Hunde in Not » playoffs.DR. DUNKENSTEINKorver went 198 games with

Canadas mens hockey team is still six days away from their opening match against Norway and with the NHLs pre-Olympic schedule winding down, the talk and the focus of those chosen to don the Maple Leaf has shifted to how well the 25 players selected for Sochi will come together. The latest to be added into that mix, of course, is 38-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis. The scoring winger was an easy choice to replace his linemate Steven Stamkos on the roster, according to Canadas head coach. "We didnt have to vote at all; everyone just thought St. Louis was the guy," Mike Babcock told TSN on Friday. "Prior to that, we all voted and if you got consensus you were in and if you didnt get consensus you werent." St. Louis may have been a unanimous choice, according to Babcock, but that had nothing to do with Canadian general manager Steve Yzerman also being the Lightning GM. "It would have been easy for Steve to say Martys on the team [because] I said hes on the team but that to me is not how you manage," Babcock said Friday. "You just do the best thing and I think we have an opportunity and thats all you can ask for." St. Louis has upped his game since being left off the initial 25-man roster on Jan. 7, netting 17 points in 15 games including a two-goal game the night after the announcement and a four-goal game in San Jose on Jan. 18. Babcock understands St. Louis being frustrated with the initial decision, but believes he will now shift his mentality to help Canada in its quest for gold. "I think everyones allowed to be bitter, but I think you get up and get on with it. You know what I mean? Thats life," Babcock said. "If you go through his career, hes been called out lots of times for the fact that oh youre too small, youre too this and hes just been determined. Thats all over with that stuff. Youre on the team – now youve got to find a way to be part of it." St. Louis career is one that has been marked by determination, including being cut adrift by the Calgary Flames after the 1999-2000 season, finding success with the likes of Vincent LeCavalier and Brad Richards and winning a Stanley Cup with the Lightning. He survived a rebuild that saw the Bolts miss the playoffs in five of the last six years and then re-emerged as a scoring threat alongside the younger Stamkos. As for whether hell get a chance to play or is merely along for the ride as the 13th or 14th forward on the team, Babcock believes St. Louis has to be ready for any eventuality. "Be a good pro, be a real good teammate and battle your butt off in a competitive environment to get as much as you can to help the team and its not going to be about any one player." Babcock addressed another positional battle on Friday, too, speaking out about the recent struggles of Vancouver Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo. Chosen alongside fellow goalies Carey Price and Mike Smith to represent Canada, Luongo has lost four straight games, posting a sub-.900 save percentage over those starts. However, Babcock expressed a confidence in Luongo that suggests the 34-year-old will be given a chance at very least to compete for the lions share of crease time in Sochi. "Im not concerned," Babcock said of the man who back-stopped Canada to gold in Vancouver. "I just think hes a really good goalie. Ive been with him a number of times and hes always found a way to deliver. So Im not concerned, no." Wholesale Shoes Black Friday Free Shipping .com) - Delon Wright made all 12 of his free throws and finished with 21 points and six assists as No. Buy Shoes Black Friday . The closer wasnt available. The road trip, a disaster to that point. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . Of all the names out there who could realistically be dealt by Wednesdays deadline, Ryan Kesler remains No. 1 on the most desired list. And while were not sure if theyre any closer to a deal, we now have a defined price. Discount Shoes Black Friday . Both had to wait out a rain interruption lasting nearly five hours before taking comprehensive third-round victories to join Carling Bassett-Seguso (1983, 1986), Patricia Hy-Boulais (1996-97) and Daniel Nestor (1999) as Canadians who made it into the second week of a major. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 . -- Catriona Matthew remained atop the Airbus LPGA Classic leaderboard Friday, birdieing four of the last seven holes to take a one-stroke advantage over Charley Hull into the weekend.ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks romped to their 15th straight victory, the longest streak in franchise history.Dont expect them to savour it for long.This team is focused firmly on whats in front of them.Paul Millsap scored 22 points, Jeff Teague added 17 and the Hawks broke the record with a 103-93 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.Its a good accomplishment, Millsap said, sitting in a rather sombre locker room. But its just another win.The wins keep piling up for a team that no one expected to be a title contender at the beginning of the season. Before a raucous sellout crowd, the Hawks came out on top for the 29th time in 31 games to extend their Eastern-best record to 36-8.As usual, pretty much everyone chipped in.Four starters were in double figures and backup point guard Dennis Schroder led a spurt at the start of the fourth quarter that helped the Hawks pull away. He finished with 13 points and five assists, igniting the arena with a towering finger roll that dropped gently through the net.Give me five really good guys, Millsap said, and Ill go out there and win with em.Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 22 points, but it wasnt enough to extend their four-game winning streak.Kevin Durant added 21 points, while Serge Ibaka with 13 was the only other Thunder player in double figures.The Hawks were much more balanced. Al Horford had 14 points and 12 rebounds, while DeMarre Carroll chipped in with 13 points. Kyle Korver was the only starter who didnt reach double figures, but even he chipped in with a play that had everyone talking: another dunk in the waning seconds of the first half that sent the Hawks to the locker room with a 48-47 lead.They never trailed again, strolling off the court at the end with the public-address announcer screaming 15 in a row!Its cool to get your name in the record book, Carroll said. At the same time, weve got bigger tasks at hand. Thats making it to the playoffs and bringing an NBA championship to Atlanta.The crowd of 19,203 marked the third sellout in Atlantas last four games. In a sign that the attendance-challenged city is really getting behind its team, mmost of the crowd came to cheer for the home team rather than to see an out-of-town star.dddddddddddd.Theyve jumped on the bandwagon now, Durant said. The crowd was great tonight and really helped them out.Hes also impressed with what Atlanta is putting on the court.Theyre a really good team, he said — over and over again.Schroder led the decisive spurt after Durant started the fourth quarter with a free throw that closed the gap to 79-76. The lightning-quick German scored with a drive, hit two free throws, then laid off a pass that set up Horfords layin. Schroders nifty finger roll capped the 8-0 run that pushed Atlanta to a double-digit lead for the first time, 87-76.The Thunder never got closer than eight and trailed by double digits pretty much the rest of the way.My confidence is through the roof right now, Schroder said.Atlanta broke the franchise record set during the 1993-94 season, when they finished with the best record in the East but were upset in the second round of the playoffs.DR. DUNKENSTEINKorver went 198 games without a dunk until he slammed one in during Wednesdays victory over Indiana. Now, hes got a dunk streak going, pushing his career total to 17 with a two-handed jam.Dont expect it to last.I think those were the No. 1 and No. 2 all-time worst dunks, Korver said. Its getting way too much attention. Im going to backboard them the rest of the season.TIP-INSThunder: Oklahoma City, which came in as the leagues top rebounding team, was beaten on the boards 47-36. ... The Thunder went on a 10-0 run in the first quarter, forcing the Hawks to call an early timeout.Hawks: Atlanta was sloppy with the ball in the first half, turning it over 12 times to set up 16 points for the Thunder. They cut back to seven turnovers over the final two quarters, leading to just two points. ... The Hawks improved to 31-1 and 15-0 at home when leading going to the fourth quarter.UP NEXTThunder: Travel to Cleveland to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Sunday.Hawks: Host Minnesota on Sunday, the fourth game in a seven-game homestand.___Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 ' ' '