Stars und Sternchen! » favourable and look at the next six games

FIVE HOOPS THOUGHTS: 1. MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA (Cavs): This young man really impresses me. Shoots the three, passes it, tough as nails, supremely confident and a very good defender. Terrific second unit glue guy. Did a wonderful job for his team on Tuesday. No back down from him whatsoever in Kyle Lowry matchup last night. 2. RAPS AT QUARTER POLE (16-6): Gotta be pleased with 60 games to go. I like this team. This is a good team that can potentially be very good. They are only 3-3 without DeMar DeRozan - they really missed him in the fourth quarter last night. Schedule has been favourable and look at the next six games they play (New York, twice / Indy / Orlando / Brooklyn / Detroit) - all games that they have a shot in. Its a big six-game stretch that without DeRozan they have to develop a new winning identity as a group before the schedule turns absolutely brutal (Road Games at Chicago, Clippers, Denver on a back-to-back, Portland, Golden State and Phoenix). Big challenges are ahead. After 22 games when I evaluate this team in spite of their record, they are in the same tier as Washington and Atlanta (and are 3-0 versus those squads) in the East while I still put (if totally healthy) Cleveland and Chicago (Raptors are 1-3 against those opponents) as the teams to beat in East. With all due respect to Chuck Hayes and Tyler Hansbrough, Raps still lack that fourth big man to provide consistent rebounding, shot blocking and a bit of offensive punch. There are also questions of consistency at the 3-spot with Terrence Ross - but hes improving. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out here over the next few weeks without DeRozan. Overall, this team is close. How close? Hard to tell yet if that window is truly open to make the run at winning the Conference. You need to win three rounds (12 games) in brutally hard-fought matches to do that and in order to do that they probably need another legit guy to do it. Love the patient building approach of management and coaches - they know theyre improving yet not there yet. As you go along - thats the toughest decision to make - when do you know that Window of Opportunity is truly open? Theyre on the right path yet still have a challenging road to travel. Fun start - enjoying it and hopeful that they can continue improving. The games are a lot more fun, thats for sure. 3. TONY ALLEN (Grizzlies): Team is having an awesome season yet this guy never gets enough credit. Hes an adequate offensive guy but man, this dude competes and guards you every step of the way. Hes a stopper and in this league youve got to have a wing who can stand up to great offensive players and make them at least earn their points. He does that and does it quite well. 4. JOSH MCROBERTS (Heat): His former club (Hornets) really misses him and it was nice to see his line last night at Phoenix (10 and 4, 7 assists). Hes been banged up and now starting to find his groove. Tremendous passer, sound shooter and rebounder. Overall good complementary player who makes the right plays. Hell be a guy to keep an eye on now that hes healthy. 5. GREG MONROE (Pistons): Have always liked his game. Smart and fundamentally sound player. Averaging close to 15ppg and over nine boards a game for a struggling squad. Hes a free agent at end of season and it will be interesting to see what Stan Van Gundy and Jeff Bower decide to do with him. Do they trade him for an asset or just use the cap space if he walks at end of year? Do teams roll the dice and try to get a rental player for the stretch run and take their chances re-signing him? Good player to keep an eye on. Fascinating to see how it will play out. Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Authentic . Both sides of the deal have formally announced acquisitions: TFC introduced Jozy Altidore as a designated player on Friday, while their counterparts announced a three-and-a-half-year deal with Jermain Defoe. Cheap Detroit Red Wings Jerseys . -- Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning Sunday and helping the Twins top the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. http://www.cheapredwingsjerseys.com/ .com) - The NFL is investigating whether the New England Patriots intentionally deflated balls during Sundays AFC Championship Game against Indianapolis. Cheap Red Wings Jerseys China . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Billy Andrade hasnt played much competitive golf over the past four years.EDMONTON -- Fresh off her second Olympic gold medal and a practice with the NHLs Edmonton Oilers, goaltender Shannon Szabados will join the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League next week. The Cottonmouths announced Friday the team intended to sign the Edmonton goalie. Szabados would be the first female to play in the 10-team SPHL since its formation 10 years ago, the team said. Its been an eventful two weeks for Szabados, who backstopped the Canadian womens hockey team to Olympic gold Feb. 20 in Sochi. "When I got home from Sochi, I thought Id be hanging my stuff up for the summer, but definitely excited to get over there," Szabados told The Canadian Press. "Theres three guys that I played college with that play on this team in Columbus and theyve been bugging me for a couple of years to go there." "I had never talked to their head coach and he called me yesterday. Honestly, I thought he was calling to ask me if I would want to go there next year. It happened a little fast, but Im excited." Szabados made 27 saves in Canadas 3-2 thrilling overtime win over the U.S. to defend the gold in Sochi. She posted a 28-save shutout over the Americans in the womens Olympic hockey final in 2010. But the 27-year-old has spent the majority of her hockey career in mens leagues. She played for Sherwood Park, Bonneyville and Fort Saskatchewan during her four years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Szabados was named the AJHLs top goaltender in 2006-07 after helping Fort Saskatchewan to a league-best record of 45-11-0-4. She then spent five years in Alberta mens college hockey with Grant MacEwen and then NAIT. She set a league record in 2012-13 for the lowest goals-against average (1.58) and her NAIT Ooks won their first championship in 16 years. Szabados stopped 30 of 31 shots in the final game. Cottonmouths captain Kyle Johnson, forward Jordan Draper and defenceman Andy Willigar are her former NAIT teammates. She suspects they paved her road to her first pro tryout. "Probably the guys had a lot to do with it," Szabados said. "It probably made the coach feel a little more at ease with the situation." Szabados will head to Columbus on Wednesday and will be introduced at a news conference the following day prior to a game at home against the Pensaccola Ice Flyers.dddddddddddd Winnipegs Andrew Loewen is the starting goaltender for the Cottonmouths "I am very excited to get a world-class athlete that has competed and has faced, high-pressured situations," Cottonmouths head coach Jerome Bechard said in a statement. "She won a championship with NAIT last year alongside Andy Willigar and Jordan Draper so I know she can compete at this level," Bechard said. "We are working on her immigration, and we are looking to sign her officially Thursday, where she will be backing up Loewen. "She will play when she feels comfortable and situated." The Cottonmouths are 23-22-3 and rank seventh in the league. Szabados participated in an Edmonton Oilers practice Wednesday. The Oilers were short a goalie on trade deadline day awaiting the arrival of Viktor Fasth from Anaheim. Szabados is grateful for that practice now because its the only time shes been on the ice since winning Olympic gold Feb. 20. "I havent been in the gym, I havent been on the ice, I havent been sleeping well," Szabados confessed. "Its been a whirlwind. I told (the coach) Im not going to rush into anything. If I dont feel comfortable I might not even play at all this year. "I want to go there and get on the ice and see how I feel. I still have to unpack from Sochi and pack for this. Im not too worried. Its only been two weeks." No woman has ever played in an NHL regular-season game. Goaltender Manon Rheaume became the first to play in an exhibition game with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992. Canadian womens star Hayley Wickenheiser has played as a forward in mens leagues in Finland and Sweden. The SPHL also includes the Bloomington Thunder, Fayetteville FireAntz, Huntsville Havoc, Knoxville IceBears, Louisiana IceGators, Mississippi RiverKings, Mississippi Surge and Peoria Rivermen. Szabados is accustomed to joining male teams. She believes her former Ook teammates will help her settle into the Cottonmouths locker room. "With having those three guys that Ive played with and since this has happened, at least a handful have tweeted at me and reached out to me," she said. "The older Ive gotten, the easier the transition has been to a new team. Im honestly not worried at all. They seem like a good group of guys." 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