Dein erstes Forum » tournament four straight years. Oh, yeah, VCU ha

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A fast start, a few opportune bounces and rookie goalie Dustin Tokarskis shutout performance allowed the Montreal Canadiens to avoid needing any late-game dramatics on consecutive nights. A day after being called up from AHL Hamilton, Tokarski made 29 saves to earn his first career shutout in a 2-0 win over the injury-depleted Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night. "It felt pretty good. Im not going to lie," Tokarski said. "The main thing is the two points going down the stretch here for this hockey team, and just a little icing on the cake with the shutout, I guess." The shutout was certainly timely for a Canadiens team coming off an emotional high following a 5-4 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. It was a game in which Montreal became the NHLs first team to win by overcoming a three-goal deficit with less than five minutes remaining. "Every time you play an emotional game, as a coach youre always afraid that the next game could be tougher," coach Michel Therrien said. "But we got a really good start, and this is something weve been doing lately." Brendan Gallagher and Dale Weise scored 1:26 apart in the first period, both coming off pucks that caromed into the net. Weise opened the scoring when a rebound banked in off his skate. Gallaghers goal came on a rebound that caromed in off the leg of Sabres defenceman Chad Ruhwedel. Montreal (37-25-7) vaulted into second place in the Atlantic Division by jumping ahead of Toronto and Tampa Bay. The league-worst Sabres (19-41-8) continue heading in reverse, having lost six straight in regulation -- their worst streak since losing seven in a row from Dec. 4-19, 2003. And theyve lost another goalie to injury after starter Jhonas Enroth did not return following a collision with Gallagher with 3:51 left in the second period. Referring to it as a lower-body injury, coach Ted Nolan said Enroth could be out indefinitely. "It doesnt look like its going to be short-term," Nolan said. "It seems like we have bad luck, or we have no luck at all." Gallagher was driving to the net from the left circle and got a shot off when he was struck from behind by Buffalo defenceman Jamie McBain and tumbled directly into Enroth. The goalie lay on the ice for a few minutes before he got up and attempted to stretch his right leg while being examined by a trainer. Enroth then skated to the bench and was escorted into the locker room. Rookie Nathan Lieuwen was forced into action, and stopped all 10 shots he faced in his NHL debut. Lieuwen was called up from AHL Rochester earlier in the day after backup Michal Neuvirth complained of a lower body injury before Buffalos 4-1 loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday. That leaves the Sabres in a position of calling up Matt Hackett from Rochester before embarking on a five-game road trip that opens at Calgary on Tuesday. Lieuwen was playing on his third consecutive day after stopping 31 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss to Binghamton on Friday, and another 38 in a 2-1 loss to Binghamton on Saturday. "It was all adrenaline," Lieuwen said. "How I played the two nights before really did help. As soon as the faceoff started, it was like I was in a game again, and I could focus in." His best save came with 10:25 left, when he lunged from his crease and got his blocker up to turn aside former Sabres player Thomas Vaneks one-timer from the slot. Tokarski started in place of Carey Price, who didnt travel with the team. Therrien was wary of playing Price on consecutive nights after the goalie aggravated a lower-body injury during Canadas gold-medal run at the Sochi Games. Tokarski was sharp in the opening frame, when he turned aside Drew Staffords backhander in front. He was also fortunate with 12:47 left in the third period, when Stafford had a shot go off the right post. The Sabres continue to struggle generating offence. Theyve managed a league-worst 132 this season, and have scored just five in their past six games. NOTES: Vanek played his first game at Buffalo since the Sabres traded him to the New York Islanders in October. The Canadiens acquired Vanek in a deal with the Isles two weeks ago. Vanek drew a standing ovation during a first-period break, after the Sabres broadcast a series of highlights on their videoboard. ... Buffalo will close the season playing 10 of its final 14 games on the road. ... Nolan expects C Torrey Mitchell to be ready to return Tuesday, after missing his sixth game with a lower body injury. Clearance Hydro Flask . 25 against Miami. Hillis left Browns Stadium about two hours before kickoff, a decision that has led to speculation he was upset over ongoing negotiations with the club on a contract extension. Hydro Flask Online Sale .The Hamilton Tiger-Cat defensive back always has the required receipt. But he also walks around with a tangle of metal screws, rods and plates after breaking his neck in 2006 playing high school football in Louisiana. http://www.clearancehydroflask.com/ . -- The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena to a $25 million, five-year contract Saturday. Hydro Flask Clearance Online . In the opener of the World Group first-round series, world No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont. Hydro Flask Sale Ombre . The Big Man finished 3-1 in Week 19, and sits at 53-24 on the season. Now Schultz is ready for more action.SAN DIEGO -- The NCAA tournament has a new darling after one of the most improbable finishes in the NCAA tournaments long bracket-busting history. Got Jacks? Pulling off a comeback for the ages, feisty Stephen F. Austin became the latest No. 12 seed to pull off an upset, tying the game on Desmond Haymons did-that-just-happen four-point play with 3.6 seconds left, and then holding on in overtime for a 77-75 win over Virginia Commonwealth on Friday night. "Well, miracles truly do happen," SFA coach Brad Underwood said. Pretty regularly these days. Its been a wild ride in the NCAA tournament already, a two-day run filled with upsets, buzzer-beaters and millions of crumpled brackets across the country. SFAs victory marked the fifth overtime game during the round of 64, a tournament record. SFA didnt have the biggest upset of the opening two rounds -- Mercer probably gets the nod there with its win over Duke -- but the Lumberjacks certainly had the most jaw-dropping finish. Heres how it went down: The South Regions No. 5 seed, VCU (23-10) was firmly in control after its swarming defence flustered SFA during a big second-half run. The scrappy Lumberjacks (32-2) kept hanging around and clawed their way back in the closing seconds. Two missed free throws by VCUs Jordan Burgess with 10 seconds left gave SFA a chance. The Lumberjacks worked the ball around to the wing, where Haymon launched a 3-pointer and was fouled by JeQuan Lewis just before the ball fell through the basket. "I just tried to get out and contest it," Lewis said. "(I) jumped to the side a little bit and kind of fell into him. The ref called a foul." Haymon still had some work to do, though. The crowd still buzzing, VCU coach Shaka Smart called a timeout, trying to ice Haymon. The senior didnt seem to mind, returning to the court to calmly knock the free throw down. "I was struggling shooting the ball and I knew to get it going, I was going to have to continue to try to find it (his touch)," Haymon said. "I guess I found that groove with the last shot." The tension still wasnt over. Following a missed desperation heave at the end of regulation, Haymon put the Jacks ahead in overtime on a 3-pointer with 2 minutes left. VCUs turn at glory came after SFAs Thomas Walkup made 1 of 2 free throws put the Lumberjacks up 2 with 14 seconds left. The Rams got a good look on the final possession, working the ball around to Lewis for an openn 3-pointer on the wing.dddddddddddd His shot went long, the Lumberjacks grabbed the rebound, then stormed the floor after improbably extending the nations second-longest winning streak to 29 games. Jacob Parker scored 22 points and Haymon had 17 for SFA, which moves into Sundays third-round game against the Tulsa-UCLA winner. Treveon Graham had 19 points, Burgess 14 and Lewis finished with 13 for the disappointed Rams, the third No. 5 seed to lose this tournament. "Honestly, I thought we had it," Burgess said. "We had them on the ropes, but they came back and made some tough shots and important shots to win the game." Every year, the NCAA tournament has a feel-good team fans lock onto, like Florida Gulf Coast and Dunk City last year. SFA certainly had qualifications to be this years darling: A fun-loving group of players led by a long-haired shooter they call Sunshine, a frenetic style -- at least when it comes to half-court defence -- and the nations second-longest winning streak at 29. But for Lumberjacks to become the latest lovable lower seed, they had to get past VCU, a team that had been-there, done-that with the whole underdog thing. The Rams had a magical run of their own, reaching the 2011 Final Four, and have been consistent winners since, reaching the NCAA tournament four straight years. Oh, yeah, VCU has that defence, too. Its called Havoc and it has created more turnovers and steals than any other team in the country the past two seasons. SFA plays a little D of its own -- more of the half-court variety than the Rams -- so naturally tipped passes, floor burns and scraps for loose balls filled the arena when they met on the court for the first time. The Lumberjacks picked their way through the havoc with pinpoint passing on backdoor cuts and the interior, taking a six-point lead into halftime on Parkers last-second 3-pointer. VCU made the game more chaotic -- Havotic? -- with its pressure to start the second half and started working the ball inside, racing through an 11-0 run to go up 52-43. The Rams stayed in control most of the half, but missed four free throws in the final 32 seconds to give the Lumberjacks a shot at victory. "I like the way we battled the majority of the second half, but we just didnt finish the game," Smart said. "We kind of gave them a glimmer of hope." The Jacks ran with it, earning their spot in NCAA tournament history with one improbable shot. ' ' '