ERST LESEN! » semifinals with a 1-0 defeat of Fran

The Tampa Bay Lightning are parting ways with their longest-serving player, as the club will buy out the rest of Vincent Lecavaliers 11-year, $85 million contract. "Vinny has been a significant reason for many of our past successes, including the 2004 Stanley Cup, and his contributions to the community are immeasurable," said general Steve Yzerman in a statement on Thursday. "The Lightning organization is indebted to Vinny; we thank him for all he has done here and we wish him well as he moves forward. "After much internal deliberation, we believe this will prove to be a pivotal move for us as we strive to achieve our long term goal of competing at the highest level, year-in, year-out. The economics and structure of the CBA are necessitating this decision and we at the Lightning are excited at the newly created opportunities this presents to us." A compliance buyout of the the deal - paying out a total of $32.67 million - rids the Lightning of a $7.727 million salary cap hit through the 2019-20 season. Lecaveliers agent Kent Hughes was a guest on The Montreal Forum on TSN 690 Radio and said he spoke to Lightning management about his clients situation. "We understood that his contract and its structure - its cap number - were problematic for the Lightning," said Hughes. "I spoke with Steve Yzerman when the season ended and said to him that I didnt want to go through the next few months pretending that we dont see or acknowledge that this may be an issue. We acknowledge it; we dont want you to ignore it. Just let us know and the more informed we are the better the process will be if thats the decision that you take." Lecavalier, 33, had 10 goals and 22 assists in 39 games last season. He spent his entire 15-year NHL career with the Lightning, scoring 383 goals and 874 points in 1,037 regular season games and helped lead the Lightning to their first-ever Stanley Cup victory in 2004.O. J. Howard Womens Jersey . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. Mike Edwards Womens Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. http://www.authenticbuccaneerspro.com/O-j-howard-buccaneers-jersey/ . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Anthony Nelson Womens Jersey . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. Mike Edwards Buccaneers Jersey . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats.Alex Morgan and Christen Press missed penalties in a shootout and the United States womens soccer team crashed out of the Olympics without a medal after losing to Sweden in the quarterfinals on Friday.Morgans 77th-minute goal had canceled out Stina Blackstenius opener for Sweden before the game went to penalties at 1-1, where Sweden won 4-3 and eliminated the three-time defending gold medalists.After the U.S. failed to medal for the first time since womens soccer became an Olympic sport in 1996, goalkeeper Hope Solo criticized Swedens defensive style of play.I thought that we played a courageous game, Solo said. I thought that we had many opportunities on goal. I think we showed a lot of heart. We came back from a goal down, Im very proud of this team.I also think we played a bunch of cowards. But, you know, the best team did not win today; I strongly, firmly believe that. I think you saw Americas heart. You saw us give everything that we had today. Unfortunately the better team didnt win.Told about Solos comments, Sweden coach Pia Sundhage said: Its OK to be a coward if you win.The U.S. threatened three minutes into the game when Morgans header was cleared off the line, and?Morgan Brians follow-up attempt was tipped over the bar by Sweden keeper?Hedvig Lindahl.Morgan started another U.S. charge in the 27th minute when she carried the ball wide of the goal then cut back for Carli Lloyd, whose first-time shot was saved.The Americans best chance in the first half came just before the break when Mallory Pugh played through Lloyd, but?Lindahl came off her line to make a good save.Lloyd came close again as the second half began, but her free kick sailed over the bar.Sweden, led by former U.S. Sundhage, took the lead in the 61st minute when?Lisa Dahlkvist split the U.S. center-backs with a long through ball from within her own half. Substitute Blackstenius ran onto the ball, took one touch and sent a low shot past Solo inside the far post.The U.S. pushed for an equalizer and came close 10 minutes later when substitute?Crystal Dunn squared the ball to a sliding Morgan, who could not keep a shot on target, and Lloyds follow-up went wide.With Sweden packing defenders into the box, Pughs shot went high, before Brians header drifted wide of the post.But the U.S. were back level in the 77th minute when Dunn flicked on a long pass with a header that caromed off the face of Swedens?Jessica Samuelsson and fell to Morgan, who slotted home with her first touch from 10 yards.Lloyd nearly found a winner moments later, but her shot from just inside the box was sent wide with the slightest of deflections from a defender.With the game still level at the end of 90 minutes, the game went to extra time, where in the 101st minute Morgan tried to round the keeper, but again?Lindahl was there to save a shot from a tight angle.Lloyd thought she had scored a winner in the closing stages, but her goal was ruled out for a foul before her header.And moments later the U.S. was lucky not be behind as Lotta Schelins goal for Sweden was controversially ruled offside after the U.S. defenders failed to clear a cross.The U.S. controlled the large majority of possession for the rest of the extra 30 minutes but could not find a winner, and the game went to penalties for the first time in Olympic history.Morgan opened the shootout but saw her penalty saved by a diving?Lindahl, and Sweden was ahead until Solo tipped?Linda Sembrants attempt over the bar in the third round.ddddddddddddBut Press fired her shot in the fifth and final round over the bar, and Dahlkvist fired past Solo as Sweden, ranked sixth in the world,?advanced to the semifinals for the first time in its history.Brazil 0 (7), Australia 0 (6)The Brazilian womens team maintained a perfect record at the 2016 Rio games, beating Australia 7-6 on penalties after the match finished 0-0 after 120 minutes to advance to the semifinals of the competition.With the shootout level at 4-4, Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams saved Martas penalty to open the door for her team, but Barbara saved the potential match-winner from?Katrina-Lee Gorry and the shootout continued until?Alanna Kennedys penalty was parried away to give Brazil the 7-6 win.Both teams were on the attack from the start, but it was the Brazilians that would have the first real chance of the match. Bia Zaneratto found herself on the end of a set-piece cross from Tamires, but her headed effort from outside the box just missed to the left.Minutes later, Debinha had a great chance on the counter-attack, but her right footed shot from outside the box was saved by Williams.Australia were pressing high and creating turnovers and chances against the Brazil defense. The best of the first half came in the 28th minute when Samantha Kerr headed a pass to Kennedy only to have her right-footed shot saved by Barbara.Just before half-time, Debinha picked up a lovely through ball in the penalty area, cut to her right and shot toward goal only to see her right-footed effort sail over the crossbar.Brazil opened the second half on the front foot and had an early chance in the 52nd minute. A long counter-attack started with a pass over the top of the Australian defense that landed on the foot of?Andressa Alves, but Williams broke up her cross to Deborah in front of the goalmouth.The back-and-forth match continued into extra time after the score was still tied 0-0 after 90 minutes plus injury time.Alves had the best chance in extra time with a free kick from just outside the penalty area, but her curling effort went over the Australia goal.Martas 118th minute chance on the counter from close range was blocked away by Williams and the game went to penalties after 120 minutes of scoreless play where the hosts prevailed.Brazil will play Sweden in the semifinal.Canada 1, France 0The United States North American neighbors Canada advanced to the semifinals with a 1-0 defeat of France in Sao Paulo.Sophie Schmidt got on the end of a Janine Beckie cross and powerfully placed the ball into the roof of the French net in the 56th minute for the games only goal.Canadas win sets up a rematch with Group F opponents Germany in the last four. Canada won the first match 2-1.Germany 1, China 0Melanie Behringer scored to help Germany reach the semifinals with a tight win over China.Chinas Wang Shanshan came on as a half-time substitute but was sent off for a second yellow card 12 minutes later, before Behringer hit a bouncing ball into the back of the net from 25 yards for the only goal in the 76th minute.China had a chance to level the score when Leonie Maier brought down Wang Shuang in the 83rd minute, but the striker hit the resulting penalty off the post. ' ' '