Stars und Sternchen! » Mark Streit and Michael Raffl also scored

PHILADELPHIA -- Things are going so well for the Philadelphia Flyers right now that they dont even need to be at their best to come out on top. Wayne Simmonds scored two goals and the Flyers beat the Dallas Stars 4-2 Thursday night for their fourth straight win. Mark Streit and Michael Raffl also scored for Philadelphia, which improved to 11-2-1 in its last 14 games while maintaining its hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division. Despite the victory, head coach Craig Berube was concerned with the teams "sloppy" play, particularly the second period when Philadelphia allowed 17 shots and three power plays. "Tonight wasnt as good, for sure," Berube said. "We were sloppy tonight, at times. Overall our team is competing hard, working hard and playing like a team, and thats what you have to do. They know it wasnt good enough tonight, but we won." Jamie Benn scored twice for Dallas, which lost its fourth straight. The Stars began the day two points behind Phoenix for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Stars coach Lindy Ruff actually saw positives in the defeat. "If we play like that night after night, well win," Ruff said. "We didnt give up a lot in the game. We gave up four goals but we didnt give up four goals on a lot of opportunities and zone time. Our puck movement was good. The margin of victory, that game couldve went either way real fast." Simmonds scored his second of the game with 7:39 left to put Philadelphia ahead 3-1. After skating across the blue line, Simmonds fired a wrist shot that beat Tim Thomas to the stick side. "Thats a save I should make," Thomas said. "The team really needed it at the time, and I really feel bad for the guys for the game they played. Thats hockey. But I can guarantee Im going to be better for the guys from here on out." Just 30 seconds later, Benn scored his second of the contest by finishing a rebound from in front of the crease after Tyler Seguins shot followed a poor Philadelphia turnover in its own end. It was the 29th goal of the season for Benn, who has points in eight of his last nine games. Raffl provided some insurance for Philadelphia by beating Thomas with a backhander on a breakaway with 3:12 to play. The Flyers took a 2-0 lead after one period. Streit opened the scoring with 9:37 left in the first when he beat Thomas to the glove side with a one-timed slap shot from the top of the left circle. Thomas, Dallas backup, got the start because he entered 14-4-2 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in his career against Philadelphia. The Stars starting goalie, Kari Lehtonen, is 0-10-2 with a 3.50 goals-against and .891 save percentage lifetime against the Flyers. Simmonds scored on a rebound on the power play just under three minutes later to put Philadelphia in front 2-0. Jakub Voraceks shot from the blue line first hit the right post, then the back of Thomas leg and then the left post before deflecting in front to a wide-open Simmonds, who easily finished from lose range. After Steve Mason stopped Alex Chiasson and Benn on a 5-on-3 power play with 8 minutes remaining in the second period, Benn got the Stars on the board with 7:12 left in the period on a 5-on-4 advantage by beating Mason through the five-hole from right in front of the goal to pull Dallas within 2-1. It was the first power-play goal allowed by the Flyers in their last 20 penalty kills. And despite dominating the period, Dallas entered the third down one goal. "We got on our toes and skated well," Ruff said of the second period. "You have to give Mason a lot of credit. We couldve built some momentum and he made a couple timely saves." Tyler Seguin finished with two assists, giving him 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his last eight games while extending his career-high total to 72 points. NOTES: Dallas lost for the fourth straight time in Philadelphia, with the Stars last victory a 4-1 win on Dec. 1, 2007. ... Mason returned to the goal after getting a break in Tuesdays 3-2 overtime win over Chicago when backup Ray Emery made 23 saves. Mason had started eight straight games prior to Tuesday. ... The Stars won the only other matchup this season when Seguin got a natural hat trick in a 5-1 win on Dec. 7 in Dallas. Cheap Dale Murphy Jersey . Pospisil, from Vancouver, and Sock will compete for the title against defending champions and top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States, who defeated the 12th-seeded French duo of Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2. Cheap Preston Tucker Jersey . The moves were the first punitive steps taken by the Dolphins since a report on the NFLs investigation of the case was released last week. Investigators found that guard Richie Incognito and two teammates engaged in persistent harassment directed at tackle Jonathan Martin, another offensive lineman and an assistant trainer. http://www.cheapbravesjerseys.com/?tag=c...inciarte-jersey. But Paul Osbaldiston, Hamiltons assistant special teams and kicking coach, said the team still relished the championship game workout. Cheap Braves Jerseys Authentic .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. Cheap Greg Maddux Jersey . Nick Holden scored two goals and had an assist and the Avalanche held off the Nashville Predators 5-4 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.NEW YORK -- Marking the 67th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke baseballs colour barrier, the Rev. Jesse Jackson praised Commissioner Bud Selig for the strides the sport has taken in minority opportunities over the past two decades. Jackson travelled to baseballs 1992 winter meetings to criticize its lack of minorities in management, and he pushed for change. Selig retired Robinsons No. 42 in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of the big league debut of the Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman. Selig established a Diverse Business Partners program the following year and in 1999 started requiring clubs to consider at least one minority for each manager and major executive opening. MLB also sponsors 35 Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars. Jackson said Jackie Robinson Day had become "a national holiday for all practical purposes." "To honour Jackie in this way honours the best in America," Jackson told Selig on Tuesday at MLBs third Diversity Business Summit. "In many ways, had Jackie not succeeded you could not have Atlanta Falcons or the Braves or the Carolina Panthers. You could not have these southern teams if Jackie had failed." Robinsons daughter, Sharon, presented Selig with a large plaque. Jackson spoke from the audience after Seligs speech and told him "you took to heart that challenge." "I guess if youre commissioner long enough, things can turn around," Selig said later. For the first time since Robinsons number was retired, no players in the major leagues were wearing No. 42. Players using the number were grandfathered at the time of Seligs announcement, and the last to use No. 42 was Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera, who retired at the end of last season. "Today all of our players league-wide will wear No. 42 to celebrate the man who helped change the future course of our game and more importantly our country," Selig said. A ceremoony had been scheduled for Yankee Stadium to unveil a plaque commemorating Nelson Mandelas visit to the old Bronx ballpark in 1990.dddddddddddd. The Yankees game against the Chicago Cubs was rained out, and the ceremony, which includes Zondwa Mandela, a grandson of the late South African president, was pushed back until Wednesday evening. Selig frequently points out that Robinsons first game occurred more than a year before President Harry Truman desegregated the U.S. military and seven years before the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Education decision that ruled state laws requiring segregated public schools were unconstitutional. "Baseball must continue to be more than just a game on the field," Selig said. "The games remarkable ability to serve as a common bond should be used to create opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender." Selig became acting commissioner in 1992 and got the job permanently in 1998. He plans to retire in January. He said the Diverse Business Partners program had led to purchases of more than $1 billion in goods and services from minority- and women-owned businesses. But the percentage of African-American players in the major leagues has been cut in half since peaking at about 18 per cent at times from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon, who is black, says some of this generations players dont know of Robinsons accomplishments. "They dont know a lot about the history, and I dont really blame it all on them. I think their generation is a generation that was force-fed these things," he said, holding up a smart phone. "Everythings now. Not much of an appreciation for the past and what it meant, particularly when it comes to baseball and baseball players. The paths that were paved for them, I dont think they really get it, or really understand it." ' ' '