WASHINGTON (AP) Carolina is a long shot to make the playoffs. Coach Bill Peters is still looking for a strong finish for the Hurricanes.Justin Faulk scored midway through the second period Adam Pelech Jersey Womens , and Carolina beat the Washington Capitals 4-1 on Friday night to remain in the postseason race.It was the fourth win in five games for the Hurricanes, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2009. Carolina must win its final four games while Florida and New Jersey lose their remaining games in regulation to play beyond the regular season.Asked if the playoffs were a realistic goal, Peters answered tersely: ”No.” But Peters believes there are genuine incentives for his team.”You’ve got to play,” he said. ”These guys are pros. You’re paid to play.”Metropolitan Division-leading Washington had won five in a row. Michal Kempny scored his first goal with the Capitals after he was acquired in a February trade with Chicago.”We’ve been playing great the last month,” Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly said. ”I don’t want to say this was expected, but a game like this maybe was going to happen eventually. It was probably better tonight than Sunday.”Washington visits Pittsburgh on Sunday, and the teams have a long history.”Overall, obviously we don’t like those guys,” Smith-Pelly said. ”It’s a huge game. We’ll be back.”Carolina goaltender Scott Darling stopped 20 shots, and Braden Holtby had 26 saves for Washington.Capitals coach Barry Trotz thought his team was simply outplayed.”This league is way too good if you have a little bit of an off-night or you’re not on your `A’ game, this league can humble you in a very hard way and a quick way,” Trotz said. ”We didn’t have enough invested. We didn’t have enough guys pulling on the rope.”Kempny put the Capitals in front at 2:35 of the second, but Carolina’s Derek Ryan quickly responded. He beat Holtby for his 14th goal at 3:15.”There’s pride on the line,” Ryan said. ”We’re not quite in the playoff race. We’re not eliminated Thomas Hickey Jersey Womens , but we realize where we’re at. We’re just continuing to play our game. We’re not thinking about it. We have four games, so we’re going to make those games count.”Faulk’s eighth goal of the season put the Hurricanes ahead to stay at 11:43. It was Faulk’s first goal since he scored three times in a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 13.Sebastian Aho’s 28th goal at 14:36 of the third made it 3-1, and Brock McGinn added an empty-netter at 17:50.NOTES: Trotz said he enjoyed the story of emergency goalie Scott Foster’s outstanding performance for Chicago on Thursday night. Trotz doesn’t know who the Capitals’ emergency goalies are. ”I just know that we have them,” Trotz said. ”Someone has a phone book with numbers. If you need a goalie, you start phoning. … I’d like to meet them, just not on our bench.” … Washington F Lars Eller played in his 600th career game. . Capitals F T.J. Oshie, who had an assist on Kempny’s goal, logged just 14 minutes of playing time, his lowest since Dec. 30. Trotz said Oshie was being checked for an injury, but wouldn’t comment on its specifics. … Carolina D Jaccob Slavin had two assists.UP NEXTHurricanes: Host New York Rangers on SaturdayCapitals: Visit Pittsburgh on Sunday— OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — On the occasion of Erik Karlsson’s return to Ottawa, it was a former Shark who shined brighter.Mikkel Boedker had a goal and three assists, Craig Anderson stopped 36 shots and the Senators beat their former captain and San Jose 6-2 on Saturday, sending the Sharks to their fourth straight loss.The Senators have three former Sharks on their roster with Boedker John Tavares Jersey , Chris Tierney and Dylan DeMelo.“It was a lot of fun out there,” Boedker said. “We played really hard as a unit I think. There was three of us in here playing against our old squad and everybody seems to rally behind that so it was a good feeling in the room before and definitely on the ice I thought we played really well.”Ben Harpur scored his first NHL goal, and Ryan Dzingel, Mark Stone, Magnus Paajarvi and Bobby Ryan also scored as the Senators won their third straight.Joe Thornton and Barclay Goodrow scored for the Sharks. Martin Jones made 21 saves. San Jose is 0-3-1 on its five-game trip, which ends Sunday in Montreal.“There’s no doubt we’re chasing the game,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “I think there’s a little bit of a confidence issue when you’re losing some games like that. You might call it urgency. I would call it a little bit unconfident. We need to find a way to get that swagger back.”Karlsson was playing his first game in Ottawa since he was traded to San Jose in the offseason.“I had a lot of fun out there even though this was not a great game at all and I’m not happy by any means,” Karlsson said. “But it’s going to be nice to move on now here.”The team honored the two-time Norris Trophy winner with a video tribute during the first period.“There’s a lot of good memories that I have from this rink,” Karlsson said. “I was drafted here, spent pretty much my entire career here so a lot of positive things, so it was fun to see and I was happy I was able to play in front of these guys again and these fans and everything. They did a good job and I thank them for that. It was very kind of them.”While the Senators downplayed the reunion, they admitted it was strange to see Karlsson on the other side.“It was different,” Stone said. “What are we, 27 games in? I think it would have been a little different had we played him right away Authentic Jordan Eberle Jersey , but we’re pretty used to not having him around so it wasn’t that different.”The Senators took a three-goal lead at 4-1 with Stone’s power-play goal four minutes into the third period. Paajarvi made it 5-1, scoring into an empty net, with over five minutes remaining.Goodrow beat Anderson on a deflected shot in front to make it 5-2, but Ryan restored Ottawa’s four-goal cushion one minute later.Ottawa opened the scoring as Dzingel picked up his own rebound and beat Jones from a sharp angle for his 11th of the season in the second period.San Jose tied the game with a power-play goal on a play that started with Karlsson and ended with a wide-open Thornton for an easy goal. But the Senators scored twice in a span of 49 seconds to take a 3-1 lead.Harpur, playing his 60th game, wristed a shot past Jones before Boedker beat the San Jose goalie through the legs.“It took me a while,” Harpur said. “It was kind of in the back of my mind. I’m not looking to score goals by any means, it’s not really part of my game, but to get that first one will be a relief for sure and I think I can play a little looser.”NOTES: Karlsson received a thunderous applause from the crowd of 17,531 during his video tribute, shown on the scoreboard at the first TV timeout. He acknowledged the crowd with a wave from the ice. … Justin Falk, acquired by the Senators on Friday, played his first game.UP NEXTSharks: At Montreal on Sunday.Senators: At Montreal on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barry Trotz returned to his old home arena to face the team he coached to the Stanley Cup. He left with his new team in first place.Trotz’s New York Islanders beat the defending champion Washington Capitals 2-0 on Friday night to win their fourth in a row and leapfrog his former team into first place in the Metropolitan Division. In true Trotz fashion Brian Elliott Jersey , the Islanders suffocated the Capitals to win for the 14th time in their past 17 games.“We just talked about climbing,” Trotz said. “It just happened that the Caps were the next team in front of us. Two weeks ago we were talking about Buffalo and other teams like Montreal and just said, ‘Let’s keep climbing and don’t look up and just keep going,’ and the guys have been really good.”Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck scored third-period goals, and Thomas Greiss made 19 saves for his second shutout of the season. New York held Washington under 20 shots and improved to 7-0-0 in the second half of back-to-back sets this season.“Going into it you’re maybe a little more conscious of playing the right way and make sure you’re playing smart and doing the right things just because the tail end of the back-to-backs sometimes the legs aren’t there quite as much as the night before,” said Bailey, who redirected Mathew Barzal’s shot past Braden Holtby 5:08 into the second period. “I think we’re really buying in, playing a good, solid team game.”The Capitals have hit a rough patch under new coach Todd Reirden Womens Claude Giroux Jersey , losing four in a row for the first time since March 2017. Washington has just one 5-on-5 goal during its skid and has lost seven of 10.“We’re not generating enough offense,” Reirden said. “We were better at not giving up quite as many chances tonight, but yet they were able to convert on the ones that they got. We need to be better. That’s right from top of our list to the bottom of our list. We need more. We need more from our players.”Holtby was sharp in stopping 23 of the 25 shots he faced in his first game in almost a week since injuring his left eye on a high stick Saturday.“We know what we have to do to be successful,” Holtby said. “I think tonight’ll help us because we played a team that is playing the right style of hockey and the way we want to play and the way we have played in the past to have a lot of success.”Trotz was honored with a video tribute during the first period. Even though he faced the Capitals in Brooklyn earlier this season when he, assistant Lane Lambert and director of goaltending Mitch Korn got their Stanley Cup rings, Trotz expected another emotional night being back in Washington.Fans gave Trotz a lengthy standing ovation throughout a video summing up his four years in Washington from when he was hired to the scene of lifting the Cup in Las Vegas. The 56-year-old left the Capitals in a contract dispute in June, was hired by the Islanders days later and replaced by longtime assistant Reirden.“My heart got full of all the good memories,” Trotz said. “I was looking up there. I was trying not to look too much because I was getting pretty close to that sensitive side of myself. But it was extremely well done and it was just great memories and everybody was a part of something special.”NOTES: Capitals D Brooks Orpik was honored for playing his 1,000th career-regular season game earlier in the week. Orpik was given a silver stick and Tiffany crystal as part of a pregame ceremony that included a tribute video featuring former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Sidney Crosby and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder http://www.flyersshoponline.com/authentic-ivan-provorov-jersey , among others. … Islanders F Tom Kuhnhackl did not make the trip because of an illness.UP NEXTIslanders: Look for their fifth consecutive victory when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.Capitals: Attempt to halt their losing streak when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Nowhere is Connor McDavid more comfortable than on his skates.The sight of McDavid blowing past defenders is an almost every-game occurrence for the Edmonton Oilers captain whose speed is the envy of the NHL. McDavid’s crossover moves that propelled him a league-high 108 points came from years of cruising around on rollerblades.“Even when I wasn’t on the ice, I was always on my rollerblades,” McDavid said. “It’s what’s kind of got me here. I love training that way. It’s kind of just by yourself. There’s no fancy skill coach, there’s no nothing. It’s just on your rollerblades and working on some skills.”That work has paid off for McDavid, the near-unanimous choice as the fastest skater in hockey. His peers are in awe of the 21-year-old’s quick first step, even quicker second step and shake-your-head acceleration.“The way he skates, it’s something impossible, right?” Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov asked.“He glides faster than a lot of us skate,” Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele said.“I don’t know how he does it Jakub Voracek Jersey Kids ,” Dallas captain Jamie Benn said.McDavid credits roller hockey games against his dad and brother for refining his 1-on-1 skills. Growing up in Newmarket outside Toronto, McDavid was seen as hockey’s next generational star at age 14 but he didn’t spend so much time on the ice that he forgot his rollerblading roots.“The classic ‘Mighty Ducks,'” he said. “Put the garbage can there and just go out and play.”Some of the best in the league think long and hard about how to force McDavid to go the way they want him to go and toe the line between giving him too much space. There isn’t a simple way to stop McDavid because no one can keep up with him.“There’s not a lot of times where he toe-drags you or he over-under-arounds you kind of thing, where he turns you inside out,” Ducks defenseman Josh Manson said. “He just kind of puts it by you and his speed takes him and he makes you miss. Then he’s around you and he’s going in on the goalie and he’s probably going to score.”After his 41 goals were sixth-most in the league, McDavid said over the summer he will try to score more this season. Former Oilers teammate and 2018 MVP Taylor Hall thinks McDavid could do it.“When everyone thinks that he’s at his peak, he just keeps getting better and better, whether it’s goal-scoring or leadership — whatever it is,” the Devils’ leading scorer said. “Everyone thinks that Youth Jordan Weal Jersey , ‘OK he’s got 108 points, he’s going to get around that next year.’ There’s a good chance that he gets 115 or 120 and I wouldn’t be surprised. Just with the sublime skill that he has and the athleticism is just out of control.”McDavid’s athleticism is different than Sidney Crosby’s because the Penguins captain derives his skating stride from lower-body strength. McDavid has quicker feet and the stick work to match.“When he gets the puck on his stick, his hands move as fast as his feet and it just looks so easy for him,” Kings forward Tyler Toffoli said. “The way he crosses over and gains so much speed on guys and he’s able to beat a whole team by crossing over and making one move, it’s incredible to watch.”McDavid won the fastest skater competition at All-Star Weekend the past two years. Even speedy contemporaries like Hall and Nathan MacKinnon consider him the standard.But to McDavid, there’s still another gear he can get to with his speed.“There’s always ways to improve,” McDavid said. “Guys that have the best shot in the world still shoot pucks, and that’s for a reason. You keep growing your game and finding different ways to produce. I definitely still work on my skating a lot.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — All-Star outfielder George Springer left Houston’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after injuring his left thumb trying to steal second base in the third inning Sunday.Springer exited with discomfort in his thumb following a headfirst dive into the bag. He was thrown out by Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal.It’s unclear how long the 2017 World Series MVP might be sidelined.“At first Custom Minnesota Wild Jerseys , I thought it was the base that caught him and then when I got out there both (Chris) Taylor and (Brian) Dozier told me that the glove clipped his (left) hand,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said after his team’s 3-2 loss. “He was in a lot of pain. It bothered him, so it was an easy decision to bring him out. He is going to get evaluated. Other than that I have no idea.”Jake Marisnick replaced Springer in center field for the Astros. Marisnick robbed Taylor of a home run to end the sixth.Springer was the World Series MVP last year after hitting five home runs in seven games against the Dodgers. He went deep in the first inning Sunday for his sixth leadoff home run this season.The two-time All-Star also left Tuesday’s game at Seattle when he injured his left shoulder while diving to make a catch in the first inning. He was not in the Astros’ lineup Wednesday.Springer started all three games in the weekend series against the Dodgers, getting an extra-base hit in each game of the World Series rematch. EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Connor McDavid is playing like he has his sights set on a second straight scoring title.McDavid had two goals and an assist to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.”I’m just looking to finish out the season strong with the team and individually as well www.officialcanadiensprostore.com ,” McDavid said.The Oilers captain has six goals and seven assists in his last seven games, increasing his season total to 84 points – four behind league-best Nikita Kucherov (88) and one behind Evgeni Malkin (85).”He’s the captain, he has all the talent in the world and I think he’s a little bit sour and a little bit bitter with how the year has gone,” Oilers coach Todd McLellan said of McDavid. ”He’s not going to go away whimpering and when your leader does that, it forces everybody else to play their game.”Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers Montreal Canadiens T-Shirts Authentic , who have won three straight. Cam Talbot stopped 32 shots.”It feels really good, especially against a team like that,” Talbot said. ”They’re playing some really good hockey right now and extremely well offensively. … To hold a team like that to one goal took the whole group. We played a heck of a game. Everyone is playing pretty well right now.”Charlie Coyle scored and Devan Dubnyk had 24 saves for the Wild, who snapped a three-game winning streak.”That wasn’t our game in the second period tonight,” Coyle said. ”We were turning pucks over and we weren’t skating and playing simple Montreal Canadiens Hoodies Authentic , which is our recipe for success. We kind of stopped doing that and fed right into their game.”Neither team scored in the first 29 minutes until McDavid skated around Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter and knocked in his own rebound for his career-high 32nd goal of the season at 9:12 of the second period.McDavid did it again on the power play with 8 minutes left in the middle period, staying on for a second shift and then sniping a shot in from the top of the circle with Milan Lucic screening Dubnyk in front. McDavid has 18 goals in his last 19 games after getting just 15 in his first 49 of the season.The Wild pulled within one midway through the third when Coyle converted Tyler Ennis crisp pass through the crease for his 10th of the season.Edmonton got some insurance with 3:35 remaining as Draisaitl scored a power-play goal while on a 3-on-1 break.Nugent-Hopkins put the game away with an empty-netter with 2 1/2 minutes left for his 300th career NHL point.Minnesota outshot Edmonton 12-5 in the scoreless first period.NOTES: The Oilers have won the teams’ first two meetings, also winning 3-2 on the Wild’s home ice on Dec. 16. The teams their season series on April 2 in St. Paul, Minn. … The Oilers were without D Oscar Klefbom, who is expected to miss at least the next two games after undergoing what has been referred to as a minor procedure. … Out for the Wild was D Nick Seeler (illness).UP NEXTWild: Host Colorado on Tuesday night.Oilers: At Calgary on Tuesday night.

OTTAWA http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-neal-jersey , Ontario (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks traded goalie Anders Nilsson and minor-league winger Darren Archibald to the Ottawa Senators for netminder Mike McKenna, forward Tom Pyatt and a sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft on Wednesday.Nilsson, 28, had a 3-8-1 record with a 3.03 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage this season with Vancouver as Jacob Markstrom grabbed the reins as Vancouver’s No. 1 goalie.Archibald, also 28, had one goal and one assist in nine games with the Canucks to go along with 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 23 games with the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.After the deal was announced, Archibald was assigned to the AHL’s Belleville Senators.McKenna, 35 Jonathan Marchessault Jersey , was 1-4-1 with a 3.96 goals-against average with Ottawa this season, while Pyatt, 31, had two assists in 37 games.The Canucks and Senators, who are currently without injured starting goalie Craig Anderson (concussion), were set to play in Ottawa on Wednesday night. NEW YORK — The New York Rangers are shaking things up Wednesday in hopes of snapping a lengthy losing streak against the New York Islanders. If the words spoken Sunday afternoon by coach Barry Trotz were any indication, the Islanders will be shuffling the deck as well.Backup goalie Alexander Georgiev will make a rare start for the Rangers on Wednesday night when they host the Islanders in a battle of longtime rivals at Madison Square Garden.Both teams are coming off a game against the visiting Dallas Stars. The Rangers continued their recent hot play Monday with a 2-1 win over the Stars, who began a five-game road trip Sunday by routing the Islanders 6-2.Article continues below ...The Rangers (11-8-2) have won eight of their last 10 games (8-1-1). The only game in that span in which they didn’t collect a point? Last Thursday, when the host Islanders posted a 7-5 win at Barclays Center.The Islanders’ win was their franchise-record eighth straight against the Rangers. Hall of Fame-bound goalie Henrik Lundqvist has started six of those games Womens Bobby Orr Jersey , including last Thursday when he was pulled after allowing five goals in the first two periods. Lundqvist was spared the loss, which was handed to Georgiev, because the Islanders’ sixth goal ended up being the game-winner.If all goes according to plan for the Rangers, Lundqvist will be watching a bunch of hungry teammates Wednesday night.“We have a little bit of a chip on our shoulder because of how it’s gone as of late,” defenseman Brendan Smith told reporters after practice Tuesday.The Islanders (10-7-2) may feel the same way after Trotz’s blistering assessment of Sunday’s loss — the most lopsided defeat for the Islanders since Trotz became head coach before this season. Goalie Thomas Greiss was pulled after allowing the first three of the Stars’ four goals in the second period, but Trotz made it clear afterward he wasn’t blaming Greiss, who allowed two goals or fewer in five of his first nine starts this season.“I heard Thomas take the blame for a couple goals — no, they’re not hiding behind the goalie tonight, sorry Marc-Andre Fleury Jersey ,” Trotz said. “Thomas has played very well for us over the course (of the season) and he’s covered up a lot of our mistakes. So I’m putting this on the team. We need more from some of our top guys. Plain and simple, (he’s) done protecting them.”The Islanders didn’t practice Tuesday, so it will likely take until faceoff Wednesday to determine who he may have been targeting. One possibility is struggling defenseman Nick Leddy, who was on the ice for four Stars goals Sunday and is a minus-45 since the start of last season.Georgiev hasn’t played since he made his first career appearance against the Islanders and stopped five of six shots in the third period. He last started Nov. 10 when he picked up the win after making 34 saves in the Rangers’ 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.Robin Lehner, who made 11 saves in relief of Greiss on Sunday, is likely to draw the start for the Islanders. Lehner made his most recent start Nov. 10, when he took the loss after making 27 saves as the Islanders fell to the Florida Panthers 4-2. He is 2-4-2 in eight career games against the Rangers.

ARLINGTON Authentic Myles Garrett Jersey , Texas (AP) — The only time Lance Lynn has pitched in the home ballpark of the Texas Rangers was as a rookie in 2011, during the World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals.Lynn will now go into that stadium’s final season in 2019 as a big part of the Texas rotation. He signed a $30 million, three-year contract with the Rangers, who are coming off consecutive losing seasons for the first time since before their back-to-back World Series appearances.“That was my rookie year, I was just happy to be there. I’m not going to hold it over anybody,” Lynn said, recalling that 2011 World Series the Cardinals won in seven games.The Rangers introduced Lynn on Tuesday, completing a deal that was reached last week during the winter meetings subject to a successful physical. The 31-year-old righty is 21-18 with a 4.04 ERA in 64 games over the past two seasons since missing all of 2016 following Tommy John surgery.“I feel strong, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt that way,” Lynn said. “I think you say that in the second half of last year. Hopefully, I can keep that going.”Lynn’s deal includes a $4 million signing bonus, of which $3 million is payable on June 30 next year and $1 million on Jan. 15, 2020. He has salaries of $8 million in 2019, $10 million in 2020 and $8 million in 2021.Lynn would get a $100,000 assignment bonus if traded before the end of 2020 to Arizona Jarvis Landry Jersey Elite , Colorado, the Los Angeles Angels or Dodgers, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle or San Francisco. He also has award bonuses.“We look at his track record. Extremely consistent, durable, winning performer on a major league stage,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “A veteran presence that we’re excited to add to the ballclub.”He joins a rotation with returning Mike Minor and two veterans coming off Tommy John surgery, Edinson Volquez and Drew Smyly.Lynn is 82-57 with a 3.57 ERA in 214 games with St. Louis, Minnesota and the New York Yankees since 2011, and has won at least 10 games every year as a regular starter since after his rookie season. After not signing with the Twins until mid-March last year, he was 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA in 20 starts before a trade deadline deal to the Yankees. He went 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts) for New York.“He was very, very effective in the American League. Very good against right-handers, which our division is chock full of,” Daniels aid.Daniels said the Rangers have been interested in Lynn since he was in college at Ole Miss http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/jarvis-landry-jersey , and even tried to acquire him from the Cardinals in the summer of his rookie season.Lynn now can have a more traditional offseason while preparing for spring training. Rangers pitchers and catchers report to Arizona on Feb. 12.“Just knowing where you are going to be gives you a peace of mind. I am looking forward to that, getting things situated so I don’t have to kind of show up on the fly and get ready for season,” Lynn said. “I’m really looking forward to that and being a part of something here.”Before the Rangers move into a new stadium in 2020, Lynn will get one season on the mound where he was the winner of Game 3 of the 2011 World Series after he pitched 2 1-3 innings in relief as the Cardinals won 16-7. That was the game when Albert Pujols hit three home runs.“Somewhere I’m going to be on a stat sheet for that. I’ll take that,” Lynn said. “Two games later, I was called in to intentionally walk someone. So I’ve got that going for me, too.” SEATTLE (AP) — Clayton Kershaw has rarely needed much run support to pull out a win. The Los Angeles Dodgers made sure Sunday he had more than enough for a milestone victory.The Dodgers scored five runs before Kershaw took the mound, and the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner shut down the Seattle Mariners over seven innings for his 150th career win in a 12-1 rout.The offensive explosion came a day after the Mariners beat Los Angeles on a 10th-inning, game-ending balk.“To lose it in that situation is tough. And to come right back on a day game, there could be a little hangover effect,” Kershaw said. “Our guys, coming out in the first inning like that is a big testament to them. That was awesome today.”Kershaw (6-5) gave up one run on four hits, struck out seven and walked one. The 30-year-old lefty improved to 150-69.Justin Turner tied career highs with four hits and five RBIs, including a three-run homer in the ninth inning with position player Andrew Romine on the mound. Turner extended his hitting streak to 13 games.Enrique Hernandez had an RBI single as part of the Dodgers’ five-run first inning. He added his 18th home run and a bases-loaded walk as the Dodgers won for the third time in four games.Cody Bellinger pushed his own hitting streak to 12 games with three hits and two RBIs for Los Angeles.“It was an outstanding job by the entire offense today,” Turner said. “I feel like up and down the lineup guys are all feeling pretty good. “The Dodgers tagged Seattle starter Roenis Elias (2-1). He had been on the disabled list with a left triceps strain since July 31 and was activated to start against the Dodgers. Elias lasted three innings Authentic Jarvis Landry Jersey , giving up the five runs and seven hits.“Elias usually goes out there and competes and lets it fly and takes his chances. We didn’t see today that in the first inning,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “You get behind early like that to a really good club it can get ugly.”Los Angeles kept adding to the lead against the Mariners bullpen, scoring a run in five of the last six innings.Ryon Healy had two of Seattle’s five hits, including a run-scoring single in the fourth.ROSTER MOVEBefore the game, the Mariners recalled RHP Chasen Bradford from Triple-A Tacoma and optioned INF Gordon Beckham and LHP James Pazos to Tacoma.TRAINER’S ROOMDodgers: SS Manny Machado left the game after being hit on the wrist by Romine in the ninth. Manager Dave Roberts said Machado got X-rays as a precaution, but he was expected to be fine.Mariners: LHP James Paxton, on the 10-day DL with a left arm contusion, played catch for the first time since getting hit by a line drive on Tuesday. “I felt good. No problems,” said Paxton, who threw from about 70 feet during the session. … C Chris Hermann left the game in the third inning with a right knee contusion after being hit by a foul ball.PERFECT ENDINGLos Angeles reliever Zac Rosscup struck out the side in the ninth inning on nine pitches.UP NEXTDodgers: LHP Alex Wood (7-6, 3.51 ERA) faces the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Wood allowed one run on three hits over five innings in his last start against the Giants.Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (8-11, 5.62) will make his 399th career start Monday against Houston. Hernandez had been demoted to the bullpen and made his first career relief appearance last week but is starting in place of the injured Paxton. “Felix doesn’t have to go out there and shut the world out — he just has to be competitive and throw the ball over the plate,” Servais said.

CALGARY http://www.officialblackhawksproshop.com/authentic-adidas-gustav-forsling-jersey , Alberta (AP) — The play of Alex Edler has the Vancouver Canucks on a roll.Edler scored the overtime winner, had an assist and led both teams with more than 27 minutes of ice time as the Canucks defeated the Calgary Flames 3-2 Saturday night.Just over three minutes into a back-and-forth overtime, Edler took a pass from Brock Boeser and his shot dribbled through the pads of David Rittich.“I just tried to give it to (Boeser) and tried to create some space for him. No one picked me up and he made a great pass back to me,” said Edler, who has four goals and 11 points in 16 games since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for a month.When Edler returned on Nov. 24, the Canucks snapped an eight-game winless skid by beating the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. With their ice-time leader back in the fold, Vancouver has been playing better, having gone 8-2-1 in its last 11 to climb to within one point of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.“He plays 26 minutes, 27 minutes for a reason. He’s doing a great job out there,” said goaltender Jacob MarkstromBoeser and Elias Pettersson also scored for Vancouver.The Canucks are 5-0-1 in their last six road games. Vancouver has four points through the first two stops of their six-game trip.“It was a frustrating game,” Calgary’s Travis Hamonic said.“You come up short in those games in overtime. It’s the end of December and these points are crucial. You see how tight the standings are right now. Everyone’s getting points around you, so you’ve got to keep pace.”Mark Jankowski and Hamonic scored short-handed goals for Calgary. The Flames remain in first place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of San Jose. The Sharks visit the Saddledome on Monday.“We’ve been cute here recently. I think we’ve been too cute John Hayden Jersey ,” Flames coach Bill Peters said.“Trying to pass it into the net, not willing to shoot it. I don’t think we shoot the puck enough off the rush. In overtime, we had two 2-on-1’s, nobody looked to be direct and be a shooter.”Vancouver tied the game at 2-all at 11:37 of the second, when Pettersson broke down the right side and fired a 40-foot wrist shot past Rittich.The Flames took their first lead of the game 8:46 into the second, when Hamonic, on a two-on-one, chose to hang onto the puck and beat Jacob Markstrom for his third goal of the season.It was Calgary’s league-leading 12th short-handed goal, moving the Flames one ahead of the Arizona Coyotes.The Flames tied the game 1-all at 14:30 of the first. Noah Hanifin broke in alone and while he was stopped by Markstrom, Jankowski shoveled in the rebound.Jankowski, who also assisted on Hamonic’s goal, is tied with Arizona’s Michael Grabner for the league lead in both short-handed goals (four) and points (six).Vancouver opened the scoring on the power play at 5:08. With Johnny Gaudreau off for slashing, Boeser sent a 25-foot wrist shot past Rittich Authentic Jonathan Toews Jersey , who was screened by Bo Horvat and didn’t appear to see the shot.The Canucks’ improved penalty killing played a key role in the victory. Vancouver killed five penalties, including a 54-second, two-man advantage.“You have five power plays, you’ve got to get at least one or two, and especially on home ice,” said Calgary center Sean Monahan. “It isn’t as sharp as it needs to be.”The Flames’ power play is 1 for 18 in the last five games.With a 31-save performance, Markstrom improved to 8-1-0 in his last nine starts. He’s 16-10-3 on the season.Rittich, starting over veteran Mike Smith for the sixth time in seven games, made 24 stops. He is 12-4-3.NOTES: LW Sven Baertschi (concussion, 30 games) and D Troy Stecher (concussion, 3 games) returned for the Canucks. … Rookie LW Dillon Dube, recalled earlier in the day from Stockton of the American Hockey League, dressed for the Flames Blake Comeau Jersey Womens , taking the spot of veteran LW Michael Frolik, who was a healthy scratch. … Calgary’s Mark Giordano played career game No. 792, moving ahead of Theoren Fleury and into sole possession of fourth in franchise history.UP NEXTCanucks: At New Jersey on Monday.Flames: Host San Jose on Monday. WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Wilson missed Washington’s first 16 games due to a suspension for an illegal check. In the five games since his return, Wilson has shown just how valuable he is to the Capitals.Wilson scored 54 seconds into the contest to set the pace and Washington defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 Wednesday night for its first three-game winning streak of the season.Andre Burakovsky, Michal Kempny and Devante Smith-Pelly added goals for the defending Stanley Cup champions.This win was easier for the Capitals, whose previous two victories came in overtime. Braden Holtby stopped 37 shots for Washington.Wilson was originally suspended for 20 games for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis forward Oskar Sundqvist in the teams’ preseason finale. That suspension was reduced to 14 games by a neutral arbitrator, but by the time the decision was rendered, Wilson had already missed 16 games.Had the 20-game suspension stood, this would have been Wilson’s first game. Instead, it was his first home game, and he got a loud reception.Wilson, who scored in his first game, upended Chicago goalie Corey Crawford on the way to the goal. Crawford stopped 23 shots. In his previous three games Patrick Kane Jersey , he’d allowed just two goals.“Sometimes when you have to watch some games for a while, you pick up some different things you can add,” Capitals coach Todd Reirden said.“He’s played great since he’s been back, and we’re fortunate to get him back earlier than expected.”Washington has had an uneven start in its defense of the Cup. With Wilson’s suspension and injuries to key players, they’re hoping to get on a roll now.“We’re demanding of each other to get back there,” Wilson said of the team’s quest for back-to-back Stanley Cups.“There was adversity at the beginning of last year,” he said. “That’s how you build a team.”Burakovsky knows how difficult the Capitals’ task is.“Obviously, it was a shorter summer for us and a shorter time to prepare ourselves for the season,” Burakovsky said. “So, just to get back after a year that we had, I think it’s tough to get in and get going right away. So, we’re building our game slowly and tonight I think we did exactly what we wanted.”Brandon Saad and Erik Gustafsson scored for Chicago, which began a streak of seven road games in its next nine contests.Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton replaced longtime coach Joel Queeneville on Nov. 6 http://www.officialavalanche.com/authentic-adidas-alexander-kerfoot-jersey , and the team is 2-3-2 since. Chicago has lost eight straight games in Washington.“I thought the effort was there and we looked like we were going to climb back into it multiple times during the game,” Colliton said. “Some self-inflicted wounds there that made it difficult on the road against a cup winner. That’s kind of the story today.”Kempny whose goal midway through the second period gave Washington a 3-0 lead, was happy his first goal of the season came against his former team.“It feels really nice,” Kempny said. I have to say, it wasn’t an easy game for me to play. I know a lot of guys from Chicago. I was there almost two seasons. . It feels a little bit weird. The first period I was really excited from the game. After the first I was trying a little bit to settle down and keep playing my game and help my team to win.”NOTES: Washington forwards Evegeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie were out with upper body injuries for the third straight game. . Forwards Luke Johnson, Chris Kunitz and D Brandon Manning were all healthy scratches for Chicago for the second straight game. . Capitals F Alex Oveckhin was penalized for slashing in the second period, just his fourth penalty in 21 games. … Washington F Jakub Vrana had two assists, Oveckhin had one.UP NEXT:Blackhawks: Visit Tampa Bay in the second game of a three-game road trip on Friday.Capitals: Host Detroit on Friday afternoon.

VANCOUVER Adidas Calvin De Haan Jersey , British Columbia (AP) Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser will likely miss the remainder of the NHL season after the team said he will be out four to six weeks with a back injury.The star rookie left Rogers Arena on a stretcher and was taken to a hospital after a collision in the Canucks’ 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Monday.Boeser fell into an open gate at the players’ bench after trying to make a hit on Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck.The Canucks said Tuesday that he was diagnosed with a soft-tissue injury and a nonstructural, non-displaced fracture of a transverse process in his lower back.The transverse process is a bony projection off side of a vertebra that serves as a point for ligament attachment. Each vertebrae has a transverse process on each side.The 21-year-old Boeser leads all NHL rookies with 29 goals and is second among rookies with 55 points in 62 games.— GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes still are not a .500 team. They are still the lowest-scoring team in the NHL.But they are not the team they were a season ago, and that could be a problem for the busy and beaten-up Vancouver Canucks when the teams meet Thursday at Gila River Arena.The Canucks overcame a number of injuries to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night. Bo Horvat scored two goals while Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves and stopped all four Vegas attempts in the shootout. Markus Granlund was the only player to score in the four-round shootout.Article continues below ...Vancouver rebounded from a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday. Canucks injuries sustained by defensemen Christopher Tanev and Alexander Edler and forward Sven Baertschi in that game sidelined them for Wednesday’s contest. The Canucks already were playing without injured top-line center Elias Pettersson (concussion), who has missed the last five games, and right wing Brock Boeser (groin).With all those injuries, the Canucks must turn around and play another game in less than 24 hours. There is a slight chance Pettersson could return, although he might wait until the Canucks open a five-game homestand Saturday. He has five goals and three assists in five games.The Coyotes begin a five-game homestand at Gila River Arena against the Canucks, and Adidas Michael Ferland Jersey , despite their 3-5 record, they are looking like a considerably improved team from a season ago.Last season, the Coyotes didn’t post a win until Oct. 30 — they started 0-10-1 — and didn’t claim their third victory until Nov. 16, when they were 3-15-3 record. They never got close to .500 all season, despite going 20-14-7 in the second half of the season.Now, they are coming off a 2-2 road trip that ended with a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, a win keyed by Christian Fischer’s first career hat trick. They also beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 during the trip, and coach Rick Tocchet was encouraged by his team’s play during a 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.Maybe the Coyotes still aren’t quite where Tocchet would like them to be — they have scored an NHL-low 14 goals in eight games — but they’re much better off than they were last October, when their season was effectively over by Halloween.While they are more competitive Adidas Jordan Schroeder Jersey , the Coyotes would like to start winning at home — and start scoring some goals. They have been shut out in both of their home games to date, a 1-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 6 and a 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 13.The return of projected top line center Alex Galchenyuk could help Arizona. He played Tuesday for the first time this season after being out with a lower-body injury that occurred in the Coyotes’ first preseason game. He missed seven games, but Tocchet liked what he saw in Galchenyuk’s return.“I think Alex was fine,” Tocchet said. “I think that line was struggling a little bit on certain things. They were OK, they were trying to get some chemistry. Alex had surgery a month ago and rehab, and he’ll be fine. I think there’s some chemistry there.”Galchenyuk was the center on a line that had Lawson Crouse at left wing and Clayton Keller at right wing.“It took me awhile to get the rhythm a little bit. With every shift I take, I’ll get better and better,” Galchenyuk said. “I tried to stay calm as I could even though there was a lot of excitement. … You can’t wait to get out there and play with the guys.”Coyotes starting goalie Antti Raanta sat out Tuesday with flu-like symptoms and could return, although backup Darcy Kuemper played well in his absence Adidas Chris Kunitz Jersey , allowing a goal in the first minute of the game but none after that. He made 35 saves.“When they (his teammates) are playing like that, it makes it a lot easier,” Kuemper said. “I was trying to do my part, and that was our whole mindset as a team. Everybody do their job.”The Canucks and Coyotes split four games last season, all of which were played in the final six weeks of the season.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carolina had its second win over the Flyers in a week when the team’s social media department had fun trolling the NHL’s most popular mascot: “Gritty victory.”Gritty had to keep his googily eyes open and watch the latest Flyers’ flop. Some Flyers fans tried to avoid the latest disaster and wore paper bags over their heads.Dougie Hamilton Mikko Rantanen Jersey , Justin Williams and Teuvo Teravainen scored second-period goals to lead the Carolina Hurricanes past the woeful Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3 on Thursday night.The Flyers are a mess and there may be little choice ahead but to dismantle the team by the trade deadline.“It’s like quicksand right now. We’re trying to get out and it feels like it’s just getting deeper,” Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds said.The Flyers fired coach Dave Hakstol and general manager Ron Hextall last month and the shake-up has yet to spark any kind of sign of playoff life for a franchise that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1975. The Flyers lost their fifth straight game and fell to 3-5-1 under interim coach Scott Gordon since his promotion from the AHL.Simmonds scored in the third to make it 4-1 and end Philly’s scoreless streak that stretched more than 123 minutes. The Flyers got hot too late in the game: Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk also scored goals the third, but the rally died at 4-3.Teravainen’s second goal of the game ended the Flyers’ comeback and secured Carolina’s third win since Dec. 20. Petr Mrazek stopped 31 shots for the Hurricanes.“We did a good job just to stick with it, get the pucks deep and do our thing,” Teravainen said.The Flyers lost the last four games of a five-game road trip and not even a return home could help the hapless franchise. Once a tough ticket, there were thousands of empty seats at faceoff and the crowd thinned out after the Hurricanes scored three times in the second.“I thought we were in the game http://www.avalancheshoponline.com/authentic-nathan-mackinnon-jersey , it was tight out there,” Couturier said. “The next thing you know, a few penalties, the PK doesn’t do the job and we’re chasing the game.”Philly fans finally went wild late in the second — when an Eagles highlight video flashed on the big screen and the crowd belted out the lyrics to “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”The Hurricanes have their own issues and have only four more points (39) than last-place Philadelphia. But the Hurricanes played like a team with playoff hopes and“We know where we’re sitting, so we know we need the points right now Patrick Roy Jersey ,” Hamilton said. “We’ve got a lot of games coming up before the All-Star break and stuff, so we’ve got to get on a little roll and help us get back in the standings.”Hamilton took a shot in his 204th straight game and connected with his fourth goal of the season only 1:56 into the period. Hamilton beat Michal Neuvirth for his first goal in 22 games.Williams, a former Flyer, scored his eighth of the season and Teravainen followed with his ninth late in the period for consecutive power-play goals for the Flyers.Neuvirth was helpless when Warren Foegele scored on a deflection for a 4-0 lead early in the third. What seemed like an ordinary goal in a rout turned into the cushion the Hurricanes needed for the second win over the Flyers this week. The Hurricanes scratched out a 3-1 win on Monday at home.“I don’t care how we win. I’ll take every point,” Carolina forward Sebastian Aho said.NOTES: The Flyers had updates on several players suffering from undisclosed injuries: G Brian Elliott (back practicing in 10 to 14 days); C Corban Knight (return to play mid to late February); D Andrew MacDonald (out at least one more game); D Sam Morin (ACL surgery, mid-February); C Nolan Patrick (return next week); and G Anthony Stolarz (practice this weekend). … Mrazek played in his 200th career game.UP NEXTHurricanes: Host Columbus on Friday night.Flyers: Host Calgary on Saturday. NEW YORK (AP) — The Arizona Coyotes had every reason to feel the deck was stacked against them. They had lost four straight and trailed 3-0 in the second period against the New York Rangers.However, instead of accepting another loss Womens Samuel Girard Jersey , Arizona rallied back to tie the score and Derek Stepan scored with 32 seconds left on the clock in overtime against his former team as the Coyotes beat the Rangers 4-3 Friday night.“I’d be lying to you if I told you that didn’t feel good,” Stepan said of getting winner back on his former home ice. “We never quit on it. We stayed with our system. I like this group’s resiliency and character. Down 3-1 we could have easily coast through the third period but kept our foot on the gas pedal.”Stepan fired a wrist shot off the crossbar 4 1/2 minutes into the extra period as the Coyotes beat the Rangers for the first time in 10 meetings. Nick Schmaltz picked up his 100th career NHL assist on the play.Jordan Oesterle, Josh Archibald and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored for Arizona, and Adin Hill stopped 27 shots.Kevin Hayes had a goal and an assist, and Pavel Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad also scored to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead less than six minutes into the second. Henrik Lundqvist finished with 30 saves.“It’s just tough to accept this one. It’s a game that was right there for us,” Lundqvist said. “That was a tough one, felt like we should have won this one.”Oesterle got the Coyotes on the scoreboard at 10:42 of the middle period when his slap shot from the blue line deflected off Lundqvist’s arm. Schmaltz record his first of two assists on the play.Stepan found Archibald cutting past the hashmarks with 6:49 left in the third to pull the Coyotes within one Semyon Varlamov Jersey , and Ekman-Larsson fired a sharp-angled shot over Lundqvist’s glove to tie it 3:48 later.“Everyone is tired of losing,” Ekman-Larsson said. “It could have easily gone the other way. I feel like we have a different group, nobody ever gives up on a play or in a game. That’s what we want to keep building on. We want to get back in the playoff race and that’s how you do it.”Buchnevich opened the scoring when he hammered a one-timer at 4:01 of the first period. The Russian winger missed the previous 13 games with a broken thumb. Jimmy Vesey had an assist on the play to extend his point streak to three games.Hayes tallied his eighth of the season with 3:34 left in the opening period. Mats Zuccarello delivered a well-placed cross-ice pass to set up the goal. Hayes posted a multi-point game for the third consecutive contest, and has three goals and three assists in the that span.Zibanejad snuck a wrist shot past Hill at 5:48 of the second as New York converted for the third time while up a skater. Chris Kreider was planted in front to provide a screen, and Neal Pionk recorded an assist. Pionk leads the Rangers in power-play assists (10) and power-play points (12) this season.“We have to figure it out,” Rangers coach David Quinn said after his team squandered a three-goal lead at home for the second straight time. “We have to get better.”New York was 1-15 on the man-advantage in the previous eight games and Arizona entered the game with the NHL’s top penalty killing unit.NOTES: Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk will be sidelined two-to-four weeks with a separated shoulder sustained in the previous game against the Lightning. … The Rangers scratched F Lias Andersson for the first time since recalling the 2017 seventh-overall draft pick from Hartford of the AHL on Nov. 5. … Rangers D Adam McQuaid did not dress but has been practicing in a regular contact jersey for the previous few days and is expected to return to the lineup in the coming days. … Coyotes F Alex Galchenyuk missed a second straight game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.UP NEXTCoyotes: At Carolina on Sunday.Rangers: Host Vegas on Sunday.

Plays to Love http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-taylor-moton-jersey , Plays to Hate (aka “P2L, P2H”) looks at the most significant plays in swinging momentum and impacting the eventual outcome of the game. There is always plenty to hate about NFL officiating, so we will only focus on the plays on the field, not the refs.Three plays to love2nd Quarter 10:28 – Panthers 3, Falcons 3. Panthers ball 3rd-and-5 at ATL 15The Situation: The Panthers faced third down in the red zone, looking for a touchdown instead of a field goal attempt. The Play: Cam Newton dropped to pass, felt pressure, and rolled out of the pocket to buy time. Cam then threw against his body - on the run - to Devin Funchess for a first down. The play extended the drive which ended in a touchdown instead of a field goal attempt. Just incredible athleticism, strength, and smarts from an elite quarterback. 3rd Quarter 14:20 – Panthers 10, Falcons 17. Falcons ball 1st-and-10 at CAR 39The Situation: The Falcons took a seven point lead into the half then started the third quarter with the ball. Their first play was a 30-yard gain to the Carolina 39, then Wes Horton came up big on the next play.The Play: Matt Ryan dropped back to throw a bomb to a streaking Julio Jones, but Wes Horton appeared to contact Ryan’s arm on the release. Ryan’s pass looked more like a punt and Donte Jackson was able to come down with an easy interception.4th Quarter 2:30 – Panthers 17, Falcons 31. Panthers ball 1st-and-10 at CAR 49The Situation: The game looked just about over with Carolina trailing by two touchdowns and the two-minute warning drawing near, but then D.J. Moore happened. The Play: D.J. Moore ran a deep in route over the middle, caught the pass, shook off a tackler, then sprinted 51-yards for a momentum-shifting score. The play pulled the Panthers deficit to just seven points and gave the team one last shot at a late comeback. Three plays to hate2nd Quarter 7:25 – Panthers 10, Falcons 3. Falcons ball 3rd-and-9 at ATL 26The Situation: Call this the “Donte Jackson Implosion Sequence.” The Play: On 3rd-and-9 Daryl Williams Jersey , Matt Ryan’s pass fell incomplete to force an apparent punt, but Donte Jackson was called for (a questionable) pass interference to extend the drive. Two plays later Donte got juked at the line of scrimmage by Tevin Coleman who ran for 36 yards to the Carolina 24. The drive ended when Calvin Ridley beat Jackson in man coverage for a touchdown. Horrible sequence by the rookie cornerback. 3rd Quarter 13:01 – Panthers 10, Falcons 17. Panthers ball 3rd-and-2 at CAR 10The Situation: The Panthers offense took possession on the Carolina 2 following Donte Jackson’s interception. Three plays later they faced 3rd-and-2 from the 10, hoping to convert a first down and avoid punting from their own end zone. The Play: Devin Funchess ran past the first down sticks and Cam delivered a beautiful ball to his back shoulder, just past the defender. But instead of catching it, Funch let the ball bounce off his shoulder pad for an incompletion on a pass he absolutely must catch. This play led to a domino effect of: 1) Punting from the end zone, 2) The Falcons fair catching the punt at the Atlanta 42, and 3) Atlanta capitalizing on the good field position to eventually score a touchdown for a 24-10 lead. 4rd Quarter 6:26 – Panthers 17, Falcons 31. Panthers ball 1st-and-10 at ATL 22The Situation: The Panthers ripped off 53 yards on consecutive passes to Devin Funchess and Torrey Smith to get near the red zone, finally getting some momentum. Trailing by two touchdowns in the fourth, Carolina desperately needed a score. The Play: C.J. Anderson ran a short route, turned around, and was hit right in the hands with a perfect dump-off pass from Cam. But the ball went right through Anderson’s hands and off his shoulder pad where it then popped up into the air and was intercepted by Ricardo Allen. This play was an absolute killer on a drive where the Panthers were getting so close to a much-needed fourth quarter score. Bonus play to both love and hate4th Quarter 8:11 – Panthers 17, Falcons 24. Falcons ball 2nd-and-2 at CAR 5The Situation: Atlanta led by seven early in the fourth quarter. They sustained a long drive that put them just five yards away from a touchdown to go up by 14. Carolina’s D needed a huge play. The Play: Ito Smith took a handoff off right tackle and Kawann Short knocked the ball out of his hands, forcing a fumble. For one beautiful, glorious, hope-filled moment the ball bounced around on the turf waiting for someone to jump on it. This was perhaps Carolina’s last best shot to slow down a Falcon’s offense that had dominated them all day. When a fumble hits the ground it’s usually a 50-50 proposition if the offense or defense will recover. In the end, Atlanta’s Brandon Fusco fell on the ball and the Falcons scored a touchdown on the very next play to take a 31-17 lead. The game could have been totally different if the Panthers recover this fumble. I “loved” the play by KK Short but “hated” the fact the Panthers couldn’t come up with the fumble and prevent another Atlanta score. Closing it out and summing it upThis was a fairly predictable loss. Disappointing, yes Authentic Ian Thomas Jersey , but at the same time the sky isn’t falling quite yet. Jarius Wright continues to impress while Christian McCaffrey is quickly becoming the only consistently viable offensive weapon. The patchwork offensive line held up fairly well considering our starting left tackle Chris Clark was signed four days before the game. On defense, James Bradberry should be commended for the part he played in limiting Julio Jones to just five receptions (on nine targets) for 64 yards and zero touchdowns. There were many negatives in this game though. The normally dominant front four was shockingly bad, registering zero sacks on Matt Ryan (on 28 attempts) and rarely even pressuring the Falcons QB while also getting destroyed by Atlanta’s rushing attack. If the front four plays like this the rest of the season, Carolina has no shot at the playoffs. Every wide receiver minus Jarius Wright has been pretty bad so far. It seems Carolina’s receivers are almost never wide open and completions only happen when Cam throws a perfect pass. The 1-1 Panthers hope to right the ship against a suddenly frisky 2-0 Cincinnati Bengals team next week. Let’s hope the front four and the wide receivers show up this time. Plays to love season leaders1 - Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Kawann Short, Mario Addison, Wes HortonPlays to hate season leaders1 - Amini Silatolu, C.J. Anderson, Christian McCaffrey, Devin Funchess, Donte Jackson, Mike Adams This week I spoke with Dave Choate over at the Falcoholic. He’s the guy for responsible for doling out reports on the misery of their long suffering fan base. We try not to make fun of him too much, for the record, because there isn’t much left to say after Tom Brady used their lunch money from Super Bowl LI to buy a curse on Julio Jones for the rest of his career. It is a sore subject.Cat Scratch Reader: Have you filed a missing persons report for Julio Jones’ red zone targets yet?CSR: What’s the biggest change in the Falcons from last year and why is it that Matt Ryan is channeling Eli Manning?CSR: Y’all lost Keanu Neal for the season. That sucks.CSR:Assume the Panthers have a one possession lead with less than four minutes left in the game. How confident are you in the Falcons’ ability to score when the Panthers inevitably give them multiple chances to do so?CSR:What is your prediction for this game?Here’s to hoping Dave there is underestimating Christian McCaffrey’s ability to replace Greg Olsen’s production in a way that stresses the Falcon’s injured positions. I do, however, share his belief that his game isn’t going to be pretty. What division games are?

The Washington Redskins shredded the Arizona Cardinals for 182 yards on the ground in their season opener http://www.redskinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-zach-brown-jersey , most of any team in the NFL last week.Missed gap assignments, missed tackles, insufficient physical play, poor hand work at the line of scrimmage. There were plenty of reasons listed for the downfall by defensive coordinator Al Holcomb.Now the Cardinals have to face Todd Gurley and the Rams Sunday in Los Angeles, and that doesn't bode well for an Arizona team looking to find itself in a new defensive scheme with a new coaching staff."It's a big-time challenge this week again," Holcomb said after Thursday's practice. "We've got to address the mistakes, take the things that we didn't do so well last week and correct those things. We've got to accentuate the positives, the good things that we did and we've got to continue to grow and build on that as a defense."Gurley carried 20 times for 108 yards and caught three for 39 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown reception in Sunday's 33-13 win at Oakland.And the Cardinals know Gurley all too well.Last season Arizona had the sixth-ranked defense overall in the NFL and was sixth against the run, yet Gurley was outstanding as the Rams swept the two-game series with the Cardinals for the first time since 2012."We got our behinds kicked twice by this team," cornerback Patrick Peterson said.The first meeting was in Twickenham Stadium in London, where the Rams routed the Cardinals 33-0. In that game, Gurley carried 22 times for 106 yards and caught four for 48. The Rams rushed for 197 yards that day. Six weeks later in Arizona, Los Angeles won 32-15 as Gurley rushed for 74 yards in 19 attempts and caught six for 84 yards.Combine those experiences with the team's poor play in last week's 24-6 loss to the Redskins and the Arizona defense is in an ornery mood."We're a little salty right now so we have to come out prepared to play," Holcomb said. "It's a tremendous challenge in front of us but a great opportunity at the same time. We have to come out and play our brand of football like we're capable of playing."First-year coach Steve Wilks wants to build a team centered on tough, physical play, especially up front. That aspect of the opener was what bothered Holcomb most."Just not play, as Steve talks about, according to our DNA, the physicality," Holcomb said. "The effort was there. The physicality, playing with our hands and then obviously minimizing the run game and also the tackling aspect of it. It's early in the season but we have to do a better job of tackling."The Cardinals know they have to avoid one-on-one situations with Gurley."Todd Gurley is a great back, one of the best backs in the league http://www.redskinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-paul-richardson-jersey ," said nickel cornerback/safety Budda Baker. "So we know we're all going to have to swarm to the ball to get him down."Peterson, a Pro Bowl player in all seven of his NFL seasons has seen a lot of Gurley throughout his career, agrees."The biggest point of emphasis for us on defense to contain Todd is just be like flying missiles," Peterson said, "always hitting him and getting 11 hats on the ball."Of course they also have to contend with the potent passing game of Jared Goff and his group of talented wide receivers."We know with this team everything' starts with the run," Peterson said. ' 'You've got thee play-action boot game and they try to take the top off of the defense. We have to make sure we're gap sound this week and don't give up the deep ball.'It would be a great help to have defensive end Markus Golden, but he could be a week away from returning from major knee surgery. Golden practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday."It's definitely going to give us a boost," Holcomb said. "He brings a lot of energy, a lot of juice. He has the ability to hold up and set the edge and also rush the passer, so I can't wait to get him back."Golden led the Cardinals in sacks two seasons ago with 12 1-2. The other defense end, All-Pro Chandler Jones, led the NFL in sacks last year with a franchise-record 17 and had one in the season opener.NOTES: Johnson was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with a sore back. TE Jermaine Gresham also was limited as he returns from surgery to repair an Achilles tendon. Gresham, like Golden, has yet to play this season.Looks Like Someone Has a Sixpack of the Mondays While the next month or so is designed to get football players ready for the rigors of the NFL’s regular season, Hogs Haven’s legion of armchair quarterbacks is already in midseason form. I thought I would steal a bunch of primer questions floating around that I have been asked to respond to for a variety of outlets. Let’s get our minds around some of these ideas and then we can expand our thoughts on tomorrow night’s episode of The Audible (on Hogs Haven’s Facebook Live feed starting around 9 PM EST).A popular question I am asked is, “Which rookie are you most excited to watch?” I think the easiest and quickest answer that comes to mind is Derrius Guice. This makes sense from the standpoint of expected production and sizzle, but it hasn’t been my answer. Defensive linemen don’t typically sell video games or season tickets, but I feel like Redskins fans have yet to truly wake up to the defensive line we will be watching this season (assuming a fully healthy Jonathan Allen, which we will need to wait to see). When Allen was healthy last year, the Redskins were a top five defense against the run. He was, quite simply, awesome. The Redskins just picked up his battery mate from the Alabama Crimson Tide front, and the nastiness that is about to ensue is going to look nothing like what we have grown accustomed to in recent memory. Da’Ron Payne is a beast http://www.redskinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-d.j.-swearinger-jersey , and all accounts so far have indicated that he is a day one plug and play starter in the league. Payne and Allen in the heart of the defense is about to be a show. I will have my popcorn ready when Guice gets that first handoff against the Arizona Cardinals, but let’s not be caught off guard by how fun it is going to be to watch Payne go to work this fall.Next on the list of common questions is some version of, “Which returning player needs to improve the most for the Redskins this season?” Again, I feel like there is a kneejerk answer here, in the form of “Josh Doctson.” I get it. Josh needs to prove he is a first round talent, and that he can be a legit number one receiver in the league. I believe we have seen flashes of his ability, but he will need to get a lot more consistent to prove he can be “the guy.” Despite this, my answer has been Jordan Reed. As a player, he doesn’t need to prove much. When he has been on the field, he has performed at an incredibly high level. It is the “when he has been on the field” that has become a thing. Listen, people get hurt in the NFL. Further, physical specimens like Reed—thanks to their amazing athletic ability—regularly find themselves involved in increasingly violent plays on the field. I am not here lamenting that Reed can’t stay healthy because of anything in his power; rather, I am just stating a cold reality of the NFL: if and when a player is repeatedly injured, his unavailability becomes a problem that must be addressed. For Jordan Reed, despite how important he is to the Redskins, this is the last year he has any guaranteed money coming his way. He has two more years left on his contract, and should he perform in 2018, the Redskins would almost certainly be happy to keep him in the fold at about $8-$9 million per year. That said, if this player has another season when he is unable to be in pads on Sundays, the Redskins will be facing a pretty tough decision. This is a big deal to me. The Redskins are a different team depending on whether or not Reed is available. I want him on my squad. Despite the length of his contract, it is getting more and more apparent that Reed is going to have to show up in 2018 for him to stay on this roster.I get a constant barrage of, “Is Alex Smith better than Kirk Cousins?” In short, the answer is “YES.” When pressed http://www.redskinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-adrian-peterson-jersey , I explain that experience becomes the difference-maker when comparing these two quarterbacks. One has more than the other. I think Kirk is a fine quarterback, but his mental calculator simply doesn’t have the same amount of historical data to call up and bring to bear in decisions being made in milliseconds. As you can imagine, this is never a quick conversation once it gets started, so I thought it best to leave the bulk of this particular point to the comments section below. What I have enjoyed most about this argument is watching Kirk-haters become instant Alex-haters, and Kirk-lovers become quick Alex-lovers. It has been quite fun in that regard...I think that is the right word for it.How about a fantasy question? I get a lot of those, and the one I have answered most consistently is the one about a “sleeper” or “under-the-radar” fantasy player. To me, I feel like a player that will likely outperform preseason predictions is Paul Richardson. I don’t see Jay Gruden only using this guy to take the top off the defense. I am not sure exactly how Richardson will be most used initially, but it stands to reason that Gruden will get him involved. Didn’t we just find out this guy was the most productive wide receiver in the NFL on end zone targets in 2017? (We did, thanks to my boy Brent over at Burgundy Blog, with a hat tip to Pro Football Focus.) However you viewed the Washington offense with Kirk Cousins at the helm, I am here to tell you that Alex Smith is going to make it feel pretty darned different. Richardson is not a one-trick pony. He can run routes—I think he is actually a very underrated route runner. If that is true (and please don’t take my word for it—check it out), Alex Smith is going to find him. In fact, in order for all these other aspects to work out for the Redskins—Guice, Reed, Jamison Crowder, Doctson, etc.—a guy like Paul Richardson is going to need to be productive. If he is your WR3 or WR4 in a deep 12-team league, I think you might end up looking pretty smart.The over/under in Vegas REMAINS 6.5 wins for the Washington Redskins. In some places, you can make $145 on the over with a $100 bet. What...am...I...missing?!?!?!?!? Hahahaha...sometimes I feel like Vegas is actively trolling me, because this one is causing me some serious brain failure. OF COURSE the Redskins are going to win at least SEVEN games...right? I mean, what the what?!?!?!