With the second round of the NHL Playoffs set to begin, heres a look at a handful of players that might provide good value in the Playoff Hockey Challenge, a contest in which you set your lineup under a $100 salary cap. Drew Doughty, D, Los Angeles (Cost: $6.8) - After scoring a point-per-game (1 G, 6 A) against San Jose in the first round, Doughty appears to be at his best, which means hes as valuable as any defenceman in the game and Doughty comes at a cost of $0.9 less than top-priced P.K. Subban and the same price as Matt Niskanen and Andrei Markov. Dougie Hamilton, D, Boston (Cost: $4.7) - The second-year blueliner is emerging as a bigger contributor, getting more power play time late in the regular season and into the playoffs, putting up four points (1 G, 3 A) in five games against Detroit in Round One. Hamilton isnt yet as productive as the top defencemen, but hes dramatically cheaper, which could allow for more roster flexibility elsewhere. Paul Martin, D, Pittsburgh (Cost: $4.6) - Opened the playoffs with four straight two-assists games, playing big minutes on the Penguins blueline, including the power play. For the same price as Robyn Regehr and Raphael Diaz? Yes, please. Justin Williams, RW, Los Angeles (Cost: $5.8) - Consider the Kings a good value team going forward, but Williams, who tied Anze Kopitar for the team lead with four goals, and led the Kings with 21 shots on goal in Round One, costs less than MatT Moulson, Nick Bonino, Brandon Saad or Reilly Smith (among many others). Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston (Cost: $6.6) - Produced an efficient five points (1 G, 4 A) in five first-round games and is one of the games premier two-way talents. He also has 17 goals and 43 points against Montreal in his career, tying for his best against any team, so grabbing Bergeron for the same price as Reilly Smith or Patrick Maroon is a gift. Bryan Bickell, LW, Chicago (Cost: $3.4) - If youve maxed out your budget and are left perusing the bargain bin, dont overlook Bickell, who had three points (2 G, 1 A) in the first round, while ranking third on the Blackhawks with 19 shots on goal. Hes back on the wing with Jonathan Toews, so for the same price as Justin Fontaine or Teemu Selanne, Bickell offers a favourable alternative. Click here to set your Playoff Hockey Challenge roster for the second round. Scott Cullen can be reached at
Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. . He was with the New York Jets in 2011 when the NFL locked out their players after they failed to agree on a new contract. Willy went undrafted but was given a look by four NFL teams before heading north. . Brooks replaces right-hander Yordano Ventura, who left his last outing with a sore elbow. Ventura is expected to miss one start. Brooks has made one relief appearance for the Royals this season, allowing six runs in two innings in a May 3 loss to Detroit. . "You hate when they score," he said with some distaste at the thought. "You take pride in it. . If Vettel wins at Suzuka on Sunday, and his nearest rival Fernando Alonso finishes worse than eighth, the German driver will join his compatriot Michael Schumacher and Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio as the only men to win four consecutive titles. . -- Former NHL star Jeremy Roenick shot a second-round 69 to take the lead after 36 holes and former LPGA great Annika Sorenstam and Chad Pfeifer, who lost his left leg above the knee serving in Iraq, are among several players in contention in the American Century Championship tournament on Saturday.LONDON - Roger Federer saved four match points on Saturday to ensure the most successful player at the ATP Finals will take on the best player of the season in a mouthwatering final.Federer, a six-time champion, fought for nearly three hours to reach a ninth final in a thrilling 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6) win over his Davis Cup teammate Stan Wawrinka. The 17-time Grand Slam champion will face the top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Sunday.Having swept his group imperiously, Federer was the favourite, but met strong resistance from the Australian Open champion, who failed to cope with nerves in the end.Wawrinka had Federer under constant pressure from the baseline, and kept his composure until he served for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set. He dropped serve following three clumsy approaches to the net on match points.For sure that game at the end I was nervous, admitted a devastated Wawrinka. You make some choice, especially when youre tired, when youre nervous. Just wanted to go for it and not wait for mistake.Federer saved the fourth match point with a service winner in the tiebreak then converted his first chance to seal the semifinal with a drop shot volley that Wawrinka could not return.I got lucky tonight. Stan played better from the baseline and that usually does the job on this court, Federer said. But I kept fighting. Its tough but Im thrilled to be in another final in London. Novak is playing great tennis. It usually brings the best out of me.Federer and Wawrinka will be teaming up next week in the Davis Cup final against France, but Wawrinka said he is not sure how he will react after his cruel loss.I can either be destroyed or bounce back, said the Swiss.Hopefully he is not too disappointed and will recover soon, said Federer. It would be good for both of us.A two-time defending champion at the O2 Arena, Djokovic overcame a lapse of concentration to beat Kei Nishikori 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 and advance to a third straight final.Wawrinka and Federer treated their fans wwith some superb winners and, for the first time this week, nerve-racking suspense was on the bill.ddddddddddddWawrinka took all the risks on Federers serve, a strategy that paid off when he broke in the third game with two consecutive forehand winners. Serving well and playing deep, Wawrinka limited Federers opportunities to come to the net.The second set was also suspenseful, with Federer coming out on top after breaking his compatriot at love in the 12th game.Wawrinka broke immediately at the start of the decider and held until he served for the match at 5-4. He crumbled, and was punished by Federer on his match points.Djokovic also dropped his first set of the tournament against Nishikori. The Serb, who sealed the year-end No. 1 spot after finishing unbeaten in his group, lost his focus early in the second set after being angered by a partisan crowd.Djokovics game dropped off suddenly when he let Nishikori back in the match with a double fault that the crowd applauded. The Serb applauded in return with irony and shook his head in disbelief.The crowd has a right to do what they want, to cheer for whoever they want, Djokovic said. Some individuals that were going over the line throughout the whole match, some provocations that I usually dont react on, but I did. It was my fault. Hopefully tomorrow it will not happen.Nishikori failed to seize his chance at the start of the third set. The turning point came in the first game, when Djokovic — who had lost just nine games in his three previous matches — faced two break points at 15-40. Nishikori hit two consecutive unforced errors as the momentum swung the Serbs way. Djokovic showed no mercy, extending his indoor unbeaten run to 31 matches.Djokovic, who beat Federer in the Wimbledon final, admitted he was exhausted after the match.But knowing just that tomorrow is the last match of the season, Im sure that I will find any necessary drop of strength, mental and physical, to give it on the court. ' ' '
