Clan-Members » goal of ours to get back to that .500

TORONTO -- International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel feels better about the chances of having NHL players compete at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea than he did earlier this year. The league doesnt sound nearly as confident and may be looking six years ahead to China instead.In May at the IIHF world championship, Fasel said he thought there was a 60 percent chance the NHL and NHL Players Association would pass on the opportunity to participate in a sixth straight Olympics. Whether the best hockey players in the world go to South Korea in about 16 months is up to the league and union, though Russian star Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has said he will go no matter what .I think it is 50-50 chance, Fasel told The Associated Press on Tuesday ahead of Game 1 of the World Cup of Hockey final.NHL officials, however, sounded an ominous tone.Time is very short to make a decision and Im not sure there has been a lot of progress made in the past six months, and Im not sure theres any prospect for progress being made, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. On the basis on that, Im more negative today than I was two weeks ago.Money is a big factor in the deliberations.NHL players have not and will not get paid for participating in the Olympics, but their travel expenses and insurance have been covered in the past. The International Olympic Committee is not expected to pay for travel and insurance costs to get NHL players to the previous five Olympics.The IOCs position, obviously, didnt make it any easier, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.The IOC spent about $14 million to cover travel and insurance costs for NHL players for the 2014 Olympics. Fasel expects the bill would be about $10 million for the next Olympics because he said it wont be necessary to charter planes to South Korea as it was to get players to Sochi, Russia.While the league doesnt sound eager about going to South Korea, it does sound very interested in tapping into Chinas huge market in 2022.When the IOC awarded the Beijing Games, it certainly created a bigger opportunity than we thought existed potentially before, Daly said. But it is also possible that you dont go to one Olympics and you do go to the other. I dont think anybody has ruled that out as a possibility.Fasel, saying he is simply at fan at the World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, intends to beg for $10 million to cover expenses for NHL players to be at the 2018 Olympics.He hopes to persuade national Olympic committees and hockey federations to donate the funds to keep the games best players on the biggest stage in sports. To make up the shortfall, Fasel acknowledged the IIHF could possibly use some of the $40 million it gets from the IOC every four years and make cuts from its development programs for boys and girls.Our job at the IIHF is find solution, Fasel said. I will go everywhere and anywhere to beg for the money. That is my job.Fasel said he had Olympic-related discussions with Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr on Sept. 19 in Toronto, and plans to meet with them again in November.Gary would like to make decision before end of the year, Fasel said.Mike Babcock, who has led Canada to gold at the last two Olympics and is hoping to add a World Cup of Hockey title to his collection of accomplishments this week, made his preference clear before the puck dropped Tuesday night.The World Cup is great. Its not the Olympics, Babcock said in an unsolicited comparison of the two events. Lets not get confused.---Follow Larry Lage at www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at www.bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lageFake Balenciaga Cheap .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Fake Balenciaga For Sale . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. https://www.fakebalenciaga.com/ . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Balenciaga Shoes Sale . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Wholesale Balenciaga . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said.WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals explosive offense seems to be rounding into form, and on Friday theyll try to finish their longest homestand of the season on a positive note against a Buffalo Sabres squad inching toward the .500 mark.Alexander Ovechkin had his 16th career hat trick in a 4-3 win over the St, Louis Blues on Wednesday, but all parties agreed that it was Evgeny Kuznetsov that helped make a big difference for the Capitals offense.I hope hes back on his game and he has the confidence, Ovechkin said of his fellow countryman. It helps us when he plays well.Kuznetsov had gotten off to a slow start this season, but his goal and assist against the Blues gave him his second multi-point game of the year, and the 24-year-olds skill in the offensive zone will help boost Washingtons offensive attack. Kuznetsov now has three goals this season after leading Washington with 20 tallies last year.I thought (Kuznetsov) was dynamic -- he was really skating, Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after Washingtons win. That was the (Kuznetsov) that we all see that he can be. Hes been getting better and better. You can see he was going to have a breakout sooner or later as long as he stayed with the program, and he has.The Sabres are coming off a hard-fought, 2-1 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, but got some good news in the return of center Ryan OReilly, who rejoined the teams top line. He played 22:48 in his return, but may havve also showed some rust after missing five games due to an oblique injury.dddddddddddd.I think at time he was a little extended in his energy level, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma told NHL.com after Wednesdays loss. Hes a great player, but he extended himself in a couple shifts and got stuck out there in the second, one of those long shifts and then the overtime he got stuck out again.The Sabres (7-8-5) have stressed getting back to even on the season, and will have another crack at it against the Capitals, who have been one of the top home teams this season at 7-3-0.It is a big goal of ours to get back to that .500 mark, but you come out and have a good effort against Washington and you consider it a really good week, Sabres captain Brian Gionta told reporters after Wednesdays game.Buffalos goalies, Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson, have combined for a .930 save percentage, good enough for second in the league. Washington netminder Braden Holtby has posted a 9-3-2 mark in his last 14 games dating back to last season, but said that its important that the Capitals play the full 60 minutes after giving up a couple of late goals against the Blues.The frustrating thing is that weve done it a few times this year, he said. Once it happens a few times, it becomes a habit. We have to address it and clamp down in third periods. ' ' '