Cup playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins?--?the 34-year-old goalie wanted to use this

While perhaps not the best team ever assembled, the Americans were every bit of a team in finally winning back the Ryder Cup.Phil Mickelson led the Americans behind closed doors, Patrick Reed powered them with his passion on the golf course and Ryan Moore, who a week ago wasnt even on the team, delivered the cup-clinching point Sunday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.Moore finished eagle-birdie-par for a 1-up victory over Lee Westwood, and the celebration was on. The United States beat Europe 17-11, picking up its first victory since 2008 and only the third over the past two decades.When put in the right environment, the U.S. team brought out some amazing golf, Mickelson said. And were bringing back the Ryder Cup because of it.Never has an American team been under this much pressure.They lost for the third straight time in 2014 at Gleneagles in Scotland, and it was a team divided over everything from how the captain was selected to how the team would be built. Mickelson led the way in getting a task force together, and it was hard to argue with the results.Im just proud of these guys. They had a lot of pressure on them for the last two years, said U.S. captain Davis Love III. Every time we picked a guy, they had more and more pressure, more and more questions. Im just so proud of the way they played.There was no meltdown like Medinah four years ago, when the Americans blew a 10-6 lead under Love.Europe never really had a chance.Reed faced the tallest order in the leadoff match with Rory McIlroy, and the quality of golf was as high as it gets. Reed squared the match by driving the fifth green to 8 feet for eagle, and he kept the tee until the 18th. He matched McIlroys birdie on No. 6, McIlroy matched Reeds birdie on No. 7, and the par-3 eighth hole was as sensational as it gets in a Ryder Cup.McIlroy holed a 60-foot birdie putt, leaped into the air and cupped his hand to his ear, mocking the American crowd to yell even louder. Reed then holed a birdie putt from 35 feet, charging the crowd before turning to wag his finger at McIlroy. They bumped fists and patted each other on the back, both 5-under through eight holes.Their standard of golf dipped after that, perhaps because they spent so much energy pumping fists, and Reed finally took his first lead when McIlroy bogeyed the 12th hole. McIlroys putter went cold, and Reed closed him out with a 7-foot birdie on the 18th.Reed now is 6-1-2 in his two Ryder Cups, and he was the top points earner for the Americans this week.Mickelson delivered 2? points, including a halve with Sergio Garcia in which both birdied the final two holes.?Mickelson made 10 birdies and Garcia made nine birdies against no bogeys in their match.As one of the most well-known vice captains in Ryder Cup history, Tiger Woods spent the week in Minnesota trying to help the Americans shake an ugly losing streak while also trying to keep as low a profile as possible.Mission accomplished.Woods helped Love?with several key decisions over the weekend, including keeping Jordan Spieth and Reed together for the afternoon fourball play Saturday. Woods said he could not have been happier to be involved.We were a team. Whether I was playing or not, I was part of a team, Woods said. And our team won.Among the lone bright spots for Europe was Thomas Pieters, the Belgian rookie who had the best debut of any European rookie by going 4-1. He took down J.B. Holmes in the third match, right after Henrik Stenson dismantled Spieth. By then, it was ominous.The Americans stood atop a bridge to the left of the 18th green and sprayed champagne on themselves and the crowd, an enormous gathering that sent endless cheers of U-S-A and Red, white, blue across Hazeltine for three straight days.Every U.S. player contributed a point. For Europe, Westwood was among four players who ended the week without a point.Ahead of the final day of competition, the PGA of America pleaded with the raucous crowd to be respectful of all participants.The PGA issued a statement Sunday saying security staff would remove any fans who are disruptive in any way, including the use of vulgar or profane language directed at the players. McIlroy had been at the center of much of the heckling, and he responded forcefully after making big shots.The Americans finished with their second-biggest margin of victory, behind only 1981, when they won 18? to 9?.That team is regarded as the best in Ryder Cup history, filled with 11 major champions. Love said in a radio interview going into the Ryder Cup, making a point that his players didnt have to do anything extraordinary, that this was the best team maybe ever assembled.All that mattered to the Americans was taking back that 17-inch gold trophy.ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Marquis Daniels Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Delon Wright Jersey . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. https://www.cheapmavericks.com/763l-tim-hardaway-jersey-mavericks.html .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Rolando Blackman Jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Chris Gatling Jersey . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. TORONTO --?Henrik Lundqvist was not present at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday, but he unknowingly still found a way to help Sweden post an entertaining 2-1 victory over Russia at the World Cup of Hockey.When the team arrived at the rink, the world-class goalie was scratched because of illness and sent back to the team hotel. Backup netminder Jacob Markstrom was called into action. Sweden entered this best-on-best tournament as one of the favorites, and losing Lundqvist was not a perfect scenario. Hes one of the strengths of the team, and not having him between the pipes could have had a negative effect on the teams chances against Russia.It didnt.Markstrom, 26, finished with 26 saves in a performance worthy enough to make Lundqvist proud.Originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round (No. 31 overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Markstrom had a reputation for subpar practice habits earlier in his career. After four seasons with the Panthers, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, along with Shawn Matthias, in exchange for Steven Anthony and Roberto Luongo on March 4, 2014.Since that trade, he has become more diligent and more disciplined in his game. He has matured. His positioning has become much stronger and no longer relies solely on his 6-foot-6, 199-pound athletic frame. He has improved tremendously over the past few seasons. He wants to be the No. 1 goalie for the Canucks. He no longer wants to be described as a backup. It also helped that he performed well and helped Sweden win on Sunday. It could be a major confidence boost.Ever since, pretty much for four years now, every day in practice I feel like I can get better and I improve my game, Markstrom said. When I got traded it was kind of a wakeup call for me that Im not young and talented. Ive got to work hard. Ive got to earn everything. Ive got to earn every NHL game I play, or NHL practice. I didnt know if I was going to get called up [from the AHL], so I felt I needed to bear down and work harder and thats what I did.Part of his maturation process was watching Lundqvist on and off the ice.Hes an unbelievable goalie and its very inspiring to see him on the other side. I kind of learned coming up, every time I play, or Im the backup or the third goalie -- Ive been in the minors a lot -- I try to look at the goalie on the other side and learn, Markstrom said. If I have a question, I ask and see what their take is on things. I just try to be very open-minded and see if I can pick something up. It could be everything from equipment to how to play. Obviously were two different goalies, but I try to learn as much as I can from him. I would love to play games, but Lundqvist is one of the best in the world and I know where we stand. I want to play games. Thats the fun part. But for now Im just trying to learn from him every day.At the start of this tournament, Markstrom understood that his chances of playing were slim. Only if something happened to Lundqvist would Markstrom see any action. That happened on Sunday, and Markstrom took advantage of it. He settled in after the first couple of shhots by the Russians and looked comfortable in the net.dddddddddddd It also helped that Swedens defensive core is the strongest in the tournament.During Swedens training camp, Markstrom and fellow goalie?Jhonas Enroth would share reps and work together at one end of the ice, while Lundqvist worked on his game at the other end. Based on the way the 2015-16 NHL season ended for Lundqvist and the New York Rangers?-- in a first-round exit in the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins?--?the 34-year-old goalie wanted to use this offseason to prepare to be at his best once puck dropped on the World Cup. He felt that if he could play well in this tournament, then it would help him get off to a better start during the regular season.Playing behind one of the best goaltenders in the world, Markstrom and Enroth had no delusions of grandeur that either one of them would sniff playing time. Coach Rikard Gronborg wanted to make sure all three of his goalies were ready just in case. Markstrom would exit the practice ice dripping with sweat long after Lundqvists work day was complete.Everyone talks about Lundqvist not wanting to let a goal in, but [Markstrom] is the same way too; he gets mad, Daniel Sedin said. He works hard. Our goalie coach in Vancouver [Rollie Melanson] made him work hard, and hes been slowly getting better the last couple of years. And [during] the two weeks leading up to this hes been looking really good. Im so happy for him.You can b