KAMLOOPS, B. Danny Ainge Jersey .C. -- Jeff Stoughton has dodged more than a few bullets at the Canadian mens curling championship but he was hit hard Monday night, falling 10-4 to Albertas Kevin Koe. Koes win set up a three-way tie for first at the Tim Hortons Brier, as John Morris of B.C. then beat Eddie MacKenzie of Prince Edward Island 10-4. Morris, Koe and Stoughton are all tied at 4-1 at the top of the standings. Koe grabbed a three in the third end and stole a crippling four in eight when Stoughton was forced into a low-percentage angle raise and his stone sailed past a crowded four-foot. Stoughton shook hands at that point. "We thought we had to give it a shot to score," he said. "It was one of those games, we were just a little bit light or a little heavy on some shots. . . we missed four in a row on the end where they stole three." Koes four in eight came despite a hog-line violation on third Pat Simmons final stone. "I think he said he thought he was coming out a bit light and went to add a little and you know just over the hog line," said Koe. A missed raise by Manitobas third that could have spilled Alberta stones out of the crowded four foot also put Manitoba further behind the eight ball. "They kind of missed the sweep on John Meads last shot and never moved stuff around and were chasing." Stoughton noted the kind of shots he has been forced to make by his team have brought down his percentages but he feels good about his game. "Its a reflection of lead, second and third before you," he said. "The less shots that are made in front of you, the tougher shots you are making. . ." "I felt a lot better today about the ice and the weight and throwing, so for me the confidence level went way up after this game." Newfoundland and Labradors Brad Gushue improved to 2-3 with a 9-7 win over James Grattan of New Brunswick, who won his first game in the earlier draw. Northern Ontario improved to 2-3 by beating still winless Jamie Murphy of Nova Scotia 9-6. Morris was happy about the way his team played. "Jimmy was feeling it, the ice was fantastic . . . That was probably our most solid game of the week so far," said Morris. Jim Cotter throws fourth stones for B.C. and he didnt miss much. P.E.I. shook after the final four in the ninth end. Earlier in the day, Koe won a game he never looks forward to playing. "This one, you dont get a lot of enjoyment out of," the Alberta skip said, after beating younger brother Jamie Koe from the Northwest Territories-Yukon 8-3 in eight ends. "Its never fun beating them because Im always cheering for them every year theyre here," he said. "That being said, we needed a win." "Theyre obviously better," Jamie said of the encounters with his brother. "Were going to have to play our best and hope for some breaks but its a fair battle." Monday also saw Grattan score his first against Greg Balsdon of Ontario 9-6 in the afternoon. Balsdon now sits at 2-2. Grattan gave Stoughton a fight Sunday as well and said it felt good to get a monkey off his back with the win. "When we went to bed last night we felt pretty good about it," he said of the Manitoba game. "The team in the last two games has really shown up." He says getting used to the ice has been an issue. They lost their first game 13-5 and the second 10-1. "We come from an area of the world where the ice is fairly straight all the time . . Coming out here and all of a sudden youre taking the 12-foot to get to the lid and its a different ball game." Its also important to win games at the Brier if you want a reserved spot in the future. A new system is coming into place that will force the bottom finishers to compete for the right to return. Its being brought in to keep the field the same size with the addition of a Team Canada and new rinks from Nunavut and Yukon, instead of just one Territories team. MacKenzie was 3-2 after splitting the day with an afternoon win over Quebecs Jean-Michel Menard. MacKenzie has already matched his combined record at his first two Brier appearances for Prince Edward Island, in 2011 and 2013. "Its definitely better than 0-5 or 0-6 like we were the last couple of times," he said earlier in the day. "Id say being here the last three out of four years helps for sure, playing on arena ice a little more." Saskatchewans Steve Laycock sits just ahead of MacKenzie at 3-1, after beating Nova Scotia 5-3 in the afternoon. He didnt play Monday night. "We kind of figured 3-1 or 4-0 was where wed want to be after this stretch because we do have some of the favourites coming up," he said. Murphy, meanwhile, isnt too thrilled at the Canadian Curling Association for the changes coming in 2015 that could see Nova Scotia have to compete for the right to play in the Brier. "Were firm believers that messing with traditions such as the Brier doesnt seem like a smart decision," he said of the new system, popularly known as relegation, although it seems anything but popular. "Were obviously biased when we say that because were probably going to be in the relegation pool." Marcus Smart Celtics Jersey . Hall had a goal and three assists in a 5-4 loss to San Jose on Tuesday, had an assist in each of Edmontons next two games the capped the week with a goal and two assists in the Oilers 4-2 win over Anaheim on Sunday. Jaylen Brown Celtics Jersey . To be fair, the celebrations are already anything but tame. Nerf ball tricks shots are just the tip of the iceberg for a group that has performed in zero gravity, faced pro-skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and an assembled team on the MTV series "Fantasy Factory", and even hit a basketball trick shot from a passing blimp. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-john-havlicek-celtics-jersey/ . - The Pittsburgh Pirates plan on keeping promising left fielder Starling Marte playing alongside National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for years to come.TORONTO - As many of his teammates departed for warm, sunny destinations over the Olympic break, David Clarkson decided to spend the majority of his time at home in Toronto, working to get himself in a position to finish what otherwise has been a forgettable season on the right foot. "Just at home with my daughter dressing up as a princess and bossing me around but I was home with the family, went away quickly, but was mainly just home with my wife and daughter," said Clarkson. Having already missed 21 of 60 games this season being in and out of the lineup due to two suspensions and two different injuries (foot and elbow), additional time off was the last thing Clarkson felt he needed. "I think Ive had enough of a break this year," he laughed, "but Im ready to go here to finish this season the right way." Instead of time off, Clarkson dedicated himself to a workout schedule in an effort to sustain the improvement in his play in the week leading up to the Olympic break. "Especially with the year, the way its gone for me, when you go through a tough time, sometimes youve got to dig deep and find a way to get back to work and try to stay healthy." So far, Clarksons off-ice work over the break has paid off, at least in the eyes of his head coach. "He worked out and maintained a high level of conditioning and its shown here during this mini camp," Randy Carlyle praised, singling Clarkson out after putting his team through another high tempo practice with a heavy emphasis on battle drills designed to ensure the team hits the ground running when they resume their schedule on Thursday night against the New York Islanders. Reunited with Nazem Kadri and Joffrey Lupul on a line in the second last game before the Olympic break in Tampa Bay, Carlyle was impressed with the trios performance against the Lightning and the following game against the Vancouver Canucks. The three had played together most recently for a couple of games at the end of November before various injuries and suspensions kept them apart. Robert Parish Jersey. "We think the combination of Kadri, Lupul and Clarkson have been a real strong force for us over the last little while and theres no reason to change that," said Carlyle. "We think they should be challenging the Bozak, Kessel and van Riemsdyk lines for minutes, offensive minutes." Likely more of a challenge than an expectation given the tear that the JVR-Bozak-Kessel unit was on heading into the break, an element of consistent production from that group would be welcomed to take some of the onus off the top line. Clarkson seems to be pleased with the chemistry developing among his linemates so far. "I think playing with those two, we made a lot of good plays," he said. "We were in the other teams zone, we were doing a lot and I think it was the healthiest Ive felt since coming back off the elbow (injury)." Signing a seven-year, $36.75 million deal to play in his hometown last summer, the expectations were high, probably too high to legitimately expect them to be met. At that price, production is expected in the range of 20 to 30 goals and 55-65 points. But Clarkson is not a player who will consistently reach those targets. He knows the criticism has been abundant. "In sports, I think you have to blank some stuff out whether its what people are saying or whats going on," said Clarkson. "As a player you go through ups and downs and its how you come out of it and how you handle it. You work hard through those times to get stronger and better." Finally healthy, a strong performance down the stretch could go a long way in helping to silence some of his critics and erase the disappointment of the first three quarters of the season. It promises to be tough, hard sprint to the finish and its type of hockey Clarkson wouldnt want any other way. "This is playoff hockey," he said, "the rest of the season is what its all about." ' ' '