Only for Guild Members » C Stephen Gionta was scratched

SOCHI, Russia -- Canada was a second-half team at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Deion Sanders Jersey . The medal intake in Sochi is forecasted to happen at a more measured pace. Starting with Saturdays mens snowboard slopestyle and womens moguls, Canada has at least one legitimate medal shot, if not more, virtually every day until the closing ceremonies Feb. 23. Chef de mission Steve Podborski and his assistants Jean-Luc Brassard and France St. Louis intend to be present at events where a Canadian is a front-runner for a medal. "I would say were booked every day," Podborski said at a Canadian Olympic Committee news conference Thursday. The host country won 18 of its 26 medals in Vancouver during the back half of the Games. Ten of the 14 gold medals came in the second half, including four on the final weekend. Sports making their Olympic debut helped balance the schedule of Canadas medal prospects in Sochi. Mens and womens snowboard slopestyle, the figure skating team event and the luge relay are among the new events over the first eight days of competition in which Canada has solid medal prospects. Thats in addition to Canadas strength in the entrenched sports of alpine skiing, moguls, short-track speedskating and cross-country skiing. "Sure there are new sports and we happen to be very, very good in the new ones because we are a great sporting nation," Podborski said. "With the support were getting now from corporate Canada, Own The Podium and the Government of Canada, we have an opportunity to be good in the traditional sports as well and thats where well make our great gains in the areas where are athletes are getting better . . . cross-country, alpine skiing." Canadas athletes have been waging fierce foosball tournaments in their village lounge while they await Fridays opening ceremonies, according to Podborski. But Olympic competition started early for some Canadians with Thursdays preliminary rounds. Canada sat in second place, two points behind host Russia, after the first day of the new team figure skating event. Torontos Patrick Chan was third in the mens short program, then Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., were second in the pairs short to give Canada 17 of a possible 20 points after the first two events. Sebastien Toutant of LAssomption, Que., and Max Parrot of Bromont, Que., advanced to the mens snowboard slopestyle final Saturday, while Charles Reid of Mont-Tremblant, Que., and Reginas Mark McMorris will attempt to join them via the semifinal earlier in the day. The Dufour-Lapointe sisters from Montreal -- Justine, Chloe and Maxime -- all qualified for Saturdays womens moguls finals as did Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City. Reigning world champion Spencer OBrien of Courtney, B.C., qualified for the womens slopestyle final Sunday. Hockey Canada also made the decision to replace injured forward Steven Stamkos with Tampa Bay teammate Martin St. Louis. No competition is scheduled Friday because of the opening ceremonies. In addition to slopestyle and womens moguls on opening weekend, skiers Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., Calgarys Jan Hudec and Manny Osborne-Paradis of Invermere, B.C., are medal prospects in Sundays downhill. Canadas figure skaters are favoured to win a medal in the team event, which ends Sunday. Canadas objective in 2010 was to top the overall medal count and the target remains the same in Sochi. The host team was third in total medals, but won the gold-medal race four years ago. Because of the new sports, there are 36 more medals to be won in 2014 than in 2010. That will help fill Canadas coffers, but also those of top rivals Germany, Norway, the United States and host Russia. "Canada is here to compete and win," COC president Marcel Aubut said. "Our aim is to contend for the number one spot in medals won." "This is an ambitious goal, but we Canadians like it this way. Our athletes expect nothing less of themselves but the highest achievements." Added Podborski: "You dont try to come "somewhere up there." We expect great things in Canada now. Its an ideal approach. "We may not win the medal count this time. We may not win it the next time but one day we will because we are striving to be number one in the world in the medal count." While Canadas preparation for 2010 seems a successful model to copy for Sochi, the Canadian Olympic Committee took a different approach. The 2008 Summer Games in Beijing posed similar challenges to Sochi in terms of distance to travel, time-zone difference and unfamiliar language, food and culture. Virtually all of Canadas Olympians competed, trained or at least visited Beijing in the year prior to those Games to get comfortable with the place. The same practice was done for Sochi. There was less emphasis on pre-Games visits for the 2012 Summer Games in London. "If we look at the Beijing experience and we look at the Sochi experience, its actually very similar," COC chief sport officer Caroline Assalian says. "New and unfamiliar environment for most countries. "We ensured that the athletes and support teams as much as possible are familiar with this environment." The COC has conducted exit interviews with athletes, their coaches and support teams following Olympic Games since 2006 to better plan for the next. The athletes were asked "what made the difference in your performance?" "Their number one factor? Feeling part of a larger unified team, more than anything," Assalian said. "Thats what made the difference for them. Coaches and support team? Familiarity with the Olympic environment." And where Beijing was also a benchmark for Sochi was in Canadas conversion rate, which the number of athletes ranked in the top five at their most recent world championships make it onto the podium at the subsequent Olympic Games. The COC employs conversion rates to compare how Canadas athletes are performing compared to other countries. Even though Canada won just 18 medals in Beijing, the conversion rate there was 67 per cent compared to 59 per cent at the Winter Games of both 2010 and 2006, according to Assalian. The Canadian team needs at least match Beijings conversion rate to be in the hunt for the overall title in Sochi. "Our bar now is Beijing," Assalian says. "We know we need to convert better than we ever have at any Winter Olympic Games." The Canadian team will attempt this without the advantage it had in Vancouver and Whistler of home ice and home snow. Own The Podium chief executive officer Anne Merklinger says many winter sport teams have stronger leadership and better coaches since 2010. Both areas were priorities coming out of Vancouver and Whistler and she hopes improvements there compensate for the additional challenges of Sochi. "Weve come a long way in that regard," she says. "Without coaches, were behind the 8-ball. Its the most important success factor. "I think there are a number of examples where weve brought in great coaches, but weve lost some too. We need to find a way to continue to retain the good ones we have and attract new ones." "Were investing in that. Thats what it takes. Its a competitive industry." OTP oversees athletes competitive lives between Olympic Games and allocates about $62 million a year in federal government funding between summer and winter sports. The COC prepares athletes for the Games environment and looks after their needs and wants on the ground in Sochi. Falcons Jerseys China . The team announced that it exercised the options on 15 players including goalkeepers Evan Bush, Maxime Crepeau and Troy Perkins, defenders Matteo Ferrari, Karl W. Foyesade Oluokun Jersey . -- The Phoenix Coyotes have won three in a row for the first time in 4 1/2 months, and theyve done it just in time for the stretch run to the playoffs. http://www.cheapfalconsjerseysonline.com/?tag=julio-jones-jersey-online . Rudy Gay made the tying basket in regulation and a 3-pointer in overtime that gave Sacramento the lead for good, and Fredette scored a career-high 24 points to help the Kings beat the Knicks 106-101 on Wednesday night.NEWARK, N.J. -- Jaromir Jagr and Martin Brodeur, two 41-year-old veterans, did what theyve done throughout their brilliant careers on Sunday night for New Jersey. The Devils hard-hitting winger Cam Janssen did something he rarely does -- score. Jagr became the eighth player in NHL history to top 1,700 points, Brodeur got his 123rd shutout, and Janssen got his fifth career goal in the New Jerseys 5-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. Jagr, who also had an assist, boosted his career totals to 686 goals and 1,015 assists, to put him at 1,701. Former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Mario Lemieux is seventh with 1,723 points -- 690 goals and 1,033 assists. "Who knows, I might have had 1900 points if I hadnt played in Russia for those 3 1/2 years," Jagr said. "I shot to the opposite side (on his goal). I used to score a lot of goals like that." Brodeur stopped 15 shots to improve to 4-3-2 this season with his 673rd career victory. Janssen scored 2:54 into the second period for the Devils (5-7-5), his second in three games. "Hes on pace to score 57 goals," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said with a smile. Marek Zidlicky made it 3-0 less than 6 minutes later on a power play. Travis Zajac and Mattias Tedenby added goals in the third period. Carter Hutton stopped 18 shots for Nashville (8-7-2). Andy Greene and Peter Harrold each were credited with an assist on Jagrs milestone goal. Harrold touched the puck to Jagr near the blue line and the 41-year-old skated left and pulled a shot at the left circle that beat Hutton inside the far post. The crowd began chanting "Ca-am Jans-sen, Ca-am Jans-sen" after the fourth line winger connected for his second goal of the season. Mark Zidlicky poked the puck over the blue line and Ryan Carter picked it up and skated straight on goal. Deadrin Senat Jersey. His shot was stuffed by Hutton, but Janssen was there to knock it in. "I kind of like this goal-scoring thing, I might have to keep trying to do this," Janssen said. "What a cool feeling." Defenceman Zidlicky connected on the power play with a slap shot from the right point. Rookie defenceman Eric Gelinas sent the puck to Zidlicky, who wound up for his shot that beat Hutton to the near side while the Devils Adam Henrique provided a screen. Brodeur made a nice glove save in the final minute of the second period to thwart Nashvilles Matt Hendricks as he broke in on the net unmarked. "Not many shots, but thats the way we like it," Brodeur said. "We killed six penalties against guys who shoot the puck 100 miles per hour, so we have to be happy with the way we played." Zajacs goal was the prettiest the Devils scored. Dainius Zubrus carried the puck over the blue line and pass to Jagr on his right. Jagr sent it across to Zajac, who finished it. Tedenby closed the scoring with 44 seconds remaining. "Theyre a tough team to play against," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "When we did get a couple looks, Marty (Brodeur) was pretty good." NOTES: Hendricks headed to the locker room six minutes into the third period with an injury, immediately after he slammed Gelinas into the boards. ... C Stephen Gionta was scratched with a sore foot, snapping his string of 65 straight starts for the Devils. C Jacob Josefson replaced Gionta on the fourth line between LW Carter and RW Janssen. ... C Mike Fisher was scratched for the Predators. ... Nashville had not played in Newark since posting a 3-1 victory on Dec. 17, 2010. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '