ought a home in the Lake Tahoe, Calif., area in the off-se

LAKE LOUISE, Alta. - Canadian skier Marie-Michele Gagnon has tasted World Cup success, but she hungers for more than just a taste.The 25-year-old from Lac-Etchemin, Que., wants to move up from seventh in the world, where she currently ranks in slalom, and into the top three.Gagnon opened this season sixth in Levi, Finland, and eighth in Aspen, Colo. A solid start, but its so last season to Gagnon. Im starting to get frustrated, she said. I want more and it only started this year in Levi when I was sixth and I said Ah, again?Honestly, all of last year I was really happy with any of those results because they brought consistency to my skiing and brought me into the top seven. Now that Im in the top seven Im in the game and I know I can do better.Gagnon won her first World Cup medal two years ago in Are, Sweden, where she claimed bronze in slalom. She returns this week to the Swedish resort for a giant slalom Friday and slalom Saturday.The last few years Ive been really fast in the first run and unfortunately either straddling (a gate) or going out on the second run, she said. But I love this hill. Its my favourite hill for slalom. It could go well if I put everything together.The combined times of two runs determines the winner in both slalom and giant slalom. Gagnon says she often nails the first run and the second is where she loses a medal.Because of her ranking shes among the first seven out of the start hut for run No. 1 on a smooth course. The order is reversed for the second run, so Gagnon skis a track more chewed up by the skiers before her.Ive been super-fast in the first runs, fourth and fifth depending, always in the chase, she explained. Its all mental obviously. Its about doing the same thing in the second run as you do in the first.Youve just got to know its going to feel more rough, but take the same approach as in the first run, so Im going to try that.Gagnon claimed her first World Cup victory, and the second podium of her career, on Jan. 12 of this year in a World Cup super-combined in Austria. The event is the total time of one slalom run and one shorter downhill race or super-G.Its a measure of a skiers all-around racing ability, but also rarer on the World Cup schedule..Gagnon wont race a super-combined until Feb. 9 during the world alpine ski championships in Vail, Colo. A self-described slalom ninja, Gagnon keeps a toe in speed events in order to contend in super-combined.Its why she flew in to participate in Sundays super-G in Lake Louise, Alta. She missed a gate and didnt finish, but Gagnon wasnt discouraged.I was in the game, she said. Id rather have charged rather than held back and not do anything.Gagnon has dislocated her left shoulder three times in the last eight months and races with a brace on her shoulder.She suffered the first dislocation in a crash during the slalom portion of the Olympic super-combined in February. After the injury, Gagnon raced to ninth in Olympic slalom, but did not finish GS.Her shoulder slipped out of joint while weight training in Calgary in the off-season. She crashed in the first run of a giant slalom in Soelden, Austria on Oct. 25 and injured it again. She intends to race through it this season.Once you dislocate it once, its more prone to dislocate again, Gagnon said. Im probably going to have to get surgery in the spring.Gagnon says she was fried after a stressful Olympic Games. She and boyfriend Travis Ganong, a skier on the U.S. mens team, bought a home in the Lake Tahoe, Calif., area in the off-season.Despite her shoulder injury, Gagnon says she feels strong enough shave off those hundredths of a second that are the difference in ski racing.Im really close, she said. Thats why I always say in interviews Im getting sick of fourth and fifth and sixth, but at the same time Ive got to be patient. Its almost there, so Im going to keep working with that.Its just consistency, solid skiing and having that little bit of risk. Lanny McDonald Jersey . Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist stood tall with 41 saves between the pipes, but it was defenceman Ryan McDonagh who got the first star of the game as he had a goal and an assist and now has two goals and four assists for six points in two games. 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The last time the Blazers won a playoff series came in the 2000 Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - From his perch atop Regan Smiths pit box, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a clear view of the Daytona International Speedway finish line. He thought he was about to watch Smith win as his driver pulled away from the pack on the final lap Friday night in the Nationwide Series race. Then Kasey Kahne came charging through the outside lane, pulled alongside Smith and nipped him at the finish line. No worries for Earnhardt: Kahne also was in one of JR Motorsports Chevrolets. "I was just glad that it was one of our cars when I saw somebody flying by on the top," Earnhardt said. "When I got a glimpse of it, I was happy to see it was (Kahne.) It was Kahnes first Nationwide victory since a 2007 win at Bristol while driving for Ray Evernham. He hoped to translate it into another victory Saturday night in the Sprint Cup Series as Kahne looks for his first win of the season. Kahne is the only driver of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers yet to win this season. "This will carry. I havent won in a while. To win in anything is good," Kahne said. "When I first came into this series in 02, I struggled to pick up stock cars. Id go and race my sprint car and could still win in sprint car races and Id come back feeling like I could win. ... Id run 15th or 20th, but I still felt way better coming back into that race after running my sprint car. Any momentum is good momentum." Kahne was 12th on a restart with three laps to go when Chase Elliott, another JR Motorsports driver, sputtered at the front of the field when the race went to green. It stacked up traffic behind Elliott and triggered a four-car crash that halted the restart. Kahne manoeuvred his way through the accident and found himself eighth when the race resumed for a two-lap overtime sprint to the finish. He weaved his way through traffic, but didnt appear to be in the mix for a shot at the win as Smith pulled away from the pack. But as the field hurtled through the final turn, Kyle Larson jumped out of line and made it three-wide behind Smith. Kahne moved into the top lane and, using a push from Ryan Sieg, charged alongside Smith and beat him to the line by .021 seconds. "Everything I did tonight was wrong — I looked in my mirror and would be like Go and then decide not to and itd be the right move," Kahne said. "I didnt really do a whole lot right, but at the end, II got a big push from (Sieg) and was able to get by Regan there.dddddddddddd Just had tons of momentum there coming off turn four and had a fast car." Smith couldnt offer a better last-lap strategy then the one he used. "If I go up any higher, we probably all wreck right there," Smith said. "I dont know how to do it any different. Ill have to study the tape and see where I messed up. I had a pretty good sized gap, but at that point you cant crack the throttle or drag the brake. I lost just enough momentum that it didnt quite work out." It was the sixth win this season for JR Motorsports, and second consecutive following Kevin Harvicks victory last week at Kentucky. "It feels good to win. These guys have won five times already this year, so its nice to get one. It was a fun race." Smith, one of JR Motorsports two full-time drivers, wound up second in his return to Daytona following his victory in Februarys season-opener. Despite the defeat, Smith reclaimed the series points lead from Elliott Sadler. "Its kind of bittersweet," Smith said. "Im disappointed for the team, Im disappointed for my guys, and selfishly Im disappointed. But, for JR Motorsports, Im happy. A 1-2 finish is great. Its kind of a weird mix of emotions right now. "Im happy for the company and frustrated for the 7 team." Earnhardt was thrilled with the 1-2 finish and the sixth win for his company. "Im proud of the company and what theyve been able to accomplish this year. Sieg was a career-best third. "It was a win for us," Sieg said. "Hopefully it will bring some more sponsors. It would be nice to have a full-time sponsor, hopefully we turned some eyes." The performance earned huge praise from Earnhardt, who said he spent time watching Sieg race during last months race at Dover. "He impressed the hell out of me. I had not really paid a ton of attention to him prior to that, and I know those guys run on a shoestring (budget), but he had a couple of runs during the race at Dover that were better than anyone outside the top-five," Earnhardt said. "Its great to see him run well because I think he does a lot with very little." Ryan Reed finished a career-best fourth and was followed by Larson, Joey Logano and Darrell Wallace Jr. The top 10 was rounded out by Jeremy Clements, Trevor Bayne and Mike Wallace. 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