Begrüßung » A second event in six days is now on tap

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. Wholesale Penguins Jerseys . This week, they give a special NHL playoff edition of Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, where the panel gives their Stanley Cup winner prediction. Bruce Arthur, National Post My thumb is up to the Boston Bruins who I think are going to be the 2014 Stanley Cup champions. Remember last season, there was a thought that Claude Julien would get fired if they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round and jeopardy could extend all the way up to the general managers chair and they did what they did. I think theyre in better shape heading into the playoffs then they were last season, when they had a compressed schedule following the Boston Marathon bombings, they were a tired team in the first round and really, more than anything, they have the easiest road to the Stanley Cup Final of any Stanley Cup contender. I think Bostons ready. Steve Simmons, SUN Media It hurts me to say this just because of the history but Im going thumbs up to the San Jose Sharks, who year in and year out disappoint at this time of year, but I look at this team and all that size up front. The move of Joe Pavelski to left wing has really completed this forward group nicely and I think Marc-Edouard Vlasics play at the Olympics taught him that hes a big-time guy now. He can elevate his game and I think that team, with Todd McLellan coaching, can come out of the west and can beat the Boston Bruins. Theyre too big and theyre too fast. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated My thumb is up to the Chicago Blackhawks because consistency is the hob gobble in little minds and nobody has a littler mind than I do. I picked them at the start of the year, I picked them at the deadline, and Im picking them now because Patrick Kanes going to be back, Jonathan Toews is going to be back, and because the Blackhawks have the best defenceman in the Stanley Cup tournament in Duncan Keith. Dave Hodge, TSN Im going to go through the apparently easy route in the east and say thumbs up to the Presidents Trophy winning Boston Bruins. Sure, they dont win as often as they lose but in this case, this is the best home team in the NHL, lots of playoff experience, theyre obviously good defensively, good goaltending, good special teams and they are reasonably healthy. Then theres that Eastern Conference path to the Stanley Cup Final again, and I think that ends up being the bottom line for my reason to pick Boston. Penguins Jerseys China . No pretty goals on this night, just get to the front of the net and fight for a chance. Pittsburgh Penguins Store . has left the San Jose Sharks to become the Boston Bruins director of player personnel. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/ .Mila Kunis was a guest on Kimmel last night and revealed a surprising side of herself that comes out when she watches sports. It turns out screaming something vulgar at professional athletes is therapeutic for Kunis.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - One of Saskatchewans biggest annual sporting events will be even bigger in 2014 when the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 heads to Auto Clearing Motor Speedway for the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 on Wednesday in Saskatoon. This years event will see all three champions in Canadian Tire Series history take to the third-mile Saskatoon oval. Two-time Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 winner Scott Steckly is a three-time titlist while D.J. Kennington and Andrew Ranger have earned two crowns apiece. Kennington is also a two-time winner at ACMS, but Ranger will be looking for his first win there after emerging triumphant in each of the two previous races this year. If having every champion in series history wasnt enough, there will be plenty of other worthy contenders for the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 trophy. Jason Hathaway has won three of the last five Canadian Tire Series oval races and season co-points leader J.R. Fitzpatrick is a threat every time out. Additionally, Canadian open-wheel racing standout Alex Tagliani will make his first ACMS appearance to add to the events star power. All told, the winners of 80-percent of the 91 all-time Canadian Tire Series races will be in Saskatoon on Wednesday. The Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 will be the second half of the Canadian Tire Series annual western swing. This years jaunt began at Albertas Edmonton International Raceway last Friday. A second event in six days is now on tap with the series lone trip to Saskatchewan this season. Fast Facts: The Race: The sixth annual Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 will be the fifth of 11 events on the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 schedule, and the lone trip to Saskatchewan and Auto Clearing Motor Speedway. The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will have secured starting positions through two-lap time trials while the remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race is scheduled for 250 laps (83.25 miles). The Track: Auto Clearing Motor Speedway is a .333-mile oval with graduated banking. Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association Ltd. originated from the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Club that was formed in 1954. Racing in Saskatoon began at the 8th Street Racing Oval. In 1970, as a result of city expansion, stock-car racing moved to the current Prairieland Exhibition at Bridge City Raceway. In 1999, the City of Saskatoon expanded once again which paved the way for a new track, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, to be built. Construction of the new track began in April 2005. Pole Winners: The first five Saskatoon races have produced three different pole winners. J.R. Fitzpatrick and D.J. Kennington have two apiece while Don Thompson Jr. scored the inaugural event pole in 2009. Fitzpatrick set the track qualifying record at 14.665 seconds (81.801 mph) in 2012. Race Winners: Kennington and Scott Steckly lead the way with two wins apiece while Pete Shepherd III also has a vicctory. Stitched Penguins Jerseys. Steckly won the inaugural race and reached ACMS Victory Lane again last year. Saskatoon Race Notes: Rangers Records: With his 19th career race win last week at Edmonton International Raceway, and his 14th career pole the week before that at Circuit ICAR, Andrew Ranger is tied for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 all-time lead in both categories. Ranger now shares the victories record with new teammate D.J. Kennington and the poles mark is split with J.R. Fitzpatrick, who was the top qualifier last year at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway. Fitzpatrick, Dumoulin Also Tied at the Top: The 2014 season is now more than one-third complete and the competition is so close that theres actually a tie between Fitzpatrick and L.P. Dumoulin atop the championship standings. Both drivers have 162 tallies, 12 ahead of Ranger in third. Its only 18 points back to Jason Hathaway in fifth, with D.J. Kennington sitting fourth. Steckly Looks to Defend ACMS Win: Defending Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 winner Scott Steckly could use another victory this week at Auto Clearing to bolster his series championship defense. The three-time titlist has faced adversity through for races this season, but is hanging in there in sixth place in the standings, 30 points back of the leaders. A DNF in the season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park had Steckly in an early hole but he followed with a pair of top fives. Last week at Edmonton he was two laps down at one point and rallied to an eighth-place finish. Halfway Through Four-Race Grouping: The Canadian Tire series embarked on an aggressive bundle of four events in a 21-day span starting with Circuit ICAR on July 6. The second date came last Friday, July 11 at Edmonton and up next week be Wednesdays Velocity Prairie Thunder 250. The busy stretch will conclude on July 26 at Autodrome St. Eustache. Last Time Out: Edmonton The fourth race of the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 was contested on July 11 at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. Here are some highlights from the Alberta Has Energy 300: - Andrew Ranger took the checkered flag for the second week in a row, and a record-tying 19th time overall. It was his first oval track win since 2009, the same year he last posted back-to-back victories.- A two-time road course winner, L.P. Dumoulin recorded his best finish in 21 career oval races with a runner-up effort.- Prior to the race Alex Tagliani earned his first career oval track pole, and fifth overall. He led a career-high 268 laps before a late-race accident.- It was the first race in series history at the Wetaskiwin oval. Next Time Out: St. Eustache Following the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 will head back east for the National 250 on July 26 at Quebecs Autodrome St. Eustache. It will mark the sixth all-time appearance for the Canadian Tire Series at the .4-mile oval. Scott Steckly is the defending winner of the race. ' ' '