Forenaddys » the opposing netminder for the

PARIS -- Olympic runners-up Pang Qing and Tong Jian took the lead in the pairs competition at the Trophee Bompard after the short program on Friday. Authentic New York Jets Jerseys . The Chinese pair scored 67.69 points to edge out world bronze medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford into second place with 66.07. "Weve never won this event and this is our last season, so it will be our last chance," the 34-year-old Tong said through a translator. "As its the last time, its also a little bit nostalgic. The crowd is always very welcoming here." The Canadians were among the favourites but Duhamel landed heavily early on when attempting a triple lutz. They led after the short at Skate Canada last month but slipped from first to third after a flawed free skate. "We felt that we skated the program better than we did at Skate Canada," Duhamel said. "Obviously theres a big mistake and thats three years in a row where we find ourselves second after the short program so I guess thats our place. We will do better in the long program and I will land a triple lutz." Competing in their first Grand Prix of the season, Russians Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov are in third place with 65.67. "I made a mistake on the jump, which was unexpected," Bazarova said through a translator. Later, three-time world champion Patrick Chan faces rising Chinese star Yan Han. The 17-year-old Yan, the 2012 junior world champ, won the Cup of China this month. Cheap New York Jets Jerseys China . "He started putting me on the ice to strengthen them at the suggestion from a doctor," he said. Weight said it wasnt a pretty sight at the rink in St. Clair Shores, Mich. "I looked like Forrest Gump," he joked. Cheap New York Jets Jerseys . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. http://www.cheapjetsjerseyselite.com/ . The Red Wings hadnt played the night before. The Boston Bruins had. A month from now, or two months from now, it doesnt matter. But right now it does matter, when you start and you play back to back, its wear and tear on you for sure, Babcock said.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Its always fun to sit down and try the latest and craziest beverages produced by one of the many microbrews across North America, but other times its best to know exactly what you are getting. In that regard, Roberto Luongo is a high-priced but well-worth bottle of vintage wine, a true go-to for enjoyment for the Florida Panthers. When the dreaded term rebuilding is whispered amongst a hockey organization, it usually means that the fans and coaching staff are in for a few years of molding new, young talent. Add in a few talented veterans down the road and, to quote Carl Weathers, baby, youve got a stew going. The Panthers have made the playoffs just once in the previous 13 seasons and finished seventh out of eight teams in the Atlantic Division a season ago. That pretty much screams early stages of a rebuild, but that didnt stop Florida from making a big move prior to last seasons trade deadline, getting Luongo from the Vancouver Canucks. Acquiring a 35-year-old big-name netminder is usually a play that is made during the latter stages of a rebuild, but the Panthers couldnt pass up the chance to bring Luongo back to Sunrise, where he spent the majority of the early stages of his career. Or maybe general manager Dale Tallon believed his club was closer to relevance than thought by the majority. After all, the Panthers sit only three points back of the Boston Bruins for the Easts second wild card spot following a bigg win over the Canucks on Thursday night.dddddddddddd And yes, it is still early, but the Panthers have four games in hand on the Bruins. Luongo is a big part of Floridas success obviously, going 16-7-7 with a goals against average (2.23) and save percentage (.926) that both rank top 10 in the NHL. But even better for the Panthers growing core and first-year head coach Gerard Gallant is that Luongo is a safety net for the club, a bail-out that allows the coach and players to take some chances they may otherwise not take. If any team knows that, it is the Canucks. Luongo spent nearly eight full seasons in Vancouver and left the franchise as its all-time leader in wins (233) and shutouts (38). He made 32 saves to defeat his former team on Thursday, tying Dominik Hasek for 11th on the all-time list with 389 wins. Another sign of how special Luongo can be to a franchise: the fans cheered the opposing netminder for the entire game, from a video tribute early on to when he was named the games first start at its completion. The Canucks faithful even broke out vintage Loo chants for the game. It was nice to receive that acknowledgement, said Luongo. I played here for eight years. I gave it my heart and soul the whole time. There was some ups and downs, obviously, but at the end of the day Im glad the positive was remembered more than the negative. If this season is any indication, there are some positive days ahead for the Panthers too. ' ' '