held upon review.I felt like after we tied it at 2, the way we were playi

With their spot in the Champions League all but assured, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City seek an elusive superb road performance in domestic play Saturday against Stoke City at Brittania Stadium.Needing a two-legged playoff victory to qualify for group play in Europes most prestigious club tournament for the sixth straight year, Manchester City has little to worry about in the return match at home next week after running riot in a 5-0 demolition of Steaua Bucharest in Romania. It was Citys largest victory on European soil and their largest Champions League margin.Sergio Aguero had a hat trick despite missing a pair of penalties while newcomer Nolito and David Silva had the other two markers. Raheem Sterling posted two assists as City placed 12 of their 24 shots on target to successfully follow up their 2-1 win over Sunderland.We played really, really good, the result is amazing but its the way we played which means Im so satisfied, Guardiola told Manchester Citys official website. All of the managers in the world want to create chances and to concede few, thats what we all want -- OK, we are there, so now rest and then focus on Stoke and the second game.Such easy victories outside the Etihad were few and far in between for Manchester City en route to their fourth-place finish last season. They went 7-7-5 and scored just 24 goals in their 19 road matches and all three relegated teams -- Newcastle United, Norwich City and Aston Villa -- scraped out draws at the Citizens expense.One of those five defeats came at Stoke City, a 2-0 defeat that was among as listless a match as Manchester City played in recent years. Xherdan Shaqiri could prove as the danger man after he sprung Marko Arnautovic for a pair of goals in the first quarter-hour as the Citizens fell to 2-5-3 in their last 10 contests at Brittania Stadium in all competitions.We absolutely outplayed them and they came out and acknowledged that after the game as well, and it really showed the level of performance we can hit, Potters manager Mark Hughes said.We need to do more of the same. They have new players and a new manager with new ideas which makes it a little bit more difficult to prepare for but well give it our best shot and we are encouraged by last week.Aguero had nine of those 24 road goals -- he missed four games due to a knee injury, including a 2-0 loss at Stoke City -- and is undoubtedly eager to add to his haul against the Potters. The Argentina international has six goals in seven lifetime matches after converting from the spot in a 4-0 whitewash in the most recent contest last season.In addition to Agueros imperious form, Guardiola may turn to Nigeria starlet Kelechi Iheanacho for this match. He scored twice in last seasons home win over Stoke, and on Thursday signed a contract extension that will keep him in City blue through 2021.Kelechi is a natural goal-scorer, said Guardiola of the 19-year-old, who had 14 goals in all competitions last season and is on the Champions League roster this season. I like his personality, his attitude, his ability -- we hope to help him reach the highest level and realise his full potential.All of Manchester Citys scoring options, which also includes Kevin De Bruyne, certainly worries Hughes. He is sweating out the availability of first-choice goalkeeper Jack Butland, who missed Stokes 1-1 draw at promoted Middlesbrough to open the season after suffering a late ankle injury.It was the latest setback for the up-and-coming keeper who is expected to challenge deposed Man City counterpart Joe Hart for the No. 1 shirt on Englands team for 2018 World Cup qualifying.We need to be a little bit cautious, were not going to throw Jack back in unless hes not feeling any pain whatsoever or if we feel it isnt the right thing to do, Hughes told stokecityfc.com. He obviously got his setback last week and as I said after the game, it shook us up really because we thought he might be back to set one.Forty-year-old Shay Given was between the sticks for the opener, yielding an early goal by Alvaro Negredo but nothing else. Shaqiri, though, salvaged a sluggish offence by hammering home a free kick from just beyond the penalty area on 70 minutes.Hughes also confirmed defender Glen Johnson will miss a second straight match due to a thigh injury.Nike Free Shoes Clearance NZ . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. Nike Free Online Sale . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. http://www.nikefreenz.com/ . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Discount Nike Free Shoes NZ . LUCIE, Fla. Nike Free Shoes NZ . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss.RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jeff Skinner had a hat trick, and then he didnt. He still did it all to help the Carolina Hurricanes earn a victory they hope will mean even more in the spring.Skinner had two goals and an assist, and the Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Friday night.Skinner originally had his fifth career hat trick -- and a shower of souvenir hats on the ice -- before the third goal was awarded to Bryan Bickell on a scoring change.I told Bicksie he owes everyone in the building their hats back, Skinner quipped.Still, his 16th career three-point night -- in his debut wearing the A as an alternate captain -- helped the Hurricanes win their home opener.Hes got the ability to make things happen in tight spaces, Carolina coach Bill Peters said. Hes got real good edge control. And hes dangerous. Hes a goal-scorer. Theres not a lot of them anymore, and hes a pure scorer, one of those guys that can just hang in the weeds a little bit and all of a sudden he gets the puck at the right time and the right spot, and its in the net.Victor Rask had two assists, giving him points in all seven games, and Cam Ward made 28 saves -- stopping Mats Zuccarello with about 5 seconds left -- to help Carolina snap a two-game losing streak.Zuccarello scored two power-play goals and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 18 shots for the Rangers, who snapped a three-game winning streak.It seems silly to label an October game as a must-win, but this might have counted as one for the Hurricanes: Since the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season, they have not made the playoffs in any season in which they lost their home opener . Meanwhile, only twice in that span have they won their first game at PNC Arena, and they went on to reach the postseason both times.And Skinner did plenty to make it happen in this one.He beat the second-period buzzer with a slap shot from the right circle -- a rreview found that 0.dddddddddddd8 seconds were on the clock when the puck crossed the goal line -- that sent hundreds of complimentary hats onto the ice. It wasnt until the intermission that officials determined the puck clipped Bickell on its way past Lundqvist.I was shocked when I saw it in the net, Lundqvist said. Just had eyes, that puck, and obviously its a backbreaker to give up a goal that late. Thats the winner.That came after Skinner tied it with 7:26 left in the first when he chased down the rebound of his shot and snapped it high from the circle . He put Carolina up 2-1 by beating Lundqvist with a smooth backhand 33 seconds into the second.Zuccarello matched him goal for goal, beating Ward on a breakaway with 7:43 left in the second to make it 2-all, after his first goal was disputed by the Hurricanes.His high wrister from the left circle came after Carolina defenseman Ron Hainsey and New York winger Pavel Buchnevich fell on top of Ward during a scrum. The Hurricanes challenged, claiming interference, but the goal was upheld upon review.I felt like after we tied it at 2, the way we were playing, it felt like we were going to get this one, Lundqvist said.Game notesLundqvist assisted on Zuccarellos second goal for the veteran goalies first assist of the season. He had four last year. ... Only one player in Hurricanes/Whalers history has a longer points streak to begin a season than Rask -- general manager Ron Francis, who did it in 1984-85 with Hartford. ... Two-time Daytona 500 winner NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. sounded the siren that blares when the Hurricanes enter the rink.UP NEXTRangers: Return home to face Tampa Bay on Sunday.Hurricanes: Wrap up a two-game homestand Sunday against division rival Philadelphia. ' ' '