SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2014 SPORTS Rangers again look for Photo of the day emotional Cup inspiration LOS ANGELES: The New York Rangers, TIGHTER BONDS who can claim to be this season’s team of During their march to the final, they destiny, will seek further emotional inspi- have developed increasingly tight bonds, ration from Dominic Moore and Martin much of it following the personal St. Louis as they vie with the Los Angeles tragedies experienced by Moore and St. Kings for the Stanley Cup. Louis. Moore is in his first season back Back in the Stanley Cup Finals for the with the Rangers after a year-long leave first time in two decades after Moore and following the death of his wife, Katie, St. Louis rebounded from personal grief who succumbed to liver cancer in Jan. to join their team mates on a champi- 2013. St. Louis’ mother, France, died sud- onship crusade, the Rangers trail the denly during the Eastern Conference Kings 0-1 in the best-of-seven series. semi-finals against the favored Los Angeles rallied from two goals Pittsburgh Pirates but the Rangers, trail- down to win Wednesday’s opener 3-2 in ing 1-3 at that point, rallied around their overtime and, with Game Two set for mourning team mate before going on to Saturday, center Moore is well aware of win the series. the remarkable ‘comeback’ threat posed “You definitely think about that,” by New York’s opponents. Moore said of New York’s ability to gain “They are incredibly resilient,” Moore, emotional inspiration from personal 33, told reporters about the 2012 Stanley grief. “Marty and I obviously were close Cup champions who this season became before and we played with each other in the first team ever to reach the finals by Tampa. “We have always got along really winning three best-of-seven series that well and we have obviously come closer went the distance. with the stuff that has happened to both “Some of their comebacks in series of us. “He was there for me a year or two this year are self-evident of that. They are ago and I think we have a pretty strong just a team that knows how to find ways bond because of that and because of the to win and we’ve got a lot of respect for stuff that has happened the last two that. We always expected our toughest months here.” Rangers head coach Alain challenge yet. Vigneault has been delighted to see “They are seasoned and they have Moore and dynamic right wing St. Louis, won the Stanley Cup with a lot of players who was acquired from Tampa Bay at the on this (2014 Kings) team,” added Moore, trade deadline three months ago, find who has played for nine different teams sanctuary on the ice and become team during his NHL career, including the leaders in the process. “They’ve found Tampa Bay Lightning where he got to refuge,” said Vigneault. “They’ve found a Viki Gomez performs at the Red Bull BMX Flatland Africa Tour 2014 in Mauritius.— www.redbull.com know St. Louis. way to find a place where they can be The Kings had been on the brink of happy, and that is at the rink with their exiting the playoffs when trailing San team mates and on the ice. They’ve both Jose 0-3 but stunningly fought their way been very inspirational leaders through- through to the finals by beating the out the whole thing.” As for Saturday’s Hamilton clocks fastest time Sharks, the Anaheim Ducks and the Game Two, Vigneault promised that his defending champion Chicago team would bring their “best game to MONTREAL: Lewis Hamilton sig- Blackhawks. the table” in a bid to level the series 1-1. nalled his intentions to reclaim the However, the Rangers have also dis- “We’re going to be ready tomorrow,” Formula One drivers’ championship played a great deal of grit and resilience he told reporters at Staples Center in lead from Mercedes team mate en route to series wins against the downtown Los Angeles on Friday. “Our Nico Rosberg after setting the pace Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh guys need to manage the puck better, in practice for the Canadian Grand Penguins, both in seven games, and the we can play a faster game and that’s Prix on Friday. The Briton, a three- Montreal Canadiens, in six. been one of our strengths.” —Reuters time winner on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, lapped the island track in one minute 16.118 seconds on an overcast afternoon on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Ferrari’s former world champion Fernando Alonso upstaged the mighty Mercedes team by toping the time sheets in the morning ses- sion but Hamilton and Rosberg quickly restored order going one- two later in the day. “Nico is very, very quick, the Ferraris are quick as well so you just don’t know. Wait and see,” said Hamilton about his chances of grabbing pole position. “Both me and Nico just working on the set-up and it’s great to see we have great pace, it’s been an incredible job from the guys in the factory. “I think there is quite a bit to come because we don’t have the set-up as well as we would like yet but that’s the thing here - you are MONTREAL: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain during practice session at the Canadian always chasing the set-up and try- Grand Prix.—AP ing to go faster.” Mercedes have started every Mercedes have a hefty 240 points “There were quite a few things,” Hamilton and Rosberg arrived in race from pole, claiming five suc- in the constructors’ standings, with said Ferrari technical director Pat Canada downplaying a spat cessive one-two finishes. “I think Red Bull second on 99. Fry, when asked about improve- between the two that had domi- qualifying could be quite crucial,” Red Bull continued to show ments to the car. “It’s far too early nated talk up and down the pad- said Rosberg, who started from improvement as quadruple world to say if it is all working or not. dock but on the track their rivalry pole in Bahrain and Monaco. “If it is champion Sebastian Vettel, a win- Some things look promising, some remained firmly in place. against Lewis I am driving then ner in Montreal last year, posted things we need more detail. “I think The German, who snapped qualifying could be very crucial. the day’s third best time. it is going to be a very tough chal- AUCKLAND: Referee Nigel Owens (left) jumps as New Zealand All Blacks player Hamilton’s four-race win streak in “We have good pace here, look- Ferrari, who had also been lenge (catching Mercedes). There is Malakai Fekitoa (top right) tackles England’s Mike Brown during their rugby union Monaco to replace his team mate ing very promising. We expected to struggling to match the pace of quite the gap let’s face it, we just match at Eden Park. —AFP atop the standings, was 0.175 sec- be strong at this track and it seems Mercedes, saw Kimi Raikkonen have to do our best and keep onds behind the Briton, setting the to look like that at the moment.” clock the fourth best effort fol- developing.” The Williams of Filipe stage for another hotly-contested Rosberg leads overall with 122 lowed by Alonso, the 2006 Canada Massa and Valtteri Bottas were sixth NZ win over England battle for the pole on Saturday. points to Hamilton’s 118 while champion and runnerup last year. and seventh.—Reuters AUCKLAND: A rusty New Zealand need- were prepared to spread the ball wide ed a late try from Conrad Smith for a 20- with Manu Tuilagi, who tore the All 15 win in the first test against an under- Blacks to shreds two years ago at strength England in Auckland yesterday Twickenham, again the focal point of Australia rout France as they struggled to snuff out the chal- their attack, constantly threatening the lenge of a visiting side reduced to 14 line and making ground. BRISBANE: Australia scythed through a porous continued to attack in the second with tries to we did not perform in defence and it was too men for most of the final 10 minutes. The visitors also controlled the tempo French defence to score seven tries and a 50-23 Cummins, Beale and McCabe. easy for Aussie” Michalak said. “I hope next Winger Marland Yarde’s yellow card in of the game in the first half and did not victory over the visitors in their first test of a Parra and the French pack gave the scoreline week we will be better and stronger in the 68th minute for a professional foul allow the All Blacks to develop any three-game series in Brisbane yesterday, though some respectability with tries in the final 10 min- defence. “I think next week we (need to be) turned the match in New Zealand’s rhythm. “I think we were probably half a may have lost captain Stephen Moore with a utes as the game lost shape. more patient and create phases and when we favour with Aaron Cruden slotting his yard off the pace in the first half,” All serious knee injury. “It was very tough to play a game like this, see the line finish (off).” —Reuters fifth penalty to give the All Blacks their Blacks captain Richie McCaw said.