Point sur les classements - Semaine #75

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for the 2018 season yesterday. There weren’t any real shockers Womens Quinton Spain Jersey , but there were a few mild surprises among the selections. Here are the most surprising keeps and cuts according to me. Surprising KeepsAaron Stinnie, GI was pretty certain that Stinnie was going to be cut after a really bad showing against the Steelers in the preseason, but the Titans must have liked what they saw from him in practices. The 6’-3”, 312 pound UDFA guard from James Madison fits the athletic profile of a zone blocking guard though, running a 4.65-second short shuttle and a 7.63-second 3-cone during his pro day. Stinnie is a relatively raw prospect who only played two years of high school football and began his college career as a defensive lineman. I thought Tyler Marz was likely to be the 9th offensive lineman kept, but he ended up getting added to the practice squad instead. The Titans must think Stinnie has considerable upside to use a roster spot on him. Cameron Batson, WR/KRBatson is another guy that I don’t think I saw on any 53-man roster projections. Most felt like the 6th wide receiver spot — if the Titans chose to keep 6 — would come down to Nick Williams or Deontay Burnett, but it ended up being the explosive Batson who got the nod. Batson played his college ball at Texas Tech, totaling 1,499 receiving yards over 50 games. He also returned kicks and punts during his Red Raider career. Batson is undersized at 5’-8” tall and 175 pounds, but he makes up for it with his explosiveness. He ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at Texas Tech’s pro day which would have tied for the fastest time at the combine if he’d run it there. Batson also posted blistering 3.96-second short shuttle and 6.69-second 3-cone and a 39” vertical. In addition to being a tremendous athlete, he’s also a highly intelligent player, graduating from Tech with honors and majoring in accounting. He’s was a 2017 semi-finalist for the Campbell Award, an honor given to college football’s best scholar-athlete.During the preseason Batson was the Titans primary kick returner, picking up 161 yards on 7 returns. He also added 19 yards on 4 punt returns and 7 catches for 74 yards in the passing game. He repeatedly earned praise from Vrabel for his fearlessness in the return game and, obviously, special teams will be his primary role on the team. My guess is that Batson is the opening day starting kick returner with Adoree’ Jackson handling punts. That’s probably what made him the choice at this spot over a guy like Deontay Burnett too. While he likely won’t get much work as a receiver in 2018, Batson clearly profiles as a slot type player who can offer elite run after catch ability. Something he showed off on the play below. Vrabel was very complimentary of the UDFA receivers that the team brought in right before cut day so that speaks to how much they must like Batson as he was the only one to make the roster.Matt Dickerson Youth Corey Davis Jersey , DLDickerson probably qualifies as a surprise, but this is one that I thought was in play. I even had him making it on my second-to-last 53-man roster projection before regrettably leaving him off on my final version. Dickerson is a guy that Jim Wyatt first put on my radar when he mentioned him as one of the UDFAs that stood out to him during OTAs. Dickerson is a great size-weight-speed prospect at 6’-5” and 292 pounds with good movement skills. During preseason, Dickerson flashed consistently as both a run defender and an interior pass rusher. Dickerson figures to get some snaps a small part of the defensive line rotation for the Titans this season as the team only kept 5 at this position. Anthony Firkser, TEIf you read my early training camp practice reports or follow me on Twitter, you know I loved Firkser from day one. I didn’t think the Titans would end up keeping him after an up and down preseason, but I’m glad to be wrong in this case. Firkser is a 6’-2”, 246 pound move tight end who played his college ball at Harvard. He led the Crimson in receiving yards during his senior season in 2016. After going undrafted in the 2017 draft, he spent time with the Jets and Chiefs at various times last season. During camp, Firkser made play after play in the passing game. He flashed that ability in the preseason game against the Steelers, turning in a 5 catch, 68 yard, 1 touchdown line, including this great grab up the seam. Firkser can contribute on special teams as well which gives him a chance to be active on game days this fall. I can’t wait for NFL announcers to learn that he went to Harvard. Surprising CutsJulius Warmsley, DLThe fact that Warmsley’s omission from the 53-man roster qualifies as a surprise is a testament to the work he put in during camp and preseason. As a 28 year old player who had spent the better part of the last 4 seasons on and off various practice squads Warmsley didn’t profile as a training camp darling coming in, but he ended up as one anyway.He earned some early praise from Vrabel and quickly vaulted ahead of David King on the defensive line rotation, even getting some snaps with the first team defense from time to time. He continued his excellent play throughout the preseason which led many to think he was a borderline lock for the 53-man roster. My read on why Warmsley didn’t make the cut is that the Titans likely felt that the gap between Warmsley and Dickerson was relatively small and Dickerson is 6 years younger, offering higher long term upside. Nick Williams, WRWilliams made some waves early in camp and preseason and looked to be a likely roster candidate as a slot receiver who could contribute on special teams as well. However Womens DaQuan Jones Jersey , like Warmsley, Williams is an older player at 27 years old and a hamstring injury suffered during the Steelers game likely played a role in him getting left off the 53. It’s possible that the Titans wait for Williams to heal and then add him back later in the season. Deontay Burnett, WRThis may be the least popular of all the Titans cuts. Fans loved Burnett, who showed great feel for the game and outstanding hands during preseason action. At just 20 years old, he also offered considerable upside as a long term development prospect. I understand why people liked him, but I think his undoing was likely special teams related. He didn’t offer as much there as guys like Batson and Darius Jennings and was pretty much limited to just the slot role on offense. As a back of the roster receiver, it’s tough to make the team without offering more versatility. He went unclaimed through the waiver process before signing on to the Jets practice squad. I’m guessing the Titans would have liked to bring him back on their practice squad, but Burnett chose to reunite with his college QB, Sam Darnold, in New York. Akrum Wadley, RBWadley is a guy that many expected to compete for the third running back spot with David Fluellen, but that battle never really materialized in camp. The question then became whether he would force the Titans to keep four backs, but injuries held him back and left him on the outside looking in by cut day. The Titans signed Dalyn Dawkins to the practice squad already so it seems like they are moving on without Wadley altogether (though there are still four practice squad spots open as of this writing). Other TakeawaysLuke Falk didn’t earn a spot on the 53-man roster and I agree with the decision to let him go, even if he provides some information about the offense to the Dolphins. He doesn’t have an NFL arm and that’s not something that usually develops at the professional level. Keeping Firkser tells me that we are going to see plenty of 12 personnel in this offense. Matt LaFleur has commented that the Rams league-leading use of 11 personnel was more by necessity than design last season based on getting their best players on the field. I expect the Titans to use multiple tight end sets fairly often in 2018, though probably not at the level that Mike Mularkey did.The Vrabel Titans will prioritize special teams. The team kept at least three players — besides specialists Ryan Succop, Brett Kern, and Beau Brinkley — for their ability to impact the game on 4th down. Batson, Daren Bates Youth Jonnu Smith Jersey , and Brynden Trawick are all on the 53-man roster to help in the kick coverage and return games primarily. Additionally, players like Darius Jennings, LeShaun Sims, Dane Cruikshank, and Will Compton all likely had their roster odds boosted by their ability to help on special teams. Jack Conklin was activated off PUP which means the team believes their starting right tackle will be ready to return at least a week or two prior to Week 7 (when he would have been eligible to return had he stayed on PUP). That’s great news for the Titans. The Titans ended up keeping 4 players from their 2018 UDFA class — Stinnie, Dickerson, Batson, and Sharif Finch — even though it may not have been some of the guys fans expected to make it. Will the Titans have a Malcolm Butler/Wesley Woodyard/Quinton Spain success story out of this group?Titans Fan Guide: A Speedy Greedy Saturday Edition #12 LSU at #7 Auburn 3:30 PM CBS- The Battle of the SEC West Tigers commences once more with LSU traveling to the Plains. LSU is 2-0 with a beatdown of Miami in the season opener while Auburn is 2-0 with a hard fought win over Washington. A win by LSU would go a long way in securing Ed Orgeron’s job status. These two teams are very good defensively and the offenses were sloppy when facing a quality opponent so expect a defensive slog. LSU QB Joe Burrow will need to ramp up his game significantly for the Bayou Bengals to have a shot. LSU prospects to watch1. Greedy Williams 6’1 182 CB RS Sophomore- Williams has the speed and athleticism thing down pat along with the height. Lateral agility is a major plus. Can keep up with any receiver in the nation. Has consistency issues that pops up every now and then. Among the best corners in the nation. 2. Devin White 6’0 240 LB Junior- Next man up to take the star linebacker turn in Baton Rouge before going pro. White has flashed a bunch over his first two years. He’s now the leader of the defense. Height may be an issue at the next level but the athleticism isn’t. Plus character and work ethic. Somewhere between Duke Riley and Kendall Beckwith. 3. Nick Brossette 6’0 221 RB Senior- The heir apparent to current Washington Mascot That Shall Not Be Named RB Derrius Guice. He played really well in the season opener against Miami. A different type of back than Guice. More of a thunder type of back. Auburn prospects to watch1. Jarrett Stidham 6’2 214 QB RS Junior- Stidham is one of the top ranked quarterbacks in a class in which the perception is generally down. He has a lot of arm talent and can make virtually any throw asked of him. Physically looks the part. The biggest flaw is the program that he chose. Auburn’s offensive system is very poor in terms of development for the next level. Fundamentally poor as the reads are so simple that a high school QB can thrive in Auburn’s system. Will need a ton of development time as a backup before he can start. Oblivious to pressure and will give up unnecessary sacks to elite defenses.2. Derrick Brown 6’5 325 DL Junior- He was in the Washington backfield so much that he owns property there now. One of the best interior linemen in the SEC. Academics are on point as he’s been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year. Could be one of the more underrated DL prospects due to the talent in the class. BYU at #6 Wisconsin 3:30 PM ABC- Madtown gets a visitor from out west in the form of the Cougars’ stingy defense. BYU is 1-1 with an impressive win over Arizona and a hard fought loss to Cal. Wisky is 2-0 after ho hum victories over UNLV and New Mexico. RB Johnathan Taylor is once again a Heisman candidate after a sensational freshman year. Not the most entertaining matchup but it should be fun to watch the BYU defense try to out wit the powerful Wisconsin offensive line. Wisconsin in a laugher. BYU prospect to watch1. Sione Takitaki 6’2 231 LB Senior- It could be argued that Takitaki was the best defender on BYU’s team last year. From what I’ve seen of him, he’s very good at reading and reacting to the play. Versatile athlete in that he’s been played both as a defensive end and outside linebacker. Lined up everywhere. Very good athlete. Due to size, he gets lost in the wash rather easily.Wisconsin prospects to watch1. The entire OL- Collectively, they are the best offensive line in the nation. Like clockwork, this year’s edition is back to being Wisconsin OL of famous lore. #1 Alabama at Ole Miss 7 PM ESPN- The top ranked Tide visit the Grove to take in the lovely atmosphere there and also to play some football. Can the Ole Miss defense make enough stops to give its high powered offense a chance? Can the inexperienced Tide secondary hold up against the Rebels’ outstanding receiving corps? Tua is easily the Heisman favorite as of right now. Can he keep it up for the duration of the season? Also, will Jalen Hurts play or is he going to stick to his reported plan of redshirting? Alabama prospects to watch1. Damien Harris 5’10 216 RB Senior- He’s very instinctive as a runner and knows where and how to attack a defense. Takes what he can get and goes down. Knows what he is and doesn’t deviate from that much. A power back. It will be interesting to see if he raises his stock high enough to warrant not going to any of the postseason all star events. Off to a good start in 2018.2. Raekwon Davis 6’7 303 DL Junior- The latest in a long line of standout defensive linemen for the Tide who patiently waited his turn to shine. He was a terror to guard against as a sophomore and has carried his play over to the 2018 season thus far. Could be one of the better DL that the Tide has produced before its all said and done. 3. Mack Wilson 6’0 231 LB Junior- Ho hum. Another year, another standout linebacker for the Tide. Wilson is just #good as advertised. The medical history bears watching though. Ole Miss prospects to watch1. D.K Metcalf 6’3 225 WR RS Sophomore- Physically looks the part. A deep ball specialist that can also run routes like a technician. Is considered one of the best receivers in the country. He’s WR2 on my board. A major weapon for the Rebels. 2. A.J. Brown 6’1 225 WR Junior- Excellent slot weapon at the next level. Knows how to run all the routes and vary his speed and footwork in each. Has the measureables to make an impact in the NFL. Could use another year of college. Bonus games to watch#5 Oklahoma at Iowa State Noon ABC#17 Boise State at #24 Oklahoma state 3:30 PM ESPN#4 Ohio State vs. #15 TCU 8 PM ABCHouston at Texas Tech 4:15 PM FoxWhere are the Titans scouts?

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Cleveland Browns: (cleveland.com) - Don’t fall in love with Gregg Williams and Freddie Kitchens. We’re talking to you http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-emmanuel-ogbah-jersey , Browns fans, and you, John Dorsey. Because what you have seen the last two weeks isn’t fantastic football coaching.Kosar, Couch and the dangerous young man (ohio.com) - In the array of rookie quarterbacks who have started for the Browns across the years, Baker Mayfield is the most interesting to come down the pike since Bernie Kosar. Some words from Tim Couch resonate as Mayfield heads into the bye week.10 things to know about the Browns at the bye (clevelandbrowns.com) - Here are a few stats and facts to hold Browns fans over during the bye week.Joe Thomas offers wisdom on Baker Mayfield (Browns Wire) - Browns legend Joe Thomas joined the Jim Rome Show to talk about the resurgence of his old team and the emergence of rookie QB Baker Mayfield.NFL:Former Miami players frustrated by current Dolphins (Miami Herald) - Ex-Miami Hurricanes stars aren’t the only accomplished South Florida football players frustrated by their former team. Some distinguished former Miami Dolphins are irritated Duke Johnson Jersey , too, though they are more measured and reserved in their assessment than some ex-Hurricanes have been.Will the Titans end their streak against Andrew Luck? (tennessean.com) - It’s the story line that just won’t die. From the time Andrew Luck was drafted by the Colts with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft until now, it’s the stat that haunts Tennessee. Luck 9, Titans 0.How will Joey Bosa’s return impact the Chargers? (Orange County Register) -It is dangerous to assume, of course Authentic Christian Kirksey Jersey , and there are no assurances that Joey Bosa will be on the field Sunday for the Chargers against Denver. But consider that the Chargers are 7-2 without Bosa, and that their only losses are to the NFL’s current two best teams, Kansas City and the Rams. Then imagine how they might soar once one of football’s most feared pass rushers returns.6 coaches whose job is on the line (ESPN) - Winning Super Bowls buys head coaches a lot of job security in the NFL. However, string together a few disappointing seasons and that security evaporates quickly. That’s the case for a couple of our coaches on the hot seat as we enter Week 11. For other coaches, mediocrity and below-average performance got them in trouble. Here’s a closer look at six head coaches with strong uncertainties surrounding their job security.Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (8/9/18) Cleveland Browns:“Callaway traveled for Giants game Youth Chris Hubbard Jersey , hearing rescheduled, dashcam reveals ammo and gunstrap in car” (Plain Dealer) - “Callaway was found to have a gun strap and several rounds of ammunition in the car, but no gun.”“Giants quarterback once told Browns QB Baker Mayfield to be his towel boy” (ABJ) - “Webb is the quarterback who tried to make Mayfield his towel boy when they were freshman teammates in college.”“Hue Jackson ‘still confident’ in Cleveland Browns’ structure despite Antonio Callaway incident” (WKYC) - “During his press conference, Dorsey spoke of the structure within the organization to help players with troubled pasts overcome their issues.”“Hard Knocks debut foreshadows potential dysfunction” (PFT) - “Making the Hue-Haley exchange far more remarkable was the fact that it happened on camera, and that Kitchens http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-terrance-mitchell-jersey , Haley, and Jackson all knew it was happening on camera.”NFL:“Sources: Jets open to trading Teddy Bridgewater for right price” (NYDN) - “The Jets don’t quite have an embarrassment of riches at the game’s most pivotal position, but they do have flexibility thanks to Bridgewater...”“Raiders want Pro Bowl LT Donald Penn to take pay cut” (ESPN) - “NAPA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders want Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn to take a pay cut, a year after he held out for and received a raise and contract extension from the team.”“The truth about the lowering the helmet rule may be hiding in plain sight” (PFT) - “There’s no requirement that the lowering of the head be prolonged or that the contact have a certain force or aggression.”“Earl Thomas visits Texas practice during holdout” (NFL.com) - “Thomas showed up at the University of Texas’ fifth practice of fall camp in Austin on Wednesday Genard Avery Jersey , per multiple reports, and was seen with fellow former Longhorn and NFL safety Michael Huff.” Custom Oakland Raiders Jerseys

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before the Cleveland Browns elevated quarterback Baker Mayfield to the starter’s role.Heading into the regular season the team made the right call in letting veteran Tyrod Taylor open the season as the starter. No one wanted to see a repeat of the 2017 season when head coach Hue Jackson mismanaged the situation and Taylor was the safe choice for a team coming off an historic two-year run of futility.It was clear that Taylor would be the starter unless he was injured or became ineffective Youth Nick Chubb Jersey , and both of those criteria intersected on Thursday night against the New York Jets. Taylor was just four-of-14 for 19 yards while taking three sacks before leaving the game late in the second quarter with a concussion. Everyone knows what came next: Mayfield entered the game and energized a crowd that may have been poised to leave at halftime, and led the Browns to a win.With the Browns not playing again until September 30 against the Oakland Raiders, the coaching staff has a few extra days to ponder the matter, but it seems inevitable that the time has come to name Mayfield the starter, which should come on Monday, as Jackson told clevelandbrowns.com:There is a scenario where Jackson could decide to keep Taylor as the starter. The extra days off will help Taylor deal with his concussion, and having a rookie make his first start on the road could be seen as being “risky.”But that is a nightmare scenario that not even Jackson would be willing to risk. If Jackson were to stay with Taylor, he would have an extremely difficult time selling that to the players in the locker room. The bigger fear is that the Browns will name Mayfield the starter but then waffle on the decision if he has a bad game. Taylor gives the team a security blanket on the bench, but once Mayfield takes over, Taylor should not see the field again unless Mayfield gets hurt. It might not be fair for Taylor to lose his job in part because of an injury, but he was never the longterm answer at quarterback for the Browns. The time has come for the Browns to become Baker Mayfield’s team. It should be one heck of a ride.Scouting the Browns’ Week 2 opponent: New Orleans Saints - Our Q&A with Canal Street Chronicles On Sunday White Seth DeValve Jersey , the Cleveland Browns are on the road for the first time as they take on the New Orleans Saints. To help preview a few topics from the Saints’ perspective, we reached out to Christopher Dunnells from Canal Street Chronicles and exchanged five questions with him. Enjoy!The Saints saw Bucs receivers getting behind them early and often in Week 1.Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty ImagesPokorny: “I’m sure the Saints allowing 48 points to the Bucs last week was just as surprising to you as it was the rest of the league. Was the Saints’ secondary the biggest culprit?”Dunnells: “I think you would start the finger-pointing by looking at the defensive line. No matter how good the secondary is (although they admittedly struggled mightily as a unit in Week 1), opposing wide receivers are eventually going to get open when the quarterback has all day to throw. When there is absolutely no pass rush to speak of for the Saints, it’s hard to expect the secondary to maintain coverage that long. As the defensive line play improves, so should the rest of the Saints defense. Hopefully, for the Saints and their fans, Alex Okafor returns to form, Cam Jordan shows why he’s a Pro Bowl caliber DE, and Marcus Davenport continues to show improvement rushing the passer.”The Saints are being patient with first-round pick Marcus Davenport.Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty ImagesPokorny: “The Saints drafted DE Marcus Davenport with the 14th overall pick of this year’s draft, and New Orleans paid a premium to move up to get him. I see he only played 35% of the snaps in Week 1. How has he been this preseason and in his debut?”Dunnells: “Marcus Davenport was never drafted to be a Week 1 starter, in spite of the high price the Saints paid to move up in the 1st Round of the 2018 NFL Draft to select him. Instead White JC Tretter Jersey , Davenport is a raw project with all of the potential in the world. He was held out of the start of the preseason due to injury, but was able to show bursts of what made the Saints value him so highly in Week 1. He had a great sack of Ryan Fitzpatrick that was erroneously ruled a roughing the passer penalty and showed amazing speed (did you know he runs a 40 faster than many of the Saints offensive players, including Mark Ingram?) to pursue sweeping runs from the back side. As long as Saints fans can be patient with his growth and development, Davenport should be just fine.”Well, hello there, Carl Nassib.Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty ImagesPokorny: “According to PFF, ‘The Saints’ offensive line was one of the best in the NFL when it came to protecting Brees in 2017, but the unit struggled against Tampa Bay’s strengthened defensive line on Sunday afternoon.’ I only see one sack allowed by the Saints, and plenty of offense. Would you agree that the line struggled? Either way, which position on the line is the weakest?”Dunnells: “I would disagree mightily that the Saints offensive line struggled in pass protection in Week 1. Just watching the game live, it seemed Drew Brees had plenty of time to make reads and get rid of the ball. Granted http://www.authenticsclevelandbrowns.com/cheap-joel-bitonio-jersey , he often was able to take advantage of the first read in his progression and got rid of the ball quickly, but he didn’t seem rushed, hurried, or hit often. The offensive line as a unit, when healthy, is pretty strong across the board. The problem is with the “when healthy” part, though. In Week 1, Andrus Peat sat due to injury in favor of Josh LeRibeus, who filled in admirably in Peat’s absence. Still, Peat’s spot at left guard was definitely the weakest spot in the line. In Week 2, Peat looks to be ready to make his season debut White Darren Fells Jersey , so the Saints should have an entire healthy group up front. When healthy, the weakest player might still be Peat, but that’s saying something when your former first round pick (who is a solid contributor in both pass protection and run blocking) is the ‘worst’ of the bunch.”Ted Ginn is still going strong.Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty ImagesPokorny: “Michael Thomas posted an incredible stat line to open the year -- 16 catches (on 17 targets) for 180 yards and 1 touchdown. Alvin Kamura can hurt teams in a lot of ways too. After those two weapons, is Ted Ginn the next best thing the team has to offer? If so, do fans find that ‘good enough?’”Dunnells: “Eh. Maybe Ginn. Maybe Benjamin Watson at TE, who is definitely one of Drew’s most trusted options when a big reception is needed to move the chains. But when everyone is healthy and going right, I would say the #3 option in the passing attack is going to wind up being WR Cameron Meredith (formerly of the Chicago Bears) or WR Tre’Quan Smith (rookie out of UCF). Then there’s also RB Mark Ingram, who the Saints should have back by Week 5. Between Watson, Ginn, Meredith, Ingram http://www.authenticsclevelandbrowns.com/cheap-trevon-coley-jersey , and Smith, on top of Thomas and Kamara, the Saints offense has plenty of weapons for Drew Brees - who doesn’t need many.”LB Alex Anzalone has played well for the Saints when given a chance.Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesPokorny: “Tell us about one player who Browns fans might not know much about, but who appears to be playing (or trying to play) a key role for the Saints this year.”Dunnells: “The aforementioned Tre’Quan Smith would be a good one, but let’s go with LB Alex Anzalone. He’s in his second season in the NFL, but only played in a few games in 2017 after getting placed on season-ending IR. He’s a little light in the pads at only 238 lbs and he has a tendency to make poor reads in coverage, but he’s incredibly fast for a linebacker and athletic enough to make plays on the ball when he’s cover opposing receivers. The Saints still aren’t 100% sure who makes up their starting linebacking corps, but Anzalone definitely fits into the puzzle somewhere. If he can take a step forward in 2018, the Saints should have another young and promising defender to build around.”Thanks again to Chris for taking the time to answer my questions. Custom Atlanta Falcons Jerseys

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Player Ratings The last time I played a copy of Madden it was 2010. I played with my roommate online on XBOX 360. We played with the Titans of course. TITAN UP http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/whitney-mercilus-jersey-authentic , BABY. I played defense. We switched the sticks. He played offense. From there he would just zigzag up and down the field with Chris Johnson, one of the greatest video game athletes of all time, and then I would play zone coverage and rush the passer with Kyle Vanden Bosch (I wonder whatever happened to him). I also moved the Texans to San Antonio and renamed them the Gunslingers in franchise mode, which is 100% a better team name than “Texans.” Aside from some consistent MVP Baseball 2005, I haven’t shot, or tackled, or killed much of anything for many years. You are probably not like me, loyal reader. You are probably how I used to be, where the Madden release is an event. You take off work for it. You practice plays. You turn Deshaun Watson into a seven time MVP and six time Super Bowl winning quarterback. You live in a world where J.J. Watt never gets hurt; he and Jadeveon Clowney actually play an entire season together. Could you imagine? So if you are unlike me, the latest Madden ratings should (1) pique your interest and (2) make you upset. The link to the full rankings is located here. J.J. Watt is a 98. I forgot how much I missed watching him play. I don’t even know if he’s any good anymore...that’s how long its been. The next highest rated players are DeAndre Hopkins (94 overall), Tyrann Mathieu (93 overall) http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/deandre-hopkins-jersey-authentic , Jadeveon Clowney (91 overall), and Andre Hal (87 overall). There are some hilarious rankings here as well. Johnathan Joseph is an 85 overall, even though he can’t cover anyone deep. Whitney Mercilus is only an 81 despite being one of the most consistent good pass rushers in football.Deshaun Watson is an 82, which as as the resident WATSON H8ER, I can get behind. Benardrick McKinney is a 78 despite being one of the best run-stopping inside linebackers in football.Ryan Griffin is a 75 despite being one of the worst tight ends in the NFL. Oh, well. This ain’t like the old days where you would rock your chair on the front porch.Back then, the ratings you got were the ratings you got unless you wanted to do some tinkering. With the internet and updates, these things are fluid; hopefully as the season progresses, they will make more sense. “Madden 2019” comes out August 7th or August 10th, depending on how much money you want to spend. In the meantime, you can scroll through the entire NFL’s player ratings here. Moments after Brandon McManus pushed his winning attempt wide right Youth Bruce Ellington Jersey , the Denver Broncos were calling him "our guy" and "the best kicker in the league" and "a good dude."No finger pointing. Not at the current moment, anyway.McManus sailed a 51-yard field goal try wide in the final seconds as the Broncos lost 19-17 to the Houston Texans on Sunday. Denver fell to 3-6 with barely flickering playoff hopes and a coach on the hot seat heading into a bye week."We just have to stick together," safety Justin Simmons said. "It's harder in terms of guys want to start pointing the fingers and there's always blame going around. But I think we have a great locker room of guys that always point the finger at themselves first."Broncos coach Vance Joseph and his team keep hurtling toward another disappointing season. They went 5-11 a season ago that included a string of eight straight losses."I don't have a problem with how we're coaching and how we're playing," Joseph said after losing for the sixth time in seven games. "We've just got to finish games better."The play-calling in the final minute could lead to some second-guessing. The Broncos had the ball at the Texans 37 with about 43 seconds remaining. Case Keenum completed a 5-yard pass to tight end Jeff Heuerman and instead of sprinting up to the line, the Broncos took their time, before running back Phillip Lindsay lost a yard on a run up the middle.So instead of getting it closer, they settled for a 51-yard try with 3 seconds remaining. It sailed right as McManus hung his head in frustration after his second miss of the game. He also had a 62-yard attempt sail wide right in the first half 鈥?giving the Texans time to move into field-goal range."There's no pointing fingers. B-Mac is a great kicker," said rookie receiver Courtland Sutton, who wore a No. 88 Demaryius Thomas jersey after the game in a tribute to a teammate that was traded to the Texans on Tuesday. "We all know that. ... He's still a great kicker.""He's a good dude and he's going to shake it off," Lindsay echoed.The Broncos received a breakout game from Heuerman, who set career bests in catches (10) and yards (83) while also scoring. But there were quite a few miscues: Sutton had a TD slip through his hands http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/deshaun-watson-jersey-authentic , Devontae Booker fumbled and the defensive backs had a costly miscommunication when DeAndre Hopkins hauled in a 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson in the second quarter."Snake bitten? No. Unlucky? No," Sutton said. "We just have to make sure we're putting ourselves in a situation where we're not trailing at the end of the game like that."The Broncos have lost six games by an average of 7.8 points."It's frustrating," Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. "You lose and you know you're capable of beating this team. We had them. I pride myself on being able to make game-changing plays and be able to change the game."On the touchdown play to Hopkins, the Broncos had double coverage only for him to sneak in between Simmons and Adam Jones."The error is so small for our team. We can't mess up like we did today and have a chance to win," Harris said. "We've got to damn near play perfect. We've got to figure out what we could do to eliminate those little mistakes that just kill us every game."A missed opportunity 鈥?4-5 obviously looks a lot more appealing than 3-6."Huge difference," said Harris, whose team plays play at the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 18. "Right there in the wild-card race and you have a chance to get back in it. Now, it's very hard. It's very hard to come back out of this."Still, his message for his teammates over the break is simple: Clear the mind."Get ready to finish the year strong," Harris said. "I've got my mind right to finish strong."

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good about the chances of his latest Kentucky Derby contender Cam Atkinson Jersey Kids , Justify, despite the horse’s lack of experience on the track.Baffert told “PodcastOne Sports Now” co-hosts Jim Litke and Tim Dahlberg that Justify – the early favorite for Saturday’s race – should be fine despite having only run three races in his life. Baffert said Justify has shown an ability to adjust quickly to race conditions, and he expects that to continue in the Derby.Baffert is seeking his fifth Derby win with Justify, which won the Santa Anita Derby last month. The horse will be trying to become the first to win the Kentucky Derby after not racing as a 2-year-old since Apollo turned the trick in 1882.One thing Baffert doesn’t want to see during Derby week, though www.kingsproshop.com , is an animal of another kind. Baffert says he has a thing about black cats, and hopes one doesn’t cross his path in Louisville.AP basketball writer Brian Mahoney joins the hosts to talk about NBA playoffs, and Dahlberg discusses the Vegas Golden Knights and the scene in Las Vegas for the NHL playoffs.And, of course, there’s some talk about food in the newly renamed Podcast One Sports Now show Womens Josh Anderson Jersey , backed by the worldwide reach of The Associated Press sports department. BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres have placed suspended forward Patrik Berglund on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.The team declined further comment in announcing the move Wednesday. Berglund was suspended by Sabres on Saturday for failing to report to the team for its road game at Washington.He missed the team’s last five games, including two last week when coach Phil Housley said Berglund was sidelined by an illness.Berglund’s agent, Peter Wallen, has not responded to several messages seeking comment.The 30-year-old Swede has two goals and two assists in 23 games. Buffalo acquired Berglund in July as part of a four-player trade that sent center Ryan O’Reilly to the Blues.Berglund Adam Henrique Jersey , who played the first 10 seasons of his career with St. Louis, has three years remaining on his contract at an annual salary-cap hit of $3.85 million.He has 170 goals and 156 assists for 326 points in 717 regular-season games with the Blues and Sabres.

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VANCOUVER www.minnesotawildteamshops.com , British Columbia (AP) Travis Green did a double take when he saw Alex Biega doing postgame TV interviews.Biega got his first goal in over three years, Brandon Sutter had two goals and an assist and the Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday night.”You don’t see that a lot with the Bulldog being interviewed after his game-winner, so I had to get a picture of it,” Green said about Biega with a smile.Biega, who last scored on Feb. 16, 2015, blasted a slap shot from the corner of the blue-line that cleared traffic and found the net, giving Vancouver a 2-1 lead three minutes into the third.”The other (goal) was around the same spot, so I think I’m going to have to shoot pucks after practice around that spot Authentic Jaccob Slavin Jersey ,” Biega said.Sam Gagner also scored for Vancouver, which has won three of four since losing seven straight. Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 shots.Andrew Cogliano scored for the Ducks, who wrapped a four-game trip and are on a 5-1-1 stretch.The loss dropped Anaheim into a tie with the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division, though the Kings have a game in hand. The teams play Friday night.”We’ve got probably two of the biggest games of the year coming up, L.A. on Friday night and Colorado on Sunday,” coach Randy Carlyle said. ”That pretty much sums it up, it’s desperation time for everybody and we’re going to have to play to a higher level than we did tonight.”Anaheim’s John Gibson made 26 saves. He has been dominant against Vancouver, coming into the game 6-1-1 with a 1.37 goals-against average and three shutouts against the Canucks.Vancouver got to him at 9:53 in the opening period. Daniel Sedin’s shot from the faceoff circle bounced off Gibson and right to Gagner, who batted in the rebound.Markstrom made two big saves in the second period. The first off a 3-on-2 with Ryan Getzlaf setting up Andrew Cogliano and the second on Corey Perry shooting from inside the slot.Markstrom later made a gaffe that lead to the Ducks’ tying goal. The puck took an odd bounce off the stanchion during a dump-in Jordan Staal Jersey , and Markstrom was caught stranded as Cogliano whipped the errant puck in.”If we win 4-1 and that is the goal that beat me I’ll take that any day,” Markstrom said. ”It’s frustrating when it happens, but if we win 4-1, I’ll take that goal any day.”Sutter made it a two-goal lead when he burst out to a breakaway, hit the side of the net, then collected the puck and flipped it in over an out-of-position Gibson.Sutter added his second of the night into an empty net with 16 seconds left.NOTES: U.S. Olympian Troy Terry made his NHL debut for the Ducks. He played on a line with Ondrej Kase and Adam Henrique. … Newly signed Canucks C Adam Gaudette did not dress and is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday against Edmonton.UP NEXTDucks: Host Los Angeles on Friday night.Canucks: Host Edmonton on Thursday night.— GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Calgary coach Bill Peters needed eight stitches in his left jaw after being hit with a puck during the Flames‘ 6-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday.Peters left for about 10 minutes of game time in the second period before returning.He was hit with 16:23 left in the period and was helped to the locker room, holding a towel over his jaw. He returned without a bandage with 5:07 to play.“I think it’s going to hurt more tomorrow, right?” Peters said after the game Womens Justin Faulk Jersey , the nasty cut and stitches clearly visible. “One of those things. There’s not a lot of room up there, you’ve got to be paying attention. … They did a good job, got me stitched up and back to work. … Hopefully, it’s the last time, but I doubt it.”

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For Colin Campbell http://www.officialsharks.com/authentic-adidas-tomas-hertl-jersey ,top assistant to head coach of the New York Rangers wasn’t a big move.”I just had to move 10 feet to another office,” Campbell said.Logistically it was simple, but in every other way it was an almost-impossible task. Campbell took over the Rangers after they ended a 54-year drought and paraded the Stanley Cup down Broadway because Keenan left in a contract dispute.It’s a similar situation to the one Todd Reirden is walking into after the Washington Capitals promoted him from associate to head coach to replace Barry Trotz mere weeks after winning the Cup. Reirden is just the fourth new coach in the past 30 years to assume control of a Stanley Cup champion, a unique opportunity that presents problems Campbell, Scotty Bowman and Dave Lewis know well from their experiences.Lewis succeeded Bowman after being his associate coach with the champion 2002 Detroit Red Wings, and Bowman stepped in for ”Badger” Bob Johnson after he led the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Cup in 1991 and had to take a leave of absence to fight cancer. All three had to balance the opportunity of taking over with the expectation of following a Cup-winning coach and the ensuing pressure.”Besides replacing a legend, to be equal, you have to win the Stanley Cup, so it was a big challenge,” Lewis said. ”I was looking forward to the challenge Womens Alexander Steen Jersey , actually, of taking over a team, taking over a team that won a Stanley Cup and try to accomplish the same thing. I knew it would be very difficult.”Or as Campbell pointed out: ”You can only tie. You can’t do better. Tying’s pretty good. You have to win a Cup just tie your performance from a year before.”No pressure, Todd.Only Bowman – who already had five Cup rings from the Montreal Canadiens’ 1970s dynasty – pulled it off and repeated. And even that was a different set of circumstances because as director of player development, Bowman only agreed to coach the Penguins until Johnson was able to resume coaching or succumbed to cancer.”We wanted to have him keep fighting for his life,” Bowman said. ”When he passed away, we had not had a great start that second year. We had the Stanley Cup hangover, and the people that ran the team – the owners and that – they didn’t feel it was a good idea to put a guy in in November, early December. I only agreed to do it until one of those two things happened. But then when he passed away, they didn’t think it was easy for a young guy to come in that didn’t know the team. So I said Brayden Schenn Jersey , `OK I’ll finish the season.’Reirden is far more like Campbell and Lewis in that he was Trotz’s top assistant and the de-facto candidate to step in when change happened. Campbell and Lewis had plenty of experience and were familiar with players like Reirden, but neither had been an NHL head coach before and had to learn on the fly.”Being an assistant coach, you communicate differently, you just organize things differently,” Lewis said. ”You can’t do is you can’t change your personality. The players know you as an assistant coach. They know you as a human being and how you react to things at an assistant level. So I guess the biggest adjustment is how to react to things as a head coach. … When you’re a head coach, everything falls on your shoulders.”For some, that’s a natural fit. Bowman stepped right into the NHL with the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1967-68 and led them to the Cup Final three consecutive years.Nine rings later, it’s clear the legendary Bowman just had a knack for this thing that helped him win with three different teams.”When you’re an assistant coach, the thing is you’ve got to put your foot down right from the start,” Bowman said. ”You’re no longer an assistant coach.”That’s just the beginning of the advice for Reirden Authentic Carl Gunnarsson Jersey , who at 47 has coached in the American Hockey League and spent eight years behind the bench as an assistant with Pittsburgh and Washington. When Trotz resigned and joined the New York Islanders, Reirden was the only candidate to be the Capitals’ coach – and now it’s his time to figure it out.”It’s a challenge,” Lewis said. ”There’s no easy head-coaching jobs in the National hockey League. He knows the team. He’s been with them when they’ve been successful. He’s been with them when they’ve stumbled and had some failures. Just be yourself is my only advice that I can give.”Campbell waited out a half-season lockout in 1994-95 and so badly wanted to win his head-coaching debut on banner-raising night – when he only found out after warmups captain Mark Messier would be in the lineup. Knowing a thing about pressure under the New York spotlight, Campbell hopes Reirden doesn’t pile up too much of it on himself.”There would be pressure on Barry if he came back,” Campbell said. ”Don’t try to be like Barry. They were a goalpost from being down 3-0. They’re a good team, a deep team, but it’s tough to win the Cup. He knows that team, he knows those players. He doesn’t have to change anything. But he’s got to be Todd, not Barry or anybody else. He’s been around long enough. Just don’t put undue pressure on yourself, that’s all Colton Parayko Jersey , because it’s tough.”— BOSTON (AP) — The Bruins slowed down Johnny Gaudreau just enough Thursday night, and that got them past the high-scoring Calgary Flames.Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand each had two goals, and Boston built off its Winter Classic victory by beating the Western Conference-leading Flames 6-4.Boston has won three in a row and six of eight. Jaroslav Halak stopped 33 shots, and John Moore and David Pastrnak also scored.“We have been offensively challenged for quite some time,” Krug said. “We’ve had to win a lot of tight, low-scoring games, so it was nice to win one like this.”Even in a high-scoring game, Boston needed a few key stops on Gaudreau. The former Boston College standout scored from a tight angle with 9:27 left to cut Boston’s lead to 4-3 and also had an assist, but he failed to convert on two breakaways. The diminutive All-Star was coming off consecutive four-point games.“Gaudreau is a special player with his height and how he came into the league,” DeBrusk said. “He’s so nifty.”Mike Smith had 21 saves for Calgary http://www.officialblues.com/authentic-adidas-dmitrij-jaskin-jersey , which has dropped five of eight. Michael Frolik, Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund also scored.Pastrnak, David Krejci, Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron each had two points for Boston. Krejci was all smiles after he and his wife had a baby boy Thursday morning.“It was a special day,” Krejci said. “They (Calgary) are really good and to get the two points was a cherry on top.”After Gaudreau’s goal, DeBrusk quickly stretched the lead off a pass from Krejci with 6:14 to play. Backlund scored less than three minutes later to make it 5-4, but Marchand iced it with an empty-netter with 1:50 left.“Caught him (Smith) off guard,” DeBrusk said. “It was lucky, but I’ll take it.”Frolik got Calgary going with a short-handed goal 7:46 into the game. He charged out of the box after he and Lindholm were called for penalties five seconds apart and beat Halak.NOTES: Boston F David Backes served the final game of his three-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head. … Joakim Nordstrom sustained a non-displaced fibula fracture in the Winter Classic and will be re-evaluated in three weeks for the Bruins. … The Flames split the season series but have dropped seven of nine in Boston. … Boston has scored nine power-play goals in the last six games and has only allowed two in in the last ten.UP NEXTFlames: Visit Philadelphia on SaturdayBruins: Host Buffalo on Saturday

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Ken Hitchcock could see the improved play in his Stars http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/pat-tillman-jersey , but positive results had been elusive.The Stars had lost consecutive games, been shut out in two of their last four and late Thursday night against the Kings were stuck in a scoreless game.But then Tyler Seguin finally broke through with a goal with 8:27 remaining and Dallas beat Los Angeles 2-0 in a matchup of teams fighting for a Western Conference playoff spot.Hitchcock’s belief had been rewarded.”It’s tough to get the players to believe if you don’t win,” Hitchcock said. ”After a while, they start wondering. That’s why tonight’s win is really important.”Seguin tipped in Greg Pateryn’s slap shot for his 30th goal, reaching the mark for the fourth time in five years.Backup goalie Kari Lehtonen made 18 saves for his first shutout of the season in his 21st game. Alexander Radulov added an empty-net goal with a minute to play.The Kings had their three-game winning streak snapped. Despite facing a Dallas team that lost 2-0 the previous night in Anaheim, the Kings were outshot 28-18.”We’ve got to score some goals,” Jake Muzzin said. ”We created some chances. I think we got a little cute in the second. Our puck management wasn’t that great.”Los Angeles dominated the first period, holding the Stars to two shots on goal.But the second period brought a quick reversal, with Dallas putting constant pressure on goalie Jonathan Quick as Los Angeles’ offense all but disappeared.Still, the game was scoreless as Seguin prepared to take a faceoff in the Kings end a little more than midway through the third.”Right before the faceoff, Seguin came back to me and said, `Look for my stick if I get it to you,”’ Pateryn said. ”He got it back to me and I basically looked him right in the eyes and shot it right for his stick.”Pateryn’s drive whistled by Authentic Josh Rosen Jersey , nicking Seguin and going high into the net.The Kings were unable to get rolling, and Lehtonen thwarted their late attempts to tie it.”In the second period, we took the game over,” Lehtonen said. ”We were the team that seemed to have more legs and more will at the end there.”Quick made several outstanding stops and finished with 26 saves. But with Dallas controlling the puck after the first period, Los Angeles could never find any offensive rhythm.”Not only did we spend a little too much time in our zone, we couldn’t generate enough offensively,” coach John Stevens said.The day began with five teams all within three points of each other in the Western Conference playoff race, including the Stars and Kings.”We played so well the last two nights, we needed to get rewarded,” Hitchcock said. ”As well as we played tonight, we probably played better (Wednesday) night.”At this time of the year, with so many teams involved in the West in the playoff race, every shift matters http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/josh-rosen-jersey , every period matters, every game matters.”NOTES: Tobias Rieder, making his first appearance with the Kings after arriving from Arizona in a trade Wednesday, played on Los Angeles’ third line. . After three power plays in the first period, there were none in the final two periods. . Lehtonen said it felt like a playoff game: ”It’s going to be like this the next 20 games. It’s exciting for the players and the fans.”UP NEXTStars: Return home to play Winnipeg on Saturday.Kings: Remain home Saturday to face Edmonton.— ”Johnny Hockey” is getting an additional title: part owner.Calgary Flames star forward Johnny Gaudreau is a member of an NHL-laden ownership group that purchased an equity stake in the U.S. Hockey League’s Dubuque Fighting Saints on Thursday. The group includes Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons, former Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, and Florida Panthers executive chairman Peter Luukko.Gaudreau and Girgensons were teammates on the Dubuque team that won the USHL championship in 2011. Luukko’s son Nick was also on the team. Their ownership group is titled Saints4Life Acquisitions.”The first day I stepped into Dubuque, I knew it was a special place,” Gaudreau said in a statement issued by the league. ”I have a lot of special memories in Dubuque, including winning it all in 2011. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”Gaudreau was the USHL’s rookie of the year in 2011, when he was also drafted by Calgary. He eventually went on to win college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award at Boston College.Girgensons described being part of the ownership group as a way to pay back the team for playing a key role in his development. A year after moving to North America from his native Latvia, Girgensons spent two seasons with the Fighting Saints and was preparing to play college hockey at Vermont before being selected by Buffalo in the first round of the 2012 draft.”It’s a team that really got me to where I am today,” Girgensons told The Associated Press by phone.Never envisioning the opportunity to be an owner Josh Rosen Jersey Limited , Girgensons joked he might need to contact Sabres owner Terry Pegula for a few pointers.Edmonton Oilers president and general manager Peter Chiarelli will remain a part owner of the team. Philip Falcone, who previously was a part owner of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, is departing as the Fighting Saints’ principal owner.The Fighting Saints have won two championships since returning to the USHL in 2010 following a nine-year absence.Luukko immediately jumped aboard when he saw how his son’s experience in Dubuque helped prepare him for college.”I know from my son’s perspective and others that I’ve talked to, they come in as pretty mature people heading into their university experience,” he said.”Being involved in the National Hockey League for over 25 years, this is a chance to be able to be part of the development of young players and what is actually a good business also,” Luukko said. ”Listen, I don’t belong to a country club, so really this will be my fun.”—

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RALEIGH Karl Alzner Jersey Womens , N.C. (AP) — is now in playoff position.Petr Mrazek stopped 33 shots in his third shutout of the season and the Carolina Hurricanes moved into a wild-card playoff spot with a 3-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.Justin Williams and Brock McGinn scored less than four minutes apart in the first period and Mrazek did the rest, turning aside shot after shot. Micheal Ferland added a power-play goal in the third period.The Hurricanes improved to 16-5-1 in their last 22 games, the most wins and points in the NHL in that span. With Pittsburgh’s loss to Calgary earlier Saturday, Carolina moved into the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.“I think everybody’s got their eye on that,” McGinn said. “We want to be in the playoffs. Every period and every game is so crucial for us right now and I think we’re doing a good job of showing that.”The Hurricanes are in a playoff spot for the first time this season. They own the NHL’s longest playoff drought at nine seasons.“We don’t talk about it, but everyone knows where we’re at,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said.Anton Khudobin made 24 saves for the Dallas. The Stars were shut out for the second straight game, after losing 6-0 to Tampa Bay on Thursday.Carolina started fast and never looked back. After generating a breakaway and a slew of odd-man rushes in the opening minutes, Sebastian Aho fed Williams on a two-on-one to open the scoring 3:48 in.Just 3:22 later, McGinn made it 2-0 when he got behind two defenders and scored on a backhand shot off a pass from Justin Faulk from the blue line.“It’s difficult for us to come from behind. It’s been proven all year,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “Anytime we fall behind it’s not a good situation for us. It was an opportunity for our big line to step up and unfortunately they got scored against twice in the first period.”Dallas progressively took control of the possession and began peppering the Hurricanes net, but Mrazek made highlight-reel save after highlight-reel save, turning away the Stars’ scoring chances. After one particularly impressive sequence in which he spread out on the ice to rob Andrew Cogliano of an open net off a rebound, Mrazek banged his chest and pumped his fist as play went on.“I was very fired up at the end of the first period after that save,” Mrazek said. “You try and feel it every night but sometimes you have bad bounces early. I felt like this was my game from the start.”After another stellar save in the second period on Jason Dickinson’s tip-in in front of the net, the crowd began chanting Mrazek’s name.Dallas outshot Carolina 33-27 Joel Armia Jersey Womens , but Mrazek rendered the differential moot.“He was amazing,” McGinn said. “He kept us in there that whole game. He made some unbelievable saves. We really feed off that and it gives our team a lot of energy.”NOTES: Williams, Aho and Nino Neiderreiter extended their point streaks to four games for Carolina. … Ferland played his 300th career game. … Stars F Blake Comeau (upper body injury) was scratched for the second straight game. He is day-to-day. … Dallas had been shut out just three times all season, before the back-to-back shutouts.UP NEXTStars: Host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.Hurricanes: Host the New York Rangers on Tuesday. LAS VEGAS (AP) Just saying the Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final has a magical ring to it.But what’s even more mystical is thinking the Knights are a mere five wins from hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup in its inaugural season.Five more wins, over a potential 10 games.And while this might be a first-year team writing a fantastical Hollywood screenplay nobody could’ve scripted last summer when the roster was constructed, the NHL playoffs are nothing new to a core of characters in this cast.Everybody knows about three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury, a key figure during Pittsburgh’s reign the last two years, and 10-year veteran James Neal, who was with Nashville for last year’s run to the final against the Penguins.But between guys such as David Perron, Luca Sbisa, Deryk Engelland, Ryan Reaves, Reilly Smith, Cody Eakin and Tomas Tatar, the Golden Knights aren’t as new to the playoffs as people may believe.The players’ individual postseason pedigree could be part of the reason the team is one game from clinching the Western Conference. Another reason is the eagerness of Fleury and Neal’s co-stars in this feel-good story.”We don’t see ourselves as an expansion team for a long time now,” said Perron Torey Krug Jersey , a 13-year veteran who is playing in his seventh postseason. ”But at the same time, it’s always nice to keep proving people wrong and we know that even at this point, I don’t feel like people believe we’ll close it out. So, we’ve got to find a way.”Coach Gerard Gallant has shown he has confidence in all his players, as they’ve all experienced pressure situations and performed well in all three round of the playoffs, including seven one-goal games. Not including Fleury’s 129 career playoff games, or Neal’s 94, the players who skated in Friday night’s 3-2 Game 4 victory now have a combined 489 games of postseason experience to their credit.”It’s not new for those guys, I don’t think you get here if you don’t use your hockey players,” Gallant said. ”We’ve done it from Day One and there’s no reason not to use them because everybody competes, everybody battles and everybody’s a part of our team. That’s what we do. Guys work hard and compete hard and do your job and you’ll play. I feel comfortable putting most of our guys on the ice. There’s no issues there.”And that’s because the Golden Knights have always done a good job of living in the moment, and not looking past each game.Erik Haula spent his first four seasons in Minnesota and went to the playoffs every year, but it didn’t take long for him to realize he was with a special group of players.”We got off to a great start, won two on the road (to open the season),” said Haula, who has three goals and four assists in the postseason. ”Right after that first home game Womens Tuukka Rask Jersey , that was special. It was a special night for the whole community. Right there, I think we came together as a community, as a team. We never looked back. We just kept going.”We just have a close group. We respect every single person in here. We need every single person in here.”Luca Sbisa has been in the league nine years and been to the postseason five times. His presence on defense has bolstered the crew on the blueline, helping to neutralize Winnipeg’s depth on offense.”Coming in I just wanted to help this team and do what I could, especially on the ice,” said Sbisa, who went to the playoffs in four of the five seasons he was with Anaheim. ”I wanted to give our team a chance to win every night and here we are. We can’t look too far ahead, you gotta take it one game at a time. If you think about the next game you’re probably going to shoot yourself in the foot. We just have to find the balance of being aggressive and being smart. It’s been a long and fun ride so far.”The fun continues Sunday, when the Jets host Game 5 and will look to stay alive against the fairy tale Knights from Vegas.”I would say that winning and having fun go hand-in-hand,” said Eakin, now in his seventh year and playing in his third postseason. ”I’ve been on a few teams that have been pretty good, won a few times. We know we got to play our best hockey. Especially this time of year, there’s not a team that is going to roll over and die.”

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late to give their dads a memorable night just off the Las Vegas strip.Melker Karlsson and Joonas Donskoi scored third-period goals 39 seconds apart William Karlsson Jersey , Martin Jones made 36 saves on his birthday, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Thursday night.San Jose, which earned its 1,000th victory, won its fifth straight and ended the Golden Knights’ seven-game winning streak. The Sharks (59 points) leapfrogged Vegas in the Pacific Division standings and are one point behind Calgary for the top spot.It happened with the players’ dads traveling with the club. The fathers crashed the locker room after the game to serenade Jones with birthday wishes.“Honestly we’re just trying to focus on the game, it’s not something you’re really thinking about out there,” Jones said, downplaying his birthday, the dads trip and the team’s milestone win. “That’s the team that always seems to jump out, use the crowd to their advantage, they always come out to good starts. We just stuck with it, we didn’t panic. We just kept getting pucks out Alex Ovechkin Jersey Kids , getting pucks in. It was a good gutsy road win.”Brent Burns‘ shot from the point rebounded perfectly to Karlsson, who found a wide open net to tie it 2-2. Donskoi then had the puck bounce off him amid heavy traffic in front of Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for a 3-2 lead with 11:57 left.“That was the game; they’re both dirty goals where you’re going to the net and there are bodies there and there’s lots of traffic,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “They’re not pretty goals and we knew that we were gonna have to score that way on him, (Fleury’s) always played well against us. We did what we had to do to get two big points.”Tomas Hertl also scored for the Sharks, who avenged a 6-0 defeat in their last trip to Las Vegas in November and got over a hurdle in beating a team that has given them fits since its inaugural season.Vegas won the regular-season series 3-1 last season, then eliminated the Sharks in six games in the Western Conference semifinals.“It’s a special one to be a part of,” Burns said. “It’s nice to do it in a building that’s been giving us some tough games and do it with the dads here, it’s just fun.”Tomas Nosek and Jon Merril scored for Vegas, while Fleury made 24 saves.Vegas had the NHL’s longest active home point streak of 12 games (10-0-2) snapped.“Everyone’s been in this position before,” Vegas forward Max Pacioretty said. “The important thing is to move on to the next one now.”Since opening the season 9-12-1, the Golden Knights are 18-4-3 and hadn’t lost a game in regulation at home since a 4-1 loss to St. Louis on Nov. 16.Alex Tuch had an assist for Vegas and extended his point streak to eight games (two goals, seven assists). Tuch is the team leader with 35 points.NOTES: The Sharks trailed after one period for just the ninth time this season. … Valentin Zykov made his Golden Knights debut after being claimed off waivers from Edmonton on Dec. 29. … Burns played in his 435th consecutive game Braden Holtby Jersey , a streak that began Nov. 21, 2013. … San Jose’s Erik Karlsson saw his 14-game streak with at least one assist come to an end. … San Jose had its five-game streak with at least one power-play goal snapped. … The Golden Knights dropped to 11-3-2 when leading after one period.UP NEXTSharks: Hosts Ottawa on Saturday.Golden Knights: Visits Chicago on Saturday. CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to contracts with free agents Chris Kunitz, Cam Ward and Brandon Manning on Sunday, addressing their depth in every position group after missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.Kunitz got a one-year deal worth $1 million, and Ward’s one-year contract is for $3 million. Manning received a two-year deal.The 38-year-old Kunitz gives Chicago another experienced forward, Ward adds to the Blackhawks’ depth in goal after Corey Crawford missed most of last season, and Manning joins a mix of aging veterans and intriguing prospects on defense.”The main thing for us is that we’ve been able in the past couple of years to accumulate a lot of really good young players who are on the cusp of breakout status,” general manager Stan Bowman said in a conference call with reporters. ”In the process of turning it over to the young guys, you still have to mentor those young guys.”Kunitz had 13 goals and 16 assists in 82 games with Tampa Bay last season. He also had an assist in 17 playoff games with the Lightning. The four-time Stanley Cup champion – with Anaheim in 2007 and Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017 – also won gold with Canada at the 2014 Olympics.”The goal from an organizational standpoint is to win a Stanley Cup,” Kunitz said. ”That’s what they’re looking to do every single year.”He joins a Chicago team looking for a comeback after finishing last in the Central Division. Crawford got hurt in December and the Blackhawks tumbled to 33 wins and 76 points, their lowest totals since they went 31-42-9 during the 2006-07 season.Upgrading its situation in net was one of Chicago’s top offseason priorities. Bowman said last month he expects Crawford ”to be back and ready to go in training camp Youth Christian Djoos Jersey ,” and the goaltender is among the listed players who will attend Blackhawks Convention July 27-29, an annual event where current and former players meet fans and speak with reporters.Anton Forsberg was acquired in the Artemi Panarin trade with Columbus last June, but he struggled in his first year as Crawford’s backup and his status is up in the air with the addition of Ward.”We felt that was an area we wanted to get better at,” Bowman said. ”Anton had a great season for us the first few months when he was getting his feet under him as a NHL goalie, with Corey sort of carrying the load. … I think Anton can work his way to (being No. 1 guy) over time, but Cam has the long-time pedigree of being able to handle that.”The 34-year-old Ward was selected by Carolina in the first round of the 2002 draft and spent his first 13 seasons with the Hurricanes. He went 23-14-4 last year with two shutouts, a 2.73 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.Ward also has 41 career playoff appearances. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2006 as playoff MVP when Carolina beat Edmonton for its only Stanley Cup title.Ward noted the Hurricanes did not contact him during the week leading to the start of free agency.”I understand they’re going in a different direction and that’s their idea,” he said. ”I always imagined myself retiring as a Hurricane and playing my whole career there. That being said, this has opened the door for a new opportunity and a new challenge for me. I’m excited to see what comes out of it.”The 28-year-old Manning set career highs with seven goals and 12 assists in 65 games last season with Philadelphia. He also played in six postseason games.Chicago also announced it had agreed to a three-year contract with defenseman Adam Boqvist. The Blackhawks selected the 17-year-old Boqvist with the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft.—