07-14-2017, 03:44 AM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Already thin down the middle, the Toronto Maple Leafs will now be without centre Nazem Kadri for the next three games. Kadri was suspended by the NHL on Thursday for goaltender interference stemming from his hit on Minnesotas Niklas Backstrom in the Wilds 2-1 shootout win Wednesday night. That compounds Torontos already problematic situation at centre as the club is already missing injured forwards Tyler Bozak and David Bolland. Bozak, the Leafs first-line centre and top faceoff man, has been out since injuring his hamstring in a road game Oct. 25 versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bolland, acquired from Chicago in the off-season, had six goals and four assists in 15 games before suffering a severed tendon during a Nov. 2 game in Vancouver. Kadri, along with converted winger James van Riemsdyk, was supposed to fill the void left by the injured centres. But he put his team in a deeper hole when he hit Backstrom in the head in the first period of Wednesdays game at Minnesota. Kadri tipped a Joffrey Lupul shot on goal, then ran into Backstrom while driving to the net after the goaltender made the save. Backstrom stayed in the game briefly before being replaced by Josh Harding. The team says Backstrom has an upper body injury. Kadri received a minor penalty for goaltender interference on the play. NHL senior vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan acknowledged driving the net is part of the game and contact with goaltenders happens as a result. But he said the hit is worthy of a suspension because Kadri was in control when he made contact with Backstrom and didnt make a reasonable effort to avoid the goaltender. Shanahan also noted the hit was a forceful blow to the head that caused an injury. He did agree with Kadri that there was no intent to injure on the play. Later, Kadri received a match penalty for hitting Minnesotas Mikael Granlund in the head. Kadri, who has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 18 games this season, will forfeit US$44,615.37 in salary. JuJu Smith-Schuster Steelers Jersey . -- A year ago, Flavia Pennetta was close to retiring from tennis. James Conner Jersey . PETERSBURG, Florida – Its been almost seven years since the Blue Jays last won a series at Tropicana Field. http://www.footballsteelerstore.us/Black...tt-Jersey/ . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (5) – He had good saves on Giroux, Akeson, and Hartnell tonight. JuJu Smith-Schuster Youth Jersey . - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club. JuJu Smith-Schuster Womens Jersey .com) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to even their series with the Dallas Mavericks Monday night when the two teams collide at American Airlines Arena for Game 4.INDIANAPOLIS -- James Hinchcliffe will have to wait a little bit longer before he can return to the track. The Oakville, Ont., driver was evaluated Tuesday and IndyCars medical team has yet to clear Hinchcliffe to begin Indianapolis 500 practice. He was progressing well and is now cleared to begin light training with a another evaluation set for Thursday. The 27-year old driver was diagnosed with a concussion Saturday when he was hit in the head by debris in the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He was taken on a stretcher to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway medical centre and was later transported to a hospital. Hinchcliffe hasnt been made available to the media since. "Pretty much the doctors said he should be a little bit disconnected," E.J. Viso said. "Just pretty much trying to stay in his room and rest." Filling in for Hinchcliffe for the third consecutive day, Viso shot straight to the top of the speed chart on the third day of practice. He reached 224.488 mph within the first 20 minutes of the start of practice. Kurt Busch was second fastest at 224.159 and Colombias Juan Pablo Montoya was third at 224.115. Just before a yellow flag for rain, Montoya pulled off the track and required a tow. The rookie reported an electrical problem with the car. "Thats why I stopped in the grass," Montoya said. "We ran a lot of laps yesterday in preparation for it, so its nothing major and it gives the guys time to catch up on the car." Meanwhile, Viso is spending each practice session with the intent to qualify and even race Hinchcliffes No. 27 car in this years Indy 500. That kind of focus, Viso believes, will have him best prepared should have be called on for the May 25 race. "I just put myself into the drivers role," he said. "I believe that its the best scenario that I could put myself in right now is with that mindset." Theres still a chance that Hinchcliffe could return in time for IndyCars signnature race.dddddddddddd Nothing has been offered to the Venezuelan, but if thats the case, Viso hasnt ruled out stepping into another car to race in the Indy 500. "If its a competitive ride, I will of course take it," he said. "Trust me, theres nothing worse than being lapped every two laps, so for that I truly dont know if its worth it. Its not like Im dying to do it, but Im dying to do well and to have a chance to win." Four other things to know from Tuesdays practice session: FAST HONDA: Honda engines recorded some of the top speeds, with seven of the top 10 fastest cars. The three fastest Chevy cars on Tuesday were Montoya, Scott Dixon (223.235), and rookie Sage Karam (222.635). PRACTICE CANCELLED: Teams wasted no time getting on the track for practice. Twenty-six cars made their way to the pits within the first 20 minutes of the start of practice before rain and thunderstorms ended track activity early. Teams have been pressed for time after a quick turnaround from Saturdays race. Rain is in the forecast for the remainder of the week. OPPORTUNITY TO RELAX: Josef Newgarden had no problem with Tuesdays practice being called early. The inclement weather that cut practice short gave the 23-year old and his crew a chance to relax after a busy stretch. By the third day of practice, Newgarden said many teams have made the full transformation of going from road course to oval racing in a short amount of time. "Most people by now are pretty sorted," Newgarden said. "Theres not a lot to do. Theres not big items you have to take off the list. Its all little things that youre looking for now." FIRST PRACTICE: Sebastian Saavedra returned to practice for the first time since wrecking at the start of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. The pole-sitter for Saturdays race was clipped by Carlos Munoz before he was hit from behind by Mikhail Aleshin. Saavedra completed just seven laps and reached 208.985 mph on Tuesday. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '