nd L) during Game 1 of their NHL Western Conference final hockey playoff game against the San Jose Sharks in Vancouver, British Columbia May 15, 2011.

Photograph by: Andy Clark, Reuters

VANCOUVER — Everybody had a plan. Some were kept quiet and others were quite obvious.
In the opening volley of the Western Conference final series, the margin of error was so minimal that mistakes were greatly magnified Sunday at Rogers Arena. And in the end, the Vancouver Canucks committed fewer gaffes and rallied for a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks that made you wonder if they had the better plan. They must have.
The Canucks had planned to tap the brain of former Sharks defenceman Christian Ehrhoff and it paid off in the winning goal. He smartly spotted Henrik Sedin cutting across the slot and the captain calmly slid a power-play backhander past sprawling goaltender Antti Niemi at 8:21 of the third period to snap a 2-2 deadlock.
There was more.
The Canucks also planned to get their mobile defence involved. And that reaped rewards when a streaking Kevin Bieksa took a cross-ice feed from Alex Burrows and buried a shot less than two minutes earlier to erase a 2-1 deficit that looked like it would stand for too long. Bieksa also got the puck up high over Niemi's shoulder which, of course, was another plan. So was getting more from Henrik and Daniel Sedin.
"It's tough to come back in this league," said Henrik. "We made a great push and showed a lot of courage in the third. Christian made a great play to me. I thought he was going to shoot the puck and it was a great saucer pass. An easy play."
There was nothing easy about this victory.
After Patrick Marleau tipped a Dan Boyle power-play point shot past Roberto Luongo in the second period to provide a 2-1 lead, at least the light bulb went on for the Canucks. After all, the Sharks were operating at a pitiful 13.7 per cent on their playoff power play, but were 6-0 in the post-season when they managed to score with the man advantage. So, the plan was simple. Attack. Attack. Attack.
In a wild scramble around Niemi late in the second period, Mason Raymond, Ryan Kesler, Chris Higgins and Alex Edler were all involved. Raymond took a whack and forced Niemi to get a pad on his effort, Kesler did the same and Higgins was looking for the loose disc too before Edler sent a backhander that Sharks defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic blocked. Niemi then got a left pad on a Hansen shot. The Canucks didn't score, but momentum swung.
"We kept pushing them back and getting in on the forecheck and we were going to get the goal and they were going to crack," Burrows said of out shooting the Sharks 13-7 in the third period and 38-29 overall. "We had all the emotions and were pushing with that emotion."
It paid off. The Canucks scored twice in a span of 1:19 of the third period as Bieksa first put in the dagger before Henrik gave it a twist.
"We felt like we were wearing them down a bit and I just came late on the play and with his great vision, Burr found me," said Bieksa. "We have six guys who can jump up into the play and we feel we can do it by committee. It was the right time."
The Sharks had a plan for Luongo. Sharp-angle shots. Knock the stick out of his hands. And let him handle the puck. It started with Ben Eager, Dany Heatley and Joe Pavelski taking successive sharp-angle shots that Luongo has struggled with in the post-season. It continued with Scott Nichol purposely knocking the stick out of Luongo's hands behind the net to unnerve the goalie. And then it happened, the play that would have dominated the highlight reels if not for the spirited comeback.
A giveaway to Joe Thornton when Luongo attempted to play the puck behind his net to open scoring late in the first period looked like the Sharks knew exactly what they were doing and looked like Luongo didn't have a clue what he was up to. He could have left the puck for teammate Dan Hamhuis, but tried to play it to the defenceman. And as if he knew to sit back, Thornton jumped on the failed attempt and whipped a wrister through a sprawling Hamhuis and between the goalie's legs.
But the Canucks kept going to the net. They called a team meeting in Niemi's crease and it worked when Maxim Lapierre went boldly to the goalie's porch and pounded a neat Jannik Hansen feed from behind the net home early in the second period to erase a 1-0 deficit. As the game wore on, the Sharks looked worn out and the failed second-period flurry by the Canucks simply set the stage for a stronger final period.
"We didn't have it in the third," admitted Sharks coach Todd McLellan. "We were tired and looked sluggish. There are times when we lose our legs, but our minds are still pretty sharp. And I didn't think that was the case tonight. It started between the ears and it worked through the body. We were like dogs chasing cars on the freeway. We weren't catching anybody and put pucks in very poor spots.
"They beat us at the type of game we wanted to play. We wanted to lay it in behind and sustain offensive time. They wore us down."
Vancouver Province
bkuzma@theprovince.com
Twitter.com/benkuzma

© Copyright (c) The Province

Daegu athletics meet to take place Thursday

Lee Yeon-kyung of South Korea competes in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in this file photo taken on Nov. 25, 2010 at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, in which she won the nation’s first gold medal in a sprint event. The 30-year-old will participate in the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting starting Thursday. / Korea Times file By Yoon Chul The 2011 Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting opens today at Daegu Stadium where the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 will be held in August. About 220 athletes from 43 countries will compete in 17 events. It will feature 10 track events, from the 100 meters to the 3,000-meter steeplechase as well as six field events including the javelin and long jump. Among the competitions the men’s 110 meter hurdles will be one of the most competitive. Last season’s world No. 1 David Oliver of the United States will race against world No. 4 Ryan Wilson and No. 7 Joel Brown, also from the U.S., and No. 8 Dwight Thomas of Jamaica. Park Tae-kyung will run against the world top class sprinters. Park finished third in the Guangzhou Asian Games last year, setting a new personal best in a time of 13.48 seconds. Thomas is the only entrant who has broken 13 seconds, having clocked in at 12.89 seconds, just 02 seconds off the world record. The competition between Walter Dix of the U.S. and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands in the men’s 100 meters will also draw attention. The sprinters finished third and fourth respectively at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. On the women’s side America’s Carmelita Jeter, currently the fastest female athlete, will run in the 100 meters. Jeter’s best of 10.64 seconds is the second fastest time ever. Top U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix will also come to Korea. Felix has three consecutive world championship titles in the women’s 200 meters, the last in 2009 in Berlin. This event is the last stage for the organizing committee to evaluate Daegu’s overall readiness in areas such as transportation and accommodation ahead of the world championships. The athletes will also have the chance to compete at Daegu Stadium before the world championships. The Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships began in 2005. For the last six years world class athletes have visited and showed their prowess to Koreans. Previously, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt in the 100 meters and Yelena Isinbayeva in the pole vault in meetings have all competed at the Daegu event. Ahead of the competition Oliver and Felix gave pointers to Korean children in a special session Wednesday.

yc@koreatimes.co.kr

Jays steal win over Red Sox

TORONTO — Post-game, there were bulletin-board quotes in both clubhouses.
In the Toronto Blue Jays 9-3 win on Wednesday, Rajai Davis rattled the Red Sox with his bat and baserunning for a second straight night. Afterward, someone suggested that Boston starter John Lackey looked a tad wary when the speedy Davis reached first base.
"I don't blame him," Davis said. "I would be too if I was him."
And this barb from Lackey, after giving up a home run to light-hitting John McDonald:
"Everybody's had success with him in the past, to be honest with you. You can't give up hits to him when they've got other guys in that lineup who can hurt you."
The Jays put a mighty hurt on the Red Sox in a sweep of this two-game set. After a horrible series against Detroit, they seemed to flip a switch.
Lackey hurt himself too, allowing all nine runs and five walks, but yes, McDonald delivered a couple of body blows: a solo homer and a two-run double that knocked out Lackey in the seventh inning.
Davis enjoyed his best game as a Blue Jay with four singles and two RBIs. In the fourth inning, he stole two bases on consecutive pitches and scored on a sacrifice fly, duplicating a feat he performed in the 10th inning the previous night.
Toronto did everything well in the series finale, using solid pitching and crisp defence to hold Boston at bay before blowing it open with a five-run burst in the seventh.
"This is the way we expect ourselves to play," McDonald said. "No one in this locker-room was happy with the way we played against Detroit."
Among the encouraging signs was the sudden surge of Davis, who entered Wednesday's game batting .197 and finished it hitting .240. In two games against Boston, he had five singles, a triple and four stolen bases.
When Davis is hitting and running, he can electrify the Jays' offence and flummox an opposing pitcher. The fans love it too, as do his teammates.
"I think it absolutely rubs off, the energy, and the fans get involved," Davis said. "That's exciting to play, when the fans are just getting rowdy out there."
McDonald and Davis, batting back-to-back at the bottom of the lineup, both come from Connecticut, which is Red Sox country. McDonald grew up a Yankees fan, Davis a Mets fan.
In the fourth inning, they ganged up on Lackey. McDonald's homer gave Toronto a 3-1 lead. Then Davis singled, stole second and third and scored on Yunel Escobar's sacrifice fly.
"He has a unique ability to outrun the baseball," manager John Farrell said. "More than anything, he creates a lot of distraction for the guy on the mound."
The guy on the mound for the Jays, Jesse Litsch, worked a string 5 2/3 innings, leaving after giving up homers to Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz that cut the lead to 4-3.
But Casey Janssen got the final out of the sixth, then teamed up with catcher J.P. Arencibia for a pivotal defensive play in the seventh.
The fleet Carl Crawford led off the inning with a single. Janssen refused to let him get a good lead, varying his delivery tempo and making several throws to first. Then, on a 3-2 pitch to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Crawford took off.
The batter took a third strike and Arencibia cut down Crawford at second. Then Janssen struck out Jose Iglesias to end the inning to preserve the one-run lead.
"I was so fired up for Casey," McDonald said. "You watch what he did, how well he controls the running game. He varied his looks, he's quick to the plate, he holds the ball. He does a really good job of not allowing base stealers like Carl Crawford to get a good jump. And then to execute his pitch there, 3-2, and give J.P. a good ball to throw — it was a momentum swing for us."
Lackey's ERA is 8.01, thanks in part to those pesky hitters at the bottom of the Jays' lineup. Davis hopes he'll soon be back in the leadoff spot, where he started the season before an ankle injury forced him to miss 16 games.
If Davis keeps this up, he will change the personality of the Jays' offence, McDonald said.
"We've been a station-to-station club for a long time. We hope to see more of that from him, and other guys as well."
National Post
jlott@nationalpost.com
twitter.com@LottOnBaseball

© Copyright (c) National Post

Sharks vow not to tank in Tank

DETROIT — It sounded like a throwaway line from Jimmy Howard when asked about the predicament his Detroit Red Wings were in a week ago after falling behind the San Jose Sharks 3-0 in their Western Conference semifinal.
“Why not us?” offered Howard about duplicating the feat of the 1942 Leafs, the 1975 Islanders and the 2010 Flyers.
Indeed, now it hardly seems a preposterous thought as the teams prepare for Thursday’s Game 7 in San Jose.
“The thing is, we weren’t kidding ourselves, we really felt we could do this,” Detroit forward Dan Cleary said. “We focused on one game, not thinking we had to win four. Just win one, win one, win one and now we’re going to Game 7.
“It’s going to be a fun game.’’
A relaxed group of players gathered at Detroit’s Metro Airport for their flight to San Jose Wednesday morning eager to engage in one more battle for the ages.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen guys that excited to get on a plane for seven hours,” forward Todd Bertuzzi joked. “This is what we wanted, to push it to Game 7. I like where our heads are at.”
It’s been a dramatic reversal of fortunes for the Wings and the Sharks in a span of week.
While Detroit feels it has created a whole new world of opportunity, the Sharks are on the verge of seeing their hopes shattered in a crushing fashion.
“We’ve had three Game 7s already,” forward Henrik Zetterberg said. “We want to keep playing.
“I don’t think anyone feels that we’re done yet. Looking forward and going to enjoy it.”
It hardly seems possible for the Sharks to claim they’ll enjoy Game 7. For San Jose, the pressure in this game goes beyond merely surviving to play the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Final.
They’d worked so hard to shake their reputation as playoff chokers and now they sit on the precipice of their largest post-season pratfall ever.
“This isn’t about any team other than us,” Sharks forward Dany Heatley said. “Those are past teams.
“This is our team. It’s about us. We’re not worried about any other teams.
“We know what we have to do.”
Certainly, the Sharks know what to say.
A defiant Joe Thornton bristled over whether being pushed to a Game 7 had any impact on the Sharks’ confidence.
“Just ask Detroit,” Thornton said. “They lost three in a row and their confidence wasn’t frayed.
“We’re a confident group, still. You work 82 games to get home ice in these Game 7’s.
“Now, we just have to make it work.”
Of course, the difference for the Sharks is they’ve failed to kill off Detroit in three straight games, the last two contests seeing them blow third-period leads. Furthermore, the Sharks response to their Game 5 collapse, in which they held a 3-1 lead with 16 1/2 minutes to play, was to not even show up to contest Tuesday’s Game 6 in Detroit.
Now, they’ll face elimination for the first time this spring.
“Doesn’t matter how we got here,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “It really doesn’t.
“What matters is how it ends and that’s how we’ll approach it.”
How it ends will be determined by which team can handle the occasion better.
The Wings have 22 players that have played in at least one Game 7 while the Sharks have 11.
The last Game 7 involving the Sharks came in April, 2008 when they ousted Calgary.
You have to go back to 2002 for their next seven-game series (Colorado won the series).
The lone holdover for San Jose from that team is Patrick Marleau while Brad Stuart is now in Detroit.
“Controlling the emotions, just stay calm out there,” Detroit defenceman Niklas Kronwall said of the keys to a Game 7. “That’s where the veteran leadership comes into play, so far that has worked out pretty well for us.”
Though he backstopped Chicago to the Stanley Cup last season, San Jose goalie Antti Niemi has never played in an NHL game in which his team could’ve been eliminated let alone a Game 7.
Detroit’s Jimmy Howard has won the lone Game 7 that he’s played in. That was last year versus Phoenix.
“I like to think I’m calm,” Howard said. “It’s (Game 7s) just a lot of fun. It’s competing.
“It’s what you dream about growing up. It was a lot of fun last year and it’ll be again.”
Or as Pavel Datsyuk, who has been the single force most responsible for Detroit’s revival, has been preaching, it’s just a matter of believing in yourself.
“Might be more confidence, maybe little bit, but we know it will be hard game and a tough game,” Datsyuk said. “But it’s for sure more confidence for us (than) 3-0 at 3-3 now.
“We never give up. I think this is why we come back.”
Windsor Star

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Impact top Red Bulls in friendly

MONTREAL — Money, no doubt lots of it, will determine what the Impact lineup will look like when they join Major League Soccer next year.
The presence of the New York Red Bulls for a friendly — which the Impact won 1-0 on a first-half goal by striker Ali Gerba before a near sell out crowd of 12,568 at Saputo Stadium Wednesday night — was an indication of what might be necessary if Montreal is to be competitive out of the gate in North America’s premier league.
Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry, the celebrated French international, and defender Rafa Marquez, captain of the Mexican national team, who both started the game, combined are earning $10.2 million this season as the club’s “designated” or franchise players.
Henry, 33, considered one of the best to ever play the game, is making $5.6 million as the second-highest paid player in MLS behind English star David Beckman of the Los Angeles Galaxy, at $6.5 million in the final year of his contract with the club.
Marquez, 32, is third among the best paid players in the league.
New York has the highest average salary in the league this season at nearly $450,000 which is why the league’s average rose jumped by 12 per cent to $154,852 over last year.
It’s also more than half the estimated $800,000 the Impact is paying this season in total salaries, which range from approximately $40,000 to $100,000.
The Impact played like they were already in MLS instead of a team that has only one win in four games (1-2-1) in the second-tier North American Soccer League.
Gerba scored the game’s only goal in 37th minute, heading a cross from Philippe Billy by former Impact goalkeeper Greg Sutton.
It was one of several scoring chances the team generated, especially due to the inspired play of midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo on the left wing.
The Impact outshot New York 6-5 in the first half, but New York was unlucky on a shot by former TFC star Canadian midfielder Dwayne DeRosario that hit the post to the left of keeper Evan Bush in the 25th minute. A header by Henry that found the back of the net in 35th was negated by the official’s call for an offside.
Both teams made wholesale changes at half time, giving the contest the appearance of nothing more than an organized scrimmage.
Only Sutton and forward Juan Agudelo played all 90 minutes for New York who came to Montreal directly from a 1-1 tie with the Galaxy in L.A. Saturday.
The Impact had five go the distance, including Bush, who started in place of Bill Gaudette to post a shutout in his first game at the stadium in an Impact uniform. Gerba played 58 minutes.
The Impact’s attitude was, friendly or not the team came to play and got a result that was quite satisfying against a superior side.
“When you come on the field, there are no superstars, just human beings like everybody, so you just have to come and play to at your best ability,” said Gerba. “On the field it’s about playing your best and sometimes when you’re playing the best it pushes you to be the best.”
Di Lorenzo, who played only the first half, said the result was one the Impact must build on, carry over to the league play which resumes for the club when it plays host to the Carolina RailHawks Saturday.
“We’re gaining a lot of confidence,” he said. “We played a good game against Vancouver last week and again today, so hopefully we can keep it up.”
Montreal Gazette
rphillips@montrealgazette.com

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Bryant blames fatigue for Lakers letdown

LOS ANGELES, May 11 (Reuters) - Fatigue had been the biggest reason for the premature exit from the playoffs by the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, All-Star guard Kobe Bryant said on Wednesday.
In pursuit of a third consecutive championship and a record-equalling 17th title, the Lakers were swept out of the second round by the Dallas Mavericks after being routed 122-86 in Sunday’s Game Four.
Seventy-seven playoff games over the last four years had left the Lakers mentally and physically exhausted, Bryant said, but he was confident the team could return to winning ways with the same lineup next season.
“It’s been a long run ... a great run but a long run,” Bryant told reporters before checking out of the Lakers’ training base in El Segundo on Wednesday.
“The biggest thing was the fatigue factor. Guys were tired. A lot of times when you get tired, you get burdened by things that you’re normally not burdened by.”
Asked how the Lakers would recover for next season, Bryant replied: “Just re-focus.
”This summer, some guys will rest, some guys will train and some guys will get healthy. Just re-focus, come back next year with a good sense of purpose and be ready to go.“
While the Lakers face an uncertain future over the coming months with a new head coach being sought along with possible changes in personnel, Bryant had no doubt the Lakers could get back to the top next season.
WINNING BELIEF
”If you’re asking me if I believe that we can come back and win it again, I absolutely believe that,“ the MVP of the last two NBA finals said. ”If this team came back as is, I believe we could win.“
Wednesday’s exit interview was a poignant one for Bryant as his long-time coach Phil Jackson prepared to leave the training base for a final time.
Jackson, an 11-times NBA champion head coach, had to be persuaded to return to the Lakers for one more season and he now plans to retire to his summer home in Montana.
”A lot of people probably don’t expect us to continue winning without Phil as head coach,“ said Bryant, who won NBA championship rings with the Lakers under Jackson in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.
”That’s a challenge right there in of itself.“
Bryant was bitterly disappointed Jackson’s final campaign in charge had finished prematurely but he preferred to reflect on those many successful seasons.
”I had a chance to spend some time with him before coming down here, and it’s sad because of the way it ended,“ Bryant said. ”But still we gotta remember the good old times, last year and how that ended, and the year before that even.“
Asked what he had learned most from ’Zen Master’ Jackson over the years, Bryant replied: ”A lot of things. His philosophy on life is something that I have adopted and that I carry with me.
“He has affected me and impacted my basketball game, how I think about the game and me as a person. I’ll miss just talking to him. We always sat next to each other on the plane.”

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Jaromir Jagr hat trick takes Czech champions into semi-finals

BRATISLAVA - A hat-trick by Jaromir Jagr led Czech Republic to a 4-0 win over a young United States team on Wednesday, earning the holders a place in the semi-finals of the world ice hockey championship.
The former Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers winger recorded his first treble for the Czechs while Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadiens also netted.
Jagr put the champions in front with a slap shot late in the first period and pounced on an assist by Plekanec to make it 2-0 after 25 minutes.
Plekanec added a third goal before Jagr completed the rout with four minutes to go.
Netminder Ondrej Pavelec shone for the Czechs as the Americans had 29 shots on goal.
“I don't think we played that well,” Jagr told reporters. “It looked like we were tired and we skated less.”
The U.S. were left to reflect on a wasted opportunity when they had a 5-3 power play in the first period.
“It's a disappointment. We had a good team and I think we played better today,” said captain Mark Stuart.
“He (Jagr) has still got it. He is hard to play against and is still playing at the top level.
Sweden face Germany in the second quarter-final later on Wednesday.

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Nervy Nadal given fright, Djokovic, Federer win

ROME, May 11 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal flirted with a shock defeat at the Rome Masters as Novak Djokovic stretched his unbeaten run and Roger Federer eased through on Wednesday.
After Nadal’s 37-match winning streak on clay was ended last week by Djokovic in the Madrid Open final, the Spaniard fought back against Italian qualifier Paolo Lorenzi to advance 6-7 6-4 6-0 and maintain his record of never losing consecutive matches on the red dirt.
Nadal’s nervy performance contrasted with that of second seed Djokovic who crushed Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot 6-0 6-3, and Federer, who overpowered Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-2.
Sixth seed David Ferrer was forced to pull out of his match against Marin Cilic through illness. There were also wins for Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, ninth-seed Nicolas Almagro and 11th seed Mardy Fish while Feliciano Lopez will be Nadal’s next opponent after overcoming Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4 3-6 6-3.
“I played very badly,” a non-plussed Nadal told reporters. “I was anxious, I felt slow and I was short all the time. I missed easy balls. I finished the match better and in the last game I played well.
”There is a big difference between Rome and Madrid. There you are playing at altitude and the ball is quicker. Losing the final also makes it more difficult because you arrive sadder. All these facts made it tough today.“
Rome champion for five of the past six years, Nadal broke Lorenzi in the sixth game, but the Italian, ranked 148th in the world, refused to be intimidated by the strangely expressionless world number one and broke back before taking the set to a tiebreak.
Lorenzi chased everything down, forcing the Nadal machine to continually splutter and he sealed the set to send the usually sedate Italian crowd jumping to their feet.
The carnival atmosphere was quietened as Nadal broke serve in the first game of the second set but the gutsy 29-year-old was still mixing up his shots well and after the Spaniard took a tumble to stain his canary yellow shirt, Lorenzi broke back.
SHOWED ANXIETY
Lorenzi showed anxiety for the first time, though, at 4-4 and Nadal broke again before holding his serve to square the match.
In the deciding set, Nadal rediscovered the timing that had eluded him in the previous two to race to the finish against an exhausted opponent.
Djokovic, who claimed his sixth straight tournament victory in Madrid, was rarely made to sweat in the midday heat as he wrong-footed Kubot at will to take the first set to love.
But Kubot, ranked 141st in the world, did finally get on the board in the fourth game as he smartly altered his game plan to serve-volley, raising his arms as he walked back to his chair to the cheers of the Foro Italico crowd.
Djokovic, who will replace Nadal as world number one if he wins in Rome and the Spaniard fails to make the semi-finals, claimed his 33rd win in a row to close on John McEnroe’s 42-match unbeaten start to 1984.
”It’s a great way to start as you waste little energy. He was making a lot of enforced errors and coming to the net which didn’t give me a lot of rhythm,“ said Djokovic, who next faces 14th-seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
Playing in the much cooler temperatures of the evening, Federer was rarely tested by Tsonga, breaking serve in the third game and twice more early in the second set.
”It was easier than I expected,“ the 16-times Grand Slam champion told reporters. ”I played a clean match and I’m playing more aggressively which is working well for me.“
Federer’s next opponent will be Richard Gasquet.
”I’m excited to play Richard,“ the Swiss said. ”We’ve had some great games in the past especially in Dubai recently. I’ll expect a tougher match tomorrow.“

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Seve Ballesteros the revolutionary gets hero's send-off

PEDRENA, Spain - Seve Ballesteros, one of golf's greatest showmen, was given an emotional send-off by hundreds of mourners at a funeral service in his hometown of Pedrena on Wednesday.
The five-times major winner, an inspiration to a generation of golfers, died at home at the age of 54 in the early hours of Saturday morning after losing a long battle against brain cancer.
Around 500 mourners lined the narrow, cobbled streets of Pedrena as Ballesteros's ashes were carried in a 10-minute procession from his house overlooking the Bay of Biscay down into the small Cantabrian village.
The column was headed by a lone piper and Ballesteros's children Javier, Miguel and Carmen carrying the brown urn under cloudy, grey skies.
Members of the local rowing club provided a guard of honour with raised oars - his father was a rower and trainer at the club which carries his name - and they passed houses which had Spain flags hanging from balconies embossed with black ribbons.
Children of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation carried three irons aloft to signify the club with which he started practising as a child.
“As a sportsman he continued to change a sport that had only been accessible to wealthy people,” said Seve's cousin and manager Ivan Ballesteros during the televised service.
“He was a boy from a village in the north of Spain who revolutionised golf across five continents.
”From humble beginnings he showed how a kid with talent, determination, fighting spirit and personality could realise his dreams. He was the best and he won the hearts of the people,“ added Ivan.
RYDER CAPTAINS
Four former Ryder Cup captains - Nick Faldo, Bernard Gallacher, Sam Torrance and Colin Montgomerie - and next year's skipper Jose Maria Olazabal were present along with 1991 U.S. Masters winner Ian Woosnam.
”I think for European golf he got our tour to what it is today and he put Europe on the map,“ Woosnam told Reuters television.
”The Ryder Cup is one of the biggest events in the world now and that's because of Seve.“
Along with Spain's secretary of state for sport Albert Soler, former cyclist Miguel Indurain and former Spain striker Emilio Butragueno was golf's world number one Lee Westwood and his Ryder Cup team mate Miguel Angel Jimenez.
”It is a loss for Spanish sport and, anyway, even if he is no longer with us he will be everywhere (in spirit), in every corner,“ Spaniard Jimenez told Reuters. ”Every time we go to a golf course we will always see him there.“
The procession passed wreaths of flowers at the gates of Ballesteros's house and more at the entrance to the church where messages from the Spanish Royal family and government could be seen.
THANK YOU
The parish church of San Pedro, which can hold around 300, was crammed with mourners while Spanish state television's coverage was shown on large screens in a square in the village.
Many of Pedrena's 1,500 inhabitants turned out to watch and a large number of outsiders came to pay their last respects, passing a banner on the approach road to the village which read ”Thank You, Seve“.
Local resident Pedro told Reuters: ”He (Seve) was a gentleman I knew for my whole life, I met him when he was a child and I would like to attend (the funeral). I had a friendship with his parents and him.“
After the service the family returned to Ballesteros's house for a private ceremony where his ashes were to be laid alongside a Magnolia tree that Seve had planted in the garden.
A winner of three British Opens and two U.S. Masters titles, the swashbuckling Spaniard gave golf a much-needed lift in the mid-to-late 1970s.
Along with Briton Tony Jacklin he was also chiefly responsible for reviving Europe's fortunes in the Ryder Cup team competition.
The flamboyant and charismatic Spaniard claimed 87 worldwide wins, including 50 on the European Tour, and captained his side to Ryder Cup victory at Valderrama in Spain in 1997.

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News

Great Scots

Exiles back in the second tier of English rugby

It has been a long road back but the famous exiles from London Scottish are finally back among England's top teams.

A 17-13 victory over Barking saw London Scottish FC crowned champions of National One, securing them a place in the Championship next season.
However just 11 years ago, the Exiles - who have supplied 220 Scotland internationals and four Lions captains in their proud history - found themselves in the bottom division of the rugby pyramid.
It was a long fall from grace. Scottish had won promotion to the Premiership via the play-offs in 1998 and had held their own during their top-flight debut.

"The club is hugely ambitious. That is the culture here. However it has learned it lessons and it is doing things right."
Simon Amor Quotes of the week

However having registered eight wins to finish 12th - avoiding the automatic drop and the relegation/promotion play-off - the club were sent tumbling down the leagues when then-owner Tony Tiarks pulled out, effectively rendering the club's professional side bankrupt.
Those were dark times for the club, which had been formed at MacKay's Tavern on Ludgate Hill in London on Wednesday April 10th 1878.
But despite having had to start again from scratch in Herts/Middlesex One through the club's amateur team, Scottish have enjoyed an impressive run of 10 promotions and now find themselves ready to join the fight for the Premiership once again.

Ambitious

And unlike before, the club have a solid business plan under the guidance of chief executive Tony Copsey - with the former Wales international having previously been the managing director at Harlequins and chief executive at Wasps.
While in head coach Simon Amor, they have an innovative forward-thinker who is passionate about seeing the club not only perform, but develop players for Scotland and England.
Amor, a former England Sevens specialist who spent time at Gloucester, London Irish, Harlequins and London Wasps, told skysports.com: "The club's goal for next season - and the next three seasons really - is to establish itself as a top-eight Championship side, to develop young players that can go on to play for Scotland and to continue to help those players that have come to us.
"The club is hugely ambitious. That is the culture here. However it has learned its lessons and it is doing things right. It is about getting the finances and everything right and that takes time, so we are taking it a step at a time."
London Scottish's success this season has been all the more special after they lost their opening three games.
However a remarkable run of 27 successive wins - and a tremendous bonus-point haul - saw them finish top of National One and inflict Barking's first loss in two seasons.
Amor, who took over the full-time role of head coach at the start of the season after previously being player-coach, said: "It was tough going when we lost the opening three games of the seasons - but there were reasons behind this, we had new players and a new coaching set-up bedding in.

"It will be hard but it is a challenge we are looking forward to."
Simon Amor Quotes of the week

Competitive

"But even though we lost those three games, there were the signs there that it was all coming together.
"We were playing well and where we wanted to be technically, so once everyone settled in we were able to go on that run of 27 games - as well as pick up a lot of bonus points along the way."
Having sealed promotion to the second tier of English rugby, Amor's first job was to begin planning for the challenge ahead - and that means looking at using the finances available wisely to make additions to his squad.
"We know that to remain in the Championship that it is important that we strengthen in one or two areas," the 32-year-old said.
"But we will have a competitive budget and we will look at managing that."
The Scottish budget could be tested against the likes of Leeds, the Cornish Pirates - depending on the outcome of the Championship play-off - Bedford and London Welsh.
Nevertheless, Amor is relishing the chance to see his side go head-to-head with their rivals.
"That is why everyone is doing this," he added. "It will be hard but it is a challenge we are looking forward to."

Sale secure Powell deal

 Sharks make Wales No.8 their latest addition

Wales No.8 Andy Powell has agreed a two-year deal with Sale Sharks following his release from Wasps.

Powell left Wasps by mutual consent following an internal investigation into an incident in a London pub, with the 29-year-old left needing stitches after he clashed with football fans.

"Andy has tremendous experience, is one of the best ball carrying forwards in world rugby."
Steve Diamond Quotes of the week

However, Sale have moved to sign the powerhouse forward - beating off interest from Premiership rivals London Irish as well as rugby league outfits Wigan and the Crusaders.
Sale executive director Steve Diamond said: "This is a huge signing for us. Andy has tremendous experience, is one of the best ball carrying forwards in world rugby and is one of the final pieces in the jigsaw as far as our recruitment goes for next term."
Powell is the latest forward to agree to move to Edgeley Park, following Tony Buckley, Joe Ward, Kearnan Myall, Mark Easter, Richie Vernon, Jamie Collins and Fraser McKenzie.
Powell has previously played for Newport, Leicester, Llanelli Scarlets and Cardiff Blues, while he toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2009.
The 17-time capped back-row jhas courted controversy in the past, though, and was banned from driving for 15 months and dropped from the Wales squad after he an incident with a golf buggy last year.

Double boost for Saints

Sharks make Wales No.8 their latest addition

Northampton confirm deals for Sempere and Craig

Heineken Cup finalists Northampton have bolstered their squad with the signings of Cesar Sempere and James Craig.

Spain full-back Sempere makes the move from Nottingham, while 22-year-old lock Craig joins from Leeds.
Sempere, 27, has previously played for Montpellier while he scored against the Saints in a pre-season friendly back in August - and he is now looking forward to playing at the top level.
Sempere, who has scored 22 tries in 34 Tests, said: "For me the Saints is one of the best teams in the Premiership.
"It is a great opportunity for me to show what I can do. I like to play with the ball in hand from everywhere, which is why I'm looking forward to playing in a team like Northampton. I enjoyed the game last August and the stadium seemed like a good place to play.
"Nottingham has been a good place to play and the club has good coaches and people there.

Buzz

"It was my first experience in England and they made me feel very welcome. But the opportunity from Northampton was too good to turn down and I'm looking forward to playing there next season."
Craig, a product of the Leeds academy, has won England age group honours, while he also scored against Northampton in a LV= Cup clash.
And although sad to be leaving Leeds, he can't wait to play for the Saints.
"There are obviously a lot of people at Leeds who have helped me with my career and I owe them a lot of thanks," he said.
"But now I'm massively looking forward to coming down to the Saints. The guys who I know here like Calum Clark and Scott Armstrong have told me that it's a great place to be, and visiting the club you can feel a buzz around the place, especially with the massive two or three weeks that are coming up. Hopefully I can help get the club to a similar place next year.
"The support you get with things like the conditioning is a massive help and it means that I can concentrate on nothing but developing my rugby.
"Hopefully the way I play will fit in with the way the team plays here. And with the full houses and great fans that follow the Saints it's a great place to play rugby."

 

Short bench doesn’t slow Jays in win over BoSox

TORONTO — When Jose Molina is the only man left on your bench, you know you need help, and fast.
But before they sorted out that conundrum, the Toronto Blue Jays rode to victory on the bat of the second-last man off the bench, David Cooper.
The rookie, who entered Tuesday’s game as a pinch-runner, hit his first major-league homer in the eighth inning to give the Jays a brief 6-5 lead. In the 10th, his sacrifice fly drove in Rajai Davis to cap a 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Davis singled and stole second and third to set up Cooper’s long fly ball to centre field.
Meanwhile, the Jays faced a desperate manpower shortage when shortstop Yunel Escobar had to leave the game after being hit in the leg by a pitch.
With an eight-man bullpen and first baseman Adam Lind in limbo with a back injury, the Jays started the night with only Cooper and Molina, the backup catcher, on the bench.
When Boston starter Jon Lester hit Escobar in the left leg in the sixth inning, Cooper came in to run for him. Cooper stayed in the game at first base, with Edwin Encarnacion moving from first to third and John McDonald from third to shortstop.
Cooper, a rookie recently called up from triple-A Las Vegas, homered in the eighth inning to give Toronto a 6-5 lead.
But for the third time in the game, the Jays blew a lead, this time thanks to Adrian Gonzalez, who hit his second homer of the night in the top of the ninth off Frank Francisco.
Escobar was listed as day-to-day with a contusion on his lower leg. His injury underscored the pressure on the Jays to decide whether to place Lind on the disabled list.
Lind’s lower-back spasms had subsided somewhat on Tuesday. No one could tell how quickly he will return to action, although general manager Alex Anthopoulos said before the game that he did not expect to make a decision on Lind’s status on Tuesday.
Lind said he thought he might be able to play “after Thursday,” an off-day. He said he had made “very substantial” progress from Monday to Tuesday.
He also acknowledged that moving from designated hitter to full-time first baseman unquestionably contributed to the injury. And he took the blame for failing to strengthen his core sufficiently to prepare for the transition.
“If I’d done a few more abs, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
Of Lind’s 150 games last year, 120 were at DH.
The Jays had lost three of four at Boston in April, but Cooper’s blast set them up to win the opener of this two-game series in regulation.
Cooper was appearing in his ninth game and batting .111 before he connected off Daniel Bard to lead off the ninth.
But Francisco could not hold the lead. Gonzalez, who earlier hit a two-run shot off starter Kyle Drabek, led off the ninth with his sixth homer.
The Jays capitalized on Lester’s wildness to score twice in the first inning. Lester walked three batters in that inning and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez dropped a pop-up, allowing a run to score as he threw to second for a forceout.
Drabek took a 3-1 lead into the fourth. David Ortiz led off that frame with a homer, and an inning later, Gonzalez followed a leadoff walk to Dustin Pedroia with a two-run blast that gave the Red Sox a 4-3 edge.
Opening the fifth, Bautista capped an eight-pitch at-bat against Lester with his 11th home run, a streak into the left-field bullpen.
An inning later, Arencibia led off with his fifth homer.
Boston tied it against Marc Rzepczynski in the eighth on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s RBI single.
Drabek threw 109 pitches over his five-inning session. He allowed four runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out five.
National Post

© Copyright (c) National Post

Djokovic delighted with service improvement

ROME, May 11, 2011 (AFP) - World number two Novak Djokovic says part of his flying start to the season is down to an improvement in his serve.
Djokovic is unbeaten in 32 matches since the start of the year and has lifted five titles, including the Australian Open and three Masters Series crowns.
He beat world number one Rafael Nadal in all three Masters finals, including last week on the clay in Madrid.
"My serve is back and working, which is really important for me," he said.
"I was struggling in the last year and a half with that element of my game and I was working really hard, so that hard work is paying off now.
"With a good service you can get some free points which is really important at this level."
But he said he is also basking in the feelgood factor of having won the Davis Cup with Serbia last year.
"I know that feelgood moment is also definitely playing an important role in my success, the success Iím having right now and this confidence that I am feeling.
"I’m not thinking about losing a match, but rather I’m trying to think about winning every match and focusing on being professional.
"I have a great team of people around me who are doing their job great and making my life on the court easier."
Having beaten Nadal on clay for the first time, Djokovic was asked what he thought was the biggest challenge for a player, beating Nadal on clay or beating Roger Federer on grass.
"It is hard to say. Probably a year and a half ago both of those challenges were like mission impossible," he said.
"But I guess everybody started to believe they can win against those guys, I did too.
"I think it is all about your mindset on the court and really trying to go out with a positive attitude and really believe in your abilities and believe that you can win.
"With respect to Federer and Nadal — the most two dominant players in the world in the last couple of years — I don’t know I guess (beating) Rafa on clay seemed tougher a year and a half ago."

© Copyright (c) AFP

Kesler carries Canucks to conference final Vancouver 2, Nashville 1

NASHVILLE — Their job is only half done, but the Vancouver Canucks allowed themselves a moment Monday night to savour an accomplishment that this franchise had not managed for 17 long years.
At last, the Canucks finally cleared that second-round speed bump — one that at times the past few years seemed to be a mile high — and advanced to the NHL's Western Conference final.
Led by the brilliant play of centre Ryan Kesler, the Canucks finally finished off the Nashville Predators with a 2-1 win that clinched the best-of-seven series in six games.
"It has only been about 15 minutes, but it feels pretty good," Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa said of finally getting over that second-round hurdle. "I imagine (Tuesday) we'll wake up and it will feel even better. But the job is not done. We move on to bigger and better things and we await our next opponent."
That opponent will be either the San Jose Sharks or Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks lead that series 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for Tuesday night in Detroit.
With Rogers Arena booked on Thursday and Friday nights, the Western final — just the third in Canucks franchise history and first since 1994 — won't start any earlier than Saturday night and my not begin until Sunday night.
The Canucks let the Predators off the hook in Game 5 on Saturday night in Vancouver, but they finally displayed some semblance of a killer instinct Monday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Kesler set up two first-period goals as the Canucks jumped out to a rare two-goal lead in this series and then hung on against a Predators team that just wouldn't go away.
Kesler really was the difference in the series. He has been in on 11 of the last 13 Vancouver goals and carried the Canucks on his shoulders, registering five goals and 11 points in the six-game series.

"I don't know," winger Alex Burrows said when asked to describe Kesler's play. "I am not that good in English to find a word that could say how good he was. All over the ice, both ways, defensively, offensively, PK, power play, grinding game, faceoffs, he does it all for us. Best thing is he really wants it and that's what we need from him and hopefully we keep it going."
General manager Mike Gillis had no trouble finding words for Kesler's play.
"Unbelievable," Gillis said. "His energy level is extraordinarily high, you saw how many shots they got in the third period tonight. He was still going strong when you saw their guys fading toward the end. He's just playing lights out and is dragging people along with him."
The Canucks finished off the Predators with a textbook third period that followed a miserable second period in which they managed only two shots.
"The second period felt like it was just a fire drill out there," Bieksa said. "We were in our zone an awful lot and couldn't seem to make a play and they were putting pucks around us."
But the Canucks were a much more composed team in the third, when they held the Predators to just six shots on goalie Roberto Luongo. Only a couple of them were of the semi-dangerous variety.
"We did everything we wanted to do in that period," Luongo said. "We spent most of period in their zone, we protected the puck well, I don't think we had any turnovers at all. That is the type of game we want to be playing, especially when we have the lead in the third."
Nashville coach Barry Trotz praised the Canucks, who won all three games played at Bridgestone Arena.
"We've got a long way to go," Trotz said. "This is Vancouver's 40th year and they've yet to win the Stanley Cup. It's hard to win the Stanley Cup, but you look at their organization and they're striving every year to do that and have a great chance to do that this year."
The Canucks had the lead pretty much all night. After killing off a couple of early Nashville power plays, the Canucks grabbed a 2-0 lead with goals less than two minutes apart by Mason Raymond and Daniel Sedin. Kesler helped set up both of them.
Raymond's goal came after Nashville defenceman Ryan Suter lost the puck in his skates in front of the Predator goal. Kesler retrieved it and delivered a backhand pass from the goal-line to Raymond, who in turn beat Pekka Rinne with a backhand shot at 7:45 for his first goal of the playoffs.
Sedin made it 2-0 at 9:28 on a Vancouver power play. Henrik Sedin threw the puck out of the corner toward the goal and Kesler tipped it. Rinne got a piece of that, but the puck ended up trickling through the crease to Daniel, who slapped it into an empty net. The goal came with Jordin Tootoo off serving a questionable penalty for embellishment after he was stood up by Vancouver defenceman Alex Edler at the Canucks blue-line.
"There's been way worse dives going on in this playoff series," said Nashville defenceman Shane O'Brien. "I've played against Jordin Tootoo at every level from pro — the AHL to the NHL — and he's never been known to dive. He plays hard every night and he's a warrior and for him to get called on a diving penalty . . . I don't know. It is what it is. We should have killed it off, but we didn't."
The Predators got a goal they desperately needed at 3:31 of the second and it was another one of those bad-angle shots that continue to plague Luongo.
David Legwand flipped the puck toward Luongo from the goal-line and it somehow appeared to get between Luongo and the near post. Referee Steve Kozari, positioned behind the net, signalled a goal and after a lengthy video review, the goal stood.
Although the CBC produced a replay that showed the puck over the line, Luongo wasn't convinced.
"There was no goal," he said, smiling. "I had a shutout tonight. What are you talking about . . . What can I say? There seemed to be a few of those in this series. Couldn't catch a break, but at the end of the day we won the series and that's all that matters."
It's hard to argue with that.
Vancouver Sun
bziemer@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) canada.com

Rose powers Bulls past Hawks for 3-2 series lead

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Derrick Rose scored 11 of his 33 points in a lopsided fourth quarter that allowed the Chicago Bulls to tip their playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks in their favor with a 95-83 Game 5 win.
Rose doled out nine assists, had just two turnovers and got plenty of help from his supporting cast to put Chicago ahead 3-2 in the series and on the brink of its first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 1998.
Luol Deng chipped in 23 points, Carlos Boozer had 11 points and 12 rebounds and Taj Gibson stepped up with all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter for the Bulls, who can close out the series in Atlanta on Thursday.
Jeff Teague paced the Hawks with 21 points and seven helpers, but Atlanta shot just 31 percent from the field in getting outscored, 26-15, over the final 12 minutes.

© Copyright (c) The Sports Network

Still jumping with joy, Chan sets sights on Sochi

TORONTO — Patrick Chan’s eyes tend to sparkle with excitement, but as Chan spoke to the media Tuesday his eyes burned with something new: the delight of a world champion.
The 20-year-old returned to Toronto for the first since winning the men’s gold at the 2011 world figure skating championships in Moscow two weeks ago.
“I’m glad to be home and bring home the medal,” he said after a 20-plus hour flight from Dubai, where he spent a week on holiday. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and he sounded groggy, but the eyes were still shining. “The records are all bonuses. I didn’t really expect those.”
Chan’s short skate — a bubbly groove to Paul Desmond’s Take Five — resulted in a record score of 93.02, prompting defending world champion Daisuke Takahashi say it would take a “miracle” to catch Chan, who had won silver at the worlds the two previous years.
Chan’s long skate was not nearly as flawless — his spins were off-centre and he stumbled on a few landings — but he had another record score of 187.96, and his combined tally of 280.98 surpassed the top mark (264.41) Takahashi had set at the 2008 Four Continents championships.
It was the precision with which he executed his quadruple jumps that wowed the crowd. Chan’s short program opened with a quadruple toe loop-triple toe combination; in the long skate, he landed two quads in the opening 40 seconds.
After debating value of the quad before the 2010 Olympics — and having his manhood questioned by the likes of former Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko — Chan and coaches Christy Krall and Lori Nichol began working on the four-rotation jump last spring.
“It was just for fun, honestly,” Chan said. “Kristy is a great coach — and she always tries to push me harder.”
When asked what he would do next with the quad, Chan eyes narrowed and he laughed.
“Maybe drench my program full of quads now,” Chan said. “The whole point I think is to continue to do the right things and stay healthy, and do the same things I did leading up to these world championships.”
After finishing fifth at the Vancouver Olympics, Chan questioned his drive to continue. Then he and his coaches recalibrated his training program. Equal time was given to skating on the ice, strength training off and personal time for Chan to relax. His father Lewis calls it the “well-balanced life.”
“At the Olympics a lot of people were telling me, you can do it, you’re the most well-trained, you’re the most rested, you’re the strongest. I kind of went into it thinking things, outside things, that were coming into my personal space. Things I didn’t really believe in.
“When I went to Moscow I had control of myself. It’s almost like I could have put myself out there without a coach because I knew my coach and I had done everything and she was just there as kind of a companion.”
Now Chan feels like he can shape his own destiny, at future world championships and, likely, at the 2014 Olympics.
“It is hard not to think of Sochi,” he said, “especially after winning a world medal. But the way the season unfolded is how the next three years are going to unfold if I do go to Sochi. And that is to stay fresh and stay relaxed and not become so regimented.”
Chan is even looking past Sochi to his future after skating. While in Dubai he spent time with a family acquaintance, an American commodity trader, who talked to him about the best ways to make quick profit. Chan is about to start an international economics degree at Colorado College.
“It kind of piqued the same feeling I get when I compete, it is a very competitive field so I think it is the closest thing to figure skating when it is over,” he said.
National Post
mscianitti@nationalpost.com
Twitter.com@mscianitti

© Copyright (c) National Post

Derek Stepan, Jaromir Jagr cross paths two decades later

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Derek Stepan was born in Hastings, Minnesota, two days after Jaromir Jagr became the No. 5 pick in the 1990 National Hockey League entry draft in Vancouver.
When Stepan himself was drafted 18 years later by the New York Rangers, Jagr had just two months earlier said goodbye to the Blueshirts after four seasons on Broadway and 18 total in the NHL. So their paths have never crossed until now.
Stepan is 20 and a nifty Rangers' forward who is here with Team USA. Jagr is 39 and surprisingly fresh off three seasons with Avangard Omsk of Russia's Kontinental League and is leading the high-powered Czechs, if not quite in points, then certainly in star power. The teams and the players meet in a quarter-final match at the IIHF world hockey championship Wednesday at Orange Arena.
Jagr knows the United States is young. The young Americans generally only know of Jagr.
“This is my first time playing against him, which is kind of cool. I'm not going to lie,” said Stepan. “There's an (awe) level but you've got to make sure you keep yourself ready to play at the same time. It will be pretty cool and I'll get to say that I did it.
“I don't have any specific memories but obviously you know who he is. You grow up and he's one of your heroes. I shouldn't say heroes, but one of your idols you look up to and say ‘oh man, this guy can play.' You watch him. When you're playing road hockey, you're him or other guys are him.”
He can still play on the big ice and thinks he'd be fine in the NHL, too. And to hear Jagr tell it, he loves hockey more now than ever before - and there was much to love; two Stanley Cups, five Art Ross Trophies, one Hart Trophy and 1,599 points in 1,273 games. There is perspective that comes with age but there are questions that come with the end of every season, and on Tuesday he didn't have the answers.
Or at the very least, he wasn't willing to share them, beyond making it clear he wants to keep playing and would eventually wrap it up at home. He is mulling over a one-year offer from Omsk and only toying with the thought of a return to the NHL.
“Unless I stop liking the game, I want to play. I love the game. I like to play better and better every day. I think I enjoy the practices and games more than I ever did. I don't know. Don't ask me. That's the way it is.”
He played sparingly and not well in an exhibition game against Canada in Prague on April 27, but has dialed it up for the tournament. Only Patrik Elias, with seven, and Martin Havlat (six) have more than Jagr's five points on the veteran Czech team. He plays 15 minutes 54 seconds a game, is plus-six and has a team-leading 21 shots through six victories.
He has wowed the crowd and the local media and if he has given his critics pause, even better.
“It's a big motivation. If guys, not a lot of guys, but if people say he cannot play anymore that's extra motivation to just prove them wrong,” he said.
“My advantage is I don't think my game was about speed. When you're older, you're losing the speed. My game never was about speed. That's why Teemu Selanne surprise me because his game is about speed and he still has it and he's two years older than me and he was playing unbelievable.”
Selanne isn't here to help the Finns; the grind of an NHL season and seven-game playoff series kept him too long in North America. Jagr's season with Omsk was over and his motivation high to rejoin the national team.
He had scolded NHLers who refused to play last year in Germany. This time, there are plenty who came back to Europe and the chances of back-to-back championships seem quite good. If they beat the struggling U.S. team, the Czechs would meet the winner of Sweden/Germany in the semifinal.
“Last year we had only three guys from NHL coming to help us. I don't think it was enough,” he said. “But on the other side, those guys who never really had a chance to play for national team, they got the chance and they took advantage of that. The team was just great. There was a lot of workers. Not much talent, but a lot of workers and in those key situations we were pretty lucky and we became the champions.
“This year it's a different story. There's a lot more guys coming from NHL, very good players. You can see during the tournament we play a lot better hockey than we did last year but bottom line is, it's all going to be decided by one goal, one mistake. That's the way it is.”
Edmonton Journal

© Copyright (c) canada.com

Lakers' Bynum suspended five games

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum has been suspended for the first five games of the 2011-12 season for "unnecessary and excessive contact."
The National Basketball Association handed down the penalty two days after an ugly incident in the Lakers' season-ending contest. Bynum committed a flagrant foul against Dallas' J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday.
Appearing before the media on Tuesday after the team's season-ending exit interviews, Bynum briefly spoke about the incident.
"I want to apologize for my actions in Dallas," Bynum said. "They don't represent me, my upbringing or this franchise."
In the fourth quarter of Sunday's 122-86 drubbing that eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs, Bynum delivered an elbow to the ribs just beneath the right armpit of Barea, who was driving the lane for a layup. Barea hit the floor hard and Bynum was quickly ejected.
Bynum removed his jersey as he walked off the court and past the Dallas bench, where players were being held back. He was fined $25,000 for removing his jersey and for the combative manner in which he left the court.

© Copyright (c) The Sports Network