MINSK, Belarus -- Before Mark Scheifele got injured in early March, the Winnipeg Jets sat one point out of a playoff spot. A sprained right knee derailed any hope of making a run. Now Scheifele is healthy, and Team Canada heads into the playoff round at the world hockey championship with legitimate medal aspirations thanks in part to his progression. "Every game hes got better and better," coach Dave Tippett said. "Hes been good in the faceoff dot, puck control. ... Were going to need everybody to be a good team in the quarter-final, and Scheif, his game has improved every game we played." Scheifele assisted on Ryan Elliss overtime winner against Sweden, scored against Norway and is making use of his increased ice time. Along with the Toronto Maple Leafs Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri and the Calgary Flames Sean Monahan, the 21-year-old Jets centre is making big strides in Minsk. "You just gain experience," Scheifele said. "You play against different kinds of hockey. Its just kind of a matter of learning how to adapt to who youre playing against, what kind of competition youre coming against. Obviously just playing with and against the best players in the world helps." Each game is a new test for the young Canadian team, but Scheifeles journey to the world championships showed Paul Maurice something. Maurice, his coach in Winnipeg and an assistant to Tippett at this tournament, was impressed by how hard Scheifele worked to recover from a sprained MCL to be ready. At first, the coaching staff saw a player who hadnt experienced game action in more than two months. Then Maurice saw the player who was so vital to the Jets when healthy. "Hes responded like Mark does: He just got better," Maurice said. "He didnt play a lot in the (first) few games and kept working hard in practice and hed get his handful of shifts one night and show you something in each shift. Dave Tippett is really strong at recognizing that in players during games, so hes gotten more and more opportunity." Scheifele, who is expected to again centre the fourth line in Thursdays quarter-final game against Finland, had a leg up on Monahan going in because he had a little more experience. But he wasnt quite himself. That made Scheifele the 13th forward and his ice time dropped. The Kitchener, Ont., native played just 2:20 in the second game against Slovakia and then 2:34 the next one against the Czech Republic. A leg injury to Alex Burrows -- who practised Wednesday and is set to return against Finland after a two-game absence -- gave Scheifele another chance. His patience set up arguably Canadas biggest goal of the tournament, and he scored another to help ensure first place in the group. "I think every game I kind of get a little more ice, a little more comfortable," Scheifele said. "Every game, just getting my legs under me, and thats the biggest thing. I feel more comfortable every game, and I just got to continue that." The tests are just beginning for the world championship rookies, including 20-year-old Flames prospect Johnny Gaudreau, whose U.S. team faces the Czech Republic on Thursday for the right to face the winner of Canada-Finland. "Playing with NHL players and playing against NHL players obviously will help me in my game and help me develop as a player," Gaudreau said. "Playing college the last three years I felt this would be the best opportunity to help me become a better pro." Olli Jokinen, a teammate of Scheifeles with the Jets and captain of Finland, agrees wholeheartedly. "Everybodys goal is to make the playoffs and have a long run. At the same time with the younger players coming here, I think for them understanding the games like this. Its like a Game 7 in the playoffs," Jokinen said. "Having experience like that, its going to help you to get even better. And at the same time, for the younger guys, its an eye-opener, probably, too, how tough this tournament actually is." Tippett likes that his younger players get an opportunity to play in "real competitive, playoff-style games." Rielly considers it beneficial to work with three different coaches he didnt know before and thinks that itll help him learn quicker in the future. "You get a chance to kind of learn new breakouts, new power-play things," the 20-year-old Leafs defenceman said. "I think if youre trying to keep learning like that, thats always helpful. I think Ill be able to carry that back to Toronto with me." Scheifele and Maurice will be able to carry something back to Winnipeg, as well. The tournament is just another chance for the coach who signed a four-year deal and the Jets franchise forward to get better accustomed to each other after just half a season together. Maurice said hes still learning about Scheifele, but he has a lot to be proud of over the past couple of months. "What I really like is how hes handled the adversity of the injury," Maurice said. "When something doesnt go his way, he doesnt quit. He digs in and works harder and competes and then I also recognize that this is a learning experience for him. Over the course of his career hes going to have some adversity. "The question is how do you learn to handle it, and hes learned to handle it here with some pretty high-level hockey where he wasnt handed ice time and he fought his way through it and became a real important part of the team here." According to Jokinen, Scheifele followed the same path in his first full NHL season as he has at the world championships. As a result, he has a chance to be a major contributor for Canada now that every game is an elimination game. "It took him a little bit of time to get used to it," Jokinen said. "But once he started feeling comfortable, he was really good for us. Hes a highly skilled player, he can be the difference-maker every time when he steps on the ice." NOTES -- Tippett would not reveal which goaltender, Ben Scrivens or James Reimer, would start Thursday against Finland, which has no such dilemma thanks to the presence of a healthy Pekka Rinne. ... Defenceman Tyler Myers missed Wednesdays practice because of the flu bug thats going around the team. Tippett expects him to be OK to play in the quarter-finals. Niklas Sule Jersey . Both moves were announced Tuesday. The Titans had waived Matthews on Saturday when they promoted wide receiver Michael Preston from the practice squad. Thomas Muller Bayern Munich Jersey . Felton pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted he knowingly had a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a semi-automatic pistol without a license. http://www.soccerfcbayern.com/kids-mats-...-munich-jersey/. Authorities in Medina, Minn., released the details one day after Cunningham was jailed for another alleged incident with the woman he had been living with for the previous eight months. Cunningham had already been charged with felony domestic assault for allegedly choking the woman last week. Sebastian Rudy Bayern Munich Jersey . Ricciardos exclusion from the results tarnished what had been a day of celebration for local fans, who were jubilant that the Red Bull driver had apparently become the first Australian to finish on the podium at his home race. However just before midnight, stewards ruled that Ricciardos car had "exceeded consistently the maximum allowed fuel flow" and that the team refused an instruction from the races technical delegate Charlie Whiting to change the fuel-flow sensor before the race and a further request during the race to reduce the fuel flow. Corentin Tolisso Bayern Munich Jersey .com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No. SAN DIEGO -- It was a classic win by the punchless San Diego Padres. Everth Cabreras bunt single in the first inning was the only hit Wednesday by the Padres, who still beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 thanks to Francisco Lirianos wildness. "Thats Padres baseball right there," Cabrera said with a big grin. The Padres hit only two balls out of the infield: one that was caught by an outfielder and the other was a sacrifice fly that was caught by second baseman Josh Harrison in short right. "There are lot of ways to win a baseball game and that was one of them," said manager Bud Black, who has presided over two of the three victories in franchise history in which the Padres had only one hit. San Diego won 1-0 at San Francisco on April 20, 2010, when Jonathan Sanchez and Sergio Romo combined on a one-hitter. San Diego beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on July 19, 1975, when Steve Stone and Tom Dettore had a combined one-hitter. "You never know whats going to happen in a big league game," Black said. "Anytime you win its great, but when you win a game like that where you only get one knock, its a pretty good one. Feel good about it." The Padres played ultimate small-ball, scoring on a sacrifice fly, an error and a bases-loaded walk to avoid a three-game sweep. Rene Riveras fly to Andrew McCutcheon to end the eighth was the only ball fielded by a Pirates outfielder. "Nobody can beat us when we go 23 outs before the first one goes to the outfield," Black cracked. Carlos Quentin hit a sacrifice fly in the first, but it was caught in short right by Harrison. Ian Kennedy (5-6) won his third straight start, striking out seven and allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. He walked one. Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 18th save in as many chances. Three Pirates pitchers issued nine walks, two intentional, and hit one batter. The Padres struck out 10 times. San Diego has only 12 hits in its last four games. "I dont think I have ever been a part of that situation where you lose a close game on one hit, albeit a bunt," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Although, they did have a bunch of baserunners." Liriano (1-6) walked six and struck out seven in five innings.dddddddddddd He walked the bases loaded in the fourth inning and then walked Chris Denorfia to give the Padres a 3-1 lead. San Diego took a 2-0 lead in the first. Denorfia drew a leadoff walk, stole second and took third when Cabrera beat out a push bunt for a single. Quentin hit the sacrifice fly caught by Harrison. His throw home was well up the third-base line. After Chase Headley was hit by a pitch, Cabrera scored on Harrisons throwing error on Tommy Medicas grounder. "We had a runner on second base. We dont hit it that much," Cabrera said. "I had Carlos Quentin behind me and I was thinking, Put the ball in play. Push bunt and thats it. "The most important thing is that we won the game," Cabrera said. "It doesnt matter how." Said Liriano: "It just got a little confusing. He put it in the right spot, it was a good bunt. I wasnt expecting a bunt on a 3-2 count." Pittsburgh pulled to 2-1 on Andrew McCutcheons homer to left leading off the fourth, his sixth. The Pirates added another run in the fifth when Harrison doubled in Jordy Mercer, who was aboard on a leadoff single. NOTES: Padres RHP Andrew Cashner threw a bullpen session and could start Saturday night against Washington if he doesnt have a setback. Hes been on the disabled list with soreness in his right elbow since May 15. ... The Padres recalled INF Jace Peterson from Triple-A El Paso and optioned RHP Jesse Hahn to Double-A San Antonio. Peterson, in his second stint with the Padres, started at second base in place of Jedd Gyorko, whos hitting only .162. ... Peterson hit .174 in 10 games, including seven starts, in his first stint with the Padres. ... Hahn lasted 2 2-3 innings in his major league debut in a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. ... San Diego is off Thursday and will open a three-game series against Washington on Friday, when the scheduled starters are Tanner Roark (3-4, 3.25) for the Nationals and Tyson Ross (6-4, 2.85) for the Padres. ... Pittsburgh also is off Thursday and returns home to open a series against Milwaukee on Friday, when the scheduled starters are Kyle Lohse (7-1, 2.60) for the Brewers and Brandon Cumpton (0-2, 6.85) for the Pirates. 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