SOCHI, Russia – Mike Babcock has to hope the constant tinkering is just about done. The Canadian head coach has been shuffling his deck of impressive cards from the moment his team touched down here in Russia, searching for the right mixture that will yield a second consecutive gold medal. Babcock will employ his fourth different set of forward combinations at Wednesdays quarterfinal against Latvia. Only one line gained any kind of traction during the preliminary round, a trio that includes Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter and Patrick Marleau. "Weve changed our lines, in my opinion – same at last Olympics – too much," said Babcock. Stingy in their defensive game in wins over Norway, Austria and Finland, the Canadian squad has not been the potent offensive machine one might expect with such an overwhelming talent base. In fact, the defence, led by the polished Drew Doughty with four goals, actually outscored the forwards – only three of whom have scored – in the preliminary round. All of which explains the continued juggling. And unlike say the American team, who has thrived behind the work of Toronto linemates, Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk, Canada has not yet benefited from any of the NHL pairs it brought to Sochi. Though reunited once more, Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz have failed to establish their Pittsburgh connectivity. Toews and Patrick Sharp landed together for one largely quiet game. And the scary Anaheim duo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf has just a single goal and will try its third left winger in Jamie Benn against the Latvians. "Were just trying to find some ways to have better execution and generate some more chances," said John Tavares, likely to be paired with a mix that includes Sharp, Rick Nash and perhaps Martin St. Louis. "When we get our chances, weve got to put them in. Were not giving up a whole lot and we are controlling the game so I think those are good signs. I think that will lead to good things, especially with all the talent we have and the ability to create chances that we have." As promised – and perhaps to the recent chagrin of Babcock, based on the above remarks – Canada has not remained patient with any of the combinations it blended up. Carter, for instance, played one subpar game with Crosby and was promptly the 13th forward at the outset of game two. With talent bursting at the seams of the roster, the rationale behind shuffling what doesnt appear to work is understandable. "I think the one thing weve learned over time is if its not there, chemistry-wise, move," assistant coach Ken Hitchcock said before the tournament began. "Dont sit there and wait on it because [if] its not there early it aint there later." The challenge, of course, is that chemistry can take time to develop, but in a tournament that numbers two weeks, waiting really isnt an attractive option, though in some cases may be warranted. Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin, as fearsome a twosome as imaginable, remained together for each of Russias four games despite combining for just two goals. They did, however, see a new left wing in their qualification round match against Norway with Alex Semin replaced by Alex Popov. Whether that patience will be rewarded remains to be seen. In the case of Crosby, who has just two assists with a rotating cast of linemates, part of the fallout would seem to stem from the absence of Steven Stamkos, projected to be Ovechkin to Crosbys Malkin here in Sochi. The Canadian captain has played with eight different line combinations in 11 Olympic games dating back to Vancouver in 2010. "I think youre always aware of who youre playing with and what their strengths are," said Crosby, "but I dont think it changes what you do out there. I dont think you really have a chance to over-think too much. As far as what youre doing individually, its more your game plan as a team is whats going through your mind, rather than who youre necessarily playing with. All the guys here are so good, I think you can just read off each other, no matter who youre playing with." Babcock is betting on that being Kunitz, who rejoins Crosby and Patrice Bergeron against the Latvians. "Obviously I love playing with him," said Kunitz. "I have the tendencies and the chemistries when we play together in the NHL. We still have to go out and execute better … We have to make sure we go out and produce offensively. We have to make sure we go out and produce offensively, but make sure were working every shift, getting that momentum going forward every time somebody else gets on the ice." Outside of re-adjusting various combinations, Babcock is also pushing his group to attack the front of the net and middle of the ice with more regularity. They were largely held to the perimeter by a savvy Finnish squad in the final game of the preliminary round – all part of the ongoing adjustment to the international ice surface. An emphasis among players also centered around more puck possession and less of the dump-and-chase game preferred in much of the NHL. "It hasnt been easy to get to the front of the net, but weve controlled the play," said Tavares. "Theres been some times where teams are trying to slow us down and make it tough for us to get there." Handed just four power plays in three games, the Canadians are also hunting for more opportunity with the man advantage. Unlike the forward combinations, the defence pairings have remained rock-solid thus far and considering how well Canada has played overall defensively, with almost no chances against in the 2-1 overtime win against the Finns, a huge injection of offence might not be necessary to repeat with gold. But with potent obstacles from the U.S. and Russia potentially down the line, an improvement from the present is likely needed. Dennis Byrd Youth Jersey . Cavaliers shooting guard Craig Ehlo makes a solid play on the ball, but still Jordan hits the amazing shot. Joe Namath Youth Jersey . Hamels threw seven sharp innings to earn his 100th career victory, Domonic Brown had a career-best five RBIs and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 12-1 on Saturday night to end a four-game losing streak. http://www.authenticnyjetspro.com/ .C. -- Kevin Harvick won his first career pole at Darlington Raceway on Friday as he looks to chase his first Southern 500. Joe Namath Womens Jersey . Fielder ended 4-for-5 with a solo homer, while Avila was 4-for-4 with two runs scored for the Tigers, who put the brakes on a three-game skid and rebounded from a loss in Mondays opener. Victor Martinez and Austin Jackson both contributed two hits, an RBI and a run scored as Detroit maintained its healthy lead atop the AL Central. C.J. Mosley Youth Jersey . - The Florida Panthers are getting some Army training to finish off their preparations for the season.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- For the first time in nearly three decades, Joe Dumars wont play a major role in shaping the future of the Detroit Pistons. Dumars stepped down as Detroits president of basketball operations Monday, a day after the Pistons lost their home finale and fell to 29-52 with one game remaining in the season. Detroit will miss the post-season for a fifth consecutive year. "Its time to turn the page on a wonderful chapter and begin writing a new one," Dumars said in a statement. "Ive had the pleasure of working with some great people throughout the last 29 years as both a player and executive, and Im proud of our accomplishments. Tom Gores and ownership is committed to winning and they will continue to move the franchise forward." Gores took over as owner in 2011, with the team clearly in a rebuilding mode, but expectations were higher this season after the Pistons signed Josh Smith and traded for Brandon Jennings. The new-look roster flopped, and now somebody else will be in charge of the next effort to bring Detroit back to the post-season. "Joe Dumars is a great champion who has meant so much to this franchise and this community," Gores said. "We are turning the page with great respect for what he has accomplished not only as a player and a front office executive, but as a person who has represented this team and the NBA with extraordinary dignity." A message was left with Dumars seeking additional comment. Dumars will remain an adviser to the ownership team, but this is the end of an era. Drafted by the Pistons in 1985, Dumars spent his entire 14-year playing career with the franchise, winning NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. He was Detroits vice-president of player personnel during the 1999-2000 season before being promoted to president of basketball operations. Dumars was named the NBAs 2003 executive of the year, and the Pistons won another title the following season. For the first half of his tenure as team president, Dumars Pistons were a model of consistency, even as players and coaches came and went. Detroit reached the Eastern Conference finals every year from 2003-08, but after the team slid back into mediocrity, some of Dumars most aggressive moves backfired.dddddddddddd In 2008, Dumars traded Chauncey Billups in a deal that brought Allen Iverson to the Pistons. That didnt work out well, and neither did the decision to sign Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to big contracts during the 2009 off-season. Dumars had another chance to turn Detroits fortunes around last off-season. When he acquired Smith and Jennings, the Pistons looked like they could become a playoff team, but the new lineup never really meshed, and this ended up being another frustrating season. Coach Maurice Cheeks did not even make it through his first season as Detroits coach. He was fired in February, and the team fell well out of post-season contention under interim coach John Loyer. "Its been tough, guard Rodney Stuckey said after Sundays loss. "From Day One, our mindset was making the playoffs, and unfortunately we didnt do that. We underachieved, and now were going home. Theres always next year. ... To be honest, I really dont know what we need. Thats not my decision." Stuckey might not be back with the Pistons next season. Hes set to become a free agent. "Its going to be a lot of changes here," Stuckey said. "Im going to sit around and see what happens, and once July comes Ill make my decision." Detroit does have one of the games top young big men in Andre Drummond, but the Pistons have struggled to draw fans, and this uninspiring season did little to help in that regard. After taking over the Pistons, Gores ended up giving Dumars three more seasons as general manager, but now the pressure is on ownership to find someone who can put together a roster -- and identify a coach -- that can help the Pistons at least become relevant again. "We know that we can move in the right direction if theres the right moves being made and the attitudes are good in the locker room," forward Kyle Singler said. "My message is: Well be better." ' ' '