they cant do that until Husky fans consistently sell out the bu

PITTSBURGH -- Ottawas star is playing anything like one. Pittsburghs star is being The Star, and Sidney Crosby is a big reason why the Penguins already have the Senators in a very precarious playoff position. Crosby scored three goals in the opening 21 minutes 15 seconds for his second career playoff hat trick as the Penguins held off two Ottawa comebacks to beat the Senators 4-3 Friday night in Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference semifinals. Ottawa is down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series to the one Eastern Conference team no one wants to trail. And its partly because the Senators are letting the one player they cannot afford to beat them do exactly that -- and at the expense of their own top star, Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. Karlsson, fighting through an Achilles injury that occurred against Pittsburgh and put him out for much of the season, was beaten on two of Crosbys goals and committed the penalty that led to the Pittsburgh superstars power-play goal. "We finished pretty strong but we started poorly and some of the blame is on me," Karlsson said. "(Im) struggling a little bit, and it is what it is. I dont have the answer to it myself, Ive got to figure my body out and obviously Im not feeling or playing the same way I am used to." Karlsson and the Senators need to figure it out in a hurry, too. They are 0-7 in their playoff history when trailing 2-0 in a series, and now theyre down by that margin to a star-laden team that was easily the conferences best during the regular season and one that already has 33 goals in eight playoff games. "I dont think theres any doubt hes fighting it a bit," said defenceman Chris Phillips of Karlsson. The Senators are hoping all-star forward Jason Spezza will be ready for Game 3 as he recovers from a back injury that put him out for the conference quarter-finals against Montreal. It was Crosbys night as he dominated play throughout the game. "I think the way he plays with so much speed, so much passion, everybody follows," said teammate Brooks Orpik. Brenden Morrow had the other Penguins goal, and it proved to be a big one that made it 4-2. Tomas Vokoun made 19 saves for the win. Kyle Turris, Colin Greening and Jean-Gabriel Pageau replied for Ottawa. Pageau scored his fourth playoff goal 2:01 into the third period to get the Senators back to within a goal, but Vokoun -- who took over for former Stanley Cup winner Marc-Andre Fleury in the first-round Islanders series and hasnt given up the job after four games -- shut out Ottawa the rest of the way. Senators coach Paul MacLean blamed the poor start, not the inability to cash in further during a third period largely dominated by Ottawa. "Catch-up hockey is losing hockey," he said. "Giving up three goals to Crosby is losing hockey, too." Crosby, who missed a quarter of the season with a broken jaw, was the difference after not scoring in the Penguins Game 1 victory Wednesday, when post-season scoring leader Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist. "You dont get those opportunities all the time, especially in the playoffs, to score three," Crosby said. "Its a great feeling. But theres still lots of hockey, so you dont want to get too caught up in it." Malkin assisted on Crosbys third goal Friday and now has a league-leading 11 assists in the playoffs, including at least one in all eight Penguins games. Crosby, who was on pace to cruise to the NHL scoring title before breaking his jaw, gave Pittsburgh the lead just 3:16 in to the game by skating through three Senators, including a masterful fake to elude Karlsson before beating Craig Anderson with a wrister at the bottom of the circle for his 100th career playoff point. He reached the mark in 75 career games, making him the fifth fastest to do so -- and Mario Lemieux, the Penguins co-owner, was one of the first four to do so. Asked afterward what happened on the play, an incredulous Karlsson replied, "Are you blind?" Turris answered nearly 10 minutes later with his fourth of the playoffs, a bad-angle shot from along the goal-line that deflected off Vokoun, but Crosby came right back less than a minute later with a similar goal. He grabbed Chris Kunitzs drop pass and scored on another wrist shot from along the goal-line as Karlsson went down to block the shot after flowing with the pass but couldnt deflect it at 16:07 of the first. Karlsson, the Norris Trophy winner whose own season was largely interrupted by a 31-game layoff with an Achilles injury inflicted by Penguins forward Matt Cooke, also figured in Crosbys third goal. He went off for hooking 49 seconds into the second period, and Crosby completed his hat trick 26 seconds into the ensuing power play with a slap shot. Crosbys third goal prompted MacLean to replace Anderson -- who faced exactly a shot a minute while on the ice -- with Robin Lehner, who allowed only one goal but a key one the rest of the way. Greening tried to rally the Senators by scoring only 40 seconds after Crosbys third goal on a wrister from the left circle, Lehner made a strong save on Jarome Iginlas short breakaway. But Morrow restored Pittsburghs two-goal lead by deflecting Paul Martins slap shot from just inside the blue-line that touched both James Neal and Morrow en route to the net at 8:04. The Penguins outshot the Senators 42-22 but converted only one of six power-play chances. Crosbys only other career playoff hat trick was against the Capitals in 2009. Lemieux owns the Penguins record with three post-season hat tricks. Still, Karlsson said, the Senators dont feel like the series against one of the Stanley Cup favourites is gone already, They believe it has only started. "I think everybody is feeling great in here. We know we can play with them, and weve got to find a way to win on the scoreboard too," Karlsson said. "Im sure if we keep this up were going to give them a really good run." Nike Free Online Australia . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. Wholesale Nike Free Australia . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. http://www.wholesalenikefreeaustralia.com/ . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Nike Free Shoes Australia . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Nike Free Womens Australia . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. STORRS, Conn. -- UConns new athletic director says hes waiting to hear from the Big 12 about its interest level in the school before reaching out with an official pitch to join the conference.The Big 12s school presidents on Tuesday moved closer to expansion, directing Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to begin evaluating schools interested in joining.UConns David Benedict, in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Friday, acknowledged the Huskies are interested in being evaluated.At this point in time the Power Five conferences certainly are looked to as the most competitive conferences, he said. They derive the most money from their multi-media agreements, their television agreements. And therefore, certainly we aspire to be in those conferences and compete at that level.UConn currently competes in most sports in the American Athletic Conference.Benedict was hired in March to succeed Warde Manuel after he left for Michigan. Benedict said of all possible candidates, UConn is the most similar to the Power Five schools, with $71 million athletic budget.He noted it was one of three division one schools this past year to send its football, baseball and mens and womens basketball teams to the postseason. And since 1995, UConn has won 11 womens national basketball championships, four mens basketball titles, two in field hockey and one in mens soccer. The schools football program also has been to six bowl games.But Benedict said he has no plans to pick up the phone and call Bowlsby or head to Texas with a PowerPoint presentation.He said its his understanding that the Big 12 will reaach out to those it knows have an interest.dddddddddddd dont think circumventing that process is the way to go, he said. But I dont think there is a question as to whether or not the Big 12 is aware that we would have an interest if they are interested in us.Benedict said if the school does join the Big 12, he believes it would eventually need to expand its 40,000-seat football stadium in East Hartford. But he said they cant do that until Husky fans consistently sell out the building.He said the school is currently concentrating its efforts on raising private donations to upgrade its baseball, softball, soccer and hockey facilities. There is still no timetable for construction, but Benedict said the school has about $14 million committed to the project, with a goal of raising another $11 million.Thats a priority for us, because it also sends out the message that we are going to invest in facilities that are up to (Power Five) standard, he saidBenedict said an intact American Conference is still a viable alternative should the Huskies be passed over by the Power Five. But he said the idea that UConn would consider rejoining the Big East for sports other than football is not currently on the table.Everybody is jockeying for position, he said. Part of my role and responsibility is making sure were looking at all options, keeping all options open to make sure we put ourselves as a university and an athletics program in the best possible position to compete. ' ' '