After a bit of a slow start at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the United States is right up there in the overall medal standings. Matt Williams Jersey . Seven days into the competition, the U.S. began the day with four gold, two silver and six bronze medals. They are ranked fifth and have the second largest total amount of medals (12) behind Norway. Team USA has produced medals in alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, figure skating, luge and snowboarding. The glaring omission: long track speed skating. Coming into these Games, the U.S. was third in the all-time long track speed skating standings with 67 total medals and they lead in overall gold with 29. Its been 30 years since the U.S. didnt win at least one speed skating medal at the Olympics. In Sochi, Americans Brittany Bowe and Heather Richardson were the undisputed gold medal favourites in the womens 1,000 meters. Between the two, they won every World Cup race this season but in Russia they finished seventh and eighth. Shani Davis was expected to complete his historic three-peat in the 1000m and yet he finished eighth. No American has finished better than seventh place so far. In a sport where races are decided by hundredths of a second, the talk in Sochi has been about the new Under Armour suits U.S. skaters are wearing. Developed in secrecy in corporation with Lockheed Martin, the Mach 39 as it is known even looks uncomfortable to the untrained eye. A ventilation panel on the back is possibly to blame for taking in air, which hinders skaters from achieving the deep squatted stands required to deliver the ultimate stride. Then there is the U.S. training facility. American skaters have been preparing for Sochi in a building that hosts the fastest ice on the planet in Salt Lake City. The oval is on altitude which ensures fast conditions. However, the Adler Arena in Sochi is on sea level and its properties are completely different. The ice is considered slow where skaters need to rely less on technique and finesse and more on stamina and sheer determination. Team Canada trains on altitude in Calgary and perhaps it is not a coincidence that Denny Morrisons memorable silver moment is the only Canadian medal in Sochi so far. Time is running out for the U.S. long track team - and for Canadas - with only six medal events left at these Games. Both countries have slim medal hopes in the mens 10,000m and the womens 5,000m. The 1,500m - often considered the crown jewel of long track - is wide open but other than that, medaling at the team pursuit is needed to prevent historic lows. Jim Davenport Jersey . Mauer struck out to end the inning, with a runner on third base in the seventh on Wednesday and the Twins trailing 1-0. Everybody does this, of course, in a sport with a 30 per cent success rate at the plate long proven to be a benchmark of excellence. Melvin Adon Jersey . -- Kevin Harvick pulled away on a restart with 47 laps to go and ended Chase Elliotts two-race winning streak in NASCARs Nationwide Series with a dominating victory early Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/2096u-orlando-cepeda-jersey-giants.html . Team officials travelled to Los Angeles on Thursday night to meet with the free agent, a person with knowledge of the plans said.The Metropolitan Division-champion Pittsburgh Penguins will close out their regular season on Sunday night in a home matchup with the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins will head into the postseason as the second seed and will have home-ice advantage against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Pittsburgh was coming off back-to-back shootout wins before suffering a 4-3 loss in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Defenseman Kris Letang scored on a backhander with 36.8 seconds left in regulation, but the Flyers won it on Mark Streits goal with 2:50 to play in overtime. James Neal totaled a goal and two assists for the Penguins, while Jussi Jokinen also tallied. Marc-Andre Fleury ended up with only 17 saves in defeat. With nothing on the line, the Penguins sat defenseman Brooks Orpik and forward Chris Kunitz. Several skaters also could get a rest tonight, though captain Sidney Crosby still wants his team to focus on playing a good game. "I think just to follow up this performance from today. As a whole, we want to feel good about our game," Crosby said of todays finale. "I think there were some things from today that I think were good. For a game that doesnt move us anywhere, it didnt have a lot of bearing on us, we came with the right attitude, the right mindset." Letang, meanwhilee, scored his first goal since Jan. Stu Miller Jersey. . 23 in his second game since returning from a 10-week absence while recovering from a stroke. "Im just trying to get back into it," Letang said. "The result is disappointing, but I think we played a good game overall. I think if we go into the playoffs that way, were going to win games." The Senators will not be going into the playoffs, but can end the campaign with a season-high fifth straight victory. They matched their previous best of four consecutive wins with Saturdays 1-0 decision over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Craig Anderson stopped 28 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and 26th of his career. Jason Spezza had the only goal of the game, blasting a one-timer into the net during a second-period power play for his 23rd goal of the season. "Were playing games that dont mean much in the standings as far as getting us into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is what its all about," said Ottawa head coach Paul MacLean. "But at the same time, finishing our home schedule like we are is way better." Ottawa wrapped the campaign with an 18-17-6 record at home. The Sens are 18-14-8 on the road. The Senators have lost four of their previous five meetings with the Penguins as well as five of their past six trips to Pittsburgh. ' ' '