BUFFALO, N.Y. - Zemgus Girgensons feels a little sheepish discussing how fans back home in Latvia have clicked and quadruple-clicked his name so often that the Sabres forward is running away with the NHL All-Star Game vote.The second-year player appreciates the overwhelming support hes received from the Baltic nation. And yet the 20-year-old Girgensons doesnt consider himself worthy of being included among the leagues elite.Its a little bit embarrassing and funny at the same time, Girgensons said, before the Sabres hit the road for a two-game swing that concludes Tuesday at Detroit. It came out of nowhere. I know people know me back home, but I didnt think it was going to go that far. Thats like crazy far.As of Tuesday, Girgensons has a league-leading 1,291,186 votes, with about 80 per cent coming from Latvia.The only limit on voting is fans can use the same device no more than 10 times a day.Chicagos Patrick Kane (815,990 votes) is second among forwards, followed by teammate Jonathan Toews (803,034).Blackhawks players hold down the three other remaining spots eligible to be selected by vote. Chicagos Duncan Keith (790,922) and Brent Seabrook (641,736) lead defencemen, and Corey Crawford (714,471) leads goalies.With voting set to close Jan. 1, Girgensons is on the verge of clinching a spot to play in the All-Star Game at Columbus on Jan. 25.If I have to, its awesome said Girgensons, the only Latvian currently playing in the NHL. Itll be satisfaction to the fans, really.Selected in the first-round of the 2012 draft, Girgensons has established himself as a skilled two-way forward, and part of the rebuilding teams young core.Girgensons leads Buffalo (13-18-3) with nine goals and is second with 18 points.That puts him well off the league-leading pace. Dallas centre Tyler Seguin is first with 25 goals, while Philadelphias Jakub Voracek tops the points list with 44.Sabres coach Ted Nolan said Girgensons has nothing to be ashamed of.I wouldnt be embarrassed at all, Nolan said. The whole nations cheering for him, which is great to see. So he should feel a lot of pride.Nolan knows plenty about Girgensons and Latvia. He spent the previous four years coaching Latvias national team, which included Girgensons.Hes come a tremendous long way in a very short period of time, Nolan said.In an email, Latvian Ice Hockey Federation media manager Maris Gorbunovs wrote the support Latvians have shown Girgensons has been spontaneous, and a reflection of their passion for hockey and a native son.Canada and USA has many NHL players but Latvia at the moment has only one, Gorbunovs wrote. It is not an initiative of some separate group or segment. It is an achievement of all Latvian fans.Gorbunovs estimated at least 11,000 Latvians travelled to Minsk, Belarus, to attend last years World Championship tournament. Former Latvian NHLers include goalie Arturs Irbe, now a Sabres assistant, and defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh.Growing up in Riga, Girgensons was a fan of the Kontinental Hockey League team based in the Latvian capital.Girgensons was 15 when he moved to North America to play for the former Vermont-based Green Mountain Glades of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. He then spent two seasons with Dubuque of the U.S. Hockey League, before committing to play at Vermont.Girgensons turned down a college career for the chance to play pro after being drafted by Buffalo.I never would have said at age 20 that Id be in my second year in the NHL, Girgensons said.Soon enough, he might be an all-star.Girgensons laughed when reminded that Latvia, a country with a population of about 2 million people, accounts for about 1 million of his vote total.Yeah, Girgensons said, smiling. Only half like me. Clint Frazier Yankees Jersey . "Canada," Bolland said with a smile. "Is that a question?" One day earlier, though, fellow Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri wasnt so sure his home and native land could pull off the win against the United States in the semi-finals of the Olympic hockey tournament. Kyle Higashioka Jersey .The Ottawa Senators winger was relegated to a corner seat in the locker-room to allow Daniel Alfredsson to return to his regular stall one last time. https://www.cheapyankees.com/2861g-tommy...ey-yankees.html. Paul George and Darren Collison each scored 17 points and Roy Hibbert added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers (9-3), who won their third straight. Greg Bird Jersey . But Paul Osbaldiston, Hamiltons assistant special teams and kicking coach, said the team still relished the championship game workout. Bobby Murcer Jersey . "I have had no discussions with Chad Johnson or his representation," Popp said Friday in an email. However, he appeared to confirm a report on Twitter from TSN this week that Johnson was on Montreals negotiation list.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Four-time champion Novak Djokovic handled Milos Raonic, while Stan Wawrinka kept his hopes of a repeat Australian Open title alive by besting fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori in straight sets on Wednesday. The world No. 1 Djokovic dismissed the eighth-seeded Canadian star Raonic 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2, while the fourth-seeded Wawrinka fired 20 aces and was broken just once in a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) quarterfinal victory over the U.S. Open runner-up Nishikori at Rod Laver Arena. The 27-year-old Djokovic is bidding to become the second man in history to win the Australian Open for the fifth time, joining Roy Emerson. The Belgrade native won his first major title in Melbourne in 2008 and followed with three successive victories in 2011-13. He has a 48-6 match record at Melbourne Park. Djokovic has still yet to drop a set in his ruthless run at this 2015 fortnight. He is through to his 25th Grand Slam semifinal, one behind Andre Agassi for the fourth most in the Open Era. Djokovic improved to 5-0 against Raonic, as he doused the Canadian in two hours. The Serb was not at his best in the first set, not quite finding his timing under the lights at Laver. But a costly forehand unforced error from Raonic at 5-6 in the tiebreak -- having just saved two set points -- gifted the Serb the opener. From there, Djokovic was clinical. He lost just two points on serve in each of the second and third sets, while breaking Raonic three times in total. It was a close first set, but I thought I had more chances in the first set than him, said Djokovic. Managed to stay tough in the right moments and win the crucial first set. Obviously winning it in a tiebreak and making the break of serve first game of the second set was definitely huge really for me. I could start swinging through a little bit more, be more aggressive into the court. After that first game of the second set I played a great match. The 24-year-old Raonic was looking to become the first Canadian in history to reach the Aussie Open semis. The Toronto native reached his first Grand Slam semi last year at Wimbledon, losing to Roger Federer. I just think [the first set] gave him a bit more belief, said Raonic. I wish I would have served better in certain moments, but I didnt lose because of my serve. He just didnt allow me to organize my game. Even when he was returning well, by the end of the match he was doing a good job of playing deep and never allowing me to go forward.dddddddddddd Obviously if you watch the footage, he was pretty much on the baseline the whole time and I was further back. The reigning Wimbledon champion Djokovic is seeking an eighth Grand Slam title. A five-set thriller was played between Wawrinka and Nishikori at last years U.S. Open, and it was Nishikori who survived a 4-hour, 15-minute marathon. The evenly-matched opponents were on the court for less than half that on Wednesday. The defending champ Wawrinka dominated the first set and did not face a break point until he was serving out the second ahead 5-4. Nishikori had three chances at pulling even, but Wawrinkas overpowering serve closed it out. Nishikori finally earned a break early in the third, but Wawrinka countered with one of his own at love. Three aces early in the tiebreak helped Wawrinka jump out to a healthy 6-1 lead. After staving off five match points, Nishikori hit a drop shot that fell into the net, and Wawrinka finished him off with another big ace. On Friday, fans will be hoping for another epic when Djokovic faces Wawrinka for the third year in a row at Melbourne Park. Two years ago, Djokovic denied Wawrinka 12-10 in the fifth set of a fourth-round clash, but last year the Swiss got his revenge with a 9-7 fifth-set victory in the quarterfinals. I take a lot of confidence [into the match], said Djokovic. I try to carry that in every next match, next challenge. Obviously Im going to play Stan, who is the defending champion here. We played five-set matches at the 2013 and 14 Australian Opens. Im going to be ready for a fight. But knowing that I have raised the level of performance tonight, and probably playing the best match of the tournament so far is affecting my confidence in a positive way. Hopefully I can carry that into next one. Djokovic is 16-3 lifetime against Wawrinka, including a 3-1 record at the majors. The first mens semifinal will be staged on Thursday when sixth-seeded Andy Murray takes on seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych. The big Czech is 6-4 lifetime against Murray, including 1-1 at the Slams. Murray is a two-time Grand Slam champion and three-time Aussie Open runner-up, while Berdych is a former Wimbledon finalist. ' ' '