Friday at Scotiabank Place before securing a higher pick

Friday at Scotiabank Place before securing a higher pick.Senators brass will spend the days leading up to the draft talking with other clubs, inquiring about the price for a Top 10 selection.”Bryan knows we’re going to get a player that we like at No. A buddy of mine who was listening the NHL radio on XM called and said that was what they were speculating as of yesterday.After Stamkos the story to me is Filatov. Will he go before the Jackets pick? If not do the Jackets consider him if they stay at #6? I just don’t see how they could pass on this kid if the big 4 d-men go 2 through 5.A story out of Ottawa has the Senators looking to move into the top 10 on draft day.Assistant GM Tim Murray confirmed the club, slated to pick 18th in the first round, will try to trade up to get a Top 10 selection.Murray admitted the club will likely have to wait until the draft gets under way around 7 p.m. EST.The trade chatter should really start heating up as should who is going to go where at the top end of this year’s pecking order.The wild card continues to be just where will Nikita Filatov land?Jim Nill, assistant GM in Detroit, certainly has some good things to say:Stories are starting to pop up that LA may not be seriously considering Filatov at #2. The Yankees only allowed six runs in these past three games, with the bullpen doing a solid job of exceeding low expectations from speculators.The Yankees are definitely a second-half team, and if they continue to hit this way with Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, and Joba Chamberlain producing consistent outings, they will be in good shape to compete for the wild card spot, and possibly even to step into the ring and fight it out with Boston and Tampa Bay for the division championship..

This was not the case in the series against the Astros, as the Bombers produced 24 runs over three games.Among the Yankees who have come alive of late is Alex Rodriguez, who is hitting  over .400 in the month of June, smashing two homers in the Houston series.With that said, it is not only the offense that has been doing their job. They now stand four games above .500, quite the achievement considering where they have been for most of the season.Although the Yanks took two of three from the A’s, their bats were not alive and the pitching had to bail the team out. The Yankees have apparently caught the fever, going 5-1 on their road trip to Oakland and Houston. One of the most dramatic comebacks was complete and Turkey found themselves progressing to the quarterfinals for only the second time in their history.They go on to face Croatia, but will be without Demirel who receives a one-match ban for his red card.. As time dwindled down, the Turks seemed to be out of luck as Servet Cetin headed a sure goal from four yards out just wide of Cech’s goal.Moments later, the unthinkable happened.

A cross from Hamit Altintop was dropped by Cech allowing Nihat Kahveci to collect the loose ball for a tap in sending his team and their supporters into a frenzy.For the second game in a row, the Turks managed to rise to the challenge and tie the game at two with three minutes to go.Just two minutes later, Khaveci somehow beat the offside flag, walked in on Cech, and smashed an absolutely cracking goal from 22 yards out off the underside of the crossbar to give the Turks a 3-2 lead. Fifteen minutes remained as the Turks pushed for that second goal and second comeback of the tournament.Like hungry sharks, the Turks loomed repeatedly towards the Czech goal and practically set up camp on the right of the penalty area. Surely, the 2-0 lead would be enough for the Czechs to advance, but what transpired next is simply remarkable.Arda Turan brought the Turks within one after he notched his second goal of the tournament beating Cech on a solid right-footed finish in the 75th that brought his team to life. Tuncay ?anli had the best early chance, as his header was saved well by Cech off a free kick.Any sort of momentum Turkey managed to create was destroyed when Jaroslav Plašil doubled the Czech lead with a sliding effort on a Libor Sionko cross in the 62nd minute.

As the two sides returned to the pitch, the rain did everything but let up as Turkey began to push for an equalizer. The Czech offensive drive finally paid off, as Jan Koller headed home his 55th international goal to give his side a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute.Koller announced he would retire from international football after this competition and leaves as the Czechs’ top goal scorer.The Czechs took the lead into the locker room, as Turkey hardly bothered Petr Cech and seemed to be playing for a penalty shootout. Had the game been tied after normal time, the two sides would decide the winner in a penalty shootout, a new rule implemented by FIFA this year.The first half saw a resilient Czech attack and an undisciplined Turkish team who collected two quick yellow cards. Heading into the match, both teams found themselves deadlocked at three points. June 15, 2008, will live long in the memory of everyone associated with the Turkish and Czech national football teams, as the day of the best football game of all time.The Turks’ won just three days ago when they overcame a 1-0 deficit to beat co-host Switzerland, but that game will forever be overshadowed by this night in Geneva.The two teams met in a winner-takes-all for the right to play Group B winners Croatia. If he goes on the DL, look for super-prospect Bryan Anderson to get the call from Memphis..