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ATLANTA — The San Diego Padres know they won’t be getting many innings from their first pitcher on Sunday. The Atlanta Braves hope that isn’t the case with their starter as well.

Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran will make his first start since being activated from the disabled list Saturday to face San Diego Antonio Senzatela Jersey , which will use a bullpen game in the finale of the four-game series at SunTrust Park.

The Braves (41-29) increased their lead in the National League East to 2 1/2 games with a 1-0 victory on Saturday that guaranteed the Padres (34-39) wouldn’t win a sixth consecutive series.

Teheran (4-4, 4.31 ERA) came out after one batter in the fifth inning of a loss at San Diego on June 4 because of a right thumb contusion and hopes the rest during his DL stint will help him regain some of his lost velocity.

The 27-year-old former all-star gave up three homers while losing his third straight start. His average fastball velocity this season is 89.2 mph compared with 91.4 mph last year.

Even before jamming a finger while batting, Teheran’s fastballs were mostly in the 85-87 mph range against the Padres, and three long balls raised his season total to 14.

“My arm has been sore Cheap Kendall Wright Jersey ,” Teheran admitted for the first time last Sunday while the Braves were in Los Angeles playing the Dodgers. “Obviously as a pitcher you have games where you don’t feel 100 percent. This year for me it’s been kind of up and down.”

Teheran is 1-3 with a 6.11 ERA and eight home runs allowed in 28 innings during his past five starts.

“Whenever you’re fighting through soreness, one day you feel good and the next day you don’t. You still go out there and compete,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a big deal. But working on it, we’ll see if this (next) couple of months we’ll get my velo back.”

Right-handed reliever Matt Strahm (1-2 Kyle Barraclough Jersey , 2.55) will get his fourth spot start for the Padres as manager Andy Green turns to his bullpen to fill in the rotation spot left open by the hip injury to rookie left-hander Joey Lucchesi.

Strahm has a 1.23 ERA in 7 1/3 innings as a starter after throwing three perfect innings in the Padres’ victory over the Cardinals in St. Louis on Tuesday.

Submarine right-hander Adam Cimber followed Strahm with one-hit ball for three scoreless innings and the Padres won their second straight bullpen game after a victory over the Braves on June 6 in San Diego.

“It’s got to be tough as a hitter,” Green said. “First, you have a lefty slinger throwing 95-96 (mph). Next at-bat, you’ve got a drop-down righty coming from underneath. It’s just two radically different looks James Paxton Jersey , and it plays well off each other and keeps guys uncomfortable. By the time you’re up a third time, you’re facing a back-end reliever.”

Strahm pitched a perfect inning in relief against the Braves two days before his start in San Diego, when he allowed a first-inning homer by Freddie Freeman but only one other hit in 2 1/3 innings of the 3-1 win by the Padres.

Teheran’s 11-4 loss in San Diego gave him a 4-3 record and 4.13 ERA in nine career starts against the Padres.

Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Kyle Higashioka each homered and New York went ahead early and hung on to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Tuesday night.

Stanton was shaken up after crashing into the right field wall chasing after Nick Markakis‘ seventh-inning home run. He knocked padding off the base of the wall, and the team’s training staff ran out to check on New York’s prized offseason acquisition a pitch later. Stanton remained in the game, made a leaping catch later in the inning, then slugged his 20th home run of the season in the eighth.

”That’s par for the course, that’s baseball,” Stanton said. ”If you get subbed in, you usually get the ball the first time Authentic Mike Gesicki Jersey , so, something like that happens, expect it.”

Stanton’s homer gave New York some breathing room after the Braves crept on its early lead. His two-run shot off Evan Phillips made him the 11th player to reach 20 homers in each of his first nine major league seasons. Phillips was making his major league debut.

New York is a major league-best 32-13 at home. The Yankees improved to a majors-best 21-6 against left-handed starters and remain a game behind Boston for the best record in baseball.

Aaron Judge had two hits and a walk, and he stole two bases for the first time in his career. Hicks also walked twice as New York drew eight free passes.

Markakis and Ender Inciarte each hit two-run homers for Atlanta, which ended a four-game winning streak. The Braves remain atop the NL East but fell behind the Brewers for the best record in the NL.

A night after Atlanta rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. barely cleared the wall to give Atlanta an 11-inning victory, the Yankees took advantage of their cozy stadium.

Hicks continued his home run binge by hitting Sean Newcomb’s 95 mph fastball two rows into the right field stands for his 15th of the season and a 2-0 lead in the first. Hicks has hit nine home runs in his last 17 games.

”He’s put together a really good season for us and right now, he’s at a really, really good place in the batter’s box Authentic Paul Worrilow Jersey ,” Boone said.

Newcomb (8-3) stood on the mound shaking his head after the ball carried over the fence. The left-hander allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings in the shortest start of his career. Newcomb had posted three straight quality starts but threw a career-high 111 pitches his last time out.

”Balls kind of get sucked up out there, so that’s frustrating,” he said.

New York scored twice in the third without a hit. Newcomb walked the bases loaded, then walked Brandon Drury to force in a run. Luke Jackson relieved, but he walked Higashioka for another run. Newcomb’s five walks matched a career high.

”He was just having a hard time controlling everything,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Staked with a six-run cushion, Yankees starter Domingo German tired in the fifth. After Johan Camargo walked, Inciarte crushed a curveball into the stands for his sixth of the season.

Rookie Ozzie Albies homered on the next pitch to draw Atlanta within three. Freddie Freeman and Markakis hit consecutive singles to end German’s night. Atlanta hit back-to-back homers for just the third time this season.

A.J. Cole Cheap Chad Thomas Jersey , reinstated off the disabled list earlier in the day, struck out Tyler Flowers with the bases loaded to end the threat. Since being acquired from Washington on April 23, Cole (2-0) has allowed one earned run in 14 2/3 innings.

In the eighth, Chasen Shreve relieved with runners on first and second and one out and retired Inciarte and Albies to preserve a one-run lead.

Aroldis Chapman threw a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save. The hard-throwing closer was used in three straight games for the first time this season.

HAILEY’S HANDS

Eight-year old Hailey Dawson threw out the ceremonial first pitch with her 3D printed hand created by students at UNLV. Dawson was born with Poland Syndrome, a rare birth defect that left the youngster without the three middle fingers on her right hand. She has been on a quest to throw a first pitch for each MLB team.

HOMERING HIGASHIOKA

Higashioka became the third player in franchise history to homer for his first two big league hits, joining Alfonso Soriano (1999-2000) and Joe Lefebvre (1980).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: INF Gleyber Torres (right hip stiffness) was held out of the starting lineup. The sensational rookie ”stiffened up” Monday night, according to manager Aaron Boone, but entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth. … RHP Masahiro Tanaka remains scheduled for a rehab start with Triple-A Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. Boone is hopeful Tanaka will throw between 65 and 75 pitches. … C Austin Romine (left hamstring) was held out of the starting lineup for a third straight night

UP NEXT

LHP CC Sabathia (5-3 Cheap Miami Dolphins Hoodie , 3.02 ERA) pitches the series finale for New York. Sabathia allowed just seven earned runs over five starts in June (1.93 ERA) and is 3-1 in four starts against Atlanta. He’s opposed by Julio Teheran (6-5, 4.21 ERA), who gave up eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in his only appearance against New York on Aug, 30, 2015.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Sidney Crosby ignited a rally with a highlight-reel goal and became the third active player with 700 assists in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.

Crosby scored his 24th goal when he knocked a pass from Jake Guentzel out of the air Brandon Parker Super Bowl LI Jersey , deflected it toward the front of his stick and smacked it by Carey Price to tie it at 3 late in the second period.

Derick Brassard put the Penguins in front to stay, beating Price early in the third.

Guentzel had a goal and two assists. His 21st goal of the season came off an assist from Crosby, the 700th of Crosby’s career. Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 27 saves.

Jonathan Drouin, Nikita Scherbak and Jacob de la Rose scored for the Canadiens. They have lost nine of their last 10 games. Price made 34 stops in his first start in a month due to a concussion.

BLUES 2, BRUINS 1 Wholesale John Franklin-Myers Jersey , OT

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Jaden Schwartz scored his second goal of the game 30 seconds into overtime to lift St. Louis past Boston.

Schwartz skated up the middle and fired a shot past Anton Khudobin. The Blues won for the fifth time in six games to move within a point of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Jake Allen made 21 saves to improve to 24-21-2.

Ryan Donato scored for Boston. The Bruins clinched a playoff spot and moved within four points of Tampa Bay for the Eastern lead.

COYOTES 4, SABRES 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Clayton Keller had two assists to break the Arizona record for points by a rookie in the Coyotes’ victory over Buffalo in a matchup of the NHL’s two worst teams.

Rookie Dylan Strome scored in his first game after being called up from the minors. Derek Stepan had a goal and assist, and Richard Panik and Max Domi, with an empty-netter, also scored. Antti Raanta stopped 29 shots to improve to 12-4-4 in his past 20 starts.

Keller Adidas Logan Couture Jersey , Arizona’s 2016 first-round draft pick, extended his points streak to six games, in which he has two goals and five assists. He has 55 points, one more than Peter Mueller had in setting the rookie team record in 2007-08. And Keller has 35 assists, one more than teammate Max Domi had in his rookie season two years ago. Arizona improved to 13-5-2 in its past 20, and earned its 61st point in leaving Vancouver alone at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Jordan Nolan scored for Buffalo.

DUCKS 4 Wholesale Mike Gesicki Jersey , FLAMES 0

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) – John Gibson stopped 29 shots to lead Anaheim over Calgary.

Gibson earned his fourth shutout of the season and 16th of his career. He is 12-3-1 in his last 16 starts.

Francois Beauchemin had a goal and an assist for Anaheim, and Andrew Cogliano, Ondrej Kase, Hamphus Lindholm also scored for the Ducks, who’ve won four straight and are tied with Colorado for sixth in the Western Conference Wholesale Byron Maxwell Jersey , one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.

Mike Smith started in goal for Calgary but was replaced after allowing three goals on 11 shots. Rookie David Rittich stopped four of the five shots he faced.

NEW YORK (AP) Peyton Manning takes a family to Universal Parks & Resorts. Chris Pratt works out to get in shape to tout Michelob Ultra. Bill Hader takes a break on set to snack on some Pringles.

This year’s Super Bowl advertisers are minding their manners. They’re trying hard to steer clear of everything from politics to the (hash)MeToo movement with lightly humorous ads that don’t offend.

The goal is to capture the attention of the 111 million-plus viewers expected to tune in Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the New England Patriots. Thirty-second slots are going for more than $5 million for airtime alone.

Last year Authentic Geron Christian Jersey , ads that tackled political issues fell flat, like an 84 Lumber ad about immigration. And some thought the recent Grammy Awards’ low ratings were because the show contained too many political moments, such as Hillary Clinton reading from the Trump biography ”Fire and Fury.”

People are in the mood for ”political-free entertainment,” said Kim Whitler, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia.

Several ads will be taking a light-humor approach with mostly male celebrities. PepsiCo brands Doritos Blaze and Mountain Dew Ice are showcased in two 30-second linked spots showing Morgan Freeman and Peter Dinklage in a lip-sync rap battle.

In a Pringles ad , Bill Hader has a snack on set and introduces a made-up practice dubbed ”flavor stacking,” in which he mixes and matches different Pringles varieties. M&Ms enlisted Danny DeVito to embody what happens when a red M&M becomes a person after wishing on a lucky penny.

Keanu Reeves surfs on his motorcycle through the desert in an ad for Squarespace. Chris Elliott lives in a bio dome to tout avocados from Mexico, while ”Stranger Things” star David Harbour shows up in Tide’s commercial.

”They’re light hearted and good natured Wholesale Mark Walton Jersey ,” Whitler said. ”That’s on target with the mood of the country.”

”We’re exposed to so much constant negativity,” said Andy Goeler, a marketing executive at Bud Light. ”Delivering something just light hearted and fun is the root at what beer is all about.” The brand’s two spots showcase a mythical kingdom a la ”Game of Thrones” centered on Bud Light and the catchphrase ”Dilly Dilly.”

Amazon’s 90-second fourth-quarter ad stars a bevy of celebrities who sub for the voice of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant: singer Cardi B, actress Rebel Wilson, star chef Gordon Ramsey and even actor Anthony Hopkins putting a Hannibal Lector spin on things. Leading up to the halftime show, Pepsi’s ad references past celebrities who have appeared in Pepsi Super Bowl ads: Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Cindy Crawford and others.

Nonetheless Authentic Brian Allen Jersey , two Super Bowl ads are bucking the trend and sidling up to political issues, however obliquely.

Coca-Cola’s anthemic 60-second ad features varieties of Coke, from Coke Zero to the stevia-flavored Coke Life, quaffed by women, men and a person who uses the ”they” pronoun.

”There’s a Coke for he, and she and her and me and them,” a voiceover states.

Coca-Cola executives say the ad highlights the diversity the company has always used in its advertising, adding that they consulted African-American and LGBTQ groups among its own employees. A biracial couple and a person in a wheelchair also appear in the spot.

”We want to celebrate all the people that make up the world Authentic Darius Leonard Jersey ,” Coca-Cola executive Brynn Bardacke said. ”We don’t want to exclude anyone.”

On the other hand, WeatherTech, which makes car mats and other interior car products, has a staunchly pro-American approach in its ad, which shows the construction of a factory that opened late last year.

”At WeatherTech, we built our factory right here in America,” the ad’s text reads. ”Isn’t that the way it is supposed to be?”

It’s the fifth year WeatherTech has advertised in the Super Bowl touting its all-American operations. Founder and CEO David MacNeil said his ad doesn’t have typical Super Bowl accoutrements – ”no ponies, no puppies Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey Elite , no pretty girls” – but said it’s straight to the point about its message.

”Isn’t it just logical to build your own factory in your own country so your own fellow citizens can have jobs?” he said. He said he doesn’t believe the ad might be divisive. ”It wouldn’t occur to me that I could offend anyone by supporting my own country,” he said.

While the majority of advertisers release their ads ahead of time to try to drum up publicity, there are some holdouts. Fiat Chrysler usually appears during the game without advance warning. Other advertisers that have remained mum about their plans so far include E-Trade and Monster Products.

”It may be that advertisers with risky ads are waiting for the game, hoping to protect the surprise and break through the clutter,” said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University.

A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues Authentic Jose Quintana Jersey , contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or 877-836-9477. For reruns, call the Service Desk 800-838-4616 or your local AP bureau.

As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

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NOTE: The stories slugged Black History-Game Changers are part of AP’s coverage during Black History Month of how African-American athletes have used their platforms during the last 100 years to influence social and political change. Please see the Black History Month advisory for more details on the series.

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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 7

HKN–GOLDEN KNIGHTS’ STUNNING SEASON

The NHL wanted the Vegas Golden Knights to be competitive, but no one expected them to turn up this kind of magic on and off the Las Vegas Strip. Vegas is already the most successful first-year expansion franchise in league history and looks like a serious Stanley Cup contender as a result of shrewd moves by general manager George McPhee Authentic Chase Utley Jersey , the coaching of Gerard Gallant and career seasons out of several players. What once looked like a team playing over its head during a hot start has become a sustainable success that has made the Golden Knights one of the best in the NHL right now. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos, video by 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

THURSDAY, Feb. 8

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-JOHNSON

There was no more potent or more closely guarded symbol of white domination at the turn of the 20th Century than the title of heavyweight champion of the world. Then 32-year-old Jack Johnson stepped into the ring. By AP Sports Writer Kareem Copeland. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos and video by 3 a.m. Eastern on Thursday.

FRIDAY, Feb. 9

BBO–FOOTBALL TRAINING

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – In the shadows of Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Carlos Gonzalez Jeremiah Attaochu Jersey Elite , Martin Prado, Jordan Schafer and several other Major League Baseball stars train alongside football players – using similar methods. Under the guidance of a former NFL strength and conditioning coach, baseball players do football cutting drills and lifting to prepare for spring training and the season. By Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, video by 5 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 9.

BKC–THE LOW-MAJORS-SLIM MARGIN

SACRAMENTO, California- Sacramento State appeared to have the type of team that could break the school’s NCAA Tournament drought in 2015-16. When senior point guard Cody Demps went down with an injury, those hopes disappeared in a hurry. Unlike the bigger schools in Division I college basketball that just bring another talented player off the bench Lamar Jackson Jersey Elite , small programs like Sac State have a razor thin margin for error. By Basketball Writer John Marshall. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos by 12 p.m. Friday.

MONDAY, Feb. 12

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-ALI

Muhammad Ali knew he didn’t have much time left. His career was at stake but more importantly, so was his freedom as he awaited the day he would formally refuse to be inducted in the armed forces of the United States. Ali embarked on a grand tour from a soccer stadium in England to the Astrodome in Houston to make some money before his fighting days came to an end. He would need it, because his refusal to be drafted ended up costing the heavyweight champion three years during what would have been the prime of his career. By Tim Dahlberg. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, video and interactive timeline.

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Again Adidas Nathan MacKinnon Jersey , if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

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AP Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Claude Giroux didn’t like the way he was playing Brian O'Neill Super Bowl LI Jersey , so the Philadelphia captain called himself out. And he responded in a big way.

Two days after saying he needed to ”step up and bring more for the team,” Giroux had a goal and two assists to help the Flyers to a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

”When it’s not going your way, you have to challenge yourself,” Giroux said.

Giroux had been pointless in two of his previous three contests. Philadelphia survived his turnover in overtime Tuesday night in a 2-1 victory over Carolina when Brian Elliott made a spectacular stick save. That came one game after another Giroux turnover cost the Flyers a goal in a 4-3 shootout home loss to Ottawa.

Giroux bounced back with his fifth three-point game of the season.

”He’s pretty hard on himself Jonathan Allen Super Bowl LI Jersey , maybe overly so, but he felt like he could play better and he did that,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. ”He expects a lot of his teammates, but he puts himself at the head of the line.”

Travis Konecny scored twice Wholesale Akeem Spence Jersey , Jakub Voracek and Ivan Provorov also scored, and Shayne Gostisbehere had three assists. The Flyers kept their hold on a playoff spot in a crowded race in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia entered in seventh place, but just one point ahead of Columbus and the New York Islanders, and only four in front of 10th-placed Carolina.

Brian Elliott made 25 saves in his second game back from a lower body injury after missing four games.

”Keep packing on two points and we’ll put ourselves in a good spot Adidas Brent Burns Jersey ,” Elliott said.

Logan Shaw, Artturi Lehkonen and Brendan Gallagher scored for Montreal.

The game ended a historic day in Philadelphia that featured the victory parade for the Eagles’ first Super Bowl championship. The Flyers congratulated the Eagles on the video board and played highlights from the parade to the delight of the crowd, which unleashed a loud ”E-A-G-L-E-S! E-A-G-L-E-S!” chant.

Hakstol watched some of the parade festivities on television.

”It’s hard not to be excited,” he said. ”It’s pretty inspirational for the entire city. What an awesome sight. Their organization did such a good job from top to bottom the entire year. That’s their just rewards.”

The parade also altered both teams’ normal routines. The Flyers held their morning skate at their practice facility in Voorhees Wholesale Kalen Ballage Jersey , New Jersey rather than on their home ice in Philadelphia. They also had players who live in Philadelphia stay at a hotel in South Jersey on Wednesday night to ensure they could make the morning skate.

The Canadiens switched hotels from their normal spot in downtown Philadelphia to a place near the airport to avoid the crowds while also canceling their morning skate.

Montreal could’ve used the extra work to practice its penalty kill.

”Those penalties hurt,” Montreal coach Claude Julien said. ”Their power play was going good and our penalty kill wasn’t good enough.”

Voracek broke a 2-all tie and made amends for an earlier turnover that led to a Canadiens goal 27 seconds into the third period when he roofed a wrist shot over Carey Price’s left shoulder for Philadelphia’s second power play goal of the contest.

Konecny made it a two-goal advantage 1:01 later when he pounced on a rebound after Gostisbehere’s shot from the point trickled out of the grasp of Price. It was his 13th tally of the season and seventh in the last 10 contests.

Gallagher’s power play goal with 2:54 left brought Montreal within a goal.

Provorov iced the win with an empty-netter with 55.9 seconds remaining.

The teams each scored a pair of goals in the second period.

Konecny opened the scoring by finishing a great passing play 42 seconds into the period.

Lehkonen stripped Voracek near center ice and whizzed a shot past Brian Elliott’s glove side with 10:51 left in the second. It was the ninth short-handed goal the Flyers have allowed this season.

Philadelphia answered 28 seconds later on the power play when Giroux’s wrist shot got through traffic and past Price.

Shaw sent the teams into the final period tied at 2 when his wrister went off Elliott and in with 1:11 left.

The Flyers lost all four contests without their top goalie, who got an assist on Provorov’s tally.

Notes: Montreal D Shea Weber and C Phillip Danault did not make the trip to Philadelphia but skated prior to Wednesday’s practice. Weber (foot) has been out since Dec. 16 and Danault (concussion) has been sidelined since Jan. 13. … The teams play the second of three contests Feb. 20 in Philadelphia before finishing the season series Feb. 26 at Montreal. … Philadelphia’s power play had been 4-for-30 over the 10 previous games before scoring twice against Montreal.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Host Nashville on Saturday night.

Flyers: Play at Arizona on Saturday night.

TAMPA Authentic Ernie Banks Jersey , Fla. — The top players in the NHL descend upon the Sunshine State for the All-Star Game on Sunday afternoon at Amalie Arena.

While the All-Star Game is a highlight event on the hockey calendar as a chance to show off the top players in the game, it’s not the showcase many hoped to see the top players in the world compete in this year.

For the first time since 1994, the NHL will not temporarily shut down the season in order to allow the players to take part in the Winter Olympics. For the past five Winter Games, the best players in the world competed for their respective countries, but when the 2018 Games open Feb. 8 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the NHL will be gearing up for the playoff stretch.

The only reason there is an All-Star game this season is because the league opted not to allow players to go play for their countries.

“You kind of shut that off when you know you aren’t going to you don’t really think about it. But it’s a missed opportunity to expand our game,” Winnipeg forward Blake Wheeler said. “Lot of casual viewers that maybe aren’t hockey fans Jaleel Scott Super Bowl LI Jersey , they’ll watch USA-Canada and they cheer and that’s an opportunity for us to expand the game, make more fans where maybe we didn’t have the opportunity to do otherwise.

“That’s kind of the bummer about it, you see some of those moments on prime-time TV, we don’t get that as much in hockey as maybe we should sometimes.”

The number of issues surrounding the league’s decision not to disrupt their season this time around are longer than Santa’s naughty list and just as complicated to sort out. But for the players, all that weighs on their mind is the absence of the best-on-best tournament that has produced some memorable moments, including Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in 2010 and T.J. Oshie’s shootout performance to help defeat Russia in 2014.

“It’s always disappointing for players not to be in the Olympics,” said Calgary goaltender Mike Smith, who was the No. 3 goaltender for Team Canada in 2014. “I think it’s something that every kid dreams growing up. You dream of playing in the Olympics and playing for the Stanley Cup. To not have NHL players there Clive Walford Jersey Elite , I think is disappointing for a lot of guys.

“I had that experience in 2014 — I didn’t play much — but I had the Olympic experience which I think is something that I’ll never forget. For players who would have had that chance this year and they don’t have it now is probably frustrating and disappointing all at the same time.”

–TAMPA FLAVOR: The NHL All-Star weekend coincided with Tampa’s annual Gasparilla Festival, a tradition since 1904 that features an invasion of pirates who “take over the city” each year and parade down Bayshore Boulevard.

While Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson joined in the spirit, wearing a pirate hat during warmups for Saturday’s skills competition, it wasn’t the only flavor of the city on display during the weekend.

The Atlantic Division features four players from the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on the roster, most of any team, playing in front of their home fans — captain Steven Stamkos, forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point (who was a replacement for injured defenseman Victor Hedman) along with goaltender Andrei Vaskielvskiy and coach Jon Cooper.

“It wasn’t even a charity case to throw more Tampa Bay guys on, we probably could have had more Christian Kirk Super Bowl LI Jersey , it’s been that much fun and successful on the season so far,” said Stamkos, who is participating in his fifth career All-Star game. “So to be able to share that with teammates is pretty special.”

–BOYLE RETURNS: Former Tampa Bay forward Brian Boyle was a late replacement for New Jersey teammate Taylor Hall, returning to the town and arena he called home for the three previous seasons.

It’s a special return for Boyle, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia before the start of the season but has returned to the ice and is enjoying a strong season with 11 goals through 38 games. Boyle received a loud ovation as he was shown on the video board, acknowledging the fans with a wave.

“I have a lot of time for Brian Boyle,” Cooper said. “He’ll be as popular here as Stammer, (Kucherov) Authentic Alex Rodriguez Jersey , (Vasilievskiy).”

Boyle was thrilled to get the call to come to Tampa this weekend.

“I’m very thankful to be here,” Boyle said. “This is a tremendous honor. I don’t really care how I got here, this is just a phenomenal event. And the amount of prayers and support I’ve got, the support from my family. My wife has been a rock star. I’m not playing regular games and I’m not here without her support.

“It really is a pinch-me moment. I can’t believe this is my life. I’m very thankful and I’ve never taken it for granted to play in this league and to be here and see all these superstars and how humble and supportive they have been for me.”

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Jacksonville Jaguars heard the chatter Authentic Armani Watts Jersey , read the tweets and Instagram posts. And they got a little confused.

Why were the Pittsburgh Steelers talking about the New England Patriots? Didn’t they have to face the Jaguars first before reaching a rematch with the Super Bowl champions?

”I don’t know if they misread the schedule or didn’t play us this week, but they didn’t acknowledge us at all,” Jacksonville linebacker Myles Jack said. ”And we didn’t take that too kindly.”

Not at all. That shouldn’t be a problem going forward.

The Jaguars, yes the Jaguars, have the NFL’s full attention now. A trip to Foxborough on the horizon, too.

Dominant at the start and resilient at the finish, Jacksonville stunned the Steelers 45-42 on Sunday to advance to the AFC title game for the third time in franchise history and maybe, finally Wholesale Russell Bodine Jersey , earn a bit of respect.

Leonard Fournette ran for 109 yards and three scores . Embattled quarterback Blake Bortles added 214 yards passing and a pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown as the third-seeded Jaguars (12-6) beat the second-seeded Steelers (13-4) at Heinz Field for the second time in three months.

The victory in October served notice Jacksonville was ready to put a decade of losing firmly behind. This one sent an even bigger message: overlook the Jaguars at your own peril, something Pittsburgh appeared to do in the run-up. Coach Mike Tomlin hinted at facing the Patriots twice back in December. Running back Le’Veon Bell posted on Twitter about the pair of “round 2s” the Steelers will face in coming weeks.

Turns out, one rematch is all the Steelers will get.

”We knew we had this team’s number,” Jacksonville safety Barry Church said. ”All we did was feed on the fuel that everybody was providing, the media, everybody was talking about how they’re going to run through us, it’s not going to be like last (time). Blake Bortles this. Blake Bortles that. all he did was dominate their defense.”

A week removed from an ugly performance in a wild-card round win over Buffalo in which he passed for 87 yards and struggled with the easiest of throws, Bortles went 14 of 26 for a touchdown without an interception. He ran for 35 more and wasn’t sacked by a defense that led the NFL and set a franchise record with 55 during the season. Jacksonville’s 45 points tied the most ever allowed by the Steelers in the playoffs.

Not bad for an offense that at times simply appeared along for the ride as the NFL’s top defense carried the load.

”Blake Bortles has always been criticized Authentic Mike Gesicki Jersey ,” Fournette said. ”It is different now. He has guys that have his back, especially me.”

Certainly looked it as Fournette scored two first-quarter touchdowns. The Jaguars built a 21-point lead and responded whenever the Steelers rallied to get within one score.

”The guys played with confidence all day long,” Bortles said. ”Obviously, what they have on their side of the ball, it’s a good team. We know they got a good offense. We knew we were going to have to be efficient, hold on to the ball for a little bit, so we did it.”

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 469 yards and set a franchise record with five touchdown passes, but was also intercepted once and had a fumble returned for a score. All-Pro Antonio Brown caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in his return from a left calf injury. Bell had 155 yards of total offense and two scores.

But Pittsburgh’s vaunted ”Killer Bs” couldn’t keep pace with Jacksonville Luke Falk Super Bowl LI Jersey , one of four NFL franchises to never make the Super Bowl.

”It’s disheartening,” Brown said. ”I thought we had the right group of guys.”

The Jaguars dominated the Steelers on Oct. 8, winning by three touchdowns in a performance so overwhelming Roethlisberger only half-jokingly wondered aloud whether he still had ”it’ after throwing a career-high five picks.

Roethlisberger and his teammates left little doubt they hoped for a rematch, though Jacksonville cornerback A.J. Bouye cautioned Pittsburgh to be careful what it wished for. The Jaguars hardly appeared intimidated by the 18-degree chill or trying to earn their first road playoff win in a decade.

”I’m sure there will still be tons of people that are going to disapprove and talk negative or hate or do whatever they want,” Bortles said. ”But we get to keep playing and we get an opportunity to play in Foxborough next week for another week. Just honored to be able to do this especially with this group of guys.”

”It’s been an awesome year. Just want to keep it going.”

FOURTH AND WOE

Pittsburgh rolled up 545 yards of offense, but it’s 2 yards the Steelers didn’t get that helped send them into an offseason filled with questions.

Twice Pittsburgh had fourth-and-1 in Jacksonville territory. Twice the Steelers did something other than have the 6-foot-5 Roethlisberger sneak. Pittsburgh ran wide in the first quarter and Bell was stuffed for a 4-yard loss. The Jaguars responded immediately by going 75 yards in 11 plays, the final one a 4-yard sprint by T.J. Yeldon that put them up 21-0.

The Steelers were down a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and had fourth-and-inches at the Jacksonville 39. Roethlisberger checked at the line of scrimmage, faked a handoff to Bell and instead threw incomplete to diving rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster .

”It’s been a while since I’ve run a quarterback sneak Brian O'Neill Jersey Elite , I’m for it,” said Roethlisberger, . Authentic Womens Dorian O'Daniel Jersey , Womens Mike Hughes Jersey , Authentic Womens Taven Bryan Jersey , Adidas Dustin Brown Jersey ,

NASHVILLE Authentic Carlton Davis Jersey , Tenn. (AP) Vontaze Burfict pleaded his case to Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis. Then the linebacker who has been among the NFL’s most suspended and penalized players finally headed to the locker room.

Burfict talked with some fans, raised both arms over his head and even jumped to high-five a fan at the tunnel.

Another week, another Cincinnati player ejected. This time in a game where the Bengals scratched three defensive starters before kickoff with Burfict’s ejection for pushing an official’s arm making it four. Add two turnovers and 12 penalties for 84 yards, the Bengals lost 24-20 to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in a loss they can blame on a lack of discipline.

”Not getting a `W’ really hurts,” Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green said. ”We’ve got to continue to get better. You can’t have these penalties. You can’t turn the ball over. I know I sound like a broken record Wholesale Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey , but you can’t win like that.”

Lewis said curtly that the Bengals can’t have those penalties when asked about his frustration at the penalties and having a player ejected for a second straight game.

”We didn’t do a good enough job of getting separation from them and we’re getting calls and they’re draped on us, so just look at it,” Lewis said. ”We’ve got to do better. We knew how they were going to play.”

Burfict’s ejection hurt an already depleted defense. The Bengals (3-6) deactivated tackle Pat Sims, linebacker Kevin Minter and safety Shawn Williams. Burfict slid over and started in Minter’s spot. The Bengals lost cornerback Adam Jones midway through the third quarter to a concussion.

Green was the Cincinnati player ejected last week in a loss at Jacksonville after he grabbed Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey around the neck and threw punches. The NFL fined Green $42,541 for that incident Kerryon Johnson Super Bowl LI Jersey , and Green said that was probably one of the worst times of his life.

”It’s tough on him (Burfict) being one of our best players and getting thrown out of a game is not a great feeling,” Green said. ”You hurt your team. I did it last week, and I regret it. I’m embarrassed with what I did last week, but you can’t lose your cool. … He’s going to be fine and he’ll be back next week.”

The difference between Green and Burfict is when the linebacker pushed judge Jeff Bergman’s left arm on the sideline Sunday that this wasn’t the first time Burfict has gotten into trouble .

The Bengals linebacker has been among NFL’s most suspended and most frequently fined players. He started this season with a three-game suspension for a hit during the preseason. He also had a history of personal fouls at Arizona State that factored into every NFL team passing on him in the 2012 draft.

Lewis, who is in the final year of his current contract Authentic Aaron Judge Jersey , said Burfict has to understand that he can’t just push back.

”Sometimes what happens is you push back and you touch an official,” Lewis said. ”You can’t do that. He knows better and we pay a price. We pay a price because it hurts us when it’s on the field that way and then he’s not on the field.”

Burfict did not talk to reporters after the game.

The Bengals wound up being outgained 416-308, and a defense that had been the NFL’s stingiest against touchdowns inside its own 20 gave up three touchdowns to Tennessee (6-3) on three trips.

Cincinnati has lost three of four with a trip next to Denver.

Bengals linebacker Carl Lawson called it frustrating and that they need to control the little things. He’s not sure how to fix those issues.

”We’ve obviously got the talent, but talent doesn’t win games,” Lawson said.

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Nick Foles has too much respect for Carson Wentz to call himself the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles.

His temporary gig could turn the backup into a Philly legend.

If Foles leads the Eagles (12-2) to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title Authentic Dorian O'Daniel Jersey , he’ll become a folk hero who’ll go back to the sideline once Wentz returns from a torn ACL next season.

”This is Carson’s team,” Foles said. ”I love that guy. I work with him every day and I’m going to give him that respect because he is the franchise quarterback. My job right now as the starting quarterback is to lead these guys on the field, and I’m going to do that. I’ve been here, I’ve done that. I know what it entails, I know the responsibility. But this is Carson Wentz’s team Authentic Jhoulys Chacin Jersey , and I respect him too much to make that statement. It doesn’t change my mentality. My mentality is when I step on that field, let’s roll. I don’t need to be named the starting quarterback.”

With Foles under center, the offense kept rolling in a 34-29 win at the New York Giants. He tossed four touchdown passes to four different receivers and didn’t commit any turnovers in his first start since last year with Kansas City.

”It’s a tough situation replacing arguably the MVP of the NFL,” center Jason Kelce said. ”He has big shoes to fill. He did a great job. He executed the offense, was calm Authentic Kevin Gausman Jersey , cool, collected.”

Protecting the ball is a priority for Foles, who threw 29 TD passes – two in the playoffs – and only two interceptions in 2013 when he led the Eagles to an NFC East title and was named offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl.

”Nick is OK throwing the ball away,” coach Doug Pederson said. ”Under duress, he’s going to throw it out of bounds Authentic J. D. Martinez Jersey , or skip it somewhere, and live to play another down. That’s kind of built into him. He does a nice job that way.”

Pederson and offensive coordinator Frank Reich insisted after Wentz went down that the offense wouldn’t change with Foles at quarterback. One game in, they weren’t kidding.

”It’s part of our DNA and part of who we are,” Reich said. ”We’re aggressive. We think a lot about who we are and what we want to be. We want to take shots. We want to be aggressive in our playcalling. To show that we could lose our `star player’ and franchise quarterback, and for Nick to step in and do the job he did http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/da_shawn-hand-jersey , was a good sign for everybody. I don’t care how great you are. The team thing can never be lost from this thing. I think that’s what we’ve been talking about all year is how special the chemistry is.”

Wentz is back at the practice facility rehabbing his left knee following surgery. He’s popped into quarterback meetings and is willing to help Foles any way he can. Foles welcomes the support.

”He’s the leader of this team, he’s the quarterback of this franchise, he’s a huge presence and he’s a huge reason we’re in this position,” Foles said.

The Eagles can secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a win over Oakland (6-8) on Monday night or if Minnesota (11-3) loses at Green Bay (7-7) on Saturday night.

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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi