SOCHI – Slow and messy starts seem to be par for the course for the Canadian mens Olympic hockey team. Even though, the 2014 edition enjoyed three days of practice and four skates, in total, before the opener, Sidney Crosby and Co. were not sharp in their 3-1 win against Norway at the Bolshoy Ice Palace on Thursday. There was little authority from Canada. There were some nerves. But slow starts have been the case in the past three Winter Games, when Canada usually had only a day or two of on-ice sessions before the game-action began. Norway deserves credit for its determined game and defensive zone coverage. But even though the Canadians outshot their opponents 38-20, their power play (0-for-2) was abysmal and their scoring touch around Norwegian goalie Lars Haugen was missing in action. Canadian head coach Mike Babcock revealed afterwards that his club mustered only 24 scoring chances. Canada pulled out the victory because the fourth line of Jamie Benn, John Tavares and Patrice Bergeron came to play, despite limited ice time, and the defence played an active and effective game offensively. At best-on-best tournaments like the Olympics, Canadian players remark time and time again that they want to get better as the tournament goes on. Sometimes they overcome slow starts, like in 2002 and 2010. Sometimes they dont, like in 2006. But a common theme has been a slow start in the preliminary rounds. 2002 L 5-2 SwedenW 3-2 GermanyT 3-3 Czech Republic 2006 W 7-2 ItalyW 5-1 GermanyL 2-0 Switzerland 2010 W 8-0 NorwayW 3-2 Switzerland (shootout)L 5-3 United States Canadian Olympic teams struggle to come together quickly. It doesnt matter if its the bigger international-sized ice surface or the smaller NHL rink. One of the reasons is because they are asked to take on different roles and reduced ice time. Not every one can make the adjustment seamlessly. Air Jordan 1 Cheap . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland. Air Jordan 1 Sale .J. -- While Martin Brodeur wasnt willing to say he stole one for the New Jersey Devils against the Columbus Blue Jackets, almost everyone else was. http://www.airjordan1wholesale.com/. When a game is in the balance, however, they still have the personnel and the experience to end up with the two points. Air Jordan 1 Wholesale Free Shipping .com) - James Harden put the Houston Rockets on his back and willed them to an overtime victory on Thursday. Air Jordan 1 Wholesale China . Then youve got to worry about the other up and coming teams in the two weaker divisions in the "Junior Circuit".PITTSBURGH -- James Neals power-play goal 1:27 into overtime lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a wild 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Neals slapshot over Anders Lindbacks right shoulder capped a frantic final 15 minutes of play as the teams traded the lead three times. Evgeni Malkin had two goals and two assists while Sidney Crosby added a goal and two assists for the Penguins, who have won nine straight over the Lightning. Jeff Zatkoff stopped 21 shots and Pittsburgh ended Tampa Bays five-game winning streak. Steven Stamkos, Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat scored for the Lightning, who have recorded at least one point in eight straight games. Lindback made 25 saves but had no chance on Neals 23rd goal of the season. The teams spent two periods playing the kind of conservative hockey more suited for the Stanley Cup playoffs than the wide-open attacking style more fitting for two of the most offensively talented teams in the league. No matter, they made up for it in the third. Stamkos broke a 1-1 tie 8:17 into the final period when he poked a rebound underneath Zatkoffs legs to put the Lightning in front. The lead lasted less than three minutes, as Malkin pounced on a rebound off a Matt Niskanen slapshot into an open net for his third goal in two games. Malkins 23th of the season came with 3:17 left in regulation when he powered a shot by Lindback that seemed to deflate the Lightning. It did, but only momentarily. Palat stunned the 319th consecutive sellout crowd at Consol Energy Center when he cleanly beat Zatkoff to tie the game at 3 with just 1:22 left in regulatiion.dddddddddddd Tampa Bay gave the leagues top-ranked power play a chance to end it when the Lightning were called for too many men on the ice 1:11 into overtime. The Penguins needed just 16 seconds to win it as Malkin set up Neal in the forwards favourite spot at the top of the left circle. The puck was a blur as it sailed into the net as Pittsburgh bounced back from a 5-4 overtime loss to Detroit on Thursday when the Red Wings scored on a bounce off a Penguins defenceman with less than a second to go in overtime. The Lightning have been the hottest team in hockey not named the Boston Bruins since Stamkos return from a leg injury last month. Fueled by their star -- and his elevation to captain after Martin St. Louis was traded to the New York Rangers -- Tampa Bay has sprinted to third in the Eastern Conference standings. They certainly looked like one of the conferences elite while trying to end a lengthy bout of futility against Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay clogged the neutral zone and seemed to have the upper hand at times when the teams were playing at full strength. Seven penalties, however, did them in. The Penguins went 3 for 6 on the power play. NOTES: Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said theres a "possibility" goaltender Tomas Vokoun could play before the beginning of the post-season, though it seems unlikely. Vokoun has been out since training camp while recovering from a blood clots. ... Zatkoff picked up the first point of his NHL career with the secondary assist on Crosbys goal. ... The Lightning host the New York Islanders on Monday while the Penguins welcome the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. ' ' '