XRAY - Model racing cars

BOCA RATON, Florida - NHL General Managers convened for the first of three days of meetings and picked up on a discussion that has been ongoing for the last few years and picked up traction the last time the group met back in Toronto in November: namely how to reduce the number of games that are decided in a shootout. “The shootout, theres nothing wrong with it, I think its an exciting part of the game but its just one small aspect,” said Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. “Its a skill exhibition. If you can get it back closer to regular hockey and have it decided that way; that would be my preference.” “I dont think its a knock on the shootout, I think more of the managers would like to see it end in overtime,” added Washington Capitals GM George McPhee. “Shootouts fun though, people like it, kids love it.” In 2011, 14.7% of games were not decided by the end overtime. While it fell to 13.5% in 2012, the number has been on the rise again, climbing to 14.1% in 2013 and 14.3% so far this season. Collectively, the sentiment among the group continues to trend towards the desire to see more games end in regulation or overtime but the methods to go about achieving that are being disputed. Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland has long been an advocate of featuring three on three play after five minutes of four on four overtime. While he pushed for it back in November, the concept appeared to have little support this morning. The problem is that because it occurs so rarely in games, its difficult to truly understand what impact it might have on the game before implementing it. “You see three on three for maybe a minute or forty five seconds and the one team might just be waiting to get their power play so they might attack a little bit differently than if it was a full two minutes,” said Blues GM Doug Armstrong. “To see it, you have to see it for the full two minutes with everyone at even strength.” So far, the ideas that appear to be gaining the most support are more subtle by nature, avoiding a drastic alteration in the game the way extending overtime or shifting to three on three would. Potentially changing ends to start overtime so that teams would have to stray farther from their own end to change as they do during the second period of regulation and doing a dry scrape of the ice after regulation instead of waiting until before the shootout seemed to pick up some traction. While it wouldnt be a radical difference, Stars GM Jim Nill pointed to the inclusion of the rule preventing players from changing after icing the puck prior to the 2005-2006 season as a subtle tweak that had a positive impact. “Its amazing how some little things can have a big impact,” Nill said. “Years ago if you would have said if you iced the puck and had to stay on the ice, everybody would have said its not that big of a deal. But it is a big deal. Its amazing how little things can change the game.” . Appearing on TSN 1050 on Tuesday, Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet New England reported that the Blue Jays, along with a number of other playoff contenders were in the mix for the Boston ace. . - Skiing far more aggressively than in her season debut a day earlier, Lindsey Vonn was in provisional 10th place after the first 45 skiers in a World Cup downhill on Saturday. http://www.nikeshoxcheap.com/. The league announced Thursday that Tom Higgins is leaving that post effective immediately. .J. -- After getting permission from his 7-year-old daughter, New York Giants offensive lineman David Diehl has retired after an 11-year career that included two Super Bowl championships. . -- The Val-dOr Foreurs made it to the Memorial Cup semifinal thanks to their workhorse goaltender and their ability to hang around like a bad cold. DUESSELDORF, Germany -- Top-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber cruised into the quarterfinals of the Duesseldorf Open by beating Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday. Kohlschreiber dominated in all aspects of the game in his first match in the clay-court tournament and will next meet qualifier Mate Delic, who beat Dustin Brown 6-3, 6-0. Defending champion Juan Monaco won with ease as well, beating second-seeded Marcel Grranollers 6-1, 6-2.dddddddddddd Monaco will next play the big-serving seventh-seeded Ivo Karlovic, who overcame wild card Nikola Milojevic 6-4, 7-5. Jurgen Melzer fired an ace on his fourth match point to edge fourth-seeded Joao Sousa 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-4 and will next play Jiri Vesely, who ousted Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 7-6 (5). Third-seeded Andreas Seppi and Denis Istomin also advanced to the last eight. ' ' '