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Feb 16 '19
BOSTON -- Tuukka Rask turned an outstanding first season as the Boston Bruins No. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Calvin-Munson-Jersey/ . 1 goalie into a long-term commitment on Wednesday by signing an eight-year contract to stay with the Eastern Conference champions. There was little doubt that the restricted free agent would be back, especially after the Bruins cleared about $4.75 million in space under the salary cap when they sent Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars in a seven-player deal last Thursday. The Bruins said the annual salary cap charge on Rasks contract is $7 million. Boston lost the Stanley Cup finals in six games to Chicago, dropping the finale 3-2 on June 24 when the Blackhawks came from behind and scored two goals in the last 1:16. Two days later, general manager Peter Chiarelli said, "I feel confident that we will get a deal done on Rask in short order." That same day, Rask said he would like to play with the Bruins "forever," and the one-year contract he played under last season motivated him. "You always try to be good but then you are trying to get your average game level as high as you can," he said, "that the gap between a good game and a bad game wouldnt be so big. I think I managed to do that this year, and it motivates me for the next year to keep that level and keep getting better." Rask was the backup goalie in the 2011 post-season when Tim Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy that goes to the playoff MVP as Boston won its first Stanley Cup title since 1972. The following season, Thomas played 59 games with a 2.36 goals-against average. Rask made 23 appearances and had a 2.05 average. Thomas then decided to sit out the last season of his four-year, $20 million contract. The Bruins suspended him on Jan. 13 for failing to report and traded him on Feb. 7 to the New York Islanders. Thomas, now 39, didnt play last season. Rask, 26, was a worthy successor. He was 19-10-5 with a 2.00 GAA in the regular season and then went 14-8 in the post-season with three shutouts and a 1.88 GAA. The goalie from Finland was drafted in the first round in 2005 by the Toronto Maple Leafs and was traded in June 2006 for goalie Andrew Raycroft. The most games Rask has played in a season is 45 in the 2009-10 campaign when Thomas, who played 43 games that season, missed time because of a hip injury that required off-season surgery. Now Rask has developed into one of the NHLs top netminders. Asked after the season how much he had proven, Rask said, "I dont think I have to answer those questions anymore. I played good, proved (to) everyone again that I was capable of doing it. I mean, you look at the numbers. Theyre good. If I just analyze my game and by how I felt throughout the year, I thought it was a great year." Rasks best playoff series came in Bostons four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals. He allowed just two goals and made 123 saves against the NHLs highest-scoring, regular-season team. In the finals, he made 50 saves in the opener, but Chicago won 4-3 in three overtimes. Rask allowed one goal in the next two games as Boston won 2-1 and 2-0. But the Blackhawks won the remaining three games. The next big signing for the Bruins should be centre Patrice Bergeron. His three-year contract runs through next season. Bergeron tied for the team lead with nine playoff goals and had 15 points. He led the NHL in winning faceoffs, and he won the Selke Trophy as the leagues top defensive forward the previous season. He also played Game 6 against Chicago with a broken rib and separated shoulder, then was hospitalized afterward with a punctured lung. He has said he is "very confident" he will get an extension. Rasks signing came after the Bruins lost three unrestricted free agents. Right wing Nathan Horton signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, 13-year veteran defenceman Andrew Ference went to the Edmonton Oilers, and backup goalie Anton Khudobin joined the Carolina Hurricanes. The Bruins werent interested in retaining Ference, and they let right wing Jaromir Jagr become a free agent. They did add right wings for their top two lines -- Jarome Iginla from Pittsburgh and Loui Eriksson from Dallas. Boston wasnt interested in signing free agent defencemen after rookies Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski emerged last season. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Dj-Fluker-Jersey/ .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Eli-Apple-Jersey/ . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Jonathan-Casillas-Jersey/ . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. MONACO -- South African Caster Semenya set the fastest time of the year in winning the womens 800 meters in the Herculis Diamond League meet on Friday.Semenya pulled well clear in the home straight to finish in 1 minute, 55.33 seconds, more than one second faster than the time she set in winning a Diamond League meet at Rabat, Morocco, in May. Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi clocked 1:56.24 to take second place.We decided to take it from the start and see what we could come up with, said Semenya, who extended her overall lead in the Diamond League standings. It takes a strong character to be successful.European champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands dominated the womens 100 meters in 10.94 seconds, with Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica placing second in 11.12, and Carina Horn of South Africa third in 11.14.My goal was to win and thats what I did, said Schippers, whose win moved her to the top of the standings. The times not that good, but its OK for now.Alonso Edward of Panama won the mens 200 ahead of four-time European champion Christophe Lemaitre of France, while world champion Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa won the mens 400.But there was a surprise in the mens 1,500 as 20-year-old Kenyan Ronald Kwemoi won in 3:30.49 seconds, while countryman Asbel Kiprop finished sixth in 3:32.03, just behind Britains Mo Farah.Last year, Kiprop posted the third fastest time ever in 3:26.69, but could not find the right rhythm on the same Stade Louis II track.I wanted a quick pace (and) I didnt really want them to slow down so much, Kiprop said. The last 200 meters before the 1k (mark), thats where it slowed down a lot and the pack caught up.Kenyan Alfred Kipketer pulled away in the home straight to win the 800 meters in 1:44.47, narrowly holding off a late surge from Polands Adam Kszczot.Spaniard Orlando Ortega won the 110 hurdles with a season best of 13.04 seconds, finishing ahead of Frenchmen Dimitri Bascou and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde.But pre-race favorite Omar McLeod of Jamaica fell. He was off balance approaching the penultimate hurdle and his right leg clipped it, throwing him forwarrd. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Janoris-Jenkins-Jersey/. .I totally lost control, said McLeod, who also lost one of his running shoes. The hurdle came up real quick.Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto maintained his unbeaten Diamond League record this year in the 3,000 steeplechase, winning in 8:08.11, but had to hold on near the end as countryman Paul Kipsiele Koech pressured strongly. Barnabas Kipyego was third to complete a Kenyan 1-2-3.I could have done a faster time but I did not want to push myself to the limit, Kipruto said. I preferred to save some energy for (the Olympic Games in) Rio.In other mens events, Italian Gianmarco Tamberi won the high jump but his victory was soured when he fell heavily attempting to clear 2.41 meters.Please, no! Please, no! Tamberi shouted in anguish, with his hands over his face as his left shoe was taken off. He then lay down on the ground with his hands on his face, still crying loudly.Jamaican Damar Forbes won the long jump with a season best of 8.23 meters, narrowly beating Fabrice Lapierre of Australia.Polands Piotr Malachowski won the discus.Also, Kenyas women completed a 1-2-3 in the womens 3,000 with Hellen Obiri winning ahead of Mercy Cherono and Janet Kisa.Britains Eilidh Doyle comfortably won the 400 meter hurdles in a personal best of 54.09, finishing .54 seconds clear of American Cassandra Tate.In other womens events, Valerie Adams of New Zealand won the shot put with a season best 20.05 meters; Tatsiana Khaladovich of Belarus won the javelin; Katerina Stefanidi won the pole vault, and two-time world champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia won the triple jump.A minute of silence was observed to honor the victims of the attack in the nearby city of Nice, where at least 84 people were killed when a man drove a truck through a crowd on a seaside promenade on Thursday.The meet was given the go-ahead after consultation between the Monegasque Athletics Federation and Prince Albert of Monaco.All festivities were cancelled at the stadium and there was no music played. 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