THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 SPORTS

Lee seeks Olympic spot Dost get Dutch call-up Ronaldo left seething KUALA LUMPUR: Former badminton world number one Lee Chong Wei is AMSTERDAM: Uncapped striker Bas Dost, who has scored 11 MADRID: Two-goal Cristiano Ronaldo may have become the record scorer in hoping to be back on court for the start of the 2016 Olympic qualifiers in May goals in the last six weeks, was named on Wednesday in a preliminary squad European competition on Tuesday but the Real Madrid forward was left after finally being given an April date for a hearing into his failed dope test. for the ’ matches against Turkey and Spain later this month, seething by another poor performance from the stuttering European champi- The Malaysian was provisionally suspended last year by the Badminton coach Guus Hiddink announced. ons. Television cameras captured a grim-looking Ronaldo shaking his head and World Federation (BWF) after traces of the banned anti-inflammatory drug The 25-year-old Dost has been in remarkable scoring form for VfL apparently mouthing “disgrace” to Karim Benzema shortly before the end of dexamethasone were found in his system during the world championships in Wolfsburg and is in line to play in the Euro 2016 qualifier against Turkey in Real’s 4-3 defeat to Schalke 04 at the Bernabeu, the holders squeaking through Denmark. Lee’s case will be heard by a three-member panel in Amsterdam on Amsterdam on March 28 and a friendly against Spain three days later. to the quarter-finals 5-4 on aggregate. April 11 with Malaysia’s leading sportsman facing a two-year ban if found Forward Eljero Elia has played himself back into reckoning after moving to Ronaldo’s two first-half headers had helped keep hopes of a record-extend- guilty. That would all but end an impressive career, which includes 55 titles Southampton on loan from Werder Bremen in January. ing 11th European crown alive and took his tally in European competition to a and two Olympic silver medals, but the 32-year-old was confident The 28-year-old Elia came on as a substitute for the Dutch in the 2010 record 78 goals, surpassing Barcelona forward Lionel Messi (76) and former Real of being cleared and returning to the courts soon. World Cup final against Spain but last played an international in 2012. striker Raul (77). However, they were one of the few bright spots in a generally “The last five months have been difficult. I’ve been down Hiddink’s squad of 28 was missing captain who is out with weak showing that came hard on the heels of the 1-0 defeat at Athletic with injuries in my career before but I’m still struggling to an ankle injury. Bilbao at the weekend that cost Real top spot in . The reverse to Schalke was their first home defeat in the come to terms with the fact that I’ve failed a dope test,” Lee Squad Champions League in 22 matches since April 2011 and the players was quoted as saying by Malaysian media yesterday. “The wait Goalkeepers: (Ajax Amsterdam), (Newcastle were whistled off the pitch by the angry home fans, many of has been a mental anguish. It was supposed to be in United), (), (PSV ) Defenders: Jeffrey Bruma (PSV Eindhoven), (Lazio), Daryl whom waved white handkerchiefs in the traditional sign of December but was moved. Since then, it has just been a discontent. Ronaldo gruffly announced to reporters he case of waiting and waiting. “Hopefully, it’ll be all over Janmaat (Newcastle United), (FC Porto), Sven van Beek (Feyenoord), (Paris St Germain), , Joel was not going to speak to the media again until the soon. I’m waiting for positive news. The Olympic end of the season, leaving captain and goalkeeper qualifying period starts on May 1 and I hope to Veltman (both (Ajax Amsterdam), (Aston Villa), Jetro Willems (PSV Eindhoven) — Reuters Iker Casillas to try to explain the team’s recent be cleared by then.” -Reuters slump. —Reuters

TAMPA: Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) dives for a loose puck in this file photo. — AP Lightning strike Canadiens as Rangers down Islanders

MONTREAL: Tyler Johnson scored about a BRUINS 3, SENATORS 1 three-game win streak. Marian Gaborik, Jeff minute into overtime to lift the Tampa Bay Ryan Spooner scored his second and third Carter, Kyle Clifford and Jake Muzzin also scored Lightning over the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in a goals of the season and Tuukka Rask celebrated as the reigning Stanley Cup champions crept Dimitrov beats Federer battle between Eastern Conference leaders on his birthday by stopping 39 shots to help lead closer to playoff contention with 16 games Tuesday. Johnson took his own rebound and saw the surging Boston Bruins the win. remaining. Tyson Barrie and Alex Tanguay scored the puck go in off defenseman Tom Gilbert’s After losing six games straight to open the for the Avalanche, who dropped the first contest in exhibition at MSG skate. The Lightning (42-20-6) won a fourth door for other teams to get back in the playoff in a pivotal three-game homestand as their post- NEW YORK: Roger Federer was reminiscing kid successfully lobbed Federer. The two pros straight game and are now one point behind race, the Bruins (34-22-10) have won three season aspirations dwindle. about watching New York Knicks games at made their share of creative shots, too. conference-leading Montreal (42-18-7). The straight and six of eight. Loui Eriksson added the Rookie goaltender Calvin Pickard filled in after Madison Square Garden on TV in the early Proving he can still pull off his signature 21,000 fans in Montreal were treated to hockey at other Bruins goal. Matt Puempel scored for Semyon Varlamov injured his groin over the 1990s, and Grigor Dimitrov couldn’t help but moves better than his up-and-coming opponent a frantic pace, but no goals through three peri- Ottawa (30-24-11) as Craig Anderson faced 22 weekend. Pickard’s night didn’t last long, with the interject: “I was born around the ‘90s.” It was no can, Federer got back a between-the-legs shot ods between two of the Eastern Conference’s shots in his second straight start after missing 17 Kings scoring three early goals and chasing him coincidence the 17-time Grand Slam champion from Dimitrov that appeared headed for a win- fastest teams. The Lightning had a 35-19 shot games. The loss was Ottawa’s first in regulation from the game at 14:15 of the first period. Reto was matched against the player nearly a decade ner with a between-the-legs return of his own in advantage, including 10-2 in the third period. It since Feb. 16 and ended a nine-game points Berra took over the rest of the way. younger in Tuesday night’s exhibition at the the second set. Dimitrov then missed the volley. was the third meeting between the clubs, with streak where Ottawa went 8-0-1 to get back into Garden. Their games are so similar that Dimitrov Federer had Dimitrov scrambling all over the the Lightning winning the first two by a com- the playoff race. Rask turned 28 on Tuesday. STARS 2, FLYERS 1 got tagged with the nickname “Baby Fed.” court early in the final set, leaving Dimitrov near- bined 11-3. They play twice more later this Vernon Fiddler scored the go-ahead goal late And on Tuesday, the 23-year-old Bulgarian - ly doing a split as he failed to run down a shot. A month. BLUES 5, JETS 4 in the third period to lift the Dallas Stars to the for the record, he was born in 1991 - kept up game later, after he chased down a short ball to Barret Jackman scored his first goal in 36 win. Brett Ritchie also scored for the Stars, who with Federer’s shot-making quite nicely. hit a winner at a near-impossible angle, Federer RANGERS 2, ISLANDERS 1 games with 1:03 left, launching a shot from cen- won for just the fourth time in their last 38 trips Dimitrov won 6-2, 1-6, 7-5, rallying from a break held his hand to his ear to egg on the crowd. Rick Nash scored a deflected goal to break a ter ice to give the Blues the win. After his team to Philadelphia. Luke Schenn scored for the free- down in the final set. He’s 0-3 in official matches In the next game, he lifted a moon ball tie 2:50 into the third period as the New York squandered a three-goal, third-period lead, falling Flyers, who lost their third straight to tum- against Federer and didn’t want to make a big through the giant video screens that hover Rangers beat the New York Islanders in their last Jackman bailed the Blues out when got control ble further out of playoff contention. The loss deal about beating him this time. “I have so above the court - when it finally came down, regular-season visit to Nassau Coliseum. of the puck along the left boards in the neutral snapped a six-game home point streak for much respect for him,” said the 11th-ranked Dimitrov hurdled the ball and still managed to After dropping the first three matchups to the zone off a faceoff. He appeared to be just dump- Philadelphia, which lost at home in regulation for Dimitrov, who made his first Grand Slam semifi- hit it in. “I really struggled for some time today,” nal at last summer’s Wimbledon. Federer said. “We did have some great shots. I Islanders - including two at home - the Rangers ing the puck into the Jets’ end, but his shot was just the second time in 13 games. So the Swiss great did it for him. “I think he thought it was actually a pretty high level match have won two straight on Long Island. The previ- on net and it handcuffed goalie Ondrej Pavelec. Fiddler scored the game-winner with about 6 played very well. He did really well to turn the at the end of the day.” ous meeting was a 6-5 Rangers victory in which That was the only goal that Pavelec allowed in 20 minutes left in the third period. Colton Sceviour match around, honestly,” Federer said. “So credit Meanwhile, Australia will face Kazakhstan on they erased a pair of two-goal deficits after shots faced. He came on in relief in the second centered a pass from the right boards and Fiddler to him. It’s a lot of pressure - first time at the a purpose-built grass court in the steamy north- falling behind 1-0 just 11 seconds in. period when the Blues scored four goals on four redirected it past Steve Mason from the goalie’s Garden.” ern city of Darwin in their Davis Cup quarter- Kevin Hayes scored the tying goal in the sec- straight shots against Jets rookie goalie Michael doorstep. Kari Lehtonen made 24 saves. Earlier, Gabriela Sabatini, 44, beat Monica final in July, officials announced yesterday. ond period this time, and Cam Talbot made 29 Hutchinson. Seles, 41, in a pro set 8-5. Both have rarely The showdown in the tropical capital of the saves to improve to 11-2-3 since No. 1 goalie BLUE JACKETS 4, HURRICANES 3 played since retiring, but they decided it was Northern Territory follows Australia beating the Henrik Lundqvist went out with a neck injury. KINGS 5, AVALANCHE 2 Ryan Johansen had the only goal in the worth training to commemorate the 25th Czech Republic and the Kazakhs overcoming Nash’s team-leading 39th goal was a shot from Brayden McNabb had a goal and two assists shootout, giving the Columbus Blue Jackets the anniversary of their classic five-set 1990 WTA Italy to seal last-eight berths earlier this month. the right point that caromed in off Islanders for- and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots as the Los win. Scott Hartnell had two goals while Rene Finals match at the Garden, won by Seles. “All the boys are really looking forward to ward Ryan Strome. Angeles Kings ended the Colorado Avalanche’s Bourque added the other for the Blue Jackets. In the tradition of exhibitions, Dimitrov heading to Darwin for the quarter-finals,” Artem Ansimov added two assists. Justin Faulk brought a youngster from the crowd onto the Australian captain Wally Masur said ahead of the had a goal and two assists for Carolina, while court to play one point in the third set, and the tie from July 17-19. —AFP NHL results/standings Victor Rask and Eric Staal also scored for the Hurricanes. Columbus, which has won two of its last three games after a five-game regulation los- NY Rangers 2, NY Islanders 1; Dallas 2, Philadelphia 1; Columbus 4, Carolina 3 (SO); Tampa Bay 1, ing streak, held onto seventh place in the Montreal 0 (OT); Boston 3, Ottawa 1; St. Louis 5, Winnipeg 4; Minnesota 6, New Jersey 2; Los Metropolitan Division and left the Hurricanes in Angeles 5, Colorado 2. the cellar. Carolina had won the teams’ first two Western Conference Tampa Bay 42 20 6 223 177 90 meetings this season, 4-2 on the road on Nov. 4 Pacific Division Detroit 37 17 11 192 172 85 and 3-2 in overtime in Raleigh on Nov. 7. WL OTLGFGAPTS Boston 34 22 10 179 171 78 Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and Carolina’s Anaheim 42 19 7 199 186 91 Florida 29 23 14 163 188 72 Cam Ward each had 29 saves. Vancouver 38 24 4 189 179 80 Ottawa 30 24 11 185 176 71 Calgary 36 25 5 191 172 77 Los Angeles 32 21 13 180 170 77 Toronto 26 35 6 179 209 58 WILD 6, DEVILS 2 San Jose 33 26 8 189 187 74 Buffalo 19 42 5 126 224 43 Thomas Vanek scored twice and Devan Arizona 21 38 8 143 224 50 Metropolitan Division Dubnyk stopped 30 shots as the Minnesota Wild Edmonton 18 38 11 152 227 47 NY Islanders 43 22 4 219 194 90 beat the New Jersey Devils. Chris Stewart and Central Division NY Rangers 41 17 7 200 156 89 Jared Spurgeon each had a goal and an assist for Nashville 42 19 7 199 166 91 Pittsburgh 38 18 10 189 162 86 the Wild, and Sean Bergenheim and Jason St. Louis 42 19 5 209 167 89 Washington 36 21 10 200 165 82 Pominville also scored for the Wild. Chicago 39 21 6 190 154 84 Philadelphia 28 27 13 178 197 69 Dubnyk improved to 19-4-1 with Minnesota Minnesota 37 23 7 192 170 81 while making his 26th consecutive start and the New Jersey 28 29 10 153 176 66 Winnipeg 33 22 12 187 181 78 200th of his career. Bergenheim’s goal was his Columbus 28 34 4 170 210 60 Colorado 30 26 11 179 190 71 first in seven games since being traded to the Dallas 30 27 10 209 221 70 Carolina 25 32 8 155 178 58 Wild in late February. Dainius Zubrus scored his Eastern Conference Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one first goal in 50 games for New Jersey, and Scott Atlantic Division point in the standings and are not included Gomez scored his sixth of the season with the NEW YORK: Roger Federer of Switzerland and Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria pose for a Montreal 42 18 7 177 147 91 in the loss column (L). Devils trailing by five goals in the third. — AP photo after the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden. — AFP