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AUSTIN Adidas Brandon Manning Jersey , Texas (AP) NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly says participation in the 2022 Olympics in China is possible but not essential to the league’s efforts to grow the sport in the world’s largest country.The NHL was criticized by the International Olympic Committee and fans for not allowing NHL players to compete in the recent Olympics in South Korea.After letting them play in the previous five Olympics, the NHL said it didn’t want to disrupt the midseason schedule or risk players to serious injury this year.The China games, however, could be different as the NHL eyes an untapped market of 1.4 billion people.”I’m not making any news today, I will say certainly it’s a possibility,” Daly said while speaking at the annual SXSW Interactive conference on a panel about the NHL’s efforts to grow hockey in China. ”We have (a couple) of years to kind of make that decision … I don’t think it’s a critical element to our being able to grow the sport in China … I don’t think it’s an essential.”Daily said the NHL owners thought long and hard before deciding not to allow NHL players to compete in the Olympics in South Korea.”In South Korea, we felt ultimately there were a lot more negatives than positives than going,” Daley said. ”I expect we’ll go through the exact same process (before 2022) … There may be more positives to participating in Beijing.”The NHL clearly has a business eye on China.The league and teams have held regular youth and coaching clinics in Shanghai, Beijing and other Chinese cities. Last September, the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks played the league’s first exhibition game in China. The NHL also has an agreement with Bloomage International Group, a Chinese-based company with a focus on developing sports in the country.”There’s a lot of potential NHL fans there, a lot of potential NHL players there,” Daly said.There’s also competition. The Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League, has already established a professional team in China, the Kunlun Red Star Adidas Cam Ward Jersey , before the 2016-2017 season.”Right now China is one of, if not the, hottest markets in the world. Everyone wants to get in there,” said David Proper, executive vice president of media and international strategy for the NHL.Yet hockey still barely registers in China. According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, China has less than 12,000 registered junior players and less than 500 rinks around the country.”China is a hip market, but there is zero infrastructure,” said Jessica Guo, deputy general manager for Bloomage.As host for the next Winter Games, the Chinese government is making a push to increase participation in all winter sports. The NHL has approached the government about introducing hockey-based games into middle school physical education programs, Proper said.The NHL’s goal in China is to ”build a permanent presence, building a hockey infrastructure, a hockey culture,” Daly said. ”That’s not just rinks. It’s equipment and coaching. Unlike other countries we’ve played games in Adidas Matt Calvert Jersey , this is a new market for hockey. We realize our obligation is to build the base.” NEW YORK — The season opener Thursday night marked the official start of a new era for the New York Islanders. But Saturday night will truly reinforce the uncertainty upon which the Islanders have embarked.The overhauled Islanders will begin their vagabond home existence Saturday night, when New York hosts the Nashville Predators at Barclays Center.Both teams earned wins in their openers Thursday night, when the visiting Islanders edged the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime, while the Predators beat the host New York Rangers 3-2.Article continues below ...Saturday’s game is the first of two home openers this season for the Islanders, who are scheduled to play 21 games at Barclays Center and 20 contests at a renovated Nassau Coliseum, where the franchise played from its inception in 1972 until 2015. The first game at the Coliseum is scheduled for Dec. 1, when the Columbus Blue Jackets visit.The split schedule — which originally called for the Islanders to play 29 games at Barclays and 12 at Nassau Coliseum — was announced Jan. 29, a little more than a month after the Islanders announced their intentions to leave Barclays by winning a bid to build a new arena at Belmont Park on the border of Nassau and Queens counties.The move thrilled Islanders fans, who loved the confines of the Coliseum and never warmed to the sight-lines of Barclays nor the commute into Brooklyn. “I’m absolutely thrilled that we’re going back to the Coliseum,” new Islanders head coach Barry Trotz told a television station in September. “That’s where it should be. I think that’s where the fans want it.”But the commitment to Belmont turned the Islanders into lame ducks at two arenas, both of which are operated by the same company (Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment), for an indeterminate period of time.An environmental study of the Belmont area is scheduled to be completed by the spring, after which Islanders ownership hopes to break ground with the goal of opening the arena by the start of the 2021-22 season. But the Islanders have been trying to build a new arena for decades, so when the team will actually begin play at Belmont is anyone’s guess.It is also anyone’s guess as to which player will be leading that team into Belmont after star center John Tavares left for the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in July. Tavares exited despite the recent arrivals of Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello, who was named the Islanders’ president of hockey operations May 22 Adidas Conor Timmins Jersey , and Trotz, who was named head coach on June 21.With Lamoriello and Trotz in charge, the Islanders are sure to be more defensively sound than last season, when they allowed an NHL-high 296 goals. Even after a stout effort on Thursday, Trotz made it clear he believes New York has a long way to go.“As a coach, you always want perfection,” Trotz told reporters. “We didn’t have perfection tonight.”Neither did the Predators, the Stanley Cup contenders who were hanging on to a 2-1 lead over the rebuilding Rangers before Colton Sissons scored an empty-netter with 1:24 remaining. “I thought we did some good things,” Predators head coach Peter Laviolette said. “There are things that we could be better at.”Pekka Rinne, who made 34 saves in goal for the Predators on Thursday, is likely to draw the start on Saturday. The Islanders are expected to split goaltending duties this season between Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner, though Greiss’ 45-save effort Thursday night could earn him a second straight start.

WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on the Washington Capitals‘ Stanley Cup parade (all times local):2:30 p.m.Barry Trotz says the Capitals are going to do it again Adidas Laurent Brossoit Jersey , and T.J. Oshie led fans in a chant of ”back-to-back” at the rally celebrating the Stanley Cup champions.Captain Alex Ovechkin fired up fans who filled the National Mall down to the Washington Monument by reminding them that he said at the start of the year they weren’t going to be as bad as some thought. Then he and his teammates sang along to Queen’s ”We Are The Champions” to complete the rally.—12:50 p.m.The Capitals’ Stanley Cup parade has ended with a rally upcoming.Tens of thousands of fans lined the route along Constitution Avenue, including hundreds on the steps of the national archives creating a sea of red.The final bus with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Brooks Orpik, owner Ted Leonsis and team president Dick Patrick also featured the Stanley Cup.Fans along Constitution chanted, ”Raise the Cup!” and ”Ovi! Ovi! Ovi!”Ovechkin sat at the front of the double-decker bus, alternating between resting his arms on the trophy, raising it, and drinking out of his blue Bud Light bottle.—11 a.m.The caravan is on the move for the start of the Washington Capitals’ first Stanley Cup parade.More than 40 vehicles – buses and convertibles carrying players and staff – began moving down 23rd Street toward Constitution Avenue led by 30-plus police officers on motorcycles. The parade officially begins at 17th and Constitution and ends at 7th and the National Mall.Conn Smythe Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin and owner Ted Leonsis have the Stanley Cup at the tail end of the parade.—10 a.m.Capitals players, staff members and their families are on their way to the start of the parade route after taking a team photo at Capital One Arena. Fans lined the exit to the arena chanting and cheering as players boarded several buses to get to Constitution Avenue.A police escort cleared the way for the buses to get through D.C. traffic as throngs of people waited along the route and at the National Mall, where a rally will cap the celebration.—6 a.m.The Stanley Cup-champion Capitals will celebrate the city’s first major four pro sports championship in 26 years with a parade down Constitution Avenue.It’s the first sports parade in Washington since the NFL’s Redskins in 1992. Alex Ovechkin Zach Bogosian Jersey Womens , Nicklas Backstrom and his teammates will travel from 17th to 7th on Constitution to a rally on the National Mall by the afternoon.They’ll be joined by four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the D.C. Air National Guard who will perform a flyover about 25 minutes in. Season-ticket holders who have remained from the team’s eight-win inaugural season in 1974-75, high school marching bands and the D.C. fire department pipes and drums will be among those participating.—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals LAS VEGAS (AP) The Latest from Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights (all times local):8:05 p.m.The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup championship, beating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead and they hung on after Vegas pulled goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for the extra skater.It is the first championship for the Capitals, who began play in 1974.The Golden Knights wrap up a storybook year, advancing all the way to the final in their first year of existence.—7:50 p.m.Washington has moved a big step toward its first Stanley Cup.Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.Washington went into the third trailing 3-2 and went ahead after Devante Smith-Pelly and Eller scored 2:31 apart midway through the final period.The Capitals are up 3-1 in the series, a win away from their first NHL championship in franchise history.—7:45 p.m.Devante Smith-Pelly has pulled Washington into a 3-3 tie with Vegas midway through the third period in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.Brooks Orpik sent the puck toward the net, it went off Smith-Pelly’s left skate to help him corral it and he sent a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury as he fell to the ice.Smith-Pelly has seven goals this postseason, matching his total during the regular seasons. He was relegated to signing a two-way contract with the Capitals entering the season and earned a spot in the lineup 75 times during the regular season. He scored in Game 4, too John Moore Jersey Womens , also collecting the puck off a skate before his shot.Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on, Game 6 in Washington will be Sunday night.—7:25 p.m.The Vegas Golden Knights are 10-0 this postseason when leading after two periods, as they do 3-2 against Washington in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.The Capitals have lost four of the six games they’ve played this postseason when trailing after the second period.Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on, Game 6 in Washington will be Sunday night.—7:05 p.m.The Vegas Golden Knights are 20 minutes away from forcing Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final.Vegas leads Washington 3-2 going into the third period after the two teams combined for five goals in a wild second period. There were lead changes, a coach’s challenge, fights and power plays as the teams picked up the pace following a goal-less opening period.Reilly Smith gave Vegas the lead, shooting into an open net off a fantastic pass from Alex Tuch with 28.2 seconds left in the second period.The Golden Knights didn’t get to celebrate very long because there was a lot of pushing, shoving and face-washing behind the net right after the go-ahead goal.Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 18 shots through two periods and Braden Holtby made 17 saves for the Capitals.A win would give the Capitals the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The expansion Golden Knights are hoping to extend their stunning, record-breaking season.—6:50 p.m.Washington and Vegas are tied 2-2 late in a wild second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.After no goals in the opening period, the offenses got rolling and then some with four goals in a heart-pounding 6:32 stretch.Washington’s Jakub Vrana opened the flurry with a goal 6:24 into the second, rifling a shot over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury.Alex Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead 2-1 on a power play just 34 seconds after Vegas’ Nate Schmidt was credited with a goal that went off Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen’s skate.David Perron pulled Vegas into the second tie of the period. The goal stood after a coach’s challenge Chris Wagner Jersey Womens , a move Washington had to try because Braden Holtby was trying to make a save while two players were wrestling in the crease.Washington has a 3-1 series lead, one win away from the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.—6:25 p.m.Washington has taken a 1-0 lead in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Vegas.Jakub Vrana got behind the Golden Knights’ defense and took advantage of the time and space, scoring from the inside of the left circle 6:24 into the second period. He beat Marc-Andre Fleury on his glove side, sending the puck over his left elbow and into the net.The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 seasons.The Golden Knights have scored only five goals in losing the last three games and are having trouble finding much space again against the Washington defense and goaltender Braden Holtby.—6:05 p.m.NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is defending the expansion draft that loaded first-year franchise Vegas with talent.The Golden Knights were the surprise of the NHL this season, winning the Pacific Division and rolling all the way to the Stanley Cup Final against Washington. Critics have suggested the expansion draft was too generous for the new franchise, which saw strong play from veterans including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal and others.Bettman was asked about it during an NBC interview during the first intermission of Game 5 and said the league’s ”competitive balance shows anything is possible.” He noted the turnaround seasons this year by Colorado and New Jersey.Said Bettman: ”If you’re passionate about your team, you have hope for every season.”—6 p.m.The Washington Capitals are outshooting the Vegas Golden Knights so far but the teams are tied 0-0 after the first period of Game 5 in the Stanley Cup Final.It marked the third scoreless period of the series.Braden Holtby had to make just seven saves for the Capitals. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 10 shots for the Golden Knights, who face elimination.Washington leads the series 3-1, one win away from the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.—5:45 p.m.Hits are outnumbering shots so far through a scoreless first period in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.Washington and Vegas combined for just seven shots while landing a total of 19 hits in the early going. The Capitals had blocked four shots while the Golden Knights blocked a pair of pucks before a shot even got to Marc-Andre Fleury.Washington came up empty on a power play, though Alex Ovechkin rang a shot off the post.Washington is up 3-1 Alex Galchenyuk Jersey Womens , a win away from its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.—5:25 p.m.Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is under way in Las Vegas.With the Golden Knights scoring only five goals in the previous three games of the Stanley Cup Final, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant shook up his lineup.Veteran forwards Ryan Reaves and Ryan Carpenter were scratched, while William Carrier and David Perron were in uniform. Carrier hadn’t played since Game 5 of the second round against San Jose, missing 10 straight games. Perron played in the Final’s first three games before sitting out Game 4.The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 seasons.—5:15 p.m.Boys will be boys.Washington star Alex Ovechkin skated onto the Vegas side of the rink during pregame warmups, narrowly avoiding Marc-Andre Fleury as the goaltender was stretching along the boards before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.The goaltender skated across the red line and toward the Washington superstar before retreating back to his side. Later, though, Fleury got even by slashing Ovechkin’s legs as they skated past each other.Earlier in the series, the veterans acted like kids squirting water on each other’s side of the red line.The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 NHL seasons.—4:50 p.m.Hundreds of fans braved 97-degree heat and assembled again in the plaza directly outside T-Mobile Arena several hours before Vegas hosted Washington in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.As game time approached, the crowd got larger as it swelled with fans without tickets. A majority of the crowd was wearing Golden Knights garb, but the sea of people included a large portion of red-clad Washington Capitals fans occasionally chanting ”We want the Cup!”The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 NHL seasons.—4:30 p.m.The Washington Capitals are on the brink of raising the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.Alex Ovechkin and his Caps are taking the ice for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final with a 3-1 series lead after three consecutive victories over the Vegas Golden Knights.While past Washington teams have a long history of struggles in closeout games, these Caps have won all three of their potential closeout games. If they can do it again Carter Rowney Jersey Womens , the Caps will clinch the first championship in 43 NHL seasons for a franchise that began play in 1974.The Knights have never lost four consecutive games in their inaugural season. They won the Final opener, but have been outscored 12-5 since.—4:20 p.m.Willie O’Ree, the first black NHL player, says the player who wins the award named in his honor will have displayed hockey and life skills.The NHL will give the first Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award later this month in Las Vegas. O’Ree broke the league’s color barrier 60 years ago with the Boston Bruins and overcame blindness in his right eye.O’Ree spoke ahead of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, where Washington took a 3-1 lead on the road to Las Vegas.—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals

CALGARY Tyler Ennis Jersey Womens , Alberta (AP) Dougie Hamilton is closing out an impressive performance in a disappointing season for the Calgary Flames.Hamilton’s league-leading 17th goal by a defenseman helped Calgary snap a seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.”Quick release. (His shot) comes on you in a hurry,” said Flames goaltender Mike Smith, who only has to stare it down in practice. ”He changes the angle really well. He’s definitely got a good shot.”Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist and Garnet Hathaway also scored to help Calgary to its first win since a 1-0 victory over Edmonton on March 13. Michael Frolik added two assists, and Smith stopped 34 shots.Anton Slepyshev and Mike Cammalleri scored for Edmonton. Cam Talbot gave up three goals on seven shots before he was pulled 15 1/2 minutes in with the Oilers trailing 3-1. Al Montoya came on and stopped all 13 shots he faced.Edmonton grabbed the lead on Slepyshev’s sixth of the season 2:41 into the first, but the Flames responded with three goals in less than nine minutes.Hamilton got it started with a wicked 30-foot wrist shot that beat Talbot at 6:43 on the Oilers’ first shot on goal. Hamilton has 13 goals since Jan. 1, tying him with Sean Monahan for second on the team behind Matthew Tkachuk in that stretch.”It’s so heavy and his release is quick, he doesn’t need a wind-up to get the velocity on it. I thought Dougie had an excellent game,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said.Hathaway put the Flames in front at 11:54, beating Talbot on a wrist shot inside the post from nearly 60 feet out. The short-handed goal was Hathaway’s first goal in 42 games.Backlund neatly pulled the puck around Talbot and fired in his 14th goal of the season with 4:32 remaining in the first. That was it for Talbot.”It wasn’t his best night,” Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. ”If we could get one of them back, we’d take it. But he’s been tremendous. In the last six weeks Dougie Hamilton Jersey Womens , he’s been a rock for our team.”The Oilers were the much better team in the second period, outshooting Calgary 12-5 and narrowing the deficit to 3-2 on Cammalleri’s deflection with 7:19 left.”A tale of two teams. First period, not good, nothing to be proud of,” said Cammalleri, who hadn’t scored since Dec. 28. ”Second two (periods), probably more how we want to play.”In one sequence, Edmonton had three odd-man rushes within the same penalty kill, but it only got one shot out of it. On consecutive 2-on-1s, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl failed each time to get a shot on goal.Early in the third, the same duo combined again Julien Gauthier Jersey Womens , but Draisaitl rang a shot off the post.NOTES: McDavid, the NHL’s leading scorer, failed to pick up a point, snapping his six-game scoring streak (seven goals, seven assists). … Edmonton was 0 for 5 on the power play. Calgary was 0 for 3 and fell to 1 for 47 over the last 16 games. … Calgary F Johnny Gaudreau returned to the lineup after missing two games (family matter). His line centered by Nick Shore also had Edmonton-born Spencer Foo, who made his NHL debut. … With the Travis Hamonic (upper body) out, Matt Bartkowski returned to the lineup after being scratched 45 of the previous 46 games.UP NEXTOilers: At Minnesota on Monday night before closing the season with two home games.Flames: Host Arizona on Tuesday night. WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) P.K. Subban didn’t get heckled as long and as loud as he normally does from Winnipeg fans on Thursday.He and the rest of Nashville’s defenseman did enough to finally quiet the Jets on the ice, too.Pekka Rinne made 32 saves, Subban and Ryan Hartman scored and the Predators stifled Winnipeg’s high-powered offense to win 2-1 and even their second-round series through four games.Patrik Laine scored off a faceoff in the final minute, but Nashville’s Nick Bonino won two key faceoffs after that to end it.”That was an amazing team effort Matt Bartkowski Jersey Womens ,” Rinne said. ”We played a really solid game throughout.”Game 5 will be Saturday in Nashville, with Game 6 set for Winnipeg on Monday. Game 7, if necessary, would be in Nashville next Thursday.Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots, but Nashville snapped Winnipeg’s 13-game home winning streak, which dated to March 2.Rinne allowed five goals amid a series of defensive miscues in a 7-4 Game 3 defeat after Winnipeg totaled eight goals over the first two games. Rinne rebounded impressively behind a Nashville team that was much sharper in its own end.”I think last game, the details are kind of what cost us,” Subban said. ”This game, we paid attention to all of them for a full 60 (minutes).”The Predators led 1-0 after the first period and stretched their lead with 5:24 left in the second when Subban blasted a one-timer on Nashville’s first power play.Booed by the thunderous white-clad crowd every time he’s touched the puck the last two games, Subban seemed to feed off the noise. It was Subban’s third goal of the series after being held without one in the first round.”The biggest thing is we had full commitment through our lineup to play defense,” Subban said. ”In our zone when bounces didn’t go our way Rasmus Andersson Jersey Womens , we worked the puck out.”The Jets found far less space in the neutral zone, but also saw a couple of golden opportunities bounce over their sticks.Winnipeg had a couple of great chances to tie it earlier in the period. Kyle Connor missed on a pass from Bryan Little in the slot on a power play, and Mark Scheifele let the puck skip over his stick on a 2-on-1 with Blake Wheeler moments before Subban silenced the crowd with his goal.Laine scored on a 6-on-4 with 50.2 seconds left in the third – his third of the playoffs and first of the series – but the Predators held on from there to wrestle back home-ice advantage.”They had five guys behind the red line and we were a little stubborn – didn’t want to make them turn around and bring the puck out,” Wheeler said. ”They pounced on a loose puck and we chased the game.”Nikolaj Ehlers was back on the Jets’ top line alongside Scheifele and Wheeler after switching spots with Connor following Tuesday’s disastrous opening 20 minutes when Winnipeg fell behind 3-0. Connor once again skated with Laine and Paul Stastny.Nashville opened the scoring with 2:40 left in the first when Hartman scored his second of the playoffs off a scramble in front. An attempted clear by Winnipeg’s Ben Chiarot in front instead went off defense partner Tyler Myers and directly to Hartman, who beat Hellebuyck up high.The teams traded chances earlier in the period, with Hellebuyck stopping Roman Josi and Scott Hartnell on 2-on-1 breaks, while the butt end of Rinne’s stick stopped Josh Morrisey’s backhand chance along the ice at the other end.”So lucky,” Rinne said. ”I mean, I’ll take that any day. But it was so lucky. I wish I could say I did that on purpose.”Notes: The Jets inserted winger Joel Armia into the lineup after he missed the first three games of the series with an upper-body injury. Rookie forward Jack Roslovic was a healthy scratch. … Hartnell stepped in for Kevin Fiala, who scored in double overtime for Nashville in Game 2. The Predators also dressed defenseman Yannick Weber in place of Alexei Emelin.—

TORONTO (AP) Mike Babcock was at his daughter’s graduation when he received a text message from a friend about reports of a strained relationship with star center Auston Matthews.”I’ll find out in the morning Adidas Joel Armia Jersey ,” the Toronto coach replied. ”I’ll meet him. I’ll ask him in the morning.”As the Maple Leafs cleaned out their lockers Friday in the wake of a seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, Babcock and Matthews addressed speculation the coach had ”lost” his player during the series.”I said, `What’s going on?”’ Babcock told reporters of his conversation with Matthews. ”It’s interesting in Toronto, you (media) do such a good job. You’re everywhere. You’re under the bench, you’re in the crack in the door, you’re in the car, you’re in the parking lot. You’re everywhere, and any time anybody does anything there’s a big story.”I asked him flat-out, `Do we have any (issues)?’ He was sitting right there. We don’t seem to.”Matthews, who had just a goal and an assist against Boston, said talk of friction also was news to him.”I don’t know what that’s all about,” he said. ”Our relationship’s fine. Obviously Adidas Xavier Ouellet Jersey , you guys can speculate all you want, but I think it’s pointless.”Stuff happens, people speculate. I can tell you right now it’s not the case.”The 20-year-old from Arizona scored 34 goals in regular season despite missing 20 games due to injury, but admitted to being frustrated in the Bruins series following a Game 7 where Toronto blew a 4-3 lead in the third period before losing 7-4.”Auston’s a young man trying to be the best player in the world,” Babcock said. ”The hardest part in life is when you’re disappointed and you thought you maybe could have done more. I know that from me as a coach … it makes you sick, almost. He’s a good young man. We’re lucky to have him. I’m lucky to get to coach him, and we continue to grow our product here with him leading the way.” 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, 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 Adidas Tomas Tatar Jersey , at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.All times are Eastern.—THURSDAY, March 29BBO–TIME TO TANK?Rebuilding -or, to use the less euphemistic term, tanking- has become one of baseball’s most polarizing topics in 2018. When the Astros won the World Series last season, four years removed from a 111-loss debacle, they became a shining example of how short-term pain can lead to long-term gain, but as other teams try to follow Houston’s lead, they’re being met with at least a little bit of skepticism. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. UPCOMING: 1,000 word, photos.GLF–MASTERSThis Masters is as much about a red shirt as a green jacket. Tiger Woods is back at Augusta National for the first time since 2015, and he even looks so much like the Tiger Woods of old that he has been installed as a co-favorite. As much as golf has missed the excitement that Woods creates at tournaments, Woods has missed golf. ”I love playing Augusta National. There’s no other golf course like it in the world Adidas Dan Hamhuis Jersey , and there’s no other golf tournament like it. It is literally … it’s a players’ heaven.” Ten months after he was arrested on a DUI charge for taking a bad mix of prescription medicine, and six months after not even Woods was sure he would ever return to elite competition, the question has shifted from whether he could play in the Masters to whether he can win. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos by 5 p.m.—FRIDAY, March 30GLF–MASTERS-SERGIOSergio Garcia, the Masters champion, never felt any different from the Sergio Garcia who spent nearly 20 years trying to make sure his career would not be defined as the guy who never could win a major. He says he didn’t changed as a person, and he was right. All the change took place before he won the Masters. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m. Friday.GLF–MASTERS-CAPSULES. By Doug Ferguson. A capsule look at 15 contenders for the Masters. UPCOMING: 1,500 words by 5 p.m.GLF–MASTERS-FACTS & FIGURES. UPCOMING by 5 p.m.GLF–MASTERS-HOLE BY HOLE. UPCOMING by 5 p.m.GLF–MASTERS-YARDAGE-PAR. UPCOMING by 5 p.m.—SATURDAY, March 31GLF–MASTERS-CHINESE FIRIt is the only hole at Augusta National that doesn’t have a bunker. No other hole on the back nine is shorter. Rory McIlroy watched the Masters every year when he was younger and didn’t see what was so difficult about the 440-yard 14th hole until he had to try it himself. ”There’s a 3-yard square you have to hit it Adidas Eric Tangradi Jersey ,” he said. Sitting between the dynamic par 5s on the back nine, the hole called ”Chinese Fir” has played a key role over the years. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 a.m.With:GLF–MASTERS-ANNIVERSARIES. By Doug Ferguson. A capsule look at key moments over the years at the Masters. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 3 a.m.GLF–MASTERS-GOOD BEHAVIORPALM HARBOR, Fla. – Golf is getting younger, and the PGA Tour is going after its slice of the new generation to build a fan base. That has brought more energy, more volume and raucous behavior that has led to some high-profile players asking that fans be removed. Rory McIlroy suggested limiting alcohol sales. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan says it’s a good problem to have. But it won’t be a problem at the Masters, where fans know they best mind their manners. By Mark Long. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.—MONDAY, April 2HKN–ONE FOR 1,000Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin are the latest of only about 60 NHL players to reach 1,000 games with a single franchise. But that number will grow significantly in the coming years as stars and core players choose to re-sign with their current teams long term because of the collective bargaining agreement and hockey’s lean toward security over movement. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 700 words Adidas Adam Pelech Jersey , photos by 5 a.m.—FRIDAY, April 6HKN–DEEP PREDATORSNASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Predators are having their best season yet through a combination of savvy drafting, surprising trades and a handful of salary cap-friendly contract extensions. General manager David Poile’s crafty moves have the defending Western Conference champs on the verge of what could be a dominant run in the NHL. By Teresa M. Walker. UPCOMING: 725 words, photos. Video.Again, 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.Thanks,AP Sports

TORONTO (AP) Mitch Marner had a big smile on his face after his stellar performance. The only thing missing was a hat trick.”It’s always in your mind Tomas Plekanec Jersey Womens ,” he said. ”You know, it’s always a pass mentality in my head.”Marner had two goals and three assists, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Saturday night.Patrick Marleau added a goal and two assists as the Maple Leafs (33-19-5) won for the seventh time in eight games. Auston Matthews, James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 22 saves.Craig Anderson was pulled by Ottawa in the first period after allowing three goals on 10 shots. Johnny Oduya, Derick Brassard and Ryan Dzingel scored for the Senators (19-26-9), and Mike Condon made 28 saves.Marner became the first player to record five points in a game for Toronto since Tomas Kaberle on Oct. 26, 2009. The 20-year-old forward got off to a slow start in his second NHL season, but he has picked up his play since he was placed on a line with Kadri and Marleau last month.On Saturday, the trio combined for 10 points.Marner has ”been working hard in practice, and now it’s starting to show in the game,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. ”He was (playing like that) the full 60 minutes. I don’t how many pucks he stole. I think a ton of them.”Marner got the Maple Leafs off to a fast start when he picked up a loose puck in the slot and sent a wrist shot past Anderson at 1:55.After Matthews picked up his 26th goal Tomas Tatar Jersey Womens , Marner scored again at 11:30. Marner’s 12th of the season made it 3-0 and chased Anderson.”We had to find a way to slow him down, check him better,” Brassard said. ”It felt like he had an answer for everything, he was on the puck, he made plays. He was the difference tonight.”Oduya fired a snap shot from the circle past Andersen’s glove to cut Toronto’s lead to 3-1 at 8:32 of the second period.But the Maple Leafs regained their three-goal advantage when Marner’s centering pass hit both Codi Ceci and van Riemsdyk before bouncing past Condon. The power-play goal gave Toronto a 4-1 lead at 13:51. Morgan Rielly collected a career-high 28th assist on the play.Goals by Brassard and Dzingel helped Ottawa get within two in the final period before Marleau scored into an empty net at 18:38.NOTES: Mark Stone had two assists in his return to Ottawa’s lineup after missing nine games due to a leg injury.UP NEXTSenators: Visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.Maple Leafs: Host Tampa Bay on Monday night. GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) With a win in the regular season finale, the Anaheim Ducks secured home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs and finally know who they’ll face: the Pacific Division-rival San Jose Sharks.Rickard Rakell had a goal and assist, and Ryan Miller made 31 saves to lead the surging Ducks to a 3-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes Saturday night, helping Anaheim clinch second place in the division.Rakell scored for the 12th time in his last 19 games. He led the Ducks with a career-high 34 goals and 69 points this season.”We know they have a good power play and they’re strong around the boards,” Rakell said of the Sharks. ”They have four good lines working really hard, so we’re going to have to match that.”Miller earned his fourth shutout of the season and 43rd of his career. It was also his 370th career win, moving him past Tom Barrasso for second place on the all-time list among U.S.-born goalies.”Definitely somebody I looked up to Tom Kuhnhackl Jersey Womens ,” Miller said of Barrasso. ”Just happy to still be playing meaningful hockey and getting some wins.”Adam Henrique scored his 24th of the season for Anaheim and added an assist, and Hampus Lindholm scored an empty-netter before the final buzzer.The Ducks (44-25-13) won their fifth straight to finish 10-1-1 over the final 12 games.The Coyotes (29-41-12) finished last in the Pacific, but went 17-9-3 in their last 29 games in a season they started 1-12-1.”I thought we got better from October, so there’s some good positive things,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. ”We just ran out of gas tonight. For the most part, the last 25, 30 games, we beat some good hockey teams and I thought some of the young guys really progressed, which is nice.”The two teams combined for 26 penalty minutes.Arizona goalie Antti Raanta appeared in his first game since signing a three-year, $12.75 million contract on Friday that will keep him from free agency. He stopped 24 shots.”Anaheim, they played a strong game,” Raanta said. ”Everyone left everything on the ice but sometimes puck luck isn’t on your side.”An altercation between Coyotes defenseman Luke Schenn and Ducks forward Nick Ritchie in the first period resulted in minor penalties for both. That was followed by another confrontation involving Arizona’s Brad Richardson and Anaheim’s Derek Grant Anthony Beauvillier Jersey Womens , with Richardson sent to the penalty box for two minutes.The power play for the Ducks helped when Henrique muscled in a backhand for a goal at 10:54 of the period, giving Anaheim a 1-0 lead. Rakell got an assist, his 35th.Richardson and Anaheim’s Corey Perry served five minutes for fighting early in the second period. The Ducks missed a chance to add to their lead when Jakob Silfverberg hit the post with a shot at 13:07 of the second.Rakell scored off a pass from Ryan Getzlaf with 3:43 left in the second. Getzlaf picked up his team-leading 50th assist of the season.Perry earned his 400th assist on Henrique’s goal.Anaheim logged its fifth consecutive 100-point season as a team.”We had a plan. We tried to execute the plan. I’m not standing here saying it was perfect by any means, we had a lot of speed bumps on the way,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. ”We’ve got our group together here over the last six weeks and we’ve played good enough to gain points.”NOTES: The Coyotes brought up D Joel Hanley on emergency recall from Tucson, their AHL affiliate, in time for Saturday’s game. … C Clayton Keller, a rookie and the team’s leading scorer this season, was voted Coyotes Most Valuable Player for the season as voted on by local media. … Ducks C Antoine Vermette and F Troy Terry played Saturday, Vermette’s first game since March 23 and Terry’s second of the season. F Jason Chimera and F J.T. Brown were scratched. … A moment of silence was held in remembrance of lives lost in the fatal bus crash involving a junior hockey team in Canada Friday night.UP NEXTDucks: Western Conference playoffs vs. San JoseCoyotes: Offseason.

DENVER (AP) Gabriel Landeskog sat at his locker stall Adidas Dennis Cholowski Jersey , his skates still laced and most of his gear still on.The only thing missing was his jersey, which was given to a lucky fan.Quick, get the captain a new one – the Colorado Avalanche are going to need it where they’re going.Nathan MacKinnon scored his first goal in 10 games, Jonathan Bernier stopped 32 shots and the Avalanche earned the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.Defensemen Samuel Girard and Tyson Barrie scored, while Landeskog and Matt Nieto added empty-netters for the Avalanche, who won the West’s second wild card and head to the postseason for the first time since 2013-14. They will face top-seeded Nashville in the opening round a season after recording a league-low 48 points.”It’s an unbelievable accomplishment,” MacKinnon said. ”It’s got to be one of the best accomplishments in modern sports history.”Landeskog already has a start on his playoff beard.Game No. 82 for these two boiled down to a winner-take-all scenario. Although, there was one caveat – the Avalanche couldn’t allow the game to go to overtime since the Blues held the tiebreaker. St. Louis pulled out all the stops late in the third: Taking out goalie Jake Allen with around 4:35 remaining. Landeskog and Nieto sealed the win with empty-net tallies that sent the raucous crowd into full celebration mode.”Credit to Colorado they’ve improved immensely over the last couple of years,” Allen said. ”They played well again tonight.”Colorado finished with 95 points to become first NHL team to post a 40-point gain over an 82-game season since the Pittsburgh Penguins jumped 47 from 2005-06 (58) to 2006-07 (105).Next up, rest. That’s Landeskog’s plan anyway – lay on the couch with his dog and watch the Masters on Sunday. Then Adidas Wade Megan Jersey , get ready for Nashville.”If we play the way we played tonight, we have a good chance,” Bernier said.Jaden Schwartz had a power-play goal and Brayden Schenn scored with 38.4 seconds remaining for the Blues, who saw their playoff appearance streak halted at six straight seasons.The Blues arrived in town late following a 4-1 win in Chicago on Friday night. They sent Allen to the Mile High City early so he would be better rested for the big game. Allen made one diving save after another to keep things close. He even played through a tweaked hamstring he suffered in the game.”Any other game I probably would have went out but this a game we needed to win,” Allen said.St. Louis was dealt a blow midway through the first period when leading goal-scorer Vladimir Tarasenko left with an upper-body injury. He didn’t return.”He was very disappointed,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said.Leading 2-1 late in the third, MacKinnon beat Allen with a shot over the goaltender’s shoulder. MacKinnon had been held without a goal since March 18 when he had two against Detroit. He finished with 97 points – the most by an Avalanche player since Joe Sakic had 100 in 2006-07.Barrie gave Colorado a 2-0 lead in the second on a goal from the blue line that led to a challenge by St. Louis, which felt the puck left the zone. The officials took a long look before ruling it a good goal and determined ”there were no definitive replays which showed that the puck left the attacking zone,” according to NHL situation room.”I’m not going to blame the season on a bad call,” Yeo said.Girard scored his first goal since Feb. 22 on a slap shot through traffic with 46 seconds left in the first period to give the Avs a 1-0 advantage. He was acquired by Colorado from Nashville in the three-team deal that sent Matt Duchene to Ottawa in November.The last time two teams met in their final game of the season while contending for the last available playoff spot in the conference was 2010. In that contest Adidas Evgeny Svechnikov Jersey , Philadelphia beat the New York Rangers in a shootout.”What a night,” Landeskog said.NOTES: Blues D Alex Pietrangelo played in his 617th career NHL game. He surpassed Bob Plager for second on the team’s all-time list for defensemen. … Colorado was without D Erik Johnson and G Semyon Varlamov, who are both sidelined by knee injuries. Varlamov won’t have a chance to play in the first round, coach Jared Bednar said. … Colorado had 28 home wins, matching a franchise record for wins that was set in 2000-01, when the team hoisted the Stanley Cup.UP NEXTBlues: Offseason.Avalanche: Face Nashville in the first round of the playoffs. The Avs were 0-3-1 against the Predators this season.— ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Something seems to click for Brad Marchand in overtime.The Bruins forward entered Sunday night’s game with four overtime goals this season. He added to that total to lift his team yet again.Marchand scored 28 seconds into overtime for his league-leading fifth overtime goal and a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.”Overtime specifically, especially this month, he’s sure come through for us,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. ”But he’s an elite player so we expect him to get his looks every night because he’s hard on the puck and a heck of a competitor Adidas Jonathan Bernier Jersey , so it doesn’t surprise me.”Tuukka Rask made 24 saves and David Pastrnak also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 47-17-10.Marchand’s winner came after a pass off the boards by Torey Krug gave Marchand a shot at the net from the left faceoff circle. Wild defenseman Matt Dumba got turned around on the play and couldn’t catch up with Marchand.”You need a lot of things to go right but sometimes you benefit from plays, sometimes you don’t,” Marchand said. ”I think this year I’ve been playing with a lot of guys who are making good plays and I’m benefiting from that.”Marchand got his second goal in two games and his third in a four-game span. His 33rd of the season was his eighth game-winner, tying a career high. Marchand also assisted on the Bruins’ first goal.Boston appeared to score first when Noel Acciari found the back of the net early in the second period. However, the goal was waved off after officials reviewed it and ruled that Boston’s Riley Nash ran into goalie Alex Stalock.Just over a minute later, the Bruins beat Stalock on one that counted. Pastrnak notched his 30th of the season – and second in two games – when his one-timer on a feed from Patrice Bergeron sailed past Stalock.Bergeron’s assist came in his first game back after missing a month with a fractured foot. The center last played on Feb. 25. He also assisted on Marchand’s goal.”It’s always getting the legs and the timing and the execution back,” Bergeron said. ”I felt like it was getting better as the game went on.”Minnesota thought it had the tying goal later in the second, but a whistle sounded before Jason Zucker poked the puck past Rask. A replay also showed the puck under Rask’s pad may have crossed the goal line, but a review determined the play was blown dead before the goal.”You knew the puck was over the line Adidas Tobias Rieder Jersey ,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. ”It’s just a question when did it go over the line.”Rask had a number of key saves in the first two periods, including a stop of Zach Parise on a short-handed chance and on a backhand shot by Marcus Foligno to preserve the one-goal lead.The Wild broke through midway through the third. Captain Mikko Koivu scored his 14th goal when he collected a rebound from Matt Dumba’s shot off the end boards and tucked it between Rask and the post.It was Koivu’s second goal in a 10-game stretch.Minnesota has earned a point in five straight games.Stalock got the start in net after Devan Dubnyk started Saturday’s win against Nashville. Stalock made 26 saves and fell to 10-11-2.”It was a playoff team again tonight so I think we see how tight games are going to be,” Stalock said. ”It’s a bounce here or there. That’s the difference.”NOTES: Members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School hockey team from Parkland, Florida, were in attendance and did the ”Let’s Play Hockey” introduction. They were in town for the USA Hockey National Championship High School tournament. … Several players from the gold medal-winning U.S. women’s hockey team took part in a ceremonial puck drop.UP NEXTBruins: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night.Wild: At Nashville on Tuesday night.—

BALTIMORE — The Boston Red Sox will try to complete a three-game sweep of the slumping Baltimore Orioles when the two teams meet for a Wednesday matinee at Oriole Park.

Boston (46-22) won the first two games of this series Lerentee McCray Jersey , including Tuesday’s 6-4 victory. Chris Sale (5-4, 2.83 ERA) will pitch for Boston on Wednesday against Yefry Ramirez, who will make his major-league debut.

Sale has lost his last three starts. He pitched well against the White Sox on Friday in his last start, allowing one run on six hits in eight innings — with 10 strikeouts — but still took the loss as Chicago scored a 1-0 victory.

He has pitched effectively against the Orioles in his career, going 5-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 15 games DJ Chark Jersey , including nine starts, and will try to give the Red Sox their ninth win in 10 games versus Baltimore this season.

The Orioles are struggling on offense right now, a big reason the team has lost six in a row and 13 of their last 15 games.

Ramirez will be called up from Triple-A Norfolk as the Orioles placed Andrew Cashner on the disabled list Tuesday due to a lower back strain. They also brought up relief pitcher Donnie Hart from Norfolk.

Cashner had been scheduled to start Wednesday’s game but Ramirez instead will get his first chance to pitch in the majors.

The Red Sox also will have Mookie Betts in the lineup. Betts had been out since May 26 with a left abdominal strain before being surprisingly activated before Monday’s 2-0 victory.

He went 1-for-5 and manager Alex Cora took him out after the top of the 11th inning so Betts would not be pushed too much on his first day back.

Betts did not play in Tuesday’s win, but he and Cora said it was more just to ease him back in slowly.

“He was going to play two out of three anyway,” Cora said before Tuesday’s game. “Yesterday we extended him a little bit. He’ll start tomorrow.”

Betts also leads the major league All-Star Game voting as the Red Sox likely will have a few players on the American League team.

The Orioles’ best chance for that game will be Manny Machado Corey Grant Jersey , who returned to the Baltimore lineup Tuesday after missing a game due to an illness.

Baltimore ran into the same problems Tuesday that have plagued its lineup all season – an inability to score without homers and not being able to get the big hit at the right time.

The Orioles went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 baserunners overall. There were just too many missed chances once again.

Baltimore has just a .227 team batting average after the Tuesday loss — and it won’t get any easier in the series finale with Sale starting and the solid bullpen waiting behind him.

“You’ve got a guy like Sale starting tomorrow,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the media afterward. “They feel pretty confident about their bullpen. They’ve got eight of them down there.”

Carson Wentz says his goal is to be ready to play when the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles open next season.

Speaking to reporters Friday for the first time since he tore his left ACL and LCL on Dec. 10, Wentz expressed confidence he won’t miss the start of 2018.

”So after we went in there and everything, it was actually the ACL and the LCL,” Wentz said. ”I’m still feeling confident with it. The rehab is the same type of progression and everything. It’s gone great so far.”

Nick Foles is leading the Eagles (15-3) against the New England Patriots (15-3) in the Super Bowl next Sunday.

”It’s hard to talk timetables because these are always fluid injuries and timetables always adjust depending upon where you’re at Ronnie Harrison Jersey , Wentz said.

”But I feel very confident. I truly believe my goal is to be ready for Week 1. I’m going to push and do everything I can to be ready. I’m very confident in that.”

Wentz had an MVP-caliber season before he was injured in Philadelphia’s division-clinching win at the Los Angeles Rams. He tossed a touchdown pass a few plays after he was injured before leaving the game.

”I 100 percent believe I’ll be back better than ever, stronger ever, and with no looking back,” Wentz said.

AP NFL website:

Aaron Nola will get to pitch in front of his home fans in Philadelphia a final time Wednesday before he likely gets the chance to pitch in the All-Star Game later this month.

Nola will be on the mound as the Phillies close out a brief Customized Detroit Lions Jerseys , two-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. The game, which is Philadelphia’s final home contest before the All-Star break, will start at 4:05 p.m. on the holiday.

Nola (10-2, 2.48 ERA) has been dominant all season for the Phillies, but he has been especially good at home. The 25-year-old is 7-0 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.911 WHIP in eight starts at Citizens Bank Park this season.

Nola, who has never pitched against Baltimore, has not surrendered more than three earned runs in any of those home starts. Last Thursday, he gave up one run on five hits and two walks and struck out eight in 7 2/3 innings against the Washington Nationals. Nola got the win in the Phillies’ 4-3 victory.

“I actually thought he got stronger as he inched towards the end of the game,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told MLB.com regarding Nola. “Even there in the last inning, somewhere around that 105-pitch mark Customized Green Bay Packers Jerseys , it almost seemed like he was getting sharper.”

The Phillies are 29-16 at home after Tuesday night’s 3-2 win against the Orioles. Philadelphia has more home wins than any team in the National League, but after Wednesday the club won’t play at Citizens Bank Park again until July 20.

The Phillies will try to get their 30th home win of the season against Orioles rookie Yefry Ramirez.

A right-hander, Ramirez (0-1, 2.89) will be making just the second start of his major league career. The 24-year-old went 4 1/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox on June 13, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out six in his first start.

Ramirez threw five scoreless innings of relief against the Seattle Mariners last Thursday in his only other big league appearance. He had a 3.88 ERA and averaged 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 14 starts with Triple-A Norfolk this season.

“I don’t want to broadcast it for the other team, but the changeup,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the Baltimore Sun when speaking about Ramirez’s strong points. “Hitters are so much more in swing mode, so to speak, up here. It’s because they’re good hitters. That’s why they’re in the big leagues. … He’s having a good year down there.”

The Orioles have lost eight of their last nine games and are 0-2 against the Phillies this season. At 24-60 they have the worst record in baseball. Baltimore did not lose its 60th game of the 2017 season until Aug. 13.

Philadelphia, meanwhile http://www.officialmapleleafsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-van-riemsdyk-jersey , has won three games in a row and five of its last six. At 46-37, the Phillies have a chance to go 10 games over .500 for the first time this season with another win.

Wednesday marks the third straight season the Phillies have played a home game on the Fourth of July. They lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the holiday last year.

Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, spurred the shutdown of his former Los Angeles-area high school and was questioned by police after a menacing Instagram post appeared on his account.

The post from Martin, who has struggled with mental health issues after a 2013 bullying scandal that shook the NFL, showed a shotgun and referred by name to the private Harvard-Westlake prep school in Los Angeles that he once attended. It also mentioned the Instagram names of two former Dolphins teammates who harassed him, Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey. The post said suicide and revenge were the only options for a victim of bullying.

School officials at Harvard-Westlake sent an emergency alert to students and staff early Friday evacuating campus and canceling school.

Los Angeles police would say only that they have an individual who they believe is responsible for the incident. They say he was detained, but is not in LAPD custody.

Several media outlets, however, including the Los Angeles Times and KABC-TV, were told by law enforcement sources that the person questioned was Martin.

Martin left the Miami Dolphins midseason in 2013 after accusing teammates of bullying. An NFL investigation found that Incognito Tomas Tatar Jersey , Pouncey and teammate John Jerry engaged in persistent harassment directed at Martin.

Incognito was suspended for the final eight games and sat out the 2014 season before joining the Buffalo Bills.

The NFL’s investigation also found that teammates threatened to rape Martin’s sister, called him a long list of slurs and bullied him for not being ”black enough.” Martin is black and Incognito is white.

Martin, who underwent counseling for emotional issues after the bullying scandal, posted on Facebook in 2015 that difficulties in football led him to attempt suicide multiple times.

Martin, the son of two Harvard graduates, attended Stanford University. After he left the Dolphins, Martin played for the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers. He left the NFL in 2015.

Representatives for the Miami Dolphins and the NFL declined to comment.

Antonio Senzatela’s most important pitch came early.

Senzatela worked out of a first-inning jam en route to throwing seven scoreless innings in his first start of the season Authentic Fred Warner Jersey , Nolan Arenado hit his National League-leading 22nd home run and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 8-1 on Tuesday night.

Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon had three hits, including his first homer since June 20. Trevor Story had an RBI triple for the Rockies, who have won five of their last six games.

D.J. LeMahieu added a run-scoring double for Colorado, which has beaten the Giants in 14 of the past 16 games at Coors Field dating to Sept. 7, 2016.

Senzatela, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Albuquerque, struck out four and walked none while limiting the Giants to three hits but two of them came in the first inning. He got out of the two-on, two-out jam by retiring Pablo Sandoval, getting him to pop-out on a 2-0 changeup.

”To get out of that inning with a zero, stranding those runners, was huge,” Senzatela said through a translator. ”I settled down pretty nicely and I’m glad I gave the team a chance to win.”

Arenado said Senzatela’s ability to work out of first inning trouble helped set the tone for the rest of the game.

”Getting out of that first inning with no runs was huge,” Arenado said. ”I feel like sometimes we always give up a run in the first and lately they haven’t. He was just great, pounding the zone, throwing strikes getting ahead of guys. It was awesome. Our pitching in general lately has been huge for us and I think that’s why lately we have been playing better.”

Senzatela started in the spot vacated by struggling Jon Gray, who started for the Rockies in their season opener but was optioned to Albuquerque last weekend.

Senzatela (3-1) made the team out of spring training and began the season in the Rockies’ bullpen before being optioned on May 2 to Albuquerque, where he went 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA in eight starts prior to his recall. As a rookie last season, Senzatela had most of his success as a starter, going 10-5 with a 5.03 ERA in 20 starts.

Chris Stratton (8-6) went 5 2/3 innings and allowed eight runs on 11 hits, including Blackmon’s solo shot in the first inning as well as Arenado’s three-run drive.

”His fastball command wasn’t real sharp tonight,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ”Fastballs missed their spots there. That’s usually his forte Authentic Tarvarius Moore Jersey , he commands it so well. He threw some good fastballs to Arenado and the changeup stayed in the middle. He wasn’t real sharp with his command. He threw strikes but he needed to work the edges.”

The Giants broke through for a run on Alec Hanson’s RBI single in the eighth off reliever MikeDunn.

The Giants were trailing 3-0 when Arenado broke the game open in the fifth with a three-run homer. Stratton walked LeMahieu to start the inning and Blackmon singled before Arenado drove a 3-2 offering over the left-center field wall.

GIANTS NEMESIS

Arenado has driven in 90 runs in 100 career games against the Giants, the second most among active players. Matt Kemp leads with 93 career RBIs against the Giants. Said Arenado: ”I think they bring out the best in all of us. They bring out the best in me – three World Series rings and they’ve always been one of the top tier teams in our division. It’s always a tough place to play and I always want to beat them because I always feel like they’ve beaten us in the past, a lot.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: The team’s starting rotation is nearing full strength again. Manager Bruce Bochy said that RHP Johnny Cueto is slated to be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list on Thursday, when he’s scheduled to start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cueto was placed on the DL, retroactive to April 29, because of a right elbow sprain. RHP Jeff Samardzija is slated to start Saturday’s game against St. Louis after being reinstated from the 10-day DL. Samardzija went on the DL after leaving a May 30 start against Colorado following one inning due to tightness in his pitching shoulder.

Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis has gone on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on his right middle finger. Bettis left his last start on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers after three innings because of the finger injury. Senzatela was recalled from Albuquerque to fill Bettis’ roster spot and started Tuesday against the Giants in the place of RHP Jon Gray, who was optioned Saturday to Albuquerque.

UP NEXT

Giants: LHP Andrew Suarez (3-4, 4.18 ERA) is coming off a strong outing in which he allowed one run on seven hits over six innings in a 2-1 win against Arizona.

Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (5-3, 4.23 ERA) has gone 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA in eight previous starts at Coors Field this season.

Jacksonville’s vaunted defense suddenly seems vulnerable to big plays.

The Jaguars (10-6) have allowed nine scoring plays of 25 or more yards – and several more that led to points – in the last six games. It’s a negligible but noticeable nuance for a unit that is among the NFL leaders in nearly every defensive category.

”We’re really good in the red zone, so we try to give up the long ones,” defensive coordinator Todd Wash joked Thursday. ”We’re excelling at that.”

Wash actually sounded more concerned than his players, pointing the finger at himself for trying to get the defense in the ”perfect call” and giving his players too much to think about before and after the snap.

”There are some things we’ve got to get cleaned up,” Wash said. ”We’ve got to just let them play. I think the other team gets paid, too. I know we’re not the only team in the league that gets paid. You’ve got to give credit to them also, but we need to eliminate the long plays and just get them down.

”If there’s a blade of grass, we have to do a good job of defending it.”

Jacksonville’s recent defensive trend has been problematic. The Jags limp into Sunday’s wild-card game against Buffalo (9-7) having dropped consecutive games for the first time all season and three of their last six.

In all three losses, explosive plays against Jacksonville’s defense proved costly:

– Tennessee’s lone touchdown in a 15-10 victory last week came on a 66-yard screen pass from Marcus Mariota to Derrick Henry in the second quarter.

– San Francisco scored on a 30-yard run in a 44-33 victory the previous week.

– Arizona connected on TD passes of 29 and 52 yards in a 27-24 victory in late November.

”When we do it right, when we have everybody doing the right thing, nobody gets big plays,” defensive end Calais Campbell said. ”When we make mistakes, a big play happens here of there. We just know we have to be more disciplined and everybody has to be accountable for their assignment. If we do that Authentic Kentavius Street Jersey , we’ll be successful.”

Even in Jacksonville’s last three victories, the defense has been lax at times:

– Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins had catches of 45 and 25 yards in a span of four plays against Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey in mid-December, the second one going for a touchdown .

– Seattle’s Russell Wilson torched the Jaguars with TD passes to Doug Baldwin (26 yards), Paul Richardson (61) and Tyler Lockett (74) in the second half the previous week.

– And Indianapolis’ lone touchdown in two games against Jacksonville this season came on a fourth-and-2 play in the third quarter in early December when T.Y. Hilton got behind the defense for a 40-yard score.

”Luckily we not letting them bite us in the (butt) too hard,” defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. ”But from a defensive standpoint, if that’s the only thing that’s keeping us from being in that No. 1 spot, then it matters. Then again, if we’re not losing, then we can live with that. But it’s not a good thing.”

It’s definitely a concern for a team built to play stout defense and take some pressure off an inconsistent offense.

It might even be nitpicking considering the Jaguars rank second in the NFL in points allowed (16.8 a game), yards allowed (286.1 a game), sacks (55), takeaways (33) and interceptions (21).

Regardless, it’s a tendency the Jaguars hope to end to open the postseason.

”We want to somehow get to the perfect game,” Wash said. ”I don’t think it’s ever happened in the 24 years I’ve been coaching. But that’s what our expectations are, so when we do give up some chunk plays and we don’t play well, not only is the staff upset, the players are upset. We want to play the perfect game, and that’s the expectations that we have each time that we go out.”


BOSTON (AP) Brad Marchand waited patiently along the boards Womens Jared McCann Jersey , sizing up the situation before swooping around the net and finding his spot to shoot.Marchand scored 2:06 into overtime to lift the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 comeback win over the Canadiens on Saturday.”You’re just looking for an opening, that’s kind of how it was,” he said. ”You could tell they were a little tired. You’re kind of just waiting for that opening to show itself and luckily it did.”It was the Bruins’ third straight victory and completed their four-game sweep of the season series with their archrivals for the first time since 1994-95.”To have the puck that long and score – heck of a goal,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said.Marchand’s score came on the Bruins’ 50th shot on goal.Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy suffered what the club called ”a lower-body injury” on the game’s opening shift. It only took a few minutes for the team to announce that he was ”not likely” to return, and it gave no further information.”All I did, was see it real quick on the bench,” Cassidy said. ”Did he get his foot caught up with the other guy? Or is that something before that? I don’t have a good answer for that to be honest. … Hopefully it’s not serious. It didn’t look serious at the time.”Boston was coming off an eight-goal game – its highest total since 2012 – in a win over Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Bruins didn’t score Saturday until Jake DeBrusk’s tying goal with 2:45 left in regulation.With Boston in danger of being shut out for the second time this season, DeBrusk tipped Nick Holden’s shot past Antti Niemi after center Jonathan Drouin was sent off for a delay-of-game penalty.”When you take six penalties whether deserved or whatever the case may be, eventually it catches up to you,” Montreal coach Claude Julien said.Boston scored the tying goal on its sixth power play.”We’ve been through it so many times this year and different guys have stepped up numerous times,” Marchand said. ”We know we have a lot of character and can rely on different guys every night.”Anton Khudobin made 27 saves for Boston.Brendan Gallagher scored and Niemi made 48 saves for the Canadiens.”He definitely did his job and gave us a chance to win,” defenseman Jeff Petry said of Niemi.Gallagher gave Montreal the lead when he stole a puck from defenseman Kevan Miller near the blue Jonathan Huberdeau Jersey , skated into the slot and beat Khudobin with a wrist shot inside the left post 9:16 into the game.The Bruins tied their season high for a period with 19 shots on goal in the second – and even had a two-man power play for 41 seconds – but Niemi had solid positioning and controlled the rebounds.Khudobin had the better highlight saves, though. His best was a sprawling right-pad stop with his legs completely split on Logan Shaw’s shot from the edge of the crease.Boston forward David Pastrnak missed an excellent opportunity when he hit the left post at the end of a 3-on-1 break six minutes into the game.NOTES: The Canadiens entered with the NHL’s worst road record with only 20 points. … It was Cassidy’s 200th game as coach of the Bruins. … In a brief token of peace between rival fans: The crowd booed when an adult male dressed in a red Canadiens jersey climbed onto the boards to get a puck stuck in the net, but he got a cheer when he turned around and gave it to a young boy in a Bruins jersey.UP NEXTCanadiens: Play the third of a six-game trip at the Devils on Tuesday.Bruins: Host the Red Wings on Tuesday in the fourth of a six-game homestand.— Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick was placed on injured reserve Sunday after sustaining a lower-body injury in practice the previous day.Jack Campbell will start against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night. Campbell went 2-0-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in four starts for Los Angeles last season.“He came in last year in some tough situations and was probably the reason we got a point at Winnipeg late in the year on the road trip,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “He works hard, reads the game well, good communicator, so we’re confident he can step in and do the job.”Stevens said Quick would undergo further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury.The Kings recalled NHL veteran Peter Budaj from their American Hockey League affiliate prior to Sunday’s game.Quick, the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner during the Kings’ first Stanley Cup-winning season and two-time Jennings Trophy winner for fewest goals allowed during the regular season, saved 30 of 33 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss to San Jose in the season opener on Friday.Quick has won at least 33 games in six of 12 seasons in the NHL, including three of the past four seasons.

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