KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals ace James Shields is open to staying in Kansas City beyond this season. That news should make the thousands of fans, already flying high over the teams strong finish a year ago, feel even better as they turned out for their annual FanFest on Friday. The Royals exercised their $13.5 million option on Shieldss contract shortly after going 86-76 last season, their best finish since 1989. The durable right-hander was a big reason behind the success, going 13-9 with a 3.15 ERA in an American League-leading 228.2 innings. Shields told a small group of reporters at Bartle Hall that he was willing to discuss an extension, but he said those talks with general manager Dayton Moore have not taken place. "Id definitely be open-minded to it," Shields said. "A player in my position, where I have one more year left before free agency, I mean, Im definitely open to it. I like Kansas City. I like the organization and I like the direction were going." If Shields went to the open market, its unlikely that the Royals would be a player in the chase. There were reports this off-season that he would seek a contract similar to that of former Royals star Zack Greinke, who signed a $147 million, six-year deal with the Dodgers last season. "Thats absolutely not true at all," Shields said. "I have no clue where he got that from, to be honest with you. Ive had no discussions with Dayton at all. "If Dayton wants to talk about it, Im more than willing to sit and talk about it. But during the season, my main focus is trying to win games and get some wins for this team." Pitchers and catchers are due to report to Surprise, Ariz., for the start of spring training on Feb. 14. The first full-squad workout is Feb. 20. Most of the Royals key pieces return from last season, when they contended into September for the first time in a decade. Their two biggest holes were filled by trading reliever Will Smith to Milwaukee for right field Norichika Aoki and signing Omar Infante to solidify second base. "I didnt think our defence could get any better," Shields said, "but theyre definitely filling some holes that we had. And theyre great additions to our lineup." Then theres the starting rotation, where Ervin Santana has become a free agent. While the right-hander has yet to sign elsewhere, the Royals appeared to move on when they signed left-hander Jason Vargas to a contract early in the off-season. Along with Jeremy Guthrie, the first three spots in the rotation are set. That leaves two up for grabs among a handful of candidates, including starters-turned-relievers Wade Davis and Luke Hochevar, veteran Bruce Chen, left-hander Danny Duffy and flame-thrower Yordano Ventura. "Ive just been working hard, resting my arm," said Ventura, who had a 3.52 ERA in three late-season starts in Kansas City. "Ive just been getting ready because I want to get out there and make the team." That doesnt figure to be an easy task given the glut of competition. "Its a competitive game anyway," Davis said. "Why not do it from within a little bit?" Davis said that he spent the off-season in the weight room, and pronounced himself more ready for this season than any previous year. He also said that hes already been throwing some bullpen sessions, giving him a head start on reporting for spring training. "Im definitely going in to start," said Davis, who began last season in the rotation but was demoted to the bullpen when he proved ineffective. "Hopefully I get that opportunity." Vapormax Mens White Sale Uk . Spains victory rendered Frances 3-0 win against Finland meaningless as Spain needed just one point to secure passage to Brazil. Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema scored either side of Joona Toivios own-goal as France advanced to the playoff among the eight best second-place finishers. Wholesale Vapormax Womens .Y. - OK, it is done. http://www.vapormaxwholesaleuk.com/wholesale-nike-joyride-run.html . 15-23, the Ottawa Senators will by hoping to avoid going five straight games without a victory for the first time since a 0-3-2 drought from Oct. Discount Vapormax . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Nike Vapormax Womens Uk .What they got was a bevy of players chipping in to pick up the slack.Josh Smith scored 18 points and James Harden added 17 as the Rockets used a balanced scoring effort to outlast the Mavericks for a 99-94 victory.TORONTO – It took less than a week for life to sour for the Maple Leafs. Six days after rallying for perhaps their finest win of the season in the sunshine of L.A. – and second in the challenging California triangle – did they drop their third straight game Wednesday, sullied by the hat trick of Steven Stamkos in what proved a dour night at the ACC. "Obviously we havent played as well as we need to," said head coach Randy Carlyle following the 5-3 defeat. "And were not sitting here saying that were playing the type of hockey that is required to have success. Is it a trend? Well we lost three games in a row. If we show the desperation that we displayed in the last half of the game for 60 minutes we surely could improve our chances, thats for sure." With the loss – their fourth in the past five games – Toronto fell three points back of Tampa for second spot in the Atlantic with another key division match looming on Saturday with Montreal in town. Once in fine shape to make it back to the playoffs for a second straight spring, the Leafs are skidding at the wrong time and hurting those chances. They still hold the first wild card position (80 points), but have ceded ground to the Blue Jackets (76 points), Capitals (76), and Red Wings (75) – all have games in hand – also failing to keep pace with the Lightning (83) and Canadiens (83). Still struggling to defend, the Leafs have not had the brilliance of Jonathan Bernier to lean on during this recent three-game slide, nor have they been able to outscore opponents on the strength of their top line, a source of success in many victories this season. With 11 games still remaining they certainly have time to veer back in the right direction. "No sense in panicking," concluded James Reimer following the latest loss. Yielding the first goal for the fifth consecutive game on this night, the Leafs started sluggishly in their first game back from a lengthy five-game road trip, running around in the defensive zone. By the end of 20 minutes they were down 3-2 on a pair from Stamkos, also reeling from the scary loss of Paul Ranger (more on that in Five Points). "Weve had a trend over the last three games where we seem like were starting a little sluggish," said Mason Raymond afterward. "Were not getting the exact start that were wanting. I think later in the game we showed that desperation, but we need that for 60 minutes." Peppering 22 shots at Ben Bishop in the final frame – even pulling to within one on another goal from Jake Gardiner – Toronto made a late push, but like recent comeback efforts in Washington and Detroit, they ultimately fell short. Unhappy with a schedule that saw his team return from 10 days on the road only to host Tampa on the second end of a back-to-back – they lost to the Red Wings on Tuesday – Carlyle felt fatigue was an issue. "Its not an excuse," he said. "But its a trying situation. Its not easy. And you could definitely tell that they had more jump than we did, specifically at the beginning. But we started to play a lot more desperate and we showed that we have more in the tank. Its just that we had to run on some emotion. We didnt have that emotion in the first half of the game and we developed it in the second half of the game and thats the positive part." Five Points 1. Reimers Response Reimer returned to the net less than 24 hours after his performance in Detroit was criticized by Carlyle. His night started just as poorly as the night previous had ended, with Radko Gudas sailing a point shot through a maze of traffic and beyond the surprised 26-year-old. "I just didnt see the puck," said Reimer afterward. "Its a crappy way to start the game." Rarely looking comfortable, though not helped at times by his support staff, Reimer yielded five at the end of the evening on just 30 shots. He owns a .901 save percentage in his last five appearances, all coming consecutively in the past week. "Just like the rest of our team," said Carlyle, noticeably bothered by the swell of attention his comments the previous evening received. "I get in trouble when I comment about goalies with [the media]." "First thing I just wanted to come out and play well and be a difference-maker and unfortunately it wasnt the case," said Reimer. "I felt I made some good saves, but definitely wasnt the performance I was looking for. I wanted to come out and be big, keep your team in it. It just didnt happen tonight." Bothered by a groin injury, Bernier took to the ice Wednesday morning for the first time since he exited a long-awaited return to the Staples Center last week. He was expected to skate again in full equipment again on Friday with his status for a weekend back-to-back still in doubt. 2. Scary Incident Only 4.1 seconds remained in the first when Ranger was hammered from behind by Lightning forward Alex Killorn. Reversing to his left at the very last second, the 29-year-old was caught by the ellbow of Killorn as he was slammed into the glass.dddddddddddd "He was in a tough spot," said Tim Gleason, who rushed in to confront Killorn afterward. "He was facing the glass I think most of the way in. I think a little extra bump and thats all it takes. It almost looks harmless but its not." A hush encompassing the entire arena, Ranger remained down on the ice for quite a while, surrounded by concerned teammates and the teams medical staff. He was eventually helped off the ice on a stretcher, the intermission beginning with time still left on the clock and the Leafs left to wonder about the health of their fallen teammate. "Thats scary," said Joffrey Lupul of the incident, Killorn receiving a five-minute major and game misconduct. "Thats one of your teammates, your friends, a guy you see everyday. It didnt look great when he was leaving the ice. Youre trying to clear your head and focus on the next period, but you cant lie, obviously part of you is wondering whats going on with him." Ranger was taken to a local hospital and, according to the team, was "stable, conscious and alert". 3. Stamkos Dominates With the hat trick Wednesday, Stamkos now has 13 goals and 25 points in 20 career games against his hometown team. Seven games back into his comeback from a broken tibia, he scored his first of the night on a power-play – David Clarkson in the box – lost back-door by Gleason and the Toronto penalty kill. He added a second marker less than three minutes later, just a step ahead of Dion Phaneuf for position in front of Reimer. The Lightning captain completed the trifecta early in the middle frame. Capitalizing on a failed clearing attempt by Lupul, Stamkos beat his counterpart to an Eric Brewer rebound, banging it past Reimer for the fourth Tampa goal. "We had five guys around the puck," said Carlyle of the marker, which made it 4-2 for the Lightning. "We had five people in position, but we were coasting and we were watching." "Were just getting exposed," added Lupul. "The area in which Stamkos scored his goals, you dont want to give anybody, specifically anybody of that skill-set, that kind of space in that area," Carlyle concluded. 4. Reimer II His future almost certainly resting outside of Toronto, Reimer made no secret of his troubles and tribulations this season, relegated to backup duty. "Its been a really big test of character," he said. "Learnt a lot about perseverance, endurance, and fighting through adversity. Really hasnt gone the way Id hoped. I havent played, I dont think, up to my capability for the last little while. Its tough. Its not for lack of effort, not for lack of passion or desire. But things just arent clicking. Im working hard, trying to stay positive, believing in myself and I fully believe that things will turn around." 5. Depth Scoring Offensive depth for the Leafs has gone almost completely quiet. Lupul and one-time linemate Nazem Kadri – they were split against the Lightning – have just two apiece in the past 14 games. David Clarkson has totaled just four all season and one in the past 23 games. Nik Kulemin scored Wednesday for just the second time in the past 18. Peter Holland has gone 20 straight without a single marker, potting just one point in that span. And Jay McClement, a source of eight goals in 48 games a year ago, has just three in 70 games. All of which has upped the pressure on the teams top line to produce, their failure to do so often meaning defeat. Phil Kessel snapped a four-game goal drought with his 35th of the year against the Lightning and though dangerous, his line was held off the scoresheet otherwise. Toronto forwards have just seven goals in the past six games, carried by the defence which has eight, including four from Gardiner. Stats-Pack 5 – Consecutive games in which Toronto has allowed the first goal. 2-1-0 – Leafs record against the Lightning this season. 7 – Goals from the Toronto forward group in the past six games. 14 – Number of times the Leafs have outshot their opposition this season, including a 39-30 advantage on Wednesday. 22:39 – Ice-time for James van Riemsdyk against the Lightning, leading the team. 7 – Consecutive games with a goal for the Leafs defence. 5 – Goals from Jake Gardiner in the past seven games. 20 – Consecutive games without a goal Peter Holland. 2 – Goals for Nik Kulemin in the past 18 games. Kulemin scored his ninth of the year against Tampa. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3Season: 20.4 per cent (7th) PK: 3-5Season: 78.3 per cent (28th) Quote of the Night "Just like the rest of our team. I get in trouble when I comment about goalies with [the media]. I could say yes and no from here on in, but I dont think that would be fair would it?" -Randy Carlyle, asked about the performance of James Reimer on Wednesday night. Up Next The Leafs host the Canadiens Saturday in another key division clash. ' ' 'earance was on Aug. 15 when he started and lost at Washington. UP NEXT Cubs LHP Felix Doubront (3-5, 5.43) is to make his third start Saturday night since being acquired July 30 from Boston in a trade, facing Pirates LHP Jeff Locke (7-4, 3.60). Doubront went 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his first two starts. Locke is 5-1 with a 3.29 ERA in his last seven starts. FATHERHOOD AWAITS Cubs rookie RF Jorge Soler is expected to miss the three-game series after travelling to Miami for the birth of his first child. He has hit .356 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in his first 12 big league games. Vapormax Plus Saldi . The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament. Vapormax Bianche Ingrosso . The star receiver certainly isnt celebrating it with the Texans mired in a franchise-record 13-game skid. http://www.vapormaxscontateoutlet.it/ .C. -- Theyll remember the OT from the first Syracuse-Duke game -- and the Ts that decided Round 2. Nike Vapormax In Offerta . Rob Klinkhammer and Mikkel Boedker scored 63 seconds apart in the first period for the Coyotes, who handed the Kings their third straight loss and took over sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference. Mike Smith made 36 saves. Vapormax Bianche Saldi .C., has been named Canadas top female official, winning the 2014 SOC Award of Excellence. Cranes career as a figure skating judge has spanned over 40 years.(SportsNetwork.com) - The NHL-leading St. Louis Blues will try to bounce back from their first loss of the month when they host the Edmonton Oilers in Thursdays encounter at Scottrade Center. Watch the Blues vs. Oilers live on TSN starting at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Edmonton, the last-place team in the Western Conference, has done well in its spoiler role lately, winning three of its last four games and posting an 8-3-2 mark over the past 13 outings. The Oilers opened a four-game road trip on Tuesday with a comeback victory over the Minnesota Wild. Edmonton fell behind 3-0 in the first period, but rallied for a 4-3 shootout win at Xcel Energy Center. Edmontons Jeff Petry cut the deficit to 3-1 before the end of the first period. David Perron and Jordan Eberle then tallied over a four-minute span in the third to even things at 3-3. Taylor Hall delivered the winner in the shootout, scoring in the fourth round to complete the rally for Edmonton. After Jason Pominville was stopped by Viktor Fasth, Hall skated in and shot the puck between the pads of Darcy Kuemper for the winner. Fasth stopped 28 shots in the win. &quoot;Im proud of them.dddddddddddd It would have been easy to pack it in but the guys kept scraping and clawing," said Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins. "They were playing an excellent defensive game but we stuck to it." Despite Tuesdays win, the Oilers are just 11-19-5 as the road team this season. The Blues had won five straight to begin March before dropping Tuesdays home overtime decision against Dallas. St. Louis hopes to get back on track tonight against an Edmonton team it has dominated in recent years. With 95 points, the Blues are two points ahead of Anaheim for the top spot in the NHL standings and also hold a four-point edge over Colorado for first place in the Central Division. The Blues are 2-0 against Edmonton in 2013-14 and they can complete a sweep of the season series on Thursday. St. Louis has won seven of eight and 13 of the last 16 meetings in this matchup, but the Oilers did halt a six-game road skid in the series when it posted a 3-0 win at Scottrade Center on March 26 of last season. The Blues had a three-game home winning streak snapped, but are still 23-5-4 in the Gateway City this season. ' ' '