straight penalties prior to Higgins power-play goal. The Can

LAS VEGAS -- Dutch heavyweight Stefan (Skyscraper) Struve, slated to make a comeback Saturday after a heart scare, was scratched from his UFC 175 bout with Matt Mitrione after blacking out while warming up. "Stefan Struve suffered a non-life-threatening, near-fainting spell backstage," the UFC said in a statement during the fight card. "Afterwards, the medical team did not feel he was fit to compete. With his health and safety in mind, hes been removed from the card and is currently under the care of the medical staff." After the card, UFC president Dana White said Struve was "doing great" and had been cleared by doctors. "He had something like a panic attack," he told the post-fight news conference. "He almost blacked out, he started hyper-ventilating, his blood pressure dropped. I dont know, just one of those weird things." White said Struve had to ponder his fighting future. "He needs to do some soul-searching. Hes a super-talented guy. Hes a great guy, we love the guy. I dont know, well see where he goes from here." Struve, meanwhile, tweeted he was fine. "Just want to let everybody know Im OK, had a blackout in the locker room and we had to call the fight off, thanks for the love folks!" White said both Struve and Mitrione would get their basic purse. "I found out what happened and went to talk to Stefan," Mitrione said in a statement. "He was still in his chair and was very apologetic. Hes such a competitor. Obviously health and safety come first." The six-foot-11 Struves MMA career appeared over last year when he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Given the OK to resume fighting by his doctors in the Netherlands and the UFCs cardiologist, Struve (29-6) was looking forward to returning to the cage. Struve was also cleared by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. "It looks good," Struve said in a pre-fight interview, "I just need to do checkups two times a year with my doctors in Holland and two times a year with my doctors in L.A. "Thats no problem for me. I actually like that I know for sure that my heart is healthy." The 26-year-old Struve, ranked 12th among heavyweight contenders, last fought in March 2013 when he suffered a broken jaw in a knockout loss to hard-hitting Mark Hunt in Japan. He returned to training some three months later. But he blacked out briefly while at his parents home and went to hospital to be checked out. A stress ultrasound test, which uses high frequency sound waves to examine the hearts anatomy and function, found the heart issue. Struve was diagnosed with a leaking aortic valve, as well an enlarged heart. It meant that his heart was only pumping 60 per cent of his blood into the aorta and then the rest of his body. The remaining 40 per cent was ending up back in the heart chamber. Doctors used medication to control his blood pressure and the demands on his heart. Struve says he will probably have to undergo surgery at some point but hopes to do it after his fighting career. 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DreMont Jones Youth Jersey . - Free agent defensive end Will Smith has signed with the New England Patriots.MONTREAL -- If the Montreal Canadiens had lost the game, Max Pacioretty would have been kicking himself for a long time, despite scoring a hat trick. With the Canadiens leading the Vancouver Canucks by only one goal midway through the second period on Thursday, a game Montreal would eventually win 5-2, Pacioretty was awarded two penalty shots in a two-minute span. He missed them both. For the first, Pacioretty was hooked on a breakaway by recently-acquired defenceman Raphael Diaz at 11:47. After the referee pointed to centre ice, the Canadiens leading goal-scorer walked in all alone, but shot high and wide. "I thought a little bit too much before the shot," said Pacioretty, who had already scored Montreals first goal earlier in the game. "That didnt help me." Less than two minutes later, Alexandre Burrows took Pacioretty down on another breakaway, and the decision on the ice was the same. "I couldnt believe it," said Pacioretty. "I was just trying to catch my breath, wipe down my visor, buy myself a little extra time. Thats the last thing I would expect to happen so quickly after my first one." This time, Pacioretty lost control of the puck, bobbled it, and then took a weak backhand shot on Roberto Luongo, who made the pad save. Pacioretty has taken three penalty shots in his career - two on Thursday, and another on Oct. 12, 2013, in Vancouver. Luongo, who made 25 saves on Thursday, got the better of him on all three occasions. "Hes a big goalie, hes a good goalie," said Pacioretty of the Canucks netminder. "When it comes to penalty shots, hes in my head." Despite missing both, Montreals leading scorer became the first Canadien in team history to take two penalty shots in the same game - let alone the same period. Pacioretty redeemed himself at the start of the third, though, beating Luongo glove-side for his second of the game, the game-winner, and team-leading 25th goal of the season. He also added an empty-netter for his second hat trick of the season. "He stuck with it," said P.K. Subban of his power forward. "It says a lot about his character. Its tough, especially for a guy like him who wants to score so badly. He scored two goals afterwards. It shows how mentally tough he is and determined he is. Kudos to him." The Canucks have lost six consecutive games for the first time in five years. The team is still winless (0-3) since coach John Tortorellas return from a 15-day suspension. After the two missed penalty shots, the Canucks (27-23-9) started the third period down 2-1, but couldnt beat Carey Price for the equalizer. Price frustrated Vancouvers shooters all night, stopping 42 shots for Montreal (31-21-6). Tortorella ccalled the game an "uphill battle.dddddddddddd" "Our first period was okay," he said. "We played really well in the second. We just couldnt carry it. We needed momentum early in the third period, and maybe score a goal to keep us going." The Canucks did get one back in the third when Alexander Edler beat Price far side with a wrist shot while the Canucks played 5-on-4. But it wasnt enough. Stuck on 63 points, Vancouver is holding on to the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. But Tortorella doesnt think his players have the wrong attitude. "Thats the only thing we can do as a club, right now, is stay positive," said Tortorella. "Why lose that battle? The bench was alive, they played hard. That wont be a problem. We need to continue working at this." After Paciorettys first goal of the game at 14:59 of the first period, Ryan White fired home his first goal of the season. White couldnt have asked for an easier first goal, taking advantage of a sprawled-out Luongo, who thought he was covering the puck, to fire a backhand shot into the roof of the net and give the Habs a 2-0 lead. "I was making sure I put that one in, for sure. I saw the empty net, and I just wanted to make sure I didnt give (Luongo) any opportunity to make the save. He was down and out, and I had to make sure." Dale Weise, in only his second game with Montreal, got an assist on the goal. Former-Hab Chris Higgins made it 2-1 for the visitors at 2:31 of the second period, beating Price on the power play with a redirected shot off his shin for his 16th goal of the year. Montreal had killed off 28 straight penalties prior to Higgins power-play goal. The Canadiens added a fourth goal when Edler kicked the puck into his own net at 8:14. Tomas Plekanec, the last Montreal player to touch the puck, was credited with the goal. The Canadiens had lost four in a row in January, but have since gone 4-1-1. "Were a more confident group," said White. "When you lose, youre second-guessing yourself. Youre maybe not making the right plays all the time, they come back to haunt you. "When were confident, when were playing as a group, those mistakes tend to slide sometimes." NOTES: Henrik Sedin (rib) and Dan Hamhuis (leg) were not in the lineup for the Canucks. The injury even forced Sedin to withdraw from the Olympic Games earlier in the day. ... Weise and Diaz both faced their former teams after they were traded on Monday. ... Travis Moen (lower body) did not dress for the Habs, and is listed as day-to-day. ... This was the second of two games between Montreal and Vancouver this season. The Canadiens beat the Canucks 4-1 on Oct. 12, 2013. ' ' '