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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015 SPORTS

Merlo loses Colon job Asian Cup was free Kwiatkowski aims for brace BUENOS AIRES: Reinaldo Merlo has lasted just one Argentine first division from match-fixing LISBON: Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-QuickStep), the 2014 world championship match as coach of promoted Colon, parting company with road race champion, heads to the south of Portugal today to defend his the club by mutual accord on Monday after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at San SINGAPORE: The Asian Football Confederation gave itself a proud pat on the Tour of the Algarve title. Kwiatkowski’s main rival in the five-stage-race, Lorenzo. back yesterday after declaring that January’s Asian Cup in Australia was free of which runs until Sunday, is his own team-mate Tony Martin. The German Merlo, who had a statue erected outside Racing Club’s Cilindro stadium match-fixing. time-trialist, who already claimed victories in the Algarve in 2011 and 2013, after memorably steering them to their first league title for 35 years in 2001, “It is extremely encouraging to see that the detailed integrity planning and hopes to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey for the first time earned Colon promotion back to an extended 30-team top collaboration for our premier tournament, the AFC Asian Cup, was a success,” in 2015. This year’s Algarve edition will see a total of 20 teams, flight in December. AFC general-secretary Alex Soosay said in a statement. “This would not have including eight from the World Tour, compete alongside “Club Atletico Colon informs that by mutual accord been possible without the support and focused efforts of each stakeholder and Richie Porte’s Sky and Tony Gallopin’s Lotto Soudal. The 41st with the coaching staff headed by Reinaldo Carlos Merlo, in particular Australian law enforcement and Sportradar, who worked hand-in- running of the Tour of the Algarve features a summit finish it has been decided to end their contractual link with the hand with AFC’s Integrity Unit throughout the tournament. on Saturday and one individual time trial on Friday. club,” Colon said on their website (www.clubcolon.com.ar). “The effective implementation of this action plan could be a blueprint for Stages: Directors and players of the Santa Fe-based club crit- other Asian sporting events and sports governing bodies,” the Malaysian Wednesday: Lagos - Albufeira (166,7 km); Thursday: icised Colon’s performance in their opening match at added. A large bulk of the 47 members in the AFC have been hit with match- Lagoa - Monchique (197,2 km); Friday: Vila do; Bispo - San Lorenzo’s Nuevo Gasometro ground with former fixing scandals in recent years, with fixers targeting low-paid players in various Cabo de S. Vicente, Sagres (19 km); Saturday: Tavira - Alto Velez Sarsfield midfielder David Ramirez particularly leagues such as Australia, Lebanon, South Korea, China, Vietnam and do Malhao, LoulÈ (218,3 km); Sunday: Almodovar - scathing.—Reuters Singapore.—Reuters Vilamoura (184,9 km). —AFP

NHL results/standings NY Rangers 6, NY Islanders 5; Carolina 6, Ottawa 3; Montreal 2, Detroit 0; Winnipeg 5, Edmonton 4 (SO); Colorado 5, Arizona 2; Calgary 4, Boston 3 (OT); Vancouver 3, Minnesota 2; Los Angeles 3, Tampa Bay 2. Western Conference Pacific Division WLOTLGFGAPTS Anaheim 35 15 7 169 160 77 Vancouver 32 21 3 158 147 67 Calgary 32 22 3 166 147 67 San Jose 29 21 8 164 165 66 Los Angeles 26 18 12 155 150 64 Arizona 20 31 7 131 194 47 Edmonton 16 32 10 135 196 42

Central Division Nashville 38 12 6 170 131 82 St. Louis 37 15 4 178 137 78 Chicago 35 18 4 172 131 74 Winnipeg 30 19 10 165 157 70 Minnesota 28 21 7 155 152 63 Dallas 26 22 8 175 179 60 Colorado 24 22 11 149 161 59

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Montreal 37 15 4 150 123 78 Tampa Bay 35 18 6 191 159 76 Detroit 31 14 10 160 141 72 Boston 28 20 8 147 145 64 Florida 24 19 12 135 153 60 Ottawa 22 23 10 155 158 54 Toronto 23 29 5 160 175 51 Buffalo 16 37 3 104 193 35

Metropolitan Division NY Islanders 37 19 1 184 162 75 NY Rangers 34 16 5 174 136 73 Pittsburgh 32 15 9 161 141 73 Washington 30 17 10 168 145 70 Philadelphia 24 22 10 151 162 58 Columbus 24 27 3 142 170 51 New Jersey 21 26 9 124 154 51 Carolina 20 28 7 126 150 47 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings UNIONDALE: Derek Stepan No. 21 of the New York Rangers heads for the net as John Tavares No. 91 of the New York Islanders defends at the Nassau Veterans Memorial and are not included in the loss column (L). Coliseum. —AFP Rangers stun Islanders, King march

UNIONDALE: Kevin Klein scored with 4:32 early in the third period to help Los Angeles FLAMES 4, BRUINS 3 Larsson and Mark Arcobello scored for Minnesota. Henrik Sedin, with a goal and an left, and the New York Rangers overcame a defeat Tampa Bay for its fifth straight victory. TJ Brodie scored with 2 seconds left in Arizona, which did not manage a shot on goal assist, and Bo Horvat also scored for the pair of two-goal deficits and netted three Jeff Carter added a goal in the third, Anze overtime, and Calgary rallied from a three- in the second period. It was the first time in Canucks. Eddie Lack made 20 saves in the win. third-period goals to stun the New York Kopitar scored the tying goal in the second goal deficit to beat Boston. As Brodie cut franchise history Colorado held an opponent Nino Niederreiter scored twice for Minnesota, Islanders 6-5 on Monday night. and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots for the down the wing, he sent the puck toward the without a shot in a period. which got 26 saves from Devan Dubnyk. After falling behind 11 seconds in, the Kings, who are on their longest winning streak net. It deflected off a Bruins stick, fluttered Mike McKenna made 29 saves in his first Former Canucks forward Jordan Schroeder Rangers completed their game-long, uphill since taking six in a row from Oct. 12-26. The high in the air and over goalie Tuukka Rask. start of the season for the Coyotes, who have had two assists for the Wild, who entered 8-0-1 fight and beat the Islanders for the first time in defending Stanley Cup champions are fighting The buzzer sounded and, after a brief period lost four in a row. The 9 seconds between in their past nine games and lost in regulation four tries this season. They trail the for a playoff berth after slumping in recent of uncertainty, video review confirmed the goals for Colorado tied a club record, accom- for the first time since Jan. 19. Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders by months. goal. plished twice before. The last time was Jan. 23, two points and have two games in hand. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for the Boston led 3-1 after 40 minutes. The victory 2002, against Edmonton. Holden scored JETS 5, OILERS 4 Defenseman Ryan McDonagh had the first Lightning, who were playing the second half marked the NHL-best 10th time the Flames Colorado’s first power-play goal in 12 games, Blake Wheeler scored the only goal in a two-goal game of his career, and Chris Kreider, of a back-to-back. Nikita Nesterov scored his have come back to win when trailing after two ending an 0-for-32 stretch. shootout to lift Winnipeg over Edmonton. Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis also scored first NHL goal for Tampa Bay. The Lightning periods (10-16-1). Anaheim is second with Wheeler scored on the first shot of the for the Rangers, who completed a 4-0 road got a late goal from Tyler Johnson with 36 sec- seven. HURRICANES 6, SENATORS 3 tiebreaker, causing goalie Viktor Fasth to trip. Stepan and St. Louis scored 1:37 apart in onds left to cut it to 3-2. Jiri Hudler had two goals and David Jones Andrej Nestrasil had a goal and two assists stretch out and injure himself. He left the ice the third to tie it. Cam Talbot made 38 saves also scored for Calgary, which has won six of in Carolina’s victory over Ottawa. Nathan and was replaced by Richard Bachman. and improved to 5-1-1 while filling in for CANADIENS 2, RED WINGS 0 eight. Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara and Torey Gerbe, Jeff Skinner, Jay McClement, Michal Michael Hutchinson stopped 18 shots in injured goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Tomas Plekanec snapped a scoreless tie Krug scored for the Bruins, who are 0-3-1 in Jordan and Chris Terry also scored for the the victory and has won all four shootouts he’s The Islanders appeared headed for their with 2:30 remaining and Carey Price made 25 their last four. Hurricanes. been in this season. Fasth made 42 saves. fifth straight win, but they couldn’t hold a 3-1 saves in his fifth shutout of the season, pro- Erik Condra, Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci Bryan Little scored a pair of goals and lead in the second period or a 5-3 edge in the pelling Montreal past Detroit. Plekanec’s slap AVALANCHE 5, COYOTES 2 had goals for the Senators. After taking four added an assist for Winnipeg, which improved third. shot got past Jimmy Howard for his 17th goal Cody McLeod and Matt Duchene scored 9 one-goal leads over the first two periods, the to 4-1-0 in its past five games. Andrew Ladd Ryan Strome scored twice, and John of the season. Max Pacioretty, who assisted on seconds apart early in the first period, Jarome Hurricanes got a two-goal cushion when also had a goal and defenseman Tyler Myers Tavares, Frans Nielsen and Johnny Boychuk the first goal, added an empty-netter in the Iginla had two assists and Colorado beat Jordan scored his first NHL goal at 2:33 of the scored his first with the Jets after being also had goals for the Islanders, who dropped closing seconds with an assist from Plekanec. slumping Arizona. third period. Terry made it 6-3 at 9:49 with the acquired in a trade last week with Buffalo. to 18-3 against Metropolitan opponents and Howard, making his second start since missing Gabriel Landeskog, Tyson Barrie and Nick Hurricanes’ third power-play goal of the game. Toby Enstrom and Wheeler each had a pair of 11-1 at home. five weeks with a groin injury, stopped 27 Holden also scored for the Avalanche. Semyon assists. Edmonton got a pair of goals from Nail shots as the Red Wings dropped their third Varlamov faced only five shots through the CANUCKS 3, WILD 2 Yakupov. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Anton KINGS 3, LIGHTNING 2 straight. They have lost all three games against first two periods before giving way to backup Alex Biega scored the winning goal in his Lander also scored as the Oilers finished a 2-3- Jordan Nolan scored the go-ahead goal the Canadiens this season. Reto Berra to start the third. Oliver Ekman- first NHL game to help Vancouver defeat 1 road trip. —AP Love III to be chosen US captain PALM BEACH: Former US PGA Champion Davis Northern Irishman , who won appears to have the backing of most of the team Love III will be appointed United States Ryder the British Open in 2011, is expected to succeed that beat the United States in in Cup captain next week for the 2016 matches at Ireland’s Paul McGinley as Europe captain for September including world number one Rory Hazeltine, the Golf Channel reported on Monday. 2016 having played in five editions and served as McIlroy. The 50-year-old will be officially named on vice-captain in 2010 and 2012. Four-times major winner McIlroy said last Feb. 24 at the headquarters of the PGA Of A five man European selection panel, which month that Clarke would be a perfect fit in the America in Palm Beach, Florida, the outlet said. includes McGinley, Olazabal and 2010 winning US where he is a popular figure. It would be the second time Love has led the captain , will meet on The 2011 British Open champion has tasted team after he oversaw the 14.5/13.5 defeat to Wednesday to decide upon the skipper. defeat just once in the seven times he has been Europe in 2012 when Jose Maria Olazabal’s side Meanwhile, it would be a major surprise if involved in the Ryder Cup, when the US won at stormed back from 10-6 down on the final day at anyone but former British Open champion Brookline in 1999, and he appears to tick the Medinah. That loss is one of eight that the Darren Clarke was appointed Europe’s new Ryder right boxes in terms of experience and support Americans have suffered in the last ten editions Cup captain today. from the players. of the biennial team event, which prompted the A five-man selection panel is due to make an Media reports have incorrectly suggested in PGA of America to appoint an 11-person Ryder announcement on Paul McGinley’s successor recent days that only the three former captains Cup task force, which Love sits on. after meeting at the European Tour’s Wentworth will have a vote, with O’Grady and Howell step- Tom Lehman, who captained the US to a headquarters on the outskirts of London. ping in if the trio cannot decide on their choice. heavy 18.5/9.5 defeat in 2006, and Steve Stricker, Clarke is one of three candidates for the 2016 The tour, however, has been at pains to point a winner of 12 PGA Tour events, also sit on the role, along with Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez out that each member of the panel has an equal task force and are likely to hold roles in Love’s and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, and the Northern vote. The successful candidate is likely to be 2016 team, the Golf Channel said. Irishman is the odds-on favourite with the book- going head-to-head with Davis Love III at Love, who won his sole major in 1997, played makers to land the coveted role. Hazeltine, Minnesota next year after the Golf in six consecutive Ryder Cups from 1993. He tast- It seems almost inconceivable that McGinley, Channel reported on Monday that the 1997 US ed victory twice, on his first appearance and in 2012 captain Jose Maria Olazabal, 2010 skipper PGA Championship winner would be named 1999. Colin Montgomerie, tour chief executive George American skipper next week. Europe’s won last year’s matches 16.5/11.5 O’Grady and former Ryder Cup player David It would be the second time Love, 50, has led with five-times major winner Howell will not opt for Clarke. The 46-year-old, the team after he oversaw the “Miracle of scathing of the approach used by American cap- who played in the biennial team event five times Medinah” defeat in 2012 when Olazabal’s side tain Tom Watson after another defeat. and was a vice-captain in 2010 and 2012, stormed back to win from 10-6 down. —Reuters Davis Love III