Clan-Members » nd Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Mat

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, Germany -- Jerome Boateng has been a central figure in Germanys advance to the quarterfinals of the European Championship without conceding a goal, so its a huge relief for his team that a calf injury wont keep him out of Saturdays quarterfinal against Italy.Boateng has helped set the tone for his side at Euro 2016 -- at both ends of the field.It all started with a spectacular goal-line clearance against Ukraine when Germany was only 1-0 up. Germany went on to win the match 2-0 but it could have all been so different had Ukraine got on level terms.Boateng then helped contain his Bayern Munich teammate Robert Lewandowski in the scoreless draw with Poland, and marshalled the backline in the 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the final group game.Boatengs defensive strengths are well-chronicled.Whats not is his scoring prowess.But against Slovakia in the round of 16, the 27-year-old central defender gave his sides misfiring attack a helping hand by opening the scoring with his first international goal in 63 appearances.Boateng has been spoken of as a potential player of the tournament. Hes not convinced.Sure, a defender can also score a goal or play a good game, but I think it will always stay like that that, the offensive players are more in focus, he said Thursday at the teams tournament base in Evian-les-Bains.There have been some concerns that a calf injury would mean he miss the encounter with Italy.The calf is very well and good for Saturday, he said.Boatengs participation in Euro 2016 had been in doubt earlier this year after he suffered a muscle injury to his left leg in January.The long layoff, though, has clearly not been a hindrance.Boateng insists that he wont change the way he plays even though another yellow card would see him suspended from any potential semifinal against either France or Iceland.Ill go in like I always go in, he said.Boatengs inspired performances at Euro 2016 have come just weeks after he found himself in the middle of a racism controversy off the field.A top member of a rising German nationalist party reportedly told a national newspaper that many people wouldnt want to live next to Boateng, who was born in Berlin to a father from Ghana.The remarks drew widespread protests and prompted fans to unfurl a banner reading Jerome be our neighbor! at Germanys friendly against Slovakia last month. Cheap Jerseys Store .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Cheap China Jerseys . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. http://www.nflcheapchinawholesalejerseys.com/ . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Cheap Jerseys Online . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. SAN FRANCISCO -- Zack Wheeler used to have long talks with Sergio Romo when they were teammates in the Giants organization, and the young pitcher is good pals with Mike Kickham. None of that mattered when Wheeler took the mound at AT&T Park for the first time. He just wanted to pitch well. Wheeler threw seven sharp innings, Marlon Byrd homered again and the New York Mets completed their first sweep in San Francisco since 1994 with a 7-2 win Wednesday. "I was drafted by the Giants and obviously wanted to pitch here," Wheeler said. "I didnt know how I was going to feel when I got out there. Honestly, I was relaxed." Daniel Murphy and John Buck each had two hits and drove in two runs as the Mets won their fourth in a row, including three straight over the slumping World Series champions. The Giants have lost 16 of 19. Wheeler (3-1), selected by the Giants with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft, took a shutout into the seventh. He allowed one run and three hits, struck out five and walked three. "Thats the best all-around stuff Ive seen," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He pounded the strike zone and got outs. He has a chance to be very good." San Francisco dealt Wheeler to the Mets in July 2011 for outfielder Carlos Beltran. The trip to San Francisco brought back memories from his time with the Giants. "Romo and me would talk all the time," Wheeler said. "Hed sit me down and talk me through things. It was fun to be able to watch him pitch the first night." Matt Cain (5-6) lasted less than an inning for the first time in his career, giving up three runs and two hits while walking three and getting just two outs. He is 0-3 with a 6.38 ERA in his last five starts. "We needed a chance to win it, and I wasnt giving them an opportunity right there," Cain said. "I was walking guys. They got a couple of hits they needed, and that was it." San Francisco dropped to 440-50, its first time 10 games under .dddddddddddd500 since the Giants finished 72-90 in 2008, according to STATS. San Francisco was swept at home for the first time since July 27-29 last year against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wheeler retired 14 of his first 16 hitters before Pablo Sandoval singled for the Giants first hit with two outs in the fourth. Wheeler also hit an RBI double. "He was a lot more efficient getting ahead," Buck said. "He just needed to get his feet wet and feel a little more comfortable, but hes also working hard in things." Cains home ERA rose to 5.94, the second-highest among qualifying NL pitchers and more than double his 2.03 ERA in San Francisco last year. "He was disappointed to come out, but I had to make the call," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Hes fine, but I didnt want it to become an issue. He was going on 40 pitches there and I didnt want to push him through again." New York took a 3-0 lead in the first. Eric Young walked, stole second went to third on catcher Buster Poseys throwing error and scored on Murphys single. Ike Davis and Kirk Nieuwenhuis walked, and Buck ended Cains day with a two-run single. Kickham retired 12 of his first 14 hitters into the fifth. That stretch ended when Davis singled and Byrd followed with his 15th homer and second in two days. Wheeler and Murphy each doubled home a run in the sixth to make it 7-0. Brandon Crawford singled home a run in the Giants eighth, and Tony Abreu hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth. NOTES: Giants RHP Santiago Casilla could be activated Thursday. ... LHP Madison Bumgarner (9-5, 3.05) will start for the Giants on Thursday night in San Diego. Hes 5-3 in 15 games against the Padres. ... RHP Jeremy Hefner (4-6, 3.39) gets the start for the Mets on Friday night at Pittsburgh. Since June 4, his ERA is 1.64. ... Mets INF David Wright extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the ninth. ' ' '