ey used a 13-4 run to go up 68

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(SportsNetwork. Cheap Michael Kors Handbags .com) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will have to wait until after the Olympic break to get star centerman Steven Stamkos back, but the club hopes to avoid a fourth loss in five games when it hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs without him on Thursday night. Stamkoss teammate, Lightning captain Martin St. Louis, was named as his replacement for Sochi earlier on Thursday. You can listen to all of the action live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7:30pm. There was talk earlier this week that Stamkos would return for Saturdays home game against Detroit, the Lightnings final tilt before the NHL goes on hiatus for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, but on Wednesday it was announced that the sniper has not been cleared for game action by Dr. Ira Gutentag. The decision not only postpones Stamkos return to the Lightning, but also will prevent him from representing Team Canada at the Winter Games. The 23-year-old suffered a fractured tibia in a game against Boston on Nov. 11 and has missed the last 39 games while recovering. Stamkos was tied for the NHL lead in goals (14) and points (23) before the setback. "After reviewing the CT scan this afternoon, Dr. Gutentag made it clear to me and to Steven that the tibia is not completely healed and therefore he should not be participating in game action at any time in the near future," said Steve Yzerman, who is the general manager of the Lightning and the executive director of Team Canada. "Although the doctor was very pleased to this point with the healing process, he explained that the callus surrounding the fracture site is not 100 percent consolidated, and Steven will not be cleared to play in a game until that happens. It was a pretty clear cut decision, no gray areas at all." Stamkos will continue to rehabilitate and is expected to be re-evaluated in 2- to-3 weeks. The Lightning will resume play after the Olympic break on Feb. 27 at Nashville. "Today is obviously very disappointing for me," Stamkos said. "I honestly believe that we did everything possible in order to have my injured leg ready in time for the Olympics, but I realize you cant force healing." St. Louis will be participating at his second Olympics and first since the 2006 Turin Games. The 38-year-old winger has 25 goals and 54 points to lead Tampa this season. The Lightning have performed extremely well without Stamkos in the lineup over the last few months and they enter Thursday in second place in the Atlantic Division. However, Tampas 1-3-0 record over a recent four-game road trip has helped the Leafs and Montreal Canadiens move within three points of the Lightning for the divisions second spot. The top-three teams in each division receive automatic bids to the playoffs. The Lightning downed the Canadiens 2-1 in overtime Saturday in Montreal before losing in regulation Tuesday night at Minnesota. Darcy Kuemper stopped 34 Tampa Bay shots in the Wilds close victory in St. Paul. Valtteri Filppula scored in the loss and Ben Bishop made 24 saves for the Lightning. "We worked harder (than the last game) we just didnt work smarter," Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said. "That was a big problem." The Lightning fell to 16-13-2 as the guest after its recent trip, but will play their final two games before the break at Tampa Bay Times Forum, where they are 16-6-3 this season. The Maple Leafs will try to rebound on Thursday after having a three-game winning streak halted with Tuesdays 4-1 loss at Florida. David Clarkson provided the lone goal for Toronto, while Jonathan Bernier allowed three goals on 47 shots in the setback. "The word to describe it is, we didnt have anything going except one person in the lineup is outstanding for our hockey club and that was our goaltender," Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. "We didnt seem to have any jump or passion to play the game, and its kind of mind-boggling right now." After completing its two-game tour of the Sunshine State tonight, the Leafs will complete their pre-Olympic schedule on home ice when they host Vancouver on Saturday. Toronto is 20-10-1 as the home team this season compared to a sub-par 10-12-5 mark as the guest. The Leafs recorded a 3-2 regulation win over the visiting Lightning on Jan. 28, as Bernier stopped 40-of-42 shots and Nazem Kadri provided two goals for Toronto. It was the first of four scheduled meetings between the clubs this season and it was Torontos sixth win in the last eight meetings against the Bolts. The Lightning have won two straight and five of the last seven meetings in Central Florida. Michael Kors Outlet 80% OFF . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Michael Kors Outlet store . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. http://www.mkhandbagsofficial.us.com/ .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey.OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City had an answer for every challenge from the Chicago Bulls. It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Oklahoma City led by 15 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, but the Bulls pulled within seven on D.J. Augustins 3-pointer with 8:50 to go. Oklahoma City then outscored Chicago 16-4 over a late 5 1/2-minute stretch to pull away. "I thought our defence was good the whole game," Durant said after topping 30 points for the 13th time this season. "They slowed us down a little bit with their free throws, but I thought we just played through it in the second half. We were able to come out and speed it up a little bit, get some turnovers and get some easy points." Russell Westbrook had 20 points and 10 assists, and reserve Reggie Jackson added 18 to help the Thunder improve to 13-0 at Chesapeake Arena. Oklahoma City is the only NBA team with a perfect home record. "If we move the ball like that with the guys we have that create for everybody, create for themselves, it makes it tough on other teams," Durant said. Joakim Noah had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the banged-up Bulls, who have lost four straight and seven of eight. Taj Gibson scored 16 points and Augustin added 15. Chicago played without Kirk Hinrich (back tightness) and Luol Deng (sore Achilles), and Jimmy Butler left during the game with a right ankle injury. "I thought we still had a shot in the second half," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I thought we were within striking distance, but we couldnt get the key stops when we needed them. ... Youve got to give them credit." Oklahoma City led by 14 in the first half, but their advantage was cut to three at the break, prompting a strong response from the Thunder in the third quarter. They used a 13-4 run to go up 68-56 with 7:52 to go in the period. Westbrooks layup increased the advantage to 13 about 1 1/2 minutes later, and tthen he had a layup and Durant made a jumper to make it 79-64 with 3:25 left in the third. Michael Kors Outlet Sale. Jacksons 3 in the final minute put Oklahoma City up 84-72 heading to the fourth, and Nick Collison opened the final quarter with three-point play. The Bulls put together another spurt to close to 89-82 on Augustins 3, but that was as close as it would get. "We were just trying to shut down the paint," Jackson said. "That was our main focus at halftime and I think we did a good job of locking in, getting some stops, and getting out on the break. ... Theyre physical. They play really well defensively, especially half-court sets. Right now theyre a little depleted, people are banged up, beat up." Jeremy Lambs dunk with 7:44 left made it 93-82, pumping up the home crowd. Durant made a 3-pointer and Westbrooks two free throws with 3:06 to go extended the lead to 105-86. "I think our defence just hasnt been there to help us out," Gibson said. "We are normally a great defensive team. We just got to get guys more reps, especially now that we lost Jimmy with the ankle." Jackson made six of the Thunders seven baskets in a 6:13 stretch bridging the first two quarters. Lambs steal and fast-break dunk with 9:21 left in the second interrupted Jacksons streak at four consecutive baskets. Jacksons jumper about a minute later gave Oklahoma City a 41-27 lead. Chicago battled back, and Mike Dunleavy hit two 3s in the final minute to get the Bulls within 55-52 at halftime. NOTES: Durant was whistled for a technical foul with 2:25 left in the first quarter for arguing following his second personal foul. ... Led by Jackson and Lamb, Thunder reserves came in averaging 33.6 points per game, the franchises highest since moving to Oklahoma City. ... Deng missed four games earlier this month due to a strained left calf. The Bulls are now 1-4 in his absence. ... About 45 minutes after the game, Thabo Sefolosha brought Noah to the Thunder locker room with the media still present, but the Bulls star was chased out by Oklahoma Citys Kendrick Perkins. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '