Mein Freundesbuch » a second successive victory in Wol

CALGARY – Nearly six months remain until the chase for gold begins anew in Sochi, but for members of Team Canada the work has already begun, much of it hinging on perhaps the biggest adjustment required for a repeat of gold in 2014. O. J. Howard Jersey . "I like the big ice," grinned Rick Nash, who is among 46 players on hand in Calgary for a brief, three-day orientation camp ahead of the 2014 Olympics in February. The Canadians emerged with gold for the second time in three Olympics on home turf in Vancouver. However, their most recent bid for a medal on international ice was an all-out dud, a seventh-place finish in Turin, Italy in 2006. Mindful of that stinging experience and its breadth of lessons on the larger ice surface, Team Canada is taking steps to ensure that a repeat failure isnt in the cards in Russia. Start with the hiring of Ralph Krueger, the former Oilers coach and longtime leader of the Swiss National program. "We brought Ralph on board because he knows way more about the big ice than we do," Canadian head coach Mike Babcock said of Krueger, who steered the bench in Switzerland for upwards of a decade, finishing a surprising sixth at the most recent games in Vancouver. Joining a staff that already includes Lindy Ruff, Claude Julien, and Ken Hitchcock, Kruegers expertise was already being put to use early on Sunday morning, as the Winnipeg native fielded a query from Julien in regards to a penalty killing tactic, of which the latter will lead for the Canadians. "No one knows better than him," Babcock said of Krueger. "Thats why Ralphs with us. Hes going to do a lot of work in advance for us." Beginning with a meeting on Sunday evening, the coaching staff plans to make good use of their short window with players this week, introducing "details" and "terminology" of the system to be employed in Sochi, walking through such systems on a boarded ice surface at the Markin MacPhail Centre on Monday morning. "What you do in the next three days, weve learned over time, really matters," said Hitchcock, who has served as an associate coach for Canada at the past three Olympics. "Because all of us, at the end of this event, we get onto our own [NHL] teams and we dont think about [the Olympics] until we get on the plane [to go to Russia]." "Were going to get our team prepared here," Babcock added, stressing the importance of players becoming familiar with one another along with a need to understand the preparation, pressure and expectations demanded of those that make the team. "A lot of the details are going to be put into place here, just for spacing, for understanding what your job is, and how you have to play. And then when we arrive there we can hit the ground running as we reintroduce our terminology and reintroduce our program." Of the mindset the coaching staff will try to instill this week as it relates to the increased dimensions of the international rink – 15 feet wider than the NHL surface – Krueger suggested a need to remain glued to the "Canadian game and not adjust to some of the spaces that suddenly arise". "You need to make sure that you dont change your game or make too many adjustments that will weaken what makes Canada strong," said Krueger. "I think the sucker play is that you have more space [and] you have more time so the tendency is to take more time," added Hitchcock, expanding on the ideas offered by Krueger. "Its the big mistake. To me, when we play well as Canadians we play fast defensively and faster offensively. "Thats what were emphasizing here with the players in the next three days is we cant lose perspective of how we play." Mindful of the big ice and its required adjustments, Canadas brass is open to making considerable changes from the squad that won gold in 2010, open to the idea of a different-looking team in 2014. Kevin Lowe, the assistant executive director of the unsuccessful squad in Italy and a member of the current management group, noted the need for players who can move their feet and the puck with swiftness and precision. "There could be a number of changes from the goal-medal team in 2010 in Vancouver," he said. But as Steve Yzerman, the executive director of the program, was quick to note, the top players wont be overlooked if theyre simply not the fleetest of foot. "Were not just going to take the 14 fastest forwards and the eight fastest defencemen," said Yzerman, who took gold home as a player with Team Canada in 2002 and then again as the executive director in 2010. "Theres going to be some players on this team that are just simply too good to leave off and you wouldnt consider them race-horses." Without actually hitting the ice per se, those players on hand for the camp will do their best to soak up details of the game that will define the Canadian squad in Russia, a slightly different style perhaps from the one that captured gold in the rear-view mirror of Vancouver. "I guess the obvious answer is just the space out there," Sidney Crosby said of perspective adjustments. "But other than that I dont think you change a whole lot. I think that if anything you have a little bit more time to make decisions and things are typically a little bit slower, but I think for the most part you try not to change too much." "Like Sid said, theres just small things," concluded Nash, who tasted disaster in Turin and bliss in Vancouver. "Its different angles, its a bit more skating – you can drift to the outside a little more if youre not careful. But for me personally, Ive played a lot on the big ice and I enjoy it." John Lynch Jersey . The future hall of famers stole the show at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, with Jagr moving into seventh place in all-time goal scoring and Brodeur stopping 29 shots as the Devils downed the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Warren Sapp Jersey .C. -- Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross is saying goodbye to the NFL after 11 seasons. http://www.authenticbuccaneerspro.com/Customized/ .Y. - Joe Johnson hit six 3-pointers in his 27 points, Mason Plumlee added 18 points, and the Brooklyn Nets won their 11th straight at home, beating the Boston Celtics 114-98 Friday night.BALTIMORE - The Detroit Tigers starting pitchers in the first three games of the AL Division Series have a combined 329 wins, three Cy Young Awards and 35 games of post-season experience.Baltimores starters carry less impressive credentials, yet they dont necessarily have to outpitch their Detroit counterparts for the Orioles to advance.All they have to do is keep it close, then hand the baseball over to one of the best bullpens in major leagues.Detroit (90-72) didnt win as many games as the Orioles (96-66), who ran away with the AL East title to earn home-field advantage in the best-of-five series that begins Thursday. But the AL Central-champion Tigers have been installed as a slight favourite a€” mainly because of their formidable starting rotation.Max Scherzer (18-5, 3.15 ERA) starts on Thursday, followed by Justin Verlander (15-12, 4.54) and David Price (15-12, 3.26). That also happens to be a list of the last three AL Cy Young winners.Advantage, Detroit?I think we all know what it looks like on paper, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday. But theres a lot of things that look a certain way on paper for us that we were able to overcome.Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman (13-6, 3.34 ERA) will make his first foray into the post-season in the opener. Although Showalter declined the announced his starters for Friday and Sunday, they will likely be Wei-Yin Chen (16-6, 3.54) and Miguel Gonzalez (10-9, 3.23), each of whom has pitched in exactly one playoff game.If playoff experience and Cy Young Awards mean anything, then Detroit has a decent chance to reach the AL Championship Series for a fourth straight year.Pitching. Thats what wins ballgames, Price said. If we put up zeroes early, that kind of gives our offence a chance to kind of settle into the game. They know they dont have to put up a three- or four-spot because were down.But if a game is close in the seventh inning, the Orioles like their chances.Weve got a good bullpen, we have a good starting staff, said closer Zach Britton, who finished with 37 saves. Anytime theres a close game, were confident we can pull it out, and weve done that a lot this year.Britton (1.65 ERA) usually woorks the ninth inning. Mike Alstott Jersey. Andrew Miller (1.35 ERA in 23 games with Baltimore) or Darren ODay (1.70) take care of the eighth, following hard-throwing Tommy Hunter.Back in May, when Detroit last played the Orioles, Hunter (3-2, 2.97 ERA) was the closer and Miller was still pitching for Boston.Much has changed.Britton has really established himself since we last saw Baltimore. Hes one of the best closers in the game, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. They acquired Andrew Miller, who obviously had a track record coming in. And now youve got a closer who can pitch the sixth or seventh inning. Thats not a bad position to be in if youre the Orioles. Their bullpen has done a good job, and thats part of the reason theyve been so successful.Ausmus has been calling upon Joba Chamberlain to work the eighth and Joe Nathan to get the final three outs. The duo experienced mixed results during the regular season a€” Chamberlain was 2-5 with four blown saves and a 3.57 ERA, and Nathan finished 5-4 with seven blown saves and a lofty 4.81 ERA.Advantage Baltimore?Britton, from what Ive seen, his balls moving all over the place, Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter said. Theyve got a nice little bullpen over there. Weve seen some dirty pitching (in the AL Central), so I dont think it will be new, but it will be tough. Those guys are good.Scherzer, meanwhile, hasnt faced the Orioles since June 17, 2013. He knows this much: Baltimore led the majors with 211 home runs, so the right-hander had better be careful.A team that swings the bat like that, theyre dangerous, he said. Theyre dangerous one through nine. Thats something I know going into the start. They need to have a good game plan against me and I need to have a good game plan against them.In other news, Ausmus declined to name his 25-man roster in part because of the status of injured outfielder Rajai Davis, who has pelvic strain.Rajai came in today, felt much better, but weve got to get past the point of his making some baseball moves in terms of running, exploding out of the box and taking swings, which he hasnt done yet, said Ausmus, who has until 10 a.m. Thursday to make his final decision. Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '