an opportunity, Babcock said after Wednesday nights defea

It turns out Rio de Janeiro wont be a terminal destination for Roger Federer. The upcoming Olympics were where?the 34-year-old all-time mens Grand Slam singles champ was destined to go out in a blaze of glory -- or a tailspin.But Rio has become just another station that Federer bypasses without pause as he continues his unique journey in tennis, the terminus still unknown. That much was clear in the undertone of the announcement Federer posted the other day, declaring that he was skipping the Olympic Games and pulling the plug on the rest of the 2016 year.Instead, he will focus on extensive rehabilitation of his surgically repaired left knee.The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury-free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover, Federer wrote on his Facebook page.Note his reference to another few years, and the added emphasis immediately thereafter.Federer may not be ready to revise his timeline and declare that he wants to play through until the Tokyo Olympic Games of 2020. But whos to say he couldnt do it?His decision to take the rest of the year off instead of mounting a retirement tour speaks volumes. It implies a long-term commitment. He wants to strengthen that left knee over a long, five-month period, presumably because he feels it still has a lot more work to do.Back in 2012, when Federer first declared that he intended to play on the ATP Tour at least until the Rio Games, some scoffed at his plans. Sure, he was a 17-time Grand Slam singles champion -- the most prolific in the games history. But he was 30 years old, pressed on all sides by younger men, including Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.But Federer held his own, and then some. True, Federer hasnt won a Grand Slam tournament since his triumph at Wimbledon four years ago. That conquest was followed on the same Centre Court a few weeks later by a painful loss in the gold medal Olympic Games match to Murray. The failure helped crystallize Federers determination to play on, hoping for another crack at the golden prize in Rio.If the singles gold medal remains the only hole in Federers résumé, it has also been a source of motivational fuel. After their Olympic gold medal clash, Federer won six of eight from Murray. In 2015, a healthy Federer was a respectable 3-5 against the rampaging Djokovic. Federer was building steam toward that date in Rio.Then in late January of this year, Federer heard a click and felt a stab of pain in his left knee while drawing a bath for his children. It led to surgery, a hurried rehabilitation, missed time. If only he had taught his twins to shower, Federer might have gone into Rio seeded even higher than his current No. 3 ranking would mandate.Now, the fruit of his sustained excellence over four years is sharp disappointment. But its far from the end of anything.Federer took a spill at this years Wimbledon late in a semifinal loss to Milos Raonic. It was an uncharacteristically ungainly fall. To some, it appeared symbolic. But perhaps it wasnt father time tripping Federer and reminding him of his mortality. Maybe it was Federers knee sending a warning, telling Federer he had been a bit hasty in returning.Its pretty incredible to see the progress Ive been able to make in a short period of time, Federer told the ATP in late March, about seven weeks after his surgery. In his latest statement, a more sober Federer philosophically wrote, The silver lining is that this experience has made me realize how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries.The one thing weve learned over the years is that theres no telling about longevity, about who will or wont have it. Despite this setback, Federer appears to be built for the long haul. Hes as much in love with the game as it is in love with him. It looks as if hes just been denied a final shot at glory. Hes found a greater project than two weeks in Rio.I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017, Federer wrote.Curious that Federer chooses to insert the adjective attacking. Its as if hes telling us: Dont expect to see some 35-year-old has-been hobbling around out there next year, punching up moon balls, either.Get the signs and posters ready: Tokyo, 2020. Fake Vapormax 95 . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Cheap Vapormax 3 . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-vapormax-2-clearance.html . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. Cheap Vapormax .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Wholesale Vapormax 2 . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. Auston Matthews delivered an NHL debut for the ages on Wednesday, scoring four goals on a night that wont soon be forgotten in the rich history of the Toronto Maple Leafs.The 19-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, chosen first overall in Junes NHL draft, scored on his first three shots against the Senators, with the hat trick prompting visiting Leafs fans at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa to throw hats onto the ice.Three was not enough, however.Matthews took a pass from linemate William Nylander on a 2-on-1 break and scored a fourth goal (on just his sixth shot) with three seconds left in the second period, becoming the first player in modern NHL history to score that many in his debut.The Senators went on to win the NHL season opener 5-4 in overtime.Matthews called the night pretty unbelievable.You dont really draw it up like that, he told Sportsnet after the game.It was a record-breaking evening all around for Matthews.The hat trick was the quickest for a player making his NHL debut (since 1943-44). And he became the fifth player overall to notch a hat trick?in his first game, joining Derek Stepan of the New York Rangers (2010), Fabian Brunnstrom of the Dallas Stars (2008), Real Cloutier of the Quebec Nordiques (1979) and Alex Smart of the Montreal Canadiens (1943).Matthews scored on his first shot at 8:21 into the first period, snapping in a pass from Zach Hyman during a scrum around the net.His second goal came with 5:42 left in the first, after he dangled through a pair of Senators near the blue line. After briefly losing possession, he stole the puck from two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson along the boards, then beat goalie Craig Anderson with an odd-angle forehand.Matthews put Toronto ahead 3-2 with a one-timer from inside the right circle on a feed from Morgan Rielly?at 1:25 into the second period.He then netted historic No. 4 with three seconds left in the second period, breaking a 3-3 tie.Despite the historic first game, Matthews took responsibility for the loss after failing to pick up Turris coming into the Toronto zone. Turris took in a pass from Mark Stone with Matthews chasing, set himself and fired a shot by Frederik Andersen.That last play was 100 percent my fault, he said. We came here to win and we didnt get that done.According to Elias Sports Bureau research, Matthews is the third-youngest player with four goals in a game, surpassed only by 18-year-olds Jack Hamilton (1943-44) and Bob Carpenter (1981-82).And at his current pace, Matthews will break Wayne Gretzkys NHL record of 894 goals in late February 2019, during his third NHL season and his 224th NHL game. (Gretzky had 186 goals in his first 224 NHL games.)After Wednesday nights game, however, Matthews downplayed any notion of ratcheted-up expectations.?You dont get too many of those games, said Matthews, the 12th first overall pick to scoore in his NHL debut.dddddddddddd Its just one game. Take it, move forward and focus on the next one. It just happened to be a great night individually, and especially for our line.His parents, Brian and Ema Matthews, were at the game Wednesday night, and the look on their faces after each goal translated pure emotion.It meant a lot, Matthews said of having his parents there. Pretty special moment, not just for myself but for them, as well. They have been a pretty huge part of getting me to this point, so it was only right for them to be here for the first one.?Matthews Mania no doubt already is sweeping the NHL, but dont be in a rush to buy any of his jerseys just yet.The NHLs official store does not have any Matthews jerseys ready to go, so if fans want to purchase one, they have to customize it.The Leafs, who finished 30th overall in the standings in 2015-16, were accused by many of tanking last season in their attempt to secure the best possible odds in the NHL draft lottery to get Matthews. They lost out the previous year in the lottery, with the Edmonton Oilers taking Connor McDavid first overall.This time, the Leafs won the lottery, and there wasnt any hesitation in making Matthews the first overall pick. He is at the heart of a massive rebuild. The Leafs Stanley Cup drought dates back to 1967, and the current regime led by president Brendan Shanahan, general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Mike Babcock is intent on making this youth movement work.I thought just for me, from my perspective, since Ive been the Leafs coach, thats the best night Ive had since Ive been here by 10 miles, not even close, because now we have an opportunity, Babcock said after Wednesday nights defeat.When you look at [Mitch] Marner -- I know Matthews scored all the goals -- I thought Marner in the first half of the game might have been the best player. I thought Nylander was great. I thought Hyman was great. I thought [Connor] Brown was great. I thought [Sam] Carrick was great. I thought [Nikita] Zaitsev was great. Pretty good night for us. Did we want the other point? Absolutely. The way we controlled the puck and controlled the game, youve got to win, and we didnt.Matthews arrives with a ton of hype in hockeys biggest market, but he has already shown maturity beyond his years.Hes a man, Babcock said. Hes 19 years old but he acts like hes 27. He has great maturity. If you meet his mom and dad, youre thoroughly impressed with the kind of people they are and the respect he has for his mom and sisters, the kind of guy he is.Dont get me wrong, we wouldve drafted him anyway, but that makes him more special.Information from The Associated Press, ESPN Stats & Information and ESPNs Darren Rovell was used in this report. ' ' '