Off Topic » ahead of the second Test

SOCHI, Russia – Since that highly-anticipated day in early January when he was officially named to the Canadian Olympic team, the nerves have not stopped pumping for John Tavares. "I think Ive had em for about a month," he said. "As much as the travels been tough, I think [youre] losing a lot of sleep just because youre so anxious and so excited." Four years ago in Vancouver, it was a then-21-year-old Jonathan Toews who emerged from the lower ranks of a powerhouse roster to steer Canada to gold. Nerves aside, could the 23-year-old Tavares prove a similar dark-horse in the Canadians bid for back-to-back golds in Sochi? Save for the incomparable Sidney Crosby, no Canadian player enters the tournament with more impressive recent credentials than the captain of the New York Islanders. Tucked just behind Crosby and eventual winner Alex Ovechkin in the 2013 Hart Trophy race, Tavares has only continued his rise up the NHL ranks this season. He is now third in league scoring after a 20-point month of January which matched Phil Kessel for the league lead. In fact, only Kessel has more points (28) in 2014 than the Toronto native (22), who is on pace for a career-high 33 goals and 91 points. "I think my mindset is just to go out there and play the best I can and contribute where Im asked in the role Im asked to play in," said Tavares, who, like Toews in Vancouver, is among the younger Canadian Olympians in Sochi. "If that leads to more opportunity, responsibility thats great, but at the end of the day, its about winning one game [Thursday] and building off that and going onto the next one and hopefully, obviously to win a gold medal." Toews was Canadas 13th forward at the outset of the Games in 2010 and though Tavares enters the tournament on a first-unit power-play – alongside Crosby and Chris Kunitz – he is stationed to start Thursdays opener against Norway on a prospective bottom forward unit with fellow Olympic rookie Jamie Benn and vet Patrice Bergeron. With dangerous offensive weaponry, experience on the big ice and versatility, Tavares looks to be a prime option to rise in the lineup if chemistry elsewhere fails to materialize. The Canadian coaching staff, led by Mike Babcock, has promised that patience in that respect will be short. "Its a competitive environment," Babcock said, "and we expect our guys to compete for their ice-time." Though he has yet to appear at the Olympics, Tavares does hold excellent credentials in past appearances on the international stage. He has amassed 16 goals in 22 world championship games, adding 15 points alone in the 2009 world juniors. During the most recent NHL lockout, he produced 17 goals and 42 points in 28 games with Bern of the Swiss league. A natural centre, it was during that stint overseas that he played mostly left wing, offering Babcock versatility with a glut of centres on the roster. He even advised Tavares of that possibility during the summer orientation camp in Calgary. "Those are all things that I can draw on, experience-wise," Tavares said of his international forays. "I think the more youve played on [the big ice], the more youve been in it, the better understanding you have." For Tavares to snatch more opportunity, hell have to make the most of limited ice. Canadian executive director Steve Yzerman said earlier this week that the greatest challenge facing his group of Olympians was not the larger Olympic ice dimensions but the difficulty of making the most of a shrunken role. "He really has to park his ego at the door," said assistant coach Ken Hitchcock, speaking generally about the roster at large. "You have to understand that when its your time and its your time to go, go! Dont sit there and wonder what the coach is thinking, dont sit there and think am I going to get on the ice?, whats my family thinking?, when its your turn to go, go. "Whatever youve got, give us quality and forget about the quantity. Youve got to park the quality right up front and youve got to forget about the quantity because its not going to be the same. No player is going to play the minutes that he plays in the NHL. It isnt even going to be close. Youve got to park it." Toews averaged fewer than 15 minutes in Vancouver and yet finished as the tournaments top forward and Canadas leading scorer. He also helped shut down Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin in a dominant quarterfinal win over Russia. "Theres no time to look around and be wide-eyed," Toews advised of his mindset in 2010. "Youve got to go out there and play and just let it happen. Thats what the Olympics is all about. Theres not much time to adjust." A potent weapon, both as a sniper and playmaker – he is nearing a career-high in assists – Tavares can also be of aid to the Canada power play. The first overall pick from the 2009 draft is tied for fourth in power play points this season, trailing only Crosby, Ovechkin and the league-leader, Nicklas Backstrom. "You understand the responsibility of coming here and having to accept your role," Tavares said. "So youll be ready whenever your names called to go over [the boards] and execute." Air Max 720 Scontate Uomo . He has spent much of his adult life trying to give back to his native South Sudan, the war-torn African nation the Cavaliers forward and his family fled when he was a young boy. Air Max 95 Uomo Saldi . - Vince Wilfork has played only two career games in Kansas City. https://www.scontatescarpeoutlet.it/. Klein went undrafted in the NFL last year following his senior season with the Wildcats. He was invited to the Houston Texans rookie camp, but was not offered a contract. Air Max 720 Scontate . Specifically, thumbs up to the Canadian-based teams in the NHL, or at least most of them. Scarpe Scontatissime Online . -- Creighton apparently has Villanovas number.England almost snatched a win on a flat pitch in the first Test in Abu Dhabi, with captain Alastair Cook and Adil Rashid leading from the front. Cook scored a record-breaking 263, while Rashid took 5-64 in the second innings on debut. We ask former England all-rounder Dominic Cork for his thoughts on both, plus what England can expect in the second Test in Dubai...Can captain Cooks form continue? Watch England captain Alastair Cook reach his double century against Pakistan in the first Test in Abu Dhabi I think so. He looks in good form at the moment. He is a lot more stable at the crease and gets into good positions. He is mentally in a better place as well and like any sportsman, if you’re mentally in a better place, he just looks more at ease.As a captain, he has been under pressure for a while – stripped of the one-day captaincy - with a lot of criticism about his style of captaincy too. But he lead from the front, and when you watch good captains from around the world, this is what they do.It was a record-breaking innings in length. The way he composed himself under massive pressure after Pakistan posted a huge first innings total, showed the attitude is ‘it doesn’t matter what the opposition do – we can 100 per cent win in the UAE’. They have a good chance now.How did you rate Rashids debut? Adil Rashid salutes after taking five wickets on debut for England against Pakistan in Abu Dhavi It obviously doesnt sound great when your figure are 0-163 in your first bowl in Test cricket, but to finish with 5-64 in the second innings, almost bowling England to victory, is some turnaround. Great signs that we have a leg-spinner now who can take wickets and possibly win games for England.In the first innings he was getting himself too close into the sumps with his release, closing himself off. Where as in the second innings he went slightly wider, put more revolutions on the ball which enabled him to get more dip, and made it difficult for the Pakistan batsmen. He can also bowl the googly out of the back of his hand, and that is something I dont think they picked very well in the second innings. Who else stood out from first Test? James Anderson of England celebrates bowling Shan Masood of Pakistan during the firstTest in Abu Dhabi A lot of people said that Jimmy Anderson wouldnt be successful. And people who say that really annoy me, because this guy is the leading wicket-taker for England. They think he needs swing, and he hasnt got the pace anymore. But he has so much skill.It doesntt matter what wicket he plays on, he can swing the ball away, and constantly challenges the batsmen because of the areas he bowls.dddddddddddd Abu Dhabi, one of the flattest wickets you could play Test cricket on, and he still came out with respectable figures, 4-72.Should England fear Shah return? Yasir Shah has England in his sights ahead of Pakistans Test with Alastair Cooks side in Dubai Yes, because he is a match-winner. A bit like Rashid, he has the ability to turn the ball both ways, and he has 61 wickets in 10 Tests. Plus his record in Dubai in particular is excellent, with 14 scalps in two Tests.He has already come out and said that England players dont like facing spin, particularly leg-spin. But I think he should just stick to his own game, and do what he does best. On his day he can put England under pressure and will be a massive threat.What to expect in Dubai? David Lloyd interrupts his round of golf to give his thoughts ahead of the second Test between Pakistan and England Expect very similar. Im hoping there will be a bit more life in the pitch, a bit more bounce and carry for both seamers and spinners. Pakistans coach Waqar Younis said we didnt order that pitch in Abu Dhabi, it was what was given to them.But whatever the surface in Dubai, both sides will win the toss and choose to bat first. Hopefully England can do that and put a big score together because as we saw in Pakistans second innings, a little bit of panic started to set in with the senior players - Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik - playing poor shots. Englands tour of the UAE to play Pakistan is live on Sky Sports, continuing with the second Test in Dubai, from 6.30am on Thursday 22nd October. You can also watch without a contract on NOW TV. Also See: Five Things: Abu Dhabi Zone masterclasses England fixtures/results Sky Cricket Podcast ' ' '