10-17-2019, 03:59 AM
TORONTO -- Nikolai Kulemin has been in the dark. Dejounte Murray Jersey . The Toronto Maple Leafs winger is a candidate to play for Russia at next months Sochi Olympics that are set to be a showcase for his home country. But with the roster being made of up some Kontinental Hockey League players in addition to NHL stars like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk, he doesnt really know where he stands. "I dont really know what they want to do," Kulemin said last week. "Its their decision who to bring to the team. You never know what theyre thinking." Kulemin, a veteran of 382 NHL games, represented Russia at the 2007 and 2010 world championships but never at the Olympics. The two-way forward was invited to Olympic camp over the summer, and he said only of his likelihood that coaches "said everybody have a chance." Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Malkin and former NHL-turned-KHL poster boys Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov already take up five spots while Alexander Semin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexei Tereschenko are also seemingly in good shape. That means it could be a question of whether the Russian management team values Kulemin more than a comparable player from the KHL. Kulemin has just five goals and six assists in 31 games this season after a bone chip in his ankle cost him a month. Thats ninth among Russian-born NHL forwards, though the 27-year-old is much better known for his defensive prowess. "Hes top guy," Ovechkin said of Kulemin earlier this season. "He can play physical game, he can make big hits, good defensive player. Hes very skilled (on) offence too." Ovechkin is the face of the Olympics, so any praise from him cant hurt. "Thank him to say that," Kulemin said. "I would be happy to make the team and help the team in any position I would play for. Well see." One benefit Kulemin would bring is the ability to play on either wing. Thats especially valuable if Ovechkin reverts back to the left side he played his whole life until Washington Capitals coach moved him to right wing, igniting an MVP campaign. Ovechkins place isnt in question. But theres no certainty that Kulemin will join Leafs teammates Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk -- who were named to the U.S. team -- in Sochi. "I think thatd be great for him," van Riemsdyk said. "You see how hard he works day in and day out and what he brings to our team as far as just every shift hes out there hes 110 per cent. You know what to expect from him. He brings a lot to the table for us out there, so I think theyd be lucky to have him on their team, too." Perhaps the Leafs would feel luckier if Kulemin didnt make the cut. Asked Saturday morning about the impact of Kessel and van Riemsdyk making the U.S. team on Toronto, coach Randy Carlyle pointed to a negative aspect of NHL participation in the Olympics. "From my experience with it in Anaheim, we had seven players go to the (2010) Olympics and we had (Ryan) Getzlaf, (Corey) Perry and Scott Niedermayer come back and they didnt have any emotion left when they got back," Carlyle said. "They participated in winning a gold medal, and it was difficult to get those guys back to the level that we needed them at that time, and its understandable." The Chicago Blackhawks had nine players at those Olympics, including Canadians Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and went on to win the Stanley Cup. But the concern over the let-down is legitimate. "Its two or three weeks of high emotion, and the last thing on their mind is where they came from," Carlyle said. "Theyre playing for their country." This is especially true in the case of the Russians, who will be facing immense pressure to win gold on home ice. Kulemin, a native of Magnitogorsk, a 35-hour drive northeast from Sochi, would love to join in that quest. He has been waiting in nervous anticipation of the roster announcement. "Well see if I make the team," Kulemin said. "Id be so happy. But you never know." Derrick White Jersey .Y. -- Dwane Casey admitted hed been concerned about his young Raptors team who had zero experience playing in close-out games -- what awaited them with the vastly-experienced Brooklyn Nets, and how theyd react. Dennis Rodman Jersey . This is not some token job for a prominent, popular former player. All of those areas need a lot of work, so Molitor is going to be busy. "Hes certainly got a history and knowledge and a high baseball IQ," general manager Terry Ryan said. https://www.spurslockerroom.com/Rudy-Gay...on-Jersey/ .Impact president Joey Saputo confirmed Thursday that he is part of a group of investors whose offer to buy the 105-year-old Italian club was accepted by the teams board of directors.EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Eskimos have had some dynamic receiving duos throughout the franchises history, and theyre hoping another is developing this year. Veteran slotbacks Fred Stamps and Adarius Bowman have shown they can be the one-two punch -- like Brian Kelly and Tom Scott in the 1980s or Ed Hervey and Terry Vaughn in the early 2000s -- that gives opposing CFL defences more trouble than they can handle a if they can stay healthy. In the Eskimos season-opening 27-20 win in Vancouver last weekend, Bowman had nine catches for 105 yards and the heavily guarded Stamps four for 40 yards. Both caught crucial touchdown passes. The Eskimos may never have another duo like Kelly and Scott, who terrorized CFL defences the five years they were together in Edmonton and were key players in the Eskimos five straight Grey Cup victories. But with the Eskimos preparing for their home opener tonight versus Hamilton, both Stamps and Bowman were anxious to establish themselves as a pair to be reckoned with. "Im going into my fourth year with Fred now and I think we go at each other, tandem with each other, so teams cant do double team and triple team on him when you have guys like me and Shamawd (Chambers) making plays," said Bowman. "So if everybody continues to do their roles and I continue to make my plays when they come, Freds going to do his thing." Last year, in 16 games, Stamps "thing" was 68 receptions for a CFL leading 1,259 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bowman played only the final nine games and had an impressive 44 catches for 697 yards and five TDs. The only season the two have played together for more than half a season was 2011 when they both played 15 games. Stamps had 82 catches for 1,153 yards and eight TDs while Bowman chipped in with 62 catches, an identical 1,153 yards and four TDs. The thought of both of them being healthy all season has them, along with quarterback Mike Reilly and thee Eskimos offence, salivating. DeMarre Carroll Spurs Jersey. "Man, the skys the limit," Stamps, who has had five straight seasons of more than 1,000 reception yards, said of the pairs potential. "Its exciting to see something like that. Its big to have him back, healthy again. As the season goes on were going to get stronger and stronger." Reilly said the Stamps-Bowman duo gives defences multiple things to worry about on every play. "With them being on separate sides of the field it gives defences lots to think about," he said. "You cant push coverage to one side or the other because youre going to get exposed." One of the big questions with Stamps and Bowman is their health. Stamps, who will likely finish his career in the top two or three of virtually every Eskimo receiving statistical category, has played a full season only twice in his seven years in the league while Bowman has yet to get through an entire schedule in six years. "It feels good," Bowman said of his health after a leg injury kept him out of 25 games the last two seasons. "I had that little thought in my head last year when I came back, its not like theres total confidence about every step, plant and breaking and everything Im doing." After finishing last season and starting this one strong, that no longer appears to be a concern. The win in B.C., while it wasnt a particularly strong showing by the offence that simply made too many mistakes in the first half, was important for the confidence of both the team and Bowman. "For my confidence it was great," said the 6-3, 210-pound Bowman, adding the new offence installed by the new coaching staff is much better than last years. "Its better in terms of schemes, things that we can go into games with. I felt like we only used a small portion of what we have. When we can get to what we have, were going to be a better offence." ' ' '