in the first period and skated off but returned a short time later. ' ' '

SAITAMA, Japan - Keisuke Honda made sure Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup by calmly converting a stoppage-time penalty Tuesday to secure a 1-1 draw against Australia. Tommy Oar had given Australia a 1-0 lead in the 82nd minute with a lob over Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawasahima but a handball by Matthew McKay in the last minute of regulation set up the penalty for Honda, who beat Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with a left-footed shot into the top of the net. Japan needed at least a point to clinch a spot in next years World Cup in Brazil from Group B in Asian qualifying. "I have achieved one of the goals I was hired for," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said. "But just qualifying is not enough. We have a very strong commitment to playing well so we will aim even higher in Brazil." Honda had missed Japans last two matches — both defeats — but was his teams best player on Tuesday, even before the goal that saved Japan having to wait for the result of a later match between Oman and Iraq to see if it would qualify. "Honda is a special player," Zaccheroni said. "He has two important qualities: hes strong physically and hes strong mentally. That was his first full 90-minute game since November and he was spectacular." Both teams had great scoring chances in the first half, but Schwarzer got his right hand up to block Shinji Kagawas shot from close range. Later, Brett Holman fed a through ball to Robbie Kruse who fired a right-footed shot that Kawashima knocked down with an outstretched arm. Japan, eager to secure qualification at home, started the second half strong with Kagawa grazing the crossbar with an angled shot in the 59th minute. Just when the match looked set to finish in a goalless draw, Oar silenced the crowd of 62,172 when he beat a Japanese defender on the wing and sent a lob toward the net that dipped inside the bar and past the flailing arm of Kawashima. Schwarzer then stopped Yuto Nagatomos shot from close range in the 80th minute before Oar put the visitors ahead minutes later. Australia, bidding for a third straight World Cup appearance, is second in Group B with seven points with two matches remaining. The first two spots earn automatic berths in Brazil. "We probably just deserved to get the three points," captain Lucas Neill said. "Its a bitter pill to swallow to concede a penalty at the death. We knew this is a fantastic team were playing against, a very tough place to come and get points. We would have been delighted to get three, but it sets us up nicely now with one." Australias next two matches are both at home against Jordan in Melbourne on June 11 and Iraq on June 18 in Sydney. "I think everybody is a little bit disappointed but Im sure in the next few days, once we all calm down, well see the positives from the game and take it into next week," Oar said. NBA Jerseys China . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. Wholesale NBA Jerseys . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. http://www.cheapjerseysnbaauthentic.com/ . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Cheap NBA Jerseys China . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. NBA Jerseys From China . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. BOSTON -- Claude Julien decided not to give his goalie a pep talk after a pratfall in the crease handed the Rangers a goal that had the potential to turn the series around. Instead, the Bruins coach waited until after Tuukka Rask responded with 28 saves to help Boston beat New York 3-1 in Game 5 on Saturday and advance to the Eastern Conference finals. "Thats what I told Tuukka at the end of the game, You can start laughing now," Julien said after the Bruins followed their seven-game series against Toronto by avoiding a nail-biter against the Rangers. "We probably played with fire in the first round and almost got burnt," Julien said. "We knew we couldnt let our guard down (against New York). Because if we did, they would come right back at us." Gregory Campbell scored twice and recent call-up Torey Krug scored his fourth goal of the series for Boston, which will meet Pittsburgh for the right to play for the Stanley Cup. The Bruins reached the third round of the NHL playoffs for the second time since 1992. The other was 2011, when the Bruins won the sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history. Tim Thomas was in goal then, and Rasks playoff memories arent quite so fond. The 26-year-old Finn was the Bruins starter when they blew a 3-0 lead in the 2010 East semifinals against Philadelphia, giving up a 3-0 lead in Game 7 as the Flyers advanced. Boston was up 3-0 in the second-round series against New York this year, with a 2-0 lead in Game 4 when Rask tripped on a rut in the crease and flailed at a slow-moving puck as it rolled over the line. The Rangers went on to win 4-3 in overtime, forcing the series back to Boston for a fifth game. "We wanted to make sure we ended this series -- for all the right reasons," including rest for players who went to overtime in Game 7 against Toronto, Julien said. "It also gives Tuukka the opportunity to laugh about that goal." Rask made sure there wouldnt be another collapse, stopping Ryan Callahan on a breakaway with just under 10 minutes to play. Callahan split the defence and went to his backhand, but Rask turned it away with the blocker on his right arm. "As a goalie, you expect to make one or two big saves. And today it happened," Rask said. "I didnt feel bad about myself after Game 4; obviously, there was a little screw-up there with that goal. But I didnt let that bother me, and I felt like I played a decent game after that. &qquot;Coming in today, I just wanted to be rock solid back there, and give our team a chance to win the game.dddddddddddd" Campbell broke a 1-1 tie in the second period, then added an empty-netter with 51 seconds left to clinch it after Henrik Lundqvist was pulled for an extra skater. Lundqvist made 29 saves and Dan Girardi scored for the Rangers, who lost to New Jersey in last years East finals. "I expected more from us, and I hoped for more," Lundqvist said. "Right now, its just an empty feeling, and disappointment. Some years you dont really have a chance to go that far in the playoffs, you just battle hard. I think this year, we had a pretty good team, but there were a few games when we didnt reach our top level. When you play a team like Boston, its going to be tough to beat them." The Rangers fell behind 3-0 in the series before winning Game 4 on Thursday night to avoid a sweep, thanks in part to two soft goals that caught Rask off-guard. They took an early lead on Saturday, but they could not send the series back to New York for a sixth game. "I watched our team fight tonight to extend this series. We get it on a big guys stick with a chance to tie it," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "So it goes. They were the better team. They deserved to win." Girardi made it 1-0 on a power-play goal with 9:21 left in first, one-timing a pass from Mats Zucarello into the net. The Bruins scored a power-play goal of their own 3:48 into the second when Krug took a pass from Tyler Seguin and hit the top of the net. Ten minutes later, Daniel Paille sent the puck to the net and it got caught up in traffic. Shawn Thornton knocked it to Campbell, who swept it in for the go-ahead goal. The Rangers pulled Lundqvist with 1:15 left, but the Bruins quickly found the empty net on a slow-rolling shot by Campbell. Notes: The Rangers had been 3-for-42 in the playoffs on the power play, but they scored on one for the second straight game ... Krejci led all scorers in the playoffs (5G, 12A) entering Saturdays game. ... Bruins D Dennis Seidenberg, who was injured in the first minute of Game 7 in the first round, returned to the lineup. Dougie Hamilton was a scratch. ... Rangers F Brad Richards, the 2004 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, was a scratch for the second straight game. ... Rangers F Derek Stepan took a puck in the face in the first period and skated off but returned a short time later. ' ' '