Der Vorhafen » and I think that in the end I accomplished that." Cana

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ryan Miller was a no-show at Buffalo Sabres practice Monday because the star goalie was still travelling from the Sochi Games. Though Miller was scheduled to return later in the day and start Tuesday, when Buffalo hosts Carolina, his absence could be something the Sabres will have to get accustomed to with the NHL trade deadline approaching on March 5. A person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press that general manager Tim Murray continues to pursue offers for Miller with the intention of trading him by next week. "Tim is testing the waters as hard as he can," the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because Murray declined to speak to reporters Monday. The person said the teams first option is trading Miller, who is in the final year of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. Option No. 2, the person added, would be making a bid to re-sign Miller if a trade cant be completed. Murray, who took over the Sabres last month, had previously not ruled out trading Miller or anyone else on the roster. "This teams in last place right now," Murray said, during his inaugural news conference on Jan. 9. "Everybody can be traded." That means Miller isnt the only player with an uncertain future on a Sabres team that, at 15-34-8, remains in last place coming out of the NHL Olympic break. Captain Steve Ott, veteran winger Matt Moulson and defenceman Henrik Tallinder are also in the final years of their contracts and could be used as trade bait by a team intent on building through youth. Following practice, interim head coach Ted Nolan said it would be safe to assume the Sabres will be active in making trades. "I think thats the key right there, not knowing," Nolan said. "We cant worry about who might be gone, who might be coming in. Today is the day we have to work with what weve got. And tomorrow, whatever weve got here, then well work with that, too." Nolan also had a different take on his thoughts regarding Miller. After previously saying he favoured the Sabres retaining Miller, Nolan said the decision was out of his hands. "My thoughts dont really count right now," Nolan said. "Certainly, what Ryan Miller means to this team and this town, no question youd like to keep him. But its business. And we have to look forward to rebuilding this organization." In 11 seasons in Buffalo, the 33-year-old has set franchise records with 283 wins and 539 games played. This season, Miller has been the teams MVP. With a 14-22-3 record, Miller accounts for all but one of Buffalos victories. His .923 save percentage ranks seventh among goalies with 30 or more starts. Miller won the NHLs Vezina Trophy in 2010, the same year he earned MVP honours at the Vancouver Games, where he played a key role in leading the United States to a silver medal. At Sochi, he was relegated to a backup role behind Los Angeles Jonathan Quick. The Sabres are in a tough spot as far at goaltending entering their game against the Hurricanes (26-22-9). Aside from Miller, backup goalie Jhonas Enroth was also at the Olympics as a backup to Swedish starter Henrik Lundqvist. Nolan made the decision to have Miller start against Carolina because the U.S. has been off since a 5-0 loss to Finland in the bronze medal game on Saturday. Sweden played Sunday when it lost the gold medal game to Canada. The trade deadline has become a hot topic of discussion in the Sabres locker room. "I think you guys in the media as a whole have been telling me Ive been getting traded since the first day I got here," said Moulson, who was acquired in October in a trade that sent Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders. "Sometimes its a little stressful. But I think when you tell yourself to control what you can control, it kind of calms me down a bit. Im going to go out there and play hard, and whatever happens, happens." NOTES: The game against Carolina was originally scheduled to be played Jan. 7, but postponed after a blizzard hit Buffalo. ... Moulson is scheduled to return after missing four games with an upper body injury. ... Sabres enforcer John Scott broke his stick in anger as he left the ice during practice, and then slammed the gate at the bench behind him on the way to the locker room. Nolan said he asked Scott to leave after he didnt like the way the player was practicing. Nike Sf Air Force 1 Scontate . -- Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Air Force 1 Scontate . Ted Ligety, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller and Tim Jitloff underlined the squads enormous potential on the Rettenbach glacier in Austria. http://www.nikeairforce1scontate.it/ . If there is one club built to handle an off-field controversy, its the Bill Belichick era Patriots. Even if New Englands offence stumbles a bit out of the gate, their defence can help them stay in games, especially in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the first two weeks. Air Force 1 Scontate Italia .S.-Portugal game on June 22 in the Amazonian jungle city of Manaus. FIFPro, the international soccer players union, had pressed FIFA to avoid the earliest kickoffs in the hottest and most humid weather. Nike Sf Air Force 1 Saldi . -- Alex Anthopoulos spoke volumes with what he didnt say on right-hander Ervin Santana. MALMO, Sweden -- Nothing is easy for this Canadian team at the world junior championships. Jonathan Drouin redeemed himself after a bad penalty on his first shift by scoring the tying goal and Nic Petan rediscovered his scoring touch in time to get the game-winner and an empty-netter as Canada used a three-goal third period to down Slovakia 5-3 on Monday. The win left Canada (2-0-1) two points behind the United States (3-0-0) heading into a showdown for first place in the last preliminary round game for both squads on Tuesday. Canadas next game is New Years Eve at 11am et/8am pt on TSN, in a showdown against the U.S. with first place in Group A on the line. Theyll need a regulation win to overtake the defending champion Americans, who eliminated Canada in the semifinals with a 5-1 win at last years world juniors in Ufa, Russia Mondays game was the best played and most rousing of the three games Canada has played in Malmo, and it certainly brought the mostly Canadian crowd of 2,558 at the Isstadion to their feet as Canada bounced back from penalty trouble and 3-1 second-period deficit to win. "We regrouped, we found a way," said Canada coach Brent Suter. "In the third, I thought we dominated. "We got a break when they hit the post after we got the lead, but the third was maybe the best period weve played in the tournament so far." Zach Fucale made 19 saves for the win in his first start of the tournament and Sutter said the Halifax Mooseheads goalie will be in net again against the Americans. And Anthony Mantha, the runaway scoring leader in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, had a goal and three assists to give him nine points in three games. Not bad for a big winger who was not certain to make the team out of camp three weeks ago. "I came to camp and I wanted to make my place, and once I did that, I wanted to show I could play great hockey over here and thats what Im doing now," the Detroit Red Wings prospect said. "Anthony was huge," added Sutter. Curtis Lazar also scored for Canada. David Griger, with two, and Martin Reway scored for Slovakia (1-2-0), which can clinch third place with a win Tuesday over the Czech Republic. Drouin tied the game at 14:02 of the third period after Mantha beat 16-year-old Erik Cernak behind the Slovak goal and fed it in front. Canada was on a power play when Petan walked out from the right side and threaded a goal through traffic for the winner. Canada had to battle back against a Slovak side playing a tight trap and leaning on the power play with the highly skilled unit of Reway, Griger and Milan Kolena for goals. For the third straight game Canada gave up the first goal, this time after Drouin got a minor and a misconduct for a hit to the head only 10 seconds in. Griger took Jakub Predajnianskys shot off the end boards and scored into an open side past Fucale. Drouin did not see the ice again until Canadas power play at 16:49, but it was Lazar who scored oon a one-timer of Manthas pass after extended pressure in the Slovak zone at 18:20.dddddddddddd "It wasnt the start we wanted," said Drouin, the Mooseheads star who was picked third overall by Tampa bay last June. "They scored on the power play I got and Brent let me know between periods. "I needed to step up in the second and third periods. I put the team down a bit so I had to step up my game. I was going for a normal hit and he moved a bit so I caught him in the face. Its my bad play." The crowd howled at what they felt was Slovak diving that led to a pair of two-man advantages, both of which produced goals in the second frame. The first saw Gatineau Olympiques forward Reway score his fourth of the tournament with a quick shot from a Kolena feed, and then Griger get his second of the game into an open side from Reways pass. Canada got a big one back as Mantha camped on the doorstep and banged in an Aaron Ekblad rebound at 17:00 to get momentum rolling for the third. It was a breakout game for Petan and Lazar, who have struggled on attack. "Me and Curt were talking about our bad luck a bit," said Petan. "But its nice to break through. "It should be good for (Tuesday). Im just looking forward to playing a good offensive and defensive game." It was also a boost for Fucale, who had been the backup since the first of Canadas three pre-tournament games but who looks to have won the starting job back from Jake Paterson. The Laval, Que., native looked jittery early on, but made two key saves in the middle period with Slovakia already leading by two goals. "It was good for me and the team to get that," he sad. "When its 3-1, a lot can happen and 4-1 could be a big difference. "It was a tough start -- a little nervous -- but as the game went on I felt better and better. I just wanted to be there for the team and I think that in the end I accomplished that." Canada versus the Americans on New Years Eve is almost a tradition. It will be their fourth Dec. 31 meeting in the last six years. Canada has won the last three, by 7-4 in 2009 in Ottawa, 5-4 in 2010 in Saskatoon and 3-2 in 2012 in Edmonton. Drouin hopes to make up for last years defeat. "Were the underdogs here," he said. "They won last year and theyre 3-0. We need a good start and to play our own game and not watch them play. It was a hard loss for me and the team last year. This time I just want to make sure we dont lose again to the Americans." Notes: Canada is 8-0-1 against Slovakia all-time at the world juniors. ... Forward Charles Hudon was helped off with what looked like a shoulder problem 13 seconds into the third period after a hit into the end boards, but returned later in the period. Sutter said he is not injured. ... Canada will have defenceman Griffin Reinhart back against the Americans after serving the last of his four-game suspension incurred at last years world juniors. ' ' '