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Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) – Top seed and defending champion Novak
Djokovic and six-time winner Roger Federer secured berths in the quarterfinals
at The Championships, Wimbledon. DeMarcus Ware Womens Jersey . Djokovic moved
into a 13th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal by dismantling his Serbian Davis
Cup teammate Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 in a mere 90 minutes under the roof on
Centre Court, as rain wreaked havoc on the mens fourth- round schedule Monday at
the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Djokovic broke his good friend six times and
simply controlled the match from start to finish. The 25-year-old Djokovic is
now 31-1 over his last five majors and 43-2 over his last seven Grand Slams.
Djokovic reached his first-ever Wimbledon final and captured his first-ever
title here with a victory over Rafael Nadal a year ago. He has won four of the
last six major finals and was the French Open runner-up to Nadal last month. The
formidable Belgrade native will meet the Richard Gasquet-Florian Mayer winner on
Wednesday. Federer landed in a record 33rd straight Grand Slam quarterfinal with
a less- than-routine four-set victory on Day 7. The third-seeded former world
No. 1 great held off capable Belgian grass- courter Xavier Malisse 7-6 (7-1),
6-1, 4-6, 6-3 on the famed Centre Court. The victory also marked the 850th of
Federers remarkable career. Federer and Malisse had to wait out a brief rain
delay and the Swiss icon had to summon a trainer to treat a sore back while
leading 4-3 in the opening set. “I feel way better than a few hours ago,”
Federer said. “Honestly, Im not too worried. Ive had bad backs over the years. I
just have to keep an eye on it now. I hope Ill be 100 percent on Wednesday.” The
30-year-old Federer ultimately prevailed in 2 hours, 11 minutes with the help of
six breaks and nine aces. Malisse also recorded nine aces, but managed only half
as many breaks as his Swiss counterpart on a dreary day. Malisse beat Federer in
their first ATP meeting in 1999, but the sublime Swiss has now won their last 10
matchups, including a pair of battles at Wimbledon. The 31-year-old Malisse was
a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2002. In addition to his six titles, Federer was the
2008 Wimbledon runner-up to Rafael Nadal, as the two men played in an epic
five-set final that is regarded by many as the greatest match in tennis history.
Federer, who reached seven straight Wimbledon finals from 2003-09, is still
seeking his first Grand Slam title since the 2010 Australian Open. The Swiss
star will meet 26th-seeded Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny in the round of
eight. Youzhny had been 0-6 in his previous fourth-round matches at the AELTC,
but the gritty Russian finally secured a berth in his first-ever Wimbledon
quarterfinal by outlasting Uzbekistans Denis Istomin 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7),
7-5. The 30-year-old Youzhny has now reached at least the quarters at all four
majors, including trips into a pair of U.S. Open semifinals. Five other mens
fourth-round matches were suspended or postponed because of rain. Fourth-seeded
British hopeful Andy Murray was leading 16th-seeded Croat Marin Cilic 7-5, 3-1;
10th-seeded American Mardy Fish was ahead of fifth- seeded French slugger
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 1-1; and 31st-seeded German Florian Mayer was leading
18th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-3, 2-1 when play was called for the day.
Matches between seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer and ninth-seeded former
U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina and 27th-seeded German
Philipp Kohlschreiber and American qualifier Brian Baker were washed out
altogether on Day 7. Danny McCray Jersey . – Out for the game —
and now much longer — with a serious knee injury, Adrian Peterson was on his way
back from the X-ray room in the depths of the stadium when he looked at a
television monitor. DeMarcus Ware Black Jersey . —Aaron Rodgers
was ready. http://www.nflcowboysfansstore.com/nike-dez-bryant-Cowboys-jersey/
. The Calgary Stampeders werent as lucky, but theyre happy to have a veteran
like Kevin Glenn to step in for injured starting quarterback Drew Tate. Coach
John Hufnagel said he expects Tate to be out for five or six weeks after the
Calgary pivot suffered a left shoulder injury last week in Toronto. Dez Bryant Cowboys Jersey . The Goldeyes
dropped their second straight game against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 3-1
Saturday night before 6,434 fans at Shaw Park. Sean Lee Womens Jersey . Justin Meram tied it
for the Crew (3-4-2) in the 67th minute, 4 minutes after Dallas Zach Loyd was
sent off for a second yellow card for his tackle on Meram. Meram struck from 35
yards after teammate Eric Gehrig stole the ball from Matt Hedges.The Chicago
Blackhawks were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the second
straight season. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a talented, and nearly full,
Blackhawks roster that, if healthy, still has reasonable aims of competing for
the Stanley Cup. While there are always roster tweaks that contending teams are
going to make, perhaps the biggest issue facing the Blackhawks this summer is
the status of star forward Patrick Kane. (Notice I said forward, as opposed to
right winger, since Kane played centre quite a bit last season and could end up
in the middle more in the future.) Kanes offseason has been marked by a
notorious drinking binge that was all-too-public for the Blackhawks and maybe it
will serve as a wake-up call for Kane, who is obviously very talented, but
perhaps somewhat troubled too. However, if the Blackhawks would rather not wait
to find out if Kane will get his act together, he would obviously be a blue-chip
trading piece this summer. His production would not easily be replaced, and many
of the players that might be capable of replacing his production wont be moved,
but if the Blackhawks are willing to trade Kane, there will be other teams
prepared to roll the dice on a player with his skills. Aside from Kane, the
Blackhawks have to hope for good health going into next season. Jonathan Toews
missed the last quarter of the regular season with a concussion and Marian Hossa
was knocked out of the playoffs with his own concussion. Their health will have
a major effect on whether the Blackhawks are contenders next season. On defence,
the Blackhawks already have six players under contract so, unless there are
plans to deal one of those blueliners, they may not need much more than depth
additions. Finally, the goaltending. While the Blackhawks expect better from
their goaltenders than what they received in 2011-2012, both are under contract
for next season. Either that means Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman will be busy
wheeling and dealing for an upgrade or hes left to hope that the same players
can provide better results. Many general managers would readily swap places with
Bowman, because he has a talented core around which to build, but expectations
and some serious issues should make this a challenging summer in the Windy City.
The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including
goals and assists—weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded)
—plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, penalty differential
and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS, /, PIM, GP).
Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top
four defenceman will be 70-plus and the biggest stars will be over 80.
Evgeni Malkin finished at the top of the regular season ratings with a 93.12.
Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com.
GM/COACH Stan Bowman/Joel Quenneville Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A
PTS / Cap Hit Jonathan Toews 83.63 59 29 28 57 17 $6.3M Patrick Sharp 81.33
74 33 36 69 +28 $5.9M Marian Hossa 80.46 81 29 48 77 +18 $5.275M Patrick Kane
75.04 82 23 43 66 +7 $6.3M Andrew Shaw 70.38 37 12 11 23 1 $565K
Viktor Stalberg 69.86 79 22 21 43 +6 $875K Dave Bolland 66.06 76 19 18 37 0
$3.375M Dan Carcillo 63.59 28 2 9 11 +10 $825K Michael Frolik 61.95 63 5 10 15
-10 $2.333M Marcus Kruger 61.27 71 9 17 26 +11 $900K Bryan Bickell 60.56 71 9 15
24 -3 $541.7K Jimmy Hayes 60.11 31 5 4 9 -3 $875K Jamal Mayers 56.17 81 6 9 15
-4 $650K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS / Class 11-12 Cap Hit
Brendan Morrison 60.97 39 4 7 11 5 UFA $1.25M Andrew Brunette 58.78 78 12 15 27
-13 UFA $2.0M One of the games best all-around players, Jonathan Toews continues
to improve and is one of three forwards (Alex Burrows and Pavel Datsyuk are the
others) to have a double-digit plus rating in each of the last five seasons. He
scored a career-best 0.97 points per game last season while playing a
career-high 20:51 per game. A concussion caused Toews to miss the last 22 games
of the regular season, but he did return for the playoffs, so he should start
the 2012-2013 season in good health. In the last five seasons, Patrick Sharp has
scored 154 goals, which ranks 15th in the league over that span. Hes also one of
11 players to have at least three plus-20 seasons in the last five years, so
Sharp ranks among the leagues best forwards. As he spends more time on the wing,
Sharp has been allowed to focus on his offensive game and he registered a
career-best 3.81 shots per game last season. At 33-years-old, Marian Hossa is
coming off a season in which he topped 70 points for the seventh time in his
career, recording a double-digit plus rating for the eighth time, yet none of
that production is particuarly important. After he was leveled by a Raffi Torres
hit in Game Three of the first round playoff series against Phoenix, Hossa has
been recovering. While his health has been improving and he expects to be ready
to go in time for training camp, any concussion of that nature is going to be
some reason for concern. If the story of Patrick Kane was as simple as a
23-year-old who scored a career-low 66 points despite playing a career-high
20:12 per game, then it would be easy enough to move past—slightly
disappointing production from a talented young player—but hes earned an
off-ice reputation, for partying too hard, that has reportedly troubled the
Blackhawks. That doesnt mean that this cant be fixed with a little maturity from
Kane and patience from the team, but it could also pave Kanes way out of town. A
fifth-round pick last summer, 20-year-old Andrew Shaw split the season between
AHL Rockford and Chicago, scoring 23 points in 38 AHL games as well as 23 points
in 37 NHL games. The scoring is a bonus, but Shaws real impact is as an energy
forward whose 2.22 hits per game helped make up for the physical presence lost
with Daniel Carcillo out of the lineup. Viktor Stalberg has been fortunate
enough to play with quality linemates, but hes making the most of his chances
too. He scored a career-high 22 goals and 43 points last season with his
22-even-strength goals tying several others for 25th in the league. Saying that
David Bolland scored 37 points and was an even player doesnt scratch the surface
when trying to assess his value to the Blackhawks. He consistently played
against a high level of competition (ranked 12th among forwards that played at
least 50 games in Corsi Relative Quality of Competition, according to
www.behindthenet.ca) while, at the same time, starting jsut 32.5% of his shifts
in the offensive zone (the seventh-lowest percentage among forwards, again from
www.behindthenet.ca). What those numbers indicate is that Bolland does a lot of
the heavy lifting, which allows Chicagos first two lines more offensive freedom.
Knee surgery cut short Dan Carcillos season, but the agitating winger earned a
contract extension anyway, which seems to suggest that the Blackhawks like what
they got from Carcillo in 28 games. There was a time, not so long ago, that
Michael Frolik looked like he was on his way to becoming an offensive threat in
the league, but those days are getting further away in the rearview mirror after
he managed just five goals in 63 games last season. Still just 24, Frolik can
still return to being a 20-goal scorer, but hell have to finish better. Over the
last two seasons, Frolik has scored on 4.3% of his shots on goal. Among forwards
with at least 200 shots on goal over the last two seasons, only Scott Gomez,
Trevor Lewis and Adam Hall fared worse and considering Frolik actually had some
scoring ability in his first couple seasons, its not out of the realm of
possibility that he bounces back somewhat, but its also possible he could be cut
loose since buyouts are relatively inexpensive on younger players..
Marcus Kruger steadily earned more ice time as his rookie season went along,
contributing 15 points in his last 30 games, while playing 17 minutes per game
after the All-Star break. It would certainly be nice to get more consistent
offensive production from Kruger, but hes just turned 22, so there should be
some natural evolution as he matures and gets stronger to deal with the physical
demands of the game. After scoring 17 goals and 37 points in 2010-2011,
Bryan Bickell took a step back last season, particularly early, before picking
up his production in the second half. Consistency is still a challenge for the
big winger who, at his best, can be an effective checker and can chip in
offensively. 6-foot-6 winger Jimmy Hayes may be in a battle for a lineup spot
after splitting time between the AHL and NHL last season, but his combination of
rare size and skill gives him a chance to contribute if he gets the opportunity.
Just signed to a new contract, Jamal Mayers produced about what was expected—
it was his fourth straight season in which he finished betwen 14 and 16 points
and he has 50 fights over the course of those four seasons. Sean Lee Limited Jersey. . That he comes with
an inexpensive price tag likely factored into the Blackhawks willingness to
re-sign him. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS / Cap Hit
Brent Seabrook 75.70 78 9 25 34 +21 $5.8M Duncan Keith 75.08 74 4 36 40 +15
$5.538M Nick Leddy 69.09 82 3 34 37 12 $1.117M Steve Montador 65.84 52 5 9 14
+4 $2.75M Niklas Hjalmarsson 65.41 69 1 14 15 +9 $3.5M Johnny Oduya 64.98 81 3
15 18 -6 $3.375M Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS / Class 11-12 Cap
Hit Sami Lepisto 61.91 26 1 2 3 +3 UFA $750K Sean ODonnell 59.69 51 0 7 7 -6 UFA
$850K A workhorse defenceman who consistently matches up against the oppositions
best, and succeeds in that role, Brent Seabrook has been plus-20 or better in
three of the last four seasons and played a career-high 24:43 per game last
season. Additionally, Seabrook has steadily cleaned up his game, decreasing his
penalty minute totals in each of the last five years, going from a career-high
104 penalty minutes in 2006-2007 to a career-low 22 penalty minutes last season.
There were only nine defencemen in the league to record 40 points with at least
a plus-15 rating last season and Duncan Keith was one of them, yet hes still
regarded as somewhat disappointing. The reason, in part, is that Keith elevated
expectations by winning the Norris Trophy in 2010, so playing at that level isnt
easy, but Keith hasnt been engaged as consistently in the last couple seasons.
He can still turn it up and play an A-1 game, and he did log 26:54 per game last
year, but there are too many occasions that hes not playing his best.
21-year-old Nick Leddy took a quantum leap forward last season, his second year
in the league, playing more than 22 minutes per game and while he finished with
a minus-12 rating, Leddys shot differential was positive (plus-3.7 per 60
minutes of 5-on-5 play, www.behindthenet.ca), indicating that he was as much a
victim of bad luck/goaltending in the plus-minus game. Steve Montador went
through an injury-plagued season, but was rather well-compensated for the role
he was asked to play, skating just 14:46 per game after playing 19:43 per game
the year before in Buffalo. Montador suffered a late-season concussion which
leaves his status uncertain, but there are hopes that an off-season of rest will
allow him to be ready for training camp. It appears that Niklas Hjalmarssons
progress has stalled, but its not like a (soon-to-be) 25-year-old defenceman who
logs 20 minutes per game is without value. Hjalmarsson can play in the top four,
but could also be bumped to the Blackhawks third pair. Part of the reason that
the Blackhawks could move Hjalmarsson down (if not trade him altogether) is that
they have re-signed Johnny Oduya, obviously happy with his contributions (five
points, plus-3, 24:25 ATOI in 18 games) after he was acquired from Winnipeg.
Oduya has played more than 20 minutes per game for each of the last four seasons
and can expect more of the same in the next three years with Chicago. Returning
Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV Cap Hit Corey Crawford 64.21 57 30
17 7 2.72 .903 $2.667M Ray Emery 61.95 34 15 9 4 2.81 .900 $1.15M Its not
entirely unusual for a young goaltender to drop-off in their second season after
experiencing some rookie success and that happened to Corey Crawford last
season. After an up-and-down regular season, Crawford was generally playing well
in the playoffs, aside from allowing a couple of soft overtime goals against
Phoenix. While they were only a couple of goals, they were back-breaking for the
Blackhawks and Chicago heads into next season hoping for better from their No.
1, provided they dont decide on a major trade to upgrade the position. Ray Emery
played in 34 games for the Blackhawks, probably more than they hoped when they
signed him and his most in a season since 2006-2007. He even had chances to run
with the starting job when Crawford was struggling but, aside from brief
stretches, couldnt hold it together long enough to steal the gig. Now that he
appears to be healthy once again, Emery should be good enough to be an
above-average backup. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Brandon Saad
LW Saginaw (OHL) 34-42-76, +35, 44 GP Mark McNeill C Prince Albert (WHL)
31-40-71, -10, 69 GP Brandon Pirri C Rockford (AHL) 23-33-56 +9, 66 GP
Jeremy Morin LW Rockford (AHL) 18-22-410, +9, 69 GP Phillip Danault C
Victoriaville (QMJHL) 18-53-71, +11, 62 GP Kyle Beach LW Rockford (AHL) 5-5-10,
even, 19 GP Dylan Olsen D Rockford (AHL) 4-3-7, -5, 44 GP Adam Clendening D
Boston University (HE) 4-29-33, +11, 38 GP Stephen Johns D Notre Dame (CCHA)
4-6-10, -1, 39 GP Alexander Salak G Rockford (AHL) 6-10, 2.63 GAA, .903 SV, 21
GP Brandon Saad made the Blackhawks out of training camp, after being drafted in
the second round last summer, but was returned to junior after playing two
games. Saad dominated in the OHL and played a couple of playoff games with the
Blackhawks. A big forward with skill, Saad may not be ready for the first-line
duty he was handed in his brief time last season, but he could earn a job next
season and start the depth chart climb. A first-round pick last summer,
Mark McNeill is physically ready for the NHL, as a big, strong, two-way centre,
but if hes returned to the Western Hockey League, it would be fine for him to
control the puck more than he would as a pro. Improved skating gives
Brandon Pirri a chance to push for a job in Chicago soon, as the 21-year-old
enjoyed a productive season season in the AHL. Pirri may start next season in
Rockford, but he could earn a shot for the number two centre role if others cant
claim the spot. Jeremy Morin plays with some bite to his game, enough that it
could help earn an initial place on the roster, but the 21-year-old can score
too, so another season in the AHL, with time to further develop his offensive
game, could prove beneficial in the long run. Phillip Danault, a 19-year-old
playmaking centre, impressed at training camp last season, but theres no need to
press the issue. Given time to get stronger and improve his all-around game, he
could have long-term value. A dislocated shoulder cut Kyle Beachs season short,
but the 2008 first-round pick shouldnt be forgotten altogether. He has size,
skill and toughness and is 22-years-old, so if hes healthy for a full season
next year, his development could be back on track. Dylan Olsen was a first-round
pick in 2009 and injuries did give him a chance to play significant minutes in
Chicago last year, but he could further seasoning before hes considered for a
regular spot on the blueline. A mobile defenceman with good puck skills,
Adam Clendening has performed well in his first two seasons at Boston
University, but hes still just 19-years-old, so the Blackhawks can remain
patient and let him mature before hes pressed into pro action. Quite different
than Clendening, Adam Johns is a big, bruising defenceman who isnt going to
provide much offence, but the 2010 second-round pick could make his mark in a
physical defensive role. Signed to a one-way contract next season,
Alexander Salak didnt have a great year in Rockford, so he didnt knock down the
door for a team with goaltending question marks, but he may as well be
considered as a possibility if next year doesnt bring better goaltending to
Chicago. DRAFT 18th – Brendan Gaunce, Jacob Trouba, Hampus Lindholm, Pontus
Aberg FREE AGENCY According to www.capgeek.com, the Blackhawks have
approximately $59.8M committed to the 2012-2013 salary cap for 20 players. Check
out my potential 2012-2013 Blackhawks roster on Cap Geek here. Needs: One top
six-forward, depth forwards, depth defencemen, What I said the Blackhawks needed
last year: Depth forwards, backup goaltender. They added: Andrew Brunette,
Jamal Mayers, Daniel Carcillo, Marcus Kruger, Steve Montador, Sean ODonnell,
Ray Emery. TRADE MARKET Patrick Kane, Viktor Stalberg, Bryan Bickell,
Michael Frolik, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Corey Crawford. Scott Cullen can be reached
at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
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