Czech Republic versus Team USA, 8 p. DeMar DeRozan Jersey .m. ET (ESPN2)You might as well call this one the First Flight Home Cup. Because at the end of the night, regardless of who wins, who scores, which goalies make the best saves, which team has the best puck luck, both these teams are done. The Czechs have lived down to the expectation they would be underdogs, getting waxed 6-0 by Canada and then losing in overtime to Team Europe. They have scored just twice, which, oddly enough, matches the offensive output of the Americans, who were shut out 3-0 by Europe and then were eliminated from the semis after losing 4-2 to the Canadians. In talking to a handful of U.S. players on Wednesday, several mentioned the need to end the tournament strongly. It will take stronger internal fortitude than weve seen thus far from the Americans for that to happen, although motivation will also be an issue for a Czech team that has looked lost defensively and whose best player has been goalie Petr Mrazek. For those of a sentimental nature, its possibly this is the last time youll see some of the veteran Americans in the familiar red, white and blue at international best-on-best tournaments, given the uncertainty over future Olympic participation by the NHL and the emergence of young American stars Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Shayne Gostisbehere and others. Even if the NHL goes to the Olympics in 2018, its likely that Thursday night will be the swan song for two-time Olympian David Backes, as well as Brandon Dubinsky, Jack Johnson and Erik Johnson, all of whom earned Olympic silver in 2010. Do not underestimate the emotional element of that for those American players in this game.Line watch: One of the frustrating parts of this tournament -- and their last four international games going back to Sochi -- for the U.S. has been an utter lack of scoring, especially from their top players. The U.S. has two goals in their last four best-on-best games and just one of those was scored by a forward. In short, pick any of the high-end American forwards, whether its Patrick Kane, Blake Wheeler, Joe Pavelski or Max Pacioretty, and this game marks a chance of at least regaining some offensive respect. -- Scott BurnsideFinland versus Russia, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN)This game has plenty at stake. Russia enters with a 1-1 record and can advance to the semifinals against Canada with a win. Team Finland is 0-2 and is already eliminated from moving on, but it could play the role of spoiler with ? a victory. If Finland wins, Russia is eliminated and Team North America advances to play Canada. The young stars have been so exciting to watch and it would only help this tournament if they advance. For Russia, this could decide the international legacy of Alex Ovechkin, who has not won much in best-on-best competitions. If the Russians advance, they would be an intriguing matchup in the semifinals because no one picked them to reach the next round. Sure, the Russians are loaded with offensive firepower, but their defense is suspect. The teams speed and offensive abilities could wreak havoc in the next round, so it would be interesting to see if they can defeat Finland to get there. The Finns are a proud group and despite their record in this tournament, theyve played OK. The biggest thing for the reigning Olympic bronze-medal winners is to not get blanked in the wins column.Line watch: Its all about the goalies in this game. For Finland, it appears Tuukka Rask will be back in net. He played well and made 28 saves in a 2-0 loss to Sweden on Tuesday, and even though Finnish coach Lauri Marjamaki did not announce his starter Wednesday, Rask should get the nod over?Pekka Rinne, who lost 4-1 to Team North?America on Sunday. If Rask plays against Russia and plays well again, it would be exactly what he needs to start the season for the Boston Bruins. For Russia, Sergei Bobrovsky has been solid in net. This will be his third game of the tournament and hes stopped 70 of 75 shots in that span. -- Joe McDonald DeMar DeRozan Raptors Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Kyle Lowry Raptors Jersey . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-DeMarre-Carroll-Raptors-Jersey/ .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia delivered a stunning start to track and field at the Olympics with a world record in the 10,000 meters Friday, wiping away the competition just after the halfway point and striding to victory with effortless grace.After crossing the finish line, she raised her hands in triumph and came to a stop, fully realizing what she had done: Her time of 29 minutes, 17.45, had shaved 14.33 seconds off the 1993 mark of Chinas Wang Junxia.At age 24, she beat the best from a previous generation. Kenyas Vivian Cheruiyot, 32, a four-time long- distance world champion came in second, a massive 15.18 seconds behind. Ayanas 31-year-old teammate Tirunesh Dibaba took bronze.It was a bittersweet moment for Dibaba, who had been trying to become the first woman to win three individual Olympic track titles in a row. She never stood a chance for victory but fought to get another medal for Ethiopia.Dibaba and Ayana held hands afterward -- a symbolic transition to a new era.If David Rudisha of Kenya provided an iconic moment four years ago in the London Olympics with his world record, it could be tough to find a better race in Rio, with nine more days to go. Swingman DeMarre Carroll Jersey. .Fridays conditions were ideal -- cool and overcast with a damp track from a morning rain. But the 60,000- capacity Olympic stadium was only a quarter full to see Ayanas accomplishment.Even though Kenya and Ethiopia are fierce rivals, it was the early strength of Alice Nawuwona that made Ayanas record run easier. The Kenyan delivered her at ideal pace at the halfway point, and Ayana put in a short sprint to sap any confidence from her rivals.Steadily, the world record became a possibility. With each lap, Ayana built a massive cushion.In Rome this spring, Ayana came to within a second of the world mark in the 5,000 meters -- her favorite event -- and she could have a chance to make it a double world record Olympics.---Follow 1Raf Casert on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rcasert Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '