Battalion goaltender Jake Smith stopped 22 shots in the victory.

TORONTO - As the country celebrated Canada Day two years ago the Raptors sent a small army to Manhattan, led by then general manager Bryan Colangelo, in an effort to recruit the most coveted free agent point guard on the market. Jerome Baker Jersey . The Raptors contingent - which included Dwane Casey, Jay Triano and Larry Tanenbaum - pulled out all the stops trying to sell Canadas own Steve Nash on a move to Toronto. After a two-hour meeting, highlighted by a video presentation featuring hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, the Raptors left Nash with a generous offer. Days later he turned them down, opting for less money and a better shot at a championship in Los Angeles. Colangelo went forward with his Plan B, a trade for Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry. Now the Raptors find themselves in a similar predicament, only this time the approach couldnt have been more dissimilar. They didnt send a front office mob, there was no video cameo made by The Great One. This time they left the kitchen sink in Toronto. Instead, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri and head coach Dwane Casey had a quiet sit down with Lowry in his hometown of Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon. True to form Ujiri and his coach exuded confidence. Calm, cool and collected, the Raptors brass did not find it necessary to camp out on Lowrys front porch at 12:01 AM, the time in which teams were able to officially commence negotiation with free agents. Their sales pitch centred on a simple premise, one that the team had already been preaching publicly for months - they want him back. What they didnt say, and would be reluctant to admit, is that they need him back. Rightly or wrongly, the perception that players dont want to come to or stay in Canada has dogged the Raptors since their inception. After all, Nash wasnt the first player to spurn the Raptors. Theres a long history of it in fact. Damon Stoudamire was the first star to want out, followed by Vince Carter - the franchises best player - seven years later. Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh each bolted via free agency, while both Kenny Anderson and Alonzo Morning refused to even put on the jersey. The new regime intends to snuff that stigma once and for all. Along with MLSE boss Tim Leiweke and global ambassador extraordinaire Drake, Ujiri has helped empower a fan base that had lost hope prior to their arrival a year ago. "Why cant I change it," Ujiri said, challenging that perception as he was introduced as the Raptors new GM last June. "Its our job to make it better, its our job to make it good, its our job to create a winning environment and thats why Im here." With the embattled franchise finally on the precipice of turning the page and changing a culture that has beset them for the better part of the last 20 years, the stakes are much higher now than they were in 2012 when they struck out on Nash. For all the progress the Raptors made in 2014, turning heads as a result of their breakout campaign, spirited playoff run and We The North campaign, the wind could be taken out of their sails in a hurry should Lowry fly the coop, especially if he leaves for Houston or Miami. This is their first big test, one they dont intend to - and cant afford to - fail. Lowry is Torontos No. 1 priority, theyve made no secret of that. "Were going to go full force," Ujiri promised last week. And they have. The Raptors initial offer to Lowry was substantial, said to be in the $11-$12 million range annually over a four or potentially five-year term. A salary in that range would make Lowry the seventh highest paid point guard in 2014-15, not including Kyrie Irving whose max extension wont take into effect until the following season. Of course, theres more to Ujiris pursuit of Lowry than just pride. The Raptors GM would happily show Lowry, or any other player the door if he felt theyre not worth their price tag. Like any other investment, Lowry is a calculated risk but the Raptors are betting the 2013-14 version will be more of the norm than an anomaly going forward. Its because hes a player worthy of the money that Ujiri has done - and will continue to do - everything in his power to keep Lowry in a Raptors uniform. Still, the decision belongs to Lowry. The 28-year-old will take a few days to weigh his options with his family and agent Andy Miller as Raptors fans hold their collects breath. With Torontos 20th year anniversary season around the corner, keeping Lowry would go a long way in the continued saga to rewrite the franchises troubled history. Daniel Kilgore Jersey . Johansen scored twice and Derek MacKenzie, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson also had goals to lead the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, ending a three-game losing skid. Custom Miami Dolphins Jerseys .Y. -- Phil Jackson lost out on his preferred coach, but hes working hard on keeping his star player. http://www.officialauthenticdolphinsshop.com/authentic-robert-quinn-jersey.html . Mauer drove in two runs before leaving with an injury, Eduardo Nunez homered and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 10-2 on Tuesday night.PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Alex Nedeljkovic made 35 saves and Zach Lorentz scored the eventual winner with five minutes to play as the Plymouth Whalers edged the Saginaw Spirit 3-1 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday. Victor Crus Rydberg and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist apiece for the Whalers (27-31-7). Cody Payne was the lone scorer for Saginaw (32-28-5), finding the back of the net midway through the second period for the first goal of the game. Nikita Serebryakov stopped 35 shots in the losing effort. --- FRONTENACS 5 STEELHEADS 3 KINGSTON, Ont. -- Ryan Kujawinski scored twice and added an assist as the Frontenacs downed the Steelheads. Henri Ikonen scored once and added two assists for Kingston (36-22-6), and Samuel Schutt and Darcy Greenaway also scored. Bryson Cianfrone scored two for the Steelheads (23-37-5), and Andrew Goldberg chipped in with a goal and an assist. Lucas Peressini made 33 saves for the Frontenacs, while Mississaugas Martin Spencer stopped 29 saves in the losing effort. --- ICEDOGS 5 COLTS 2 St. CATHARINES, Ont. -- Brent Moran made 46 saves and Niagara used a four-goal second period to topple the Colts. Brendan Perlini and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist apiece for the IceDogs (22-34-8), while Billy Jenkins, Anthony DiFruscia and Eric Ming also scored. Brendan Lemieux and Cordell James replied for Barrie (34-28-3) and Andrew Mangiapane contributed with two assists. Daniel Gibl started in net for the Colts but left the game after allowing three goals on 13 shots. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 11 of 13 shots in relief. --- BATTALION 4 WOLVES 1 SUDBURY, Ont. -- Mike Amadio scored twice and Vincent Praaplan had three assists to lift the Battalion over the Wolves for their third straight win. Mike Gesicki Jersey. . Miles Liberati and Matt MacLeod also scored for North Bay (35-24-6) and Dylan Blujus chipped in with two assists. Nicholas Baptise scored the lone goal for Sudbury (32-22-11), on a power play at 13:46 of the first period. Battalion goaltender Jake Smith stopped 22 shots in the victory. Wolves goalie Franky Palazzese shouldered the loss after making 22 saves. --- GREYHOUNDS 5 SPITFIRES 1 WINDSOR, Ont. -- Sergey Tolchinsky scored a goal and assisted on three more as Sault Ste. Marie broke open the game in the third period to seal its victory over the Spitfires. Jared McCann had a goal and an assist, and Tyler Hore, Darnell Nurse and Jean Dupuy also scored for the Greyhounds (42-17-6), who broke a 1-1 tie with four unanswered goals in the third period. Josh Ho-Sang scored his 31st goal of the season for Windsor (36-26-3), who has dropped its last four contests. Brendan Halverson picked up the win with 33 saves while Spitfires goalie Dalen Kuchmey took the loss after stopping 26 of 31 shots. --- STORM 6 STING 2 SARNIA, Ont. -- Kerby Rychel and Brock McGinn scored two goals each to lift the Storm over the Sting. Zack Mitchell had a goal and an assist, and Justin Auger also scored for Guelph (50-12-3). Scott Kosmachuk chipped in with three assists. Nickolas Latta and Nikita Korostelev scored for Sarnia (16-42-7), which was outshot 49-21. Nikolay Goldobin and Anthony DeAngelo had two assists apiece. Storm goaltender Matthew Mancina stopped 19 shots, while his Sting counterpart Brodie Barrick made 43 saves in the losing effort. Cheap Hawks Jerseys Cheap Celtics Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Hornets Jerseys Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cheap Cavaliers Jerseys Cheap Mavericks Jerseys Cheap Nuggets Jerseys Cheap Pistons Jerseys Cheap Warriors Jerseys Cheap Rockets Jerseys Cheap Pacers Jerseys Cheap Clippers Jerseys Cheap Lakers Jerseys Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys ' ' '