Phil Kessels star continues to shine.
[b]Eddy Pineiro Jersey[/b] . One of the hottest scorers in the NHL prior to the Olympic break, Kessel has been Team USAs most dynamic player through the preliminary round scoring four goals and seven points in three games to help his team remain undefeated. Kessel scored three goals and was the first star of the game as the United States registered an easy 5-1 win over Slovenia Sunday. The Toronto Maple Leafs right-winger shot Team USA into a quick 2-0 lead scoring on his teams first shot of the game and then batting a puck out of mid-air a few minutes later. Kessel completed his hat trick at 11:05 of the second period when he popped a rebound past Slovenian goaltender Luka Gracnar. "Im just trying to help my team win; do whatever I can," Kessel said. He added it is a bonus to be playing on a line with James van Riemsdyk, his linemate in Toronto. Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks in the lines centre. "It helps a lot that I play with JVR all year," Kessel said. "I played with Pav at the last Olympics and were just trying to keep going." Slovenia, coming off a thrilling 3-1 victory over Slovakia Saturday, had nothing left in the tank to face the United States. It was as though its win over Slovakia was its Stanley Cup victory and the team checked out mentally. Likewise, the Americans celebrated a monumental shootout win over the host Russians knowing they could go at half speed and not lose on this day. A goal in the final minute by Slovenia was inconsequential other than the fact it affected Team USAs goal differential. The Americans complete the round robin with a 3-0 record having outscored their opponents 15-4. The game had all the intensity of two last-place teams in a beer league hooking up late in the season. The Slovenians had a couple of decent scoring chances, but that said, they were never really in the game. The United States took the lead and then coasted to the victory. With 13 goals since Jan. 2, Pavelski has been one of the hottest scorers in the NHL in 2014. He has continued to hold a hot hand in the Olympics scoring a goal and adding three assists through three games. Ryan Miller was the hero of the 2010 Olympic Games for Team USA, leading his team to the gold medal game and earning most valuable player honors. He had a 5-1 record in Vancouver, but has been designated as the teams backup goalie in this years tournament, giving way to Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings. Miller made his first start against Slovenia. Forward Derek Stepan of the New York Rangers also saw his first action replacing Max Pacioretty in the lineup. Slovenias best player, Anze Kopitar, was late joining his team for the second period and then skipped the third period all together. No reason was given for his absence.
[b]Bulldog Turner Jersey[/b] . "Last year we were in a ton of situations, late-game situations we couldnt pull out. Wed kind of fold under the pressure, get frustrated or let a big shot frustrate us," guard DeMar DeRozan said.
[b]George Blanda Jersey[/b] . Neither side would publicly confirm or deny any discussions were taking place, until the near unexpected happened. On Saturday night sources confirmed to TSN, the league and players agreed to terms on a new, tentative CBA, pending ratification by the unions players. A league source confirmed the CFLs board of governors must also ratify any potential agreement.Spain aims to stay alive against Chile (TSN 1050, TSN 690, TSN 1260, TEAM 1410) Spain enters its second Group B match against Chile on Wednesday at the Maracana in desperate need of a response. The defending champions suffered an embarrassing 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands in their opening match, and another loss to Chile on Wednesday would bring an extremely premature end to their tournament. After taking the lead against the Dutch with a penalty kick from Xabi Alonso in the 27th minute, Spain fell apart and watched as Robin van Persie equalized shortly before halftime. The second half was a nightmare for Vicente del Bosques team as they saw the Netherlands score four unanswered goals, including a pair of gifts from goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Whether or not the veteran Casillas returns to the lineup in goal will be a tough decision for Del Bosque to make, but the coach feels as though his team has had time to get over the loss and get prepared for the next two games. "Everyone feels that we are capable of turning things around," Del Bosque told Spanish television channel Cuatro. "Many hours have passed and our spirits are higher. We now have to win our next two games, which wont be easy, but is within the realms of possibility. We are searching for the best possible preparation and we are trying to make sure the players are not sad, we have to enjoy ourselves." The Spanish side still possesses plenty of talent, but La Roja must find a way to raise their game if they want to avoid a stunningly early exit from the tournament. Chile, meanwhile, enjoyed a positive start to the competition by securing a 3-1 win over Australia that saw the club net two goals in the opening 15 minutes. Alexis Sanchez scored in the 12th minute and Eduardo Vargas doubled the lead in the 14th to put Chile in firm control. Australia pulled a goal back through Tim Cahill in the 35th, but Chiles Jean Beausejour finally killed the match off by scoring late to secure the win. Viewed as a real threat to advance to the knockout round, Chile can put itself in position to win the group if the team is able to topple Spain, which would send the Spanish home early. But Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal has his sights set a bit higher. "We hope to play well against Spain, take the three points, and if we knock them out that would be great," Vidal said. "But wwe didnt come here to knock out Spain, we came here to win the World Cup.
[b]Thomas Sanders Jersey[/b]. ." Cameroon, Croatia aim to rebound in Group A (TSN 1050, TSN 1200, TEAM 1410) Croatia and Cameroon will both be fighting to stay alive in Group A on Wednesday when the two sides meet up at the Arena Amazonia. Both teams lost their opening match of the tournament with Croatia falling 3-1 to Brazil in the curtain-raising contest, while Cameroon dropped a 1-0 decision to Mexico the following day. Those results mean that the loser of Wednesdays contest will be eliminated after just two games, while the winner would put itself back in contention for a place in the next round. A draw would keep both sides alive, but would leave them with a lot of work to do in their final match. Croatia was expected to challenge for a spot in the last 16 and certainly turned in an encouraging performance against tournament-favorites Brazil. Niko Kovac saw his side take a surprising 1-0 lead in the 11th minute on an own goal from Brazil defender Marcelo before the hosts rebounded to level the match at 1-1 midway through the opening half through Neymar. The game was there for the taking as it entered the final 20 minutes, but a questionable penalty call handed Brazil the chance to take the lead when Fred went down under minimal contact from Croatia defender Dejan Lovren. Neymar converted the subsequent spot kick to put the Brazilians in front, and Oscar added a third in injury time to account for a flattering final score. Although Croatia came away from the game with zero points, Kovac didnt seem to be the least bit disappointed by the result. "We left an excellent impression, hats off to the lads," Kovac said after the match. "Its an honor to coach them." Cameroon will also be looking to bounce back after falling to El Tri on a second-half goal from Oribe Peralta. The Indomitable Lions were a bit fortunate to only lose 1-0 as Mexicos Giovani Dos Santos had two goals called off in the first half, illustrating a need for Cameroon to elevate its level of play on Wednesday, especially since it will face Brazil in its final group match. A win for Croatia would likely set up a game with Mexico that would decide second place in the group, but first Kovac and his men must take care of business against Cameroon, which could benefit from the humid conditions in Manaus. ' ' '
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