uch the same." The Billikens appeared to be in good shape

Hours before the Stanley Cup finals began, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman proudly proclaimed that concussions are down across the league and there are numbers to back him up. That does not mean the league has figured out how to prevent head injuries among its players. Or that the numbers tell the whole story. According to data from STATS provided to The Associated Press, there were 53 concussions during the regular season, a sharp decline from the 78 reported during the leagues last full season two years ago. But even Bettman said there is only so much the league can do about a player hiding a head injury to stay on the ice. "Obviously, its difficult for us to get into a players head, no pun intended, with this concussion discussion," he said. "But if a player is going to not follow the protocol, not say exactly what hes feeling, thats pretty difficult to address." Dr. Jeff Kutcher, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based neurologist who works with NHL players believed to have concussions, wasnt sure the lower numbers indicated a dramatic change. "Im not surprised that the numbers are down, but I wouldnt read too much into those numbers," Kutcher said. The NHLs concussion protocol, like other leagues, requires players to get a team doctors OK before they can return to play. They are taken to a quiet place for evaluation, questions and tests of their memory, balance and general awareness. Players, though, seem to be able to skate around the protocol. Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman James Wisniewski said he avoided return-to-play protocol after he went head first into the boards during the playoffs. He wanted to keep playing. The Montreal Canadiens were criticized for letting forward Dale Weise return to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals after a blindside hit sent him to the dressing room. General manager Marc Bergevin insisted the team did not know Weise had a concussion until the next day and that the leagues protocol was followed. "Its flawed, but Im not a doctor," Bergevin said. "We all worry about our players, but we can only go by what were given." Hockey Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan, who was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs to be their president two months ago after he was the NHLs chief disciplinarian, said it is good for the game that concussions are part of the conversation. "When there are situations like weve had in the playoffs, whether it is a hit to the head or mis-reporting, it gets put in the spotlight and it should," Shanahan said. "That is part of the continuing change of culture, and its going to be an ongoing process. I dont think there ever will be a perfect system because players are always going to want to play." The NHL Players Association says it has taken steps to educate its players about the dangers of concussions, including bringing doctors to each team before the season for discussions. "The players understand the seriousness of concussions, and along with our consulting doctors we continue to discuss with them the importance of early diagnosis, treatment and proper recovery," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said. Detroit Red Wings forward Drew Miller said players choose to keep playing with head injuries for at least a few reasons. "Guys downplay the symptoms or dont report them because of job security and they dont want to lose their spot," Miller said. "And, guys want to keep playing because they want help their team. In the back of our minds, too, you dont want other teams to know you have a head injury." Retired players Dave Christian, Reed Larson and William Bennett filed a class-action suit nearly two months ago in federal court that alleged the league has promoted fighting and downplayed the risk of head injuries that come from it. They joined another group of former NHL players in the fight for compensation for head injuries they blame on a game that promotes hard-hitting action. Current players seem to be adapting to the NHLs emphasis on safer play: Physical penalties -- such as illegal checks to the head, checks from behind and elbowing -- have dropped in each of the last six regular seasons. An average of 1.03 physical penalties were called per game during the 2013-14 season, according to STATS, down from 1.14, 1.16, 1.25, 1.36 and 1.39 the previous five years. Suspensions have generally held steady at around 35 per season the past few years, and players are sometimes forced to sit even if no penalty is called. Montreals Brandon Prust wasnt penalized for a hit that broke the jaw of New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan during the Eastern Conference finals, but he was suspended for two games by the league. Stepan sat out one game after going through a series of tests. "The protocol helps make sure that the player is OK and that he is not playing with something that he shouldnt be," he said. "I think its a good step in the right direction." Ultimately, though, players have to protect themselves and each other. "It comes down to the guys on the ice respecting each other and playing it as safe as possible," Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. "You see some of the big hits this year, inevitably youre going to catch a piece of the head and cause a problem, but the leagues done well with suspensions and penalties and the players have done a good job as far as the respect factor." Adidas NHL Jerseys 2020 . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. Fake NHL Jerseys 2020 . With the Nets winning streak in jeopardy, Williams scored 23 points, 11 in the final six minutes, to lead Brooklyn to a 104-99 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. https://www.nhljerseys2020.com/ . "I wasnt waving the pom-poms to be involved with it to start with," Carlyle said after a 5-2 win over Carolina on Sunday night. "Its been a trying time. "Specifically we havent played as well as wed like to hang our hat on. Wholesale NHL Jerseys 2020 . She was 30. The former British No. 1 died peacefully surrounded by family and friends, the Womens Tennis Association said on its website. The Kyiv-born Baltacha, who represented Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, was diagnosed with the illness in January, two months after retiring from tennis and only weeks after she married her long-time coach Nino Severino. NHL Jerseys China . - The Minnesota Vikings have ruled Christian Ponder out for Sundays game at Baltimore, because the quarterback has not yet passed all of his post-concussion tests.ST. LOUIS -- The longest winning streak in Saint Louis history ended Thursday night with a surprising loss at home to Duquesne. That was hardly the most disappointing part of it as far as forward Dwayne Evans was concerned. "The streak didnt really mean much to us," Evans said. "Its a tough loss because theres a championship on the line, not just because it broke the streak." Micah Mason had 22 points and Jerry Jones added 19, leading Duquesne to a 71-64 victory. Saint Louis (25-3, 12-1 Atlantic 10) had won 19 straight since dropping a 70-65 decision on Dec. 1 to unbeaten Wichita State, now ranked No. 2 in the country. With a win, the Billikens could have clinched at least a tie for the Atlantic 10 regular-season title. But it was the Dukes who looked like title contenders Thursday. "They did a really nice job and we just didnt play well enough," Saint Louis coach Jim Crews said. "Weve played well and weve been fortunate. Tonight, we didnt play well enough. "We have no license that were going to win. One teams going to win and one teams going to lose. Whoever plays the best (wins). Thats how it is, and they played better than us." Mason, who entered leading the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (.554), hit four of five from behind the arc for Duquesne (12-15, 4-10), which beat a top-10 opponent on the road for the first time since defeating No. 6 Bradley 73-72 on March 5, 1962. Duquesne improved to 5-28 on the road against top 10 teams. The Dukes, who were 14-point underdogs, are 25-55 overall against teams ranked in the top 10. Although it looked like a mismatch on paper, Jones said he and the Dukes could feel this one coming. "Really, this team was ready to get beat and I just wannted to be a part of it and so did everybody else," he said.dddddddddddd Evans had 10 points and 12 rebounds for Saint Louis. Mike McCall Jr. led the Billikens with 18 points, while Jordair Jett (13 points) and Rob Loe (12 points) also were in double digits. Saint Louis will try to rebound Saturday when it visits VCU. Crew said the team will not vary its approach after losing for the first time in nearly three months. "We do the same thing whether we win or lose," he said. "We just try to clean up what we did wrong. We address those things we did wrong, we keep working on our fundamentals and try to get better and move on with the next team. It doesnt make a difference win or lose. Our routine is pretty much the same." The Billikens appeared to be in good shape after Jetts layup with 13:44 remaining gave them a 42-35 lead. But the Dukes took command with an 18-2 run capped by a 3-pointer and then a layup by Jones that made it 53-44 with 7:41 left. Saint Louis fought back and had a chance to cut it to a one-possession game with under a minute remaining. Loe, however, missed a free throw and that led to Jones layup at the other end with 52 seconds left that made it 63-57. The Dukes played Saint Louis tough in their first meeting, losing 76-72 at home on Jan. 22. Duquesne was up for the challenge again Thursday and showed it early as Mason hit his first two shots from behind the arc to help the Dukes grab a 13-8 advantage. Mason was called for his second foul shortly thereafter and went to the bench, and the Billikens began to take advantage of his absence. Saint Louis went 1 for 7 from 3-point range in the first half, but Jake Barnetts 3 with 44 seconds left gave the Billikens a 29-25 halftime lead. 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