SAN DIEGO (AP) — Even after watching Nelson Cruz drive his 79th pitch over the center field fence to make it a one-run game with one out in the ninth Brian Roberts Jersey , San Diego Padres rookie Jacob Nix hoped manager Andy Green would let him finish.“I thought for sure he was going to leave me in there because of my pitch count,” Nix said after coming within two outs of his first complete game in his fourth big league start, a 2-1 victory against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. “I thought for sure I was going to be able to finish.”Green wasn’t buying it.“He’d done enough today. I didn’t want to put him in a situation where he was walking off that mound in a tie situation or a losing situation,” Green said.Nix, backed by stellar defense by shortstop Freddy Galvis and 21-year-old second baseman Luis Urias, who was making his big league debut, had the low pitch count because he had the Mariners swinging early and putting the ball in play. The 22-year-old Nix allowed one run and eight hits, walked none and struck out none.“That was crazy efficient. Clearly he had enough pitches to get the last few outs. He showed a glimpse Thurman Munson Jersey ,” Green said.“One day I’ll go nine,” Nix said. “And maybe I’ll mix in some punch-outs, too. I didn’t really get to two strikes a whole lot. They were putting the ball in play really early. Outs are outs. I’m here to get outs. I don’t care how I get them.”Travis Jankowski homered on Felix Hernandez’s first pitch and Urias had a nice game for the Padres, who snapped a five-game losing streak and won for just the second time in seven games.Nix (2-2) retired Jean Segura to open the ninth before Cruz homered to center, his 32nd. Kirby Yates came on to get the final two outs for his sixth save.Hernandez (8-12) pitched well but lost his sixth straight decision over eight starts. The former AL Cy Young Award winner, who briefly was demoted to the bullpen earlier this month, struck out a season-high nine and walked only two in seven innings. He allowed only four hits but three of them factored into the scoring.Jankowski drove Hernandez’s first pitch over the fence in right field, his third homer. Wil Myers doubled off Hernandez with one out in the fourth and scored on Hunter Renfroe’s two-out single to left.King Felix said there was “frustration about the loss for sure. I haven’t won since June 30. It’s tough. I think I did a good job except for the bunts. The second bunt was pretty good.”Hernandez twice bunted into inning-ending double plays.Manager Scott Servais said that other than Jankowski’s homer http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authent...e-posada-jersey , Hernandez “controlled the strike zone pretty well.”It was Jankowski’s first career leadoff homer.“Obviously I’d never done that before and to do it off a guy of his caliber, that felt good,” Jankowski said. “More importantly it got the team on the board early and got that energy going, that fire going early.”Urias, one of baseball’s top prospects, was called up earlier in the day even though Triple-A El Paso has qualified for the Pacific Coast League playoffs and the Padres are on pace to lose 100 games for the first time since 1993.Urias was brilliant in making his first play, diving to his left to field a bouncer by leadoff hitter Mitch Haniger and throwing him out. Urias went 0 for 3 with a walk.“I don’t know how I made it,” Urias said. “To be honest Don Larsen Jersey , I wasn’t nervous the whole game, maybe because of the diving play. I just enjoyed the moment.”Said Nix: “They were making some ridiculous plays back there. Freddy and Uri both were making some really, really good plays.”TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: Green said LHP Clayton Richard will have season-ending surgery on his left knee. He was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday. Richard was 7-11 with a 5.33 ERA.UP NEXTMariners: RHP Erasmo Ramirez (1-2, 4.56) is scheduled to start Wednesday afternoon’s series finale.Padres: Rookie LHP Joey Lucchesi (6-7, 3.74) is scheduled to make his third start against an AL club. He’s 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in interleague starts. The Los Angeles Dodgers got help for their ailing bullpen by acquiring Ryan Madson on Friday.Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the Washington Nationals traded Madson to the Dodgers.Per Jon Heyman of Fancred, the Nationals will receive a prospect in the deal.The Dodgers' bullpen has become a liability as the season has gone on, especially in the month of August. Closer Kenley Jansen was initiallyexpectedto miss a month with an irregular heartbeat prior to an Aug. 9 game against the Colorado Rockies.Since the Dodgers activated Jansen off the disabled list on Aug. 20, he's allowed 10 hits http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authent...ny-damon-jersey , seven earned runs and four homers in four innings.John Axford, Ross Stripling, Tony Cingrani, Daniel Hudson,JT Chargoisand Erik Goeddel are currently on the disabled list.Los Angeles'entire relief corpshas a 4.73 ERA with 14 homers allowed over 85.2 innings in August.Madson has struggled in 2018 with a 5.28 ERA in 49 games, but Los Angeles is at a point where it needs healthy arms that can help it get through the season's final month.A change of scenery could help get Madson back on track. The Dodgers will need him to be effective as they try to make up a two-game deficit in the National League West.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The final afternoon of the regular season for the Minnesota Twins was filled with cheers Authentic Todd Gurley Jersey , chills and even a few tears as a lively crowd at Target Field was treated to a meaningful and memorable game .Too bad for the Twins and their fans the playoffs weren’t at stake.They had to settle for a Joe Mauer tribute , the probable end to a 15-year major league career for the smooth-swinging, six-time All-Star and one of the best athletes the state has ever produced.The first big news of what will be a busy fall and winter in Minnesota will likely be the announcement from Mauer about whether he will continue his career at age 35. The sentimental scene on Sunday as the Twins beat Chicago to finish with a season-best sixth straight win left little doubt he’s done.“Either way, it’s a good decision, you know? I can either play, or go home and be with my girls,” Mauer said before hitting a double and donning the catcher’s gear one last time for a ninth-inning curtain call.The end of this year was already going to be pivotal for the Twins. Not only does Mauer’s $184 million contract expire, but a bunch of other important players are also coming off the books. Several of them, with Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar leading the list, were traded away this summer once the front office concluded the 2018 roster was not strong enough to contend.After owner Jim Pohlad approved a club-record opening day payroll of more than $130 million, the Twins have less than $25 million committed for 2019 salaries to catcher Jason Castro, relief pitcher Addison Reed and starting pitcher Michael Pineda. Starting pitcher Ervin Santana ($14 million) and designated hitter Logan Morrison ($8 million) can each be bought out for $1 million each and, considering their injuries this season, almost certainly will be.That leaves a large portion of the roster unsettled for next year, but it also creates extra flexibility for chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine for their third season in charge. The 78-84 finish after their appearance in the American League wild card game the year before was disappointing, but the timing of the downturn could prove to be convenient.“We see teams that have closed the gap very hurriedly this year. Oakland jumps out,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “So Todd Gurley Jersey Elite , yes, you go into it knowing it might be different but still optimistic about what you can do to get it done.”CLOSING TIMEFernando Rodney proved to be a valuable addition at age 41 with 25 saves and a 3.09 ERA, faring far better than the other acquisitions — Morrison, Reed and starting pitchers Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi. Rodney wasn’t spared in the roster purge, leaving the Twins without a closer. Trevor Hildenberger was handed most of the opportunities, but he stumbled badly down the stretch with a 9.00 ERA and seven home runs allowed in 27 innings after the All-Star break.FOR STARTERSJose Berrios and Kyle Gibson give the Twins two established starting pitchers for 2019, with the 24-year-old Berrios carrying clear potential for further growth into one of the game’s best. Odorizzi will probably get another opportunity, with the durability of 32 starts he made this season his best debut contribution. There’s plenty of space for a newcomer in free agency or by trade, with Kohl Stewart, Stephen Gonsalves, Fernando Romero, Zack Littell and Chase DeJong among the prospects under consideration for the rotation when spring training starts.“The jury’s out on in terms of who of these guys are going to emerge,” Molitor said.STEPPING UPThe knee injury that ended Castro’s season early gave Mitch Garver an extended audition as the regular catcher, and he made significant strides both with the bat and behind the plate. Byron Buxton’s injuries, inconsistency and eventual banishment to Triple-A created an unexpected role for rookie Jake Cave, whose on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.797) trailed only Escobar and Eddie Rosario among regulars.TAYLOR MADEOne bright spot in the bullpen after Rodney, Zach Duke and Ryan Pressly were dealt away was left-hander Taylor Rogers Authentic Cooper Kupp Jersey , who finished the season with a 26-inning scoreless streak that was the longest active run in MLB and the fifth-best in Twins history. Rogers had a 2.63 ERA and just 65 hits and walks allowed in 68 1/3 innings. Rogers, along with righty Trevor May, who came back strong after Tommy John elbow surgery, gives the Twins a foundation for the back of the 2019 bullpen.“He’s a pretty cool customer,” Molitor said. “I think the change of roles early in the year and getting back to later in the games, it just doesn’t seem to faze him whenever I use him.” BALTIMORE — The Toronto Blue Jays, like many teams, have feasted on the pitching of the Baltimore Orioles this season. Toronto banged out three homers in Monday’s 5-0 victory and now has hit 37 against the Orioles this year. When the two teams meet for the second game of the series on Tuesday at 7:05 ET at Camden Yards, the Blue Jays hope to do more of the same. Toronto (68-82) will start Aaron Sanchez (4-6, 4.90) against Baltimore right-hander Dylan Bundy (8-14, 5.48).Home runs have been a huge problem for Bundy also this year as he’s given up 38 homers already — the most in the major leagues.Article continues below ...The Jays got homers from Danny Jansen, Kevin Pillar and Aledmys Diaz in Monday’s victory. It was humid at Camden Yards, and when that happens, for some reason, the ball tends to fly out of the yard more often.But the ball didn’t go very far for the Orioles (43-107) in Monday’s game as Toronto starter Ryan Borucki threw eight shutout innings en route to the victory. He impressed manager John Gibbons with his work.“He’s going to get occasional strikeouts, but he needs to get ground balls, so he needs to keep those guys off-balance Cooper Kupp Jersey Elite ,” Gibbons told the media Monday. “I’ll tell you what, I’m proud of him.”Up next for Toronto will be Sanchez. He has found success versus Baltimore in his career, posting a 6-3 record with a 3.87 ERA.Bundy pitched better in his last start and has a 3-2 career record plus a 3.63 ERA versus the Jays. However, the right-hander has faded after a strong start to the season.The loss in Monday’s game was the 15th time the Orioles have been shut out this season but more importantly, it tied a club record for losses in a season (107).The 1988 Orioles set that record, a season that began with 21 consecutive losses and manager Cal Ripken, Sr. being let go after just six games. This season did not have anything like that but there are a number of losing streaks and numerous other issues that the Orioles just could not fix.“It’s frustrating to say the least,” Chris Davis told MASNsports.com. “Once we hit 100, it was kind of like … I don’t know. I honestly didn’t have any words for it. It was embarrassing. It was frustrating. It’s one of those things you never want to be associated with, but at the same time, you’ve got to learn how to turn the page and start somewhere. Why not start now?”Davis now is mired in a 1-for-25 slide and has been having one of the worst offensive seasons in baseball history. He’s probably as frustrated as anyone, if not more so.The only positive to come out of this season is that since Baltimore has just 12 games left, it looks like the team will finish with the worst record in the majors — meaning the Orioles would get the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft.Sometimes good things come out of bad situations.

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle pitcher James Paxton had two goals heading into his final start of the season: to go over 200 strikeouts and reach 160 innings pitched.He accomplished both.Paxton quickly checked off the first item http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authenti...-jackson-jersey , striking out leadoff batter Jurickson Profar to become the sixth pitcher in team history to reach 200. In his second start back since missing time after a bout with pneumonia, he also reached his other goal, allowing one run and striking out nine over six innings as the Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Saturday night.“I felt a lot better. Felt like I had my energy back,” Paxton said. “It was great to get 160 innings like I wanted to do. Getting 200 strikeouts was special. I’m looking forward to building off this season and getting where we want to get to next year.”Seattle’s ace becomes the first Mariners pitcher to reach the 200 strikeout mark since Felix Hernandez in 2014. He also finished the season with a career-high 160 1/3 innings pitched. He wasn’t able to equal last season’s career-high 12 wins, as the no-decision left him at 11-6.Mariners closer Edwin Diaz also reached a milestone with his league-leading 57th save, tying Bobby Thigpen’s 1990 mark for second-most all time.“It’s an unbelievable number,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “He’s just a special talent.”Nick Vincent (4-4) pitched a perfect seventh inning to earn the win.Paxton had three strikeouts in the first inning, but also gave up Adrian Beltre’s run-scoring double as the Rangers took a 1-0 lead.Texas starter Adrian Sampson — who grew up in Redmond, just outside of Seattle — nearly stole the spotlight from Paxton, holding Seattle scoreless through four innings. The Mariners tied the game in the fifth on Mitch Haniger’s sacrifice fly, and then roared ahead in the seventh.Dee Gordon hit a two-out triple to give Seattle the lead and end Sampson’s outing. Jean Segura and Robinson Cano each had RBI singles later in the inning to give the Mariners a three-run lead.Sampson (0-3) ended up allowing three runs and seven hits, with four strikeouts and no walks.“It was disappointing not to be able to win that battle right there Derek Holland Jersey ,” said Samson, who estimated he left about 60 tickets for friends and family. “Hats off to Dee right there. Just throwing the same pitch just one too many times, he made me pay for it.”WINNING SEASONSeattle improved to 88-73, equaling the sixth-best win total in team history. “It is a little bit of a disappointment, but at the end of the day, 88, 89 wins, whatever we end up with, it is an accomplishment,” Servais said. “It’s one of the better years in Mariners history. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten over the hump, and that’s getting back to the postseason.”TRAINER’S ROOMRangers: Trainers checked on LF Carlos Tocci in the fifth inning Buster Posey Jersey , after he hit the wall catching Haniger’s sacrifice fly and stayed down on the warning track in pain after the play. Tocci remained in the game. … Interim manager Don Wakamatsu said he thinks Nomar Mazara continues to be hampered by his thumb. Mazara missed nearly a month on the disabled list with a right thumb sprain, and is hitting .220 since returning on Aug. 16. “We think he’s on the right track,” Wakamatsu said. “Obviously the biggest thing over the winter is going to be evaluating that thumb and making sure he’s healthy going into spring training.”Mariners: Gordon returned to the lineup in CF after missing three straight games with a sore toe after fouling a pitch off his foot Tuesday.UP NEXTRangers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (8-7, 6.40 ERA) will make his 18th start. He has taken the loss in each of his last four starts and is 1-6 in his last eight starts.Mariners: LHP Roenis Elias (2-1, 2.93) will close out Seattle’s season with his third start. Elias, who has also made 19 relief appearances, has not gone longer than 3 2/3 innings in any start this season. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Shin-Soo Choo’s home run on the first pitch of the game ensured the Texas Rangers would avoid a third consecutive shutout.A fourth straight strong outing from Mike Minor was just as big for manager Jeff Banister’s ballclub.Minor pitched six scoreless innings of one-hit ball to win his fourth straight, Joey Gallo backed up Choo with his 33rd homer and the Rangers snapped out of their offensive slump to avoid a series sweep, beating the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Wednesday.“Choo getting off early, getting a run on the board, allowed our offense to kind of settle in http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-panik-jersey ,” Banister said. “It gave our guys some confidence to go out and swing the bat and attack.”Texas was shut out in the first two games of the series and had a 19-inning scoreless streak before Choo’s leadoff homer on the first pitch from Oakland starter Edwin Jackson (4-3) in the first inning.It was Choo’s fourth game-opening home run this season and the 27th of his career.After Choo walked and scored on Beltre’s single in the third, Gallo opened the fourth with a towering drive off Jackson. Gallo’s 74 home runs since the start of last season are the most by a Rangers player over a two-year span since Mark Teixeira had 76 from 2005-06.“We kept fighting,” Gallo said. “That’s baseball. Sometimes you get shut out and that’s the way it goes. Sometimes things don’t go your way.”Adrian Beltre had a pair of RBI singles to help the Rangers end a six-game losing streak to the A’s. Jurickson Profar added two hits. Elvis Andrus singled and scored after going hitless in his previous 12 at-bats.Stephen Piscotty had an RBI double for Oakland, which fell one game behind Houston in the AL West.“You look at the homestand and you have to feel good about winning the series,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ve been playing great and bringing the same attitude every day.”The same could be said of Minor, who has been the Rangers’ most effective starter for the past three weeks.Minor (10-6) was crisp while striking out four and walking one in his most effective start in nearly two months. The lefty, who was scratched from his scheduled start last Friday because of back stiffness, allowed only two runners and faced the minimum through six innings. Both runners were erased on double plays.“I feel good about the zeros on the board, but I think there’s room for improvement,” Minor said. “I still didn’t throw good breaking balls, the changeup was just OK and the fastball location was OK.”Cory Gearrin, Alex Claudio Willie McCovey Jersey , Chris Martin and Jose Leclerc combined to retire nine batters and complete the four-hitter.The A’s loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but Leclerc struck out Nick Martini on a check swing for his sixth save in 10 opportunities.Beltre singled in Andrus in the fifth to make it 4-0 and chase Jackson, who allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings and lost for the first time since July 20. The right-hander had yielded two runs over his previous 24 1/3 innings.“I was off today,” Jackson said. “I was under the ball a lot and that caused the ball to go flat and up in the zone.”STAYING PUTBecause their next series is across the San Francisco Bay against the Giants at AT&T Park, the Rangers won’t have to board a plane and instead will stay in the same hotel where they’ve been since Monday.TRAINER’S ROOMRangers: Profar started again at third base in place of Beltre, who’s had recurring hamstring problems, and made a diving stop on Ramon Laureano’s sharp grounder in the first inning.UP NEXTRangers: RHP Drew Hutchison (2-2, 5.71 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season Friday against the Giants. Hutchison won his previous outing when he allowed two runs in five innings against the Angels.Athletics: RHP Trevor Cahill (5-2, 3.12) pitches the opener of a four-game series in Minnesota on Thursday. Cahill has won four consecutive decisions, his longest winning streak since 2013.

ATLANTA (AP) — Brewers right-hander Joakim Soria was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday because of a strained right groin.Soria was injured while giving up a grand slam to Hunter Renfroe in the ninth inning Thursday in an 8-4 home loss to San Diego. He left the after facing two batters.“We’ll just treat it and maybe by the end of the weekend we’ll have a better idea http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-kirk-gibson-jersey ,” manager Craig Counsell said.Soria has a 1.59 ERA in seven games since Milwaukee acquired him in a trade two weeks ago with the Chicago White Sox. In 40 games overall, he is 0-3 with a 2.44 ERA and 16 saves in 20 chances.The Brewers recalled right-hander Adrian Houser from Triple-A Colorado Springs to replace Soria.Struggling closer Corey Knebel was not available Friday against the Atlanta Braves after giving up four runs, two hits and four walks in the last two games. Counsell said Josh Hader would fill the role. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Oakland Athletics broke out a little bit of everything Friday night to snap their two-game skid: efficient starting pitching, sharp singles, sacrifice flies and even their first bunt-single of the year.And oh yes, home runs.Sean Manaea (12-9) stifled Minnesota’s batters into the sixth inning Willie Horton Jersey , and Matt Chapman broke things open with a three-run homer and the A’s beat the Twins 7-1 on Friday night to maintain their hold on the AL’s final wild-card spot.Stephen Piscotty and Ramon Laureano added a ninth-inning shot each as the A’s did just enough against Twins starter Jake Odorizzi (5-8) before pouncing on the bullpen.“We’ve been playing so well and all of a sudden we have two losses in a row, which we haven’t had in a while now,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “So now it’s time to respond and they did.”After giving up some early runs in their last two losses, the A’s got back to the winning formula that helped them ramp up their pursuit of Houston in the AL West.Manaea recovered nicely from a rough outing against Houston last weekend. He yielded an unearned run, five hits and a walk with one strikeout. He threw 50 of his 67 pitches for strikes before manager Melvin pulled him for Lou Trivino after Eddie Rosario’s leadoff single in the sixth.“We have a full ‘pen today, and based on the last couple of starts I didn’t want to get him into a jam where he had a chance to take a loss http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authenti...martinez-jersey ,” Melvin said.Up to that point, Odorizzi had pitched well himself, also allowing only one earned run off five hits and one walk. But Oliver Drake relieved Odorizzi in the eighth and found himself in trouble quickly, allowing a single and a walk before Chapman’s 18th homer, a shot to right that made it 5-1.“Good teams can beat you in many different ways, whether it’s bunting to beat the shift Nick Castellanos Jersey , or it’s home runs or flare singles into right center, whatever,” said Jonathan Lucroy, whose RBI single in the fifth made it 2-1. “You’ve got to have a lot of weapons. You can just be one-sided with homers. We’ve got to beat you a lot of different ways.”Eddie Rosario scored Minnesota’s lone run in the fourth on Miguel Sano’s sac-fly to center.THAT’S A FIRSTJed Lowrie’s bunt single in the first inning against the shift extended his hitting streak to four games.“I thought they’d mistaken me for Joey Gallo,” Lowrie quipped of the Texas Rangers infielder. “I’ve never had four outfielders before. But I like hits.”ODORIZZI’S STREAKOdorizzi pitched seven innings for the first time this season after opening the year with 26 consecutive starts without an out in the seventh — the longest such streak in major league history. The Twins right-hander allowed one earned run, five hits and a walk.“I wouldn’t say it’s a breakthrough http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authenti...s-mccann-jersey ,” Odorizzi said. “It’s nice to get the results when you feel like you’re feeling good and throwing the ball well.”His lone fifth-inning walk proved costly when Odorizzi’s bad throw to second off a grounder allowed Lowrie to reach third and later score on Matt Olson’s sacrifice fly.MAUER’S MILESTONEThe crowd gave Joe Mauer a standing ovation after he singled off Manaea in the fifth for his 2,086th career hit, moving him past Rod Carew for second-most hits in club history behind Kirby Puckett’s 2,304.“It was pretty special to see the guys at the top step, and the fans on their feet. That really means a lot,” Mauer said.Manaea ended the two-on Shane Greene Jersey , two-out threat by inducing Logan Forsythe into a pop-fly to center.TRAINER’S ROOMTwins: Placed C Bobby Wilson on the 10-day DL with a sprained right ankle he injured Thursday night. The Twins called up Willians Astudillo from Triple-A Rochester. … Manager Paul Molitor said there’s enough lack of extension in RHP Ervin Santana’s injured finger to shut down all throwing activities.PLAYERS WEEKENDThe teams rolled out their players’ weekend jerseys, complete with nicknames across their shoulders. Among the highlights:“Manaelator” (Manaea)“Jedi” (Lowrie, although his nickname was officially listed “Capt. Barrel”)“Sauce” (Marcus Semien)“Logie Bear” (Logan Forsythe)“Garv Sauce” (Mitch Garver)And reserved hometown favorite Mauer? “Mauer”UP NEXT:Athletics: RHP Mike Fiers (9-6) takes the mound for his fourth start since joining the A’s from Detroit on Aug. 6. He’s 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three starts with Oakland.Twins: Rookie RHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-1) makes his second career start. The touted prospect allowed four runs, six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings Monday against the Chicago White Sox.

NEW YORK (AP) David Quinn had been contacted by other NHL teams in recent years Gordie Howe Jersey , and chose to remain at Boston University. When the New York Rangers came calling, it was different.As talks with general manager Jeff Gorton and assistant GM Chris Drury – both of whom he’s known for many years – progressed, he knew it was time to make the move.”It just seemed like a natural fit,” Quinn said Thursday when he was introduced as the Rangers’ coach at Madison Square Garden. ”I’m 52 years old and at this point in my life, to be able to be the head coach of the New York Rangers was an opportunity I could not pass up.”Quinn led the Terriers to four NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons, including a trip to the national title game in 2015.”This was a hard decision because of my love and passion for Boston University. It was an incredible opportunity for five years,” he said. ”This is really the only situation I would have left Boston University for.”Quinn spent the lockout-shortened 2013 NHL season as an assistant on Joe Sacco’s staff with the Colorado Avalanche, and also coached in the American Hockey League. Now, he becomes the 35th head coach in franchise history, replacing Alain Vigneault, who was fired April 7 just hours after the Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010.Gorton said he considered five to 10 people for the vacancy, but ruled out veteran NHL coaches while looking for someone to relate to the team’s younger players as it goes through a rebuilding mode.Quinn was high on his list from the beginning.”We were looking for somebody with fresh ideas, a fresh approach,” Gorton said. ”It just kept coming back to David as the guy we wanted and could see as we move forward with the Rangers and do what we have to do.”The things that stick out for us were obviously his communication skills will be important as we move forward. His feel for the game Authentic Gustav Nyquist Jersey , the way he wants to play has meshed well with what we want to do here.”Through his discussions with Gorton and Drury, Quinn said he also felt they ”seemed to be on the same page.””Every time they said `this is what we’re looking to do,’ I would say to myself `I do that. That’s kind of my coaching DNA,”’ he said. ”As time went on it just seemed more of a natural fit.”The new coach stressed practices will be hard with an eye toward improvement, and players should come in with that mindset.”I like to think I’m fair and demanding,” Quinn said. ”There’s no gray area with me with players. They want to get better, they want to be held accountable, but the message has to be this is in your best interest. This is not about me being the big, tough coach. It’s about me letting them know everything that we’re doing is to make them better players.”Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who played at BU when Quinn was an assistant there and also under him with Lake Erie of the AHL, agreed with the coach’s assessment.”He treats players with a lot of respect but he expects you to show up to work every day and he wants to work on something every day,” Shattenkirk said. ”I think that’s something that we need here.”The Rangers made the playoffs in four of five seasons under Vigneault, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. This past season, they finished last in the Metropolitan Division Womens Henrik Zetterberg Jersey , 20 points out of the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots while missing the postseason for the first time since 2010.Though several key players were dealt at the trading deadline in a youth movement, there is still plenty of talent on the roster, including veteran goalie Henrik Lundqvist, forwards Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and Mika Zibanejad, and defensemen Shattenkirk and Brady Skjei.”There’s a lot of good core players here, older and younger,” Shattenkirk said. ”A lot of them, they’re young but they have NHL experience. We’re not bringing in a lot of 18- and 19-year-olds who don’t know what the lay of the land is in the league.”Gorton said he and Quinn have begun compiling a list of potential assistant coaches, but there is no timetable for filling out the staff. The status of Lindy Ruff, hired as an assistant under Vigneault last year, has not been determined.Shattenkirk, recovering from surgery on his left knee in January, said his rehab is on schedule and he could start skating in a month and be ready for training camp in September.—Follow Vin Cherwoo at www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP— ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues will have a decidedly new look when the puck drops on the team’s season opener as it hosts the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.The Blues are going with a youth movement as prospects Robert Thomas Jimmy Howard Jersey , Jordan Kyrou and Sammy Blais all made the roster. Blais is the old man of the group at age 22. Thomas, regarded as one of the Blues’ top prospects, is 19 and Kyrou is 20.What they lack for in experience, St. Louis hopes they make up for in skill.Article continues below ...Blais, who played in 11 games last season, scored a team-high four preseason goals.“It’s a great feeling,” Blais told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “This year I just wanted to stay here all year and keep working hard and do what I did during the preseason.”Thomas had a goal and three assists in the preseason.“It’s obviously tough when coming in, with the environment and everything, and some pressure on you,” Thomas told the Post-Dispatch. “Whenever you’re trying to make a team, you always focus on stuff, (but) sometimes it’s just better to relax and have fun each day.”Kyrou scored a goal and an assist in the preseason opener in Dallas on Sept. 18. He added two more assists to cement a roster spot.“I just feel a lot more comfortable out there (this year),” Kyrou told the Post-Dispatch. “My speed is a big factor, so I really feel like I can skate out there Jonathan Ericsson Jersey , create a lot of opportunities.”The trio joins veterans Pat Maroon, Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron as newcomers. All six players start the season as part of the Blues’ top 12 forwards.The Blues start the season with no reserve forwards and will carry nine defensemen, two more than usual. The team elected to go with the extra defensemen as Robert Bortuzzo will serve the final game of a three-game suspension against the Jets and Joel Edmundson is dealing with a groin injury.The Blues and Jets split their four games last season, with each team winning one and losing one on home ice.After a 114-point season and a second-place finish in the rugged Central Division, the Jets are dealing with high expectations. ESPN ranked the Jets No. 1 in its preseason power rankings and nine of Sportsnet’s NHL Insiders predicted that the team will win the Stanley Cup this season.Jets coach Paul Maurice said the team isn’t interested in what others are saying.“They all have a really good understanding of the value of a prediction,” Maurice told NHL.com. “We don’t want to downplay it. Go through the list and find one that was picked first, won the Presidents (Trophy) and won the Cup. Right, there’s a bunch of good teams at the top and there’s a bunch of really good teams that miss the playoffs. It happens every year. And you don’t want to be that team, right? You want to be that team over the course of the year that gets stronger and gets better.“We believe we have enough talent now to be a good team but an understanding that maybe that’s a smaller fraction of the whole pie that goes into having a year like last year.”

CHICAGO (AP) — As a junior hockey phenom www.officialblackhawksproshop.com , Alex DeBrincat grabbed the attention of scouts as a natural goal scorer who could get open and finish.Now the 20-year-old Blackhawks forward is doing just that in the NHL.DeBrincat scored his second goal of the game and sixth this season with nine seconds left in overtime to lift Chicago to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.Set up by Erik Gustafsson’s pass across the crease, DeBrincat tapped the game-winner past Jake Allen from the right edge of the net after Patrick Kane, and then Artem Ansimov, controlled the puck deep in the St. Louis zone.“Everyone’s making great plays, even on that last one,” DeBrincat said. “(Gustafsson) made a great pass backdoor to me.”DeBrincat, Chicago’s emerging second-year star, also connected with 6:54 left in regulation to tie the game at 3. Open in the slot, he converted a centering pass from linemate Jonathan Toews after the Blues scored three straight goals to take the lead.“I’m getting pretty lucky right now,” DeBrincat said. “Playing with Toews and (Dominik) Kahun, they’re making great plays and getting me the puck.”Coach Joel Quenneville says more than luck is involved for DeBrincat.“He can do a lot of amazing things,” Quenneville said “He’s got a great stick as well defensively Chicago Blackhawks T-Shirts Authentic , tremendous hands, great release — whether it’s the reception of the shot how he releases or where he releases it from.”Anisimov scored his first goal and Kane added his fifth in the first period for the Blackhawks (3-0-2), who have skated into overtime in each of their first five games this season.Brayden Schenn notched his first two goals this season as the Blues (1-1-2) rallied from an early two-goal deficit. David Perron also connected for St. Louis.Chicago’s Cam Ward made 35 saves in his fifth straight start as the Blackhawks await the return of Corey Crawford, out since last December with a concussion.Allen, who blocked 46 shots, was one the few players Blues coach Mike Yeo would praise.“He was the reason we battled back in the game and it’s disappointing not to get that second point for him,” Yeo said.Yeo said his players weren’t bearing down to limit Chicago’s scoring chances.“That’s a rough way to play the game because it’s just back-and-forth hockey,” he said.Chicago’s two big-name defensemen, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, reached milestones.Keith played his 1,000th game, all with Chicago Chicago Blackhawks Hoodies Authentic , and was recognized by the team in a pregame ceremony. Joined by his family, the four-time All-Star received a silver stick and painting.The 35-year-old Keith, who joined Chicago in 2005, has two Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman and led the Blackhawks in minutes played when they won Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015.“I still have fun and enjoy it and I feel like I still have lots to do,” Keith said.Seabrook, Keith’s frequent blue line partner, skated in his 1,008th game with Chicago to set a franchise record for most games by a defenseman. He passed Bob Murray, now the Anaheim Ducks general manager.Aided by three power plays, the Blackhawks dominated the first period. Chicago outshot the Blues 23-11 and led 2-0 after 20 minutes.Anisimov opened the scoring 11:51 in, converting a rebound of Brandon Saad’s shot as an interference penalty to Jay Bouwmeester expired. Kane’s power-play goal with 3:59 left in the first made it 2-0.After Allen denied Toews on a stuff-in Chicago Blackhawks Hats Authentic , Kane picked up the rebound and drifted across the slot. With Allen down — and defenseman Colton Parayko and forward Ivan Barbashev also in the crease — Kane fired the puck in.Four straight manpower advantages in the second and third helped the Blues bounce back.Schenn, who led the Blues with 70 points last season, scored on screened shot at 12:35 of the second with during a delayed penalty call to cut it to 2-1.The Blues took a 3-2 lead with power-play goals 3:03 apart on consecutive shots early in the third.Perron tied it at 2 at 1:44 of the period, capitalizing on Ward’s botched handling of a dump-in.Schenn gave the Blues their first lead at 3-2 at 4:47 when he beat Ward between the pads from the right circle.After DeBrincat score to force overtime, Ward made a stick save to stop Schenn on a breakaway 1:10 into the extra period.NOTES: Keith and Seabrook are the only active teammates to have played in 1,000 NHL games. They both made their NHL debuts on Oct. 5, 2005, against Anaheim. … Keith, almost certainly a future Hockey Hall of Famer, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2015 after he scored the game-winning goal in a deciding Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay. … Two brothers, 22-year-old Blackhawks C Nick Schmaltz and 25-year-old Blues D Jordan Schmaltz, met for the first time in the NHL. … St. Louis C Jaden Schwartz sat out with an injured right leg Custom Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys , suffered Thursday against Calgary. . Chicago’s LW Andreas Martensen (back) missed his third game.UP NEXT:Blues: Play Anaheim on Sunday in St. LouisBlackhawks: Host Arizona on Thursday. WASHINGTON (AP) — From banner to blowout, the Washington Capitals‘ Stanley Cup defense is off to a rousing start.After watching the franchise’s first Cup banner ascend to the rafters, the Alex Ovechkin-led Capitals scored two goals in the first two minutes on the way to a 7-0 thrashing of the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. T.J. Oshie opened the scoring 24 seconds in and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the first of his two goals at 1:47 to give Washington the fastest first two goals by a defending champion in a season opener in NHL history.“We scored right away,” Ovechkin said. “After that, they were kind of in shock.”By midway through the second period, the Capitals chased goalie Tuukka Rask with five goals on 19 shots and ignited chants of “Back-to-back! Back-to-back!” from the fired-up crowd. That’s the chant Oshie started after the victory parade in June, and it was echoing throughout the arena four months later.“I said it because I believe it,” Oshie said. “We got a lot of guys in here that not too long ago were raising the Stanley Cup above our head. Not a lot’s changed.”Braden Holtby stopped all 25 shots he faced to improve to 15-2 with four shutouts against the Bruins.The emotional banner ceremony featured montages from the Capitals’ playoff run and ensuing celebrations and a roar when Ovechkin carried the freshly engraved Cup onto the ice and skated a lap with it. Minutes after Ovechkin kissed the Cup and put it back in its box, he and his teammates blew away any concern about an emotional letdown and began making a statement that they want to win it back.“We showed we’re not going to give a team easy ways to beat us,” Ovechkin said.In Todd Reirden’s first game as coach, the Capitals beat the Bruins for the 13th consecutive time, this time without Tom Wilson. Washington’s top-line right winger began his 20-game suspension for another illegal check to the head of an opponent in a preseason game.Without Wilson www.officialavalanche.com , the Capitals’ offense didn’t miss a beat as Ovechkin scored one of four power-play goals, Kuznetsov scored his second on the power play and John Carlson beat Boston backup Jaroslav Halak on a 5-on-3 advantage. Newcomer Nic Dowd joined the fun with a spinning back-hander, and Cup-clinching goal-scorer Lars Eller added the exclamation point with the seventh of the night.The Bruins were not pleased by Eller’s celebration, and winger Brad Marchand instigated a fight with him soon after.“His celebration was unnecessary,” Marchand said. “He took an angle in front of our bench and celebrated in a 7-0 game. So I just let him know.”Rask fell to 1-11-5 in his career against the Capitals with a 3.30 goals-against average and .889 save percentage that are each the second-worst of any opponent.“I’m out there to give us a chance,” Rask said. “It didn’t happen today. Three soft goals, you’ve got to look in the mirror and go fix it.”Only two goals came against Halak, whose presence on banner night in Washington was poetic after his performance for Montreal in the 2010 playoffs ended one of the Capitals’ previous best chances to win a championship.NOTES: The Capitals have outscored the Bruins 48-19 during this winning streak. … Reirden expects Wilson to appeal his suspension through the NHL Players’ Association. … Neither Reirden nor Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy would say who’s starting in goal for his team Thursday. … The Capitals set a team record for goals in an opener. … Washington C Nicklas Backstrom became the third player in franchise history to reach 800 points.UP NEXTBruins: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night in No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin ‘s debut.Capitals: Open the rival Penguins’ season Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jeff Skinner scored three goals for his fifth career hat trick and the Buffalo Sabres‘ reconfigured top line keyed a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.Jason Pominville had a goal and two assists for his 700th career point Adidas Alex Galchenyuk Jersey , and Jack Eichel added three assists after Sabres coach Phil Housley shuffled his lines in an effort to revive an offense that was held to one goal in three of the past four games.Zach Bogosian also scored and Linus Ullmark made 19 saves for Buffalo.Drew Doughty had a goal and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings, who lost their fourth straight game. Quick has allowed 10 goals on 54 shots in two starts since returning from a lower-body injury.AVALANCHE 3, HURRICANES 1RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gabriel Landeskog scored twice to give him six goals in three games, Nathan MacKinnon added a goal and two assists and Colorado beat Carolina.Landeskog, fresh off a hat trick against New Jersey, opened the scoring late in the first period and added another goal midway through the second. His seven goals through eight games this season are tied for third most in the NHL.MacKinnon scored late in the third and assisted on both of Landeskog’s goals for the Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer stopped 42 shots.Micheal Ferland scored and Curtis McElhinney made 19 saves for the Hurricanes, who have lost three straight after a 4-0-1 start.Carolina outshot Colorado 43-22. The Hurricanes have outshot their opponents in all three games during their losing streak.FLYERS 5, DEVILS 2PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jake Voracek had a goal and had two assists, and Philadelphia played some solid defense to beat New Jersey.Voracek, who was demoted from the Flyers‘ top line, took a loose puck at center ice and kept it himself on a 2-on-1 breakaway, beating Keith Kinkaid for his third goal of the season to put the Flyers ahead 3-2 with 3:10 remaining.Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick also scored, and Scott Laughton and Wayne Simmonds added empty-net goals for the Flyers, who limited the Devils to just 21 shots. Philadelphia had allowed four goals or more in five of its first seven games.Brian Elliott, who was pulled after giving up four goals to the Florida Panthers last Tuesday, bounced back to make 19 saves and earn his second win of the season.Damon Severson and Brian Boyle scored for the Devils, who have lost two straight games after winning their first four. Kinkaid made 16 saves.COYOTES 5, JETS 3WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Three Jets scored their first goals of the season, defenseman Jacob Trouba had three assists and Winnipeg beat Arizona.Tyler Myers, Josh Morrissey and Mathieu Perreault each found the net for the first time. Adam Lowry scored his fourth of the season and Blake Wheeler added an empty-netter.Backup goalie Laurent Brossoit stopped 42 shots for his second victory in two starts as the Jets improved to 3-0-1 on their six-game homestand.Clayton Keller scored twice and Christian Fischer had a goal for Arizona.Antti Raanta made 27 saves for the Coyotes Adidas Barrett Hayton Jersey , who haven’t won in Winnipeg since the Jets moved from Atlanta to Manitoba in 2011.BLACKHAWKS 4, BLUE JACKETS 1COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Patrick Kane had two goals and an assist, Corey Crawford stopped 37 shots to get his first win in nearly 10 months, and Chicago beat Columbus.Alex DeBrincat and Marcus Kruger also scored for the Blackhawks, who earned a point for the sixth time in seven games (4-1-2).Crawford was playing his second game since a concussion suffered in a win at New Jersey last Dec. 23.Zach Werenski scored for Columbus and Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 22 saves.Kruger put the Blackhawks ahead for good when he tipped a wrister from Alexander Fortin past Bobrovsky at 7:43 of the third. Kane then scored twice 2:37 apart.BLUES 4, MAPLE LEAFS 1TORONTO (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly scored his first goal with St. Louis, and Jake Allen made 22 saves to lead the Blues.Robert Bortuzzo, Zach Sanford and Ivan Barbashev also scored, and David Perron added two assists as St. Louis picked up its second victory in seven games this season.Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto. Frederik Andersen stopped 21 of 24 shots as the Leafs dropped consecutive games after five straight wins.Toronto had scored an NHL-high 33 goals in seven games to open the season. But the Maple Leafs were shut out by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday and were scoreless in two periods against the Blues, going 116 minutes 37 seconds without a goal until Rielly cut the deficit to 3-1 early in the third.RED WINGS 4, PANTHERS 3SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Gustav Nyquist scored 3:44 into overtime to lift Detroit to its first win of the season.Dennis Cholowski had a goal and an assist, and Thomas Vanek and Dylan Larkin also scored for the Red Wings, who were 0-5-2 in their first seven games. Jimmy Howard stopped 34 shots.On the winner, Nyquist grabbed a loose puck and his shot from the slot beat goalie Michael Hutchinson on the left side.Trailing 3-2, Florida’s Mike Hoffman tied the score with 1:16 left in the third as his shot from the left circle went between Howard’s pads.Nick Bjugstad had a goal and an assist, and Keith Yandle also scored for the Panthers, who played into overtime for the fourth time in their six games. Hutchinson finished with 27 saves.SENATORS 4, CANADIENS 3, OTOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Mark Stone scored his second goal of the game 2:30 into overtime and Ottawa rallied from a two-goal deficit.Stone’s one-timer from the face-off circle beat Carey Price for the winner.Stone had a goal and an assist in regulation Adidas Michael Grabner Jersey , while Mikkel Boedker and Matt Duchene also scored for the Senators. Craig Anderson made 24 saves in the win.The Canadiens got first-period goals from Paul Byron, Max Domi and Phillip Danault. Price made 30 saves.WILD 5, LIGHTNING 4, OTST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mikael Granlund scored 3:43 into overtime to lead Minnesota.Charlie Coyle, Marcus Foligno, Zach Parise and Jason Zucker all scored in regulation as the Wild rallied again in the third period. Alex Stalock made 27 saves for Minnesota, which has allowed the first goal in six straight games but is 4-1-1 in those contests.Yanni Gourde and J.T. Miller each had a goal and assist for Tampa Bay, which lost in its first road game of the season. Ryan Callahan scored his first of the season for the Lightning and Anton Stralman pushed the game into overtime with his first goal of the season with 4:58 left in the third after the Wild took their first lead of the game.Andrei Vasilekskiy made 29 saves for Tampa Bay, which had it’s three-game winning streak snapped as it played on the road after a season-opening, five-game homestand.CANUCKS 2, BRUINS 1, OTVANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Bo Horvat scored at 3:12 of overtime and Vancouver edged Boston.Brandon Sutter scored for the Canucks in regulation, and Joakim Nordstrom scored for the Bruins.Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 30 shots. Jaroslav Halak turned away 20 of 22 shots for the Bruins.PREDATORS 3, OILERS 0EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Juuse Saros made 31 saves in the shutout and Nashville ran its winning streak to five games.P.K. Subban, Viktor Arvidsson and Roman Josi scored for the Predators, who are a perfect 4-0-0 on the road and have won seven of eight games this season. Mattias Ekholm had a pair of assists.The Oilers had a three-game winning streak halted.GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, DUCKS 1LAS VEGAS (AP) — Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 17 shots to lead the Golden Knights to their third straight win.Fleury got his 408th career win to move into sole possession of 10th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list. The 15-year-veteran has allowed just two goals in his last three starts.William Karlsson, Ryan Reaves and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Golden Knights, who outshot the Ducks 45-18.Ben Street had the lone goal for the Ducks Adidas Marian Hossa Jersey , and John Gibson finished with 42 saves.SHARKS 4, ISLANDERS 1SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Brent Burns scored San Jose’s first goal from a defenseman this season and Logan Couture scored his fourth goal in two games to lead the Sharks.Timo Meier and Joonas Donskoi also scored to help the Sharks wrap up a brief two-game homestand with a second straight win and avenge a 4-0 loss at the Islanders earlier this month in a game that got testy down the stretch.Martin Jones made 24 saves to earn his second straight win after opening the season with three regulation losses in his first four starts.Brock Nelson scored the lone goal for the Islanders, who finished a road trip 1-3. Robin Lehner made 37 saves after shutting out San Jose on Oct. 8. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Johnson admitted the Lightning didn’t have their best game. But his late goal and another strong outing by Andrei Vasilevskiy helped ensure another Tampa Bay victory.Vasilveksiy made 35 saves, Johnson broke a tie with 1:26 left, and the Lighting beat the New York Islanders 4-2 on Thursday night.“It’s not always going to be pretty,” Johnson said. “Good teams find ways to win. It’s important that’s the end result. I guess we did just enough.”Vasilevskiy has allowed two or fewer goals in nine of 12 games.Johnson scored from just outside the crease off a pass from Nikita Kucherov. Steven Stamkos added an empty-netter.“Kuch just found me backdoor,” Johnson said. “I was just in the right spot at the right time.”Tampa Bay, with the NHL’s best record at 12-3-1, also got goals from Mathieu Joseph and J.T. Miller.The Lightning are 8-0-0 against the Eastern Conference.Josh Bailey scored twice and Robin Lehner stopped 23 shots for the Islanders. They had a seven-game (5-0-2) points streak end.“I felt we should have got a point,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “When you’re into the last minute against a very good team, you’ve got make sure, let’s get the point for sure, maybe two.”The Islanders pulled even at 2 on Bailey’s in-close goal at 8:43 of the third.After Joseph scored at 5:58 of the second, Mikhail Sergachev skated in from the blue line and set up Miller’s goal with a pass through the slot that put Tampa Bay up 2-1 with 8:48 left in the period.“They’re hard to contain,” Trotz said.Bailey opened the scoring 3:40 into the first with a spin move while being challenged by Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman in the low slot.Vasilevskiy made a pad save on Casey Cizikas‘ low slot rebound, and soon after stopped Johnny Boychuk’s low right circle shot and froze the puck with his glove near the goal line 14 minutes in the second.New York went 0 for 5 on the power play, including a two-man advantage for just under a minute to start the third.“We could have been up one or two with the 5-on-3,” Islanders center Mathew Barzal said.Tampa Bay didn’t score on four power-play chances.Barzal assisted on Bailey’s second goal and needs two points in his next game to reach 100 in his first 100 NHL games. The only players to achieve the feat when starting their career with the Islanders are Mike Bossy (79 games) and Bryan Trottier (93 games).NOTES: Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said C Brayden Point was OK after getting shaken up in the third period. … Lightning RW Ryan Callahan took part in a ceremony puck drop with Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch on Military Appreciation Night. Both are from Rochester, New York. … Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman (shoulder) missed his seventh straight game but has practiced the past two days and is nearing a return. … Tampa Bay LW Ondrej Palat (foot) also missed his seventh consecutive game and the team announced he will miss four more weeks. … Islanders LW Matt Martin (upper body) sat out his third straight game. . New York C Jordan Eberle was minus-four.UP NEXTIslanders: Play at Florida Saturday night.Lightning: Complete a three-game homestand Saturday night against Ottawa.

CHICAGO — If the Edmonton Oilers were looking to carry any sort of momentum into a quick turnaround http://www.officialbluejackets.com/authentic-adidas-david-savard-jersey , finding a way to notch back-to-back victories while keeping up its recent surge in scoring was certainly way to do it.Fresh off a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night, the Oilers will look to extend their winning streak to three games when they face the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday at the United Center.The Oilers have scored nine goals in their past two games and have at least four goals in each of their past three.Article continues below ...On Saturday, Edmonton got two goals each from Leon Draisaiti and Drake Caggiula to push their season mark to 5-3-1.“It was a really strong effort,” Draisaiti told reporters after the victory, according to the Oilers’ official team website. “We played for 60 minutes.”The complete-game effort only adds to the self-assurance Edmonton has played with during the last three games, which has produced a wealth of scoring after the Oilers were shut out last weekend against the Predators. And considering the way Edmonton has produced of late, Cagguila has noticed a marked difference in how his teammates have responded heading into Sunday’s game in Chicago.“We’ve got a confident group,” Cagguila told reporters Saturday, according to the team website. “As the season’s gone on, you could see every game we’ve gotten better and better. We’re a very confident group right now.”Oilers coach Todd McLellan credited his team’s strong start on Saturday, which led to the Oilers reaching the five-goal plateau for the second time in three games.Despite having to quickly turn around and face the Blackhawks, McLellan — like Cagguila — has seen a different on-ice product of late from his team.“We’re at a point now where the guys are believing in themselves,” McLellan told reporters on Saturday. “And when you do that and you start to win, you believe in it a little more. It’s a powerful thing.”While the Oilers have found a way to string a couple of victories together, the Blackhawks will attempt to quickly rebound from a forgettable performance on Saturday against St. Louis.Despite getting two goals from Patrick Kane Anthony Mantha Jersey , who pushed his season total to 11, Chicago allowed three third-period goals in a 7-3 loss to the Blues.“The game was there to be had,” Chicago’s Duncan Keith said after the loss, according to the Chicago Tribune. “But unfortunately, we weren’t good enough.”The Blackhawks saw their two-game winning streak snapped and, despite Kane’s continued strong play, watched St. Louis break open a game that Chicago had a chance to extend its winning ways in quickly left the Blackhawks looking to rebound against the suddenly surging Oilers.But like the Oilers, Chicago won’t have much time to process its most recent performance. “It seemed like (the Blues) were playing with maybe a little bit more intensity than we were,” Kane told reporters, according to NHL.com. “We knew that was going to happen, especially with the media attention about their team and what happened last game. We just didn’t come out and match it.” ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Some comebacks are routine, others a tad more daunting. The latter applies to Ryan Kesler.Kesler, sidelined almost half of last season and the first couple of games this year after hip surgery, hinted at returning to form Wednesday night Darren Helm Jersey , scoring twice in the Anaheim Ducks‘ 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders.Kesler scored the Ducks’ first two goals, providing an early cushion the Islanders could never overcome. New York did not score until there were 34.8 seconds left.“He kick started our offense,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.The Ducks improved to 5-1-1 on the season, while the Islanders fell to 2-3.John Gibson turned away 34 of 35 shots for Anaheim, while Thomas Greiss stopped 21 of 24 shots for New York.Kesler opened the scoring at the end of the first period, cashing in on a power play when he backhanded in a rebound with 4.4 seconds left.New York thought it had tied the game at 1-1 in the second period when Cal Clutterbuck poked the puck into the net after it appeared under the glove and in control of Gibson. The Ducks challenged the goal, it was ruled goalie interference and erased.Minutes later, Kesler added his second goal of the game, a wrist shot from just outside the blue line for his third goal of the season. The puck bounced out of the net and Kesler fired that in, too.“I had to make sure,” Kesler said.That game had taken a huge turn.“That’s a big momentum swing,” said New York’s Mathew Barzal.” Two to nothing, now. That happens. Just can’t control it, got to get back on the horse quickly and I thought, again we had some chances“Sometimes you run into a hot goalie and tonight (Gibson) played great.”The Ducks took their commanding 3-0 lead less than a minute into the third period. Max Comtois fired a short shot just inside the backline that deflected off Greiss and popped up a few feet in front of the goal just as Adam Henrique skated by. He batted it in for his third goal of the season.“We still kept doing the same thing and got a lot of good chances http://www.officialredwings.com/authentic-adidas-dylan-larkin-jersey , but we got to put the puck in the net,” New York’s Johnny Boychuk said. “That’s all.”Kesler said he’s still not where he wants to be, but is pleased with his start.“I have a lot to improve on,” he said. “It’s a long year, but a good start.”He admitted, though, some satisfaction in proving those wrong who doubted he would have really make it back from his hip surgery.“I love it,” Kesler said. “It’s my favorite thing in the world.”NOTES: The Ducks signed left wing Nick Ritchie, 22, to a three-year contract prior to the game. He was their first-round draft pick in 2014. . With the win, Carlyle (460) moved one shy of tying Roger Neilson for 30th among NHL coaches in all-time wins. . The Islanders lost their third consecutive game to the Ducks. . Casey Cizikas was credited with New York’s goal, the shot from Ross Johnson deflected off him and ultimately Anaheim’s Luke Schenn. . It was Kesler’s first multi-goal game since he had a hat trick against Philadelphia on Jan. 1, 2017. . The Ducks have 11 points, marking the fifth time they’ve earned 11-or-more points through their first seven games.UP NEXTIslanders: Head up the freeway Thursday to play the Kings in Los Angeles.Ducks: Travel to Las Vegas on Saturday to meet the Golden Knights.

SAN JOSE http://www.officialavalanche.com/authentic-adidas-alexander-kerfoot-jersey , Calif. (AP) — San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson was suspended two games without pay by the NHL on Sunday for an illegal check to the head of Los Angeles Kings forward Austin Wagner.The incident occurred early in the second period of the Kings’ 3-2 overtime win over the Sharks on Saturday. Wagner left the game after getting taken down by Karlsson on a hard hit near center ice. After getting back on his feet, Wagner’s legs came out from under him. No penalty was called.“I’m not going to lie. I was very surprised,” Karlsson said.“I think it’s a clean hit. I hope he’s OK. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t finish the game. I can’t really go into specific details because I don’t want to risk anything more, since I have no say in the matter. But at the end of the day, hopefully he’s fine. You never want to see anyone get hurt, and I wish him all the best. I have a clear conscience for my part. I think I did everything within the rules, but unfortunately some people didn’t think I did.”Karlsson Erik Condra Jersey Womens , who has points in eight consecutive games, has two goals and 24 assists this season for San Jose.“Disappointed,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “From every report I have, my understanding is the injury is to the shoulder. I think that speaks to it, in my mind. But I might be oversimplifying. I’m not going to say any more on that because you just get yourself in trouble.”Karlsson, who joined the Sharks in an offseason trade with Ottawa, started serving the suspension Sunday against Arizona and will also miss Thursday’s game against the Ducks. He is eligible to return Saturday in Edmonton. WASHINGTON — Two teams heading in opposite directions collide when the Nashville Predators face the Washington Capitals in a New Year’s Eve matinee Monday.The Predators are mired in a six-game skid after blowing a third-period lead in a 4-3 loss to the Rangers on Saturday. On top of that Carl Soderberg Jersey , Nashville has struggled away from home, dropping 10 straight road contests heading into Monday’s game — the start of a stretch of seven of eight games on the road.“We find ourselves losing a bunch in a row, and at times, that’s going to happen throughout the year,” Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis told the team’s website. “We’re going to have ups and downs; the injury bug or whatever it is. But, we’re not here to make excuses. We’re going to prepare the same way and work hard. We know it will turn eventually, and when it does Gabriel Landeskog Jersey Kids , we’ll come out a better team because of it.”Article continues below ...The Predators have not been able to light the lamp during their skid, with only 10 goals during the slide. Viktor Arvidsson has returned from injury, but Filip Forsberg remains out and Kyle Turris is day-to-day with a lower-body issue, hampering Nashville’s offensive attack.Those offensive woes counteract the fact that the Predators have allowed the second-fewest goals in the league.“We can’t lose six in a row, not in this league and not in this division, not with the parity there is,” Nashville defenseman Nick Bonino said. “We’ve just got to get better.”On the other hand http://www.officialavalanche.com/authentic-adidas-j.t.-compher-jersey , the Capitals are playing as well as any team in the NHL, and are doing it with contributions from everyone. Washington won its fourth straight Saturday, upending Ottawa 3-2 thanks to the first career goals from Madison Bowey and Tyler Lewington, and solid netminding from Pheonix Copley, not exactly household names.“It goes into the development process and just drafting the right type of players,” Capitals coach Todd Reirden told the team’s website, “and developing them in Hershey and then continuing to develop them here. It’s really an organizational job and a great job by our entire group.”Washington has won 16 of 19 to re-establish itself as a contender in a crowded Eastern Conference and done so while rarely using its true starting lineup. That will continue Monday as defenseman Matt Niskanen will miss a second straight game after a crash into the boards against Carolina. Fellow defenseman Brooks Orpik will be a game-time decision Youth Matt Nieto Jersey , after missing 27 games with a knee injury.Braden Holtby likely will get the start in net for the Capitals, though Copley certainly has held his own. The rookie goalie is 9-1-0 with a 2.37 GAA and a .921 save percentage in his last 11 starts, giving Washington confidence no matter who is between the pipes.“We’re extremely lucky to have two guys in this room who give us a chance to win,” forward Tom Wilson told reporters. “We have a pretty good team holding the fort down for us back there.”

WINNIPEG www.sanjosesharksteamshop.com , Manitoba — It’s no wonder the Washington Capitals are suffering from a serious Stanley Cup hangover.It’s not uncommon for the winners of hockey’s holy grail to get off to a slow start the following season but when you consider how much liquor the Capitals players consumed during a seemingly summer-long party — particularly captain Alex Ovechkin — it’s conceivable that their heads could ache until Christmas.And the Winnipeg Jets, who host the champs at Bell MTS Place on Wednesday, don’t want to give them any secret cures.Article continues below ...The Capitals are outside of the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference and granted, there are still more than 60 games to go, but they have a target on their backs that they haven’t had previously.Jets coach Paul Maurice isn’t surprised the Capitals have stumbled out of the gate but he also doesn’t expect it to be long before they right the ship.“I would think coming off the playoff high that they came off, (the issue of) getting as excited about a game in October or November has to be real. When you win a Stanley Cup, you’re usually powerful enough to get through these, I don’t know if they’re dog days for them, but the first 40 games. They know they can amp their game up,” Maurice said.“There’s such a huge difference between playoff hockey and regular season hockey. Emotions that are easily attached in the playoffs are sometimes hard to find (in the regular season). They’re still a really powerful team.”The main story line of any Jets-Capitals contest is the goal-scoring rivalry between Ovechkin, the seven-time Rocket Richard trophy winner, and Jets sniper Patrik Laine.Ovechkin topped the league in goals once again last season with 49, outpacing Laine’s 44.Both should get at least a few good opportunities to add to their current totals — Ovechkin has 12 while Laine has eight — as the Jets (34 percent) and Capitals (30.3 percent) boast the top two power plays in the NHL this season.Ovechkin has filled his boots against the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers during his career, notching 47 goals and 91 points in 63 games.Laine San Jose Sharks T-Shirts Womens , meanwhile, who has been heating up the last couple of weeks, has yet to score a goal at even strength this season. Seven of his goals have been scored on the power play while one was shot into an empty net. He has a team-high 64 shots on goal.The Capitals come to town on the heels of defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on the road Tuesday night, stopping a two-game slide. They received a boost from right winger Tom Wilson, who had his 20-game suspension reduced to 14 earlier in the day by an arbitrator, and scored a goal in his return to put the Capitals up 2-0 late in the first period. He also was assessed a penalty for goaltender interference after the puck crossed the goal line.“That was a first for me to score and get a penalty on the same play,” Wilson said in a post-game scrum. “I was just going hard to the net and (defenseman Dmitry Orlov) put it right on my tape. I was trying to do everything I could to get out of the way, so I’ll take the goal and the kill.”Jets forward Mathieu Perreault left practice with an apparent leg injury Tuesday but Maurice said he expects he’ll be fine Wednesday. PHILADELPHIA (AP) Dave Hakstol is more worried about two points than a pretty performance right now. That said, the Philadelphia Flyers coach and his team have some work to do before the playoffs begin.Travis Konecny scored twice, Claude Giroux had three assists and Philadelphia beat the New York Rangers 4-3 on Thursday night to pick up an important two points and stay atop the wild-card standings in the Eastern Conference.Jakub Voracek had a goal and an assist and Oskar Lindblom also scored for the Flyers (38-25-12, 88 points), who won for just the fourth time in 12 games to remain within one point of streaking Columbus for third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Blue Jackets beat Florida 4-0 on Thursday for their 10th straight victory.Philadelphia is six points in front of New Jersey, which was idle Thursday and owns the second wild-card spot. Florida is seven points back of the Flyers but has three more games remaining than Philadelphia, which has seven contests left.”We were just sporadic San Jose Sharks Hoodies Womens ,” Hakstol said. ”There are things we have to clean up and do a little bit better, but the bottom line is the two points at the end of the night.”Jesper Fast had two goals and an assist and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, who are playing out the string after being active sellers at the trading deadline.”I thought there was a lot of fight and compete in our team tonight,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said.With the Flyers’ top two goalies sidelined by injury, and Petr Mrazek, who Philadelphia acquired to fill in, ineffective of late, Hakstol went with little-used rookie Alex Lyon. In his 10th career game, Lyon made 33 saves to improve to 4-2-1.”He doesn’t quit on shots,” Giroux said. ”He’s very solid.”Lindblom scored eight seconds into the third period to give Philadelphia a 4-2 advantage. Nolan Patrick took the initial shot, and the rebound fell in front to the rookie Lindblom, who backhanded in his second goal.”We did a good job of grinding it out,” Giroux said.Fast scored a similar goal for the Rangers, backhanding a rebound of Rob O’Gara’s shot 1:14 later to make it 4-3. It was the second goal of the game for Fast San Jose Sharks Hats Womens , who extended his point streak to seven games (three goals, six assists).Lyon’s best save came with 13 1/2 minutes remaining when he robbed Chris Kreider with a lunging stop with his right shoulder. He also made an excellent save with 12 minutes left in the second period on Zibanejad’s 2-on-1 chance.”Saves like that are big,” Hakstol said.Rangers rookie Alexandar Georgiev started in goal in place of Henrik Lundqvist (neck/back), who was injured with five minutes left in Monday’s 5-3 loss to Columbus. Georgiev made 32 saves.Voraeck muscled through three Rangers to break a 1-all tie 3:46 into the second period, shooting high over Georgiev’s glove.Konecny scored his second of the night on a deflection of Radko Gudas‘ shot from the point with 11:22 left in the second to put the Flyers up 3-1.But the Flyers’ second-year forward found himself on the bench for the last 7:20 of the contest because Hakstol didn’t like the way Konecny was protecting the puck.”Individuals have to be better in how we manage the puck,” Hakstol said.Fast pulled the Rangers within a goal with 2:57 remaining in the period when he sent the puck toward the net from the corner and it deflected off defenseman Ivan Provorov and past Lyon’s left pad.Konecny netted his 21st of the season, a wrist shot from the slot past Georgiev’s glove side, to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead 7:56 into the contest.Zibanejad continued his recent hot streak and tied the game at 1 with 6:07 left in the first when he got in alone on Lyon and beat him through the five-hole to extend his point streak to six games (7 goals, 3 assists).NOTES: Injured Flyers goalies Michal Neuvirth (lower body) and Brian Elliott (core muscle surgery) did drills during Thursday’s morning skate. Neuvirth is aiming to return during the Flyers’ upcoming three-game road trip while Elliott is about two weeks from returning. … Provorov played in his 157th straight game to start his career, breaking the club record for most consecutive contests by a Flyers newcomer. … The teams wrap up the season series in the regular-season finale for both on April 7 in Philadelphia. The Flyers lead the series 2-1.UP NEXTRangers: Host Buffalo on Saturday night.Flyers: Start three-game road trip at Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.—