Goldschmidt doubled and extended his streak of reach

TORONTO -- Fourth line, really?Well, technically, yes.Joe Thornton, Ryan OReilly and Matt Duchene count a combined $20.25 million toward the salary cap for their NHL teams this season. But on this team, they are the fourth group of forwards. They are yet another reason Team Canada can win in a million different ways in this World Cup of Hockey, an absolute matchup nightmare that Europe is up next trying to defend Wednesday night (8 ET, ESPN2) with first place on the line in Group A.Obviously yeah, minutes-wise, were the fourth line, Duchene said after his two goals Tuesday night fueled Canadas dominating 4-2 win over Team USA. Were the fourth line in the rotation. But weve found some good chemistry and I think when you look at how deep our team is, its more like four first lines. Thats the way we want to carry ourselves. We dont want to limit our role and our ability because we are the fourth line. We want to play the game that we know how to play.Well, that was on full display in the win over the U.S., OReillys unit manhandling the Americans on many a shift.So if youre Europe head coach Ralph Krueger on Wednesday night and youre trying to figure out ways to stop lines centered by Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf and Jonathan Toews, it stands to reason your fourth line likely ends up matched against Duchenes gang.Good luck with that.A lot of time we get the fourth-line matchups and I think were a skilled line as well, you saw Duchie have a big game tonight and playing phenomenal, said OReilly. But I think we can provide that extra wave, that relentless wave of puck possession, not just going out there and grinding but still making plays and wearing teams down by having the puck. Thats our goal and our mindset going into games.Canada has 10 goals in two games and it feels like it left some on the table. Theyve got the puck nearly all the time. The forecheck and cycle game has left the Czech Republic and U.S. gasping for air.OReilly was asked how he thought it might feel like for other teams to defend this four-line attack.I think were relentless, I think we have four lines that consistently find ways to create, said the Buffalo Sabres center. Having that, its got to be tough for any team to play against, he added rather matter-of-factly, not arrogantly.Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock indicated Claude Giroux likely will play his first game of the tournament Wednesday night. Thats right, one of the NHLs most prolific scorers the past five years gets to get out of the press box along with his $8.275 million cap hit on his NHL team and play a game.Mercy.Definitely thats going to be a different animal, Europe winger Marian Hossa said of facing Canada. Its the favored team to win this tournament. Its going to be a great measurement of where were at. Obviously, theyre huge favorites at home, so well try to surprise them.If Europe can pull off the upset, the best chance will come from Canada playing back-to-back games and having difficulty, perhaps, re-creating the kind of emotional engagement that comes so naturally against Team USA.Within 24 hours theyre going from playing a heated rival, which they knocked out of the tournament, to facing a team thats never existed before this tournament.Well, I think theres a lot of pride, were fighting with them for first place in the pool, so theres a lot riding on that, responded Team Canada forward John Tavares, when asked how they avoid a letdown against Europe. Its such a short tournament, you dont have many chances to make any mistakes or have any letdowns. I think theres great character in the locker room and great leadership, a lot of pride within our group to go out there and keep getting better as a team and individually. You know, youre playing for your country, these chances dont come around very often, so you make every game matter.Having already booked a ticket to the semifinals, first place in the pool is the carrot left for Canada. But in the bigger picture, its the idea thats constantly hammered home by Babcock of raising the teams game every step of the way so that it is at its highest level at the end. Its what happened in Vancouver and Sochi.Thing is, theyve come flying out of the gates. How much room is there to improve?Lots, if you believe Babcock.There were times tonight that I didnt think we were even close to being as good as were capable of being, Babcock said after the win over Team USA. But it was an opportunity to get better today, and now were set up to play more games in the tournament, which is real positive. And weve got to take some steps because we werent as good as were capable of being tonight.Sure, Team Canada was sloppy at times in the U.S. victory.But lets be serious here, the team that has won 12 consecutive games in best-on-best hockey, dating back to the Vancouver 2010 Games, is looking more dangerous than both versions of the squad that has won back-to-back Olympic gold medals.Really.Good luck, everyone.Charles Mann Jersey . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Trent Williams Youth Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. http://www.redskinsfansproshop.com/Redskins+Dexter+Manley+Rush+Jersey.html?cat=1333 . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Alex Smith Jersey . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Earnest Byner Redskins Jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup.DENVER -- The Arizona Diamondbacks got the start they wanted but not the finish they needed.Robbie Ray was nearly unhittable for four innings before faltering badly, and a late collapse by the bullpen left the Diamondbacks with a 14-7 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.Nick Hundley hit a grand slam and pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso also homered in a seven-run eighth for Colorado.A.J. Pollock homered for Arizona, which couldnt hold an early lead.Ray yielded just one hit through four innings but fell apart in the fifth. Colorado scored six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits before he left with one out.I only had 44 pitches in four innings. I was feeling good, Ray said. Things didnt work out.The left-hander was sharp early, allowing just a two-out single in the fourth to Carlos Gonzalez before the fifth-inning collapse.He just couldnt put pitches together, Arizona manager Chip Hale said. He had two-strike counts and a couple of 0-2 counts and gave up some pretty well-hit balls. There were a couple of bloopers, which happens here.Nolan Arenado and Gonzalez each had two hits for the Rockies.The game was tied at 7 with two outs in the eighth when Enrique Burgos (1-2) hit Charlie Blackmon with a pitch to start Colorados rally. Arenados single two batters later put the Rockies ahead and, after two walks, Hundley hit his ninth homer and first career slam off Silvino Bracho.Descalso followed with the third pinch-hit homer of his career to cap the outburst.It got out of hand, Hale said. There was a chance we could get out of the eighth before the two home runs and score in the ninth. It just didnt happen.Carlos Estevez (3-7) worked a perfect inning for the win.ddddddddddddFour hits and a throwing error by Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa helped Arizona put up four runs in the fourth to give Ray a 5-0 lead.De La Rosa allowed five runs, none earned, in five innings.Pollocks two-run shot off Jordan Lyles, his first homer of the season, gave the Diamondbacks a 7-6 lead in the sixth, but Colorado tied it on David Dahls single in the bottom half.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: LHP Andrew Chafin (shoulder) was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Reno. ... RHP Rubby De La Rosa (elbow inflammation) pitched one inning for Class A Visalia on Thursday. It was his first game action since May 25 with Arizona.Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (back) and reliever Justin Miller (oblique strain) were activated from the 15-day disabled list. Colorado also reinstated Descalso from the paternity list.PURE GOLDPaul Goldschmidt doubled and extended his streak of reaching base against the Rockies to 49 games. It is the longest ever against Colorado.EXPANDED ROSTERSThe Rockies recalled long reliever and spot starter Christian Bergman from Triple-A Albuquerque. Bergman was optioned down on Aug. 20.Colorado also beefed up its roster by recalling catcher Tom Murphy and outfielder Raimel Tapia from Albuquerque. Tapia made his major league debut with a pinch-hit, infield single in the sixth.The Diamondbacks recalled outfielder Socrates Brito from Triple-A Reno.UP NEXTDiamondbacks RHP Braden Shipley (2-3, 4.75 ERA) faces Chatwood (10-8, 3.78) on Saturday. ' ' '