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Sunday, November 30, 2014

{allcanada} Kobe's 20th-career triple-double leads Lakers over Raptors in OT

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Kobe Bryant had 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his 20th career triple-double, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 129-122 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

Seven players scored in double figures for the Lakers, including all five starters. Nick Young added 20 off the bench, Carlos Boozer scored 18 and Jordan Hill had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Kyle Lowry had 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Toronto before fouling out with 2.8 seconds left in overtime. Terrence Ross had 20 points and Lou Williams added 19 off the bench for the Raptors, whose 13-3 record coming in represented the best start in franchise history.

Toronto played without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan, who tore a tendon in his left groin during Friday's 106-102 loss to Dallas and is out indefinitely. Greivis Vasquez made his first start of the season at shooting guard and scored 19 points in 33 minutes.

The Raptors never led in OT. Wesley Johnson put the Lakers ahead for good at 113-110 with a 3-pointer after Hill blocked Lowry's layup at the other end. Bryant followed with a three-point play after Amir Johnson fouled out and then hit a 15-foot jumper. Jeremy Lin added a fastbreak layup for a 120-112 cushion with 1:36 to play.

Bryant grabbed a missed tip-in attempt by Patrick Patterson with 1:22 left, securing his first triple-double since April 2, 2013 against Dallas.

Toronto led by six with 9:25 left in the fourth quarter after Williams scored eight points in a 1:07 span. But the Lakers pulled ahead 102-101 when Bryant shook off Ross and hit a 17-footer with 3 minutes to go.

Bryant threw a cross-court pass to Young, who hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 108-104 lead with 1:24 to play. But they couldn't close it out in regulation.

Ross hit a 3-pointer to put the Raptors up 109-108, and Bryant made one of two free throws at the other end. Lowry was called for an offensive foul, and Bryant missed a layup in heavy traffic as the fourth quarter expired.

Williams capped a 15-2 run with a 3-pointer that gave Toronto a 76-73 lead with 2:29 left in the third. But Bryant's three-point play, and Price's 3-pointer give the Lakers an 81-80 lead.

Bryant scored 81 points all by himself against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006 at Staples Center, the second-highest total in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100. He averaged 30.1 in his next 13 games against the Raptors before getting just nine through 28 minutes last December in his first game back from Achilles surgery.

TIP-INS

Raptors: DeRozan, the only player on the team to appear in all 82 games during the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons, missed just 10 games over five-plus seasons before his latest injury. ... Toronto was 1 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half and 9 for 34 overall.

Lakers: Bryant made some more history against the Raptors, setting up Johnson's 12-footer with 8:31 left in the third to become the first player in NBA history with at least 6,000 assists and 30,000 points.

UP NEXT

Raptors: At Sacramento on Tuesday night.

Lakers: At Detroit on Tuesday night.

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{allcanada} WHL: King overtime hero as Ice top Silvertips

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EVERETT, Wash. - Tyler King scored at 3:08 of overtime as the Kootenay Ice came from behind to edge the Everett Silvertips 4-3 in Western Hockey League action on Sunday.

Tim Bozon had a goal and an assist for the Ice (13-15-0), who trailed 3-0 heading into the third period. Rinat Valiev and Tanner Faith also scored.

Nikita Scherbak scored once and assisted on another for the Silvertips (16-5-4). Patrick Bajkov and Carson Stadnyk rounded out the Everett offence.

Kootenay's Wyatt Hoflin made 19 saves for the win. Carter Hart stopped 26 shots in the loss.

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THUNDERBIRDS 4 CHIEFS 1

KENT, Wash. — Ryan Gropp struck twice as Seattle downed Spokane.

Defencemen Turner Ottenbreit and Sahvan Khaira also scored for the Thunderbirds (11-12-4).

Calder Brooks had the only goal for the Chiefs (14-8-3).

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{allcanada} Ticats coach Austin says Grey Cup losses will stay with him for the rest of his life

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VANCOUVER - A split-second decision. A fluttering penalty flag. Lives changed.

The Ticats had plenty of chances to win the 102nd Grey Cup on Sunday. But people will point to the illegal block by Hamilton linebacker Taylor Reed that negated a 90-yard Brandon Banks punt return with just 35 seconds remaining as the turning point.

The electric return would have put the Ticats ahead. Instead they lost 20-16 to the Calgary Stampeders, feeling the pain of a Grey Cup defeat for a second year in a row.

Asked about the key play, Hamilton coach Kent Austin stopped just short of pointing the finger at the officials.

Instead he managed to talk in pointed generalities, saying he was on record on what needs to be done "to improve a lot of areas in this league. And I will take it up behind the scenes.

"But it can get a lot better in a lot of different areas," he added. "We can get better as a league. We can. And we should, we need to.

"It changes lives. It's important"

Banks wasn't talking. Wearing gold headphones around is neck, he stormed out of the Hamilton locker-room as the media waited to get in. Several reporters tried to get a comment, but he kept moving. He just looked back and said: "I ain't talking to nobody."

A free agent, the five-foot-seven 149-pounder's future is up in the air.

It marked the second week in a row Banks had had a punt return for touchdown called back. The difference was that last week he ran two more in during a 40-24 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern final.

Reed, to his credit, faced the music.

"I didn't make my block," he said. "I made it close enough that they called a penalty on it. That's 100 per cent my fault."

"I've got to be better than that," he added.

The block came just feet from Banks at the Hamilton 20-yard line, although it seems unlikely Calgary linebacker Karl McCarthey would have laid a hand on the speedy kick returner. Reed appears to get one hand on the shoulder and the other on the back, sending the Stampeder flying.

McCarthey got up, his hands raised in the air looking for the flag.

There was sympathy from Stamps star running back Jon Cornish.

"Brandon Banks, an amazing returner, but you're depending on your blockers, and when your blocker doesn't block correctly it sucks," he said. "It's one of the worst feelings, because I know it firsthand."

"It would have changed the game — won the game for them ... but it didn't," he added.

Asked again about the play, Austin said he couldn't comment.

"You know I can't answer that. And quite frankly I'm not in a position right now to answer that. That's the honest truth. I have to look at the play. I haven't reviewed it. I haven't looked at it on film.

"But I know a lot of things happen on special teams in this league. A lot of things. Some get called, some don't get called. Almost every single play on special teams, a lot of stuff happen. I will say that."

Austin also gave credit to Calgary and said his team didn't make enough plays. It needed to get better. But he said the loss will haunt him.

"It will stay with me the rest of my life. For the rest of my life. Just like last year," he said. "I hate losing. Just like everybody in that locker-room."

The Hamilton dressing-room was like a funeral home. A feisty one. One player, his language blue, yelled at a cameraman to get his lens away, cursing. A teammate quickly told him to dial it down.

There was shock and pain. For a time, the Ticats had seemed like the team of destiny after rebounding from a 1-6 start to finish first in the East with a 9-9 record.

They outscored Calgary 9-3 in a second half that saw the Stamps defence bend but did not break.

"To lose like that after thinking we won was very tough. Shattering," said Hamilton offensive lineman Peter Dyakowski.

"Knowing that all we needed was one play. And then not getting that one play was really tough," he added.

Quarterback Zach Collaros got stronger as the game wore on, using his mobility to keep plays alive as Stampeders swarmed him.

"I don't think we played a bad game," he said. "We just didn't score the touchdowns."

Austin shared his players' hurt. But he saw the bigger picture.

"Sometimes things don't work out. Welcome to the game of life," said Austin. "It's not always going to go our way."

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{allcanada} Stamps QB Mitchell named Grey Cup MVP; Ticats' Fantuz top Canadian

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VANCOUVER - Andy Fantuz was in no mood to celebrate the top Canadian award he earned during Sunday's Grey Cup.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver was feeling miserable after his club bowed 20-16 to the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL title game at B.C. Place Stadium.

"I wanted this championship for everybody in this locker-room," he said. "That's all that mattered.

"This other stuff, all this superficial stuff, it doesn't matter. It's all about this feeling right now — and trying to never feel it again."

The 30-year-old Chatham, Ont., native earned top Canadian honours after recording a game-high six catches for 81 yards in a losing cause. Five of his receptions came in the fourth quarter as the Ticats attempted a late rally that fell short. Only Calgary's Eric Rogers gained more yards (108) while making five receptions.

Fantuz made three catches during a 10-play, 45-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 12-yard Justin Medlock field goal and reduced Hamilton's deficit to 20-13 in the fourth quarter. But the Tiger-Cats could only muster one more Medlock three-pointer, from 37 yards, before the final gun sounded.

The strong second-half performance came after Fantuz managed just one catch — a 21-yard gain that proved to be his longest reception of the night — in the first half, when the Stampeders built a 17-7 lead.

"We started too slow," said Fantuz, whose award came after he went without a catch in limited duty in the Eastern Final and missed the last three games of the regular season with a torn hamstring.

"We let them get out. They made more (big) plays than us throughout the game. We started to build momentum, especially in the fourth (quarter), but it was too little, too late."

Despite his misery, Fantuz expressed some satisfaction with the season that had just ended. He played a leadership role as the Ticats overcame a 1-6 start to the season, finished first in the East Division with a 9-9 mark and ousted the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final.

The Tiger-Cats were denied in their quest to become only the second team in CFL history to win a Grey Cup following such a start. The B.C. Lions were the first to do so, in 2011 on the same B.C. Place Stadium turf.

"This year was special to me," said Fantuz after the Tiger-Cats lost the championship game for the second straight year. "It was my first year as a captain, and to see the guys rally together and turn a handful of captains into a team full of captains really made it a special year for us."

But Fantuz could not take much joy in that point, or the fact that he had appeared in his fifth Grey Cup contest — more than any other player on the field Sunday — either.

"I love everyone in this room," he said. "I'm so disappointed for us."

Note to readers: This is a corrected version of an earlier story. Hamilton finished first in the CFL East, not second as previously stated.

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{allcanada} QMJHL: Ryan leads Titan past Sea Dogs

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SAINT JOHN, N.B. - Andrew Ryan scored the two most important goals of the day for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Ryan tied the game early in the third period then had the only goal of the shootout as Acadie-Bathurst upset the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

Egor Popov and Alexandre Gosselin scored in the first period as the Titan (9-19-2) built an early 2-0 lead. Jacob Brennan made 20 saves through regulation and overtime before turning aside five skaters in the shootout to earn the win.

Spencer Smallman had back-to-back goals and Jakub Zboril also scored as Saint John (16-6-5) rallied to take a 3-2 lead at the 1:37 mark of the third. Ryan scored just over two minutes later to tie the game 3-3 and force extra time.

Sebastien Auger stopped 25 shots for the Sea Dogs and faced four skaters in the shootout before allowing Ryan's winner.

Acadie-Bathurst went 1 or 8 on the power play, while Saint John was 1 for 4 with the man advantage.

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WILDCATS 5 ISLANDERS 1

MONCTON, N.B. —Ivan Barbashev scored and added two assists as the Wildcats skated past Charlottetown.

Liam Murphy, Stephen Johnson and Jacob Sweeney all had power-play goals for Moncton (17-10-1), while Eric Leger also scored.

Oliver Cooper had the only goal for the Islanders (14-14-2).

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ARMADA 6 SCREAMING EAGLES 3

SYDNEY, N.S. — Danick Martel had a hat trick and set up two other goals as Blainville-Boisbriand topped Cape Breton.

Philippe Sanche struck twice for the Armada (16-7-4), while Philippe Bureau-Blais also scored.

Clark Bishop, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kyle Farrell supplied the offence for the Screaming Eagles (9-15-5).

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SAGUENEENS 3 VOLTIGEURS 0

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. — Storm Phaneuf and Julio Billia combined for a 32-save shutout as Chicoutimi blanked the Voltigeurs.

Phaneuf stopped all 31 shots he faced for the Sagueneens (10-15-2) before he was ejected from the game for kicking an opponent 12:48 into the third period. Billia made one save in relief. Brian Lovell scored in the first, while Jeremy Bouchard and Samuel Hodhod both had empty-net goals in the final minute of play.

Joe Fleschler turned aside 28-of-29 shots for Drummondville (13-14-2).

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OCEANIC 3 REMPARTS 2 (OT)

RIMOUSKI, Que. — Frederik Gauthier scored in overtime as the Oceanic edged Quebec.

Eduard Nasybullin and Christopher Clapperton had goals in regulation time for Rimouski (20-7-2).

Adam Erne and Guillaume Gauthier replied for the Remparts (18-9-1).

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TIGRES 4 HUSKIES 3

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. — Tommy Veilleux's second goal of the night was the winner as Victoriaville eked out a win over the Huskies.

Filip Pyrochta, Antoine Marcoux and Jordan Ty Fournier also scored for the Tigres (15-10-3).

Justin Guenette, Marc-Antoine Germain, Julien Nantel and Jean-Christophe Beaudin supplied the offence for Rouyn-Noranda (14-13-2).

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FOREURS 6 MOOSEHEADS 4

VAL-D'OR, Que. — Jeremie Fraser and Anthony Richard had two goals and an assist each as the Foreurs sank Halifax.

Pierre-Maxime Poudrier scored and set up two goals for Val-d'Or (12-14-4), while Julien Gauthier also found the back of the net.

Nikolaj Ehlers had his 16th goal of the season for the Mooseheads (13-13-3), while Andrew Shewfelt, Timo Meier and Philippe Gadoury chipped in as well.

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[SurroundSound] Re: Any interest in PC playing DSD over HDMI?

What about jitter which DAC's like the dragonfly say that they bypass for better sound quality? Would this be an issue with your solution? I would likely use this if I could use it on windows via NVIDIA card which you say isn't possible. My receiver does play DSD thru the usb port and only 2.0. If it could be pushed out of the USB port???????????? Here is something to think about designing a device that passes data thru the usb port in reverse direction to input to a receiver without having to write to usb flash and then plug into a receiver for playback basically a streamer for DSD.

On Sunday, November 30, 2014 2:08:46 AM UTC-5, Andrej Falout wrote:
Hi there,

just a short note to gauge the interest, or the lack of, in the following idea:

There are currently several solution for playing SACD (and DVD-A) ISOs, on both Windows and Linux, but neither of this operating systems allow DSD to be transmitted over HDMI - as SACD players do.

This means that millions of native DSD capable, multi-channel DACs already in people's homes (called "Home Theatre Receivers" / AVRs), cannot be used for native DSD playback. Instead, a surround sound DSD enthusiast needs to spend a lot of $$$ for something he/she already has - just with a different kind of connector on it (USB instead of HDMI). (1)

On Windows, drivers for all HDMI capable cards (Intel, Nvidia, AMD) are closed source, so this is a non-started.

On Linux, I spent several weeks doing gap analysis, and I am now reasonably confident that it can be done. (2)

The end result would be that you could replace your SACD player completely, and play SACD ISOs from the hard disk, over HDMI as DSD, and to your receiver. (3)

So before I take this any further, I would want to know - do you guys think this is a good idea, and would use it?

Thanks
Andrej Falout

Footnotes:

(1) And that is assuming there are any desirable multi-channel DSD DACs to buy, which I'm not entirely convinced of.

(2) On Linux, there are currently only two apps that play SACD ISO (Jriver and MPD) but I would think that this should not be a significant reason for concern?

(3) Perhaps you do not cherish the idea of fiddling with Linux, but would be happy to use a packaged solution/appliance, that you can control with a remote app?


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{allcanada} OHL: Dal Colle scores twice as red-hot Generals down Colts

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OSHAWA, Ont. - Michael Dal Colle scored twice as the Oshawa Generals increased their sizable lead in the Ontario Hockey League's East Division with a 5-3 win over the Barrie Colts on Sunday.

Anthony Cirelli and Michael Turner had a goal and an assist each for the Generals (20-3-1), who have won nine of their last 10 games and now have a 13-point division lead over second-place Belleville.

Joe Manchurek scored Oshawa's other goal, while Josh Sterk added three assists.

Joseph Blandisi had two goals and Kevin Labanc also scored for Barrie (11-11-2).

Ken Appleby made 27 saves for the Generals, who were 1-for-5 on the power play.

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 36 shots for the Colts, who were 1-for-6 with the man advantage.

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STEELHEADS 6 KNIGHTS 2

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Everett Clark had a hat trick as the Steelheads scored six unanswered goals to defeat London.

Nathan Bastian, Brandon Devlin and Jimmy Lodge also scored for Mississauga (11-12-1).

Michael McCarron and Christian Dvorak had the goals for London (15-9-2).

Spencer Martin made 22 saves for the Steelheads while Michael Giugovaz stopped 46 shots for the Knights.

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RANGERS 4 67's 3

OTTAWA — Brandon Robinson, Justin Bailey and Darby Llewellyn scored in the third period to lead Kitchener to a comeback win over the 67's.

Doug Blaisdell had the other goal for Kitchener (13-6-6).

Jeremiah Addison had two goals for Ottawa (12-10-2), while Erik Bradford also scored.

Matthew Greenfield made 26 saves for the Rangers, while Liam Herbst stopped 27 shots for the 67's.

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WOLVES 2 GREYHOUNDS 1

SUDBURY, Ont. — Pavel Jenys scored the winner on a power play as the Wolves edged Sault Ste. Marie.

Nathan Pancel had the other goal for Sudbury (5-20-1).

Michael Bunting scored for Sault Ste. Marie (19-6-1).

Troy Timpano made 39 saves for the Wolves, while Joseph Raaymakers stopped 28 shots for the Greyhounds.

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BATTALION 4 ICEDOGS 2

NORTH BAY, Ont. — Nick Paul scored twice to lead the Battalion over Niagara.

Mike Amadio had a goal and an assist for North Bay (14-5-5), while Brenden Miller rounded out the Battalion offence with an empty-net goal at 19:56 of the third period.

Christopher Paquette and Johnny Corneil scored for the IceDogs (8-17-0).

North Bay's Jake Smith turned aside 33 shots in the win. Niagara's Brent Moran made 20 saves.

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STING 4 FRONTENACS 3

SARNIA, Ont. — Troy Lajeunesse's second-period goal proved to be the winner as the Sting edged Kingston.

Anthony DeAngelo and Brandon Lindberg had a goal and an assist apiece for Sarnia (13-11-2), and Hayden Hodgson also scored.

Ryan Kujawinski scored one goal and assisted on another for the Frontenacs (11-10-3). Samuel Schutt and Conor McGlynn also found the back of the net.

Sting goaltender Taylor Dupuis made 35 saves. Kingston's Lucas Peressini gave up three goals on 14 shots through the first 23:15 of play, and Jeremy Helvis stopped 10-of-11 shots in relief.

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{allcanada} Stampeders jump out to big lead, hold on to beat Ticats in 102nd Grey Cup

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VANCOUVER - Bo Levi Mitchell carried the Calgary Stampeders to a Grey Cup title Sunday.

Mitchell threw for 334 yards as Calgary held on for a thrilling 20-16 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at B.C. Place. The six-foot-two, 196-pound Texan was calm and precise on the field, completing 25-of-34 passes in his first career Grey Cup start. He was named the game's outstanding player.

At one point, Mitchell threw 10 straight completions, tying him for the third-longest streak in Grey Cup history before a boisterous B.C. Place Stadium gathering of 52,056 — 1,423 short of a sellout.

But the West Division champions needed two late defensive stands and some luck to secure the victory.

A Delvin Breaux interception of Mitchell put Hamilton at the Calgary 50-yard line. Quarterback Zach Collaros marched the offence to the three-yard line before the Stampeders' defence stiffened, resulting in Justin Medlock's 17-yard field goal at 9:25 of the fourth quarter to pull to within 20-13.

Hamilton regained possession at its 41-yard line with under four minutes remaining and marched to the Calgary 23. Cory Mace's sack stalled the drive and set up Medlock's 37-yard field goal to cut the Stampeders' lead to 20-16 with just over two minutes remaining.

Brandon Banks brought Ticats supporters to their feet with 35 seconds left when he returned a Rene Paredes punt 90 yards for a TD, but it was nullified by an illegal block penalty. Instead of having the lead, Hamilton took over at its 12-yard line.

Calgary earned its third straight win this season over Hamilton, which after a 1-6 start to the season rallied to a 9-9 mark to finish atop the East Division.

Paredes had to handle punting duties in the second half after incumbent Rob Maver suffered an abdominal injury after being hammered on a Hamilton punt return. The six-foot, 201-pound Maver was hit from the blindside by Justin Hickman, a six-foot-two, 265-pound defensive lineman, and remained on the field for some time before eventually walking off on his own.

Calgary also lost receiver Maurice Price to an ankle injury in the second half.

Calgary earned its second Grey Cup win since '08 when John Hufnagel was named head coach/GM.

Hamilton's Grey Cup drought continues with their last CFL championship coming in Vancouver in '99 when they beat the Stampeders 32-21.

It's also the second straight Grey Cup loss for the Ticats, who lost 45-23 last year in Regina to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Backup quarterback Drew Tate had two TDs for Calgary. Paredes added the converts and two field goals.

Banks scored Hamilton's touchdown. Medlock booted the convert and two field goals.

A blocked field goal by Calgary's Demonte Bolden loomed large in Calgary taking a 17-7 halftime lead. The burly defensive lineman, in his first game since breaking his leg in September, batted down Medlock's 26-yard try with the Stampeders leading 14-0.

The six-foot-five, 285-pound Bolden began his CFL career in Hamilton, playing two seasons there ('09-'10) before joining the Stampeders in 2012.

Mitchell countered by marching Calgary 87 yards on eight plays, setting up Paredes' 11-yard field goal at 12:43. But Collaros countered smartly, hitting Banks on a 45-yard TD pass at 13:39 to make it a 10-point game.

Mitchell was a one-man show in the first half, hitting 14-of-17 passes for 220 of Calgary's 232 net yards. Despite Hamilton's terrible start, Collaros completed 9-of-13 attempts for 155 yards and a TD, accounting most of the Ticats' 185 first-half offensive yards.

It was a dreadful opening quarter for Hamilton, which posted -12 yards rushing and just four net yards. Calgary had 120 net yards, thanks to Mitchell's 117 passing yards.

Tate's one-yard TD run 48 seconds into the second capped a 10-play, 66-yard drive and came after Hamilton's Brandon Stewart was called for pass interference in the end zone. Tate opened the scoring at 9:48 of the first with a one-yard touchdown that ended a five-play, 55-yard march.

Members of the Stampeders receive $16,000 for the win while the Ticats earn $8,000 apiece.

NOTES — Receiver Joe West and offensive lineman Edwin Harrison didn't dress for Calgary. Linebacker Frederic Plesius and offensive lineman Marc Dile were Hamilton's scratches . . . Sunday's game was the first Grey Cup where coaches could challenge defensive pass interference. There were 55 challenges this season, with 17 resulting in overturn plays . . . Of the 43 Canadians who were on Hamilton's and Calgary's rosters last weekend, 84 per cent were original draft picks. Four more Stampeders were signed as undrafted free agents . . . The contest was extra special for one lucky person as the 50-50 draw exceeded $192,000.

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{allcanada} Ex-Jets coach Noel hired hired by WHL's Giants

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VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Giants have hired former Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel as their new head coach.

The Western Hockey League team announced the move Sunday.

"We're excited to have Claude join our organization," said Giants general manager Scott Bonner. "He has worked extensively with Ken Hitchcock, who is one of the best coaches in WHL history, and with Claude coming from the NHL, we know he's one of the top coaches in the world. We're confident that he can get us back on track."

Noel coached the Jets from 2011-2014, compiling an 80-79-18 record. He also served as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets for part of the 2009-10 season, going 10-8-6 in that time.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the Giants organization," said Noel. "I'm familiar with the youth and the young players and the league, and I view it as a really good situation and a good opportunity."

Noel has coached professional hockey for over 25 years, including four season with the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals, where he won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as coach of the year in 2004 after his team won the Calder Cup. He also coached the Vancouver Canucks' AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, in the 2010-11 season.

The Giants, who fired their previous head coach Troy Ward on Wednesday, are last in the WHL's Western Conference with a 10-18-0 record.

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[SurroundSound] Re: Any interest in PC playing DSD over HDMI?

I'm also interested to see how this goes....

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[SurroundSound] Re: Any interest in PC playing DSD over HDMI?

Btw, Andrej, I suggest you to make an announcement about your project over here, too: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/forum/

2014. november 30., vasárnap 8:08:46 UTC+1 időpontban Andrej Falout a következőt írta:
Hi there,

just a short note to gauge the interest, or the lack of, in the following idea:

There are currently several solution for playing SACD (and DVD-A) ISOs, on both Windows and Linux, but neither of this operating systems allow DSD to be transmitted over HDMI - as SACD players do.

This means that millions of native DSD capable, multi-channel DACs already in people's homes (called "Home Theatre Receivers" / AVRs), cannot be used for native DSD playback. Instead, a surround sound DSD enthusiast needs to spend a lot of $$$ for something he/she already has - just with a different kind of connector on it (USB instead of HDMI). (1)

On Windows, drivers for all HDMI capable cards (Intel, Nvidia, AMD) are closed source, so this is a non-started.

On Linux, I spent several weeks doing gap analysis, and I am now reasonably confident that it can be done. (2)

The end result would be that you could replace your SACD player completely, and play SACD ISOs from the hard disk, over HDMI as DSD, and to your receiver. (3)

So before I take this any further, I would want to know - do you guys think this is a good idea, and would use it?

Thanks
Andrej Falout

Footnotes:

(1) And that is assuming there are any desirable multi-channel DSD DACs to buy, which I'm not entirely convinced of.

(2) On Linux, there are currently only two apps that play SACD ISO (Jriver and MPD) but I would think that this should not be a significant reason for concern?

(3) Perhaps you do not cherish the idea of fiddling with Linux, but would be happy to use a packaged solution/appliance, that you can control with a remote app?


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[SurroundSound] Re: Any interest in PC playing DSD over HDMI?

Great initiative! I'm in.

2014. november 30., vasárnap 8:08:46 UTC+1 időpontban Andrej Falout a következőt írta:
Hi there,

just a short note to gauge the interest, or the lack of, in the following idea:

There are currently several solution for playing SACD (and DVD-A) ISOs, on both Windows and Linux, but neither of this operating systems allow DSD to be transmitted over HDMI - as SACD players do.

This means that millions of native DSD capable, multi-channel DACs already in people's homes (called "Home Theatre Receivers" / AVRs), cannot be used for native DSD playback. Instead, a surround sound DSD enthusiast needs to spend a lot of $$$ for something he/she already has - just with a different kind of connector on it (USB instead of HDMI). (1)

On Windows, drivers for all HDMI capable cards (Intel, Nvidia, AMD) are closed source, so this is a non-started.

On Linux, I spent several weeks doing gap analysis, and I am now reasonably confident that it can be done. (2)

The end result would be that you could replace your SACD player completely, and play SACD ISOs from the hard disk, over HDMI as DSD, and to your receiver. (3)

So before I take this any further, I would want to know - do you guys think this is a good idea, and would use it?

Thanks
Andrej Falout

Footnotes:

(1) And that is assuming there are any desirable multi-channel DSD DACs to buy, which I'm not entirely convinced of.

(2) On Linux, there are currently only two apps that play SACD ISO (Jriver and MPD) but I would think that this should not be a significant reason for concern?

(3) Perhaps you do not cherish the idea of fiddling with Linux, but would be happy to use a packaged solution/appliance, that you can control with a remote app?


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{allcanada} Kumpen Sees Dream Come True

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There is a flow of emotions in the voice of Anthony Kumpen, the 2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Champion, as he speaks about the journey that brought him to the top of the official NASCAR Series in Europe.

"It feels a little bit unreal to be a NASCAR Champion, because I would have never imagined it could be possible. We didn't even have a NASCAR Series in Europe until a few year ago," he said. "It's a dream come true. The opposition was incredibly strong. I didn't expect the field to be so competitive and that makes it even more special!"

The 36-year-old Belgian driver built an outstanding resumé in GT racing across the World in his eclectic career, winning 10 Belgian GT Championships, a record six 24 Hours of Zolder and one 24 Hours of Spa before getting to know the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2013 and having the occasion to realize one of his dreams. As an avid NASCAR fan, Kumpen always looked at NASCAR with great interest and with his enthusiasm he involved in a new challenge his long time friend and racing partner Bert Longin and all the PK Carsport team.

The journey started right from a chassis and a lot of boxes full of parts and pieces of a Euro NASCAR stock-car and ended on the top step of the podium at Le Mans, where Kumpen received the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series trophy after celebrating in victory lane with his wife Griet Vanhees and all his team, including crew-chief Franck Steukers.

2014 ELITE 1 DIVISION STANDINGS | 2014 NWES RESULTS

"I've always been a NASCAR fan – it is no coincidence that I choose the number 24 – and as soon as I knew of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, in my mind I wanted to race in it, but a team is made of a lot of people, so during a winter team-building meeting I put a lot of effort in convincing everybody to do it, because I believe that NASCAR is the future of racing in Europe," said the first driver to succeed Ander Vilarino in the history books of the European NASCAR Series. "Even though somebody had some doubts, everybody now is really happy, from the mechanics to the sponsors. I think this Series has a bright future, and the fact that everybody at PK Carsport is happy means that we took the right decision. We hope to be there for a long time".

The season for the Hasselt native started on the right foot in Valencia: he and Bert Longin dueled all race long for the win in the Saturday Race but had to surrender the lead in the final stages of the race. The performances were there anyway, and from the second event in Brands Hatch, where Kumpen conquered the second step of the podium in the Sunday Race, the future champion put together a string of impressive finishes, collecting a total of ten top-5s in twelve races. He was on the podium again in the Semi-Finals at Magione, Italy, and won his first race of the season in the Le Mans Finals, delivering a clutch performance that culminated in a perfect overtaking maneuver on Vilarino in the last race of the season. The move granted him the title by just one point on the Spaniard.

"It was a fantastic season and I honestly didn't expect to win the championship.", said Kumpen, who was one of the six different drivers to win at least one race in 2014. "The really positive thing is that the Series is growing in the right direction and in the right way. I think it is important that I help this growth, by trying to be a good ambassador for the sport. The main goal is to grow the championship and make it one of the most important in Europe."

Becoming a NASCAR champion drew attention on Kumpen so much that on November 18 he received a public acknowledgement from the Belgian Minister of Work, Economy, Innovation and Sports, testifying the growing relevance of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in Europe.

"It was really special, because in Belgium there are other sports, like soccer and cycling, which are very popular and very present on the mass media. Never before a Belgian race car driver received this kind of recognition," said Kumpen. "I'm the first and I never had this opportunity in my entire career. I feel honoured and it also means that the NASCAR concept is very appealing for the general sports market in Belgium."

In few days for Kumpen it will time to celebrate his achievements in Charlotte, but in the meantime he already announced that he will defend his title in 2015 and expand his program with races in the United States with the help of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series organization.

"While this year I kept racing also in the Belgian GT Championship, for 2015 I will completely switch to stock-car racing," said the Belgian. "I will try to go back-to-back in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and I also want to put together a program in the US consisting of five to ten races, to gain more experience and continue to grow as a NASCAR driver. We are working very hard with all the parties involved to be ready with a good program". 

Kumpen will receive the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Champion Ring on December 13, during the NASCAR Night Of Champions Awards at the Charlotte Convention Center in NASCAR Hall of Fame complex, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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{allcanada} CANADIENS (16-7-2) at AVALANCHE (9-10-5)

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Monday, December 1, 2014
9:00 PM ET

CANADIENS (16-7-2) at AVALANCHE (9-10-5)

TV: RDS, SNE, ALT

Season series: The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Oct. 18 behind two goals from P.K. Subban. Colorado scored the only goal in the first period, and then Montreal responded with three in the second, bookended by a power-play goal and an even-strength goal from Subban. Alex Galchenyuk scored the other goal for the Canadiens, who got 32 saves from Carey Price. Calvin Pickard made 33 saves for the Avalanche.

Canadiens team scope: Montreal got swept in a home-and-home against the Buffalo Sabres. Montreal lost 2-1 on Friday in Buffalo before giving up a third-period lead Saturday night at Bell Centre on the way to a 4-3 shootout loss. Max Pacioretty scored his team-leading 11th goal Saturday. The Canadiens, who signed forward Brendan Gallagher to a six-year extension Saturday, enter Monday on a three-game losing streak (0-2-1), tied for their longest of the season. This is the first of a four-game trip against Western Conference teams.

Avalanche team scope: Colorado has won three of its past four games, averaging more than four goals per game in the victories. Nathan MacKinnon has five assists in the three wins; he was held scoreless in a 3-2 loss against the Chicago Blackahwks on Wednesday. Rookie Calvin Pickard will be in goal against Montreal, his third straight start, coach Patrick Roy said after practice Sunday. Goalie Semyon Varlamov, who is on injured reserve because of a groin injury, might return Thursday against the Calgary Flames, according to Roy. Tyson Barrie had three assists in a 5-2 win Saturday against the Dallas Stars, and has seven points (seven assists) in his past seven games. Center John Mitchell will miss 7-10 days after he re-aggravated a leg injury that had already cost him three games against Dallas, Roy said. Forward Marc-Andre Cliche sustained an undisclosed injury Saturday; he will miss up to two weeks.

Team Stats
GP Record Home Road L10 G/GP GA/GP PP% PK% PIM/GP S/GP SA/GP FO%
25 16-7-2 9-3-1 7-4-1 6-3-1 2.44 2.48 13.2 84.1 11.6 28.3 30.2 55.9
24 9-10-5 5-5-2 4-5-3 6-4-0 2.58 3.04 13.4 87.4 10.9 30.0 34.1 48.7

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{allcanada} COYOTES (9-12-3) at OILERS (6-14-4)

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Monday, December 1, 2014
9:30 PM ET

COYOTES (9-12-3) at OILERS (6-14-4)

TV: FS-A, SNW

Season series: The Arizona Coyotes have won the first two games against the Edmonton Oilers, a 7-4 victory Oct. 15 and a 2-1 win Nov. 16. Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker has four goals and five points, including a hat trick in the first game. Oilers forward Taylor Hall has three goals and four points.

Coyotes team scope: Arizona was shut out by the Calgary Flames 3-0 on Saturday, the fourth time they've been blanked this season, and their third loss in a row. "We had to play fast and we had to play with poise and make good plays with the puck, and we didn't do a lot of either," coach Dave Tippett said Saturday, according to the Coyotes' Twitter account. After the loss, the Coyotes are 6-3-0 against Pacific Division opponents. Forward Brendan Shinnimin made his NHL debut against Calgary, skating on a line with Sam Gagner and Martin Erat. The 23-year-old played 13:11 and went 3-for-4 on faceoffs, but failed to record a shot on goal. "We're still trying to find that mix in our lineup that gives us the best chance, and he's earned an opportunity," Tippett said of Shinnimin. The Coyotes head to Calgary on Tuesday for a rematch with the Flames before playing the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Oilers team scope: Edmonton will look to snap their nine-game losing streak (0-6-3) on Monday. The Oilers wrapped up a three-game road trip with back-to-back overtime losses to the Nashville Predators on Friday and St. Louis Blues on Saturday. They finished November 2-9-3. Goalie Ben Scrivens voiced his displeasure after the Oilers loss to St. Louis. "I think we're getting what we deserve right now," he told the Edmonton Sun. "I don't think we're playing good enough to win in the NHL." Forward Matt Hendricks did not skate Sunday morning because of a leg injury. "He's a big part of our team. He brings a lot as a physical guy," center Boyd Gordon said of Hendricks. There was no further update on Hendricks' status for Monday. Defenseman Martin Marincin was assigned to the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League, and forward Jesse Joensuu was placed on waivers Sunday.

Team Stats
GP Record Home Road L10 G/GP GA/GP PP% PK% PIM/GP S/GP SA/GP FO%
24 9-12-3 4-5-2 5-7-1 3-5-2 2.29 3.04 19.3 79.2 10.1 28.7 31.0 52.6
24 6-14-4 4-8-1 2-6-3 1-6-3 2.25 3.38 12.0 82.4 9.5 29.9 30.2 50.0

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{allcanada} Son says Gordie Howe 'comfortable' as he recovers from strokes

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DETROIT - Gordie Howe is comfortable as he makes a long recovery from two strokes, but the hockey great can't walk and has limited speech, one of his sons said Sunday.

Mark Howe said his 86-year-old father's vital signs are good and he's aware of the reasons for his condition. He added that an epidural reduced pain stemming from spinal surgery last summer.

"He's unable to walk and his speech is very minimal," said Mark Howe, like his father a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. "After his first stroke, within a week, he was up to walking 40 to 50 feet.

"They did his first physical therapy after the epidural. He tried standing twice over 20 minutes and it took every ounce of energy he had and totally drained him."

Gordie Howe suffered what his children called a serious stroke in late October and another in early November. He's been staying at his daughter's home in Lubbock, Texas.

He has lived with his children since the death of his wife, Colleen, in 2009. He has had dementia for several years.

Known as "Mr. Hockey," Howe was the NHL's Most Valuable Player six times. He played on four Stanley Cup championship teams in Detroit during a 25-year stint that began in 1946. The league scoring records he set stood until Wayne Gretzky broke them.

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{allcanada} Gallagher contract suggests change in philosophy

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MONTREALBrendan Gallagher is breaking new ground with the Montreal Canadiens.

By signing a six-year contract extension Saturday, worth an average of $3.75 million a season, Gallagher became the only significant player on the team who went straight from his entry-level contract to a long-term extension.

Goaltender Carey Price, defenseman P.K. Subban, and forwards Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec, just to name a few, each signed for two years on their second contract, and there was a widely held belief this was the Canadiens policy.

That appears to no longer be the case.

"There's always a risk when you go long term with any player," Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said. "But we felt that this time the risk was worth it."

The last time Bergevin faced this situation was with Subban in 2013 in one of his first moves as GM. In that instance, he held firm on the so-called bridge contract, even after Subban missed the start of the 2012-13 season.

Gallagher, on the other hand, didn't even have to wait for his rookie contract to expire before getting some long-term security.

Now the question becomes whether Bergevin will do the same with forward Alex Galchenyuk, and just how much that will cost.

The friendly salary-cap charge on Gallagher's contract probably made it easier for Bergevin to give him the term the player was seeking. It might not be that simple with Galchenyuk.

Gallagher and Galchenyuk entered the NHL at the same time in 2012-13, Bergevin's first season as GM, and though Gallagher has been slightly more productive, the one with the higher ceiling is most definitely Galchenyuk.

If the Canadiens want to sign him long term, it will surely be more expensive than it was to sign Gallagher.

But Bergevin has made the moves necessary to allow himself to even consider skipping the bridge contracts in these cases.

When he was negotiating with Subban in 2013, the NHL was coming out of the lockout and the salary cap was going to drop the following season for the only time since it was implemented in 2005. In that case, Bergevin insisting on a bridge contract was a direct result of that unique situation.

Now, however, the entire impact of Gallagher's contract extension for next season was absorbed by Bergevin's prior moves of trading Travis Moen for Sergei Gonchar and Rene Bourque for Bryan Allen. Moen and Bourque each had a year remaining on their contract, while Gonchar and Allen are defensemen on expiring contracts.

All told, Bergevin shaved nearly $5.2 million off next year's salary-cap payroll in those two trades, and he still has $1.45 million remaining after Gallagher's contract extension is taken into account.

That won't be enough to sign Galchenyuk to a long-term contract, not even close, but having extra wiggle room certainly helps.

And now, by signing Gallagher to the deal he did, Bergevin has let it be known that a long-term extension for Galchenyuk is at least a possibility, and probably a likelihood, at this point.

For this team, that is a big change.

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{allcanada} Datsyuk lifts Red Wings past Canucks

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DETROITPavel Datsyuk scored twice and the Detroit Red Wings held on for a 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday at Joe Louis Arena.

The game was delayed nearly 35 minutes after a power surge knocked out lights in the arena 29 seconds after opening faceoff.

Niklas Kronwall, Gustav Nyquist and Danny DeKeyser also scored for Detroit. Captain Henrik Zetterberg had two assists to extend his point streak to four games, and Jimmy Howard made 30 saves to improve to 11-4-4.

Linden Vey had two goals and an assist for Vancouver. Shawn Matthias scored the other goal for the Canucks, who got 25 saves from Ryan Miller.

The Red Wings reunited Datsyuk, who scored his second goal of the game into an empty net in the final minute, and Zetterberg to play against the Canucks' Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

Vey made it 4-3 when he scored his second goal of the game, sixth of the season, with 3:50 left in the third off a goal-mouth scramble. The play went to video review to determine if Vey had kicked in the puck.

Matthias pulled Vancouver to within 3-2 with 7:34 left when he tipped in Yannick Weber's shot from the right point for his fifth goal. The goal initially was credited to Weber, but later changed.

But DeKeyser answered 1:10 later when he scored his first goal on a wrist shot from the left point.

Kronwall opened the scoring 3:15 into the game with his fourth goal. He beat Miller with a wrist shot from the right circle after moving in from the right point. The goal snapped Miller's shutout streak at 155:20.

Nyquist made it 2-0 with 8:44 left in the first period with a power-play goal. He got his 11th goal from the bottom of the right circle as he converted a cross-ice pass from Zetterberg. It was Nyquist's seventh power-play goal, tying him for the NHL lead.

Vancouver's Radim Vrbata hit the post with about 45 seconds remaining in the opening period.

Vey put the Canucks on the board with a power-play goal 2:37 into the second period. He fired in a loose puck from the inside edge of the right circle.

Datsyuk restored Detroit's two-goal lead on a power-play goal with 5:36 left in the second.

Vancouver's Luca Sbisa tried to clear the puck from the bottom of the right circle but it went off of Datsyuk's stick and in. It was Datsyuk's eighth goal.

Detroit was 2-for-4 with the man advantage.

The Red Wings' Jakub Kindl hit the goal post with 4:16 remaining in the second period.

Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows was accidentally cut on the face by Red Wings forward Johan Franzen's skate in a collision in front of Vancouver's net with about 6:30 left in the second period.

The Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader wasn't on the bench for the start of the third period and did not return to the game because of an upper-body injury.

The Red Wings play the Florida Panthers at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday, and the Canucks continue their seven-game road trip against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. Sunday was the second game of Vancouver's trip.

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[SurroundSound] Re: Any interest in PC playing DSD over HDMI?

Sounds very interesting, and if it isn't too complicated I would certainly try to use it. Saves me burning discs.

Op zondag 30 november 2014 08:08:46 UTC+1 schreef Andrej Falout:
Hi there,

just a short note to gauge the interest, or the lack of, in the following idea:

There are currently several solution for playing SACD (and DVD-A) ISOs, on both Windows and Linux, but neither of this operating systems allow DSD to be transmitted over HDMI - as SACD players do.

This means that millions of native DSD capable, multi-channel DACs already in people's homes (called "Home Theatre Receivers" / AVRs), cannot be used for native DSD playback. Instead, a surround sound DSD enthusiast needs to spend a lot of $$$ for something he/she already has - just with a different kind of connector on it (USB instead of HDMI). (1)

On Windows, drivers for all HDMI capable cards (Intel, Nvidia, AMD) are closed source, so this is a non-started.

On Linux, I spent several weeks doing gap analysis, and I am now reasonably confident that it can be done. (2)

The end result would be that you could replace your SACD player completely, and play SACD ISOs from the hard disk, over HDMI as DSD, and to your receiver. (3)

So before I take this any further, I would want to know - do you guys think this is a good idea, and would use it?

Thanks
Andrej Falout

Footnotes:

(1) And that is assuming there are any desirable multi-channel DSD DACs to buy, which I'm not entirely convinced of.

(2) On Linux, there are currently only two apps that play SACD ISO (Jriver and MPD) but I would think that this should not be a significant reason for concern?

(3) Perhaps you do not cherish the idea of fiddling with Linux, but would be happy to use a packaged solution/appliance, that you can control with a remote app?


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{allcanada} Shot blocking becoming more important in NHL

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Trying to fire a puck on net in the NHL these days is like trying to thread an arrow through the forest to hit a target behind two trees.

Shot blocking has evolved to the point that a shooter needs luck as well as accuracy.

"It's like the other team has six goalies on the ice," Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds joked.

Over the last 10 seasons, shot blocking has increased by roughly five a game. That means that there are about 6,000 more shots a season blocked today than there were in 2003-04.

In 1997-98, the New York Rangers led the NHL with 871 blocked shots and most teams had a total below 700. Last season, the Montreal Canadiens led with 1,491 blocked shots, an average of 18 a game. Four of the 30 teams blocked fewer than 1,000 shots.

"It is hard to get the puck to the net," Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said. "Everyone is talking about blocking shots."

Last season, defenseman Andrew MacDonald, playing for both the New York Islanders and Flyers, led the NHL with 242 blocked shots. Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone is on pace for 246 this season.

"It's considered a big team thing and you usually get the pat on the back when you get back to the bench," said Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa. "It can galvanize a team."

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said shot blocking "can be as important as scoring a goal."

He told USA TODAY Sports that in September, and a month later he was on the injured list with a broken finger suffered when he blocked a shot. He returned on Saturday after missing 18 games.

"You have to pay the price to be mentioned as a good player," Hedman said before his injury.

The potential for injury doesn't seem to discourage shot blockers.

"Everyone hates to be scored on," Simmonds said. "I'm all for sacrificing your body if that is what you need to do to win. … You see guys putting their faces in front of pucks."

The popularity of shot blocking has escalated as coaches have become more defensive-oriented. Now, forwards are working on trying to overcome the shot blockers.

"These defensemen are so good at getting in lanes," New Jersey Devils forward Travis Zajac said. "It's almost like you have to make the extra pass if you want to score."

Forwards are faking more, similar to the pump fake in basketball, with the hope of getting the defender to drop to the ice to block the shot. If the defender takes the fake, the shooter moves around him and fires from an open area.

"But these defensemen are really good at timing it," Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog said. "They don't go down and give you a chance to go around. They go down as you're shooting."

Most forwards have worked on the angle of their release as a means to get it by a shot blocker.

"This is just an evolution of the game," Buffalo Sabres forward Brian Gionta said. "Guys have become so fast, so strong, so quick that you need everything you can to prevent from being scored on. The margin for error is minimal."

Another strategy shooters use, although it is not common, is banking the shot off the boards like a billiards player. "You can shoot off the sideboards or backboards," Zajac said.

Simmonds is the Flyers' net-front presence on the power play, and he says establishing the correct position has become a major part of his job.

"It's like being a low-post player in basketball," Simmonds said. "You are trying to box the defenseman out, and he's trying to box you out. If he gets in front of you, you know he's going to block the shot. It's a battle."

A quick release is helpful. "The (shooting) lane closes down so quick now," Gionta said. "Time and space is so minimal. You might get it through the first layer, but there is a second layer there."

Some defensemen have a knack for stopping shots.

"Ryan McDonagh blocks everything he sees," Simmonds said.

The Rangers' McDonagh says the value of shot blocking outweighs the risk of injury. In addition to preventing a scoring chance, there's an inspirational boost, particularly in the playoffs.

"When you see a block," he said, "it motivates you as a player to make sure you are doing your part."

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