BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have narrowed their general manager search to four candidates, including Bruins assistant GM Jim Benning and Senators assistant GM Tim Murray, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Sabres have not revealed their list of candidates to succeed Darcy Regier, who was fired in November. The search is led by newly hired team president Pat LaFontaine. The finalists are still being interviewed, and no timetable has yet been set for when the position will be filled, the person said. The two other finalists were not revealed. Candidates linked to the job include Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Jason Botterill and Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM Claude Loiselle. Benning, a former NHL defenceman, spent 12 seasons as a Sabres scout, including eight as the teams director of amateur scouting before being hired by the Bruins in 2006. In Buffalo, Benning had a hand in the Sabres drafting the core of the team that lost the Eastern Conference finals in 2006 and 07. It was a group that included goalie Ryan Miller, forwards Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville and defenceman Brian Campbell. Murray is in his seventh season as the Senators assistant general manager. He began his NHL scouting career with Detroit in 1993, and is the nephew of Senators general manager Bryan Murray. Murray has also spent time as a scout with Florida, Anaheim and the New York Rangers. LaFontaine has been patient in conducting his search since taking over after the Sabres fired both Regier and coach Ron Rolston. The purge happened after the Sabres got off to a franchise-worst start and stuck at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 4-15-1 record. LaFontaine was initially offered the GMs post by Sabres owner Terry Pegula, but instead turned it down because he felt he didnt have enough experience. LaFontaines first move was bringing back former Sabres coach Ted Nolan to serve as interim coach with the chance to retain the job once a new general manager is in place. Under Nolan, the Sabres (12-26-4) have gone 8-11-3 and have won five straight at home entering their home game against Carolina on Tuesday night. Though still last in the standings, the Sabres general managers job is considered attractive because the team has stockpiled high draft picks as part of a youth movement that began under Regier last season. The Sabres could have as many as two first-round and three second-round selections in this years draft. The Sabres also have a solid group of prospects in their farm system. They include defencemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, who were both drafted in the first round in June. The next Sabres general managers most immediate priority will be determining whether to re-sign Miller, who is in the final year of his contract. Swell Bottle Sale Nz . -- Kevin Stadler might be playing in the Masters for the first time, but hes already showing his old man a thing or two. Swell Drink Bottles NZ Sale . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. http://www.swellwaterbottlenz.com/swell-...collection.html. -- Downcast before the final game of what had been a difficult road trip, the Ottawa Senators found a way to dig out a little momentum in the desert before heading home. Swell Bottle Wood Collection . -- Once again, Carlos Santana was a huge hit in Kansas City. Swell Bottle Teal Wood . The top-ranked Djokovic also beat Gael Monfils and then routed Roger Federer en route to his first Abu Dhabi title. "Its always great to win a title. This is the best way to start the 2012 season," Djokovic said. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals manager Ned Yost admitted that he often manages an entire game around getting the ball to reliever Wade Davis in the eighth inning and closer Greg Holland in the ninth. The fact that Yordano Ventura gave him six solid innings made things even easier. Ventura returned from a sore elbow to keep the St. Louis Cardinals off balance, and Kansas City rallied for three runs in the sixth inning before the bullpen closed out a 3-2 win Thursday night that ended a string of eight straight home losses to its cross-state rivals. "The bullpen was fantastic tonight," Yost said. Of course, so was Ventura. The hard-throwing right-hander was skipped his previous time through the rotation because of the ailment, but looked sharp in his return. Ventura (3-5) pitched to contact and took advantage of some sharp defence, which helped him to limit the damage whenever he ran into trouble. "Everything was good," Ventura said through a translator. "I wasnt nervous. I was very anxious. I wanted to pitch well to help the team win." He wasnt in line for the win until the Royals rallied for three runs off Michael Wacha (4-4) in the sixth inning, and Francisley Bueno and Davis each pitched a perfect inning in relief. Holland made things interesting in the ninth. Oscar Taveras led off with a grounder toward second base that Omar Infante fielded deep in the hole and threw awkwardly to first base. Umpire Dan Iassogna initially ruled the throw beat Taveras to the bag, but a video review showed that he was clearly safe. Holland proceeded to strike out Jhonny Peralta, but a wild pitch sent pinch runner Randal Grichuk to second base. Holland then struck out Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos to end the game. The Royals took the first two games of the four-game, two-city series at Busch Stadium, and then lost 5-2 in 11 innings on Wednesday night before taking the series finale. Kansas City improved to 6-2 against National League clubs this season, while its slumping cross-state rivals lost for the seventh time in their past eight games. The game was expected to be a showdown between two oof the games bright young pitchers in Ventura, with his 100 mph fastball, and Wacha, who emerged for St.dddddddddddd Louis last season. Neither of them disappointed. Ventura left two runners aboard in the first inning and a runner on third base in each of the next three innings. Alex Gordon then helped him out of the fifth, when he threw out Yadier Molina trying to stretch a single into a double with a strong throw from left field. The call was confirmed after a review that lasted 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Wacha only allowed two hits through the first five innings before Alcides Escobar started the Royals rally with a double in the sixth. Nori Aoki followed with an RBI double and Eric Hosmer guided a single through a drawn-in infield to knot the game 2-all. Salvador Perez, who had been in a 2-for-24 slump at home, followed with a go-ahead single. "Wacha was real good up the point of the sixth inning and thats consecutive starts where weve had starters come out and be real good and just hit a wall," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "We just werent able to get enough offence back after that." The fact that Aoki had a part in the Royals sixth-inning rally was perhaps fitting. The outfielder was leading off in the first inning when he took a pitch low and inside. He was still leaning slightly over the plate when Molina tried to return the ball to Wacha, and the throw instead ricocheted hard off Aokis helmet and toward the third-base dugout. Aoki crumpled into a heap and lay in the dirt for several minutes before resuming his at-bat. He later grounded out, but hurt the Cardinals with his double during the Royals decisive rally. "Yadi was real apologetic," Yost said. "Nori was just like, OK, OK." NOTES: Cardinals 2B Kolten Wong left in the fifth inning with soreness in his left shoulder, which he hurt diving for a ball Tuesday night in St. Louis. Daniel Descalso replaced him. ... Royals RHP Jeremy Guthrie starts a four-game series against the Yankees on Friday night. Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn will start for St. Louis to open its three-game set in Toronto. ' ' '