EDMONTON -- After six years out of the playoffs and a 29th-place finish on the heels of consecutive 30th-place seasons, the promise of a bright future is starting to wear thin for fans of the Edmonton Oilers.

Wholesale Jerseys From China . Its not going over a lot better with Taylor Hall, one of the players those hopes hinge on. While Hall, at the heart of Edmontons rebuild along with fellow second-year player Jordan Eberle and rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, has high hopes for the future just as fans do, he isnt willing to use short-term pain in the name of long-term gain as a crutch indefinitely. Hall, his second season ended by shoulder surgery, made his expectations for next season abundantly clear as the Oilers cleaned out the dressing room and did exit interviews at Rexall Place Monday. "I definitely think we have a good, young core here and were definitely exciting and we definitely have a lot of potential, but I think we were sitting here last year saying the exact same thing," Hall said. "At some point, its got to turn into something. It cant all be hope and promise because eventually the fans are going to stop hoping, theyre going to stop wanting and theyre going to stop coming. "I think next year has to be a playoff year. We have to be a contending team, at least, a team that teams are afraid to play because of our skill level, the way we compete and the way we play defence. It is fun to be in that young nucleus of really good players, but we have to do something with it eventually." With a 3-0 loss to Vancouver Saturday, the Oilers finished the regular season with a record of 32-40-10 for 74 points, leaving them 14th in the Western Conference and 29th overall. While that represents modest progress, a total of seven more wins than 2010-11 and 14 more points than the 62 of the previous two seasons, there remains work to do. Even with the gains, the Oilers finished 21 points back of the eight-place Chicago Blackhawks. "I think you just need that winning mentality, to be honest," said Eberle, who led the Oilers with 76 points. "Weve obviously lost a lot of games the last couple of years. You cant be satisfied with what we did." When fans talk about a climb back to respectability, most of the talk revolves around Eberle, 21, Hall, 20, and Nugent-Hopkins, 18. They had terrific seasons and finished one-two-three in team scoring. "As players, were all maturing," said Hall, asked if he feels ready to take on more of a leadership role. "I know myself, Im doing the same thing. In the room I want to be more vocal and try to take that next step. "I want to be here for a long time. I want to be here when were the team thats contending and were in the playoffs and everything like that, so Im looking forward to kind of taking that next step next year along with Ryan and Jordan and having a bigger voice in the room." Eberle led the Oilers with 34 goals and his 76 points was an increase of 33 points over his rookie season. Hall tallied 27-26-53 in 61 games, 11 points better than he had as a rookie. Nugent-Hopkins was limited to 62 games by a shoulder injury but had 18 goals and 52 points. That left him tied for the NHL rookie scoring lead with Colorados Gabriel Landeskog. "We play a significant role as far as the offensive side of the game," Eberle said. "Whether Im penalty killing next year or doing whatever, I know Im going to play a lot more. That, in itself, youve got to take leadership there. "Definitely, we have to take a lot bigger role as far as leadership and try to guide this team." Aside from Eberle, Hall and Nugent-Hopkins, defenceman Jeff Petry and goaltender Devan Dubnyk made great strides and took on bigger roles as the season went on. At the same time, veterans like captain Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Smyth took lesser roles. "Theyre dominant players now," Horcoff said. "I think youre in that transition now. The one thing we do need is you need a good balance. You need experience. Every winning team has that. "You know, youve got to have veteran guys that have been around a long time and that youthful exuberance. We sort of in that situation now . . . the future is very bright with those three guys right now going forward." Smyth, 35, who is looking for a new contract after returning for a second stint in Edmonton by way of a trade from Los Angeles, finished with 19 goals and 47 points, but 12 of his goals came in the first 25 games. "Were not far off," Smyth said, when asked about contending for a playoff spot next season. "Our record doesnt speak that right now, but next year youve got to think these young guys are a year older. Theyre going to be an impact. I think youre going to see a great deal of transition thats going to happen quick." Notes: Eberle will join Team Canada for the World Championship. .... Ales Hemsky will represent the Czech Republic. Cheap NFL Jerseys . -- Albertas men will be gunning for back-to-back junior curling gold medals, while B. NFL Jerseys From China . • 4-15 • .211 winning percentage, second-worst in the NBA. • 25th in the NBA in defensive efficiency, 27th in points per game defence, 27th in field goal percentage defence, 26th in three-point percentage defence, 28th in opponents free throw attempts per game and 28th in opponent points per shot. http://www.stitchedchina.com/ . Vick will miss his fifth straight game and McCoy his fourth because of concussions. Both players just returned to practice this week. Rookies Nick Foles and Bryce Brown will again start at quarterback and running back, respectively. Wholesale Jerseys . -- Much of the Orlando Magics excitement over a fourth straight win was crushed in the final minute when Glen Davis crashed hard to the floor. Cheap Jerseys .ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Adrian Peterson says he is still working his way back toward feeling normal after left knee surgery. The Vikings star running back spoke to reporters Wednesday about his progress during minicamp, providing his familiar optimism on an afternoon otherwise dominated by wide receiver Percy Harvins request for a trade. Peterson says Harvin told hiim recently that hes cutting so well on his surgically repaired left knee its hard to tell he was injured. China Jerseys Free Shipping. But Peterson adds he knows his body is "just not there yet" at full recovery. Hes on track for training camp, but how much he can do and whether the team will let him play at the start of the regular season has yet to be determined. ' ' '

VOSS, Norway -- Alex Bilodeau and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe won gold medals and Mikael Kingsbury added a silver as Canada dominated the dual moguls at the freestyle skiing world championships on Friday. It was a record-setting third straight dual moguls world title for Bilodeau. Kingsbury, from Montreal, had defeated Bilodeau, from Rosemere, Que to take the single moguls title Wednesday. "When were on the hill ... hes my biggest competitor," Bilodeau said on a conference call. "Im happy that Canada can have two potential medals every day." He had the edge Friday, since as leader he got to pick the course he had run before and slipped by his teammate with a score of 18-17. Dufour-Lapointe, also of Montreal, topped her silver-medal finish at the 2011 world championships by edging Miki Ito of Japan 18-17 in the women`s final. Dufour-Lapointe had to knock out younger sister Justine to get there. "We were kind of sad we didnt have a chance to be together on the podium," she said. However, winning her first gold was a major high. "Its a lot of emotion ... I did my job today," she said. Justine added she was overjoyed for her sister. "Im just so happy for her now," she said. "She is skiing so well and after she won against me I just felt that today was her day. Im so proud of her." American Hannah Kearney earned a dual moguls bronze medal for the third consecutive world event. Ito, also the dual moguls runner-up in 2009, lost to Kearney in the moguls final Wednesday. The Canadian team has won seven medals at the competition, which continues through the weekend. J.F. Houle of Drummondville, Que., Kaya Turski of Montreal, Dara Howell of Huntsville, Ont. and Yuki Tsubota of Pemberton, B.C., were scheduled to compete in slopestyle on Saturday. Peter Judge, chief executive officer of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, has been impressed with the team`s performance. "The depth of the team has been showed here," he said. "Theres a winning tradition ... whatever discipline theyre in, they come and expect to medal. ` "They have that expectation based on the history of the sport in Canada."

NFL Jerseys Cheap . Elsewhere, Josh Currie scored his second career hat trick, and added an assist to complete a four-point effort, as the P.E.I. Rocket defeated the visiting Moncton Wildcats 6-2. Alex Micallef had a goal and two assists for the Rocket (1-0-0) while Victor Provencher and Ben Duffy added a goal apiece. Cheap NFL Jerseys . They think they got both by agreeing to a $2.9 million, one-year contract with Carlos Pena. "We believe he is exactly the kind of player we need in this organization at this time," general manager Jeff Luhnow said Monday. http://www.cheapjerseychinastore.com/ . It wasnt easy, though. "Im glad to see everybodys sweating here, and its not just me," Franchitti said with a grin. Just then, fellow driver Will Power walked into the room and, not skipping a beat said, "Im not. Cheap Jerseys . The loss left Lazio tied with AC Milan in third place, 11 points behind Italian league leader Juventus. Emeghara put Siena ahead six minutes in with a header, Alessandro Rosina doubled the lead in the 23rd and Emeghara scored again in the 61st after accelerating past defender Giuseppe Biava. Cheap Jerseys China . Formula One takes its championship duel between Red Bulls Sebastian Vettel and Ferraris Fernando Alonso to the season-ending race in Sao Paolo this week after those two finished second and third Sunday at the U.SEVILLE, Spain -- Francesco Molinari shot a 7-under 65 Sunday to win the Spanish Open by three strokes, the first Italian to capture the European Tour event. Molinari finished at 8-under 280 in the 100th edition of the tournament for his third victory on the tour. He entered the final round four strokes behind leader Englands Simon Dyson, who shot a 76 and tied for 12th place. "Its just to win any tournament on the European Tour, but one with the history of this one, in the year of the centenary, is something fantastic," Molinari said. Molinari was followed by Spaniards Pablo Larrazabal (71) and Alejandro Canizares (69) and Denmarks Soren Kjeldsen (69). Matteo Manassero (70) was tied for seventh. The Italian will have to wait until Mondays rankings to see if he has moved back inside the top 60 to qualify for the U.ddddddddddddS. Open next month. Manassero arrived in Seville ranked 64th but needed to finish seventh on his own to be assured of qualifying. Molinari spent an hourlong putting session with former player Mark Roe before teeing off. "I just went out today knowing that if the putter was a little bit hotter I had a chance," Molinari said. "So I just tried to stay calm and I got off to a great start and hit the ball very well, so everything felt easy, even if it wasnt." Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Seve Ballesteros, the Spanish golf great who won this tournament three times. "Its a very special time to win in Spain," Molinari said. ' ' '

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals didnt wait long to make Mike Green a better offer.

Cheap Jerseys . The Capitals signed the defenceman to a $18.25-million, three-year contract on Monday. The move comes a day after Green rejected a $5-million, one-year qualifying offer from Washington and became a restricted free agent. Green will earn $6 million in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and $6.25 million in 2014-15 after playing just 81 games over the last two injury-plagued seasons. "Its been a long process," Green said in a conference call. "Negotiations started early in the year then obviously with the setback of the injury we were going to wait. And then wait after the playoffs, then after the draft, then after free agency so its been pushed back." The 26-year-old Calgary native has seen his production drop over the last two limited seasons. He played just 32 games in 2011-12 due to a groin injury and had three goals and four assists. The Capitals are gambling Green can get healthy and return to his previous form, which saw him break the 70-point plateau in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. He has reached double digits in goals three times, including a 31-goal season in 2008-09. "They know what Im capable of," Green said. "It was unfortunate the last couple of years that Ive suffered through some injuries, but I believe that Im over them. I think Ive got them all out of my system. "I think that as happy as I am that theyre happy and they know Im committed to the hockey team and doing the right things to be the best that I can. Its a win-win for everybody." Green has collected 251 points (82 goals, 169 assists) and a plus-62 rating in 398 career NHL games, all with Washington. He said that he looks forward to rediscovering his offensive game under new head coach Adam Oates. "What (former coach Dale Hunter) expected was a kind of grinder, chip-in chip-out kind of game," he said. "And I respect him as a coach and played that way and played hard for him. "But I also at the same time am really excited that Adam is here. From what I heard how he likes to coach fits my style of play ... and hopefully theres a balance between Bruce Boudreau and Dale. And I think Adams the guy." Green was originally drafted by Washington in the first round (29th overall) of the 2004 NHL draft. Cheap NBA Jerseys China . During a spring training game last Monday against the Phillies, a grounder off the bat of Philadelphias Hunter Pence took a bad hop and hit Cabrera near the right eye. Cabrera needed eight stitches to close the laceration and was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture below the right eye the next day. Cheap NHL Jerseys China . Quarterbacks Steven Jyles and Kerry Joseph combined to complete three touchdown passes as the Eskimos finally produced some offence in a 42-10 romp over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday. http://www.stitchednfl.com/nba-jerseys_miami-heat-jersey/ . Chicago manager Robin Ventura said Jose Quintana will be called up from the minors and start Friday in his place against AL Central leader Cleveland. Cheap NCAA Jerseys China . Teams interested in Rick Nash say asking price remains high and theres no sense out of Columbus anything is imminent. Likely to be post-July 1. Cheap Soccer Jerseys China . The Winnipeg Blue Bombers re-signed the all-star defensive back Friday.The Winnipeg Jets (5-7-1) host the Boston Bruins (8-2-2) in a 5pm ct/ 6pm et face off Sunday at MTS Centre. Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game starting at 5pm ct/6pm et. I will be joined in the TSN 1290 Radio broadcast booth today by J-P Vigier and Rick Ralph while Dennis Beyak, Shane Hnidy and Sara Orlesky will be on theTSN Jets Regional broadcast. Ondrej Pavelec (Jets) and Tuukka Rask (Bruins) will be the starting goaltenders, today being Pavelecs 200th NHL game. The Jets will be without defenseman Toby Enstrom who suffered a shoulder injury Friday against the Penguins. Head coach Claude Noel told TSN 1290 following practice yesterday that Enstrom is listed as week-to-week. Paul Postma will take Enstroms roster spot. While Pavelec will be playing in his 200th game, defenceman Mark Stuart will suit up for his 400th NHL game. With four wins in their last 10 games, Winnipeg is 14th in the Eastern Conference standings and trail fifth place Boston by seven poinnts. Cheap Jerseys From China. The Jets are only four points behind the Rangers for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Bruins have allowed just 29 goals against this season, the lowest in the NHL along with Chicago, Vancouver and Nashville. They will be without forward Milan Lucic who flew home to Boston yesterday afternoon due to personal reasons. Boston won the first meeting of the two teams, a 2-1 shootout victory on home ice January 21. The final game between the Jets and Bruins is March 19 at the MTS Centre. Jets Projected Line Up: Ladd-Little-Wheeler Kane-Burmistrov-Antropov Tangradi-Jokinen-Wellwood Wright-Slater-Thorburn Hainsey-Byfuglien Postma-Bogosian Stuart-Redmond Bruins Projected Line Up: Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin Peverley-Krejci-Horton Paille-Kelly-Bourque Pandolfo-Campbell-Thornton Chara-Boychuk Seidenberg-Hamilton Ference-McQuaid Following todays game, the Jets begin a five-game road trip Tuesday in Buffalo (6pm ct/7pm et on TSN Radio 1290, TSN Jets). ' ' '

ROME -- Juventus coach Antonio Conte is facing a 15-month ban after being denied a plea bargain for his involvement in an Italian match-fixing scandal.

Cheap Jerseys From China . Contes offer of a three-month ban was rejected by an Italian football federation (FIGC) tribunal on Wednesday, and he was told on Thursday that the court will not accept any plea bargain. Conte, who led Juventus to the Serie A title last season, is accused of failing to report match-fixing in two games during the 2010-11 season when he was coach of then-Serie B team Siena. Prosecutor Stefano Palazzi is asking for a 15-month ban for the Juve coach. "I see that the FIGC and its justice system continue to operate outside of any logic," Juventus president Andrea Agnelli said in a statement immediately afterwards. "The various sentences show enormous contradictions...this cant be accepted." The FIGC reacted angrily to the remarks, saying "Andrea Agnellis comments are unacceptable and go beyond legitimate right to criticism." It added that "the FIGC and its bodies work with fairness and in full respect of the statutory rules which guarantee the Sporting Justice independence and autonomy." In contrast to Contes possible suspension, Siena goalkeeping coach Marco Savaroni and fitness coach Giorgio DUrbano will serve 23-week bans. At club level, promoted Torino will start its first season back in Serie A with a one-point penalty, while Varese was deducted one point in Serie B. Siena will start the upcoming Serie A season with a six-point penalty after its second plea bargain was accepted on Wednesday. Cheap Jerseys . Chantelle Eberle and Dean Hicke of Regina beat China 8-5 on Thursday to improve to 6-0 atop its group. China meanwhile also beat Finland 11-1 and Latvia 8-4 to trail Canada at 5-1. cheap jerseys free shipping . Raonic defeated Benneteau in straight sets Friday night to pull Canada even at 1-1 with France after the first day of their Davis Cup tie. http://uscheapjerseysfromchina.webs.com/ . -- A team meeting didnt help stop the losing, and this season just keeps spinning away from the Lakers. Cheap NFL Jerseys China .C. Lion is disappointed quarterback Drew Tate wont be playing for the Calgary Stampeders in Sundays Western Final. Cheap NFL Jerseys . LOUIS -- Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak says its unlikely the team can re-sign 16-game winner Kyle Lohse and doesnt see a spot for Lance Berkman even in a reduced role.HOUSTON -- Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez didnt have his best stuff Wednesday night. The way the Chicago Cubs are playing lately, it was still good enough for a win. J.D. Martinez had three hits and three RBIs to back up seven solid innings by Rodriguez and the Astros got a 5-1 victory over the Cubs to complete the three-game sweep and give Chicago its longest losing streak in more than a decade. The Cubs have lost nine straight for the first time since dropping the same number of games from May 8-18 2002. Rodriguez (4-4) allowed eight hits and a run and struck out five. The victory is the 77th of his career, moving him into sole possession of second place in franchise history for wins by a left-hander. "Wandy said he didnt have his good fastball today," Houston manager Brad Mills said. "He just didnt feel like it was coming out of his hand real good." Rodriguez said when he was unable to locate his fastball he relied on his curveball to get through this start. "I (came) back with my breaking ball and I (saw) with my breaking ball I can do whatever I want and throw in my spot -- in and out," he said. "I used it a lot." Chicago starter Jeff Samardzija (4-3) yielded six hits and two runs with four strikeouts in six innings. He hopes the team will be able to grow from this slump. "Its a learning experience, so we need to take everything thats going on right now and remember it in the long run once we figure out how to bounce out of it," he said. Chicago was up 1-0 in the fourth inning before Martinezs triple, which fell as Darwin Barney and David DeJesus bumped into each other and tumbled to the ground trying to make the catch, put Houston on top 2-1. "I saw the right fielder running and I was like: Its going to have a chance. Hes going to have to make a nice play on it," Martinez said. "I just continued to run right out of the box and was just fortunate it fell." Barney lamented his inability to make the play. "Jeff was pitching really well and had good command of his stuff and that was a turning point in the game," he said. "It was really unfortunate that it happened that way." It was the second consecutivee night that Martinez drove in the go-ahead run after hitting an RBI single in the sixth inning of Tuesday nights 2-1 win. NFL Jerseys Outlet. His two-out RBI single to centre field in the eighth inning off reliever Rafael Dolis added an insurance run for the Astros. Dolis walked the next two batters to send another run home, before plunking Jose Altuve to allow Martinez to score. Martinez, who added a single in the sixth, is rebounding from a tough month at the plate, with four of his nine hits and four of six RBIs in May coming in the last two games. "I feel about the same," he said. "I just wasnt missing pitches tonight. In the past, I felt like I was fouling those pitches off and I just wasnt doing that tonight." Cubs manager Dave Sveum missed Wednesdays game to attend the high school graduation of his son, Rustin. Bench coach Jamie Quirk managed the game with him away, but was unable to help the Cubs to a win for the first time since May 14. "Its getting very tough," Quirk said. "This game is so mental because day in and day out, it keeps coming at you. Obviously, you wipe it away and show up the next day wanting to win, but losing is never fun." Reed Johnson provided Chicagos only score on a solo home run in the first inning. Samardzija didnt allow a hit until Jason Castro doubled with one out in the third inning. Altuve walked with two outs, but Jed Lowrie struck out to end the threat. Johnson put Chicago on top with his solo home run to the Crawford Boxes in left field with one out in the first inning. When Houston didnt score in the first, it left the Cubs ahead at the end of an inning for the first time in 60 innings. NOTES: Houston CF Jordan Schafer was out of the lineup after having part of the toenail on his right big toe removed on Wednesday. Schafer injured the toe last week when he fouled a ball of it. Mills expects him to be better in a couple of days. ... Both teams are off on Thursday before Houston opens a series at the Dodgers and Chicago starts one in Pittsburgh on Friday. ... RHP Carlos Marmol, on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, pitched a simulated game on Wednesday and could pitch for Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Quirk said. ' ' '

LONDON -- Chelsea captain John Terry said he is "devastated" at the prospect of veteran midfielder Frank Lampard leaving the club.

Personalized Cleveland Browns Jersey . The 34-year-old Lampards contract expires at the end of the season, and there are no signs he will be offered a new deal. "Devastated is an understatement," Terry wrote Friday on his Instagram social networking account. "We should retire the number 8 shirt in honour of Lamps." Lampard has won every major trophy alongside Terry since joining Chelsea from West Ham in 2001. Below a picture of them lifting the FA Cup in May, Terry added a series of tributes on Instagram to Lampard, including "theheartbeat" "legend" and "goal machine." Lampard has scored three goals in his past four matches to make him Chelseas third-highest scorer in history. Terry later claimed he was only reacting to comments attributed online Thursday to Lampards agent, who has since denied providing quotes confirming his client would be leaving Chelsea at the end of the season. "I have seen franks agents quotes on sky yesterday," Terry wrote. "Thats all Im going on nothing more." It does seem that Lampard will be forced to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, with the European champions offering no indications they want to keep him. The England international, who can now speak to any club about a move as he only has six months left on his deal, has been strongly linked with the Los Angeles Galaxy as well as a host of European sides. Lampards partner said in a television interview on Thursday that there is lingering uncertainty about his footballing future. "We dont know whats happening there, were not sure whats going on," Christine Bleakley said. Custom Texans Jersey . "It was outstanding," said Dortmund coach Jupp Klopp on the clubs 103rd birthday. "The whole team played a fantastic game, with brilliant football. Were really keen on this competition. Customized Cowboys Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, I am sometimes baffled by the goal crease. Does it mean anything? Last night, Ottawas Kaspars Daugavins attempted to score on a shootout using a backyard rink move. http://www.customnflstore.com/ . When the Milwaukee Bucks clamped down on Harris, Horford backed down defender Larry Sanders, who leads the league in blocked shots per game, and hit a baby hook shot with 5. Customized Bears Jersey . As a follow-up, TSN.ca offers you the opportunity to chime in on all the big issues with our insiders. Read up on all the questions and answers, and put in your own two cents on our popular Your Call feature. Custom Cleveland Browns Jersey . He did, and it turned out to be the right choice. Gonzalez, playing right in Bostons injury-riddled outfield, drove in the tiebreaking run to help lift the Red Sox to their 14th win in 19 games, a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.TORONTO -- When Raptors coach Dwane Casey issued a challenge to his second unit during half time, the message wasnt lost on John Lucas. The backup point guard scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as Toronto defeated the New Orleans Hornets 102-89 Sunday. Casey wasnt pleased to see an 11-point Toronto lead in the second quarter quickly erased as the Hornets went on a 10-0 run with the Raptors second unit on the floor. "We struggled a little bit in the first half where the second unit gave up a lead," Casey said. "I challenged them about coming in and being ready to play, perform, you cant play your starters 48 minutes and they came in and performed in the second half." Alan Anderson added 11 off the bench as Toronto (19-32) won its second straight and improved to .500 at the Air Canada Centre this season (13-13). "He just called us out point blank, called us out and thats what we needed, a wake-up call," said Lucas. "We all talked in the locker room and said look, when we go back out there, were starting with as much energy as we can -- just leave everything we have on the court, cause our first unit gave it everything they had so its time for us to step up too." Lucas, who had just six points at half time, added three in the third quarter before breaking out for 10 in the fourth to match a season-high "I thought John did a heck of a job of getting into the basketball with their guards, didnt get burned with (Greivis) Vasquez and also offensively made some big shots," said Casey. "He did a great job on that end, so I thought the second unit came in, gave us that spark that we needed. "We got to get that in the first part of the game and not give up a lead that the first unit did a great job of building." Rudy Gay had a game-high 20 points and Kyle Lowry added 114 points and 10 assists, his fourth double-double of the season. Personalized Patriots Jersey. Gay, who came in averaging 24.3 points since his trade from Memphis, became the first Raptor to have five straight games with 20-plus points since Andrea Bargnani (Dec. 28, 2011 - Jan. 4, 2012) last season. "Our bench really picked us up," said Gay. "The first half they kind of relaxed and we gave away that lead, but the second half they really picked us up and played well and got us that win." Amir Johnson chipped in 14 points with seven rebounds. The Hornets had 27 of their 47 first half points from the bench led by Brian Roberts, who finished the game with 15. Robin Lopezs 19 points led the Hornets (17-34), who lost for the first time in three games. New Orleans guard Vasquez had 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. "As a team we had a lot of breakdowns, especially on the defensive end," said Lopez. "We had a game plan and we didnt executed it." Jonas Valanciunas, who was making his first start since missing 18 games with a broken finger, had 11 points 10 rebounds for Toronto. Toronto used a late 9-0 run in the second to take a 50-47 lead into halftime. The Raptors scored 10 of its first 24 points of the game off dunks highlighted by a monster, uncontested, one-handed jam by Gay. Sunday marked the final meeting between the Raptors and the Hornets franchise, who will be called the Pelicans beginning next season. Toronto also won their final game against the New Jersey Nets and Seattle Sonics before they changed their names. Notes: Landry Fields dressed for the first time Sunday after missing three games with back spasms and finished with 4 points. ... Raptors Andrea Bargnani was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. ... Blue Jays great Joe Carter took in the game from courtside. ' ' '

OTTAWA (CIS) - Bishops quarterback Jordan Heather, Toronto linebacker Wilkerson DeSouza and Manitoba defensive back Grayson Wells are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football players of the week for the period ending Sept.

Jonathan Quick Jersey . 18, 2011. The selection was made by a committee comprised of members of Football Reporters of Canada (FRC). Heather, a third-year history major from Oromocto, N.B., was honoured on offence after he threw for a career-high 459 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in a 36-23 victory at Mount Allison, last Saturday. The 6-foot, 200-pound junior made the most of his first CIS game in his home province - and only his third career start - completing 26 of 41 passes and coming one yard short of the teams 20-year-old single-game record for most passing yards. The Gaiters (1-2) go for a second win in a row on Saturday afternoon when they host No. 4-ranked Montreal (2-1) in their annual Homecoming Game (1 p.m., live on Radio-Canada). Receivers Taylor Renaud of Acadia, Giovanni Aprile of Queens and Chris Dobko of Calgary were also up for the award. DeSouza, a fourth-year humanities student from Mississauga, Ont., took home the weekly honour on defence thanks to his team-high 11 solo tackles and a key fumble recovery in a 21-12 home win over Guelph, which marked the Varsity Blues first success against the Gryphons since 1995. With Toronto holding on a to a 14-7 lead early in the third quarter, the 5-foot-11, 227-pound senior forced a fumble deep in his own territory and recovered the ball himself at the one-yard line to prevent Guelph from tying the game. The Blues visit Ottawa on Saturday in a battle of 2-1 teams. Linebackers Tom Labenski of Acadia, Max Caron of Concordia and Thomas Hall of Manitoba were also nominated. Wells, a second-year education student from Lloydminster, Alta., was the choice on special teams thanks to his game-changing touchdown in a 26-16 upset of then-No. 4 Saskatchewan, in Winnipeg. With the Bisons trailing 16-12, Manitobas Brendon Bowman opened the fourth quarter with a 64-yard punt that went off returner Jerit Lamberts hands and dribbled into the Huskies end zone. Wells hustled downfield and jumped on the loose ball for the score and a 19-16 lead that his team wouldnt relinquish. The No. 10 Bisons (2-1) visit No. 9 UBC (2-1) on Saturday. Kick returners Damone Williams of St. Francis Xavier, Nathan Taylor of Concordia and Gionanni Aprile of Queens were also up for the distinction. Offensive nominees: AUS: Taylor Renaud, receiver, AcadiaRSEQ: Jordan Heather, quarterback, Bishops (recipient)OUA: Giovanni Aprile, receiver, Queens CWUAA: Chris Dobko, receiver, Calgary Defensive nominees: AUS: Tom Labenski, linebacker, AcadiaRSEQ: Max Caron, linebacker, ConcordiaOUA: Wilkerson DeSouza, linebacker, Toronto (recipient)CWUAA: Thomas Hall, linebacker, Manitoba Special team nominees: AUS: Damone Williams, returner, St. Francis XavierRSEQ: Nathan Taylor, returner, ConcordiaOUA: Giovanni Aprile, returner, QueensCWUAA: Grayson Wells, cover, Manitoba (recipient) Wayne Gretzky Black Kings Jersey . The 21-year-old leapt in the air to head in a goal on a set play off a corner kick just before half time to help the Montreal Impact to a 2-0 MLS victory over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night. Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Jersey . The women compete two routines, which are added together, to get their qualification score. MacLennan scored slightly higher than Cockburn on both of her routines, putting her in fourth place with an overall score of 104. http://www.kingsofficialshop.com/martin-mcsorley-jersey/ . They should be with the way theyre playing -- especially on the road. George hit seven 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 30 points as the Pacers won in Dallas for the first time in eight years, beating the defending NBA champions 98-87 Friday night. Dustin Brown Youth Jersey . Lilja, 37, had six assists and was a plus-9 last season, his first in Philadelphia. He joins a list of problems on the blue line for the Flyers, who lost out on signing defenceman Shea Weber, when their contract offer for the All-Star was matched by Nashville. Anze Kopitar Youth Jersey . -- AJ McCarron passed for 219 yards and matched his career high with four touchdown passes to lead No.ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Andrey Golubev and Evgeny Korolev won their singles matches Friday to give Kazakhstan a 2-0 lead over Austria in the first round of the Davis Cup. Golubev beat Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-6 (2), 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the opening match, and Korolev followed upp by defeating Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2. Jeff Carter Kings Jersey. . Golubev says "we are leading 2-0, but it is not finished yet. It is too early to rejoice." The doubles match is scheduled for Saturday, and the reverse singles will be played Sunday. ' ' '

DENVER -- The Denver Nuggets streak lives on thanks to some luck and pluck.

Wholesale Boston Bruins Jerseys China . Corey Brewer sank three free throws with 2.1 seconds left and the Denver Nuggets stretched their franchise-best winning streak to 14 games with a 101-100 thriller over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. Anthony Randolph blocked Damien Wilkins desperation jumper at the buzzer to secure Denvers 16th straight win at the Pepsi Center -- and its most unlikely. The Nuggets, overlooked in the great surge by the Miami Heat, trailed by five as the clock ticked below 10 seconds. Brewer sank a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left that made it 100-98. He fouled Evan Turner with 7.1 seconds left and Turner, a 75 per cent free-throw shooter, missed both of his foul shots, the first one bouncing out and the second one slowly rimming out. "Its crazy. To be honest, I didnt think we had any chance of winning," Brewer said. "Then he missed those free throws and I was like, OK, weve got a little chance. He gave us life." After a timeout, Anthony Miller inbounded to Danilo Gallinari, who handed it off to Brewer, who quickly fired up a 3-pointer as Wilkins slapped him on his left arm, drawing the whistle with 2.1 seconds left. "I saw him coming and I just tried to get it off quick. He hit my arm, luckily, so Ill take the foul," said Brewer, who finished with 29 points. Brewer took a deep breath and sank the first shot. "I was just trying to be calm. I knew I needed to make two out of three and once I made the first one, a little pressures off," Brewer said. He hit his second, then took a step back while JaVale McGee returned to the game. Once McGee was in place for a possible rebound, Brewer swished his third free throw. After a timeout, Randolph blocked Wilkins, who finished with 24 points, and win No. 14 was theirs. "Theres no one to point the finger at," Turner said. "We played hard the whole game, whatever could go wrong did go wrong." The Nuggets havent lost at home since Jan. 14 against Washington and theyre in the midst of their longest winning streak since joining the NBA in 1976, a streak that survived despite an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers. Even though Miller scored a season-high 21 points, the Nuggets sorely missed Ty Lawson (right heel) and Wilson Chandler (left shoulder), both of whom were hurt in Denvers signature win at Oklahoma City Tuesday night. They nearly lost to the NBAs lowest scoring team, one that owns just six road wins, tied for the fewest in the league this season. Gallinaris turnover led to Wilkins jumper that made it 98-90 with two minutes remaining, and the crowd was standing in disbelief. Randolphs slam dunk with made it 98-95, but Jrue Holiday, who had 15 assists to go with his 18 points, sank two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to give Philadelphia a seemingly safe five-point cushion. Before the game, it was noted that George Karls team has been flying under the radar because of the Heats 24-game winning streak that included a comeback Wednesday night from a 27-point deficit in Cleveland. "Thats fine," Karl said. "Thats fine with me. I just dont want to get down 27 tonight. I dont think we can shoot the 3 as well as Miami does and make the comeback." Turns out the Nuggets needed a big comeback of their own. "Yeah, you need one of these," Brewer said. "You see the Heat win. They were down 27 last night and they win a crazy game. So, its fitting for us to win a game like this." It might have been the most satisfying of their 14 straight wins, too. "It was a crazy win," Gallinari said. "We didnt play our best basketball. We know it. Everybody knows it. And to win in this way, even when you dont play your best basketball is a very good sign." The Sixers wanted to hold their heads high -- but they couldnt quit shaking them in disbelief. "Effort was there, energy was there, it was closing out the game," Turner said. "Thats not what lost the game. Situations occurred. Thats some crazy stuff that just happened. The seasons been rough. Thats one you just shake your head. It seems like a fluke to me." Philadelphia coach Doug Collins was agitated at his teams failure to close out a winnable game. "We had a seven-point lead and the ball," Collins lamented. "I can sit here and do my best TNT (sugar-coating) and the end result is we didnt get it done." NOTES: Chandler said his shoulder felt better Thursday but added that he plans to sit out Denvers next two games and hopes to return March 27 against San Antonio. ... Lawson leads the Nuggets with a 16.9-point scoring average. Chandler is averaging 11.8 points and five rebounds. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China . -- New York Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain threw off a mound Friday for the first time since hurting his ankle in March. Wholesale MLB Jerseys China . The victory kept Toronto FC in second place in Group 1 with six points, three back of their next opponent -- first-place Santos Laguna. Aguila finished last in the three-team group with zero points from four games. http://www.stitchednflshop.com/ . Bailey, 27, was 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA in six appearances out of the Goldeyes bullpen. The Goldeyes now have 20 players on their active roster, including 10 pitchers and 10 position players. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys China . The new rule allows a player placed on the list to return to practice after six weeks, but not play for at least eight. If McGahee were to return in eight weeks, he would be available in the AFC Championship Game, should the 7-3 Broncos make it that far. Wholesale Sports Caps China . Thats why Bryant suggested Andrew Bynum should do it -- and the All-Star centre leaped at the opportunity to seal Los Angeles latest win in the NBAs most storied rivalry. EDMONTON -- Ryan-Nugent Hopkins is not only showing he belongs in the NHL, hes showing he belongs with Taylor Hall. Nugent-Hopkins, the 2011 first-overall draft pick and Hall, first overall in 2010, each had three-point nights as the Edmonton Oilers won their third consecutive pre-season game, defeating the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 on Tuesday. Hall had two of the goals and Nugent-Hopkins the other for the Oilers, who improved to 4-2-0 in exhibition action. Nugent-Hopkins, who leads the Oilers in pre-season scoring with six points in four games, said he is gaining confidence as he goes, especially in his most recent effort, playing on a line with Hall and another Oilers first-round pick, Jordan Eberle. "We gelled together pretty quick," the 18-year-old Nugent-Hopkins said. "I felt pretty good out there with those guys. Its a ton of fun playing with those two guys and they both make it a lot easier for me coming in. Learning from them really helps. I cant get too high, but I think this helps my confidence." Hall, who underwent the scrutiny of being a first overall selection last year, said Nugent-Hopkins looks like he will live up to his billing. "Hes just such a good passer," he said. "I think any player could go on that line and play well. He finds guys. He has good speed. And people dont talk about his defensive zone play enough. Hes doing that at an NHL level. "Ryan has done a lot of good things, maybe everything that he can do to make this team." Eberle said the young line combination is having fun, but cautioned that it was still pre-season. "We cant get too high about how we looked together. Its only one pre-season game," he said. "But it was good to show how successful we could be." Ray Whitney and Shane Doan responded for the Coyotes, who have lost three straight to sit at 2-3-0 in the pre-season. The game was scoreless until there was just two minutes remaining in the first period when the two players expected to be cornerstones for Edmonton in the future combined on a power-play goal. Playing on the same line for the second time, the hhighly-drafted duo got the scoring going as Hall drove hard to the net on the man advantage and took enough of Phoenix goalie Mike Smiths attention that Nugent-Hopkins was able to sweep in the rebound. Wholesale Miami Heat Jerseys China. The Oilers future line struck again just over a minute into the second period as Nugent-Hopkins made a long pass just above the top of the crease to Hall, who snapped home his second exhibition goal. The third Oiler goal was more of the same as Nugent-Hopkins made a backhand pass from the slot to a hard-charging Hall, who blew a shot past Smith to the glove side. Phoenix put their first goal on the scoreboard with two minutes left in the middle frame on a penalty-killing gaffe by the Oilers, who allowed Whitney to receive a pass completely alone in front of the net and he swung around a helpless Nikolai Khabibulin and deposited the puck into the net. Phoenix closed to within a goal with five minutes remaining on another power play as Doan had a quick release on a feed from Patrick OSullivan for his second of the pre-season. Khabibulin finished with 18 saves for his second exhibition win, while Smith stopped 29 shots in the loss. The Coyotes are in Calgary to continue the pre-season on Thursday. The Oilers play again on Friday in Minnesota. Notes: The Oilers dressed a line of Ales Hemsky, Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff that was highly effective in their 2006 run to the Stanley Cup finals. It was the first time the trio had played together since Smyth was traded away at the deadline in 2007. ... Hemsky was playing his first game since suffering a shoulder injury seven months ago. ... The Oilers announced centre Sam Gagner had suffered a high-ankle strain and would be out week-to-week. ... Former Oiler OSullivan came into the game leading the Coyotes with four points in three pre-season games. OSullivan signed a two-way deal with Phoenix this summer. ... The Coyotes top line was the veteran grouping of Whitney, Daymond Langkow and Doan. Langkow only played in four games in the 2010-11 season. ... The Coyotes had five of their top six defencemen dressed for the game. ' ' '

TORONTO - With the playoffs in their sights three weeks ago, the last thing the Raptors expected to be talking about, with 18 games remaining in their arduous season, is the future.

Orlando Scandrick Jersey . However, as the heart of March quickly approaches, sporting a record 14 wins south of .500, that is exactly where they find themselves; looking towards and planning for what they hope will be a more promising future. "Right now, where we are, where were going, youre probably going to see different lineups," admitted coach Dwane Casey, who has used a league-most 21 different starting lineups this season. "Were trying to find out what we have. When youre growing and trying to develop, theres different things that come into play." One of the top priorities on Caseys end-of-season to-do list will be finding more playing time for rookies Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross. "Theyre going to play," he said following the teams Tuesday morning practice, "but its going to be teaching [and] coaching instead of just giving playing time." Evident from his decision to pull Valanciunas late in Sundays win over Cleveland for getting "caught up in the speed of the game", Casey still expects his rookies to earn their stripes. "Thats what we dont want to do, is develop bad habits," he continued. "Two or three mistakes, but not multiple mistakes." Both rookies exceeded 20 minutes of action in the same game Sunday for the first time since Dec. 12 and only the sixth time this season. After getting off to a slow start in that contest, they were a crucial part of the teams second-half push, combining for 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the third quarter. "I do see the process going forward. I get criticized for using the word process but thats what it is, a process. Im an old Kentucky boy so I dont know too many other fancy words but it is a process and the process is on the right track." Injured Forwards There were no concrete updates on the status of either Rudy Gay or Andrea Bargnani Tuesday, as the team continues to weigh their options on the best course of action with each player. Both forwards had tests done Monday after missing Sundays game, Gay with lingering back pain and Bargnani with a strained right elbow that he re-injured in Los Angeles last week. The teams doctors are still going over the results of their tests before coming to a decision regarding their availability. Rudy Gay will be a game-time decision in Boston on Wednesday while Bargnani, who did not make the trip, will not play. Praising Amir These days you dont need a special occasion to praise Amir Johnson, its just become the thing to do. Of course, if youve seen him play recently you know hes more than deserving of any local acknowledgement after flying under the radar league-wide for most of his remarkable 2012-13 season. Johnson is averaging career highs in points (10.1), rebounds (7.3), assists (1.5) and minutes (just under 28 per game) in this his eighth NBA season. "Hes just relentless," said Alan Anderson, expressing his admiration for Johnsons subtle, yet game-changing contributions. "We dont call no plays for Amir but he ends up with 20-something [points] and 12, 13 plus rebounds every game so that just goes to show what type of person [and] player he is. He just brings it every night. Every time hes out on that floor he spills it." "Hes only 25 still, I mean he looks old but hes still young," Kyle Lowry said jokingly of Johnson, who came into the league out of high school back in 2005. "Hes playing and growing into his potential." Johnson is starting to get some recognition as a dark horse in the race for this years Most Improved Player, most notably from Yahoos Adrian Wojnarowski, who recently campaigned for him over Twitter. Although All-Stars Paul George of the Pacers and Jrue Holiday of the 76ers are considered to be the favourites for the award, Johnsons work has vaulted him into the conversation. "Hes played really well," Lowry continued. "If you look at the numbers hes been pretty outstanding. Hes probably been our most consistent guy all year. Hopefully he gets more looks at that most improved [player] because hes been fantastic all year and hes gotten better." Shipping Up To Boston After dropping the first two meetings of the season, the Raptors travel to Boston for the third of four match-ups with the surging Celtics on Wednesday, 7:30pm et. The Celtics -- who are in Charlotte to face the Bobcats Tuesday -- have surprised many observers, sitting a half game out of the fifth seed in the East and winning 14 of 19 since Rajon Rondos season came to an abrupt end after tearing his ACL in January. "You expect[ed] some type of drop off but that team is just good," Lowry said. "Theyre 15 guys strong, everyones together, everyone knows what theyre going to do and they take pride in what they do." Kevin Garnett, who had a season-high of 27 points in Toronto last month, and Paul Pierce have helped pick up the slack without their All-Star point guard. "Theyre champions, theyre MVPs those two guys, theyre first ballot hall of famers, I believe," Lowry exclaimed. "They just know how to play and win games, theyve been doing it theyre whole careers." Meanwhile, the Celtics have won nine straight at home, seven of them against winning teams and havent lost to the Raptors at the TD Garden since Jan. 23, 2008, a stretch of nine meetings in Boston. "Thats a tough place to play. The Garden is special for those guys but we can go in there and win that game. If we go in there and play our type of game that were going to play and make sure we dictate the game theres always a chance we could go in there and get that win." Daryl Johnston Jersey . "Sooner or later, youve got to man up and buck up," coach Dwane Casey said after a 113-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Emmitt Smith Jersey . Way down. The Heat are in a hole. Roy Hibbert had 19 points and 18 rebounds, George Hill scored 20 and Danny Granger 17 as the Pacers, showing more balance, toughness and togetherness than favoured Miami, throttled the malfunctioning Heat 94-75 on Thursday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. http://www.shopcowboysgear.us/roger-staubach-cowboys-jersey/ . LeSean McCoy, as dogged a player as any on the Eagles, stood at his locker and asked where the team left its pride, its heart. And coach Andy Reid even tossed out "embarrassing" as the word of the day for Philadelphias 30-17 loss to Atlanta on Sunday. Chris Jones Jersey .C. Lion is disappointed quarterback Drew Tate wont be playing for the Calgary Stampeders in Sundays Western Final. Barry Church Jersey . Wilson will be able to practice and play preseason games, but should he make the Saints roster, he will sit out the teams opener against the Washington Redskins. The 24-year-old was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 draft by the Carolina Panthers, but was released from the practice squad after getting arrested for a misdemeanor marijuana possession and speeding in November.After 26 years, 13 Premier League championships, two Champions League titles and five FA Cups, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is retiring from his position. With many names being rumoured to take over the job, the question is who should replace Ferguson at Manchester United? When the news broke on Wednesday that Ferguson, who took over the job at Old Trafford in 1986, would be calling it quits at the end of the season, two names immediately sprung to the front of the line as replacements. Current Everton manager David Moyes is considered the front runner to take over the reins of Manchester United after 11 years in charge at Goodison Park. The Scottish born managers best accomplishment with Everton was when he led them to an FA Cup final defeat at the hands of Chelsea in 2009. Everton are on pace to finish sixth, ahead of Merseyside rival Liverpool for the second straight season. Moyes has also been linked in the past to other top jobs in England including both Tottenham and Chelsea. It is expected that Jose Mourinho will leave Real Madrid and a widely held belief is that he would replace interim manager Rafa Benitez at Chelsea but if the United job is a possibility it would be impossible for him to turn down. His pedigree of winning is sound, as he has won a domestic league title for every team he has managed including FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Kenyon Coleman Jersey. He has also captured Champions League titles for both Porto and Inter. The problem for Mourinho is that he has never spent more than three years with any single club, finding success early before leaving to take charge of another opportunity. United could be looking for a more long-term stable option. While those two men are considered the favourites, there are other off-the-board options for United to consider. Bourussia Dortmund has been one of the worlds most impressive clubs over the past few seasons and head coach Juergen Klopp deserves a lot of the credit for their success. In the past few seasons they have captured two Bundesliga titles and are playing in this seasons Champions League Final. If Klopp is ready to make his move this could be the right time and the right fit. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a former United player that currently is in charge of Molde in the Norwegian league, will also receive consideration. The managerial job at Manchester United is one of the most coveted in the sport and will be sought after by many man, the question is, who should be hired to replace Ferguson? As always, Its Your! Call. ' ' '