Bekanntmachungen » Pierre Houde and Marc Denis, there are a lo

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins had the right formula for successfully playing through the cold: a guy named Kyle Gibson. Unfazed by the subfreezing temperature at first pitch, Gibson pitched a career-high eight scoreless innings for the Twins in a 7-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday that opened a day-night doubleheader. Gibson (3-0) took the mound for the coldest start for an outdoor game in Twins history, 31 degrees, and breezed through a Blue Jays lineup that totalled 20 runs in the previous two games. He walked one, struck out four and scattered four singles. All he was missing was the ninth. He lobbied for 10 more pitches, but 105 were plenty for the Twins. "This early in the season were not going to mess with that kids arm. But that was a great performance," manager Ron Gardenhire said. Gibson had a rough rookie year in 2013, but the 2009 first-round amateur draft pick has been the early stalwart of the rotation that stumbled through the first two turns. He lowered his ERA to 0.93. "Especially toward the end, I was thinking about going nine innings. I wasnt thinking about the cold," said Gibson, recalling a couple of snow-covered games in college at Missouri. His parents travelled from Indiana to watch him play Thursday, and the 6-foot-6 right-hander was throwing first-pitch strike after first-pitch strike. "I know theres some Twins fans that dont like the pitch to contact, but if my sinkers sinking then Im doing myself a disservice by throwing ball one," Gibson said. Josmil Pinto highlighted a five-run fifth inning against R.A. Dickey (1-3) with a two-run double, missing a grand slam by a few inches. Trevor Plouffe also had two RBIs. But the story of the game was Gibson. "His fastball was sneaky and jumping on you pretty good," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. Gibson went 2-4 with a 5.63 ERA in 10 starts last season but has earned his spot back. "He was confident, really confident, and he showed that from day one of spring training. It wasnt like he was out there on a mission. He was just going his thing," Gardenhire said after the Twins beat the Blue Jays for just the fifth time in their last 22 meetings. After wintry weather forced postponement of Wednesdays game, workers scrambled all morning to melt snow and ice from the seating areas, and the grounds crew dried the warning track. The Twins even sent out a company-wide memo asking for help. Slush still sat along the edges of the plaza behind right field, and the highest seating level was closed off because it wasnt cleared in time, giving those customers an unexpected upgrade. The announced paid attendance was 20,507, but the actual number of people present was probably half of that at most. The previous lowest first-pitch temperature the Twins played in was 32 degrees on May 2, 1967, at Metropolitan Stadium. Their home was the covered, climate-controlled Metrodome from 1982-09. Dickeys knuckleball was moving all over the place. Needing 112 pitches to get 13 outs, Dickey didnt finish the fifth inning when the Twins batted around. His ERA rose to 6.26, after he allowed seven hits, five walks and five runs while striking out four. Jason Kubel, Kurt Suzuki and Chris Colabello also drove in runs for the Twins. "They did a good job of laying off really good pitches. I thought I got squeezed a couple of pitches, but outside of that it was one of those days where you werent putting the whole game together," Dickey said, adding: "Im traditionally a slow starter so hopefully I can get on track next time." NOTES: The last Twins pitcher to win each of his first three starts as a member of the opening day rotation was Livan Hernandez in 2008. ... Dickey is 1-3 with a 6.58 ERA in six career starts against the Twins. ... The Twins recalled former Yankees SS Eduardo Nunez, acquired via trade last week, from Triple-A Rochester to play 3B for the second game as the 26th man. The Blue Jays added OF Anthony Gose from Triple-A Buffalo. Nike Free Clearance Ireland . JOHNS, N. Nike Free Ireland . 1 status and was unable to prevent a late season collapse, James Reimer said he wants to put the past behind him and is looking forward to spending the next two years in a Maple Leaf uniform. http://www.nikefreeireland.com/ . The Leafs were back on the ice Wednesday following an 10-day break. It apparently wasnt long enough, as Team Canadas 2-1 win over Latvia didnt conclude before the Leafs began practice. "I was thinking we might get a little delay, but it was nice to get out there," said Tyler Bozak of watching Wednesdays game. Cheap Nike Free Ireland . -- In the stadium program sold at the Miami Dolphins game on Halloween, Richie Incognito was asked whos the easiest teammate to scare. Nike Free Shoes Clearance .com) - The Los Angeles Kings werent playing their best hockey before the league went on break during the Winter Olympics.It appears as though the Holiday Break couldnt have come at a better time for the Montreal Canadiens this season. After a roller coaster 4-3 OT win in Nashville on Saturday night, the Habs look like a team that needs a few days of rest and relaxation away from the rink and the game. Montreal has the rare opportunity this particular season to have a stretch of seven days off in between games. In fact, they wont even return to the ice for practice until next Friday when they arrive in Tampa to prepare for a date with the Lightning. While the physical break is always enjoyed, sometimes its the mental break that can be the best thing for a player; a few days away from the arena and the game all together, spending time with family and friends to enjoy the season. Sometimes it can be overlooked how much a few days of family time can do for a player. A good example would be Daniel Briere, who has only been back to his home in Philly with his kids once since arriving in Montreal for training camp. A few days back around the Christmas tree with family can be a great recharge. Max Pacioretty will have his hands full with a new baby to welcome into the family over the break, and no doubt will enjoy a few days off during the whirlwind experience of becoming a father. Its also a case of some good ol home cooking, with several players heading home for the holidays. Ryan White said hes most looking forward to Moms cooking. The holidays also bring out memories of childhood and for players with young kids, a chance to pass on family traditions. Even though Travis Moen recalls his excitement of receiving his first shotgun on Christmas morning at 12 years old, hes not looking to pass on that tradition, saying "we live in the city now, so I cant see that," but jokes that some traditional food dishes are in order and of course the matching pajamas for the whole family. Its a mixed bag for the Habs this year, some who have family coming to Montreal while others will venture home. There are even plans which include enjoying the holidays away in a different destination to escape the madness. One of those spots include Florida, where theyll remain and await the teams arrival next week. No matter which Habs player you talk to, and what the plans are, the common theme remains the same, its all about family. Hockey players are a tight group and the dressing room is much like a family, so its no surprise that remains the focus. So, while the players take a few days off, the fans should as well. Relax, take youur mind off hockey for a few days.dddddddddddd Focus on the people around you. Spend some quality time with family and friends, and enjoy the festive season. Line combinations, statistics, and standings can take an aside for a few days to focus on whats really important. Its a long season in an Olympic year, and theres lots of hockey to still be played. Of course, theres still the World Juniors to watch on Boxing Day on TSN. And now, a few holiday notes... Id like to take a moment to thank all our team at TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. Its been a well-documented wild ride for the last two years, but things look brighter than ever for the future. There are a lot of people behind the scenes that make the station tick day to day and Id mention all the names, but fear of missing some. While you all are most likely familiar with the on-air talent, there is one name you dont hear of often that Id like to mention. He is our game night producer Marco Campagna. Hes the voice at the other end of the line every game for me, and also assembles our Saturday night montage openers. Top notch guy who never misses a game and it wouldnt be the same without him. Congratulations to our colleagues at RDS, who will remain as the Canadiens Regional rightsholder "en francais" for another 12 years. In addition to my friends Pierre Houde and Marc Denis, there are a lot of good people who work behind the scenes every game to bring a quality broadcast and its nice to see theyll still be together. A great piece of news before the holidays. Atlantic Canada, stay tuned, more Habs hockey is coming to a radio near you in 2014! The TSN 690 Habs Radio Network is expanding very soon. To all our listeners from across Canada and around the globe (yes, we know we have listeners in Australia and beyond), thanks for tuning in at all hours of the day. And to answer our most commonly asked question once again, if you have a PVR, pause your TV and listen online to sync up the feeds of TV and radio for a game. And finally, to all our listeners wherever and however you listen, thank you for allowing us into your homes, cars, earphones or any other way you tune in. From 690 AM, to internet, Bell TV, Bell Fibe, TSN Radio apps on your smartphones, NHL Radio on satellite and even podcasts, thank you. Enjoy the holidays everyone, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best to you and yours. Please dont drink and drive. Well see you back on the airwaves Saturday night in Tampa Bay for the Habs and Lightning. ' ' '