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The Washington Capitals avoided arbitration with restricted free agent forward Tomas Fleischmann, signing him to a one-year contract on Tuesday that will pay him US$2. Ricky Rubio Jersey.6 million. Fleischmann is coming off a career-best season in 2009-10, where he scored 23 goals and 28 assists in 69 games and made the Czech Republic squad for the Vancouver Olympics. He was particularly effective when Alex Ovechkin was missing from the lineup. In the 10 games that the superstar sat out, Fleischmann counted eight goals. By signing, the 26-year old avoided a salary arbitration hearing with the club. He originally filed against the team on July 5. Fleischmann was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round of the 2002 draft. Danny Ainge Jersey. 8. They had been eulogized and lowered into the ground as they sat in last place in the League standings, 27 points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Mike Miller Jersey. Forsythe has been out since March 26 with a broken left foot. Kotsay went on the DL May 19 with a lower back strain. The Padres also placed utilityman Andy Parrino on the 15-day DL with a sore right wrist and optioned rookie catcher Yasmani Grandal to Triple-A Tucson. Kevin Mchale Jersey. Breakaways, wristers, slappers. Using his pads, his stick, his body, Thomas turned em all away 46 straight times. LeBron James Jersey. "I was trying to go with a little throwback moment there," Cain said. After that, he was vintage Cain. The ace right-hander pitched into the ninth inning on the way to winning his fifth straight start, leading the San Francisco Giants past the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Saturday. John Havlicek Jersey. He responded with one of the best individual seasons in team history. On Monday, he just might be rewarded for his efforts. Bautista is a contender for the American League MVP award after hitting .Fitter, confident and in a better place than before lasts year World Cup debacle, an experienced Canadian womens soccer team is primed for this summers Olympic Games. But captain Christine Sinclair acknowledges its time for the seventh-ranked Canadians to deliver against top opposition. "Were a very confident team right now and we feel that on any given day we can beat the Japans, the U.S.A.s, the Swedens," Sinclair told a media conference call Monday. "But realistically we havent shown that in a huge tournament like the Olympics or World Cup in quite some time. Were a confident team and we fell that we can beat them, but thats just words. We have to actually do it." Coach John Herdman agrees. "Theyve gone on this podium adventure on a number of occasions and never seem to cross the line," said the Englishman. "They get close but they never cross the line." To get there, he says his players have had to identify and address the weaknesses that have let them down. "Theres no hiding, there has to be a commitment to new behaviours," he said. Experience wont be an issue. The 18-woman squad announced Monday has a combined 1,374 caps.Sinclair (180), Diana Matheson (131), Rhian Wilkinson (121), Brittany Timko (112), Candace Chapman (108) and goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc (100) each have more than 100 or more caps to their credit. Twelve of the women are veterans of the 2008 Olympics, when Canada lost 2-1 after extra time to the U.S. in the quarter-finals. And all but defender Lauren Sesselmann have appeared in at least one World Cup. The Canadian women are looking to erase the memory of a dreadful World Cup last summer, when Canada came into the tournament with high expectations and left with an 0-3 record, outscored 7-1. Coach Carolina Morace quit midway through her review session on the tournament with the Canadian Soccer Association. In the absence of a womens pro league, the Canadians have been preparing for the Games at a residency camp in Vancouver. Herdman says that has allowed them to develop as a team, although he believes the players progress more with club sides where they are fighting for starting positions with games each week. "They are certainly pros and cons, but weve done everything we can to make sure that the players are getting the best of both worlds," he said. Herdman says the camp has allowed his staff to improve the players fitness, which had been one of his concerns. "I think the players are where they need to be," he said. Sinclair, who has 134 career goals for Canada, says the mood is good. "Were in a completely difference space right now," Sinclair said when asked to compare how the team is prior to the London Games as opposed to last years world Cup. "Heading into the last World Cup, players were away from their homes for a long period of time being (at a residency camp) in Rome. Whereas players this time round have had that balance. Theyre excited to play, and focused and ready to go."; The team feels like its part of the country, as opposed to being removed from Canada last year, she said. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys "We train hard and then we live our lives," explained Sinclair, a native of Burnaby, B.C., who plans to take the fall off from soccer. "Thats what weve been doing in Vancouver and its been very nice."Still, she insisted that coming out of the World Cup, the players "werent as low as people thought we were." Herdman, who took over last September, says Canadas challenge is to take it to the next level. "If were going to move from good--which this team has been good, theyve been ranked from seven to 10 for a long time--but moving to greatness is going to need another shift. And it needs a total buy-in to those players knowing theyve got to accept responsibility for every action in every game that we play." Canada opens the Olympics on July 25 against World Cup champion Japan, ranked third in the world, before matches against No. 61 South Africa and No. 4 Sweden. Canada wraps up its pre-Olympic program on Saturday against the top-ranked U.S. in Sandy, Utah. The Canadian women are coming off a 1-0 win over No. 18 China in Moncton on May 30. Additions from the squad that finished runner-up to the U.S. at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver in January are defender Emily Zurrer, midfielder Matheson and forward Jonelle Foligno. Matheson (knee) and Foligno (ankle) were injured and unavailable for qualifying. Zurrer won her job back with her performance on the field. Herdman called Zurrer a "seasoned campaigner" who has raised her game during the selection period. "She worked hard on her game and shes showed some real promise in the last six months where shes been impossible not to select," Herdman said. The coach says the Olympics will mark the end of one cycle and signal the start of team preparations for the 2015 World Cup in Canada and 2016 Olympics in Brazil. "There will be some players that will retire after this Olympics, Im absolutely sure of that," he said. And some will find that the game has moved beyond them, he added. "With that, around 400, 500 caps could disappear," he added. "I think if thats the case, its a new beginning for Canada. Its a new start, its a four-year cycle building into the next Olympics where were going to have get new player through, young players invested in, and an exciting future." Forward Chelsea Buckland is not on the Olympic roster after injuring her knee. "Probably the hardest decision to make was (forward) Christina Julien," said Herdman. "Shes been a big part of the team, helped us through the qualifiers, played nearly every game in my tenure." He called it a "football decision," saying Foligno "showed that little bit more." "Ive got no doubt that Christina will come back fighting and this will be a great learning curve for her," he said of the Ottawa Fury forward. ' ' '