n those three encounters. Mats Zuccarello scored a

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Immediately after the Los Angeles Lakers declared Kobe Bryant out for the season, he already was thinking about how to make sure the Lakers will be much less miserable when he returns. Bryant expressed only mild frustration Wednesday after the long-expected decision to end his 18th NBA season after just six games. The superstar guards broken bone in his left knee has kept him out since shortly before Christmas, and it still hasnt healed enough for weight-bearing exercise. With just five weeks left in their injury-ravaged season, the Lakers (22-42) elected to preserve Bryant for next year, when hell be 36. And though Bryant has barely played, he is determined to make sure the Lakers failures of this season arent repeated in 2014-15. The Lakers ruthlessly competitive scorer cant take much more of this incompetence from his 16-time NBA champion franchise. "I feel like killing everybody every time I go to the arena," Bryant said. "Im just on edge all the time. Yeah, I still feel it, probably more than anybody in the organization does. I probably feel it more, and it drives me absolutely crazy." Bryant clearly identified the Lakers top off-season priorities in his mind, and they didnt include specific free-agent additions. The fourth-leading scorer in NBA history called on the Lakers front office -- and owner Jim Buss in particular -- to set "a clear direction" for the franchises return to the top after they miss the playoffs this spring for just the second time in his career. "Youve got to start with Jim," Bryant said. "Youve got to start with Jim and Jeanie (Buss), and how that relationship plays out. It starts there, and having clear direction and clear authority. And then it goes down to the coaching staff, and whats Mike (DAntoni) going to do, what they want to do with Mike, and then it goes from there. Its got to start at the top." Phil Jacksons apparent decision to take a front-office job with the New York Knicks also drew a negative reaction from Bryant. The Lakers flirted with re-hiring the 11-time NBA champion coach early last season before unexpectedly choosing DAntoni, whose two injury-plagued teams have gone 62-74. "You know how I feel about Phil," Bryant said. "I have so much admiration for him, and respect, and have a great relationship with him. Personally, it would be hard for me to understand that happening twice. It would be tough. I dont really get it." Bryant said nothing about his relationship with DAntoni, and the coach said he hadnt spoken to Bryant about the decision to shut him down. But Bryant said he wont be satisfied with another rebuilding year for the Lakers, even though his two-year, $48 million contract extension starting next season will absorb a large chunk of the teams upcoming salary-cap space. Most of Los Angeles roster will be free agents in the summer, and Bryant has said he wants centre Pau Gasol to return. "How can I be satisfied with it?" Bryant asked. "Were like 100 games under .500. I cant be satisfied with that at all. This is not what we stand for. This is not what we play for. A lot of times, its hard to understand that message if youre not a die-hard Laker fan. Its hard to really understand where were coming from, what were used to, what were accustomed to, which is playing for championships. Everything else is a complete failure. Thats just how it is." Exactly 11 months after tearing his Achilles, Bryant remained confident he can return in something close to top form. He plans to approach his remaining rehabilitation as "a seven-month training program," giving him ample time to rebuild strength in his left leg. "I dont want to say Ill be back at the top of my game," Bryant said. "Because everybody is going to think Im crazy, and its the old-player-not-letting-go sort of thing. But thats what its going to be." Bryant missed the first 19 games of this season after tearing his left Achilles tendon last April, returning Dec. 8. The five-time NBA champion was back in uniform for just 10 days before fracturing the top of his shinbone in Memphis. The Lakers initially thought Bryant could return shortly after six weeks of recovery, but the bone has been slow to heal. "With Kobes injury still not healed, the amount of time hed need to rehab and be ready to play, and the amount of time remaining in the season, weve simply run out of time for him to return," Lakers trainer Gary Vitti said. Los Angeles began the day in a three-way tie for last place in the Western Conference with 29 losses in its last 38 games heading into Thursdays trip to Oklahoma City. Steve Nash hasnt been formally shut down for the season, but DAntoni indicated its also unlikely the two-time MVP guard will return this season. The 40-year-old Nash, who has one year left on his contract, has played in only 10 games this season while dealing with back problems and related woes. DAntoni said Jordan Hill and Nick Young are both unlikely to play on the Lakers upcoming two-game road trip, but Gasol is probable despite skipping part of practice Wednesday. Vans Shoes Australia Sale . -- The top-seeded Alberta Pandas set up of an all-Canada West final against arch rival UBC at the CIS womens volleyball championship after a 3-0 win over the No. Vans Shoes Cheap Australia . Im very excited about the playoffs, particularly in the Western Conference with amazing match-ups, as well as the wonderful local story in the Toronto Raptors. It should be a blast. Here are my predictions, but based upon my lousy prognostications during the NCAA Tournament, you might be better off going the other way on some of mine - particularly with the Raptors, who I hope and pray are able to win an incredibly difficult match-up. http://www.cheapvansaustralia.com/. 9 Baylor Bears just needed some time to get on track in their first game after the Christmas break. Vans Shoes Discount . The CFL will help tackle womens cancers by playing four special "CFL PINK" games this weekend. Cheap Vans Shoes Australia . Chris Johnson singled with two outs off left-hander Jerry Blevins (1-1), and Schafer pinch ran. With a 2-2 count, Schafer ran on the pitch and Upton dropped a single in front of Bryce Harper. Schafer already was rounding third when Schafer bobbled the ball.(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Rangers earned a lopsided victory the last time out and they hope to build off that triumph when they visit the lowly Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at Rexall Place. New York began a four-game road trip with Saturdays 5-1 rout of the Vancouver Canucks. The win pushed Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault to 3-0 against the Canucks since they fired him following the 2012-13 season and the Blueshirts have outscored Vancouver by a combined 13-4 margin in those three encounters. Mats Zuccarello scored a pair of goals as New York used a three-goal first- period to jump all over the Canucks at Rogers Arena. J.T. Miller, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh also lit the lamp for the Rangers. Derick Brassard and Rick Nash each added a pair of assists, while Henrik Lundqvist turned in a 29-save effort for the win. You can tell that we had the jump tonight, said Lundqvist. Thats the way we have to play. Saturdays blowout victory was the second straight win for the Rangers, who have only won three in a row once this season. New York went 3-0 from Oct. 16-21 and the clubs current two-game streak marks only the second time the Blueshirts have recorded consecutive victories since that season-high winning streak. Backup Cam Talbot is expected to spell Lundqvist in net tonight. Talbot is 1-1-0 with a 1.01 goals against average in two career outings against Edmonton. While the defending Eastern Conference champions are aiming to match their longest winning streak of the season tonight, the Oilers are simply looking for something positive to shake them out of a terrible funk. Edmonton is last in the NHL with 19 points and has suffered defeats in 14 of its last 15 trips to the ice. Carolina also has 19 points on the season, but is one place ahead of the Oilers in the league standings due to having played one less game. The Oilers havee lost three in a row -- all in regulation -- and were handed a 4-2 setback by visiting Anaheim on Friday night in the finale of a home-and- home series.dddddddddddd Edmonton lost a 2-1 road decision to the Ducks on Wednesday. With actual wins hard to come by, the perpetually rebuilding Oilers at least achieved minor victories by making competitive games of both contests against the NHL-leading Ducks. Edmonton was down 3-0 at one point on Friday before rallying to make it a one-goal game. Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Getzlaf scored in a 44-second span in the opening minute of the second period to hand the Ducks their 3-0 cushion. However, the Oilers received a goal late in the second from Tyler Pitlick before Jeff Petrys power-play tally made it a 3-2 contest at 12:40 of the third. The Oilers outshot Anaheim 11-4 in the third period, but Nate Thompson would eventually seal the win for the Ducks with his empty-net tally in the final minute. I feel like Ive said this eight times this year. A couple bad shifts killed us. They had two Grade A chances at the start of the second, lamented Oilers forward Taylor Hall, who posted an assist in the setback. Viktor Fasth suffered both losses against the Ducks, his former team. Fasth was pulled 21 minutes into his start on Friday after giving up three goals on 12 shots. Ben Scrivens stopped all seven shots he faced in relief. Scrivens will get the start in net tonight. He is 2-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA in three career games against the Rangers. The Oilers have won three of the last four meetings against the Rangers and notched a 3-1 victory when the clubs meet in the Big Apple on Nov. 9. Fasth stopped 20-of-21 shots in that contest, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and former Ranger Benoit Pouliot each posted a goal and an assist for Edmonton. New York has won two of the past three encounters at Rexall Place. ' ' '