Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
Stanley Cups: 5
2008-'09 record: 53-19-10, 116 points (1st in Northeast, 1st in East)
2008-'09 playoffs: Defeated Montreal Canadiens 4-0; lost to Carolina Hurricanes 4-3
General manager: Peter Chiarelli (129-89-28, 4th NHL season, 1st team)
Coach: Claude Julien (215-134-21, 7th NHL season, 3rd team)
Captain: Zdeno Chara
Top returning scorer: C Marc Savard (25 goals, 63 assists, 88 points)
Top returning goalie: Tim Thomas (36-11-7, 2.10, .933)
Key additions: LW Steve Begin; C Trent Whitfield; D Derek Morris.
Key subtractions: C Stephane Yelle; D Aaron Ward; D Steve Montador; LW Peter Schaefer; D Shane Hnidy; LW P.J. Axelsson; RW Phil Kessel; G Manny Fernandez; C Martin St. Pierre.
Top line: LW Milan Lucic, C Marc Savard, RW Michael Ryder
Top defensive pairing: Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman
Goaltending: No longer the underappreciated journeyman, Thomas easily won the Vezina Trophy and First All-Star Team nod last season and is odds-on favorite to start for the U.S. at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Led NHL in save percentage and GAA and signed four-year, $20 million extension just prior to playoffs. Aggressive battler between the pipes has become a much better technician, refining his movements, but still tends to give up some juicy rebounds.
Player to watch: G Tuukka Rask. Opening is there for Bruins goalie-in-waiting to step up to the big club after finishing second in the AHL last season in victories, winning 33 times for Providence. Tall, quick butterfly goalie is the latest product of the Finnish goaltending factory looking to make his mark in NHL.
Icing: The awards were plentiful for the Bruins, who also had the top defenseman, Chara, and coach of the year in Julien. Despite jumping from the No. 8 seed in 2008 to No. 1 in 2009, the season ended in disappointing fashion with a Game 7 home loss to upstart Carolina in the second round. Chara helped the Bruins allow a league-low 2.29 goals per game last season. He was sixth in average ice time at just over 26 minutes per game and 12th among defensemen with 50 points — including 19 goals. Boston will need to find a way to replace the team-high 36 goals scored by Kessel, who was traded to Toronto after the Bruins failed to reach a contract agreement with the restricted free agent.
Outlook: A breakthrough regular season was followed by playoff heartbreak against Carolina, but the Bruins will benefit from a weak Northeast Division lineup to roll through the conference once more.
Prediction: 104 points, 1st in Northeast, 2nd seed in East.
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Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Check out highlights from the Rangers 3-2 win over the Capitals.
 | Video: NHL from NBC Sports |
 NHLI via Getty Images |
More on Stanley Cup finals |
Chicago Blackhawks def. Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 |
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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