May 9 (Sports Direct) - Highlights of Thursday's NHL games

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Senators 6, Canadiens 1

Craig Anderson made 33 saves and rookie Cory Conacher scored two goals as visiting Ottawa ousted second-seeded Montreal in five games.

Erik Condra had a goal and two assists and Zack Smith, Kyle Turris and captain Daniel Alfredson also scored as the Senators claimed the final three games of the best-of-seven series.

Seventh-seeded Ottawa became the first Eastern Conference team to advance to the second round.

Defenseman P.K. Subban scored the lone goal and backup goaltender Peter Budaj made 23 saves for the Northeast Division champion Canadiens, who again were stymied by Anderson and the league's best penalty-killing unit.

Montreal failed to score on four straight power-play chances and also yielded a backbreaking short-handed tally to Turris.

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Penguins 4, Islanders 0

Tomas Vokoun turned aside 31 shots in his first postseason appearance since 2007 and captain Sidney Crosby collected a goal and an assist as host Pittsburgh seized a 3-2 advantage in its Eastern Conference first-round series with eighth-seeded New York.

Kris Letang scored a goal and set up another while fellow defenseman Douglas Murray and Tyler Kennedy also tallied.

Pascal Dupuis, Evgeni Malkin and Jarome Iginla each notched an assist to extend their respective point streaks to six games for the top-seeded Penguins, who will look to clinch the series on Long Island in Game 6 on Saturday.

Playing in place of the ineffective Marc-Andre Fleury, Vokoun showed no signs of rust en route to his second career postseason shutout.

The 36-year-old entered the contest with a 3-8 mark in the playoffs - with all 11 decisions coming while he was a member of the Nashville Predators.

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Blackhawks 5, Wild 1

Marian Hossa scored twice and added an assist as host Chicago cruised into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Marcus Kruger added a goal and an assist while Patrick Sharp and Andrew Shaw also scored for the top-seeded Blackhawks, who completed a five-game series victory over Minnesota with their most dominant performance. Corey Crawford made 21 saves.

Torrey Mitchell had the lone goal for the eighth-seeded Wild, who saw their first playoff appearance since 2008 come to an end with only one victory.

Josh Harding, who left Game 4 after the first period with an injury, was pulled after allowing three goals on 18 shots.

Hossa opened the scoring with 4:21 remaining in the first period when he one-timed a feed from captain Jonathan Toews, who registered two assists for his first points of the postseason.

At 6:26 of the second, Hossa came out from behind the net to grab a rebound and slide it around Harding, ending the Minnesota netminder's night.

Shaw scored 35 seconds after Mitchell got the Wild on the board midway through the second and Sharp added his fifth of the series during a power play in the third, collecting the rebound of Hossa's shot and chipping it over Darcy Kuemper, who made 13 saves in relief.

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The NHL, the NHLPA and the IIHF got together in Sweden recently to negotiate a lot of items on their agenda, including the new player transfer agreement and NHLs participation in Sochi. , the NHL is set to announce their agreement to send players to Russia next February in the coming weeks. A tentative break in the next NHL season set between February 9 and February 25 is planned.

But what we didnt know is that the NHL is also set to revive the World Cup of Hockey.that the new player transfer agreement with the IIHF (minus Russia) included a provision for a cooperation for a World Cup of Hockey.

And Saturday morning, Vladislav Tretiak, President of the Russian Hockey Federation who was present at the meetings with the NHL,that the World Cup of Hockey will indeed be back. The first after a long absence will be held in August of 2016 in the same format as the last one in 2004.

Going through the , it is possible to see that a few players from each national team may play in 2016, like Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk for Russia, Vincent Lecavalier for Canada, Zdeno Chara for Slovakia. It is also evident how the US goaltender situation has improved over the years after seeing Ty Conklin, Rick DiPietro and Robert Esche tending the net for Team USA in 2004.

The resuscitation of the World Cup of Hockey also casts a shadow of a doubt of the NHLs participation in any future Olympics beyond 2014 in Sochi.

SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) - An alleged leader of the New York arm of a global cyber crime ring, which stole $45 million from two Middle Eastern banks, was shot dead during an attempted robbery in the Dominican Republic last month, Dominican police said on Friday.

Alberto Lajud-Pena, 23, was killed on April 27 in a house in the city of San Francisco de Macoris about 100 miles northeast of the capital, Santo Domingo, according to police.

Investigators found $100,000 in cash in the house, as well as an M-16 assault rifle, two 9 mm pistols, a revolver, ammunition clips and a telescopic sight. The money and weapons belonged to Lajud-Pena, police said.

Lajud-Pena was one of eight men that U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday were part of the New York cell of an international criminal syndicate that perpetrated one of the biggest bank heists in the world.

The crime ring hacked into the networks of two credit card processing companies in December 2012 and February 2013, respectively, to steal prepaid debit card data which they used to fraudulently withdraw money from cash machines in 27 countries over a matter of hours.

The U.S. Justice Department said the New York group was led by Lajud-Pena and pulled $2.4 million from almost 3,000 ATMs in the city during the space of 10 hours in February. Lajud-Pena's alleged co-defendants are all Hispanic men who were arrested in Yonkers, a New York City suburb that is home to a large Dominican population, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday.

Lajud-Pena was shot and killed by a gang of three men, of whom the leader was Carlos Manuel Jimnez, alias "La Vaca Loca" (Mad Cow), according to police in the Dominican Republic. Jimnez and the two men were in custody, police said.

It was not immediately clear if the gang or the $100,000 found at the house were linked to the cyber theft. U.S. prosecutors have said that $2 million in cash is still missing from the heists.

The global ringleaders of the cyber theft are believed to be outside the United States though prosecutors declined to give details, citing the continuing investigation. Arrests in the case have also been made in Germany, according to the Dsseldorf prosecutor's office.

The hackers are alleged to have increased the available balance and withdrawal limits on prepaid MasterCard debit cards issued by Bank of Muscat of Oman, and National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah PSC (RAKBANK) of the United Arab Emirates.

They then distributed counterfeit debit cards to "cashers" around the world, enabling them to siphon millions of dollars from cash machines in a matter of hours, the prosecutors said.

(This story is corrected with a word in paragraph 4, "perpetrated")

(Writing by David Adams; Editing by Tom Brown, Tiffany Wu and Leslie Gevirtz)

"Further news on the extent of his injury and the rehabilitation process will be made in time," his club side the Sharks said on their website (www.sharksrugby.co.za) on Monday.

Steyn could miss three test matches next month, starting with the one against Italy in Durban on June 8.

A week later the Springboks tackle Scotland in Nelspruit and they will then meet one of those two teams or Samoa in a four-nation tournament decider in Pretoria on June 22.

According to media reports, Steyn underwent emergency surgery on Sunday to alleviate pressure on his leg after receiving a heavy blow as the Sharks lost 25-22 to the Highlanders in Dunedin.

Although x-rays showed no fracture, the centre was said to be in excruciating pain.

The reports added Steyn would need further surgery on Tuesday but that he may be well enough to fly home on Thursday.

The centre returned to South Africa midway through last year following a two and a half year stint in France with Racing Metro 92.

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The view may look bright at the top GOP echelon, but that does not appear to be the attitude of the rank and file. If anything, there is deep unease among activist conservativesthe sort who trudge to the polls in the bitter winters of Iowa and New Hampshireabout the state of the race. At several recent functions in Washington, attendees expressed great enthusiasm for unseating Obama, but hardly anyone was thrilled with their likely standard bearers.

Is it time for the GOP to start panicking yet?

Cains tortured and contradictory response to sexual-harassment allegations was made even worse by the reckless, not-ready-for-prime-time effort at deflection. Rick Perry was behind this! No, it was Rahm Emanuel! No, it was a massive media conspiracy! No, it was Professor Plum with the lead pipe in the billiards room. That Cain remains floating atop the GOP field is less a tribute to his staying power than a cruel indictment of the remaining field of frivolous flops. When you cannot lure voters away from a man who is accused of several counts of disreputable behavior and who seems to lack an understanding of many basic issues, fromto , youve got yourself a problem.

As for Romney, he has finally started to outline some specifics to his proposals, most notably courageous plans to . But even this effort posed an interesting problem for him. If another candidate had talked freely about raising the retirement age for Medicare and Social Security and turning Medicaid into block grants, there might have been a larger outcry. With Romney, there really wasnt. Even the media seem to have decided that nothing the risk-averse, milquetoast Romney says really has anything to do with his presidency. All his ideas feel like consultant-fed pablum free to be ignored the minute the polls turn. When 72 percent of Romneys own voters say they could easily , youve got a problem.

Which means the GOP nominating process may yet take some surprising turns. Overall, about half of Republicans surveyed in a recent Washington PostABC News poll said they may yet change their allegiance in the race. That feels about right. In fact, the number may even grow higher as voters continue to shop for the least unacceptable of the lot.

Of the main contenders, only Perry and Newt Gingrich have demonstrated any signs of resurgence. Since the GOP debates commenced, Gingrich has steadily crept back into double digits in most polls, based on something surprising: ideas. He has little money, he has few ground troops, he has unleashed no attack ads, but he has answered questions clearly, forthrightly, and knowledgeably. And it is not inconceivable that otherseven a Bachmann or a Santorum or a Huntsmanmay finally find their day in the sun.

This year feels very different, as if anything could happen. Who knows: if an establishment favorite like Romney falters early, it is always possible that an entirely new candidate might yet decide to jump into the contest. Hoover, FDR, Kennedy, Nixon, and LBJ each won presidential primaries as write-in candidates. If things continue to be so unsettled, its not impossible that someone may decide to repeat that feat in 2012. Just dont anybody give that idea to Donald Trump.

I was in her shoes once. With diet and exercise I lost more than 60 pounds, and I've kept it off. But I was never ridiculed as she was. On the contrary, one day after I had just begun a daily 1-mile jog and was struggling to keep going, I passed by a man who cheerfully called out to me to "keep at it, and one day you'll be a 10!"

Abby, I can't tell you what that meant to me. I thought about his encouragement whenever I felt hopeless and was thinking of giving up. The memory of his kind words inspired me to go on. Thirty years later, I still think about his encouragement with amazement and gratitude.

We all have a choice: We can be kind to each other and offer friends and strangers alike support for the challenges we all face, or we can make ourselves feel superior by being cruel and demeaning. In the end, our choice shapes our character and we receive what we give, so we must choose wisely.

I'm sorry that "Losing" has met with only ignorant jerks so far. I would be honored to pay it forward and tell her how incredibly brave she is, and to encourage her to stick with it. Because she has the courage to keep exercising in the face of constant humiliation, I know without a doubt that she will reach her goals. -- WENDY IN COLORADO

DEAR WENDY: Thank you for your upbeat response. Many other readers were quick to "weigh in" with letters of support for "Losing Slowly":

DEAR ABBY: I, too, have a weight problem, which I am working to resolve. But I can tell you from experience that the worst kind of discrimination is directed against people with weight problems. I have been insulted in the workplace, in restaurants and doctor's offices. I have not been hired for jobs because I am perceived as fat and lazy.

I am not lazy! I keep a clean house, work hard at my job as a secretary every day, and I am a good wife and parent. We may ignore it and pretend that it doesn't hurt us or matter, but I can tell you it is painful, demeaning, and it doesn't go away. I have been in meetings or at social functions and have had to excuse myself to have a good cry. -- STILL SUFFERING IN KENTUCKY

DEAR ABBY: Please let "Losing Slowly" know she has another option to continue her new, healthy lifestyle in a safe environment. I have worked in malls for years, and they have all had a mall walkers' club.

The mall allows people in to walk, including many seniors, before it opens in the morning. There she will have access to a place where everyone is on the same page. The walkers are safe from traffic, the climate, and morons who have the manners of a junkyard dog. The regulars there can tell her how many miles they can cover. It's a great society of people who support and root for each other. -- NEVER GIVING UP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

DEAR ABBY: I would suggest the two ladies create T-shirts that read "At Least We're Trying!" and watch the jeers turn into cheers. -- CAROL IN WISCONSIN

DEAR ABBY: I applaud her effort and your response, but may I raise the issue of people like myself who are ridiculed about being too thin? Strangers say things like "Eat something, or the wind will blow you away!" Please remind your readers that making fun of very thin people is just as hurtful as doing it to overweight individuals. -- WISP OF A WOMAN IN THE WEST

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

Hackers sent out a false tweet on the AP feed Tuesday reporting that thehad been bombed causing a temporary $200 billion drop instock markets. Theflagship news magazine shows, and 48 Hours, also had their Twitter accounts hacked.

For news organizations whose reputations are built on credibility, the concern is real particularly as social media feeds become an increasingly integral part of the news media's overall strategy.

The media are really rushing to brainstorm about what they need to do to not only make sure that this doesnt happen again, but to reassure the public that they are reputable and trustworthy, says Peter LaMott of Levick, a consulting firm for media. What is more concerning about this AP episode is that it went right at the heart of what the company is all about its reputation for accuracy.

The number of such episodes have been on the rise in recent years, he says, noting that bothand Jeep were the victims of hacking pranks. In the AP's case, the Syrian Electronic Army known to support claimed responsibility for the hack.

Both the social media industry and news outlets are taking steps to try to head off future hacks.

For example, Twitter is moving toward a two-step authentication process as a way to improve security, according to Wired. Anytime a user tweets from a new device, the user would need to input a random code messaged to their cellphone.andalready use such a two-step process.

Meanwhile, major news outlets includingandare also approaching the problem from a different direction. They are employing services such as Storyful that quickly verify whether social media posts from other organizations or random users are accurate.

More broadly, newsrooms nationwide are urging reporters to strengthen passwords, to change them more often, and to be more aware of how hackers work.

AP reporter Mike Baker told his Twitter followers that he was a victim of phishing, a tactic in which hackers parading as legitimate entities send e-mails that ask for sensitive information, such as passwords or account numbers.

AP responded to the attack by shutting off all its Twitter accounts until all passwords were checked, which was the right thing to do, says Mr. LaMott. But the damage was done.

The agency has won back many of the Twitter followers it lost, but still the brand name is tarnished, says Ari Zoldan, CEO of Quantum Networks, which specializes in next-generation communication devices. "Fortunately, there are lots of off-the-shelf and easy-to-use systems already out there that people just dont know about yet.

One firm, Dashlane.com, sells password-generating software that takes the onus off of individuals to create and remember an array of names or dates. The firms research shows that the average American has 50 passwords. Hackers know the conventional processes by which users create them birth dates or relatives' or childrens names and have designed algorithms to identify them.

Companies will be sinking millions into this because their very reputations are at stake, says Mr. Zoldan.

Some analysts say the AP episode underlines the new, dangerously interlinked world, and they urge caution.

No matter how much encryption software becomes available, it will never be 100 percent effective, says Mark Tatge, a professor of communication atin ,He thinks companies should stop relying so heavily on cloud technologies that store massive amounts of sensitive data.

"Were putting terabytes and terabytes and terabytes of data where it can be conveniently used from many locations and thats the attraction, he says. Its cheap and efficient but companies have to learn to not put so much information in there if they are going to be devastated when someone gets ahold of it.

Staff writer Gloria Goodale contributed to this report.

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It was the first time since the 1970 merger of the NFL and AFL that offensive tackles went 1-2.

Fisher became the first player from the Mid-American Conference taken to open the draft. He is the third offensive tackle picked No. 1 overall since the merger, joining Orlando Pace in 1997 and Jake Long five years ago.

"This is so surreal," Fisher said. "I'm ready to get to work right now. I'm ready to start playing some football. I can't process what's going on right now."

Fisher is the first selection by new Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey, who entertained trade offers before selecting the 6-foot-7, 306-pound Fisher over All-American Joeckel.

Not that Joeckel was any less thrilled to go second.

"I don't have words for all the emotions I feel. It's the best feeling of my entire life," he said.

After Commissioner Roger Goodell paid tribute to the first responders at the Boston Marathon bombings and the victims of the West, Texas explosion, he announced Fisher's name.

It broke a string of four straight quarterbacks taken first: Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton and Andrew Luck. This is considered a QB-weak draft.

A quick trade followed the first two picks: Miami acquired the No. 3 spot from Oakland and chose Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan, who the Dolphins envision as the next Jason Taylor.

The Raiders received the Dolphins first-rounder, 12th overall, and a second-rounder.

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL