Sonstiges » res for the Nets as they easily defeated Charlotte

The spotlight will be on Connor McDavid at the world junior championship. But here are 10 other players to watch in the tournament:Jack Eichel, centre, United StatesEven though McDavid is the front-runner to be picked first in Junes NHL draft, Eichel could give whoevers selecting second another franchise player. At six foot two and 194 pounds, Eichel has earned comparisons to Mario Lemieux for his reach and use of his size. Hes tearing up the college ranks at Boston University and could put on a show at the world juniors.William Nylander, forward, SwedenThe Toronto Maple Leafs first-round pick this year, Nylander flashed plenty of offensive skill at training camp. Back home in Sweden playing for MODO, the 18-year-old has eight goals and 11 assists in 19 games. Nylander still has to polish his all-around game, but international hockey suits his style well.David Pastrnak, winger, Czech RepublicPastrnak is more than a point-a-game player in the AHL and has the Boston Bruins hoping hes part of their next generation of stars. He played at this tournament last year and had a goal and two assists. Pastrnak is part of an intriguing group of Czech forwards that also includes Pavel Zacha of the Sarnia Sting and Washington Capitals first-rounder Jakub Vrana.Josh Morrissey, defenceman, CanadaWith the likes of Samuel Morin, Joe Hicketts and Darnell Nurse, Canadas blue-line has a nice mix of size, skill and puck-moving ability. Morrissey, one of the Winnipeg Jets top prospects and a returing player from last year, can provide offence and get Canada out of some trouble exiting the defensive zone. Morrissey is also a well-spoken leader on an older team.Ivan Barbashev, winger, RussiaAfter saying at the scouting combine that the KHL is not for him, Barbashev has produced in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Moncton Wildcats. In three seasons, he has 179 points. Barbashev, a second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, brings size at six foot one and offensive ability.Juuse Saros, goaltender, FinlandSaros led Finland to world junior gold last year in Malmo, Sweden, with a 1.57 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. Theres no reason why he cant be the key to another Finnish run through this tournament. A fourth-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2013, Saros has continued his strong play in Finlands SM-Liiga this season.Auston Matthews, centre, United StatesRemember this name for the 2016 draft, as the native of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the early favourite to be the first overall pick. Assuming its McDavid over Eichel in 2015, that would make Matthews the first American to go No. 1 since 2007. Matthews is a playmaking forward who puts up points and dominates wherever he goes.Robert Hagg, defenceman, SwedenThe big defenceman (six foot two and 203 pounds) is part of the blue-line of the Philadelphia Flyers future. But Hagg is getting a break from playing in the American Hockey League to help Sweden at the world juniors. Hagg isnt a lead-the-rush defenceman, but hes strong all around and can spring players like Nylander on breakouts.Kevin Fiala, winger, SwitzerlandThe Predators first-round pick in June, Fiala is a shifty skater who has proven he can hold his own against men in the Swedish Hockey League. Switzerland will need some help just to get past the quarter-finals, but Fiala has the kind of game-breaking offensive skills that can make the difference. Hes joined by a handful of CHL players on Switzerlands roster.Curtis Lazar, forward, CanadaIf opposing teams try to shut down Canadas other returning players, like Sam Reinhart and Nic Petan, and McDavid doesnt take over, it might still be OK. Thats because Lazar, released by the Ottawa Senators to play in another world junior tournament, could be Canadas best player. Coach Benoit Groulx could choose to put him on McDavids wing, which would be entertaining.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Nike Zoom Online Shop . After the loss, White refused to make good on the bet, instead offering Hoyt tickets to a Bears game. Nike Zoom Clearance . On Sunday, head coach Patrick Roy said the teams leading scorer will skate at Mondays morning practice and the club will make a decision on his status for Game 6 at that point. http://www.cheapnikezoom.net/. According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers winger skated with extras and goalies today. Nike Zoom Discount . Catch the action live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Wild lead the Northwest Division and look to get back into the win column after having a season-high seven-game winning streak cut short with Tuesdays 2-1 loss at Winnipeg in the finale of a five-game road trip (4-1-0). Cheap Nike Zoom Shoes . Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks.NEW YORK -- In their previous game against New Orleans, the Brooklyn Nets pulled off an impressive feat: They were able to win even though all their starters were held to single digits in points. Against the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night, the Nets found the 10-point plateau a little easier to clear. Five players scored in double figures for the Nets as they easily defeated Charlotte 105-89 at Barclays Center. Paul Pierce led the way with 25 points for Brooklyn, including 5-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. Deron Williams added 13 points and seven assists, and Andre Blatche scored 13 off the bench. Brooklyn was 13 of 31 from beyond the arc. The Nets were consistently able to use dribble penetration and solid ball movement to find the open man. And when they got open looks, they took advantage. Pierce said ball movement has been the difference in his teams resurgence of late, and it was largely responsible for his big night against the Bobcats. "When we make the extra pass, the ball is eventually going to find the open man," Pierce said. "Ive been a product of that as of late, and Im knocking down shots right now." Nets coach Jason Kidd agreed that ball movement was critical to his clubs success, but thought its defensive play in limiting Al Jefferson to 12 points was equally crucial. "It all started on the defensive end," Kidd said. "Getting stops and then being able to take advantage. ... We wanted to double-team (Jefferson) a little bit early to not let him get in a rhythm. The guys executed the game plan." Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 16 points. Jefferson, who scored at least 26 in each of his previous three games, was held to 5-for-13 shooting. With the win, the Nets improved to 14-5 this calendar year. Pierce believes that as good as things have been for Brooklyn lately, the Nets have the potential to get even better as they get more comfortable with each other. "Weve developed some chemistry since the new year. I mean, you can tell by the way weve moved the ball, the way were defending. Everybody seems to be on the same page. And when you have that type of chemistry, and that type of talent, were going to be a tough team to beat when we put it together," he said. Brooklyn went on a 15-3 run to open the third quarter, extending its lead to 17, and never looked back. The lopsided margin of victory afforded Kidd the opportunity to rest his starterrs for much of the fourth quarter.dddddddddddd With a quick turnaround Thursday night against Chicago to close out the first-half schedule, Kidd recognized the importance of being able to get his key players a breather. "A veteran ballclub understands that the games right before the break are important because youre planning vacations, or planning to go to All-Star weekend, and sometimes the game becomes secondary," he said. "A lot of the guys, for the most part, didnt play a lot of minutes, so well see what happens tomorrow." Charlotte got off to a solid start offensively in its final game before the All-Star break. But the Bobcats struggled mightily after that, putting up a meagre 34 points combined in the second and third quarters. Bobcats coach Steve Clifford thought the fact that his club only turned the ball over 10 times was somewhat misleading. He thought his team was listless, and made a number of unforced errors that cost it a chance to win. "You have to play with more discipline," Clifford said. "When the chance is there to make a play, you have to make it. I thought our turnovers were just terrible." The Bobcats defeated Dallas at home Tuesday, but Jefferson didnt think the loss could be chalked up to fatigue. "They were ready and we werent," he said. "We cant just have excuses because we played last night. Thats the NBA; we have to be ready to play these types of games, especially to be a playoff team." The Bobcats have lost their last nine games when finishing off a back-to-back. Clifford understands that needs to change if his squad is going to contend for a playoff spot. "The bottom line is we have to be able to play better in these games," Clifford said. "The second night of back-to-backs earlier in the year, we were better. The last few times back-to-backs, weve been inconsistent." The Bobcats will be have a chance to reverse the trend right away when they open the second half with a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons starting next Tuesday. NOTES: Pierce scored 14 of his 25 points in the third. ... The Nets have won four straight at Barclays Center, and 11 of their last 13. ... One night after posting a season-high 54.9 field goal percentage, Charlotte managed only 41.4 per cent from the floor. ... The Nets will play their next seven games on the road, starting with a national TV date against Chicago on Thursday night. ' ' '