MINSK, Belarus -- From a disallowed goal to a penalty kill in the final minutes, Team Canada didnt enjoy a lot of easy moments in beating Norway 3-2. But thats exactly how coach Dave Tippett wanted it, as his team got the regulation victory it needed Tuesday to finish first in Group A at the world hockey championship. "We played well, and I like that we got pushed right to the end," Tippett said. "If it wouldve been a 5-1 or 6-1 game, maybe you get into bad habits, you just kind of float through it. This pushed us as a team, and the harder you get pushed as a team the better you get in a short amount of time. I like the fact that we won the game, obviously, but I like the fact that it was a close game." It was close because Norway took the lead, and then Canada had a would-be goal by Kevin Bieksa waved off for goaltender interference because Jonathan Huberdeau had his stick in the crease. And it remained close even after Joel Ward scored the second of his two goals, the eventual game winner, midway through the third because Norway didnt go away. Canada outshot Norway 42-16 and only beat goaltender Steffen Soberg three times, on Wards two on the power play and Mark Scheifeles at even strength. Meanwhile, James Reimer gave up goals to Anders Bastiansen and Mads Hansen that came about from defensive miscues but still improved to 3-0-1 in the tournament. "This is one of those games where you really just have to grind it out and battle because they protect so well, they collapse so well, and sometimes you just pass the puck around the outside but you cant really get to the good scoring areas," Reimer said. "I think were just happy to grind this one out." Canada, which finished the preliminary round with 18 points and a 6-0-1 record, will face Finland in Group B in the quarter-final round Thursday. Along the way, the Canadians outscored opponents 28-13, and their only blemish was a shootout loss to France. Tippett seemed pleased with his teams progression to this point. "Most of our players didnt play for three weeks and as you get back into game shape, your game starts to elevate," he said. "Every game our players continue to pick up a step." Finishing first in the group assured Canada of avoiding powerhouse Russia until a potential gold-medal game Sunday. The United States, led by Tyler Johnson and Seth Jones, could wind up on Canadas side of the bracket, pending the result of Russia-Belarus on Tuesday night. The chance to pass Sweden for first place almost slipped away Tuesday against Norway at Chizhovka-Arena. Canada fell behind on a power-play goal by Bastiansen and then had to overcome some frustration later in the first. It looked like Bieksa scored a power-play goal at the 15:01 mark, but it was waved off apparently because Huberdeau had his stick in the crease. Tippett said the referee wouldnt come over to explain the decision, which seemed to stem from the IIHF rule that an attacking player cannot have even his stick blade in the crease when the puck goes into the net. "I didnt think my skate was in the crease. I guess it was the stick," Huberdeau said. "I dont know the call, but it was the call and you cant do anything. Its not a big deal." It wouldve been a much bigger deal had it cost Canada the chance to win in regulation. But with seven power plays, including five after Bieksas goal was disallowed, there were plenty of opportunities to keep it from being the reason for a loss. "We were not going to let one call ruin the whole day for us," said Ward, who now has six goals and is tied with teammate Cody Hodgson and Frances Antoine Roussel for second in the tournament behind Russias Viktor Tikhonov. Canada managed to grind away at Norway enough, and Tippett had special praise for the fourth line of Ward, Scheifele and Sean Monahan. "We had lots of opportunities, but (the Norwegians) kept the game very tight," Tippett said. "They did a good job penalty-killing against us, and I was proud of our guys to just keep pushing, not get frustrated and hopefully wed find the chances we needed to win." Once they did, the Canadians could start to look ahead to elimination play. "Get some playoffs going here," Reimer said. "To get going to the quarter-finals here, I think were jelling well as a team. We have some good chemistry. Hopefully things bode well in the playoffs." NOTES -- Alex Burrows missed his second straight game with a charley horse suffered in a knee-on-knee hit Friday against Italy. Tippett said he skated each of the past two days, would practise with the team the next time it was on the ice and would be ready to play in Thursdays quarter-final game. ... Reimer approached Soberg, who made 39 saves on 42 shots, after the game to ask why he wasnt playing in the NHL. 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Pink Air Jordan 2 Retro . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.Iain Humes soccer resume was pretty complete already, but being named best player in a country of 1.2 billion adds a nice bow to it. The 31-year-old Canadian international forward, currently in camp with the national team in Florida, is coming off a productive and unexpected season with Kerala Blasters FC that saw him named best player in the Hero Indian Super League. While rival teams boasted marquee players like Alessandro Del Piero, Nicolas Anelka, Robert Pires, David Trezeguet, Fredrik Ljungberg, Luis Garcia, Marco Materazzi, Mikael Sylvestre, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Jermaine Pennant, the lone big name on Keralas squad was former England goalie David James, who doubled as player-manager. Kerala made it all the way to the Dec. 20 league final despite low expectations We were one of the favourites to finish last, Hume said. Hume, in his first Canadian camp since a 3-0 friendly loss to Australia in London in September 2013, played 45 minutes in Fridays 2-1 loss to Iceland. The two teams meet again Monday in Orlando. Kerala finished fourth in the nine-team league with a 5-5-4 record but reached the inaugural final by defeating league-leading Chennaiyin FC 6-1 on aggregate in the two-game semifinal. Kerala held Atletico de Kolkata scoreless in the final, only to lose 1-0 on a stoppage-time goal. A disappointing finale but still a massive achievement for a club with one of the lowest payrolls in the league, according to Hume. If wed been offered getting to the finals and losing in the 94th minute, I think everyone would have taken that with open arms, Hume said. We exceeded a lot of peoples expectations, including ourselves. The final was watched by 57 million TV viewers with Hume awarded his individual trophy after the match. With the players that were in that league and to be a Canadian lad whos not played on the world stage, to get that award was a brilliant achievement for myself and something Ill look back on as one of the highlights of my career, Hume said. Hume arrived in mid-September for the Indian leagues inaugural season, which ran October through December. Located in southwest India, Kerala is known for its natural beauty and spices. Sadly Hume did not have much time to explore, with games almost every three days. But he speaks warmly about the Kerala fans. The smallest home crowd was 40,000 and he played before more than 75,000 in the home leg of the semifinal. Theyre football-mad, he said. In pre-season, Hume says the team could walk through a local mall without drawing attention. By the end, they couldnt set foot there without being surrounded. One of the highlights of his time in India was being able to meet legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, part-owner of the Kerala franchise. The best thing about him is how humble he is as a person. Hell sit down and talk with you, and talk sports, talk family, talk everything, said Hume. He also paid tribute to the managerial and playing skills of the 44-year-old James. Talks are underway to bring Hume back next season, when the campaign will be extended a month. I really really enjoyed myself out there, as most of the people who went out there did. So itss definitely something Ill think twice about.dddddddddddd If he returns, he hopes to bring his wife and two daughters, aged four and 11, with him this time. The initial offer to play in India came out of the blue and at the last minute, so it was not feasible to uproot his family. While he went to India with an open mind, he says the level of football there was better than I expected. Some of the Indian players had excellent technique and were physically on par. Tactically they were a little behind, he added. India is trying to remedy that, looking to improve grassroots coaching, he said. Standard of play in the pro league improved every week, he said. Out of contract for the first time in 15 years, he had hoped to continue his career in the United Kingdom. But the offers he got were either unsatisfactory or too far away from the family home in northwest England. Then suddenly he ended up on the other side of the world. I sat down and talked to my wife about it and talked to my family. And it was the right time, he said. It was an opportunity Id never have put in front of me. And it was only for three and a half months. He first heard of the Indian League from a freelance journalist who passed on a contact. Hume gave the number to his agent, not thinking anything would come from it, and within two weeks he had been drafted by Kerala. Just everything thrown at me at once. Im not normally one to go so unorganized or so off the cuff but Im over the moon I did. Born in Edinburgh to Scottish parents, Hume was raised in Canada and soon was making soccer waves back in the U.K. He worked his way through the youth ranks at Tranmere Rovers, becoming the English clubs youngest ever debutante at 16 years 167 days in an April 2000 game against Swindon. In 2003, he helped lead Canada on a fairy-tale run to the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates where he, along with midfielder Atiba Hutchinson, was named to the tournament all-star team. A 500,000-pound (C$900,000) move took him to Leicester City in 2005 before stops in Barnsley and Preston North End and loan spells with Doncaster Rovers and Fleetwood Town. Just five foot seven, Hume has always been a bundle of energy on the field. His patriotism has also been plain to see, via the Maple Leaf occasionally dyed into his hair in past years. Hume made headlines for painful reasons playing for Barnsley in November 8, 2008, when Hume, caught by an elbow from Sheffield Uniteds Chris Morgan as both went for a high ball, suffered a fractured skull with severe complications. There was a long recovery period, leaving Hume with a wicked horseshoe-shaped scar from his left ear to the front of his forehead. Humes time with the Canadian team has been limited in recent years. He attribute that to an influx of new talent and the difficulties of playing in lower-tier leagues where teams dont get international breaks. Teams and squads get picked and if Im not there, Im disappointed but understanding. And Im just looking forward to the next one. ... Im happy to be involved, Im happy to get another chance. ___ Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Cheap Jerseys ChinaNFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Jerseys WholesaleDiscount Basketball JerseysCheap NHL Jerseys AuthenticCheap Baseball Jerseys Free ShippingCheapest College Jerseys SaleCheap Football Jerseys ChinaNike NFL Jerseys CanadaWholesale NHL Jerseys From ChinaMLB Jerseys Outlet CanadaWholesale NBA Jerseys Canada StoreCheap Soccer Jerseys ChinaCheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '