posting veteran forward Dirk Kuyt

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TORONTO, Ontario - Moments after Canada narrowly edged Latvia 2-1 to book their ticket to face the United States in the semifinals of the Olympic mens hockey tournament, Jonathan Toews was asked about going head to head against his Chicago Blackhawks teammate Patrick Kane. “Hes alright,” laughed Toews, “but that Kessel guy is even better.” Whether Toews was sharing his true belief or not is beside the point. The fact that the captain of two different Stanley Cup champions would even think to make that comparison shows that Kessel is being thought of among the games elite, not just by pundits but, more importantly, by his peers. And rightly so. Finishing up with points in thirteen of his final 15 games before the Olympic break (11-16-27) to put himself fourth overall in NHL scoring with 65 points – second overall in goals with 31 behind only Alex Ovechkin – Kessel has continued to excel in Sochi, leading the mens tournament in scoring with eight points in four games while sitting tied with Michael Grabner for the lead in goals with five. Let that sink in for a moment. In a tournament involving undisputedly the best players in the world, Phil Kessel has arguably been the top performer. “We all believed that hes able to do it,” said Kessels centre in Toronto, Tyler Bozak. “Who knows what other people think outside of our locker room but we believe in him to be one of the best players in the league and hes proving it yet again.” Now 26 years old and in his eighth NHL season, Kessel is on pace for his best statistical season, poised to set new career highs in goals, assists and points. If he keeps up his pace set through the first 60 games, he could well break the 40-goal plateau and finish just shy of 90 points. To put that in perspective, not since Mats Sundin scored 41 goals in 2001-02 has a Maple Leaf reached 40 goals. The 90-point milestone hasnt been met in Toronto since Sundin did it in 1996-97. Nazem Kadri feels its time for Kessel to be recognized among the NHLs best. “I think he should be, if he wasnt already,” he said after the Maple Leafs reconvened for practice on Wednesday. “I think we all knew that Phil was going to achieve more, especially on that big ice. Not too many players in the league can skate with him. Phil does a great job finding areas to get open; he can find his own teammates and score goals.” The knock against Kessel has long been that he is too one-dimensional of a player but the Madison, Wisconsin native has been aggressively debunking that myth in recent times. An inspired effort during the Leafs seven game playoff series against the Boston Bruins in the spring of 2013 was an eye opener. Hes shown a willingness to stand up for himself, as he has done on two separate occasions against Alex Burrows this season. “I think Phil kind of likes that stuff secretly,” revealed Bozak after Kessels latest altercation with Burrows on Feb. 8. “It kind of fired him up.” Perhaps most impressive though has been Kessels ability not only to score goals but to enhance the play of his teammates, a much more difficult task as a winger than as a centre. Only Patrick Kane (36), Taylor Hall (36) and Kyle Okposo (35) have more assists as wingers this season than Kessels 34. To any longer cast Kessel in the light of solely a one dimensional goal scorer is inaccurate. Hes proven that he is one of the most purely skilled players the Leafs have had in the last thirty years and right now, among the best in the NHL. “Phil has definitely taken strides here and has grown as a player,” explained Coach Randy Carlyle. “Hes not a one dimensional player as people described him previously. Hes a guy that still has some things that wed like him to stop doing but hes become more of a two way player, hes stopped on pucks a lot more, hes been in the shooting lane a lot more. Hes not just a rush player, he can do a lot of different things with the puck and hes provided this hockey club and now the USA team with a lot of different intangibles.” Mark Sanchez Youth Jersey .com) - The Winnipeg Jets got over one hurdle by snapping their longest losing streak of the season. Eric Rowe Youth Jersey . -- Even with a two-shot lead going into the final round of a tournament he had won five times, Tiger Woods expected a fight to finish from Zach Johnson. http://www.eaglesfootballauthentic.com/eagles-demarco-murray-black-jersey/ .com) - Ralph Sampson was in attendance for Thursday nights ACC showdown between No. Tim Tebow Jersey . This week they discuss the decision to stop the NFL concussion settlement, the medias indifference to a big boxing match in Montreal, the maturity of Anthony Bennett and NHL outdoor games. Eric Rowe Eagles Jersey . -- The San Francisco 49ers have signed centre Marcus Martin, one of their three third-round draft picks, to a four-year deal. SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Two substitutes, two goals. Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal can, it seems, do no wrong at this World Cup. He sent on replacements Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay in the second half of the match against Chile on Monday and they scored both goals in a 2-0 win that confirmed the Dutch as Group B winners with a maximum nine points. "It is luck," Van Gaal himself said about his super substitutions. "Just luck." But it was more than that. Fer, listed by FIFA as 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, scored with a header a minute after coming on as a substitute for the 5-foot-6-inch (171 cm) Wesley Sneijder. "I know Leroy Fer is tall compared with our opponents. I know he can head the ball well," Van Gaal said. Then there was Depay. "We analyzed that Chile in the last 15 minutes gives away more room," Van Gaal said. "If you have a creative player in at that moment, you have the chance to use that space." Manchester United, which hired Van Gaal to restore its fortunes after a disastrous season by the clubs lofty standards, must be delighted even if it has to wait a bit longer for him to join them after the World Cup. Chile, one of the most attacking and attractive teams at the World Cup, had no answer at the Itaquerao Stadium, especially not without midfielder Arturo Vidal who watched from the bench. "I played the best team I had," said Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli. Juventus star Vidal had knee surgery before the tournament and had a sore Achilles tendon but said a day before the match he felt fit and ready to play. Both teams had already advanced to the second round, but Chiles first loss of the tournament consigned it to second place in Group B and a meeting with host Brazil in Belo Horizonte. The Dutch next travel to Fortaleza to play Group A runner-up Mexico in the round of 16 on June 29. Chile began with its trademark fast, attacking style while the Dutch, with a five-man defence, looked content to sit back, absorb the pressure and break out with swift counterattacks. "We gave nothing away and fought like lions," stannd-in captain Robben said.dddddddddddd "Orange lions." The match marked the first time at this World Cup the Netherlands had played in its national colour, but the change of jerseys didnt change its fortunes. Vidals absence deprived Chile of midfield creativity and it struggled to break down the well-drilled Dutch defence. Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez tried to fill the gap left by Vidal, but couldnt find a way through. He came closest to scoring in the second half with a powerful shot that Jasper Cillessen easily blocked at his near post. "Im very proud of this team," Robben said. "If you see how we fought here today. We were right on top of them and gave them no chances." The Netherlands was playing without suspended captain and striker Robin van Persie and was also missing defender Bruno Martins Indi, who suffered a concussion in the teams last match, a tough 3-2 victory over Australia in Porto Alegre. No problem for inspirational coach Van Gaal, who pulled a tactical surprise with his starting lineup -- reverting to the 5-3-2 formation he began with against Spain and posting veteran forward Dirk Kuyt, in his 99th international, at left back. "I enjoyed it," Kuyt said. "I never played in this position but the coach told me a couple of weeks ago that it could be a possibility during the tournament and I told him that I would be ready for it and I was very happy I get the chance. I think it went very well and hopefully I will get another chance." Then came Van Gaals substitutions. Fer headed in powerfully and Depay doubled his World Cup tally in stoppage time. Robben delayed his cross from the left cleverly until the PSV Eindhoven striker arrived at the far post -- also delaying his run by a split second to shrug off his marker -- to tap in an inch-perfect pass. "He is a huge talent and great for the future of Dutch football," Fer said of Depay. Robben said that after three wins out of three, the Dutch squad is hungry for more. "We can enjoy this fantastic performance, but it must not stop here," he said. Cheap Jerseys For Sale Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Supply Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '