David Poile earned a chance to be general manager of the U. Patrick Roy Avalanche Jersey .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey.Since last summer, he spent countless hours trying to shape a roster that would give the Americans a shot to win Olympic gold for the first time since he witnessed whats known as the "Miracle on Ice," in 1980.Poile, though, wont be at the Sochi Games to see the team he helped set up.The Nashville Predators GM and former Washington Capitals executive was hit in the face by a deflected puck during an NHL game last week, a freak accident that will force him to watch the U.S. go for gold on TV from his home in Tennessee."Serving as GM of the U.S. Olympic Team has been the opportunity of a lifetime and I am forever grateful to USA Hockey," Poile said Monday in a statement from the Predators. "However, it is not possible for me to travel at this time, but I will remain in contact with Ray Shero, Brian Burke, Jim Johansson and our coaching staff during the games."Team USA is in great hands and I will be there in spirit. I wish all the best for our players, coaches and entire group as they begin play in the 2014 Olympics and go for the gold."Poile is recovering from surgery and stitches he needed after the puck hit him while he was standing in a tunnel behind the Predators bench in Minnesota."I first want to thank everyone who has reached out to me since suffering this injury," Poile said. "The outpouring of support and comfort has been overwhelming."He led a selection committee that picked the Olympic team after months of work, and his role during the 12-day tournament would have been largely behind the scenes in a supporting role."To hear that he had been hurt and to know that hes not going to be coming over is a huge disappointment," U.S. coach Dan Bylsma said.Shero, who is general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, will be acting GM in Sochi."Having worked with Dave for eight years in Nashville, and knowing, as I told the team, how much passion, time and effort he has put into putting this team together, its disappointing," Shero said.Poile won the Lester Patrick award in 2001 for his contributions to hockey in the U.S., and is a three-time finalist for NHL GM of the year. He has also filled various roles with USA Hockey.He was the associate GM for the U.S. at the Olympics four years ago, when he assisted Burke after he dealt with tragedy. Burkes 21-year-old son, Brendan, died Feb. 5, 2010, in a car accident, and he skipped the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Games. Rene Robert Avalanche Jersey . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win. J.T. Compher Jersey . The second-ranked Jayhawks will play the Miners of Texas-El Paso at Imperial Arena in the Bahamas. The game can be seen live on TSN2 starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. http://www.hockeyavalanche.com/authentic-samuel-girard-avalanche-jersey/ . Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Chris Jones wasnt going to make the same mistake he did last year when Nick Folk tried another potential winning field goal Thursday night.This time, the New England defensive tackle didnt commit a penalty to give the Jets kicker another chance.Jones blocked Folks 58-yard attempt on the final play and the Patriots had just enough offence with Tom Bradys three touchdown passes to edge surprisingly competitive New York 27-25.Its good to feel that ball hitting my hand and its good to get the win, Jones said. I just played it legally and did all that I could.Last season, Folk was wide left on a 56-yard attempt in overtime, but Jones was penalized under a new rule against players pushing a teammate into the opponents formation. Folk then connected from 42 yards, giving the Jets a 30-27 victory.After what happened last year, I thought it was fitting that he made that play, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.Folks longest field goal in his career travelled 56 yards, but he had made all 13 of his attempts this year so the 58-yarder was makeable.It felt pretty good off my foot, he said. I did kick it low, in order to give it enough to get it there.But when Jones batted it down, the Patriots (5-2) raced onto the field in celebration of a win that was much tougher than expected.The Jets (1-6) suffered their sixth straight loss, the longest streak in Rex Ryans six seasons as coach, after taking a 19-17 lead with just under 9 minutes left in the third quarter on Chris Ivorys 1-yard run.Stephen Gostkowski put the Patriots ahead to stay with his second field goal, a 36-yarder with 4:10 to go in the third. Bradys 19-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola gave them an eight-point lead with 4:10 remaining.The Jets made it 27-25 on Geno Smiths 10-yard scoring pass to Jeff Cumberland with 2:31 left, but Smiths pass for the 2-point conversion was incomplete.Ivory finished with 107 yards rushing.This is extremely frustrating, Smith said. I felt it was going to happen for us.Smith, last in the NFL in passer rating, had a solid game with 20 completions in 34 attempts for 226 yards and no interceptions.Brady was 20 for 37 for 261 yards and no interceptionss. Rob Ramage Avalanche Jersey. Each team played without two key starters who went on season-ending injured reserve after being hurt Sunday — cornerback Dee Milliner and left guard Brian Winters for the Jets and linebacker Jerod Mayo and running back Stevan Ridley for the Patriots.As a whole offence we needed to step up, running back Shane Vereen said. You cant replace Stevan.The Patriots led 17-12 at halftime despite having the ball for just 7:57, while the Jets held it for 22:03.When the defence is out there as much as they were tonight its going to be tough for them, Brady said. Weve got to help them out.The Jets got inside the New England 30 on all four of their first-half possessions. But they managed just four field goals by Folk, covering 22, 47, 46 and 27 yards.The Patriots went three-and-out on two of their possessions in the half but made the most of the other two as Brady threw touchdown passes to Vereen — a 49-yarder on their fourth offensive play and a 3-yarder that made it 14-9 with 4:22 left in the half.After Folks fourth field goal, the Patriots got the ball with 55 seconds remaining in the half. On third-and-10 at the New York 44, Antonio Allen was called for defensive pass interference on Amendola, putting the ball at the 12.An unnecessary roughness penalty against guard Jordan Devey pushed the ball back to the 27. After a 6-yard run by Vereen, Gostkowski kicked a 39-yard field goal on the last play of the half.The Jets were competitive against a top team for the second straight game. They lost to the Denver Broncos 31-17 on Sunday.The result is not showing on the scoreboard, but I think we are getting there, Ivory said.NOTES: The Jets outgained the Patriots on the ground 218 yards to 63. ... Former Patriots cornerback Ty Law was honoured at halftime for his induction into the teams Hall of Fame. ... Amendola had four catches in his first six games but came up with a big one then watched his team hold the lead. I almost had a heart attack at the end, he said, but the defence came up huge. ... Brady got his 41st straight regular-season home victory against an AFC opponent.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '