The last six months have been a whirlwind for Kevin Dineen. In October he was coaching the NHLs Florida Panthers. But after being fired in November, he was named the Canadian womens team coach and guided the squad to a stirring fourth straight Olympic title in Sochi, Russia. Dineen is now with a third team, preparing the Canadian under-18 mens squad to defend its world title in Finland. "Its been (a whirlwind) but you know what, its a hockey life," Dineen said. "You have tough times with the lows, you get fired and its an emotional deal. "As I told the women before the gold medal game, I knew the day I was hired I had to be on my toes and it was kind of like someone lit a match under my fanny. I just really enjoyed that whole process. You never know how those things are going to end. "Just like this one, you dont know. Weve got to have some luck and have some things work in our favour but its not always about the ending. Its about the ride youre on, it really is." The 50-year-old Quebec City native will have plenty of international experience at his disposal when Canada begins its title defence Thursday against Sweden in Imatra, Finland. Thirteen players on the roster participated in last years under-17 World Hockey Challenge in Quebec while eight skated in this years under-17 event in Cape Breton, N.S. And nine players helped Canada win gold at the Ivan Hlinka tournament last summer. However, Dineens biggest challenge is quickly moulding his players into a tightly knit team. "Yes there are challenges like having to gel and find some chemistry in a timely manner," he said. "A lot of the European teams have been together for a while and the Americans are centralized all year so those teams have an advantage. "But thats what makes it fun putting this team together. These boys are really excited to represent Canada and that works in our favour. Theyre sharp kids." And big, with 14 players being six feet or taller. But its still a team, Dineen says, that can excel on the larger international ice surface. "Even though I talk about our size, that does not in any way take away from our skill," Dineen said. "I think were a team that has some skill and I believe we can compete with any team. "That makes it enjoyable to have those guys who can play the game anyway we need to play to have success." Dineen is familiar with international hockey. He played for Canada six times, claiming world championship silver medals in 85 and 89 and winning the 87 Canada Cup. The 19-year NHL veteran also wore the Maple Leaf at the 84 Winter Games. In December, he joined a national womens program stinging from coach Dan Churchs sudden resignation and having lost four straight pre-Olympic tuneups to the archrival United States. In Russia, Canada beat the Americans twice, including a thrilling 3-2 overtime decision in the gold medal game after trailing 2-0 late in regulation. "If you were going to ride a roller-coaster and go the top, I couldnt have done better than that," Dineen said. "I had a pretty good buzz for about three weeks after Sochi, just enjoying it and the enjoyment people got out of that tournament. "Thats a special moment for Canada and you can compound that a lot for me and the players as well." Since Sochi, Dineen has been overwhelmed by people anxious to share their Olympic experience. That includes former NHL goalie Fred Brathwaite, now an assistant coach on the under-18 squad. "He was telling me he was on Highway 401 driving to a game and couldnt watch but found it on the radio," Dineen said. "After we scored in overtime, there was like 50 people around him all honking their horns. "A fireman from Hamilton told me how they were so mad they had to leave on a call during the game and when they returned there was skiing on TV. They thought theyd missed it but it was just the holdover until overtime. The next thing you know, the whole firehouse was watching and went bonkers. "When you hear those stories -- and Ive heard literally hundreds and will never tire of anybodys story -- its pretty special. Im not afraid to share those experiences with these boys." Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Point, a late cut from last years team, said Dineen has quickly made an impression on his young players. "Hes an awesome guy," said the 18-year-old Calgary native. " Hes got real good systems and hes really good with the players. "Everyone respects him a ton and its real easy to learn from him." Kingston Frontenacs defenceman Roland McKeown, a returnee from last years squad, said Dineens message is a simple one. "Hes preaching the Canadian way," McKeown said. "At the Olympics you saw how dominant the mens and womens teams were and that was doing it the Canadian way with hard work, that two-way game and everyone buying into a role. "Thats what were going to do." The six-foot-one 195-pound McKeown, an 18-year-old native of Listowel, Ont., hopes last years experience helps him become a key contributor this time. "Last year proved every guy has to take a role and buy in to win a championship," he said. "I gained a lot of experience from the guys who were here last year and want to use that to take a leadership role with this team." Dineen has taken an unplanned detour to land behind the under-18 teams bench, but hes a better coach because of it. "I coached six years in the American Hockey League and always took pride in being able to work with either veterans or young players but these guys are all young," Dineen said. "That really makes it enjoyable because theyre a good bunch. "To me, thats one of the advantages, just coming here and working with these players. Youre getting better every day and thats a good thing for me." Cheap Stitched NFL Jerseys . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers were left fretting over an MRI on the stars left knee. Paul George scored 21 points, Roy Hibbert added 19 and the Pacers used a dominant fourth quarter to blow out the Cavaliers 91-76 on Tuesday The Pacers (25-5) have won eight in a row over Cleveland, their longest active streak against any opponent. http://www.cheapauthenticjerseysshop.com/ . The former world No. 1 Djokovic, who is the top seed here despite being ranked No. 2, snuck past 35-year-old Czech showman Radek Stepanek in four high- quality sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), on Centre Court. Djokovic appeared relieved when he converted on his first match point by swatting a cross-court forehand winner that just caught the line to end an affair that featured only two service breaks. Authentic NFL Jerseys China . Gaborik was acquired in a trade with Columbus on Wednesday and skated on the top line with centre Anze Kopitar and right-winger Justin Williams. "We created some things," said Gaborik, who logged 16:38 of ice time. Wholesale Jerseys China . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. LOS ANGELES -- With four games left before the playoffs, including one against second-place Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Clippers are focused on fine-tuning themselves. Sure, they will take another victory over the Lakers, but as Blake Griffin said, "It doesnt mean that much to us." Griffin and Chris Paul scored 23 points apiece, and the Clippers hung their third consecutive rout on the Lakers, 120-97 Sunday to take three of four games this season from their beleaguered Staples Center co-tenants. "Our whole message is to worry about ourselves," Griffin said. "We know who we are. We just want to sharpen the things we do." It wasnt quite the blowout of the Clippers previous two wins -- 48 points on March 6 and 36 points on Jan. 10 -- but they were easily in command as the designated home team. "They were bigger, talented, and they played better," Lakers coach Mike DAntoni said. J.J. Redick added 15 points in his second game back from injury and DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacific Division-winning Clippers, who improved to 32-6 at home while shooting 57 per cent. "Its a game that we expected to win," guard Jared Dudley said. "We got up, went out there and did a good job." The injury-plagued Lakers were down to just eight players after guard Kent Bazemore got hurt in the second quarter. Jordan Hill led them with 22 points and Nick Young added 18 points off the bench, where there were plenty of empty seats. Jodie Meeks had 17 points. "Its one of those years," forward Wesley Johnson said. "Its tough to fight through it." The Lakers lone win in the series, a 116-103 victory on opening night, came well before they lost Kobe Bryant and their season rapidly went downhill as the Clippers surged under new coach Doc Rivers. The Lakers lost their fourth in a row overall, seventh straight on the rroad, and 10th in 13 games for their 52nd defeat of the season.dddddddddddd Having built a 22-point lead, the Clippers starters rested in the fourth, having already had two days off since their previous game. "Its nice to win when guys have relatively low minutes," Rivers said. Hedo Turkoglu roused his teammates with a driving dunk in the final three minutes. "That might be the top team moment this year," Griffin said. "Ive never seen him move that fast or jump that high." The Clippers reeled off eight straight points to open the third, including four by Griffin, for a 65-49 lead. Jordan dunked back-to-back, Paul made two 3-pointers, and Griffin hit 3 of 4 free throws, extending the lead to 84-65. It grew bigger with a 10INDIANAPOLIS -- NFL sacks champion Robert Mathis admits he made a mistake late last season. Now its going to cost him -- four games and four paychecks. The Colts career sacks leader was suspended Friday by the NFL after violating the leagues ban on performance-enhancing substances. What exactly Mathis tested positive for remains a mystery but the linebacker said in a statement he was seeking fertility assistance. He acknowledged that he and his wife are expecting a baby. "I am deeply saddened that this situation will prevent me from contributing to my team for four games, and I regret that I didnt cross check what my doctor told me before I took the medication, " Mathis said. "I hope that my fans will understand the unique circumstances involved here and continue to know that I am a man of integrity who would never intentionally circumvent the performance enhancing substance policy agreed to by the NFL and my union." Mathis said Commissioner Roger Goodell denied Mathis request to not issue a suspension based on the circumstances. The league issued a statement Friday night about the case: "As Mr. Mathiss agent acknowledged today, his client failed to follow the protocols in the policy that the NFL and NFLPA agreed upon to address precisely these kinds of claims," the NFL said. "That policy also prescribes the disciplinary consequences of a positive test. The policy does not provide - nor should it provide - for the commissioner to override the policys procedures and assess discipline on an after-the-fact, ad hoc basis. Here Mr. Mathis actually withdrew his appeal and accepted discipline at the unions suggestion. His hearing took place only after the Players Association requested that the appeal be reinstated. "The drug for which Mr. Mathis tested positive is not approved by the FDA for fertility in males and is a performance-enhancing drug that has been prohibited for years. Importantly, Mr. Mathis did not consult with the policys independent administrator, a physician jointly approved by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Nor did he consult with his team doctor, the teams training staff, the NFLPA, the league office or the hotline established under the policy to give confidential information to players. Each of these sources would have warned against using this substance. "A cornerstone of the program is that a player is responsible for what is in his body. Consistent application of the policys procedures is critical to the integrity of the program." If the NFLs decision stands, and they almost always do, Mathis would not be eligible to rejoin the Colts until Sept. 29. He is allowed to participate in the teams off-season workouts, training camp and preseason games. The Colts quickly issued a statement saying they would support Mathis, one of the teams elder statesmen and most respected leaders. Mathis set a single-season record with 19 1/2 sacks last season and also broke Dwight Freeneys franchise career record for sacks. In 11 NFL seasons, Mathis has 111 career sacks. "We nevertheless wish to assure Robert and our fans that he remains an honoured and cherished member of the Colts family and that we support him as he deals with this difficult challenge," Mathis said. Its another black eye for a franchise whose owner, Jim Irsay, was arrested near his suburban Indy home in March and preliminarily charged with four felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanour driving while intoxicated charge. Irsay sought medical help two days later and did not return to the team until last weekends draft. Irsay has not spoken publicly about what happened. Mathis was considered an undersized defensive end when the Colts took him in the fifth round of the 2003 draft. It didnt take long, though, for Mathis and Freeney to form one of the NFLs most feared pass-rushing combinations. With Mathis developing his own spin moves to match Freeney, and Freeney developing his own tomahawks chop, imitating Mathis, the two close friends not only put quarterbacks on the ground, they forced fumbles at the leagues highest rate, too. Both emerged as perennial Pro Bowlers, but when they were asked to move to linebacker in new coach Chuck Paganos 3-4 defence, Mathis thrived and Freeney struggled. When the Colts announced last year that they would not re-sign Freeney, many thought Mathis would struggle. Instead, he had the best season of his career and became the first winner of the Deacon Jones Award. Defending that title might be next to impossible in 2014 -- unless he wins an appeal. "We are thrilled that we will be welcoming a new (family) member in several months, but I apologize to my teammates, coaches and Colts fans that I will not be able to contribute to my team for the first four weeks of the 2014 season," Mathis said. "I will work extremely hard during that time to stay in top football shape and will be prepared to contribute immediately upon my return." Nike Air Max Suomi . - Ronda Rousey realizes shes finishing up one of the biggest years for any fighter in the young history of mixed martial arts at UFC 168, and the UFCs bantamweight champion intends to go out on top. Nike Air Max Ale .J. -- Travis Zajac of the New Jersey Devils took a lot of grief considering his scored the first of his career-best three goals just 12 seconds into a crucial game against the Florida Panthers. http://www.suomiairmax.com/ . When a game is in the balance, however, they still have the personnel and the experience to end up with the two points. Halvalla Nike Air Max .C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have activated defenceman Joni Pitkanen from injured reserve. Nike Air Max Osta . The union filed a grievance late Thursday, one day after Goodell suspended four players who participated in bounties from 2009-11. The complaint says Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any aspect of the case occurring before the new collective bargaining agreement was signed last August. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington decided it was time to shake up his lineup a bit. With a few switches in the batting order, and an impressive performance by young starter Nick Tepesch, the Rangers ended their longest losing streak in nearly nine years. Adrian Beltre homered and Shin-Soo Choo had three hits in his return to the leadoff spot while Tepesch allowed only three singles over 7 1-3 scoreless innings, and the Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins 5-4 on Friday night. "He was outstanding. We needed a well-pitched game and he gave it to us," said Washington, who liked his lineup. "Well run the same one out there tomorrow and see what happens." The Rangers went into the opener of the weekend series mired in its first eight-game losing streak since August 2005. "Its nice to end any negative streak," said Beltre, who added a sacrifice fly in the eighth that proved to be the margin of victory. "Its one of those things, you dont want to throw any at-bat away." Minnesota has lost its last nine road games, including a three-game sweep at the Los Angeles Angels before getting to Texas. The Twins came up short after scoring four runs in the ninth off Texas closer Joakim Soria, making only his second appearance since June 14. Choo led off for the first time in 18 games while Carlos Pena, in only his fourth game back with the Rangers, took over the No. 3 spot where Choo had hit .149 (10 for 67) since June 7. And Washingtons change paid off immediately when Choo had a leadoff single in the first and scored on Beltres ninth homer, which just cleared the fence and landed in the Rangers bullpen in right-centre field. "I said earlier that doesnt make a difference. I knew this would happen after the game and I was sure people would ask me about it, but its not ... I dont think anything changed as far as approach," Choo said about leading off, though he acknowledged thhat, "Im a little more comfortable there, Ive done it for the last two years.dddddddddddd" Tepesch (3-3) struck out five, walked two and hit two batters, while matching his longest major league start. He has won all three of his career starts against the Twins, allowing only three earned runs in 20 2-3 innings. "Just able to command all four of my pitches, and just commanding them in the zone and out of the zone," Tepesch said. Kevin Correia (4-9) allowed four runs and six hits over six innings. The right-hander, who struck out three and walked two, had given up only two earned runs over 18 innings his previous three starts. Jason Frasor and Neal Cotts each got an out in the eighth after Tepesch gave up a one-out hit to Minnesota leadoff hitter Brian Dozer. Jorge Polancos two-run triple in the ninth for his first major league hit that made it 5-4. Soria, who had given up just one earned over 20 2-3 innings his previous 22 games, then got a strikeout and grounder to end the game. Luis Sardinas and Choo had RBI doubles in the fifth, both on balls that left fielder Josh Willingham tried to catch. Sardinas hit a sinking liner down the left-field line that rolled into the corner after Willingham made a diving attempt to catch it. Choo hit a flyball that glanced off Willinghams glove when he ran into the 14-foot fence. "Diving full out down the line, diving up against the wall in left field," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "What cant you like about that? Hes trying to make a play." NOTES: Rangers ace Yu Darvish (7-4, 2.62 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday. He lost his last two starts, allowing 12 runs (eight earned) over 11 innings. ... Phil Hughes (8-3) pitches the middle game for the Twins. ... 1B/OF Brad Snyder declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and took free agency Friday, three days after the Rangers designated him for assignment. ' ' '-3 spurt that sent the Clippers into the fourth leading 94-72. The Clippers shot 62 per cent and outscored the Lakers 37-23 in the third. Young scored the first five points of the second quarter, giving the Lakers a two-point lead, their first of the game. They kept it close over the next 4 1/2 minutes before the Clippers used a 19-12 run to lead 57-49 at halftime. Griffin had eight points and Paul six in the teams first extended offensive burst of the game. Notes: The Lakers said Bazemore sprained his right foot and will undergo an MRI on Monday. ... The Lakers were already thin, with Pau Gasol (vertigo), Steve Nash (nerve root irritation), Chris Kaman (strained right calf), Jordan Farmar (strained right groin), Xavier Henry (ligament, wrist and knee injuries), and Bryant sidelined. ... Paul and Redick started their 18th game in the backcourt together, but first since Nov. 27, with injuries having sidelined both at various times. ... Clippers F Danny Granger sat out with a strained left hamstring, while G Jamal Crawford remains out with a strained left calf. ... Paul McCartney and wife Nancy took in the game sitting midway up from the court. ' ' '