old receiver caught Palmers pass with one outstretched hand. B

MINSK, Belarus -- From a disallowed goal to a penalty kill in the final minutes, Team Canada didnt enjoy a lot of easy moments in beating Norway 3-2. But thats exactly how coach Dave Tippett wanted it, as his team got the regulation victory it needed Tuesday to finish first in Group A at the world hockey championship. "We played well, and I like that we got pushed right to the end," Tippett said. "If it wouldve been a 5-1 or 6-1 game, maybe you get into bad habits, you just kind of float through it. This pushed us as a team, and the harder you get pushed as a team the better you get in a short amount of time. I like the fact that we won the game, obviously, but I like the fact that it was a close game." It was close because Norway took the lead, and then Canada had a would-be goal by Kevin Bieksa waved off for goaltender interference because Jonathan Huberdeau had his stick in the crease. And it remained close even after Joel Ward scored the second of his two goals, the eventual game winner, midway through the third because Norway didnt go away. Canada outshot Norway 42-16 and only beat goaltender Steffen Soberg three times, on Wards two on the power play and Mark Scheifeles at even strength. Meanwhile, James Reimer gave up goals to Anders Bastiansen and Mads Hansen that came about from defensive miscues but still improved to 3-0-1 in the tournament. "This is one of those games where you really just have to grind it out and battle because they protect so well, they collapse so well, and sometimes you just pass the puck around the outside but you cant really get to the good scoring areas," Reimer said. "I think were just happy to grind this one out." Canada, which finished the preliminary round with 18 points and a 6-0-1 record, will face Finland in Group B in the quarter-final round Thursday. Along the way, the Canadians outscored opponents 28-13, and their only blemish was a shootout loss to France. Tippett seemed pleased with his teams progression to this point. "Most of our players didnt play for three weeks and as you get back into game shape, your game starts to elevate," he said. "Every game our players continue to pick up a step." Finishing first in the group assured Canada of avoiding powerhouse Russia until a potential gold-medal game Sunday. The United States, led by Tyler Johnson and Seth Jones, could wind up on Canadas side of the bracket, pending the result of Russia-Belarus on Tuesday night. The chance to pass Sweden for first place almost slipped away Tuesday against Norway at Chizhovka-Arena. Canada fell behind on a power-play goal by Bastiansen and then had to overcome some frustration later in the first. It looked like Bieksa scored a power-play goal at the 15:01 mark, but it was waved off apparently because Huberdeau had his stick in the crease. Tippett said the referee wouldnt come over to explain the decision, which seemed to stem from the IIHF rule that an attacking player cannot have even his stick blade in the crease when the puck goes into the net. "I didnt think my skate was in the crease. I guess it was the stick," Huberdeau said. "I dont know the call, but it was the call and you cant do anything. Its not a big deal." It wouldve been a much bigger deal had it cost Canada the chance to win in regulation. But with seven power plays, including five after Bieksas goal was disallowed, there were plenty of opportunities to keep it from being the reason for a loss. "We were not going to let one call ruin the whole day for us," said Ward, who now has six goals and is tied with teammate Cody Hodgson and Frances Antoine Roussel for second in the tournament behind Russias Viktor Tikhonov. Canada managed to grind away at Norway enough, and Tippett had special praise for the fourth line of Ward, Scheifele and Sean Monahan. "We had lots of opportunities, but (the Norwegians) kept the game very tight," Tippett said. "They did a good job penalty-killing against us, and I was proud of our guys to just keep pushing, not get frustrated and hopefully wed find the chances we needed to win." Once they did, the Canadians could start to look ahead to elimination play. "Get some playoffs going here," Reimer said. "To get going to the quarter-finals here, I think were jelling well as a team. We have some good chemistry. Hopefully things bode well in the playoffs." NOTES -- Alex Burrows missed his second straight game with a charley horse suffered in a knee-on-knee hit Friday against Italy. Tippett said he skated each of the past two days, would practise with the team the next time it was on the ice and would be ready to play in Thursdays quarter-final game. ... Reimer approached Soberg, who made 39 saves on 42 shots, after the game to ask why he wasnt playing in the NHL. Soberg was a 2011 fourth-round pick of the Washington Capitals and refused to come to North America to play for the WHLs Swift Current Broncos, opting instead to continue playing in Norway. The Capitals lost Sobergs rights last summer, making him an NHL free agent. Wholesale Jerseys China . If one fighter gases, he usually gets beat up pretty bad from that point on. China NFL Jerseys . -- Catriona Matthew remained atop the Airbus LPGA Classic leaderboard Friday, birdieing four of the last seven holes to take a one-stroke advantage over Charley Hull into the weekend. http://www.cheapnflwholesalejerseys.net/ . -- The Windsor Spitfires were left with just one goaltender Tuesday after having their starter walk out on them midway through Game 3 of their Ontario Hockey League playoff matchup with the London Knights. Cheap Wholesale Jerseys . Villar connected off Joe Saunders (11-14), sending a drive well over the left-field fence for his first career homer. The Astros scored six times in the first three innings to chase Saunders. Cheap NHL Jerseys China . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one.TEMPE, Ariz. -- Larry Fitzgerald was quick to rebut a tweet by his father criticizing the Arizona Cardinals organization after the eight-time Pro Bowl receiver caught just one pass in the teams 18-17 season-opening victory over San Diego. Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a reporter for a Minnesota newspaper, said in his tweet, "The world saw on Monday night football the politics and business of football. If its been decided that you are not getting the ball, just win." Larry Fitzgerald Jr. sent out his own tweet Tuesday night. "My fathers inflammatory comments dont reflect my feelings or mood," the younger Fitzgerald wrote. "Were 1-0 & working tirelessly to be 2-0 this week thats my only concern." On Thursday, the Cardinals all-time leading receiver elaborated, and tried to make light of the situation. "Its hard to make news with one catch," he said. "My dad seemed to find a way to do it." Actually, when Fitzgerald makes only one catch, it is news. For most of the past decade, he has been the go-to guy for Arizona. But when coach Bruce Arians took over last year, he moved Fitzgerald into the slot and put Michael Floyd at the wideout spot. Now Floyd is catching those deep passes that used to go to Fitzgerald. The addition of speedsters John Brown and Ted Ginn Jr., as well as tight end John Carlson and the emergence of running back Andre Ellington, further diminishes Fitzgeralds role, at least it did in the opener. Arians insists that his system does not target specific receivers but leaves it to quarterback Carson Palmer to throw to whoever is open. But Fitzgerald said that because of the game plan he knew he wouldnt have a big role against the Chargers. His father has chimed in with criticism in the past. "Its not my first time," the younger Fitzgerald said, "and I would assume it probably wont be my last, either. But like I said, Im a man and what comes from my mouth comes from my mouth, what comes from other peoples mouths comes from their mouths. If you dont hear it from the horses mouth, its not accurate." He said he felt he had to send a reply to what his father had said. "I didnt want my teammates thhinking that was my concern," Fitzgerald said.dddddddddddd "I just wanted to make sure that everybody knew I was fully committed to doing what we needed to do to get a win." Fitzgerald had been one of the leagues best at the wideout spot, and he has acknowledged the difficulty of learning a new position. He said it doesnt matter whether he likes it or not. "It is what it is," he said. "I come to work every day and try to prepare the best that I can and get ready for the game, same approach Ive always taken." This could well be the end of his decade-long run in Arizona. His salary cap number for next season is $26 million, and he would almost certainly have to take a pay cut to return, if hes even asked to do so. He might think its a good time to move on. With his fourth-quarter catch Monday night, Fitzgerald barely kept alive his string of catching a pass in 150 consecutive games. The difficult 22-yard reception was a big play in the Cardinals 10-play, 91-yard drive for the winning touchdown. Earlier, as if to show the talent he still possesses, the 31-year-old receiver caught Palmers pass with one outstretched hand. But he was out of bounds. And for one of the few times over the past decade, Fitzgerald wasnt on the field for the winning touchdown, a five-yard screen pass to Brown. "Its no problem. We won," Fitzgerald said. "Ive been on the field for a lot of winning touchdowns." Arians said Fitzgerald had missed practice because of a sore knee. "We didnt know if he was even going to play," Arians said, "but he is tough and came back and taped it up. ... I learned my lesson last year not to ask him things to do in a game that youre not practicing, and its not fair to the quarterback, either. There were times when he was not in there on third down. That was due to that." Fitzgerald doesnt expect this lull to continue, at least not this bad. "I dont want to go one catch for 16 weeks if thats what youre asking me," he said. Sixteen catches for a season "would be discouraging," he said. "That cap number would be REAL big at the end of the year." Then he and the reporters surrounding him laughed. ' ' '