due to illness. He did return to practice on Friday. The Blue Jackets were among the leagues hottest tea

MAMMOTH LAKE, Calif. -- Shaun White skipped the Friday morning Olympic snowboarding qualifier to get some needed rest, a calculated risk considering the two-time Olympic gold medallist still wasnt assured of a spot in Sochi for his signature event. Two thrilling trips down Mammoth Mountain later in the afternoon all but solved that problem. Oh, and they sent a message too. The sports greatest ever is still on top of his game. In fact, hes building on it. Soaring through the California air looking very much like someone intent on making history, White dominated the afternoon session, posting a score of 98.6 to move closer to one of the four spots on the U.S. Olympic halfpipe team. Even better, he did it while landing the latest wrinkle in his ever-expanding repertoire. White nailed a frontside double-cork 1440 in competition for the first time during his second run, a trick he spent the run-up to Sochi obsessing over. The payoff came in the middle of his run as he packed four full twists and two flips inside in one physics-defying leap. Not bad considering a needed win was already assured. White posted a 97 during his first run, which included his usual double McTwist 1260. The new skill adds half a rotation, which he says changes it completely. Maybe, but the results havent changed a bit. White pumped his fists when his score was posted in a mixture of relief and joy. "I was treating it like an Olympic event, which it is," White said. "I wanted to up my score. I wanted to do something under pressure ... Im happy I landed it." It also avoided any second-guessing after White decided to skip the morning event after a busy Thursday in which he wiped out during a slopestyle qualifying event to return to the top of the hill hours later and win, securing a berth on the U.S. Olympic slopestyle team in the process. "I just figured if I could pull it out yesterday I should be able to do it today and that inspired me to get up and make it happen," White said. "Taking the morning off was the best call I think Ive made." Looked like it. Scotty Lago, who won bronze behind White in Vancouver in 2010, thrust himself back into the mix for Sochi by finishing second. Taylor Gold wrapped up his seat in Sochi by finishing third. The U.S. is so stacked in the halfpipe making the Olympic team could be even more difficult than reaching the podium in Russia. Yet White left little doubt the chasm hes created between himself and the rest of the world hasnt moved much in the last four years. "I was really on the edge of my physical abilities," White said. "I was so fatigued from slopestyle. But I did a run that Ive never ever in my career done, so Im happy. Ive got to push through all the way to Sochi. Ive just got to keep going." The field behind Gold, White and Greg Bretz is a jumbled mess, with a half-dozen jockeying for the one spot that remains up for grabs. Its a field that now includes enigmatic Danny Davis after Davis pulled out a stunning win during the morning session. The 25-year-old was considered the snowboarder with the best shot at challenging White in Vancouver. Davis even beat White in a qualifying event barely a month before the games only to have his pelvis crushed in an all-terrain vehicle accident. Hes spent most of the last quadrennial trying to stay healthy. During a dynamic run, he looked more than healthy. He looked competitive. His 95.20 was enough to edge Gold by 1.2 points and give Davis hope of joining White in Sochi. "Ive had a rough four years of getting hurt and this year was about getting good at snowboarding again," Davis said. "If I make the Olympic team, its cool because its another accomplishment in my life Ive yet to make." Kelly Clark, who took gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, remained perfect by sweeping both womens events on Friday. The two-time Olympic medallist is guaranteed a spot on the team. The other three spots are a toss-up, though 2006 Olympic champion and 2010 silver medallist Hannah Teter bolstered her bid by finishing third and now has two straight top-four finishes. Salomon Shoes Canada Online . The Irish golfer, whose father Patrick died from cancer, says he underwent surgery for sun spots. The 42-year-old Harrington told Irish radio station Today FM: "Ive had a number of skin cancers removed off my face. Salomon Shoes Clearance Canada . The game marks the rare occasion when two homegrown running backs, Jon Cornish of the Calgary Stampeders and Andrew Harris of the B.C. Lions, will start in the West Divisions battle for a Grey Cup berth. http://www.salomonoutletcanada.com/ . Groves signed with Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent last year after a season with Arizona. He was in the linebacker rotation and had a sack in the season opener against Miami. Discount Salomon Shoes Canada . - All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked spry enough in pregame warmups Sunday for Green Bays divisional playoff game against Dallas. Salomon Shoes Sale Canada . Completely. Two days after releasing Peyton Manning, the longtime face of the franchise, the Colts announced they were cutting four fan favourites: running back Joseph Addai, linebacker Gary Brackett, safety Melvin Bullitt and tight end Dallas Clark.(SportsNetwork.com) - The red-hot Chicago Blackhawks are expected to get another lift on Saturday night when starting netminder Corey Crawford returns to action to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. Crawford has missed Chicagos past eight games with a left foot ailment, though the Blackhawks went a healthy 7-1-0 over that span. Still, the return of the 29-year-old netminder can only further help as he has gone 12-5-1 this season with a 1.87 goals against average and .929 save percentage in 18 starts. Crawford returns to a favorable matchup as well. Chicago has won 13 straight over Columbus since a loss on Feb. 18, 2011, and has a victory in nine consecutive trips to Ohio. Crawford is 10-2-0 with a 1.82 GAA and .942 save percentage in 12 career games versus the Blue Jackets. Saturday will mark his first start this season since Nov. 29. Ive been feeling real good in practice and working really hard. (The) quickness is there, quick feet and recoveries to rebounds is there too. Right now I feel good, said Crawford. Chicago as a whole should be feeling good considering Tuesdays 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild was its 10th in 11 games. Patrick Kane had the game-winner, a late power-play goal that came after the Blackhawks failed to hold a 3-1 lead. Kane, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews all finished with a goal and two assists, while Ben Smith scored into an empty-net and added an assist. Marian Hossa also scored and Antti Raanta made 26 saves. You have to roll with whatever happens. Obviously you want to keep a lead there, being up 3-1, but they stormed back, said Smith. Theyyre a good hockey team.dddddddddddd They make plays and found a way to tie it up. But (us) just sticking with our game plan, sticking with what we did well in the second period, scoring three goals, and it was nice getting that power play at the end. Our guys found a way to get the job done. Chicago got the job done despite defenseman Duncan Keith missing the game due to illness. He did return to practice on Friday. The Blue Jackets were among the leagues hottest teams over the course of December, but had a seven-game win streak halted with a 5-4 overtime setback to the Washington Capitals on Thursday. It was Columbus first defeat since Nov. 29 and came in the opener of a five-game homestand. Michael Chaputs first career NHL goal had given Columbus a 4-3 lead with 4:25 remaining in regulation, but Troy Brouwer answered for the Capitals just 1:25 later to send the game into extra time and Eric Fehr potted the winner 42 seconds into overtime. It marked the fifth straight game for the Blue Jackets that has gone to either overtime or a shootout. Im disappointed the way the game ended, because we had two leads, two opportunities to earn a win in regulation, said Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards. It leaves you with a little bitter taste, just because there were opportunities. Nick Foligno scored twice -- including the 100th of his career -- and assisted on Jack Johnsons power-play goal for Columbus, which received 31 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky in defeat. Bobrovsky is 1-2-1 in his career versus the Blackhawks with a 2.76 GAA and .921 save percentage. ' ' '