ark Fraser, who returned to the lineup after

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- DeMarcus Ware boarded the plane for Denver on Wednesday morning, looked in the row across from him and saw a sleeping Aqib Talib. Yep, the Broncos mean business. Before Ware even had a chance to sit down with Broncos boss John Elway, he saw exactly how serious the team was about fixing its defence. Ware became Denvers latest defensive addition in free agency, agreeing to a three-year, $30 million deal. Thats $110 million -- $60 million guaranteed -- for Ware, safety T.J. Ward and Talib, the last two of whom signed Tuesday. "Theyre trying to make a statement -- a statement were a team to be reckoned with," the 31-year-old Ware said. "Their mentality is a now mentality. Not looking forward to next season or the season after that, the time is now." Out of work less than 24 hours, Ware wasnt fully intending to agree to a deal right away with Denver when he flew into town. But he was persuaded by Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback turned executive who stressed to Ware the Broncos commitment to defence even with a prolific offence led by Peyton Manning. Elway got his man -- again. He did so two years ago with Manning and last off-season with Wes Welker. Its really no surprise the Broncos are concentrating on defence in the wake of a 43-8 loss to Seattle in the Super Bowl last month. Ward thinks the trio of new players brings not only leadership but a level of physicality to the field. Denvers defence surrendered nearly 25 points a game last season, which was 22nd in the league. "I think you see with Seattles defence last year -- definitely defence wins championships," Ward said. "(Ware and Talib) are two great players. Im eager to get to work with them. I dont know them personally yet, but I know what they do on the field. Those are two players I admire. I think well work well together." Talib flew in from Dallas on the same flight as Ware, not even realizing it until halfway through the trip. He was ecstatic to later hear that Elway enticed Ware to join the Broncos. "Every year you just want to better your team," Talib said. "Mr. Elway decided to better his team on defence this year, since the offence looks pretty good." Ware was let go Tuesday by Dallas in a salary-cap move. He had a franchise-record 117 sacks for the Cowboys since being drafted in the first round in 2005. He had a career-low six sacks last season and missed games for the first time in his career because of a thigh injury. He underwent off-season surgery to fix his elbow. Now that Wares fully healthy again, hes "going to be able to get after the passer," Elway said. No doubt, especially playing opposite Von Miller. This was a rough season for Miller, beginning with a six-game drug suspension and ending with a torn ACL on Dec. 22. Ware said he has a good relationship with Miller and hopes to get the 2011 rookie of the year back on track by serving as a mentor. "Von is one of those incredible athletes," Ware said. "If you can really hone in on what you do best, and make yourself not think as much when youre out there, hell be an even better athlete." Talib said theres no bad blood between him and the Broncos after he tweaked his knee early in the AFC championship game against Denver when he was bumped by Welker on a crossing route. Maybe at first, but not anymore. Not after watching the replay "1,000 times." "Wes is a good friend of mine," Talib said. "I can tell you he didnt do it on purpose." Talib appreciated Patriots coach Bill Belichick sticking up for him after the game. Belichick called it "one of the worst plays" hed seen in nearly four decades of coaching. The leagues officiating chief later ruled it a legal hit by Welker. "I told (Belichick) thank you and I respected what he did," Talib said. As for Talibs balky hip, well, thats not an issue. Hasnt been since his days with Tampa Bay. "The Patriots have their way of reporting stuff," Talib said. "The injury I had was actually a quad injury, reported as a hip injury. Thats how they do things." Talib said he received some interest from Washington, New Orleans, San Francisco and, of course, New England, but liked the fit with the Broncos. "I think we all are guys who play with attitude on the field," Talib said. Ware couldnt agree more, especially with the Super Bowl loss being a motivator. "Theyre saying, Were going to act right now and not let that happen again," Ware said. Authentic New York Giants Jerseys . Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane came up big when it counted, tallying two goals and an assist. 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The four-time Grand Slam champion has beaten Hantuchova nine straight times, with the Slovaks only win coming when they first played 10 years ago. "I had a tough first opponent who can play extremely good tennis," Sharapova said. Stitched New York Giants Jerseys . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said.TORONTO -- James Reimer began to wonder if the Toronto Maple Leafs could hold on and shut out the Washington Capitals. It didnt matter that they were being drastically outshot. When Alex Ovechkin scored late in the third period, Reimer tried to keep the negative thoughts from getting to him. "You kind of tell em to screw off and just keep focus on the puck," Reimer said. "You cant focus on the bad things or the negative things. All you can do is make that next save." Reimer did that again and again as the Leafs gave up 50 shots but beat the Capitals 2-1 in a shootout Saturday night at Air Canada Centre. James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul scored in the shootout to give Toronto (14-8-1) its third victory in four games. Being outshot and winning has become a familiar refrain for the Leafs, but this one was about quality over quantity as far as what Reimer faced. "Honestly it was more of them just throwing pucks at the net from everywhere," said Reimer, who made 49 saves and then stopped three of four in the shootout. "Our team did a great job of keeping the shots to the outside, and I just tried my best to control them. When I left some out there, obviously they were there to back me up." Reimer naturally watched the shots pile up. Leafs coach Randy Carlyle pointed to back-to-back Washington power plays in the second period as the time the shot differential became so lopsided, but even considering that his team was out-shot 40-26 at even strength. The 50 shots were a season high for the Capitals (12-10-2), as well as a season-high allowed by the Leafs. "I think any time you get outshot, you look at it," said winger David Clarkson, who scored Torontos only goal of the night on the power play in the second period. "But there was also a lot of good things we were doing. Theres always things you can improve on, theres things you can get better at. But the big thing is finding a way to win, and right now were doing that." It doesnt mean the Leafs were proud to be outshot 50-28, despite keeping so many of the Capitals attempts to the outside. "Regardless of the quality of the shots, were never going to tell you that we want to give up 50," said defenceman Mark Fraser, who returned to the lineup after missing two games with an aggravated knee injury. "Thats probably a few too many for us to be happy with. But it was just nice that we could keep it off the scoreboard. Obviously Reims had a lot to do with that." Reimer was in the zone, something defenceman Morgan Rielly said the 19,473 fans in the building could all notice. Carlyle was satisfied that his goaltender kept the Leafs in the game as Braden Holtby (27 saves) was brilliant at the other end. "When you get into situations like tonight it was one where we needed the save and he continued to make them," Carlyle said of Reimer. "Its a credit to him." Reimer might just be starting to get the credit he deserves for his play this season. With his performance against the Capitals, he raised his save percentage to an NHL-best .947. Even in the glow of an emotional shootout win that included stops on all-stars Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, Reimer wasnt making too much of the save-percentage accomplishment. "Obviously I believe in my ability and in my skill," Reimer said. "I try and work hard every day to be the best I can.dddddddddddd Stats are stats. I think you could arguably say that (Henrik) Lundqvist was the best goalie in the league, and I dont know where he is in save-percentage stats. "It means something but it doesnt mean everything, thats for sure. Its cool to be up there, but at the same time the most important thing is playing the best for your teammates. So whether thats a .915 save or a .940 -- whatever gets the job done." Reimer and the Leafs got the job done for much of the night against Ovechkin, who was held to three shots before tying the score at one at the 15:50 mark of the third period. On his fourth shot, Washingtons captain fired a bouncing puck past Reimer for his league-leading 20th goal of the year. "Lucky bounce, puck kind of stop and I have opportunity to shoot it and it goes in," said Ovechkin, who became just the third active player to put up at least 20 goals in each of his first nine NHL seasons. Capitals coach Adam Oates didnt believe the Leafs did anything "extra well" to shut down Ovechkin. He and Ovechkin expected the match-up with Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf. It was on the penalty kill that the Leafs zeroed in on stopping Ovechkin. Carlyle said they changed their structure to take away Ovechkins shot, and it worked as the Capitals went 0 for 3 on the power play. "On power play they put me in one position, they take me away but we dont use it," Ovechkin said. "Its blame on us of course." No one was really to blame for a fluke injury to ex-Leafs centre Mikhail Grabovski late in the second when he suffered two cuts on the right side of his face after was sliced by Clarksons skate while falling to the ice. Grabovski was booed by the crowd for laying on the ice after getting cut and skating off quickly following a whistle, but there was a copious amount of blood coming from his face that fans did not see. Grabovski needed 20 stitches but returned to the game early in the third. He said the play was his fault because he held on to the puck too long. Ovechkin called Grabovski a "warrior" for returning. His coach agreed. "Pretty scary play, actually," Oates said. "He came back, and he played a great game." It was Grabovskis first game back in Toronto since the Leafs bought him out over the summer. He had two shots in 16:18 of ice time. In his 18:38, Clarkson had a far bigger influence on the game. His second goal of the season was a perfect redirection of defenceman Jake Gardiners point shot on the power play, and he did his job of getting under the skin of Capitals players all night. Offensively, he was buzzing alongside linemates Lupul and Nazem Kadri well before scoring on the power play. Clarkson wondered as he had for the previous five or six games if hed be rewarded. "When youre getting chances as a player or as a line or as a team its bound to finally go in for you," he said. "Biggest thing is us winning. Whether you score or not, it doesnt matter whos putting it in the net, when you win thats all that matters." NOTES - Toronto defenceman Paul Ranger was made a healthy scratch as Fraser returned to the lineup. Ranger had played all 22 games going in and had one goal, five assists and a plus-4 rating. ... Martin Erat was scratched for Washington in favour of Eric Fehr, who took the penalty that set up Clarksons goal. 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