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Aside from a postseason getaway to Cancun, Mexico, and attending friends weddings every other weekend, its been a summer of intense rehab for Tampa Bay Lightning and Team USA goaltender Ben Bishop, who said hes physically and mentally ready to take on the world in the World Cup of Hockey.From a personal standpoint, Bishop, 29, has plenty of unfinished business to attend to when he and the rest of Team USA report to Columbus, Ohio, for the start of World Cup training camp on Sept. 5.Injured in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which the Lightning lost in seven games to eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, Bishop said his strained ankle ligaments are completely healed, allowing him to hit the ice a month earlier than normal this summer.Bishop, a 6-foot-7, 216-pound native of Denver, went 8-2 with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in last seasons playoffs and is expected to challenge Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick and New Jersey Devils netminder Cory Schneider for the starting job with Team USA, which will be coached by Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss John Tortorella.I feel good, said Bishop, who was a backup to John Gibson when the U.S. won the bronze medal in the 2013 IIHF Mens World Championship. Ive been doing rehab all summer, and Im stronger this summer than I was last summer going into camp as far as test results. Thats a good thing.Bishop said hes especially eager to see who will start in goal for the Americans when they open their World Cup pre-tournament schedule with a Sept. 9 game against Canada at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. The eight-team tournament starts for real on Sept. 17 in Toronto and ends on Oct. 1.Its going to be a little different than NHL exhibition games, Bishop said. Canada-U.S.? I dont think thats going to be an ease-in process. Exhibition games are going to be a little more intense, especially for goalies who like to slowly get into it. My first game could be against Team Canada, but after practicing for a week and some intrasquad scrimmages, Im sure Ill be ready.With eight rosters filled with NHL stars, ESPN.com quizzed Bishop on which World Cup opponents have the best offensive skills in a variety of categories:Hardest shot: Alex Ovechkin, RussiaHes got one of the best shots in the game. Its really tough to read off of his stick. He usually comes down on it almost like a knuckle ball. Its tough to read.Most accurate shot: Steven Stamkos, CanadaLuckily, hes on my team in Tampa, but Ive seen him score a lot of goals. Hopefully I can keep them out if hes shooting against me. I think [Vladimir] Tarasenko from Russias got one of the best wrist shots in the game. Some guys have a heavy, hard shot and its got more weight behind it, but a guy like Steven Stamkos has one of the more accurate shots in the game. I dont think its as hard as others, but he can put it wherever he wants. Theres a big difference.Shootout specialist: T.J. Oshie, United StatesIm glad hes on my team. Everybody saw what he did in the [2014] Olympics, so its nice to have a guy like that on your team and not have to go against him. I think Tarasenko is one of the better guys in the league in shootouts. Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby -- those guys can be pretty lethal in a shootout.Best setup man: Nicklas Backstrom, Sweden[He] is one of the better passers in the league, I think. Sidney Crosby, obviously. Those guys stand out, especially Backstrom. The Sedins [Henrik?and Daniel], those guys can find each other almost anywhere on the ice. Its hard to pick because every team has great talent. I mean, every teams got two top lines that will be future Hall of Famers.Speediest forward: Pick a Team North America forwardIm just happy I dont have to race up and down the ice with those guys. Im sure some of those young guns on Team North America [Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, Dylan Larkin] will be pretty quick. Theyve got a lot of fresh, young legs -- thats for sure. Its almost all top-10 picks in the last few years and all those players are supposed to be stars in this league. I dont think anybody is going to take them lightly. They have a lot of skill, and they kind of have nothing to lose, so theyre going to be one of the more dangerous teams, I believe.The Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks lead all NHL teams with 12 players competing in the World Cup, and Bishop said the chirping has already begun.Im sure theres going to be lots of friendly fire when we get to Columbus, said Bishop, who will sport a glow-in-the-dark mask for the tournament. Itll be fun-hearted until we step on the ice, and then its going to be all business. Its obviously a big tournament, but its going to be fun to play against your teammates, which doesnt happen too often.Team USA will begin the tournament in a group with Canada, the Czech Republic and Team Europe, while Group B will consist of Russia, Sweden, Finland and Team North America. The top two finishers in Groups A and B will advance to the semifinals, with the semifinal winners facing off in a best-of-three finals.You cant predict, Bishop said. I think the way the tournament is set up its going to be fun because I think every team has a legitimate chance to win. Logan Couture Jersey . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Tim Heed Sharks Jersey . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. http://www.officialsharksnhlshop.com/barclay-goodrow-jersey/ . 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FCS Playoffs First RoundThe Matchup -- Samford (7-4) at Youngstown State (8-3)Kickoff -- 5 p.m. ET Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium (20,630) in Youngstown, OhioCoverage -- ESPN3Series -- Youngstown State leads 3-0Players to Watch -- Samford: QB Devlin Hodges (342 of 479, 3,716 yards, 33 TDs, 8 INTs); WR Karel Hamilton (100 receptions, 1,242 yards, 14 TDs), LB Shaheed Salmon (88 tackles, 13 TFL); Youngstown State: RB Martin Ruiz (1,008 yards, 10 TDs), DE Derek Rivers (37 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 QB hurries), S LeRoy Alexander (50 tackles, 3 INTs)The Skinny -- Youngstown State school president Jim Tressel is the proud papa of the week. The Penguins program that he coached to four FCS national titles in the 1990s is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. His first title came in 1991 following a 10-0 win over Samford in the semifinals. The Penguins are coming off a blowout win over Missouri State in which they had three rushers gain 166 yards or more (Ruiz, Jody Webb and Joe Alessi). The QB position hasnt been settled for coach Bo Pelini, and Hunter Wells is the better passer and Ricky Davis the more mobile signal caller. The defense features the FCS active sacks leader in Rivers, but the unit is particularly stout against the run. The Penguins also feature place-kicker Zak Kennedy and punter Mark Schuler.dddddddddddd. Samford is regrouping from a surprising loss to East Tennessee State, the Bulldogs third in four games and nearly enough to keep them from an at-large bid. It may not take long for their offense to leave the losses behind because it has produced 30 scoring drives of less than two minutes. Hodges, the Southern Conferences offensive player of the year, dissects opponents with a quick-strike, short passing game. Hamilton has hit the 100-reception mark and Kelvin McKnight and Emmanuel Obajimi have combined for 103 catches. Salmon and defensive ends Ahmad Gooden and Roosevelt Donaldson have gotten into opposing backfields for a combined 41 tackles for loss. Lanky cornerback Omari Williams is tied for second in the FCS with 18 passes defended.Up Next -- The winner plays at No. 3 seed Jacksonville State (10-1) in the second round Dec. 3.Prediction -- Despite last Saturdays results, this is a terrific matchup. Youngstown State was 6-0 at home, but the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule set up nicely for that to happen. Youngstown State 27-21. ' ' '