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KVITFJELL, Norway -- Erik Guay has never been a fan of skiing with pain but is showing he can adapt and overcome. The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. And it came on one of his favourite courses as two of his victories and four of his 22 podium finishes have come at Kvitfjell, where theres a super-G scheduled for Sunday. "There are a lot of similarities (between Norway and Quebec)," Guay said during a conference call. "When I left Quebec it was raining and warm and thats pretty much exactly what its here but it can easily be -30 C, again, a lot like Quebec. "I feel comfortable when I come here." Guay finished fourth in a downhill event Friday. The impressive showings came following a respectable 10th-place effort in the downhill at the Sochi Games. But Guay said he battled knee issues in Russia. He had knee surgery in the summer and claimed a World Cup downhill in Val Gardena, Italy, in December but didnt feel anywhere near 100 per cent in Sochi. "It (knee) affected me a lot," he said. "I have a hard time skiing through pain, I have a hard time really finding that courage, that determination to fight through it and push on the ski. "I was trying not to mention it too much in the media because I wanted to put it out of my head completely and sort of pretend and focus that it wasnt even there. You definitely have that on the brain and it was affecting me because I couldnt do a proper preparation for the Games." However, Guay said hes working on improving his mental ability to deal with injury much like teammate Jan Hudec of Calgary, who has overcome numerous ailments to succeed on the world scene. "The ideal situation is to not have that pain and I plan to deal with it in the off-season," Guay said. "Right now Im trying to work through it and I think its an important thing. "If I look at a guy like Jan Hudec, probably one of his biggest strengths is that strength and character he shows when he has those injuries. I know he skiis in a lot of pain so I like to watch those circumstances and try to emulate them. Its not always easy for me. I think when I dont feel 100 per cent its tough for me to go out and attack it but id like to think its getting better." Guay, 32, finished ahead of Frenchman Johan Clarey and Olympic champion Matthias Mayer of Austria. American Travis Ganong, who was third Friday, narrowly missed out on another podium, finishing 0.62 seconds back in fourth. Bode Miller, a bronze medallist in the super-G at the Sochi Olympics, was eighth. Conditions were overcast and a little foggy but unlike Fridays downhill the rain stayed away. Guay had a time of one minute 22.17 seconds, finishing 0.35 seconds ahead of Clarey -- who secured a third career podium. "Its difficult conditions, soft snow. I think you need a really well-balanced touch," Guay said. "If youre too aggressive or leaning in a little bit, its easy to lose (time)." Jeffrey Frisch of Mont-Tremblant finished 17th while Manuel Osborne-Paradis of North Vancouver, B.C., was 21st. Benjamin Thomsen of Invermere, B.C., was 43rd, finishing one spot ahead of Hudec. Other Canadians included: Conrad Pridy of Whistler, B.C., (50th), Torontos Dustin Cook (59th) and Morgan Pridy of Whistler (60th). Meanwhile, it was the best result of Clareys career. "It shows anything can happen, even late on. Better late than never," Clarey said. "Im not hugely confident at the moment and the Olympics were difficult for me to cope with mentally." Clarey had pondered retirement after the Sochi Games, where he didnt finish the downhill and was 19th in super-G. "This changes my ideas a little bit from a psychological point of view," he said. "Even though my knees still pretty banged up." Despite already having an Olympic gold medal, the 23-year-old Mayer clinched his first career podium in World Cup downhill and only his third overall. "I had a lot of things to do, with celebrating the Olympic victory back home. I hadnt much time for me to be prepared," Mayer said. "I can be happy with this result. Its very difficult to be fast here, with the soft snow its not the best conditions." Ganong finished fifth in the downhill at the Sochi Olympics. "I really thought I could (win), so I pushed a little harder and had a couple mistakes. I was able to make up a lot of time on the bottom and salvage fourth place," he said. "Its really fun skiing right now. Im having a good time and the results are coming." Olympic super-G champion Kjetil Jansrud of Norway, who tied for the win Friday with Austrian Georg Streitberger, placed fifth. "I made a couple of mistakes which I didnt think I would make," Jansrud said. "Fell on my inside ski a couple of times, I had to support myself on my hand." Overall World Cup leader Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway was tied for sixth with Switzerlands Silvan Zurbriggen. Wholesale Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . -- Josh MacDonalds second goal of the game kept his team alive as the Peterborough Petes edged the host Kingston Frontencas 6-5 in overtime on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action. Authentic Minnesota Vikings Jerseys .C. - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Danny Granger, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem are still not ready to play and will miss Wednesday nights game against the Charlotte Hornets. http://www.cheapvikings.com/ . A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Prospals career was highlighted by him ranking fourth in points scored, third in assists and sixth in games played among all Czech Republic born players in NHL history. Cheap Minnesota Vikings Gear . In this space, I will be writing new and unique pieces about the team that you wont be able to find anywhere else. So naturally, in an attempt to come up with a fresh topic about the Ottawa Senators, I am going to start with a piece about their goaltending. Stitched Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . Beanballs were the theme Friday night as the Red Sox and Rays had another AL East rumble, with Boston earning a 3-2 victory on A.TSN.ca Football Editor Ben Fisher and football writer Mike Hetherington break down the NCAA BCS Bowls and National Championship game and make their picks. Rose Bowl Game: No. 4 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Stanford Hetherington: Stanford has had an impressive season relying on defence and rushing to win games. Their defence is ranked 10th in the nation, giving up 18.6 points per game despite playing the explosive offences of Arizona State (twice), UCLA and Oregon State, all whom average more than 30 points per game. The defining moment for Stanford this season was their victory over third-ranked Oregon, shutting out college footballs third best offence through three quarters before holding off a late comeback for a 26-20 victory. Stanford will use the formula they have used all year long in this game, running the ball with Tyler Gaffney and playing defence. Gaffney is sixth in rushing yards in all of Division 1. Stanford has risen to the occasion in their big games this season and faltered in other games, losing to unranked Utah and USC following victories over top 15-ranked teams. This, however, is a big game and Stanford will rise to the occasion and win their second straight Rose Bowl. Prediction: Stanford Fisher: The Big 10 was a giant disappointment this year, so winning it certainly doesnt guarantee success. That doesnt mean Michigan State doesnt belong however and even though I think their No. 4 ranking in the AP Poll is far too high, theyre still a one-loss team with a big win on their resume in beating Ohio State in the conference title game. If the Spartans are to pull off a Rose Bowl upset over Stanford theyre going to have to rely on their nation-leading defence, one thats been particularly stingy late in the season and only gave up 17 points in their only loss to Notre Dame. The offence is playing better of late but theyll find it a lot harder to put up 34 points against the Cardinal than they did against the Buckeyes two weeks ago. Connor Cook could turn into a strong college quarterback but the sophomore isnt there yet. Im taking the Stanford in this one. Prediction: Stanford Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 15 UCF Fisher: I like UCF. Im maybe not yet convinced QB Blake Bortles is a Top 10 draft prospect but the Knights beat Louisville and hung with South Carolina, they deserve their spot in the Fiesta Bowl. That said, theyre facing a Baylor team Ive been impressed with all season. The Bears capped an incredible undefeated run to start the season with big conference wins over Oklahoma and Texas Tech before Oklahoma State ended their championship hopes. They may not be BCS championship worthy, but Bryce Petty and Lache Seastrunk are two of the top offensive performers in the nation and should be too much for UCFs 19th-ranked defence. Petty and Seastrunk each spent time on TSN.cas Heisman Watch and bring gaudy stats seldom seen in the Knights American Athletic Conference. Pettys 30:2 touchdown to interception ratio and Seastrunks 7.5 yards per carry are some of the best in the nation, and too much to consider UCF a legit threat for the Fiesta Bowl. Prediction: Baylor Hetherington: UCF enters this game with one main question; can they keep up with Baylors offence? The Bears boast college footballs top scoring and passing offence and, while the Knights rank 13th in scoring defence allowing 19 points per game, they rank 62nd against the pass. UCF, however, has impressed in their big games this season, going 1-1 in against Top 25 teams. The Knights lost just one game this season, a 28-25 decision to 12th-ranked South Carolina when their fourth-quarter comeback fell short. Their most impressive win came against eighth-ranked and then-unbeaten Louisville in October. Quarterback Blake Bortles threw a touchdown pass with just 23 seconds left to win the game, 38-35. UCF has proved they can hang in with the nations top teams but how they handle the top offence remains to be seen. UCF put up more than 40 points just once; 62 against unranked Connecticut. Baylor has accomplished the feat nine times and put up 70 or more points four times. UCF will put up points, just not enough to keep up with the explosive offence of Baylor. Baylor wins in a high-scoring game. Prediction: Baylor Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 11 Oklahoma Hetherington: Alabama put together a third consecutive dominant season in college football. The back-to-back national champions had convincing victories over sixth-ranked Texas A&M and 13th-ranked LSU. Yet, the Crimson Tide missed out on playing for a third consecutive national championship by just a few yards when Adam Griffiths 57-yard field goal fell short in a game tied at 28-28 with just seconds left on the clock. Auburns Chris Davis returned the kick for a touchdown and handed Alabama their first loss of the season and a missed opportunity to be playing for a national title this year. Now, Alabama must settle for a Sugar Bowl appearance and with Coach Nick Saban committed to the program long-term, they will win. Alabama is a sound football team with the second-ranked defence and 16th-ranked offence, both filled with talent across the board. In recent history, Alabama has faltered just once per season; to LSU in 2011 and to Johnny Manziels Texas A&M squad in 2012. Both years, Alabama rebounded to make and win the national championship game. This years lone loss came too late for Sabans squad to rebound but unfortunately for Oklahoma, theyve had their one upset. Quarterback AJ McCarron ends hiss Crimson Tide career with four bowl victories.dddddddddddd. Alabama wins by more than 10 points. Prediction: Alabama Fisher: Next to nobody had Oklahoma penciled in for a BCS Bowl heading into the last week of the regular season but a big win over rival Oklahoma State changed that all. Their prize is a Sugar Bowl meeting with an Alabama team I still think may be the best in the nation. I had written the Sooners off as BCS Bowl contenders after their loss to Texas (a team in turmoil at the time) and blowout loss to Baylor but they have some impressive wins on their resume as well (Notre Dame, Texas Tech, and of course OK State). Blake Bell has had some good games for the Sooners this year; hes going to need his best to come in January. That, coupled with a stingy effort from their 13th-ranked defence could make this a game, but I cant see a scenario where Alabama doesnt come out on top. Prediction: Alabama Orange Bowl: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Clemson Fisher: Ohio State hasnt beaten anyone all year and looked awful the last two weeks of the season, barely holding on against a weak Michigan team before getting routed by a Michigan State team that really has no business being ranked in the Top 10. Clemson on the other hand, looks more the part of a team worthy of a BCS bowl. Tajh Boyd will end his strong four-year career with the Tigers (three as a starter) in this Orange Bowl and will be looking to top his impressive showing in last years Chick-fil-A Bowl, an upset win over LSU (also ranked eighth at the time), where he finished with 350+ combined yards and three scores. The one-time Heisman candidate and potential third-round pick has proven the Bowl stage isnt too big for him; expect another solid game for Boyd and top receiving prospect Sammy Watkins. This year, Im taking the second best team in the ACC over the second best team in the Big 10. Prediction: Clemson Hetherington: Ohio State won 24 straight games before losing in the Big Ten Championship game to Michigan State. Now I believe theyll lose two straight. Ohio State is widely believed to have been overrated this season and only defeated two ranked teams; Wisconsin – 31-24 when Wisconsin was ranked 23rd – and 16th-ranked Northwestern, who would finish the season unranked. Dont forget, Ohio State only defeated unranked Michigan by one point, after the Wolverines gambled, and lost, on a two-point conversion with 32 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Braxton Miller struggled in the passing game against both Michigan and Michigan State. In both games, the Buckeyes relied on a rushing attack. On paper, the two appear closely matched with Ohio State scoring 46 points per game on average, while Clemson scored 40. Both teams give up an average of 21 points on defence. I expect this game to be highly competitive and filled with scoring and the team that scores last will likely be the team that wins this game. Millers legs will keep this game close but in the end, his arm will fail Ohio State. Clemson wins. Prediction: Clemson BCS National Championship: No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn Hetherington: I dont need to tell you Auburn is a team of destiny because they will for me; "Were a team of destiny. We wont take no for an answer", said Chris Davis, who returned a missed field goal more than 100 yards to send the Tigers to the SEC Championship and jump Alabama in the BCS rankings. Auburn didnt just find luck against Alabama, however, they found it one week before and used it to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs on a play thats been deemed "the immaculate deflection." Down 38-37 and facing 4th and 18 with no timeouts, quarterback Nick Marshall threw a pass in to double coverage for Ricardo Louis. The pass deflected off the two defenders as they collided and found the hands of Louis who ran the remaining 30 yards for a touchdown. Auburn has proved theyre not a team which suffers from letdowns after major victories. After their Alabama win, Auburn defeated the Missouri Tigers, 59-42 and showed their ability to pound the football, handing off to running back Tre Mason 46 times. Mason ran for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. Florida State has decimated every team theyve faced this season but should not overlook Auburn. After an early season loss to LSU, Auburn ran the table and their shocking wins against Georgia and Alabama have labeled them the team of destiny. Destiny beats logic so Ill take Auburn for the storybook finish. War Eagle! Prediction: Auburn Fisher: I know Auburn is the team of destiny this season but even destiny isnt enough to make up for the talent gap between the Tigers and Florida State. The Seminoles finish the regular season with the third-ranked offence and sixth-ranked defence, not to mention the Heisman Trophy winner (by a mile) in Jameis Winston. Auburn has won their games in shootout fashion – their offence (with destiny on their side) should find the end zone enough in the championship game but their 87th-ranked defence will get carved up by Winston. Florida State routed three strong, albeit slightly overrated teams in Clemson, Miami (FL) and Florida and thats what I view Auburn as, a strong, perhaps slightly overrated team. Theres only one team that could potentially beat the Seminoles and they were a missed field goal return away from playing in this game. War Eagle was fun but the clock will strike midnight on the Tigers run early in the BCS Championship. 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