PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - Algerias players are being left to decide whether or not they observe the Ramadan fast during Mondays World Cup game against Germany, with coach Vahid Halilhodzic saying its not a divisive issue. Observant Muslims avoid food and liquids from dawn to dusk during Ramadan but can, and often do, skip it if travelling or doing hard physical labour. Some devout Muslim athletes choose to fast during training or competition, but it can create selection difficulties for the coaches in team sports. Halilhodzic, who has testy relations with sections of the Algerian media and its football association, threatened to leave a news conference Sunday if questions persisted on the topic. He said critics were using the issue to "try and raise hatred of me and my family. This is really disgusting." The national football association released a statement denying a report in Algerias leading football newspaper suggesting that Halilhodzic, a Muslim, had ordered players not to fast. Its a potentially sensitive allegation in the mostly Muslim country. The federation said Halilhodzic had been "very respectful" of the religion in his three years at the helm of the national team. The veteran coach, a French-Bosnian, said fasting was a "private issue and players will do exactly as they wish." "When you ask this question you lack respect and ethics. I would like this to stop. Stop this controversy. Talk about football," he said, in response to repeated questions at the official pre-match news conference. "And stop asking me about Ramadan, otherwise I will get up and leave." The match Monday kicks less than an hour before sunset in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. The Algeria lineup has been impressive in its three group games, and had its best attacking display so far in a 4-2 win over South Korea. Halilhodzic started that match with five new players following its opening 2-1 defeat to Belgium. They followed that up with a 1-0 win over Russia to reach the knockout rounds for the first time. "We will do everything we can to try and win this match, but (the Germans) are of a higher quality, more experienced and basically better than us," Halilhodzic said. "We shall prepare for this game as the most important in our career. We will give it our all." Algeria shocked West Germany 2-1 in the group stages of the 1982 World Cup, in what was a colossal upset at the time. But the team didnt make it through to the qualifying rounds after the Germans and Austria played out a mutually advantageous result in their last group match in one of the most infamous World Cup episodes. The build up to Mondays match has focused on whether this is now the opportunity for Algeria to avenge what has become known as the "Disgrace of Gijon." But Halilhodzic and Germany coach Joachim Loew downplayed that Sunday, noting that the vast majority of players were not born when it occurred. "This is history. There are many things that occur in football. I would like this wonderful championship to finish in a different way," Halilhodzic said. Jordan Weal Jersey .Y. -- The New York Islanders were seeking a positive finish to a frustrating season on home ice. Jori Lehtera Jersey . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. http://www.officialflyersfanstore.com/au...-flyers-jersey/. Although head coach Randy Carlyle jokingly wondered how much actual training Bolland got done while in London. "I dont know how much training goes on when you go back to the junior team that you played for so I wouldnt read too much into that," laughed Carlyle after the Maple Leafs were put through an up-tempo practice that concluded with a 10-minute bag skate on Thursday. Nolan Patrick Jersey . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. Bernie Parent Jersey . The Calgary skip fell 10-8 to Swedens Oskar Eriksson in semifinal action Saturday and will face Switzerlands Peter de Cruz for the bronze medal (Saturday at 10pm et/7pm pt on TSN2).MONTREAL -- There was so much more to the Canadiens 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night than Patrick Roys return to Montreal. A game that had the 21,273 in the Bell Centre seats rocking even before the puck was dropped saw NHL trade deadline addition Thomas Vanek score his first three goals as a Canadien. It saw plugger Travis Moen score a spin-around goal worthy of a first-line star. And it had a spectacular performance from Colorado rookie Nathan MacKinnon, who dazzled the crowd and the Canadiens defence for an entire shift before scoring his 23rd goal of the season in the first period. On the downside, Colorado defenceman John Mitchell was taken to hospital for tests after crashing back-first into the end boards at 8:02 of the second period. Roy had no update on his condition after the game other than that it was back injury. The game started with the spotlight on Roy, but players from both teams made sure it was game to remember as well. "I thought both teams played really well and tonight the puck bounced their way," said Roy, the former Canadiens goaltending great who was on his first trip to Montreal as an NHL coach. There was no pre-game ceremony for the player once known as Saint Patrick, but he didnt need one. The fans gave him a long, rousing ovation when he was shown on the scoreboard during the national anthems. Some wondered how the Bell Centre crowd would react to Roy, who won Stanley Cups for the Canadiens in 1986 and 1993 but later demanded a trade and was on the outs with the organization until 2008 when they retired his No. 33 jersey. "I thought they showed lot of class," said Roy. "It was nice. They didnt make a big thing and thats the way I wanted it." Brandon Prust, who left the game late in the first period with an apparent shoulder injury, returned to score a goal and set up Moens tally for Montreal (38-25-7), which won its third game in a row. Trailing by two goals, Roy pulled goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere with 2:20 left to play, but Dale Weise scored into the empty net. Max Talbot and Jamie McGinn also had goals for the Avalanche (44-20-5), which lost for only the third time in 10 games. The Avs end a three-game road trip Wednesday night in Winnipeg. Vanek had a ton of chances since he was acquired from the New York Islanders, who had got him early in the season from the Buffalo Sabres. He finally broke through against Colorado. "It was frustrating," he said. "I think Im pretty emotional out there and sometimes I show my frustration too much. "But its been a tough year moving around, trying to get your first goal with Buffalo and then a new team and then here. But I thought we were generating chances and it just didnt go in. Getting that first goal was nice. I was really pressing the last few games." The Avalaanche players clearly wanted to win for Roy, who has taken them from last to fourth in the Western Conference in one season and who is likely to be named the NHLs coach of the year.dddddddddddd. Roys team responded with a strong opening period. No. 1 overall draft pick MacKinnon put on a show as he ragged the puck in the Montreal zone for most of an entire shift. Then he got the puck alone in front of the net off a strange deflection and deked Carey Price at 18:03. He got 20:55 of ice time and, other than Vanek, was perhaps the best player in the game. Even Montreal coach Michel Therrien was impressed. "For an 18-year-old kid... I had the luxury of coaching great ones at 18 and 19 years old (Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin) and hes right there," said Therrien. "Hes a special player." Roy knew his players wanted to get him the victory, even though he told them to concentrate on getting the two points. "(Ryan) OReilly was hurt and I knew he wanted to play," said Roy. "(Paul) Stastny came back (from a back injury) tonight. "I knew what they were doing. I have a lot of respect for my players and I appreciate it, but I didnt want them to feel the pressure of winning a game for their coach. I wanted them to win for the team. I dont want to put myself ahead of the team. I didnt need a special night." The Canadiens bounced back in the second, as Vanek tapped one into an open goal after Desharnais lured Giguere out of his net on a rush at 7:44. Talbot was parked at the doorstep to knock in a Matt Duchene feed at 9:33, but Moen tied the score at 10:21 with his second of the year and his first since Nov. 22. Prust dove to chip the puck into the middle, where Moen caught it, then did a spin-around move to beat Giguere with a backhand. Giguere took a holding the stick penalty and Vanek made him pay as he converted a Max Pacioretty feed on a power play for the game-winner at 14:45. Montreal was on the power play again when Vanek reached behind his back to deflect an Alexei Emelin shot in at 17:40 for the hat-trick. Only two hats were thrown on the ice. Montreal fans have never been big on the hat-throwing thing. Weise added an empty-netter at 19:00, giving each member of the checking line a goal. "We were energized tonight," said Prust. "We knew it was going to be a big game. We knew they would come hard to get Patty the win, so were glad we spoiled it." Notes: It was Roys first game against Montreal since he was a player on Nov. 6, 2001. Roy opted to put Montreal native Giguere as No. 1 Semyon Varlamov sat out. Roy said Reto Berra will start in goal in Winnipeg. . . Stastny returned from after missing four games with a back injury. . . The Avs went into the game with the NHLs fourth best power play and Montreal with the fourth best penalty kill. 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