in at Celtic as the Spanish team secured top spot in Group C on Wednesday.Messi drove in a 24th-minute opener at Parkhead before converting a penalty in the 55th, putting him on nine goals already in four group games.Five of those have come against Celtic, following his hat trick in Barcelonas 7-

?OTTAWA, Ontario -- Maybe someone within Team Canada has a sense of humor, but Steven Stamkos and John Tavares stalls are right next to each other in the dressing room.Thats plenty convenient in case Tavares wants to ask Stamkos for advice on how to deal with the next two years of Toronto wants Tavares rumors ahead of his contract expiring.I just said to him, Make sure you watch what you do on Twitter, Stamkos said with a chuckle this week. That was my only advice. Dont stir the pot accidently. Be careful.That would certainly be a start. Stamkos had a few Twitter incidents that stirred up the?Toronto Maple Leafs fan base, though he?insisted each time it was a mistake.In the end, Stamkos let his actions do the talking as he took less money to stay with the?Tampa Bay Lightning, where he has the best?chance to win, and turned down offers from the likes of the Leafs,?Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens.Now, Stamkos, 26, has passed the Maple Leafs rumor mill baton to fellow Toronto-area native Tavares.The New York Islanders captain can control what he says, which is that he wants to remain with the team that drafted him and win a Stanley Cup there one day. But he cant control the location listed on his birth certificate. So the Toronto buzz will just keep getting stronger as time goes on.I grew up in Toronto. I grew up a Leafs fan, said Tavares. You know what its like. People are nonstop looking at every possible scenario and what can happen. It just comes with the territory and being from there. ... Its something you cant control. I just try to go about my business. Ive always been a low-key kind of guy, just trying to get better and help my team on Long Island.And again, you get absolutely zero sense Tavares, who turns 26 on Sept. 20, wants to leave the Islanders at this point.Its still a long ways away, a couple of years, Tavares said of the two seasons left on his deal until he becomes an unrestricted free agent. And obviously when theres one year left, you can start negotiating. Theres still a lot of time and focus on tomorrow and getting better.I want to help my team on Long Island take the next step and try to go all the way. Weve been through a lot there. Weve got a great group of guys. The organization has been great to me. Everything has been top notch since Ive been there. A lot of things have been said, misconceptions I feel, and I just want to continue this journey.This is a big year for new Islanders ownership. Its on them now within these 12 months to show their captain what theyre all about, how committed they are to winning. And all indications early on are that the ownership intends to do just that.July 1, 2017, is the earliest Tavares can sign an extension with the Islanders. The betting money is on that happening. Then again, we all thought that about Stamkos and the Lightning one year out, and that thing turned into a played-out ordeal right to the 11th hour.Ive known Johnny for a lot of years, Stamkos said. I know the competitor he is. When you get with one organization and you start from the bottom, really, and work your way up to a competitive team, you want to see that through, you want to ... bring those fans a Stanley Cup. Obviously he can do what he pleases, but I know he enjoys it down there.As he goes through that stuff Id be happy to answer any questions, but I think hes a pretty smart and mature guy that he knows whats best for him moving forward.What links these two franchise players perhaps more pertinently to their Team Canada experience in the World Cup is that theyve both got unfinished business wearing the Maple Leaf. A broken leg early in the 2013-14 season cost Stamkos his shot at his first Olympics. A broken leg during the actual tournament in Sochi cost Tavares the sweet ending.They both want to contribute to Canadian glory now.We talked about that a little bit, Stamkos said. It was kind of bittersweet for him, too. Anytime you get an opportunity like that and something unfortunately happens, its disappointing. I think thats why both of us are looking forward to this tournament. I know for me, it was obviously heartbreaking not being able to go to Sochi. When I got the news I could be on this team, get ready, Im truly excited for this.Added Tavares about his broken leg in Sochi: I tried to be as supportive that I could after it happened and embrace the Olympic experience. But certainly it was bittersweet, a lot of emotions going through at that time. It wasnt easy. But our team kept rolling and kept getting better as it went along.I remember as a kid watching in 02 [Salt Lake City], that final game, such a remarkable run they went on and the adversity they overcame. I also remember watching 2010 in my rookie year, the Olympics on home soil; that was pretty special. Those are the games you want to play in and get an opportunity. 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Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said.GLASGOW, Scotland -- Lionel Messi steered Barcelona to a 13th straight appearance in the Champions League knockout stage, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win at Celtic as the Spanish team secured top spot in Group C on Wednesday.Messi drove in a 24th-minute opener at Parkhead before converting a penalty in the 55th, putting him on nine goals already in four group games.Five of those have come against Celtic, following his hat trick in Barcelonas 7-0 win at Camp Nou in September.With Manchester City drawing at Borussia Moenchengladbach in the groups other game, Barcelona is four points clear of City and cannot be denied first place heading into the final round of matches in group play.Celtic will finish last in the group and is out of Europe altogether.The Scottish champions hopes of a third memorable win over Barca in 12 years -- after a UEFA Cup victory in 2004 and a Champions League triumph in 2012 -- looked thinn from the moment Messi scored his 91st goal in the competition, meeting a clipped pass from Neymar with a first-time shot inside the near post.ddddddddddddBack after missing Barcas last La Liga game through illness, Messi had already squandered two good chances by then, while Suarez was denied a second goal from a diving header because of an acrobatic save by goalkeeper Craig Gordon late in the half.Barca started the second half sloppily only to be gifted a penalty thanks to a clumsy challenge from Emilio Izaguirre on Suarez.Messi drove his penalty low and straight as Gordon dived to his left.In search of the 38th hat trick of his Barca career, Messi dragged a shot narrowly wide in the 67th. He turned down a shot on goal to tee up Suarez, who struck the post with a close-range shot. ' ' '