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Bootsmann
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| Posted: 01 August 2018 at 10:43 | IP Logged
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The do-everything, be-everything centre
is slumping, at least as far as superstar slumps go.The
elder statesman, resident prankster and unquestioned
heart is out for the year and maybe forever with blood
that just wont behave.The wunderkind 20-year-old
defenceman beat cancer but not a shaky shoulder.The
businesslike and still kind of mysterious rookie head
coach remains months away from the real litmus test, but
the early results are encouraging.And then theres the
mumps.For the better part of a month, the Pittsburgh
Penguins saw their roster almost comically ravaged by a
childhood virus that temporarily and quite painfully
turned Sidney Crosbys face into something created by a 4-
year-old with Play-Doh and took a handful of teammates
along for the ride.Yet here Sidney Crosby and the new-
look Penguins are at the midpoint of an already eventful
season back in their usual spot this time of year: near
the top of the Eastern Conference and cruising toward the
playoffs, which is only barometer that really
matters.Pittsburgh trails the first-place New York
Islanders by a point in the Metropolitan Division and are
on pace for the second-best regular season in team
history. Not bad considering nearly three dozen players
including a steady stream of prospects or minor
leaguers thrust into action out of necessity rather than
merit have suited up.It hasnt been easy but to
everybodys credit theyve done what they had to do,
general manager Jim Rutherford told The Associated
Press.Even if Pittsburgh is doing it in sometimes very
un-Penguinlike ways. With defence. With goaltending. With
responsible checking and attention to detail. While coach
Mike Johnston allows plenty of work remains to be done by
the time April rolls around, considering what his team
has gone through during Johnstons first four months in
charge, things could be a worse.The first half we were
still learning a lot of different things, getting used to
a new system still, forward Brandon Sutter said. Now I
think in the second half its been kind of time to cement
that into our game.The Penguins hired Johnston to replace
Dan Bylsma last summer and tasked him with finding a
system that could thrive in both the regular season and
the playoffs. The first six weeks went relatively
smoothly, even with forward Pascal Dupuis sent to injured
reserve with blood clots that have jeopardized his career
and Olli Maatta missing a few weeks while a cancerous
tumour was removed from his thyroid.It was a mirage. The
injuries and illnesses began piling up in December,
forcing Johnston to abandon teaching the finer points and
simply trying to find enough healthy bodies to throw onto
the ice on a given night.Its also forced the Penguins to
learn to win by any means necessary, relying more heavily
on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and less on the scoreboard-
tilting exploits of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh
is just ninth in the league in scoring, with Crosby on
pace for his lowest goal total over a full season. A
sputtering power play over the last month hasnt helped,
though Crosby did score an overtime goal at Montreal last
weekend.Crosby brushes off any concern about his
production. Really, wasnt the point of the off-season
front office overhaul to find a way to make the team less
reliant on their two centerpieces? Crosby and Malkin are
both in the top five in the league in points and the
Penguins have had 24 different players find the back of
the net, the most of any team in the league.In the whole
scheme of things its more about how youre playing and
making sure the chances are there and everyone is
contributing, Crosby said. That goes further than
anything.Crosby hardly looked like a guy struggling to
find his game in a 7-2 win over Minnesota on Tuesday,
collecting three assists and putting together a handful
of sublimely spectacular dashes to the net.Weve had so
many injuries and so many moving parts here, both him and
(Malkin) dont get to play with the same guys all the
time, Rutherford said. Hopefully we can get these guys
some regular linemates.The process is already well
underway. Forward Chris Kunitz appears all the way back
from a foot injury that kept him out for 10 games.
Rutherford acquired David Perron from Edmonton on Jan. 2,
and the talented forward has four points in his first
four games, including a slick forehand to backhand
rebound from in front of the net on Tuesday night that
showcased his soft hands.Rutherford isnt sure the
Penguins are done shopping. With Blake Comeau and Patric
Hornqvist also nearing returns from their own medical
issues and a schedule that includes games against the
Rangers, Philadelphia and Chicago over the next couple
weeks, theres a chance to build chemistry and make a
statement at the same time.Ill get a better sense for it
by the middle of February, Rutherford said. I want to see
Hornqvist and Comeau get back in there and get that group
of forwards together. I do feel were edging in the right
direction.
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go to sleep," the Australian veteran said. The two
players set up a Sunday showdown between former HSBC
champions after finishing off their third rounds with
identical birdies over three of the last five holes
Saturday to separate themselves slightly from the rest of
the crowded leaderboard.
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led for much of the game before Argentina forced overtime
in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. Canada
weathered the storm after squandering a lead with a
series of made shots. "Its a fantastic win for our
country with 11 first-time Canadian national team
members," said head coach Roy Rana.
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minute before goals by substitutes Carlton Cole and Joe
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Winners of their last eight games, the Heat return to
Toronto for the second time in the month of November.
After beginning the season 4-3, allowing 100.9 points on
47 per cent shooting, Miamis resurgent defence has
vaulted them back to the top of a weak Eastern
Conference.
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1:30 p.NEW YORK -- Robinson Cano shrugged off the boos in
his return to Yankee Stadium and walked away a two-time
winner. Cano doubled and drove in two runs to help the
Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees 4-2 Thursday
night behind an impressive pitching performance from
rookie Roenis Elias. Michael Saunders had three hits,
including an RBI double, and Elias struck out 10 in seven
innings as the Mariners won their fifth in six games
following an eight-game skid. Seattle took both games in
a rain-shortened series that marked Canos first trip back
to New York after leaving for a $240 million, 10-year
contract last off-season. "Both days felt good because
both days we won, so it has to feel good," Cano said. The
All-Star second baseman was booed again and finished the
series 2 for 9 with three RBIs. Seattle has won four
straight at Yankee Stadium dating to last season. "There
werent any expectations from the crowd today. I just
wanted to go out and take care of business," Cano said.
"You have to understand the fans, but it is not going to
be a distraction for me." Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda
(2-3) gave up four runs -- three earned -- and seven hits
in six innings, lowering his ERA slightly to 5.14. It was
an improvement over his previous outing Friday night,
when the 39-year-old right-hander was hammered in a 13-1
loss to the Los Angeles Angels. "I think its a step in
the right direction," New York manager Joe Girardi said.
"A lot of nights thats going to be good enough to win."
Elias (2-2) gave up a leadoff homer to Jacoby Ellsbury
but not much else in his first appearance against the
Yankees. The left-hander from Cuba threw 73 of 110
pitches for strikes, starting 75 per cent of his 28
batters with a strike. He allowed six hits and one earned
run while walking two. Yoervis Medina worked a perfect
eighth, and Fernando Rodney got three outs for his sixth
save. "The adrenaline comes from the spotlight," Elias
said through a translator. "Ive never been to the stadium
so it was good to come here and beat the Yankees. Ive
seen it on TV but never been here." Ellsbury, who sat out
Tuesday with a sore left hand, sent Elias fourth pitch to
right field for his first home run with the Yankees. It
was New Yorks first leadoff shot since Derek Jeter
connected at the Chicago Whhite Sox on Aug.dddddddddddd
21, 2012. Elias, who skipped Triple-A, struck out the
next three batters and settled in from there. Showing
good command of a sharp curve, he induced two double-play
grounders and struck out the side in the fifth. "He was
hitting his spots. He was getting ahead. He pitched a
good game. Hes got a good arm," Jeter said. "Sometimes
pitchers are going to be better than you. He threw really
well. Hes not a typical lefty who tries to trick you. He
gets it up there pretty good." Cano hit an RBI double in
the first and a run-scoring groundout in the third after
Jeter made an error at shortstop. Brad Miller dumped a
two-out RBI single in front of hesitant left fielder
Brett Gardner in the fourth. Saunders followed with a
ground-rule double that made it 4-1. New York cut it to
4-2 in the sixth on Brian McCanns run-scoring single with
two outs after Cano was charged with an error. Elias
retired Yangervis Solarte with two on to end the inning.
The Yankees did not get another baserunner until a two-
out single by pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki in the ninth.
"The young man threw a tremendous game. We thought hed be
OK in this environment," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon
said about Elias. "The young man is tough." NOTES: After
the rainout Wednesday, the Mariners pushed back ace Felix
Hernandez one day to Friday night in Houston. Elias had
been scheduled to start Wednesday, followed by Hernandez
on Thursday. "Give him an extra day and it also gives
Elias an extra day. It just made sense," McClendon said.
"Felix has been taxed quite a bit and hes pitched on
regular rest for quite a while. Its an opportunity to get
him where we need him to be. His last two outings have
not been sterling outings, I think we would agree. So it
gives us a chance to freshen him up and get him back on
the right track." ... Seattle has not announced a starter
for Saturday or Sunday. McClendon said its possible All-
Star RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (finger) will come off the
disabled list to make his season debut this weekend. ...
McClendon sat struggling CF Abraham Almonte, who was
replaced by Saunders in the leadoff spot. Almonte entered
on defence in the eighth. ... Many players on the
Mariners received autographed Jeter jerseys -- but not
Cano. ... Ellsbury has 11 career leadoff homers.
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Topic: ankees did not get another baserunner
