TORONTO -- As the Toronto Maple Leafs faint playoff hopes hang in the balance, Phil Kessel is expected to play Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames. Kessel suffered a bruised right foot when he was hit with a pass from James van Riemsdyk in the second period Saturday night against the Detroit Red Wings. He did not practise Monday, but coach Randy Carlyle said hes available to play. "Its been, I guess, two days of treatment and hes telling us hes ready," Carlyle said. Kessel, the Leafs leading scorer with 36 goals, 41 assists and 77 points, has just two goals and two assists during Torontos eight-game losing streak. Toronto has not picked up a point since March 13 in Los Angeles to fall from second place in the Atlantic Division to out of a playoff spot. Winger Joffrey Lupul said after the crushing loss to Detroit on Saturday night that he and his teammates would likely have to win out and get help to make the playoffs. Asked Tuesday morning if the playoffs were still a realistic possibility, Carlyle brought the focus back to the Flames game. "Its realistic if you win," Carlyle said. "Weve got to win the first one, thats the bottom line. We cant look past tonight. ... We need to win a hockey game, and the first one we need to win is tonight." With the entire roster available to him, Carlyle said there could be lineup changes. Hes contemplating going with 11 forwards and seven defencemen, which would mean the return of injured defenceman Paul Ranger. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier is set to make his fourth straight start since returning from a groin injury. Bernier has allowed four goals in each of his past three games. Cheap Air Max 200 . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. Air Max 200 Uk . After Mariota was pushed around by Stanford on Thursday, finishing 20/34 with 250 yards and two touchdowns in Oregons Title hope-crushing defeat, hes going to need a poor performance or two from the remaining frontrunners to have a shot at the most coveted individual trophy in college sports. http://www.fakeairmaxukoutlet.com/best-m...s-cheap-uk.html. -- The defending Canadian womens curling champions squandered an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the standings Tuesday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Discount Air Max 200 .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. Buy Nike Tn Trainers Uk . Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Raptors have traded forward Steve Novak along with a second-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Diante Garrett - who will then be waived.TORONTO -- After months of speculation, Toronto FC is finally set to introduce the men it hopes will take the underachieving MLS team to the promised land -- England international striker Jermain Defoe and U.S. international midfielder Michael Bradley. The club has already announced the signing of Defoe, with the 31-year-old Spurs star set to be unveiled at a news conference Monday morning at the huge high-tech sports bar owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment across the street from the Air Canada Centre. The invitation said nothing about the 26-year-old Bradley although his former club AS Roma has already announced the American has been sold to Major League Soccer for US$10 million. A source confirmed that Bradleys signing is part of Mondays TFC gala. The black hole surrounding Bradley is likely linked to the fact that Defoes signing brings Toronto to the league limit of three designated players, adding to newly signed Brazilian striker Gilberto and incumbent Argentine midfielder Matias Laba. Bradley would make four, meaning Toronto has to do something with Laba, either trading him or restructuring his deal short of MLS changing its rules -- which has happened before. The current DP rule allows teams to sign marquee talent without blowing the leagues modest salary cap. In 2013, only US$368,750 of a senior designated players pay counted against a teams US$2.95-million salary cap. The wave of signings -- the 24-year-old Gilberto arrived last month -- essentially represents a Toronto FC line in the sand after a sad-sack seven-year existence. Since entering MLS in 2007, Toronto has compiled a 51-105-66 league record with players and coaches coming and going through an always-moving revolving door. The team has yet to make the post-season -- something both Vancouver and Montreal have done -- and its once formidable fan support has slipped to the 10th-best attendance in the 19-team league. Enter first manager Ryan Nelsen and president Kevin Payne, then MLSE president and CEO Tim Leiweke. Payne did not last the 2013 season but Leiweke hired GM Tim Bezbatchenko and elected to keep Nelsen. The three amigos then went on a worldwide talent, backed by the deep pockets of the MLSE board. Toronto has not disclosed financial details of the recent acquisitions but Bradleys transfer fee alone exceeds the 2013 salaries listed for Clint Dempsey and Thierry Henry, the leagues highest-paid players. Add in Defoes transfer fee, pegged at between six million and eight million pounds (C$10.8 million to C$14.4 million) and lengthy contracts reportedly worth C$7.1 million a year for Bradley and C$8.3 million for Defoe, and Toronto is entering a whole new financial zip code in MLS. The worlds best soccer players are paid crazy money. Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, reportedly makes 288,000 pounds a week (C$517,845) after taxes. Toronto likely overpaid to get both Defoe and Bradley to come to North America, which has yet to match the top leagues elsewhere in terms of reputation, competition or compensation. In exchange for a huge outlay, Toronto is gettting battle-hardened internationals from two of the finest leagues in the world.dddddddddddd And both arrive at or near their peak. Defoe is a proven goal-scorer who left home at 14 after winning a scholarship to the F.A. National School of Excellence at Lilleshall and signed his first pro deal at 16. Bradley, the son of former U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley, left home at 13 to join the U.S. residency program, before signing with the MLS MetroStars at 16 and moving to Europe at 18 to become an influential midfield general. Gilberto has largely been forgotten in the recent hoopla but the young striker scored 14 goals for a team headed for relegation out of Brazils top league this season. One ranking TFC official predicted Gilberto may score more goals than Defoe. Add in former league MVP Dwayne De Rosario and the off-season acquisitions of Brazilian midfielder Jackson and U.S., international fullback Justin Morrow to a young roster and there is reason to hope. Stil not everyone is convinced coming to Toronto make sense for any other reason than money. "Defoe, to put it bluntly, is joining a club where the limitations are limitless," wrote Daniel Taylor in a blog for Englands Guardian newspaper. "A club with plenty of cash and a showy front but nothing behind it, like a Kinder chocolate egg with no toy inside -- the equivalent in standard, you could say, of a side in the bottom six of the (English second-tier) Championship, if you were putting it generously." Defoe, for his part, says there are several reasons for coming. One was the offer of a new four-year deal when he only had one year left at Spurs. But he also cited his family, which has endured a string of personal tragedies in recent years. Defoe had to fly home from Englands training base in Poland before Euro 2012 when his father died of throat cancer. Later that summer, his cousin Hannah was electrocuted in a freak accident at a pool in St Lucia. His half-brother Jade, a musician, died after a brutal street attack in 2009 and Jades grandmother died after collapsing at the funeral. A 78-year-old cousin was stabbed to death in 2011 at his home in St. Lucia, where Defoes family is from. "On a personal note, the things that weve been through over the last few years in the family and sometimes it is nice to have a change," Defoe told Sky Sports News before flying to Toronto. "I only had a year left on my contract at Tottenham and that was the situation. So I supposed. If youve got a year left and someone comes in and offers you four, then I suppose youve got to think about it and consider your options. So its as simple as that." Leaving Tottenham after nine years wont be easy, he added. "Ive always said Ive had a special relationship with the fans over the years but you know its football, players move on," he said. "I think at the age of 31 its a great opportunity for me and my family." Defoe will return to England and Spurs after Mondays news conference. He will stay with Tottenham through the end of February. ' ' '

Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles have been chosen as the hosts for Super Bowl 53, 54 and 55 respectively. The hosting decisions were made at the NFL owners meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a series of ballots were held.Tampa and Miami were in the running to host Super Bowl 53, but the choice eventually came down to Atlanta and New Orleans. The decision went in Atlantas favour meaning a first Super Bowl for the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in February 2019.Atlanta will move into their new home in 2017, and the city last hosted the NFLs showpiece game in 2000 at the Georgia Dome.We think Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a great host stadium for the Super Bowl, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. Thank you to all fans and citizens for their support.South Florida will host a first Super Bowl in a decade when the 54th edition takes place in Miami in 2020.Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was keen to get the game back, after hosting the New Orleans Saints 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in 2010, and he is spending more than $400m redeveloping their stadium.Los Angeles will return to the NFL this season, with the Rams making the move from St Louis, and the Super Bowl will return in 2021 for the first time in nearly 30 years.By 2021, the Rams will be playing in a new hi-tech arena which will be built in Inglewood and is due for completion in time for the 2019 NFL season.The next two Super Bowls will be held in Houston (2018) and Minneapolis (2019). Also See: Robots take over NFL!! Hayne leaves 49ers USA Soccer Shirts . Patton told The Baltimore Sun that he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished, trying to improve his short-term focus. "I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun. USA Soccer Jerseys China . Orlandos Glen Davis tried to get in the way, only to be driven back into the padding under the basket as the Pelicans forward slammed home a windmill jam. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/. Murakami gracefully executed a double triple toe jump and a triple flip jump that put her at the top of a tightly contested race with 64.73 points, just ahead of Li Zijun of China on 62. Fake USA Soccer Jerseys . UCI President Brian Cookson said Wednesday the commission will investigate allegations "that the UCI has been involved in wrongdoing in the past -- allegations which have done so much to hurt the credibility of the UCI and our sport. USA Soccer Store . "Hopefully well get all this out of the way," he said, "and everyone will be healthy the rest of the year." Zimmerman was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and is expected to miss between four to six weeks.Waco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Kenny Chery totaled 23 points and Royce ONeale added 20 with eight rebounds as No. 20 Baylor topped 19th-ranked Texas, 83- 60, at the Ferrell Center. Taurean Price and Johnathan Motley each contributed 13 points for the Bearrs (16-5, 4-4 Big 12), while Rico Gathers clocked in with eight points and 15 boards.dddddddddddd Jonathan Holmes had 17 points for the Longhorns (14-7, 3-5), who received 16 points and 10 assists from Isaiah Taylor in a losing effort. ' ' '

PHOENIX -- Some extra rest seemed to be just what Josh Collmenter needed. Collmenter came two outs away from a complete game, holding the San Diego Padres without an earned run on four hits over 8 1-3 innings in the Diamondbacks 5-1 win Friday night. Collmenter (9-7) also tied his career high for strikeouts with eight and did not walk a batter. The Diamondbacks victory ended a six-game losing streak. "Give the arm a little break and weve been going at it quite a while now," Collmenter said. "It was just good to rest and be 100 per cent going into (Friday)." Arizona manager Kirk Gibson had Collmenter, who started the season as a reliever, skip his between-starts bullpen session and only play catch. "His arm had much more life to it. Think he had only one three-ball count the whole game," Gibson said. "Just wanted to get him through this game. Really didnt even want to put him out there in the ninth inning but he obviously had a shutout going. I went as far as I was comfortable going with him." Arizona scored three first-inning runs - two on a Miguel Montero home run -- and added another in the second inning on a two-out error by Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko, one of two errors for him. Monteros two-out blast hit the right field fair pole on a line. Two batters earlier, David Peralta tripled and Mark Trumbo drove him in with ground ball deep in the hole at shortstop for an infield hit. "I was lucky enough to keep it fair," Montero said. Odrisamer Despaigne (3-5) settled down after a rough start, but took the loss after going five innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits. "The story was their guy. We couldnt solve him. He pitched a good game and we couldnt square any balls up," Padres manager Bud Black said. The Padres put runners on first and second in the ninth inning against Collmenter, and Matt Stites got the final two outs but a passed ball allowed Alexi Amarista to score from third base and break up the shutout. D-BACKS D UP Diamondbacks centre fielder Ender Inciarte recorded five straight outs on fly balls between the second and third innings, including a diving catch to take a hit away from Despaigne. Peralta ended the third throwing out Amarista from right field trying to go from first to third base on a base hit from Yangervis Solarte. Shortstop DiDi Gregorius got to a ground ball with a backhand stop and threw out Gyorko in the seventh, his momentum carrying him toward third base as he made the throw. "I dont know that Ive ever seen that," Gibson said of the Gregorius play. "The way he threw it. I thought maybe hed one-hop it and he just threw a bullet over there." VENABLE LOSES A HIT A scoring change from Aug. 12 took a hit away from Padres outfielder Will Venable. Major League Baseball on Friday announced that an eighth-inning infield hit originally scored a single against Colorado that day was changed to an error on Rockies shortstop Josh Rutledge. The two runs in the inning became unearned. Venable was hitless in three at-bats Friday and has 74 hits on the season. ON DECK Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner makes his first appearance since being placed on the disabled list with shoulder soreness on June 23. He hasnt pitched in the majors since June 18, when he held the Seattle Mariners to a run on seven hits over seven innings. Diamondbacks: LHP Vidal Nuno (0-3) starts the second of the three-game series against San Diego. Nuno has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts but has nothing to show for it. A San Diego area native, hes never faced the Padres in his career. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: Several regulars are on the disabled list, including 1B Yonder Alonso (strained right forearm), who missed his eighth straight game, SS Everth Cabrera (hamstring, 10) and OF Carlos Quentin (left knee, 22). Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock is expected to rejoin Class AAA Reno for a rehab assignment for his broken right hand in the next few days. INF Chris Owings (left shoulder strain) was in Reno Friday to continue his rehab work after a stint with the Diamondbacks rookie league club. Soccer Jerseys Outlet . Bowditch, the 30-year-old Australian seeking his first PGA Tour title, shot a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC San Antonio. Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe were tied for second. Kuchar shot 65, and Loupe had a 70. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic . "I was so nervous," Hadley said Sunday after winning the Puerto Rico Open for his first PGA Tour victory. "I did not eat well last night. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/.The Dallas Cowboys released Sam from the practice squad Tuesday, dropping the rush end as they prepare for several potential reinforcements to return to the defensive line. Soccer Jerseys China . The 20-year-old Inoue landed a series of combinations and the bout was stopped 2 minutes, 54 seconds into the sixth round. Inoue, the first Japanese boxer to claim a world title in just his sixth professional fight, improved to 6-0 with five knockouts. Stitched Soccer Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla.DENVER -- Colorado Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez had a small tumour removed from his left index finger Tuesday during a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic. Gonzalez underwent exploratory surgery with Dr. Thomas Graham and a growth was found beneath the sheath around the muscle. Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger said these type of tumors are common and the expectation is a biopsy will determine the tumour is benign. "These little benign tumors, which we hope it is, is probably the second most common finding in the finger besides cysts," Dugger said. "Usually repetitive trauma causes it. "They call them cell tumors. Pretty common within the sheath of these fingers. Usually benign. Occasionally you can come up with something." Gonzalez had his left arm in a sling after the surgery. He is expected to return to Denver Wednesday. "It helps explain some of the things that CarGos been dealing with and why that finger kept blowing up on him," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "It helps answer some of the questions we had about him. Gonzalez has been experiencing soreness and swelling in the finger for a while. He was examined by Graham on May 29 in Cleveland. He continued to play but was placed on the 15-day DL on June 4 and is expectted to miss a few weeks.dddddddddddd "Typically, its a couple weeks for the tissue to heal," Dugger said. "Then hell get back his strength and start swinging. It was a little bit more invasive, meaning they took out a larger piece than they thought -- what the MRI revealed." Gonzalez has dealt with finger issues in the past. Last season he played in just 19 games after the All-Star break due to a sprained middle finger on his right hand. That injury did not require surgery. Colorado has been hit hard with injuries in the last month. Third baseman Nolan Arenado (broken left finger) is expected to miss another month and outfielder Michael Cuddyer is out for at least six weeks with a fractured left shoulder suffered Thursday. The rotation has been decimated as well. Jordan Lyles (broken hand), Tyler Chatwood (right elbow strain), Brett Anderson (fractured left index finger) and rookie Eddie Butler (right rotator cuff inflammation) are on the disabled list. Left-hander Tyler Matzek, the teams first-round pick in 2009, will be the third Rockies pitcher in a week to make his major league debut when he starts Wednesdays game. "Its something as a professional team weve got to push through, push forward," Cuddyer said. ' ' '

OAKLAND, Calif. - Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears look ready to start the season. The Oakland Raiders look ready for a quarterback controversy. Cutler led five first-half scoring drives, Matt Forte gained 109 yards from scrimmage and the Bears beat the Raiders 34-26 Friday night in the final big dress rehearsal for the regular season. "It was a good outing for everybody, but it is preseason," Cutler said. "You cant get caught up in that. I dont think we can get too high on this game. We made some mistakes and we need to go back and look at them. But its a good barometer of where were at and where we can go." Cutler and Forte connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass, former Raiders running back Michael Bush added a pair of touchdown runs and Alshon Jeffery caught seven passes for 77 yards as the Bears (2-1) broke out to a 27-0 lead in the first half. This was likely the last full test for Chicagos first-team offence before the season as the top stars will play sparingly — if at all — in the exhibition finale next week against Cleveland. The Raiders (1-2) might need to use next weeks game against Seattle to figure out who their quarterback will be. Matt Flynn threw two interceptions on just six passes before being pulled in favour of Terrelle Pryor in the second quarter to the delight of frustrated Raiders fans. Oaklands first-team defence was shredded and the usually reliable Sebastian Janikowski even missed a 49-yard field goal before connecting from 58 yards out on the final play of the first half to get Oakland on the board. "We were very frustrated with how we performed," Flynn said. "Watch it, correct it and you have to move on. Well move on from this." Pryor electrified the crowd by leading a late field-goal drive in the first half and then running and throwing for scores in the third quarter. Pryor finished 7 for 9 for 93 yards passing to go along with 37 yards rushing and led Oakland to 20 points on five drives and made a case that he should be the starter when the season starts. "What I want to look at is who gives us the best chance to move the ball down the field and score points," coach Dennis Allen said. "Obviously Im not going to look at one night and base any type of decision on one night. Ill go back and Ill look at it and well see where we go from here." The Bears came into this game looking to show their passing offence was more than just Brandon Marshall after he was targeted on all five throws by Cutler last week against San Diego. Cutler managed to do that on the first drive with long completions to Jeffery and tight end Marcellus Bennett that set up a field goal by Robbie Gould. "We just called more of our packages and everybody got a chance to get the ball," Bennett said. Both those completions came against Raiders rookie D.J. Hayden, who played his first game since a near fatal practice collision last November in college at Houston. Hayden recovered from that scare and was picked 12th overall by Oakland, but was not cleared for contact until this week. He missed a tackle on Jefferys 22-yard gain, but later on the drive broke up a pass to Marshall. Cutler continued to spread the ball around on the second drive after a Tim Jennings interception. Forte took a swing pass on the next play and went in for a 32-yard touchdown. Cutler led three more scoring drives in the half and finished the night 12 for 21 for 142 yards with the touchdown. He completed passes to five players with none going to Marshall on four attempts in that direction. "It was kind of imperative to do that, come out there and get everything going efficiently," Forte said. "We started off fast. It was good to get that continuity going." The Raiders first-team offence had no bright spots with Flynn throwing as many interceptions (two) as first downs produced (two) in five drives, leading to frequent boos from the home crowd. Pryor led a late drive for a field goal at the end of the first half and then showed his athleticism on the opening drive of the third quarter. He hit Rod Streater on a 19-yard pass after scrambling out of pressure and then scored on a 25-yard run. Pryor then threw for a score when he threaded a 19-yard pass to rookie tight end Nick Kasa on third-and-16 before sitting for the rest of the game. "I love to throw the ball," Pryor said. "I find joy in throwing it. I also find joy in making plays with my feet too. Its definitely something the defence has to look out for and it opens up a lot of things. But Id rather throw a touchdown then run it." NOTES: Streater (concussion), CB Joselio Hanson (groin), S Usama Young (hamstring) and WR Brice Butler (hamstring) all had injuries for the Raiders. ... Oakland RB Darren McFadden sat out with a shoulder injury but could have played if it was the regular season. ... Chicago CB Zach Bowman tore his hamstring. Fake Shoes From China .Cullen scored the go-ahead goal at 13:47 of the third period and Nashville beat the slumping Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday in a game that wasnt decided until the last shot of the night. Cheap Fake Shoes . Maximilian Arnold put Wolfsburg ahead in the eighth minute, when the stationary Fallou Diagne allowed him to guide Patrick Ochs cross beyond the helpless Freiburg goalkeeper, and Ivica Olic doubled the lead three minutes later after Luiz Gustavo did well to set him up. https://www.fakeshoes.net/. -- Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford made it through a third straight practice without any setbacks and expects to play in Oaklands regular-season finale against San Diego. Fake Sneakers . According to Tony Barrett of The Times, the Liverpool captain is set to announce that he will leave the club at the end of the 2014-15 season. Fake Nike Shoes .com) - Thursday marks the official debut of a new dirt racing surface at Meydan Racecourse.TORONTO - As the Raptors wandered into the locker room, heads down after Fridays loss to the Knicks, they found a red t-shirt draped over each of their chairs. "Atlantic is ours," read the shirts, delivered by the league that afternoon. Moments earlier they learned that, for the second time in franchise history, the Raptors will be crowned division champions, also earning home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The celebration was not exactly how they expected it. "Its sweet and sour," said Kyle Lowry following Torontos 108-100 loss to the Knicks. Shortly after the Raptors game went final, the Nets would fall to Atlanta at home, in effect clinching the division for Toronto. "Its very sweet that we won the division," the Raptors point guard explained, "but it sucks that we didnt win it [with] a win. But well take the division [title] any day." Its been a long and sometimes strange road for this Raptors team and in that way Fridays bizarre post-game proceedings seemed almost fitting. No one was quite sure how to feel. Torontos defeat, at the hands of a desperate Knicks teams fighting for their playoff lives, exposed a series of lingering concerns for Dwane Casey and his club. Meanwhile, with Chicago coming back from an 18-point deficit to knock off the Pistons, the Raptors fell out of the Eastern Conferences third seed. Do they care who theyll face in the opening round of the postseason, beginning next weekend, on Apr. 19 or 20? "No, not at all," Lowry stated. "Weve proved we can play with anybody in this league," DeRozan added. "We understand that, so it really doesnt matter to us." He was not alone. The consensus in the room was just that, no, theyre not stressing over their first-round opponent, or so they say. In the grand scheme of things it could be the difference between the teams second ever series victory or an early vacation, a reality they all seem to grasp, given their expressions of discontent upon learning that Chicago had won. If the season ended today, Toronto - the fourth seed - would host fifth-placed Brooklyn, a daunting matchup for the inexperienced Raptors, although home-court would play a big factor. "You definitely want to have home-court advantage, because our fans get into it," Amir Johnson said. The Raptors have won 22 of their last 30 games at the Air Canada Centre. "Its always tough to go into someones house and win a game." It would be especially tough to win in Brooklyns gym, should they meet up in the postseason. The Nets loss to Atlanta Friday was just their third at home since the calendar turned to 2014. Whomever they face, the Raptors have some work to do if they hope to advance. The Knicks were the hungrier team on Friday, they wanted it more and Toronto was never able to match that level of intensity. Their inexperience showed against the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, a less than encouraging sign if they do end up seeing the veteran Nets next weekend. Defensively they were a step slow, they got outworked in the paint once again and for the 11th time in their last 19 contests the Raptors surrendered at least 100 points. "We saw it from them for 48 minutes," Casey said of the Knicks, who stayed in playoff contention with the victory, although theyre one loss or Hawks win away from being eliminated. "You have to shake their hands. They came in and made the shots they needed to make." The Raptors, trailing by one to start the fourth, went nearly seven minutes without recording a field goal in the final quarter, squandering an opportunity to tie the franchise win record in front of their home fans. In the end, the sellout crowd could not see their team celebrate a division title in the way they had hoped. Still, for a fan base that has gone six years without watching a single playoff game, Friday was - as Lowry puts it - a "sweet and sour" day. "Its great for the fans, Im excited for the fans," Casey said, upon learning his team had won the division, as the Nets game become a final during his post-game press conference. "Im excited about it. Its good for us. But Im more concerned about getting better and continuing to play." The Raptors have indeed come a long way aand the perfect reminder of that, Andrew Wiggins, was sitting baseline in the first row.dddddddddddd Six months ago, Wiggins, not a division title, seemed like the end goal. But here they are. "We still want more," said DeRozan, who led the Raptors with 26 points on Friday. "Were not satisfied with nothing [yet]. We understand we have much more basketball to play and a long road to go and we want to take advantage of it, not just get there and say we got there, where people doubted us. We definitely feel like we can go in and make some noise." The Raptors have three games remaining, in Detroit Sunday, at home to the Bucks Monday and their season finale in New York on Wednesday. Chicago also has three to go, a game in New York, a home tilt with the Magic and their final contest in Charlotte. With the Raptors owning the tiebreaker, they sit one game back, needing the Bulls to drop at least one of those games for an opportunity to regain the third seed. Until then, Chicago is in the drivers seat and Toronto can only hope that they hit a speed bump. Another career night for Valanciunas Jonas Valanciunas continued his recent stretch of standout performances Friday in a tough matchup with former defensive player of the year Tyson Chandler. After setting a new career mark in scoring with 26 points in Wednesdays win over the 76ers, the Raptors sophomore centre grabbed a career-best 21 boards to go along with 14 points against the Knicks. Once again, Valanciunas was aggressive and assertive, showing continued growth and a newfound level of confidence, recording his team-leading 24th double-double of the campaign. Amirs return Although Johnson started in his return from a three-game absence, resting a lingering right ankle injury, the Raptors forward played just 17 minutes and was held scoreless, looking a step slow as he worked his way back into game shape. Casey said the limited playing time was not a direct result of the injury or any setback but was more about him struggling to find his wind after sitting out for over a week. "I felt good," Johnson said after the game. "My ankle was alright, a little sore but it was just me getting back into my groove. I felt like I was a step slow but I have these last couple games and Im pretty sure Ill pick it up." Milestones for Lowry and DeRozan With a triple in the first quarter, his 178th of the campaign, Lowry set a new franchise record for most three-pointers made in a season, passing Morris Peterson who had accomplished the feat in 2005-06. Lowry, 4-for-7 from long distance on the night, has come a long way in that regard, hitting the three-ball at a 38 per cent rate this year after struggling with his jump shot early in his career. "Its part of my game now," said the eighth-year point guard. "You cant just expect me to be a driver like my first couple years in the league. Now, its a threat. Its definitely a big thing for me to get as an individual goal. Ill take it and look at it after the season and take in all the things that we accomplished and I accomplished." DeRozan also made his mark on the Raptors record book, besting the teams single season mark for made free throws late in the fourth quarter. DeRozan, who hit 12 of 13 attempts from the line Friday, is third in the league in free throws made and passes Chris Boshs previous record of 504 previously set in 2008-09. "It means a lot," said the Raptors all-star guard. "Only so many guys shoot the amount of free throws I shoot. Its an honour when you look at the names thats up there of guys that shoot free throws at a high clip. Its definitely big. You cant take that away. Hopefully I can beat the record again next season." The stat The Raptors have made 10 or more three-point shots in each of their last five games. Half of their 30 field goals on Friday came from beyond the arc, as they matched a season-high with 15 treys. The quote "Its funny how the expectations change," Casey said. "We go from developing and now all at once we lost to Carmelo Anthony and a team like this and the world [is collapsing]. We still have some growing to do. We have a great foundation from where we are. Now we just want to be ready to go into the playoffs with some momentum." ' ' '

Aberdeens title hopes suffered a serious setback at Tynecastle where Juanma netted twice as Hearts came from behind to win 2-1. Although Simon Church gave the Dons a fourth minute lead, the Edinburgh side weathered an early onslaught before hitting back to keep alive their slim chances of securing second spot in the Scottish Premiership table.The visitors opened the scoring when Church stretched out a leg to clip the ball past keeper Neil Alexander at the near post, following Graeme Shinnies cross. And they should have doubled their advantage three minutes later when Niall McGinn failed to convert Kenny McLeans cross, with only Alexander to beat from three yards. Aberdeens Simon Church clips the ball past Hearts keeper Neil Alexander as the Dons open the scoring at Tynecastle Within 60 seconds Alexander denied McGinn from a tight angle, while an unmarked Shaleum Logan headed straight at the home keeper as Aberdeen threatened to run amok during the opening 12 minutes.At the other end, Scott Brown saved brilliantly as he pushed away Blazej Augustyns eight-yard header. Juanma levels matters after 32 minutes Brown then touched over Alim Ozturks looping free-kick but the visiting keeper was probably at fault as Hearts levelled matters on 32.From Ozturks low 30-yard strike, Brown could only parry the ball into the path of the unmarked Juanma who had the simple task of finding the bottom left-hand corner of the net from the edge of the six-yard box.Hearts came close to taking lead eight minutes into the second half when Logan slipped in the box but, from six yards, Prince Buaben could only scoop the chance over the bar under pressure from keeper Brown. Aberdeen skipper Ryan Jack is carried off late in the first half And shortly afterwards the hosts came close again as Igor Rossi drove the ball against a post from 20 yards.The second Jambos goal duly arrived on the hour when the visitors fell victim to the pace of Jamie Walker who sped down the left before crossing for Juanma to clinically nod the ball past Brown from seven yards.McGinn, who missed a couple excellent chances early in the first half, was wasteful again in the 70th minute as Aberdeen vainly chased an equaliser. Prince Buaben scoops over early in the second half As the game opened up during the closing stages, both sides enjoyed plenty of the ball without creating much in the way of clear cut chances.Derek McInness side appeared to run out of ideas as the home defence coped easily with each and every tired Dons attack.The result leaves Aberdeen five points adrift of Celtic who have one game in hand and just six more to play. Fake China Jerseys .com) - Jeff Teague finished with a game-high 26 points and eight assists as the Atlanta Hawks held off the Utah Jazz, 98-92, on Friday. China Jerseys Stitched . - Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot an 8-under 64 on Friday in modified alternate-shot play to increase their lead to three strokes in the Franklin Templeton Shootout. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/. The Wizards gave up two seldom-used players — forward Jan Vesely and point guard Eric Maynor. Vesely goes to the Nuggets, while Maynor gets shipped to the 76ers. Philadelphia receives two second-round draft picks, one from the Wizards in 2015 and one from the Nuggets in 2016. China Jerseys Wholesale . Left back Layvin Kurzawa put Monaco ahead in the 36th minute with a low shot after being set up by midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, sweeping the ball in after running onto Kondogbias cross from the left. China Jerseys Cheap . Moments after his Brooklyn Nets teammates ran out onto the court to congratulate him following their 100-98 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Johnson could only shake his head at scoring only 13 points on 6-of-19 shooting. NASHVILLE -- Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne is expected to start Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins in his return from a hip injury that has limited him to only nine games this season. The Predators recalled Rinne from a two-game conditioning assignment Monday and announced that he would start the Penguins game. "Its a blast to be back playing and feeling good," Rinne said. "I think thats the main thing. Absolutely, Im just super excited." Rinne, who hasnt played in an NHL game since Oct. 22, stopped 33 of 35 shots for a .946 save percentage during his two-game stint with the AHLs Milwaukee Admirals. "Its not in the same level -- the AHL and NHL -- theres a little bit of a gap between," Rinne said. "But still, that was the whole purpose of that trip, just to feel comfortable again, get some games and get that game conditioning going again." Rinne, a two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, has been recovering from an E. coli infection in his suurgically repaired left hip.dddddddddddd In his last five games before the injury, Rinne went 3-1-1 with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. The 31-year-old Rinne is returning as the Predators make a late-season bid for one of the Western Conferences eight playoff spots. The Predators are 12th in the Western Conference standings with 62 points. The Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks are tied for eighth with 66 points. "You cant just throw a guy in there and expect him to be the saviour," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "But just getting him back playing is a great boost because you know the type of player that he is, the type of person he is and what he can mean to our hockey team, not only this year but the next year and the following years." The Predators also placed goaltender Devan Dubnyk on waivers Monday. The 27-year-old Dubnyk has played 32 games for the Edmonton Oilers and two games with the Predators this season. ' ' '

Sochi, Russia (SportsNetwork.com) - Speed skating has belonged to the Netherlands at the Sochi Olympics and that did not change on Tuesday. The Dutch swept another event, grabbing three more medals in the mens 10,000 meters at Adler Arena. Jorrit Bergsma was the top finisher in Tuesdays event, setting an Olympic record with a time of 12 minutes, 44.45 seconds in the grueling race. Sven Kramer was 4.57 seconds off Bergsmas time, while Bob de Jong finished at a distant 13:07.19 seconds, 22.74 ticks off Bergsmas incredible time. Still, de Jong earned bronze and gave the Netherlands a total of 19 medals in speed skating during these Olympics. Twelve of those medals have been won by the men. It marked the fourth event in Sochi that the Dutch have swept. The women won all three medals in the 1,500 meters, while the men also filled the podium in the 500 and 5,000 meters. Bergsma claimed a bronze in the mens 5,000 back on Feb. 8, with Kramer taking gold. However, it was the 28-year-old Bergsma coming out on top Tuesday in a repeat of his first-place finish at the 2013 World Single Distances Championships, also held in Sochi. For Kramer, he may view his silver as a disappointment. The 27-year-old, who picked up his sixth Olympic medal with his second of Sochi, was in line to win this event four years ago in Vancouver, but was disqualified for an illegal lane change. It also was the fourth Olympic medal of de Jongs career and each has come in this event. That includes a gold in 2006 and a bronze four years ago. South Koreas Lee Seung-Hoon, who took gold in Vancouver after Kramers DQ, finished fourth on Tuesday with a time of 13:11.68. American Emery Lehman, 17, finished 10th, one spot ahead of fellow U.S. skater Patrick Meek. Balenciaga Speed Trainer Discount . It was the start of one nice night for the goalie and the Minnesota Wild. Backstrom made 33 saves in his first win of the season and the Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Saturday in a rematch of their first-round playoff series. Cheap Brand Shoes From China . Argentina, who have yet to beat New Zealand in 17 meetings, rocked the All Blacks with an early converted try to backrower Juan Manuel Leguizamon and led 7-0 after five minutes. But Smiths double in the 23rd and 26th minutes - when Argentina was reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of hooker Eusebio Guinazu - turned the tide of the match and set up New Zealands third straight Championship win. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/who...-boost.html.com) - Theres nothing better for a team than to send out the staff ace in the most important game of the season. Nike Air Force 1 Clearance . The result means Atletico Madrid now tops the table, with Madrid level on points in second and Barcelona a point behind in third with nine games remaining as the title race shapes up to be the closest in years. Balenciaga Speed Trainer Cheap .com) - A pair of Eastern Conference rivals will meet on Saturday as D.BILBAO, Spain - Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz scored a hat trick to lead a 4-0 rout of 10-man Granada at home Friday, as the Basque side strengthened its hold on Spains last Champions League berth for next season. Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Bilbao defender Carlos Gurpegi capped the win in the 80th with a volley from outside the box. Bilbao could have won by a wider margin if it hadnt been for goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez. Granada didnt muster a shot on goal. Bilbaos first victory in its last three home games left it in fourth place and seven points ahead of Villarreal and Real Sociedad before they play matcches Sunday.dddddddddddd Real Madrid leads the league by three points over Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, and all three front-runners are far ahead of Bilbao and the other teams fighting for fourth place and the final Champions League spot. "Im happy the team won again," Aduriz said. "To stay at the top you have to keep winning week after week. There is a long way to go and it will be very tough, because there are some good teams in the fight. But we will give it our all to stay in fourth place." Granadas fifth consecutive loss away from home left it in five points from the relegation zone. Madrid visits Atletico on Sunday, when Barcelona hosts Almeria. Also, Sociedad plays at Sevilla, Villarreal hosts Real Betis, and Valencia is at Rayo Vallecano. On Saturday, its: Malaga vs. Valladolid, Levante vs. Osasuna, Getafe vs. Espanyol, and Elche vs. Celta Vigo. ' ' '

BUFFALO, N.Y. - NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed optimism that the Bills will remain in Buffalo and suggested the franchise will need a new stadium to ensure its long-term viability. In calling the Bills recently negotiated 10-year lease agreement a "short-term solution," Goodell on Wednesday said a new stadium would be the next step in finding "the right long-term solution." "We all want to focus and get that stadium built," Goodell said. "Im confident well get there." Goodell spoke during a pre-NFL draft event in New York City, and his comments were provided in a transcript released by the NFL. Goodell said hes had numerous discussions with perspective owners and public officials regarding the Bills, whose future is uncertain after the teams owner and founder Ralph Wilson died in March. The Bills will be put up for sale, opening the possibility of a new owner eventually relocating the franchise. The commissioner shed light on what the NFLs approach will be in determining the next Bills owner and the franchises status in western New York. Goodell said there would potentially be two votes taken by NFL owners. The first would approve sale of the team to the prospective owner selected by Wilsons estate. If necessary, a separate vote would be required to approve any relocation of the franchise. "We are making those two separate votes," Goodell said. "The intention is that whoever buys the team will make the team work in western New York." The Bills are essentially locked into playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium through the end of the 2019 season under the terms of the lease the franchise reached with the state and Erie County in December 2012. The Bills would incur a $400 million penalty by broaching the prospect of moving during the leases term. There is a one-time exception that would allow the Bills to break the lease for just under $28.4 million in 2020. Goodell became the first to publicly suggest the Bills will require a new stadium. Previously, Bills officials and state and local leaders have called that a possibility, while not ruling out the potential of making more renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium, which opened in 1973. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already recognized the likelihood of the Bills needing a new facility. On Tuesday, he state hired AECOM, a California-based architectural and design firm, to identify three or four sites across the region that could serve as the teams new home. AECOM officials will begin touring sites on Monday and have until July 11 to produce a feasibility study to be distributed to prospective ownership groups. Sites could potentially include Buffalo as well as Niagara Falls. The study will include estimates on the facilitys revenue-generating potential through seats, suites, sponsorship, parking and concessions. The firm also will study the potential for developing real estate around the potential stadium sites, and consider the benefits and costs of building a stadium with a retractable roof. It has not been determined how the cost of a new stadium would be divided. Officials believe having the framework of a new stadium plan in place would help represent the regions commitment to keeping the Bills to a new owner and the NFL. The state has stepped up its timetable because of the possibility a new owner could be selected by Wilsons estate by the end of July and presented for approval at league meetings in October. NBA Jerseys China . And while taking highly-touted Simon Fraser offensive lineman Matthias Goossen second overall on Tuesday night will definitely help in an area of need for the club, it was a swap of draft picks that may prove to be his most shrewd move. "When Jesse Briggs started to fall a little bit, you could just see Kyle perk up in his chair. Clearance NBA Jerseys . - A week after a late-game debacle on defence, the Pittsburgh Steelers showed they can finish. https://www.nbachinajerseys.us/. Felton pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted he knowingly had a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a semi-automatic pistol without a license. Wholesale NBA Jerseys . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win. NBA Jerseys Outlet . "I wouldnt read anything into what happened Saturday at Torrey Pines," Woods said Tuesday after an 18-hole exhibition for past winners of the Dubai Desert Classic. CHICAGO -- The Cleveland Indians have activated All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis from the 15-day disabled list after he was sidelined by a strained muscle in his right side. They also optioned infielder Justin Sellers before Wednesdays game against the Chicago White Sox. Kipnis had not played since April 29, when he strained his right oblique during an at-bat in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels.dddddddddddd He went on the DL the following day. Kipnis was batting .234 with three homers and 12 RBIs entering Wednesdays game. The Indians were last in the AL Central at 24-29 after making the playoffs as a wild-card team in 2013, and were leading the majors in errors. ' ' '

LEICESTER, England - Former England striker Kevin Phillips will retire at the end of the season, ending a 20-year career in which he became the only English player to win the European Golden Boot. Phillips was the Premier League top scorer in 1999-2000 with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which earned him the coveted prize. The 40-year-old Phillips currently plays for second-tier side Leicester, which has already won the League Championship title. Hell play his final match on Saturday. Phillips, who also had spells at Crystal Palace, Watford, Southampton, Aston Villa, Birmingham, Blackpool and West Bromwich Albion, played eight times for England. Phillips says "every kid dreams of playing for teams like Man United and Chelsea, winning Premier League titles, but Ive certainly enjoyed my career and have no regrets whatsoever." Air Max 270 Black And White Cheap . Curtis Davies and Robert Koren secured the victory with goals inside 35 minutes of the fifth-round replay against the second-tier side. Nike Air Max 270 Ispa Black . With a victory seemingly slipping away late in the third quarter, his quick scoring flurry helped Golden State regain control early in the fourth. http://www.max270cheap.com/nike-men-s-ai...iple-black.html. Louis Blues were workmanlike, methodical and -- most of all -- effective on Monday night. Nike Air Max 270 Black And White . -- A.J. Burnett was happy to escape from New York. Cheap Nike Air Max 270 Womens .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown.BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns hit the seasons halfway point in an all-too-familiar funk. They have lost three straight games, sensational punt returner Travis Benjamin is done for the year with a knee injury, trade rumours about top wide receiver Josh Gordon persist and Cleveland appears headed toward another disappointing finish. Theres the usual doom. Just not as much gloom. "I feel like a lot of good things are happening," said linebacker Paul Kruger. Less than 24 hours after a 23-17 loss at Kansas City -- a game the Browns could have won if they had minimized their mistakes in the second half -- there were reasons for optimism in Cleveland. A strong performance by quarterback Jason Campbell, making his first start in 11 months, gave the Browns (3-5) a welcomed boost after starter Brian Hoyer sustained a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 3 and Brandon Weeden played so poorly in consecutive losses. Campbell shook off a sluggish start and finished 22 of 36 for 293 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs tough defence. Campbells outing was a much-needed shot in the arm, and coach Rob Chudzinski didnt waste any time in naming the nine-year veteran his starter for this weeks home game against Baltimore. "I thought Jason played very well," said Chudzinski, already on his third quarterback through eight weeks of his first season. "After looking at the tape, he was able to manage the game. He was able to escape and get out of some trouble and create some plays. He did a good job from a decision-making standpoint as far as protecting the football and he gave us a lift in that game, so were real pleased with how he played." Kruger said Campbell invigorated the Browns on both sides of the ball. "He did a great job," Kruger said. "He made plays and put us in a position to win." Campbells composure allowed the Browns offence, which didnt get its initial first down until the final four minutes of the second quarter, to turn things around in the second half. Cleveland was a play or two away from an upset, but couldnt finish the job. "The guys did a great job stepping up protecting for him," said wide receiver Davone Bess, who dropped three passes and fumbled away a critical punt. "Jason stood in the pocket and made some crucial, crucial throws. He had a really solid game. ... We just fell short." Bess blunder with 7:13 left in the fourth was Clevelands most costly miscue. After Benjaamin tore his anterior cruciate ligament, Bess took the speedsters spot returning punts.dddddddddddd With Kansas City leading 20-17, Bess tried to catch a punt on the run, but took his eyes off the ball, coughed it up and Kansas City recovered. If Bess had held on, the Browns would have had the ball near midfield with a chance to tie the score or possibly take the lead. "I had it," said Bess, who also didnt handle a fourth-down pass from Campbell with 2:12 remaining. "When I got my eyes up to see where the defenders were, they were there and I must not have had it 100 per cent. Its just discipline. Those can be game-changing plays. It was just an opportunity I saw and I swung." Hell get another swing or two as Chudzinski plans to stick with Bess as Benjamins replacement. "I think that Davone is everything you could ask for in terms of a guy working and doing the things to be the very best he can," Chudzinski said. "Hes a pros pro in that way. I have faith in him that hell make the corrections." As the Browns begin focusing on the Ravens (3-4), theres still a chance Gordon wont be with them. The second-year wide receiver has been the subject of trade speculation for weeks and the Browns will listen to offers on Gordon up until Tuesdays 4 p.m. deadline. Theres a market for Gordon, who had five catches for 132 yards and a TD on Sunday. Hes arguably Clevelands best player, but hes also their most enigmatic as another failed drug test could lead to a minimum one-year league suspension. CEO Joe Banner and general manager Michael Lombardi could make a deal for the right package. Chudzinski, though, said the Browns have no intention of letting Gordon leave. "We have no plans of trading any of our guys, including Josh," he said. "Were not shopping him." Chudzinskis first eight games have been challenging with injuries, quarterback changes and tough losses. Its only been half a season and felt like several. But through it all, the Browns have shown resiliency and Chudzinski is confident his team will continue to improve over the final eight games. "Its been a tough stretch," he said. "What guys have learned playing some very good teams is weve played -- whether its a half, whether its a quarter, whether its a couple series or three quarters of games weve played very well at times. Its a matter of consistently putting it together for four quarters. Thats what the mission is were on right now." ' ' '

The Columbus Blue Jackets reached the playoffs for the second time in franchise history and appear to be moving in the right direction. Off-Season Game Plan looks at what the Blue Jackets may do to build upon last seasons success to return to the playoffs again next year. Theres lots of reason to be optimistic about Columbus, as they have a young core, headlined by 21-year-old centre Ryan Johansen. The only expected returnees older than 30 are defencemen Fedor Tyutin and James Wisniewski. Winger R.J. Umberger is 32, but is looking to move on, so the Blue Jackets largely have a roster around which they can build for the next couple seasons. GM Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Todd Richards were buoyed by the Blue Jackets progress last season, but both know that there is still much room to improve. "We have to be careful. We want to keep our good chemistry," said Kekalainen. "We always want to bring in the right kind of people, not only as hockey players but as teammates and human beings. Its going to be an important part of our scouting manual." Scouting is, naturally, important to Kekalainen who, at one time, had been the St. Louis Blues director of amateur scouting. He stocked the prospect cupboard with three first-round picks last year and that gives the Blue Jackets organizational depth. Its easier to be optimisic about Columbus future when they have more good prospects on the way, because its one thing to have Johansen, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray in prominent roles, but having Alexander Wennberg, Kerby Rychel and Oliver Bjorkstrand (among others) on the way makes it more likely that success can be sustained. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACHJarmo Kekalainen/Todd Richards Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Brandon Dubinsky 73.57 76 16 34 50 52.2% $4.2M Nick Foligno 69.96 70 18 21 39 51.2% $3.083M Cam Atkinson 68.91 79 21 19 40 51.2% $1.15M Artem Anisimov 68.45 81 22 17 39 50.6% $3.283M Matt Calvert 68.04 56 9 15 24 52.0% $988K Boone Jenner 66.51 72 16 13 29 50.2% $778K Nathan Horton 66.08 36 5 14 19 52.2% $5.3M R.J. Umberger 65.73 74 18 16 34 46.4% $4.6M Mark Letestu 63.78 82 12 22 34 49.0% $1.25M Jared Boll 54.04 28 1 1 2 40.6% $1.7M Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Ryan Johansen 76.42 82 33 30 63 50.5% RFA $1.945M Blake Comeau 62.22 61 5 11 16 53.0% UFA $1.0M Derek MacKenzie 61.44 71 9 9 18 49.2% UFA $1.0M Jack Skille 61.22 16 4 0 4 47.0% UFA $675K Corey Tropp 57.76 53 2 9 11 46.3% RFA $578K Matt Frattin 57.68 44 2 5 7 52.8% RFA $875K Brandon Dubinsky may not be a star, but hes a valuable player, able to handle tough assignments with defensive zone starts and still produce offence. Dubinsky had the second 50-point season of his career in 2013-2014, but took his game up a notch in the postseason, when he was consistently one of the best performers in the series against Pittsburgh. That he brings an edge to his game -- one of six forwards to have at least 250 points and 600 penalty minutes over the past seven seasons -- is all the better. Another forward who offers some skill with a physical game, Nick Foligno is one of seven forwards (including Dubinsky) to have at least 100 points and 200 penalty minutes over the past three seasons. Both Dubinsky and Foligno are headed into the final year of their respective contracts. Small scoring winger Cam Atkinson broke through with a 21-goal, 40-point season, and hes a positive possession player, which makes him a nice complementary player. Can the 24-year-old raise the bar higher so that hes an even bigger part of the Blue Jackets plans? Artem Anisimov cracked the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career, playing a career-high 16:36 per game, and he managed to at least tread water in possession terms, despite starting more of his shifts in the defensive zone. An industrious winger with some skill who isnt afraid to mix it up, Matt Calvert spent most of his time playing with Dubinsky and Atkinson, a line that contributes offensively, but also had favourable possession stats. Calvert scored a career-high 24 points in 56 games last season, but that could be a jumping-off point, if he can continue to play a reliable two-way game. A physical winger whose role expanded as his rookie season played out, Boone Jenner had 24 points in his last 47 games (after five in his first 25) and spent quite a bit of time on the wing with Ryan Johansen, a good spot to grow going forward and it could raise Jenners offensive ceiling. Recovering from shoulder surgery cost Nathan Horton nearly half of his first season in Columbus, then he added further maladies, including an abdominal injury that kept him out of the playoffs, so his year was far from complete. At the same time, even though he put up modest scoring numbers, Horton continued to be a strong possession player. The 28-year-old has not had an easy time of it, health-wise, in recent seasons, so its difficult to place significant expectations on him, but he could be a useful top-six forward. R.J. Umberger has been an effective winger, scoring at least 18 goals in five of the past six seasons, but hes been overwhelmed against difficult competition in the past couple seasons and his ice time of 16:11 per game was his lowest since 2006-2007. Perhaps, then, it should come as no surprise that Umberger has asked for a trade and while it might be part of the offseason plans, it may be not be easy to deal an older winger who is still owed $13.5-million over the next three seasons. Mark Letestu has emerged as a valuable complementary piece for the Blue Jackets, with power play production an appealing part of his contribution, or it might be if he didnt rank 10th among Blue Jackets forwards in average power play ice time last season. Nevertheless, Letestu scored a career-best 34 points in 2013-2014 and has missed two games, total, over the past couple seasons. Enforcer Jared Boll has been battling injuries and, when he does play, has been getting destroyed in puck possession. His three-year contract extension begins next year, but hes going to have to do more than drop the gloves to remotely justify a regular turn in the lineup. Ryan Johansen burst through last season, after he had 33 points in 107 games through his first two years, then scored 33 goals and 63 points in 82 games last season. Johansen has prototypical size to be a No. 1 centre and, in addition to his scoring stats, generated positive possession numbers despite playing high quality competition and starting more of his shifts in the defensive zone. He has quickly become the Jackets franchise player and, as a restricted free agent, will be looking at a contract befitting that role this summer. Scooped off waivers from the Buffalo Sabres, Corey Tropp brought energy to the fourth line, but hasnt done enough (scoring 19 points in 87 career NHL games) to this point in his career to feel comfortable with a roster spot. Matt Frattin had been making progress with Toronto before splitting last season between Los Angeles and Columbus, finishing with two goals in 44 games. Hes a viable depth player but, prior to last year, had shown that he could chip in offensively by using his speed. For the Blue Jackets to feel comfortable with their roster going into next season, they could use another proven scorer. Free agents Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson, Ryan Callahan, Mike Cammalleri are among those that could have some appeal. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit James Wisniewski 74.66 75 7 44 51 54.1% $5.5M Jack Johnson 68.06 82 5 28 33 47.9% $4.357M Fedor Tyutin 68.00 69 4 22 26 49.0% $4.5M Ryan Murray 64.29 66 4 17 21 51.6% $894K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit David Savard 64.06 70 5 10 15 47.7% RFA $709K Dalton Prout 60.19 49 2 4 6 49.7% RFA $667K Nick Schultz 56.20 69 0 5 5 41.8% UFA $3.5M Nikita Nikitin 62.42 66 2 13 15 49.2% UFA $2.15M So long as hes not matched up against the oppositions best forwards, and his 22:37 time on ice per game last season was his lowest since 2008-2009, James Wisniewski can be very effective, particularly on the power play. Hes physical and put up excellent possession stats last season. There may be no more polarizing figure between statheads and old-school hockey minds than Jack Johnson, the player that Blue Jackets coaches played more than anyone else by a large margin last season. When you look at Johnsons with-or-without-you stats, nearly everyone hes played with over the past three years has better possession stats when they play without Johnson and while some of that can be due to Johnson playing a high calibre of competition, its troubling when its almost universal that players have worse numbers when sharing the ice with Johnson. Johnson is held in such esteem that he would figure to be a useful trade chip -- because teams want defencemen that can play 24 minutes a night -- but the Blue Jackets dont seem inclined to get rid of him. In the past seven seasons, there have been 15 defencemen to record at least 20 points in all seven seasons and one of them is Fedor Tyutin, a steady two-way performer who has never played less than 20 minutes per game in an NHL season. After a strong rookie season, Ryan Murray will be expected to handle more responsibility as a sophomore. Murray had strong possession numbers in his first year, but should see more difficult competition as he plays more minutes going forward. David Savard earned a regular turn on the Columbus blueline last season, but his possession stats werent ideal considering the quality of competition that he faced. But, hes also just 23-years-old, so there is time for him to improve and earn a bigger role. Praised for his plus-15 rating in 28 games during the 2012-2013 season, Dalton Prout had better possession numbers last season, which isnt to say that Prout is a possession ace, but he was okay and his size and toughness should keep him around. It seems like Tim Erixon has been a prospect forever nad the 23-year-old has played 51 NHL games, but next season might be his opportunity to step into a regular job with the Blue Jackets, unless Columbus takes to the free agent market. Returning Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Sergei Bobrovsky 74.82 58 32 20 5 2.38 .923 $5.625M Free Agent Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Curtis McElhinney 63.20 28 10 11 1 2.70 .909 UFA $600K Sergei Bobrovsky has emerged as one of the games better goaltenders and, even though his numbers dipped from his 2013 Vezina-winning performance, he ranks among the top half dozen in save percentage over the past four seasons. Bobrovsky has handled a significant workload over the past couple seasons, so the backup job is one that requires performance in limited playing time. Curtis McElhinney was fine in that role last season. Free agents Chad Johnson, Carter Hutton or Ilya Bryzgalov could be serviceable inexpensive backup options. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Alexander Wennberg C Frolunda (SHL) 16-5-21, -5, 50 GP Tim Erixon D Springfield (AHL) 5-33-38, -4, 40 GP Kerby Rychel LW Guelph (OHL) 34-56-90, +41, 58 GP Oliver Bjorkstrand RW Portland (WHL) 50-59-109, +44, 69 GP Oscar Dansk G Erie (OHL) 2.39 GAA, .909 SV%, 42 GP Mike Reilly D Minnesota (Big 10) 9-24-33, +19, 41 GP Marko Dano C Bratislava Slovan (KHL) 3-2-5, -11, 41 GP Josh Anderson LW London (OHL) 27-24-51, +31, 59 GP Michael Chaput C Springfield (AHL) 19-26-45, -4, 55 GP Dillon Heatherington D Swift Current (WHL) 6-29-35, +24, 70 GP T.J. Tynan C Notre Dame (HE) 8-30-38, +12, 40 GP Anton Forsberg G Modo Ornskoldsvik (SHL) 2.44 GAA, .919 SV%, 22 GP The 14th pick in last summers draft, Alexander Wennberg is a skilled forward who may have a shot to win a job in Columbus next season. Hes getting stronger and will have to make an adjustment to the North American game, but Wennberg has playmaking potential. As noted above, Tim Erixon has been in the prospect pipeline for a while and, after scoring 38 points in 40 AHL games last season, hes knocking on the door, ready for an opportunity to play. Taken with the 19th pick last summer, Kerby Rychel had a big year, scoring 83 points in 51 (regular season plus playoff) games with Guelph, after putting up 39 points in 27 games with Windsor. After scoring 115 goals over the past three OHL seasons, hes shown what he can do in junior. Danish winger Oliver Bjorkstrand was drafted in the third round last year and followed that up with a monster offensive campaign, ranking second in the WHL in goals and third in points. Between Wennberg, Rychel and Bjorkstrand, the Blue Jackets have some skilled forwards that will be pushing for jobs in the coming years. A second-round pick in 2012, Oscar Dansk is a highly-regarded goaltending prospect, but that comes with all sorts of uncertainty and his playoff performance for Erie was disastrous. But, hes a 20-year-old goaltender; it takes time. Mike Reilly is returning to Minnesota for his junior season, and the 2011 fourth-round pick needs to get stronger to handle the pro game, but hes made terrific progress and was a First-Team All-American as a sophomore. The third of last years three first-round picks, Marko Dano hasnt done much in the KHL, though thats not unusual for a teenager. He did, however, have eight points in 15 (regular season plus playoff) games with Springfield in the AHL late in the season, so the 19-year-old should hit the ground running next year. A power forward picked in the fourth round in 2012, Josh Anderson doesnt have a lot of frills to his game, but he can get up and down his wing banging bodies along the way. Acquired from Philadelphia in a trade for Tom Sestito, Michael Chaput got into 17 games with the Blue Jackets last season, and while he got stomped in possession, Chaput did have a solid year in the AHL and is likely in position to be recalled if the Blue Jackets need a checking forward. Picked in the second round last year, Dillon Heatherington is a big defensive defenceman who is plus-49 over his past two seasons in the Western Hockey League. Hes just turned 19, so he will need time to develop. A small forward who scored 161 points in 164 games in four seasons at Notre Dame, T.J. Tynan makes the jump to pro hockey and, starting in the AHL, can show that his scoring will translate at the next level. Taken in the seventh round in 2011, Anton Forsberg had a nice year with Modo before getting into half a dozen games with Springfield in the AHL. The 21-year-old goaltender should have a shot at decent playing time with Springfield next season. Blue Jackets advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT16th - Robby Fabri, Sonny Milano, Dylan Larkin. FREE AGENCYAccording to www.capgeek.com, the Blue Jackets have approximately $48.4M committed to the 2014-2015 salary cap for 15 players. Check out my possible Blue Jackets lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: One top six forward, depth forwards, two defencemen, backup goaltender.What I said the Blue Jackets needed last year: One top six forward, one defencemanThey added: Boone Jenner, Nathan Horton, Ryan Murray, David Savard. TRADE MARKETR.J. Umberger, Matt Frattin, Jack Johnson, David Savard, Dalton Prout. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Fake Jordan . The third-ranked Buckeyes were down eight points to Notre Dame with less than 2 minutes to play and their offence was nowhere to be found. Jordan China . Gaborik was acquired in a trade with Columbus on Wednesday and skated on the top line with centre Anze Kopitar and right-winger Justin Williams. "We created some things," said Gaborik, who logged 16:38 of ice time. https://www.jordanchina.us/. - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. Air Jordan China .DeMarco Murray got his 20th carry late in the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, not long after Dez Bryant made his final catch of the day.Sure enough, a 44-17 win over Washington didnt change Dallas post-season position. Cheap Air Jordan Free Shipping . Calgary finished atop the CFL standings with a 14-4 record and earned the right to host the West Division final at McMahon Stadium on Nov.WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama is supporting the NBAs lifetime ban against Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Thats according to White House press secretary Jay Carney. Carney said Wednesday that Obama believes the league did the right thing in response to Sterlings racist comments. Obama had weighed into the controversy over the weekend during a trip to Asia. The president called Sterlings seecretly recorded comments "incredibly offensive racist statements.dddddddddddd." Obama also cast Sterlings remarks as part of a continuing legacy of slavery and discrimination that Americans have to constantly be on guard against. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the punishment Tuesday. Silver also said he will try to force a sale of the Clippers and fined Sterling US$2.5 million. ' ' '

CARSON, Calif. -- Dominic Dwyer broke Kansas Citys single-season scoring record with his 19th goal to help Sporting beat Chivas USA 4-0 on Friday night. The previous club record was set by Preki in Kansas Citys inaugural season of 1996. It was Dwyers third goal in his last four games to get within two scores of New Yorks Bradley Wright-Phillips for the MLS lead. Kansas City (13-10-6) snapped a four-game losing streak, while Chivas (6-16-6) was shut out for the eighth time in nine games and had its winless streak reach 10 matches. Dwyer started the scoring in the 40th minute. Graham Zusi launched a pass near midfield and Dwyer outran the defence and beat goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum to the ball. Benny Feilhaber made it 2-0 just before halftime. In the second half, Zusi curled in a shot in the 52nd minute and Claudio Bieler capitalized on a defensive mistake in the 87th. Nike Air Max Plus Canada Sale . -- Aaron Rodgers looked fine on the practice field Thursday. Nike Air Max 93 Canada . -- Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone above his left eye but has no other serious injuries after being hit in the face by a line drive in a spring training game. http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/.Y. - Urijah Faber walked out on a Madison Square Garden stage in a Wes Welker jersey, the UFCs fun nod to that other "super" show this weekend. Nike Air Max Zero Canada . MacIntyre stopped 49 shots and the Marlies defeated the Texas Stars 5-1 in Game 1 of the American Hockey Leagues Western Conference final. "I felt in control, so that was nice," MacIntyre said. Air Max 270 Bowfin Canada . You can watch all the action on TSN and TSN GO beginning at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. Minnesota dropped the first two tests of this best-of-seven set at Chicagos United Center and was outscored by a combined 9-3 margin in those setbacks. However, the Wild righted themselves at home by taking Game 3 by a 4-0 count before knotting the series at two games apiece with Fridays 4-2 triumph at Xcel Energy Center.COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Tim Tebow will continue chasing his goal to be a NFL quarterback, even after signing on to help ESPN launch the SEC Network this fall. The former Florida Gator said Tuesday he trains five days a week for a return to the league. "I feel like Im the best that Ive ever been as a quarterback right now. I hope I get the opportunity to show that," he said. "But Im also looking forward to being part of SEC Nation and part of ESPN." The 26-year-old Heisman Trophy winner signed on Monday to be on the SEC Networks pregame show starting in August. Hell be part of the crew that will travel to Southeastern Conference schools in advance of SEC games on the fledgling network. Tebows first "SEC Nation" show will be on Aug. 28 before Texas A&M opens the season at South Carolina, a game that will be shown exclusively on the SEC Network. Tebow and the show then head to Auburn on Aug. 30 where the Tigers will take on Arkansas. That is, of course, if Tebow doesnt get a call from the NFL that has him tied up that weekend. "Im not sure whats ahead of me," Tebow said. "Im very excited to have this opportunity at ESPN, but who knows what the next few months will hold." Tebow has bounced around the NFL since leaving Florida as part of two national champions. He was a first-round selection by Denver and then head coach Josh McDaniels in 2010. He took over as starting quarterback mid-season in 2011 became one of the NFLs biggest stories as he went 7-1 in his first eight starts in 2011 then threw an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to give the Broncos a 29-23 playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But there werre still doubts about his passing ability, and Denver traded him that off-season to the New York Jets after acquiring Peyton Manning.dddddddddddd He languished on the bench while coach Rex Ryan ignored fans calls for Tebow to replace a struggling Mark Sanchez. Tebow threw just eight passes, ran only 32 times and was cut last April 29. For six weeks no team wanted him until the Patriots signed him to a low-risk, two-year contract with no guaranteed money. "I dont have any regrets" about the NFL, Tebow said. "Ive just tried to focus on being a better quarterback, being a better athlete and being ready whenever a team gave me a call." Tebow said hes spoken with several friends who are analysts, including his former coach at Florida in Urban Meyer, who worked for ESPN between his time with the Gators and his current position as Ohio State head coach. Justin Connolly, ESPN senior vice-president for college networks programming, said Tebow was important enough to ESPN that the network accepted he might not be finished with the NFL. "In terms of specific situations, I dont want to get ahead of ourselves and comment on any particular eventuality or scenario that you could put together," Connolly said. "But thats a key piece of this relationship and were going to honour that and respect it." Connolly was asked on Tuesdays conference call if Tebows faith -- hes a noted speaker whos gained followers and critics for sharing his religious beliefs -- might enter into his analysis. Connolly stressed Tebow was hired for his inside knowledge of football and the SEC. "Thats what the audience expects from him," Connolly said. ' ' '