AME OF THE WEEKMontreal will get | Forum

PARIS -- After such a long wait, reaching the summit of mens tennis was an anticlimax for Andy Murray. Cheap Tennessee Titans Jerseys .Without playing a point, the Scot ended a seven-year wait to secure the world No. 1 spot when he advanced to the Paris Masters final after Milos Raonic withdrew from their semifinal on Saturday.Raonic found out in an exam on Saturday that he tore his right quadricep in the quarterfinals.The way that it happened today was quite strange, Murray said. I had always imagined, obviously, doing it on the court. Like last night, before I went to bed, I was imagining doing it, kind of thinking about it happening on the court after a match.Murray will supplant Novak Djokovic and rise to No. 1 officially when the ATP rankings are updated on Monday. He is guaranteed to hold at least a five-point lead over Djokovic, more than seven years after he reached No. 2 for the first time.Their fight for supremacy will resume at the ATP Finals in London from next weekend.Im sure on Monday Ill feel good, Murray said. Its unfortunate the way that it happened today, but its been many years of work to get here.After Raonics walkover, Murray gave the Paris fans something to cheer. He took to the court for practice, and hit a few shots with the ball boys and girls.Following Djokovics loss in the quarterfinals on Friday, Murray needed to make the final to take top spot off the Serb. Murray will face John Isner, who hit 18 aces to defeat Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3.No matter the result of the final, the 29-year-old Murray will become the first Briton to hold the top spot since the rankings began in 1973, and the oldest first-time No. 1 since John Newcombe at 30 in 1974.In an era dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic, Murray reflected on how hard it has been to become No. 1. He has spent 76 straight weeks at No. 2.Its been such a difficult thing to do because of how good the guys around me have been, the guys ahead of me, Murray said.They are three of the best players that have ever played the game ... some of the years that they have had in that period, as well, have been, I mean, ridiculous, really. Like three slams and double slams ... So, you know, its taken a great year to get there.A turning point in Murrays career came when he hired eight-time grand slam champion Ivan Lendl as a coach in 2011. During their first stint, Lendl managed to turn Murray from a four-time Grand Slam runner-up into a two-time major champion.Murray won Olympic gold in London in 2012 and the U.S. Open the same year. In 2013, he became the first British man to triumph at Wimbledon in 77 years.When Lendl left, Murray hired Amelie Mauresmo in 2014. She helped him climb the rankings following back surgery, but their partnership ended in May without any new major titles. Lendl rejoined Murray before Wimbledon, a week after the Scot lost to Djokovic in the French Open final, to work alongside Murrays full-time coach Jamie Delgado.The move paid off immediately: Murray claimed a second title at the All England Club and a second gold medal at the Rio Olympics. He won his third straight tournament last week in Vienna, and has lost only 3 matches since the French Open.Ivan has helped me a lot in the periods we have spent with each other, Murray said. The first time, I have the best period of time in my career, and since Wimbledon its been a great run.Djokovic held the top spot for 122 consecutive weeks, and 223 weeks overall. But after winning the French Open for the first time in June, his form has dipped. Since then, hes won only one of his six tournaments.One person was quick to congratulate Murray on Saturday -- his mother Judy.Youve come a long way baby, Judy Murray tweeted , with an old photo of the two of them on a tennis court followed by the number 1 and a heart. Cheap Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. Cheap Los Angeles Rams Jerseys .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. http://www.cheapoutletnfljerseys.com/ . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. A season after every Canadian team was shut out of the NHL playoffs for the first time since 1970, two teams north of the border are off to strong starts.The Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers made major moves in the offseason that have panned out so far, helping them build the largest divisional leads in the league.Montreal began the season 9-0-1, creating a cushion in the Atlantic and re-establishing itself as a contender in the Eastern Conference. Edmonton won seven of its first eight, shooting to the top of the Pacific and making a rare appearance atop the Western Conference standings.Its great that weve created a buzz back in Canada, where hockey is the No. 1 sport, Oilers winger Milan Lucic told The Associated Press. Theres definitely a buzz in Edmonton, where its been a long time since fans have been able to root for a team that has won.Connor McDavid has made the Oilers relevant again, restoring pride to a five-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise that has endured a 10-season postseason drought. The 19-year-old center was named the NHLs first star in October after opening the season with three points in each of his first two games, scoring two game-winning goals and having 12 points in nine games.McDavid played in his 14th game of the season Tuesday night at Pittsburgh, a year after a breaking his left clavicle 13 games into his rookie season. He was out for nearly three months last season but didnt miss a beat when he returned, finishing with 48 points in 45 games.He draws attention from opponents like hes already a superstar and responds like a savvy veteran, giving up the puck to open teammates as he did to set up a winning goal Sunday night in Detroit. McDavid, the No. 1 pick last year, simply shrugs his shoulders and gives aw-shucks answers when asked to explain his knack for knowing when to shoot and when to pass.Ive done it my whole life, he said.Even though McDavid hasnt played an entire season yet, Oilers coach Todd McLellan doesnt hesitate to say hes one of the NHLs top players.The way teams are paying attention to him, checking him, and making him a focal point, I think that would indicate that a lot of the league agrees, McLellan said.McDavid cant win alone, though.Lucic has provided an instant return on the franchises $42 million, seven-yeaar investment in him during free agency over the summer, giving the team an established veteran to lean on in his 10th season. Cheap Minnesota Vikings Jerseys. Every good team needs at least a solid goaltender and the Oilers have one in Cam Talbot, who is in his second season with the team and fourth in the league.The Canadiens might have the best goalie in the world, and hes healthy again and so is the teams outlook. A blockbuster trade that went their way has helped, too.Price missed much of last year with a knee injury, tuned up for the season with a World Cup-winning performance for Canada and looks like he did when he won the Vezina Trophy two years ago.Shea Weber has never won the Norris Trophy, but this might be the year hes recognized as the leagues top defenseman in his 12th season after being acquired in a jaw-dropping deal with Nashville for P.K. Subban. Weber was named the leagues second star of October after leading all defensemen with 10 points, including a 10-day stretch in which he scored a league-high three game-winning goals last month.Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Weber, changes everything, for the franchise.What he brings, you obviously see it on the ice, but off the ice, in the room, everywhere, its his attitude, his behavior, the little details that show hes a real leader, Bergevin said.SHARK ATTACKThe defending Western Conference-champion San Jose Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak by opening a six-game road trip with a 3-0 shutout of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. It was the kind of game coach Peter DeBoer wants to see from his team.Our foundation is being hard to play against and not giving up too much, DeBoer said. We havent scored, but we dont want to play a 6-5 game. I think even on the stretches where we didnt score last year, you could always rely on that foundation.GAME OF THE WEEKMontreal will get tested perhaps more than it has been this season Sunday night on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks, who have won six straight going into Wednesday nights game at St. Louis.---AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.---Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.twitter.com/larrylage ' ' '