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The Twins are off on Thursday before hosting Detroit this weekend. Theyll send LH Scott Diamond (12-
Topic Started: May 15 2014, 01:44 PM (6 Views)
zake201
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SHAWINIGAN, Que. - It was textbook London Knights hockey and it was too much for the under-performing Edmonton Oil Kings. The Knights (2-1) got an early lead on goals from Ryan Rupert and Bo Horvat and then shut down the Oil Kings(1-2) with solid defensive play and shot blocking for a 4-1 victory on Tuesday night in the final round robin game for both teams at the MasterCard Memorial Cup. "I dont know if it was textbook, but it was on the right track," said defenceman Scott Harrington. "We got away from it a little last game (a 6-2 loss to Shawinigan). "We played better this time. Guys were more committed to blocking shots and getting pucks deep and not turning pucks over. Thats part of London Knights hockey and that helped us win." Greg McKegg also scored and Austin Watson added an empty-net goal for London, which outshot Edmonton 28-21 and held them to 0-for-6 on the power play. Keegan Lowe scored for the Western Hockey League champion Oil Kings, who were coming off a 5-2 loss to the defending champion Saint John Sea Dogs on Monday. There wasnt a lot of atmosphere with London closing down the flow after taking the lead and with neither Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team playing. The dullest game to date drew the lowest attendance yet with 3,955 at the Bionest Centre. And the liveliest talk post-game was about a nasty-looking hit by London sniper Vladislav Namestnikov on Klarc Wilson. The Russian appeared to leave his feet as he delivered an open ice, elbow-first hit to the head of the Edmonton forward. No penalty was called. Wilson was shaken up, but returned to the game. A tournament spokesman said it will probably be reviewed by the disciplinary committee. If so, a decision on a suspension or any other penalty should be announced Wednesday. Oil Kings coach Derek Laxdal called it "a predatory hit to the head. "I expect it to be reviewed. When a players reaching for the puck, leaning, and a player lunges. . . but thats out of my hands. I cant make that call." Knights coach Mark Hunter disagreed that it was predatory. "Ill give the Pete DeBoer line -- I think its comical," said Hunter, quoting the New Jersey Devils coach. "Hes never had a suspension. Hes never done anything close to being in position to hurt somebody. What I saw was shoulder to shoulder. It was a clean hit to me." Namestnikov also felt the hit was legal, but Wilson said it was "an elbow to the side of my head. My jaws a little sore. "I watched a replay. Everyone says it was a dirty hit and he left his feet. Thats what were cracking down on now in hockey. We want to get rid of that stuff. I was leaning forward and he followed through with it. That stuff happens, but well see what the outcome is." With the win, the Knights can take first place and get a bye to the final if the Saint John Sea Dogs (1-1) beat the host Shawinigan Cataractes (1-1) in the last round robin game on Wednesday night. If the Cataractes win, they will take top spot because they won their game against London. Edmonton now must play in the tiebreaker game on Thursday between the Sea Dogs-Cataractes loser. They will do so feeling that they have yet to play near the level they were at in winning the WHL title. "It stings," said Lowe. "Now weve got to play an extra game or two. But the goal is still in sight. Its still reachable." Laxdal called out all of his forwards other than the line of Henrik Samuelsson, Curtis Lazar, Stephane Legault, who have been their best in each game. "Were not even close," Laxdal said. "Our kids are in awe, just looking around. But weve got another game to stay alive and weve got to bring our best game on Thursday night. "Weve got to do a better job of showing who we are and representing the Western Hockey League. We cant play with one line. We need the other nine forwards to step up and join the parade." For a second game in a row, Edmontons Laurent Brossoit let in an early goal, this time on the first shot of the game at 1:17 as Matt Rupert picked off a Griffin Reinhart pass and fed his brother Ryan in front for a shot that trickled between the pads. Horvat, back in the lineup after sitting one out, followed in on a rush to fire in a rebound at 12:22. The Knights killed off a long two-man advantage late in the period, but with only three seconds left, Lowe joined a rush and was left alone to take a Samuelsson feed and beat Michael Houser from the doorstep. Neither team was able to generate chances for most of the second period, as only three shots were taken in the first 10 minutes, until one quick flurry when Edmontons Mitchell Monoz hit a goalpost and, on a rush to the other end, low-scoring McKegg scored on a Max Domi rebound. Notes: Lowes father, Edmonton Oilers president Kevin Lowe, was on hand to see his son score. . . Londons Josh Anderson sat out with a flu. . . In a bid to improve the poor ice that marked earlier games, game-day skates have been moved to another arena and entrances to the seats were kept sealed by plastic sheeting until about an hour before game-time. With that and cooler weather outside, the ice looked better. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Spain will need its first competitive victory in seven meetings with France to continue its bid for a record third straight major title. France was the last team to beat Spain in a major tournament. Cheap Jerseys . The captains of their respective countries at the world junior hockey championship provide an intriguing and unusual subplot to what is already billed as the biggest game of the preliminary round. The winner of Mondays meeting will top Pool B and gain a bye to the semifinal, while the loser must advance via a quarter-final. http://www.wholesalechinajersey.us.com/ . The UFC said the accident happened Friday. Means (18-3-1) was slated to fight UFC newcomer Abel (Killa) Trujillo (9-4). The six-foot-two Means was doubtless cutting weight in the sauna, facing a 156-pound limit at Friday afternoons weigh-in at KeyArena. Wholesale Jerseys . TSN scout Craig Button and TSN hockey contributor Pierre McGuire took turns predicting where hockeys top prospects would end up on Friday in the 2012 TSN Mock Draft. Wholesale Jerseys From China . David Alaba will be out for up to eight weeks after suffering a fracture in his left foot. Alaba was injured shortly after scoring Bayerns first goal in a 3-2 loss to Napoli in Arco, Italy on Friday. MINNEAPOLIS -- This hasnt been the smoothest of seasons for C.C. Sabathia. Hes still coming through when it counts for the New York Yankees. Sabathia struck out 10 batters over eight innings and New York beat the Minnesota Twins 8-2 on Wednesday to remain 1 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore in the AL East. The Orioles beat Toronto 12-2 on Wednesday night. The Yankees visit the Blue Jays for four games starting Thursday. Baltimore, after an off day, plays Boston at home this weekend. Sabathia will pitch again next week when the Yankees host the Red Sox. "This is what he can do. He can string a bunch of good ones together. And if theres a time, nows the time," manager Joe Girardi said. Sabathia (14-6) threw 89 of his 118 pitches for strikes, including three straight to Twins All-Star Joe Mauer for the second of his three strikeouts in the fourth inning. Mauer, who began the day three points in the batting race behind Detroits Triple Crown chaser Miguel Cabrera with a .326 average, went 0 for 4. "Thats the best Ive seen him, and Ive been watching him for a long time," Mauer said. "When I was up there he was both sides of the plate: fastball, slider, sinker. He threw me everything, and everything was working." Sabathia spent two stints on the disabled list this summer, for a strained left groin and an inflamed left elbow. This was his first win in six starts, and he credited impeccable command of his fastball to set up his other pitches. "Were in a race. We know its going to be tough. So you want to go out and do well every time out," Sabathia said, adding: "Hopefully, I can go out and pitch well again the next time. Ill take what I can out of this one and be ready to go five days from now." Robinson Cano hit a two-run double and Curtis Granderson added a two-run triple during a six-run third inning against Brian Duensing (4-11), and Sabathia took care of the rest. The burly lefty gave up six hits, two runs and one walk. Sabathia improved to 10-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his last 11 appearances against the Twins, including the 2009 and 2010 post-season. He threw eight scoreless innings in his last start against Oakland, striking out 11, but didnt get the victory because the Yankees won in the 10th. Matt Carson and Pedro Florimon had RBI singles, but that was about the only solid contact Sabathia allowed. Chris Dickerson also hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who lost to the Twins on Tuesday night and played without third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who has a bruised left foot. Derek Jeters 19-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-4 afternoon, but he walked and scored in the third. The Yankees enjoyed a tension-free afternoon while winning for the 12th time in their last 16 games. Even the bad plays turned out all right.dddddddddddd Granderson was picked off first base in the second inning, but he scored on a wild pitch in the third. Eric Chavez, thinking there were two outs instead of one in the fifth inning, casually fielded a grounder at third and stepped on the base for the force as he jogged toward the dugout before stopping and realizing his mistake. Sabathia shouted assurance to Chavez, whose embarrassed "oops" expression was frozen on the jumbo video screen above left-centre field to the crowds amusement. "Im glad they were entertained," Chavez said, smiling. But after a passed ball by Chris Stewart put runners at second and third and threatened to exploit Chavezs blunder, Sabathia calmly retired Denard Span on a groundout to first to keep the lead at 6-1. If Chavez had tried to turn the double play, he mightve only got one out anyway, Girardi said, which wouldve led to a run on the passed ball. "Sometimes things work out right," Girardi said. After a leadoff double by Raul Ibanez in the sixth, Dickerson circled the bases with his drive off Anthony Swarzak, who was the second long reliever called on by the Twins. Starter Samuel Deduno struck out two without a hit or a run despite two walks. After the second one, though, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and assistant athletic trainer Dave Pruemer came to the mound for a long talk with the right-hander with two outs in the second inning. The diagnosis was irritation in his left eye, and Deduno was removed for Duensing. He put seven straight runners on, including two walks, before finishing the inning. Duensing, who started a post-season game against the Yankees in 2009 and 2010, let his ERA rise from 4.68 to 5.15. "I feel like were playing our best ball now, and this is the perfect time to be doing that," said Nick Swisher, who had an RBI single. NOTES: RH Ivan Nova (12-7, 4.94 ERA) pitches for the Yankees on Thursday against RH Brandon Morrow (8-7, 3.28 ERA) of the Blue Jays. The Twins are off on Thursday before hosting Detroit this weekend. Theyll send LH Scott Diamond (12-8, 3.64 ERA) to the mound on Friday, opposite RH Max Scherzer (16-7, 3.82 ERA) of the Tigers. ... The Yankees have homered in each of their last 12 games against the Twins, totalling 25 in that span. ... The Yankees notched their 90th win for the 15th time in the last 17 seasons. ... Swisher made a nifty scoop and throw to get Ben Revere out on a slow roller in the first inning. Hes been playing 1B with Mark Teixeira rehabilitating his strained right calf. "Im just trying to keep it warm until my boy Tex gets back," Swisher said. Girardi left open the possibility of Teixeira returning to the team this weekend in Toronto. 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