Mike Babcock was a man with a plan on Saturday.
Authentic Kenny Clark Jersey . The Canadian
mens Olympic hockey team head coach arranged to take in some mens curling with a
bunch of players before shuffling off to the nearby Bolshoy Ice Dome to scout
the Russia-United States mens hockey game. Sometime in the evening he planned to
assemble goalkeepers Roberto Luongo and Carey Price to inform them who would
start in Canadas game against Finland on Sunday. Babcock would not reveal at his
noon-hour (local time) press briefing whether it would be Luongo, the incumbent,
or Price, who has been more consistent this season and played better in the
games leading to the Olympic break. But the Canadian coach did remark that he
arrived in Sochi with a plan — and nothing transpired in the wins over Norway
and Austria to alter his blueprint. "Ive had lots of time,” he said. “We as a
management team, and a coaching staff, we watched the NHL all year and we picked
the two goalies that we think have got an opportunity. We brought [Mike Smith]
to be in the role [of third goalie] and now well just go from here and watch.
“We did the same thing last time. We had a plan. We understand and I said this a
number of times you get one change in this tournament and you can still win."
Like in Vancouver four years ago. Babcock chose veteran Martin Brodeur to be No.
1, but after he faltered in Canadas third game of the tournament — a 5-3 loss
against the United States — Roberto Luongo moved in to win four games in a row
to help Canada strike gold. Luongo or Price isnt the only entry on Babcocks
checklist. There has been some clamour to find captain Sidney Crosby some new
linemates. Chris Kunitz, who plays on the left side with Crosby in Pittsburgh,
hasnt exhibited much in his first tour-of-duty with the Canadian Olympic team.
"The first line in the last two games has generated a ton of scoring chances,
point-blankers, they havent gone in,” Babcock said. “Do we worry that much about
that or do we just know good players score in the end? "Lots of times in the
Stanley Cup playoffs your team goes a ways and your best players have no points
in the first round. Someone else picks them up, but by the time its all over
theyre leading the thing in scoring. Its not about that, its about finding a way
to be the best team." Babcock gave his players Saturday off to recharge. The 25
of them already played a combined 1,392 NHL games this season before landing in
Sochi. The coaching staff put them through three long practices before the
Olympic tournament opener against Austria on Thursday, so they needed a break.
“A big part of it was the NHL schedule,” Babcock said. “You can just imagine the
amount of meetings with their own NHL teams to prepare for each and every game.
I just know from our team it seems like we played every single game. It was
exhausting. “Then you travel over here. Then you jam in all the information and
then we practiced them hard. We practiced for 56 minutes the day before our
first game. That would never happen in the NHL. “Everybody needs to breathe.”
Another adjustment has been the late starting times for Canada – 9 p.m. Sochi
time. “We tried to turn 9 oclock into 7 oclock over here,” Babcock said. “But
its 2:30 in the morning and youre sitting around every night. I saw [Canadian
defenceman] Duncan Keith this morning and Dunc said he had to race over to
McDonalds to get an egg mcmuffin. So he had to get up early. Priorities, right?”
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linebacker Brandon Spikes and cornerback Aqib Talib.
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grabbed the tennis worlds attention at last months Grand Slam, will be joined in
the best-of-five series by Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa, Sharon Fichman of
Toronto and Aleksandra Wozniak, of Blainville, Que.BALTIMORE -- The Texas
Rangers finally ran out of patience with left-hander Joe Saunders, who was
designated for assignment Tuesday after going winless in eight starts. Saunders
gave up four homers and seven runs in five innings on Monday night in a 7-1 loss
to the Orioles. That left him 0-5 with a 6.13 ERA. "I just dont think its worked
out to his liking and we just wanted to try something new and different at this
point," assistant general manager Thad Levine said. The Rangers have 10 days to
trade, release, or outright Saunders to the minor leagues. But it appears likely
his time with Texas is over. "It was something we discussed, and we felt like it
was best we go in another direction," manager Ron Washington said. "We
appreciate everything Joe done. He was a pro. Sometimes, things just doesnt work
out." The Rangers (37-5) had lost 10 of 12 through Monday and were mired in
fourth place in the AL West, 14 games behind division-leading Oakland. So
instead of waiting to see if the 33-year-old Saunders could break his extended
slump, Texas recalled 25-year-old Miles Mikolas from Triple-A Round Rock.
Although Levine labeled Mikolas "a work in progress," he said and the
right-hander will start Wednesday at Baltimore and become part of the starting
rotation. Mikolas was 5-1 with a 3.22 ERA in 16 games, including six starts, for
Round Rock. He entered the year with just 11 career starts at the minor league
leevel, all in 2009, his first professional season.
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was 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA after joining the Express rotation on May 30. So the
Rangers bid farewell to Saunders and welcomed Mikolas to the big leagues. "It
just so happens we have a starting pitcher at Triple-A who our manager and
Triple-A pitching coach are highly recommending we give a chance at the big
league level," Levine said. "So I think those two paths cross and we decided to
make this move at this point." Saunders signed with Texas on March 5 and was
given a job in the starting rotation on March 25, but he went on the 15-day
disabled list after one start and did not return until May 28. He never got in a
groove after that. Including Mondays outing in Baltimore, Saunders yielded 20
runs in 15 2-3 innings over his last three starts. "They have been miserable,"
he acknowledged. "Its tough man." Saunders owns an 89-86 lifetime record and
made the AL All-Star team in 2008. He broke into the majors with the Los Angeles
Angels in 2005 and also pitched for Arizona, Baltimore and Seattle before
latching on with the Rangers. "He tried out with us in spring training this
year, and he had strong beliefs that he could help us win major league games,"
Levine said. "I think what he ended up doing is he came in and gave us some very
valuable innings. He also has been a consummate professional since hes been
here."
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