r the second straight day and pinch hitter Darin Ruf als

The NHLs Olympic decision remained unresolved after another meeting Wednesday, though theres certainly more intrigue to it all now.Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players Association, confirmed to reporters in New York on Wednesday that the NHL has offered to sign off on Olympic participation for 2018 in exchange for extending the current CBA.There have been some suggestions which could be construed that that discussion would be worth having, Fehr told reporters. Obviously we would discuss that with players. We have begun that process, but were a long way from done.The players have always maintained their desire for continued Olympic involvement, but the leagues initial offer likely wont get players all too excited, according to sources, given how eager they are to reopen the CBA and negotiate a limit on escrow, an amount withheld from players until the end of the season. A source said the NHLPA has already started to seek feedback from players on the leagues Olympic offer and will continue to do so.The CBA expires in September 2022, but both the NHL and NHLPA can choose to opt out in September 2020. The NHLs offer is to extend the CBA three years to 2025, two sources confirmed, in exchange for Olympic participation.In the meantime, the clock is running on an Olympic decision for 2018 in South Korea.We had continuing discussions on the Olympics, Fehr told reporters after Wednesdays meeting. No resolution was reached and we didnt expect one to be reached today, really. The discussions will continue.NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in an email to ESPN.com earlier Wednesday characterized the meeting as a good discussion, still no resolution.The meeting progressed the way I would anticipate it would progress today, Daly later told reporters in New York. We got a lot of information from the [International Ice Hockey Federation]. From their representatives, we asked a lot of questions. We all have a lot of work to do with our constituents in terms of next steps. As Don said, were in constant touch and thats how well continue.The NHL has participated in the Olympic Games since 1998 in Nagano, Japan, but that has come under threat after the IOC said it no longer wanted to cover certain costs such as players travel and insurance on player contracts.IIHF president Rene Fasel, however, says hes come up with the money to cover those costs, which he relayed in Wednesdays meeting.It was a good meeting but there is still work to do, Fasel told ESPN.com in a statement via email. We need to go back now and confirm what kind of support we can expect from the [member national associations], the [national Olympic committees], [the PyeongChang Organizing Committee] and the IOC before we can move forward.There is no hard deadline for a decision but all parties agree this must be resolved, either way, sometime in the New Year at the latest. Bobby Tolan . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Yadier Molina . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-tony-cingrani-jersey-large-1531q.html . After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. Tyler Webb . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Mike Matheny . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia Phillies cant find any relief from the bullpen blues this month.Brought into a tight game in the fifth inning, Frank Herrmann immediately gave up a three-run homer to Michael Conforto and the New York Mets broke away for a 10-5 win Friday night.Phillies relievers entered the game with a 1-7 record, seven blown saves and a 6.13 ERA in September -- they let leads get away in the ninth inning and again in the 11th Thursday night.We talked about how we like our young pitchers, which we do a lot. The whole bunch of them, manager Pete Mackanin said.Weve been in so many close games that we rely heavily on the bullpen for most of the year. Perhaps its catching up to us, he said.Confortos homer capped a six-run rally, and the Mets added three more against three relievers in the seventh.The Mets began the day tied with San Francisco for the wild-card lead. St. Louis lost and trails New York by 1 1/2 games.Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson (12-10) was coming off his first shutout since 2011. He took a 3-1 lead into the fifth, but the Mets loaded the bases with one out. Curtis Granderson singled home a run and Kelly Johnson hit an RBI single, with another run scoring when rookie right fielder Roman Quinn overran the ball for a 4-3 lead.Herrmann came in, and Conforto connected on the fifth pitch.Fastball command, just couldnt find it, Hellickson said. I feel like thats the cause every time I come here. You lose the fastball command and I try to get a little too predictable and before you know it, Im at 30, 35 pitches in the inning.This combination of losing command and thats a good lineup and they put some good at-bats together, I just couldnt make a big pitch when I needed to, he said.A day after using 10 pitchers in a stirring 9-8, 11-inning win over the Phillies, the Mets sent out six more. With his team competing for a playoff spot, manager Terry Collins yannked starter Gabriel Ynoa after just two shaky innings.dddddddddddd.Robles preserved a 7-5 lead in the seventh, getting pinch hitter Tommy Joseph to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Robles finished with hitless relief for his first career save.Maikel Franco homered for the second straight day and pinch hitter Darin Ruf also connected for the Phillies.Cesar Hernandez and Quinn hit RBI singles in the second off Ynoa. Hernandez has safely reached in 28 straight games, matching the best streak by a Phillies player since Chase Utley in 2011.THIS `N THATRuf hit his first home run of the season, and the second pinch-hit homer of his career. ... Franco hit his team-leading 24th homer, one more than Ryan Howard. ... Odubel Herrera stole his 25th base. ... Phillies starters hadnt given up more than three earned runs in 19 straight starts before Hellickson was charged with six in 4 1/3 innings.TRAINERS ROOMPhillies: RHP Jeanmar Gomez is feeling fine, but manager Pete Mackanin says he wont close for a couple of days. Gomez gave up a tying home run to Jose Reyes in the ninth inning Thursday night, and is 0-2 with a 16.20 ERA in 10 games this month.Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard has been scratched from his start Saturday night because of strep throat. Collins said Syndergaard might be able to start Monday or Tuesday at Miami.UP NEXTPhillies: RHP Alec Asher (1-0, 2.16) makes his fourth start for the Phillies this year. He started against the Mets last Sept. 30 and gave up five runs while getting chased in the first inning.Mets: LHP Sean Gilmartin will pitch Saturday night in place of the ailing Syndergaard. Gilmartins only major league start came last year. He is 0-0 with a 4.76 ERA in 13 games this season, and got two outs Thursday night. ' ' '