Were pushing forward, building a stronger team, getting better

If Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is ever interested in going back to Russia to play hockey, hell have to get out of his NHL contract first. Kontinental Hockey League president issued a statement to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Friday amid speculation that the league may try to court the three-time Hart Trophy winner in the near future. "Per the terms of our memorandum of understanding with the NHL as it relates to respecting player contracts, Ovechkin would only be free to join a KHL club if he negotiates his way out of his existing contract with the Washington club," said Medvedev in the statement. "Should that situation come to pass, I have no doubt there are KHL clubs who would have interest in his services." On Thursdays edition of Insider Trading on the NHL on TSN, LeBrun reported that there were whispers out of the KHL that one of the clubs may try to approach Ovechkin like they did with Ilya Kovalchuk a year ago. Kovalchuk announced his retirement from the NHL last summer, opting to play with SKA St. Petersburg. Ovechkin has seven years and $70 million left on his existing contract with the Capitals. He scored his 50th goal of the season this week and has reached that mark five times in his NHL career. The 28-year-old winger has 421 goals in 677 NHL games. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 . Lack replaced an injured Roberto Luongo late in the first period then watched defenceman Chris Tanev score the winning goal midway through the third as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Jets 2-1 in a tight NHL game. Buy Shoes Black Friday . The visitors missed a host of good chances to win the game, and were left to rue substitute Ivo Ilicevics strike against the crossbar in the 86th minute, when he only had the goalkeeper to beat. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Cheap Shoes Black Friday . Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Caron scored in the first period after the Red Wings had miscues on the ice and Tuukka Rask finished with a 23-save shutout, giving Boston a 3-0 win over the Red Wings and a 2-1 series lead in their first-round series. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday . - The Detroit Lions have placed tight end Brandon Pettigrew on injured reserve, ending his season.LISBON, Portugal -- Atletico Madrids only previous European Cup final appearance branded the club with the nickname that has come to encapsulate its penchant for misfortune. Beating Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday may finally put that moniker to rest. Atletico was on the cusp of winning the European Cup on its first appearance in the final in 1974, leading Bayern Munich 1-0 in extra time after Luis Aragones curled home in the 114th-minute at Heysel Stadium. The Spanish club was clinging on until defender Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck stepped up to smash home a powerful right-footed equalizer from outside the area in the 120th-minute. Without penalties to decide the champion, a replay was scheduled just two days later in Brussels. But having experienced the title slipping from its grasp in such fashion proved too much for Atletico, and it lost 4-0 to a team featuring Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Mueller. Following the defeat, president Vicente Calderon termed Atletico "the jinxed ones" or "pupas." "We practically had the trophy in our hands," said Atletico goalkeeper Miguel Reina, father of Spain international Pepe, reminiscing of what could have been before Schwarzenbecks low shot beat him. The loss seems to have had a long-lasting effect on the club. "Atleticos history may have been different with that title, which was the first for Bayern," said former striker Jose Eulogio Garate, who played in that final 40 years ago. Atleticos history is filled with success and clouded by unnecessary turmoil and disorder. Such is Atleticos knack for dramatics that the team hymn includes the phrase: "What a Way to Suffer." One of the most famous advertising campaigns in Spain featured a young child looking up at his fathher to ask "Daddy, why do we support Atleti?" The father looks off in thought before the phrase "Its hard to explain" takes over the screen.dddddddddddd During its Spanish league title winning run this season, Atletico did the near unthinkable -- it did not stumble or implode as might have been expected. Instead, coach Diego Simeones team showed the verve of a champion and a knack for coming through when it counted to secure a fourth major trophy since 2009/10 -- following two Europa League titles and a Copa del Rey. "The club is growing. Were pushing forward, building a stronger team, getting better -- despite the economic differences in this league," said Simeone, who has also relied on one of the top qualities of the 1974 team -- strength on the counter attack. Atletico won the Intercontinental Cup after Bayern spurned its invite, and it has an impressive trophy haul overall: 10 Spanish league titles, 10 Copa del Reys, one Cup Winners Cup, two Europa Leagues and two European Super Cups. "Its been seven or eight years now that pupas doesnt follow us anymore," Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said after the club secured its first league title since 1996 last Saturday. "When Calderon labeled the team that, it certainly was at that time. Maybe now they should call us the good luck ones." That could be difficult as Atletico almost seems to embrace the nickname at times, like when it celebrated the 40th anniversary of its lone European Cup final defeat last week. "Atletico does represent something different, something special," said Spanish coach Javier Irureta, who played against Bayern. "Usually they only organize homages for champions, not for the losers. "But the club is like that." ' ' '