BOOM! Fire the cannons!The Bucs beat their arch rival in the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday and man Devin White Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jersey , was it sweet. Not only did they win, but they led for the entire game after building a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Tampa Bay made enough plays for the remainder of the game to finish with a 24-17 victory. Not only did it snap a three-game losing streak, but it was one of Jameis Winston’s best performances against a team that usually gets the best of him. That will surely help in this week’s grades, won’t it?OffenseLet’s go ahead and talk about Winston. Coming into this last week, Winston was 2-4 against Carolina. His stats during those six games reflect the poor record. He completed an average of 62% of his passes for 268 yards, but held a TD:INT mark of 5/9. The Bucs gave up an average of three sacks per game and were outscored by an average of 24-17. How ironic is that they won 24-17?But anyway, Winston had another turnover-free game and made great decisions with the ball for the second week in a row. He was great from the pocket once again, taking sacks when needed and running any chance he had. It’s evident that he is using his legs more this year and it’s been more than effective. To put it into full context, he only carried the ball 33 times last season. This year, he already has 36 carries through just five and a half games. This does nothing but help as the season goes on. It will force defenses to hesitate on sending extra blitzers and it will keep Winston from making those deadly mistakes he has been known for over his career. Outside of the offensive line, who gave up four sacks on the day, the rest of the offense played pretty well. Adam Humphries recorded his fifth touchdown in as many games and the team finished just five yards shy of another 100-yard performance. They went 6/13 on third down and were 66% in goal-to-go situations. There were still issues with penalties (9/69) and the Bucs finished with only 18 first downs. After scoring on four of their first seven possessions, they punted the ball away four times in the fourth quarter. And there was also the Peyton Barber “fumble”, but everyone with a set of eyes knows that was a BS call. Overall Grade: 2.75 (C+)DefenseHot damn. Now that was Tampa Bay football. Four turnovers. Four sacks. A huge fourth down stop in the fourth quarter. Is this 2002?In all seriousness, while the defense did give up a ton of yards (444), they also made a ton of impact plays that changed the outcome of this game. Christian McCaffrey ran wild, but that was to be expected. That’s not an excuse, that’s just reality. But considering how many players this team had out due to injury, it’s quite remarkable how effective the unit was against Cam Newton and co. The Bucs were down Vernon Hargreaves, Brent Grimes, Carlton Davis, M.J. Stewart Terry Beckner Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jersey , and Chris Conte in the secondary coming into the game before Justin Evans reaggravated his toe injury and had to leave the game. Andrew Adams and Javien Elliott - a free agent and a practice squad player earlier in the season - picked Newton off a combined four times between the two. Mike Minter came in with a big sack on the first drive of the game. He was signed just three weeks ago. Tampa Bay held Carolina to just 3/8 on third down and as aforementioned, stopped them on a crucial 4th-and-9 late in the fourth quarter. The team still had trouble with big plays, allowing five plays of 20+ yards. They also disappeared in the third quarter, giving up 10 points and 148 yards on 19 plays. Considering what they were up against, it was a remarkable effort and one that should be treated as such. Final Grade: 3.5 (B+)Special TeamsI used to dread giving out this grade. Now, it’s one of my favorite topics to write about. It only took the latter part of the decade, but Tampa Bay has finally found a kicker. Cairo Santos was perfect again, knocking down all of his extra points and the lone field goal attempt. He still had some trouble getting the ball into the end zone on kickoffs (3/5), but the Bucs’ unit covered the two returns well, allowing an average of 17.5 yards per return. Anger finished with a net of 40 yards on six punts. In all, it was another good day for the unit. Final Grade: 4.0 (A) CoachingThis was easily defensive coordinator Mark Duffner’s best game of the season. The fact that the Bucs were able to come up with so many plays using so few players was remarkable and he deserves every bit of credit he can get. The offense, while it could’ve done more, did enough. A lot of what they were or weren’t able to do had to with injuries as well. But overall, Todd Monken and Dirk Koetter had a very effective game plan, taking advantage of the Panthers in the short-to-intermediate game.It’s also encouraging to see the players still playing despite what this season has been so far. The staff deserves some praise for that. Final Grade: 3.5 (B+) Overall Grade: 3.43 (B+)Considering the circumstances, it would be very fair to call this the biggest win of the season. A bad record, a plethora of injuries, turmoil, and a quarterback carousel is a deadly combination in the NFL. Teams can - and usually - mail it in after going through all of that for this long in a season. But that wasn’t the case Sunday and now the Bucs still have life in the playoff race. Overall Grade For The Season: 2.15 (C) You want a Bucs defense? You get a Bucs defense."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 2016 NFL DraftInjuriesFree AgencyGame FilmCBS Gives Todd Bowles Everything He Wants In Latest 7-Round Mock DraftNew,15commentsYou want a Bucs defense? You get a Bucs defense.EDTShareTweetShareShareCBS Gives Todd Bowles Everything He Wants In Latest 7-Round Mock DraftKim Klement-USA TODAY SportsMock drafts have a way of inciting anger and elation as much as they have the ability to break-up lifelong friendships and even cost people full-time employment. These fictitious morsels of uninformed guess work sure do give those of us who love them quite the emotional response some times.For the record, I’m not entirely sure Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles reads mock drafts or not. I imagine if I were in his position I would, if for no other reason than to just get a beat on how outsiders view my stable of players.Many mock drafts since Jonah Williams stopped being a consensus Top-5 pick have had the Bucs going defense in the first round. I recently stumbled upon a seven-round mock draft constructed by CBS’ Chris Trapasso Mike Evans Jersey , and he agrees with the majority.In his recent complete mock draft, Trapasso has Jason Licht and the Buccaneers pulling the trigger on selecting LSU linebacker Devin White.The linebacker has been wowing teams, media and scouts alike since the draft circuit reached full steam, and he did so once again at his pro day.Bowles is installing a new defense. One many players on the Buccaneers are not familiar with in execution. Having an interior linebacker in the middle of it all to make sure all of his teammates are in the right place for the play call and reads is going to be critical to the success and failure of the unit.Deone Bucannon provides experience and knowledge with the scheme, but isn’t going to be able to fill the full-time role Bowles needs there. He can however, help incorporate and accelrate White’s learning curve, getting him ready to quarterback the defense in 2019.Trapasso wasn’t done giving Bowles new faces for his side of the ball though. In the second-round, the writer has Penn State’s Amani Oruwariye heading home to Tampa. Of course, if you’ve listened to any of our draft conversations on the Locked On Bucs Podcast, then you know I smiled at this selection. So hopefully, so does Bowles.Oruwariye has the size and skill to fit what we think the Bucs will want to do on defense this year. I’ve spoken about being in favor of having a veteran to start opposite of Carlton Davis III this coming season, but if there isn’t one - which there isn’t right now - then I’m all-in on Oruwariye and Davis manning the perimeter for Tampa Bay.By the end of day two, new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is likely to wonder if he did something to make Bruce Arians and Jason Licht angry as the team nabs yet another defensive player.This time, it’s Texas defensive lineman Charles Omenihu. In his mock, Trapasso compares Omenihu to current player Jason Pierre-Paul. Offensive line truthers will be angry here. But man, Omenihu on the defensive line would really start making this defensive group look dangerous.Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsThose concerned about the offense don’t have to worry though. While Bowles is likely in his office for most of day three plugging away finding ideas on how to use his significantly re-loaded defense, Leftwich gets three straight picks in rounds four, five and six for his side of the ball. And they’re all good picks too. (Man, Trapasso killed this.)The final pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is my favorite. Not because he’s an instant starter or all-pro in the making, but because he’s a sleeper I personally identified early in this process and have kept an eye on ever since.I won’t ruin the ending. Just head over and check out how the entire 2019 NFL Draft will pan out. Then get to praying it happens exactly how Trapasso says it might. Because the Buccaneers came away with perhaps the best draft class in the league if it does.

It has been known for some time that the Seattle Seahawks are going to let K.J. Wright test the market for his services when free agency opens in March Frank Clark Jersey , however, at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections VideosCoffee and CigarettesGame AnalysisThe Numbers GameCigar ThoughtsThe Offseason2019 NFL Draft2019 Seahawks Free AgentsJohn Schneider says Earl Thomas to test free agencyNew,88commentsPSTShareTweetShareShareJohn Schneider says Earl Thomas to test free agencyMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsIt has been known for some time that the Seattle Seahawks are going to let K.J. Wright test the market for his services when free agency opens in March, however, at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis John Schneider provided some insight into the status of another pending free agent, All World free safety Earl Thomas. Specifically, as many have expected since his season ended with a broken leg suffered against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4, Thomas is expected to hit free agency and see what he can find there. This is not a surprising outcome following the standoff between the two side last summer, including a holdout that started with voluntary workouts in the spring and lasted through training camp and up to the eve of the 2018 season. Other former Seahawks teammates have made it no secret regarding their hopes that Thomas could wind up as a teammate once again, such as cornerback Richard Sherman, who is now with the San Francisco 49ers. However, with two more weeks until free agency starts and more than a handful of teams with both the cap space and desire to add Earl to their roster, it’s going to certainly be interesting to see how things play out.Seahawks-Cardinals preview: 5 Qs, 5 As with Revenge of the Birds The Seattle Seahawks need a win against the Arizona Cardinals.Over the two team’s last six meetings, the Seahawks are 2-3-1. Since Pete Carroll took over in 2010, Seattle is 9-6-1. But in the entire history of the series, the Cardinals have a 19-18-1 advantage. In order to knot up the series, and hopefully by the end of the year take the overall lead, the Seahawks need to get a win.They couldn’t be catching Arizona at a better time.Though the Cards will be giving rookie quarterback Josh Rosen his first start, which may or may not improve their chances from Sam Bradford, the team has played as poorly as any in the NFL, getting off to an 0-3 start with just 20 points scored. Though Seattle is also off to a less-than-ideal start, it’s not nearly as bad. However, those fortunes can change in an instant, or at least, in five of the most torturous “quarters” you could have ever imagined. Win or lose, let’s hope this doesn’t come down to a field goal attempt.To find out more about what’s going on with the Cards, I sent five Qs to Seth Cox from Revenge of the Birds, and in kind he sent me five As. These are them.Q: The Cards had a pretty bad offense last season, ranking 30th in DVOA, 32nd in rushing DVOA, and 25th in points. However, I’m sure much of that was due to the injuries to David Johnson and Carson Palmer. The offseason solutions surrounded a new head coach (Steve Wilks), offensive coordinator (Mike McCoy), quarterback (Sam Bradford), and the return of Johnson, plus signing guard Justin Pugh, hoping for a return to health from some other offensive linemen, and adding Christian Kirk. The result has been an even bigger disaster with Arizona scoring just 20 points through three games, Bradford playing abysmally, and Johnson not getting many opportunities to re-establish his dominance as a running back and receiver. Wait, do I have a question here? Yes, yes, I do. If you had to pin the blame for that on one person, who would it be? And what do the Cardinals need to do this week against the Seahawks to score more than six points? What do they need to change immediately?A: I think it starts at the top. Mike McCoy has been fired twice in less than two years and think there are obvious reasons as to why. He lacks imagination as a play caller, which is fine if you are a team with a top tier offensive line (the Cardinals are not) and a running back that thrives getting the ball in between the tackles 20+ times a game (David Johnson is not). Yet, that is the running game aspect of the Cardinals offense through three weeks. Except, it is about 13 carries a game in between the tackles for David Johnson, except on third and two with the game on the line, then you run a counter with your rookie running back and your $39 million running back on the sideline. Oh yeah, in your rookie quarterbacks first regular season NFL appearance. McCoy sucks, what were we talking about?Sam Bradford looks shot, he didn’t have much juice left as is, but when you watched him throw, behind a bad pass blocking offensive line, he didn’t have much on the ball. He was afraid to take a chance pushing the ball down the field, although the interceptions he threw down the field show why Mychal Kendricks News , and looked uncomfortable on almost all passing plays.All of this is to say, there is not one place to lay the blame, but the initial move from Bradford to Rosen is really just the tip of the spear.Q: Josh Rosen makes his first NFL start on Sunday, what should we expect? What are his strengths and weaknesses, both before the draft and based on what was seen in the offseason and preseason? Is it expected to be a much more simplistic offense with the rookie out there?A: Rosen is more like Carson Wentz, not saying he is as good, as opposed to the statuesque Bradford. He moves well in the pocket, can break the pocket and make plays with his feet, but that is not his strength. Fun note, Rosen has the longest run of the season for the Cardinals at 12 yards.He also is like Wentz in that he has maybe too much confidence in his arm, so he’ll take some chances he should not. He likes to wait for the play to develop and get his reads in, which means he is accustomed to taking hits you don’t necessarily want your quarterback to take. We saw that at UCLA, we have seen that in the preseason and in his brief appearance as a pro.Now, the question becomes, can he make more positive plays than negative plays for the Cardinals? Rosen is a very confident quarterback, if you watch his reaction to his interception against the Bears, it is a shrug of the shoulders and a look of, welp that sucked, let’s get the next one. That’s a good mentality to have鈥?If you are not having to go to it too often. There is a fine line between Carson Palmer throwing four interceptions in Seattle then throwing a dagger to Michael Floyd to win the game and Jay Cutler’s, who cares what just happened. We’ll see where Rosen falls on that.Q: As usual, there will be questions surrounding, “can the Seahawks protect Russell Wilson?” and especially against a defense featuring Chandler Jones. I see that Jones, Robert Nkemdiche, and former Seattle player Benson Mayowa each have two sacks. But sacks can also be misleading. Do you feel that the pass rush has been a success so far this season? Is it a bright spot for Arizona? Are there other players in that front seven who are doing a lot of disrupting that we should be looking out for? Or are there holes on the defensive line that still need plugging? A: The pass rush stinks out loud for 80% of the game. The 20% it doesn’t it creates quite the havoc, with four pass rushers who can create pressures and finish those pressures off with sacks. It is the 80% of the time they don’t that there is a problem.I will say, the Skins and Rams have two of the better offensive lines in the NFL, so it should be noted that they did better last week against a lesser Bears line, but the 2014 Seahawks pass rush this is not. The biggest surprises are how non-existent Chandler Jones can be for 90% of the game playing in the 4-3 now and how much of a wrecking ball Nkemdiche can be for 75% of the game. I’d venture to say that Nkemdiche has been their best and most consistent disruptor through three games, while Jones is getting his numbers in sacks more, if that makes sense. Markus Golden being back, albeit on a pitch count, should help amp up the consistency of the pressure, but through three games, the numbers are a bit misleading. Q: Three games is too soon, most would say, to put a new head coach on the hot seat. But I’m sensing that Arizona fans are livid with the early results by Steve Wilks. (I guess I’ll also take this time to remind folks that Kyle Shanahan started 1-10 last season and by the end was being touted as a savior.) Especially given that we do often see rookie head coaches spark some life into a team in the beginning but the Cards seem multitudes worse than they were a year ago. My question: Is this at all close to where you thought they’d be before the season? Were your expectations around the 9-10 win area or did you figure this could be a rough season as you prepared for a 2019 with Rosen? How far is the gap between expectations and current reality? A: There are several levels at play here so I’ll start with this.I thought Arizona was a seven win team. When I predict wins, I do so on a sliding scale where the best case scenario is +2 and the worst case scenario is -2. So five wins would not have shocked me, nine wins would not have shocked me.Then the season started and the team looked鈥?incompetent. It wasn’t the losses, it was the fact that for two complete games, they didn’t look prepared, they didn’t look like an NFL team and they looked like their coaches, overwhelmed. The Bears game was better for about three quarters, but at the same time, you knew a loss was coming after Bradford’s third turnover in a row to end a series. It was Wilks who made the call to go to Rosen, which was good until his defense couldn’t get off the field and milked 7+ minutes off the clock and gave up the game winning field goal. It is Wilks who decided it was time to make the move to Rosen moving forward and has effectively tied himself to Rosen for his immediate career (how many new coaches can have a young QB fail and survive?). However, it is also Wilks who has relegated Deone Bucannon and Haason Reddick to backups because they can’t grasp the system. It is Wilks who put Jamar Taylor in as a starter and let him get beat for two weeks, before making a move in week three when it seemed like Taylor was finally playing well. There are some quirks to Wilks thus far, and going 0-3 and doing so in humiliating fashion won’t give you much cache with fans. So, this week looms large, because if there is one things Cardinals fans like, it is beating Seattle. If that is his first win, between going to Rosen and beating Seattle, those first three losses will start to fade from memory鈥?at least for the immediate future.Q: Do you know who Michael Dickson is? A: I am aware of the cult like following happening for Dickson in Seattle. We actually have an avid reader at Revenge of the Birds who is a big A&M fan (I know Dickson was a Texas guy but how many people pay attention to college punters), who was not happy when you all drafted Dickson, because he thought so highly of him.

BUFFALO Authentic Oliver Bjorkstrand Jersey , N.Y. (AP) — Jack Eichel will abide by the NHL’s decision to suspend him two games for an illegal check to Colorado forward Carl Soderberg’s head.That doesn’t mean the Buffalo Sabres captain has to agree with it.“If you look at the hit and look at the rule book, I didn’t think it matched up,” Eichel said following practice Monday. “It’s kind of frustrating.”Eichel was suspended Sunday following a hearing with the league’s department of player safety.He blamed Soderberg for lowering his head while the two raced for a loose puck along the boards during Colorado’s 3-0 victory Saturday. He said Soderberg was reaching for the puck and that his head hit Eichel’s back.The NHL ruled Eichel was to blame because Soderberg didn’t change the direction he was heading, while Eichel cut sharply in front of Soderberg to initiate contact.“While we acknowledge Eichel’s argument that Soderberg is low and reaching for the puck, this hit does not meet any of the criteria for unavoidable head contact,” the league ruled. “Soderberg is in a low position and reaching out for the puck before Eichel changes his course to initiate this hit.”Eichel was penalized for an illegal hit. The suspension will cost him more than $107 Ryan Murray Jersey ,500 in lost salary.Sabres coach Phil Housley backed Eichel, who leads the team with a career-best 72 points (25 goals, 47 assists) in 65 games.“I don’t agree with the decision, but we’ll have to live with it, and that’s all I’m going to say about that,” Housley said.Alexander Nylander is expected to replace Eichel in the lineup after the 2016 first-round draft pick was called up from the minors.The Sabres host Dallas on Tuesday and have tumbled out of the playoff race by going 2-8-2 in their past 12 games. PITTSBURGH (AP) — A big second period ended up being just enough for the Calgary Flames.Michael Frolik had the first of four second-period goals for Calgary Sergei Bobrovsky Jersey , and the Flames held on to snap a season-long four-game skid with a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.Frolik, Austin Czarnik, Travis Hamonic and Sam Bennett scored during a mid-game 17-minute span for Calgary, which held off a late Pittsburgh charge that included a pair of third-period power-play goals by Evgeni Malkin.“They’re a good team and they had a good pushback there at the end,” said Bennett, whose goal with 1:29 left in the second period ended up being decisive. “We got on our heels a little bit Womens Seth Jones Jersey , but in the end, we gutted it out and that’s a huge win for our team after not the best showing in the last couple games.”Calgary got its only win on a four-game, eight-day trip and avenged a 9-1 loss to Pittsburgh in October during the teams’ other meeting this season.Despite numerous chances playing 6-on-5 over the game’s final 90 seconds, the Penguins couldn’t get the equalizer.Malkin had three points after serving a one-game suspension for swinging his stick at Philadelphia’s Michael Raffl.“I think we fought hard,” Malkin said. “Just (wish) we would have played better 5-on-5.”Mike Smith made 34 saves to win for the first time since Jan. 13 for Calgary, which entered Saturday tied for the best record in the Western Conference.The Flames never trailed after Andrew Mangiapane opened the scoring 7:06 into the game.Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists for the Penguins Sonny Milano Jersey , who welcomed back defenseman Justin Schultz from a 53-game absence because of a fractured left leg. Schultz assisted on Jake Guentzel’s goal that tied the game at 1 late in the first period.But the Penguins allowed at least five goals for the seventh time over their past 17 games and are 7-9-1 in that stretch. They have dropped to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They entered Saturday one point clear of ninth-place Carolina.Malkin nearly pulled Pittsburgh back from a 5-2 deficit with goals at 5:42 and 14:41 of the third period. Each of those was assisted by Crosby, but Crosby could not convert two prime scoring chances in the final minute.“You know it’s coming, right?” Flames coach Bill Peters said of the Penguins’ late surge. “We made it a little harder than we would’ve liked by putting them on the power play.”Before he was relieved by Casey DeSmith for the start of the third period, the Penguins’ Matt Murray allowed five goals on 24 shots, though his performance was at least in part attributable to shoddy defense and bad luck.The puck on the goal credited to Mangiapane — the second of his career — hit at least three sticks after it was shot from the left point by Oliver Kylington.The goal that gave the Flames the lead for good 1:29 into the second period was a loose puck swatted in when no Penguins player picked up Frolik after Murray had stopped Matthew Tkachuk.Ninety-three seconds after that, Czarnik’s third of the season was a shot from the top of the left circle that deflected off the stick of a Penguins defender. And Hamonic’s goal from the right-wing boards with 3:58 left in the second hit Guentzel’s stick on the way in.Bennett’s goal 2½ minutes later gave Calgary five goals in a game for the 18th time this season. The Flames moved into second in the NHL in goals.“Obviously http://www.officialbluejackets.com/authentic-adidas-zach-werenski-jersey , there’s stuff you still want to clean up but everything’s moving back to where it was when we were buzzing,” Smith said. “That’s a good team there. … We wanted to finish this road trip off on a right note here and get two points tonight.”NOTES: Flames C Derek Ryan had three assists, the second three-point game among the 210 he’s played in the NHL. … Penguins RW Phil Kessel had two assists, the first of which (on Crosby’s goal) accounted for his 800th career point. Kessel is the 17th U.S.-born player to reach that milestone. … Crosby has eight points over his past four games.UP NEXTFlames: Calgary will return to the Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time in 11 days when it hosts the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.Penguins: The Penguins play home games on consecutive days for the second of three times all season, hosting the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Twelve NFL teams have playoff scenarios for Week 17 Womens Austin Johnson Jersey , but none has as wide a range of possible final spots in the standings as the Tennessee Titans.In the best-case scenario for the Titans, they clinch the AFC South and earn a first-round playoff bye, meaning they’d be just two wins away from the Super Bowl — and at least one of those games would be at home. But in the worst-case scenario, the Titans miss the playoffs altogether.The worst-case is straightforward: If they lose to the Colts on Sunday night, the Titans are eliminated from playoff contention. (They’re also eliminated with a tie.)The best-case scenario is also fairly straightforward, although not very likely: If the Titans win on Sunday night and the Texans, Patriots and Ravens all lose on Sunday afternoon, the Titans get a first-round playoff bye. The Ravens and Texans are both favored by a touchdown, and the Patriots are favored by two touchdowns, so all three of them losing is an extreme long shot. But it’s still possible.If the Titans win and the Texans lose, Tennessee wins the AFC South and will get a home playoff game. If the Titans win but the Texans also win (or tie), Houston wins the AFC South and Tennessee will open the playoffs on the road.It’s unusual for a team to have such a range of scenarios heading into the final game of the season, which illustrates what an unusual year this has been. Jon Robinson adds one of the best guards in the league to play next to his three time Pro Bowl left tackle."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans PodcastWhat are the Titans getting in free agent G Rodger Saffold?New,149commentsJon Robinson adds one of the best guards in the league to play next to his three time Pro Bowl left tackle. CDTShareTweetShareShareWhat are the Titans getting in free agent G Rodger Saffold?Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsThe Titans landed the top free agent guard on the market on Tuesday when it was announced that Rodger Saffold was signing a four year, $44M deal to join three time Pro Bowl tackle Taylor Lewan on the left side of Tennessee’s offensive line.Let’s hit on the note at the end of Rapoport’s tweet for a moment before we get into who Saffold is and why Titans fans should be extremely excited about this addition. Back in 2014, Saffold was set to leave the Rams and sign a lucrative contract in Oakland, but failed his physical with the Raiders and ultimately returned to the Rams for less money (this turned out to be a major stroke of luck for the Rams). The issue found had to do with Saffold’s shoulder and it turned out to be accurate as a season ending shoulder injury in 2015 sent the big guard under the knife to repair a torn labrum. Since that repair, Saffold has missed just one game due to injury over three years — a minor knee injury in 2016 — and his play has taken off to another level. Saffold was originally drafted by the Rams at the top of the second round in the 2010 NFL Draft after a successul college career at Indiana University. His transition to the NFL was bumpy Derrick Henry Jersey , in part, due to playing on some really bad Rams teams. He also was moved around quite a bit, starting at left tackle early on before moving to the right side and then eventually inside to guard. Saffold was viewed as a solid, but unspectacular starter until Sean McVay arrived in LA and move the Rams to a zone based blocking scheme. That system fit Saffold’s athletic game like a glove. He got a Second-Team All-Pro nod in 2017 and was excellent again in 2018.He was arguably the best offensive lineman on an offensive line that ranked third and first in 2017 and 2018 in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards. When you break those numbers down based on where the run went, you find that the Rams finished — comfortably — in two areas: off left tackle and middle/guard. Those just happen to be the areas patrolled by Saffold. The Rams also ranked third and sixth in Adjusted Sack Rate in those two seasons. Saffold has been credited with just four sacks allowed over the past two seasons per PFF charting.Saffold has always been an above average pass blocker ever since moving inside to guard. His quick feet and powerful frame at 6’-5” and 321 pounds allow him to mirror quicker players while still being able to anchor against power rushers. However, where Titans fans will really see a difference is in the running game. The jump from Quinton Spain to Rodger Saffold is going to be striking when it comes to the zone blocking scheme the Titans want to run (if you weren’t sure before, this signing confirms that ZBS will remain the staple in Tennessee under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith).Let’s take a look at some examples. Very few NFL guards move like Saffold and he has an outstanding feel for technique in the outside zone. Here you can see him helping center John Sullivan get squared up on the 1-tech before climbing to the next level and completely removing linebacker Mychal Kendricks from the box. NFL Game PassHere’s another example of combination blocking as Saffold effectively helps both Whitworth and Sullivan on either side of him before climbing to cut off Jaylon Smith. Want to know how the Rams made C.J. Anderson look like Todd Gurley late last season? It was blocks like this from the league’s best run blocking line. NFL Game PassIn zone blocking systems, the guards are often uncovered and therefore asked to climb to the second level and block linebackers. That can be a tough ask when you look at the speedand agility of modern NFL linebackers, but Saffold makes it look easy. Here, he quickly gets to the second level, gets Leighton Vander Esch in his sights, and then locks on and takes him for a ride ten yards away from the play. NFL Game PassThis time he’s on the front side of the zone run and shows off his power as he literally bounces Smith out of the hole.NFL Game PassSaffold moves in space with rare grace. That’s on display here as he manages to pancake not one, but two Eagles on the toss play. NFL Game PassThose movement skills were a key part of the Rams prolific screen game the past two seasons. Here you can see him getting out in front and managing to pick off the Vikings safety 30 yards downfield to spring Gurley.NFL Game PassAs I mentioned above, the major difference between Saffold and Spain will be seen in the running game, but Saffold is a very competent pass protector as well. He does a good job of anchoring at the top of the pocket and not getting pushed back into the quarterback’s feet. Here, you can see his quickness and power at work against one of the league’s best pass rushers in Brandon Graham. NFL Game PassThe Titans got Saffold for $11M per year which slots him in as the sixth highest paid guard in the NFL behind Zack Martin, Andrew Norwell, Kevin Zeitler Kenny Vaccaro Jersey White , Kelechi Osemele, and Trai Turner. Given the way the free agent market operates, I think that’s a surprisingly reasonable deal for a guy that ranks as a top ten guard and fits exactly what the Titans want to do. NFL Network analyst and former NFL offensive lineman, Brian Baldinger is a big fan of Saffold’s.So what does this mean for the Titans in 2019 and beyond? Well, for starters, they now boast arguably the best left side of an offensive line in football with Lewan and Saffold. Those two will be blocking for a running back in Derrick Henry who loves to run left because it allows him to unleash his dominant right-handed stiff arm. This really seems like a match made in two-tone heaven. The Titans now figure to be in good to great shape at three offensive line positions with Taylor Lewan, Rodger Saffold, and either Jack Conklin or Dennis Kelly (I tend to believe that we see a bounce back year from Conklin in his second year removed from the ACL surgery) manning the left tackle, left guard, and right tackle spots. Ben Jones and Josh Kline are returning starters at center and right guard, but I think it’s pretty clear that those are still upgradeable spots. The Titans currently have some options on the roster for those two spots though as Corey Levin, Kevin Pamphile (who was re-signed yesterday), Aaron Stinnie, and Hroniss Grasu (another free agent addition earlier in the offseason) can all play either center or guard in addition to Jones and Kline. However, I would not be surprised if they still address this position early in the draft. With the money they have committed at left tackle and left guard (and potentially right tackle if they exercise Conklin’s fifth year option), they’ll need cheaper solutions at center and right guard beyond 2019. Jones is heading into the final year of his current contract and the team could move on from Kline easily in 2020 if they can find a long term replacement. A Garrett Bradbury or Chris Lindstrom could really lift this group over the top for the foreseeable future.Regardless of what happens at center and right guard, Saffold’s addition changes the ceiling for the Titans offense as he and Lewan will form a formidable and ridiculously athletic left side that should make Derrick Henry a very productive back in 2019.

The San Francisco 49ers defied the odds on Thursday night Joe Staley Jersey , dominating the Oakland Raiders to the tune of 34-3 in the final Battle of the Bay at Levi’s Stadium. The debut of quarterback Nick Mullens stole the show on what was easily the 49ers’ most well-rounded performance of the year under Kyle Shanahan, albeit against a reeling Raiders team led by veteran head coach Jon Gruden.Here’s our stock report after the 49ers’ dominant victory on Thursday night:Stock way up: QB Nick MullensWhat was once thought as a preseason apparition, “Mullens Magic” took center stage Thursday night against the Raiders. The 49ers’ new starter, who was the practice squad in September, completed 16 of 22 passes (72%) for 262 yards, three touchdowns, no turnovers and a quarterback rating of 151.9. It is one of the greatest debut performances ever by an NFL quarterback. Shanahan was non-committal about Mullen’s chances to start in Week 10, but don’t be surprised if we get a prime time encore against the Giants on Monday Night Football.Stock down: RB Raheem MostertEven in their nearly flawless victory over the Raiders, the 49ers still couldn’t escape the injury bug that’s plagued them in 2018. Running back Raheem Mostert’s stock was trending up after racking up seven carries for 86 yards and an impressive 52-yard touchdown against the Raiders. It was clear he was earning a more prominent role ahead of Alfred Morris as the 49ers’ No. 2 option behind Matt Breida. Those hopes were quickly dashed when Mostert suffered a gruesome broken forearm in the third quarter. The special teams standout is out for the rest of the season.Stock up: TE George KittleAt some point we’ll have to stop including Kittle’s rising stock for the sake of it being expected on a week-to-week basis. The 49ers’ star tight end reeled in four receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown in another reminder that he’s quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s elite. His highlight play of night came on a tight-window throw from Mullens into triple coverage over the middle of the field. Kittle reached out, snagged the ball with one hand and broke through the defense for a 71-yard gain. He went on to score two plays later.Stock down: Draft positionA vocal portion of the 49ers’ fanbase prior to Thursday’s matchup had resigned their hopes to landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for them, the 49ers’ chances took a significant hit on Thursday when the now 2-7 49ers beat the 1-7 Raiders, placing Oakland one spot ahead of San Francisco at pick No. 2 behind the 1-7 New York Giants. The 49ers’ roster would benefit from the premier talent offered by selecting first-overall (see: Bosa, Nick,) but there are far too many positives to be taken from their impressive win on Thursday to be concerned about draft position in Week 10.Stock up: Coach Kyle ShanahanThere was a stark difference between the two one-win teams on the field at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday. Shanahan’s 49ers, despite losing six straight, were full of energy and executed to near perfection on both sides of the ball for all four quarters.The same can’t be said Gruden’s Raiders, who essentially gave up on the veteran head coach as the game wore on. The team in it’s current state has a long way to go before competing with most of the NFL, but the 49ers’ coach deserves credit for keeping a young 49ers roster focused on the task at hand.Stock up: Pass rushThe 49ers’ convincing victory has given us cause to replace the spot normally reserved for the final stock hit with another surprising positive - the defense’s effective pass rush. The 49ers sacked Raiders quarterback Derek Carr eight times Thursday. They also added nine quarterback hits and seven tackles for loss. Cassius Marsh, Dekoda Watson, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas all got to the quarterback in the 49ers’ most successful defensive outing so far this season.Robert Saleh offers comments on Jullian Taylor Patrick Willis Jersey , Pita Taumoepenu The San Francisco 49ers defense has dealt with inconsistencies through the first quarter of the season. The unit is trying to get on track, and while we do see some positives, questions remain for a group that will need to step up further following the loss of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.The defense is struggling in different areas, and that has brought up questions as to potential personnel changes. Most notably, people are wondering if rookie defensive lineman Jullian Taylor will get an opportunity.Taylor has been inactive for the first four games of the season. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh met with the media on Thursday, and he was asked how Taylor is progressing.Taylor had some big moments in the preseason. In the opener against Dallas, he started in place of an injured Arik Armstead, and got work at both the LEO and strong end positions, but primarily at LEO. He had a sack, two quarterback hits, and three run stops.He was relatively quiet in the second and third preseason games, accumulating a quarterback hurry and an assist on a tackle. In the preseason finale, he had a sack and two quarterback hurries, along with one run stop.While Taylor impressed, I would be surprised to see him get an opportunity unless one of the defensive linemen gets hurt. At some point it might be worth some re-shuffling, but there are likely too many bodies ahead of him.Saleh got the same question about practice squad linebacker Pita Taumoepenu, and specifically whether or not he might get promoted at some point.Taumoepenu got work at the SAM linebacker and LEO edge rusher positions. He finished the preseason with six quarterback hurries and five run stops. He was part of final roster cuts before signing to the practice squad. With the move of Malcolm Smith to the SAM position and Taylor still a potential LEO option, I don’t expect Pita T to be promoted short of an injury to a current roster member.

mere hours after the pick has been made. We know that is absurdly ridiculous Adoree' Jackson Jersey White , but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to know what people around the web are..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans PodcastNFL Draft round 1 grades New,30commentsCDTShareTweetShareShareNFL Draft round 1 grades Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsThere is nothing like grading a draft mere hours after the pick has been made. We know that is absurdly ridiculous, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to know what people around the web are saying about the Titans pick. So we will take a look at what the people are saying. You will have your chance to grade the pick yourself at the end of this post.Here are some grades from around the web:Chad Reuter of NFL.com gave the Titans an A for the Simmons pick:Dan Kadar of SB Nation gave the Titans a B for the pick:Pete Prisco, world renowned Titans hater Tajae Sharpe Jersey , actually gave the Titans an A:What grade would you give the Jeffery Simmons pick? Rodger Saffold and Adam Humphries were introduced by the Titans yesterday and Cam Wake hopefully will be within the next few days. Saffold absolutely crushed his press conference. I rarely am..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans PodcastTitans News: Part of the FamilyNew,13commentsCDTShareTweetShareShareTitans News: Part of the FamilyKirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsRodger Saffold and Adam Humphries were introduced by the Titans yesterday and Cam Wake hopefully will be within the next few days. Saffold absolutely crushed his press conference. I rarely am wowed by players press conferences, but he is extremely cerebral and is going to fit in amazingly. He’s our Professor Hulk. The Titans are already calling him the new bodyguard. Pretty great stuff. Adam Humphries chose the Titans over the Patriots, and then he did it again after the Pats offered him more money. Already a guy I respect for keeping his word Kamalei Correa Jersey , he’s an extremely good slot receiver and should do wonders for Marcus. Here are some of Humphries stats, brought to you by Titans Online. Also brought to you by Titans Online are Adam Humphries highlights. Kenny Vaccaro expects a big jump in 2019 for the Titans and loves Two Tone Twitter.

This is a defining week for many fantasy football teams Jalen Hurd San Francisco 49ers Jersey , especially in leagues where it’s the last week of the regular season.There is little margin for error at this point, although fantasy owners with their backs against the wall should be open to high-risk, high-reward shots in their lineups.There are a handful of games (Rams-Lions, Chargers-Steelers, Redskins-Eagles) that could turn into free-for-alls, but there aren’t any locks for explosive fantasy numbers across the board. In fact, there are several games (Bears-Giants, Browns-Texans, Jets-Titans) that could temper scoring.START: Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions: Golladay has been targeted 36 times in the last three games. The Rams have given up 25 touchdown passes and are 29th in average yards allowed per catch (12.3), numbers that play right into the hands of Matthew Stafford in what could be a high-scoring affair. Golladay is a solid WR2 who should put up WR1-caliber totals.SIT: Eli Manning, QB, Giants: Facing a Bears defense that leads the league with 20 interceptions doesn’t play well for Manning despite his six touchdown passes over his last three games. Chicago is also sixth in the league with 34 sacks, which will greatly reduce the time Manning will have to throw. A poor game from Manning will have a ripple effect that will also impact Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley, so owners of those players have serious risk of a letdown.START: Kirk Cousins, QB Weston Richburg Jersey , Vikings: He’s attempted at least 38 passes in four of his last five games and can make it five of six as he takes on a suspect Patriots defense that is 25th in fantasy points per game allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Cousins has thrown at least two touchdowns in four of his last five as well and will be in line for a huge afternoon, especially if Tom Brady helps turn this into a shootout.SIT: Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns: The rookie has a 13-2 TD to interception margin in his last five games and has completed 78.2 percent of his throws over the past two games. However, he must hit the road and contend with a Texans defense that is fourth in fewest fantasy points per game allowed to opposing quarterbacks while also dealing with a pass rush tied for sixth with 34 sacks. Reality will hit both Mayfield and those who start him in brutal fashion on Sunday.START: Aaron Jones, RB, Packers: Coming off a season-best 17 carries in last week’s loss to the Vikings, Jones has a great matchup against a Cardinals defense that sits 30th in the league in rushing yards allowed. No defense has allowed more rushing touchdowns than the 16 Arizona has given up, bolstering the chances of Jones crossing the goal line for a fourth straight game. He has four touchdowns in his last three games. With Jamaal Williams an afterthought these days, Jones is now a borderline RB1 with room to grow.SIT: Adrian Peterson, RB, Redskins: Since gouging the Giants for 149 yards in Week 8, Peterson has sputtered, failing to reach 70 yards in each of his last four games. His fantasy numbers would be worse if he hadn’t scored two short yardage touchdowns against the Texans in Week 11. Although the Eagles run defense has struggled against Ezekiel Elliott and Barkley in recent weeks, they are still 12th in stopping opposing ground games and Washington will be more focused on attacking Philly’s banged up secondary.START: Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers: With O.J. Howard done for the season Kyle Juszczyk Jersey , Brate will see an increase in targets, especially on Sunday against a Panthers defense that is the worst in fantasy when it comes to stopping opposing tight ends. Brate scored his first touchdown since Week 6 last week against the 49ers, and while he has yet to exceed 34 receiving yards in a game this season, his track record shows he can be more than just a presence at the goal line. Look for Jameis Winston to make him a staple of the Tampa Bay passing attack.SIT: Marquise Goodwin, WR, 49ers: Goodwin averages 19.9 yards per catch but has yet to have more than five targets in a game this season. The Seahawks would make for a good matchup for Goodwin, as they have given up at least 89 yards to six different receivers in the last five games, but his lack of volume, paired with this being a road game for San Francisco, makes him far too risky to consider even in deeper leagues.START: Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions: The Rams defense makes for a good slump-buster for Stafford, who has just three touchdown passes in his last four games. Los Angeles is tied for 27th with 25 touchdowns passes allowed and tied for 29th in average yards per catch allowed with 12.3. Those who own both Stafford and Golladay will have a great pairing that can put up huge numbers in what should be a fantasy gold mine.SIT: Marlon Mack, RB, Colts: Even if Mack clears the league’s concussion protocol, he’s facing a Jaguars defense that allows the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. He’s also cooled off after racking up 258 yards and three touchdowns in Weeks 7 and 8, rushing for a combined 175 yards and a score on 43 carries in his last three outings. There is little upside to plugging Mack into a lineup Laken Tomlinson Jersey , especially for teams that must win.Lions likely will be missing T.J. Lang, while Ezekiel Ansah is a question mark for Week 2 Fooch’s update: Here is the Lions final injury report.Out: T Andrew Donnal (knee), G T.J. Lang (back)Questionable: DE Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder), RB LeGarrette Blount (shoulder)The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a host of injuries, but the Detroit Lions have plenty of their own to consider. They wrapped up their final practice for Week 2, and guard T.J. Lang and edge rusher Ezekiel Ansah are significant question marks.Lang sat out all three practices this week due to a back injury. Ansah was a limited participant all three practices due to a shoulder injury.Players have played after missing a full week of practice, but Lions head coach Matt Patricia said these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, according to Detroit Free-Press writer Dave Birkett.Lions fans don’t think Lang will play this week, and Kenny Wiggins will get the start at right guard. Given Frank Ragnow’s struggles at left guard, this opens up a huge opportunity for the 49ers defensive tackles. DeForest Buckner had 2.5 sacks last week against the Minnesota Vikings, and Arik Armstead was able to get pressure on Kirk Cousins. Add in a potential bounce-back game for Solomon Thomas, and the 49ers could make some big things happen on Sunday.Ansah seems a little more likely to play given his slightly more advanced practice status, and he told the media he is optimistic he will play on Sunday. Of course, I would expect a player to say he is optimistic. It seems like he will probably be a game-time decision.

SUNRISE Nashville Predators Hats Authentic , Fla. (AP) —on the road.Carl Soderberg scored twice, J.T. Compher broke a third-period tie and Colorado beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Thursday night.The Avalanche won their 11th road game after winning only 15 all of last season.“It’s just the hunger and the will to succeed from our guys,” coach Jared Bednar said. “Maybe our expectations (last year) weren’t high enough on the road and I think this year we’re trying to take the next step and continue what we’ve been doing at home.”Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer stopped 33 shots.“We feel like every game we’re there,” Soderberg said. “We’re feeling it right now and want to keep it going.”Aaron Ekblad and Colton Sceviour had the goals for the Panthers. Roberto Luongo made 32 saves in his second game back from a knee injury.“They’re a good team offensively and if you make mistakes, they’re going to make you pay,” Luongo said. “We had a good first 40 minutes and for some reason we didn’t come out in the third. They popped two quick ones and that was it.”The score was tied at 2 in the third before the Avalanche scored twice in 44 seconds. Compher put Colorado ahead when he tipped in a shot by Landeskog at 6:21. Soderberg’s second goal of the game, a one-timer from the left circle Custom Nashville Predators Jerseys , made it 4-2 at 7:05.“(We) were hounding the puck,” Bednar said. “Maybe two or three pucks they kept alive just inside the blue line in order to extend the shift. When you do that, pressuring the puck, you’re not giving them any time, you get tired down in there, and I think that’s what happened.”The Panthers challenged Soderberg’s goal for goalie interference, but the call stood.“Their big line came out mid-shift (and) we got trapped in our end www.officialdevils.com ,” coach Bob Boughner said. “We had three chances to get it out, all three failed, back of the net. They get the one on the very next shift and it’s game over.”Landeskog added an empty-net goal with 1:34 left.Soderberg snapped a 1-all tie with his short-handed goal. He took a shot from the right circle that hit Luongo in the face mask and bounced into the net at 5:44 of the second.The Panthers tied it about a half-minute later on Ekblad’s power-play goal. Ekblad took a pass in the left circle and fired the puck past Grubauer at 6:19.Rantanen gave Colorado a 1-0 lead when he tipped in a shot from Patrik Nemeth at 10:40 of the first. Rantanen has a 10-game point streak.Sceviour tied the game 1-all after he redirected a shot in front from Bogdan Kiselevich with 2:07 left in the first.NOTES: Rantanen has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) during his point streak and leads the NHL in assists (35) and points (47). … Nemeth played his 200th NHL game. … Panthers C Nick Bjugstad returned to the lineup after leaving the game against Boston on Tuesday in the third period. Bjugstad took a hit into the boards from Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton.UP NEXTAvalanche: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.Panthers: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Hart Trophy was聽introduced in 1923-24, making it the NHL鈥檚 earliest individual award. When determining retroactive winners for newer awards, such as the Norris Trophy (first awarded in 1953-54) or the Vezina (awarded since 1926-27 but first voted on in 1981-82), detailed Hart voting records can provide important clues.But since no award existed before the Hart New Jersey Devils T-Shirts Authentic , it is the most difficult retro trophy to determine. Therefore, it makes sense to name a winner and four finalists for the six pre-Hart seasons.Further complicating matters is the fact that in its 94 years, the Hart Trophy has gone through numerous voting trend changes. At different times in history, it seemed to reflect the top players鈥?values to their specific teams, while at other times it reflected the most outstanding pl... All-Access +All-Access Member AreaPremium content and in-depth analysis from our team of experts exclusively for magazine subscribers. Simply login to unlock the content or become a member for less than $2.50 a month.LoginBecome a Member

GLENDALE Chris Bigras Jersey Womens , Ariz. (AP) but Antti Raanta was just trying to make up for letting five goals get by him two nights earlier.He did, stopping 26 shots for his second shutout of the season in the Arizona Coyotes‘ 2-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.”I didn’t like at all the Thursday game,” Raanta said about a loss to Calgary. ”I was trying to be a little more patient today and focus on the shots and just making the first save and go from that, and it worked out really good.”Max Domi’s empty-net goal sealed the win long after Jason Demers gave the Coyotes the lead less than six minutes into the game.Arizona won for the sixth time in eight games and ended the Ducks’ four-game winning streak. The Coyotes had won four straight before falling to Calgary at home.The Coyotes scored on their fourth shot of the game, with Demers going top-shelf to put the puck past the out-of-position Ryan Miller at 5:58 of the first period. Demers scored his fifth goal of the season, and Arizona scored first for the seventh straight game.”As a 60-minute game, that’s one of our best all year,” Demers said. ”It’s always good to see a bounce-back. Winning teams do that. After we get that first goal I think we’ve been able to calm our nerves better than were at the start of the year.”Miller made 36 saves in defeat.The Coyotes failed to score on four power-play opportunities and are 0 for 13 over their last three games.The Ducks registered only seven shots on goal in the second period. They lamented losing points to a team far out of the playoff hunt.”We didn’t play hockey,” Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf said. ”It’s just this time a year. We’ve got to find a way to be excited and play hockey. We can’t be showing up at the rink, throwing our skates on and expecting to win every night.”Anaheim pulled Miller in the final 90 seconds, and Domi scored with 1:01 to play for his fifth goal of the season.Josh Archibald assisted on both goals.Raanta reached 10 career shutouts. ”When you get the first one, the second one is a little bit easier to get,” he said. ”Took a little time to get the first one, but I think our five-man units are really good right now and they’re helping me out a lot.”Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said his team didn’t play up to its capabilities.”We charted ourselves two scoring chances in the third, that’s nowhere near enough Jack Johnson Jersey Womens ,” Carlyle said.NOTES: Newly acquired G Darcy Kuemper is expected to make his Coyotes debut Sunday in the second of back-to-back games. … The Coyotes recalled F Laurent Dauphin from Tucson of the AHL on Saturday, but listed him as a healthy scratch. … C Freddie Hamilton had yet to play 19 games after being claimed off waivers, but saw his first action in an Arizona uniform Saturday. … F Richard Panik was scratched with a lower-body injury, announced just before the game. Coach Rick Tocchet said he is day to day. … The Coyotes took the ice for warmups in co-branded jerseys bearing their own logo and that of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. It was Diamondbacks Night at Gila River Arena, and third baseman Jake Lamb dropped the ceremonial first puck. … The Ducks recalled C Kalle Kossila from San Diego of the AHL on Saturday, and he was scratched. … Two-way baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels attended the game hours after his spring training debut.UP NEXTDucks: Host Edmonton on Sunday night.Coyotes: Host Vancouver on Sunday night. COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets will close out 2018 against the Ottawa Senators on Monday night at Nationwide Arena without their captain.The club announced Sunday that Nick Foligno will be away from the team to be with his 5-year-old daughter Milana, who will undergo heart surgery in Boston.She was born in 2013 with a congenital heart defect and had surgery a few weeks later. She had battled a virus this fall and Foligno missed a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 17 to be with her while she was hospitalized.Article continues below ...Foligno, who has 10 goals and 10 assists in 37 games, will be back with the team as soon as possible, the club said.In the meantime, the Blue Jackets (22-13-3) will try to bounce back from a 4-2 loss at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night in a game of missed opportunities.The shot chart showed the Blue Jackets with 65 attempts against the Maple Leafs, but only 29 were on goal. Thus, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella emphasized shooting accuracy in Sunday’s practice.“Before practice, I put the stat up on the board today,” Tortorella said Brett Howden Jersey Womens , according to the team’s website. “Usually, when you’re in practice, you hear pucks ringing off the boards and glass. I didn’t hear many. I watched it very closely.“The first shot we took in our shooting drill went wide, and then I don’t think another one went wide. I didn’t hear much noise on the boards.“It may sound silly, but I do believe when you do bring focal points to the group and you put a little bit of pressure on concentrating on that part of it, I think they get it quickly.”Before Foligno left to be with his daughter, he said, “It’s so crucial just to even get a puck on net. It creates a rebound. Even if a goalie makes a save, it’s amazing how many times it pops back to you or you gain possession again.”During the Blue Jackets’ five-game winning streak that ended Friday, they weren’t exactly peppering the back of the net with pucks. In the last seven games, they’ve averaged 2.4 goals, but they kept beating opponents because of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s stellar play and winger Cam Atkinson’s offensive contributions.“We played hard, but right now goal scoring is a problem,” Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg said. “We’ve got to score more goals. That’s the focus right now.”The Senators (15-20-4) might provide a cure. The last-place team in the Atlantic Division is giving up an NHL-worst 3.93 goals per game.On the flip side, the Senators possess the ability to generate goals at a rate of 3.15 per game. Mark Stone leads the team with 18 goals and 43 points and Matt Duchene is next with 15 goals and has 37 points — one fewer than defenseman Thomas Chabot.But the Senators are mired in a four-game losing streak and coach Guy Boucher decided at Sunday’s workout before leaving for Columbus to break up his top line of Stone, Colin White and Brady Tkachuk.Chris Tierney centered a line with Tkachuk and Stone. White moved to a wing with alongside Matt Duchene and Bobby Ryan Paul Carey Jersey Womens , and winger Ryan Dzingel was placed on the fourth line with Tom Pyatt and Nick Paul.“Those three guys (White, Stone and Tkachuk) have worked so hard and they’re great to watch,” Boucher said, “but we need to have a team. It’s not that I wanted to split the line up, but I have to spread my hard-working elements throughout the lineup.”Ottawa is coming off a 3-2 loss at home to the Washington Capitals on Saturday in which it played without Chabot, who is out for three weeks after sustaining a shoulder injury on Friday night against the New York Islanders.“Whether you’re having a good season or not, it always (stinks) to be hurt,” Chabot said, according to the Ottawa Sun. “It’s part of the job. It always happens in hockey and you have to expect this. It is what it is and now we’ve got to look on the recovery road and hopefully be back as soon as possible.”Starting goaltender Craig Anderson also may miss Monday’s game with a concussion and so the Blue Jackets could see rookie Marcus Hogberg in net.“We’re going into a barn that’s hard to play in because (Columbus) is a very, very hard-working team,” Boucher said. “We’re not going to out-skill anybody. We don’t have that. The minute we don’t work harder than the opponent, we don’t get on top.”

UNIONDALE Authentic Mitchell Marner Jersey , N.Y. (AP) — Ja three-time Stanley Cup winner, has scored many big goals. The puck found his stick after he left the penalty box in the third period Tuesday night, and the veteran forward scored another to lift Carolina to a fifth-straight win.Williams got his 299th career goal at 17:18 of the third and the Hurricanes beat the Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night to snap New York’s six-game winning streak.His 10th goal of the season made it 3-2. The 37-year-old forward flipped a backhand past goaltender Thomas Greiss with an assist from Greg McKegg.“I was hoping they would kill off the penalty and they did. Then I got a great pass, the top side opened up and it turns out to be the game-winning goal,” Williams said. “That team makes you earn everything. We got it done.”Jaccob Slavin made it 4-2 for the Hurricanes with a power-play goal at 18:53 before Brock Nelson scored his second of the game for the Islanders at 19:01.Curtis McElhinney made 28 saves for Carolina, which also got goals from Saku Maenalanen and McKegg.The Islanders were coming off a three-goal comeback win over St. Louis on Saturday following an overtime home win over Chicago last Thursday. The loss left their coach Barry Trotz frustrated about his team’s lack of execution.Trotz was perturbed the Islanders gave up McKegg’s goal with only six seconds left in the first as well as Williams’ tally on a broken play in the Islanders’ zone.“I thought we just mismanaged the game,” Trotz said. “There are certain moments where you have to execute what is in the best interest of the group. We didn’t do that. That’s a good way to lose hockey games. That one or two points we could have had, we just threw them away.”Rookie defenseman Devon Toews tied it early in the third period for New York. It was his second goal since being recalled from AHL Bridgeport.Nelson opened the scoring 13:42 into the first period, but Carolina tied it when rookie Maenalanen scored his first goal at 15:10. The 24-year-old Maenalanen played his fifth career game after signing with Carolina last May as a free agent. He previously played for Karpat of the Finnish League.“Saku had a good game. He’s been a huge boost,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We are finding ways to win right now and we know we can be better.”McKegg put the Hurricanes ahead with six seconds left in the first http://www.officialmapleleafsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-morgan-rielly-jersey , knocking a loose puck past Greiss in the crease for his second goal of the season.“I just tried to get to the net. It was a lucky bounce and it ended up going in,” McKegg said.Jordan Eberle appeared to tie it for the Islanders early in the second period, but Valterri Filppula was ruled offside before the goal.McElhinney also made a sprawling save on Ryan Pulock alone in the slot in the waning seconds of the middle period.Lee echoed his coach regarding the missed opportunity to snare at least a point. The Islanders will try to make amends with an upcoming home-and-home series against the Rangers starting on Thursday.“We should have played better and smarter,” Lee said. “We have to reset and get ready to go in a couple of days.”NOTES: The Islanders had won the previous three meetings between the teams this season. … The Islanders are 3-1-1 at Nassau Coliseum and fell to 10-4-1 in division games. … Islanders forward Matt Martin played his 600th career game. … The Islanders loaned forward Josh Ho-Sang to AHL Bridgeport and activated Filppula before the game. … The Islanders scratched Fs Ross Johnston and Tom Kuhnhackl and D Luca Sbisa. … The Hurricanes scratched F Clark Bishop and D Dan Renouf.UP NEXTIslanders: Begin home and home series with Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.Hurricanes: Play at Tampa Bay on Thursday night. LAS VEGAS (AP) Aaron and Rhonda Hawley never truly embraced how much the Vegas Golden Knights meant to them until late in the season.On March 29, their 17-year-old daughter Brooke and two classmates were killed in a traffic accident in Huntington Beach, California. Since then, the Golden Knights have helped the Hawleys during their grieving process.And even with the team trailing the Washington Capitals 3-1 in the Stanley Cup Final, they and thousands of others haven’t lost hope and are sticking by their first-year team until the last horn sounds. Aaron Hawley said that’s how his little girl would want it.”Her being a soccer player, she would kick a girl in the shin with one second left in the championship game if that’s what it took,” Hawley said Wednesday. ”Brooke was a fighter, and that’s what this team is about Nikita Zaitsev Jersey Kids , it never gives up to the very last second.”On Wednesday, for the team’s first practice in Las Vegas since being pushed to the brink of elimination, fans decked out in team jerseys and hats and knights helmets and kids with hockey sticks or pucks in their hands packed the Knights’ practice facility before they even took the ice. And 45 minutes before the scheduled practice, with nothing in front of them but a fresh sheet of ice, the fans broke into a chant of ”Go Knights Go!” Game 5 is Thursday night.”We have a chance to play in front of our fans like we have all year long, use that energy to show them that we are also proud to be here and do something great for the city,” said Knights center Pierre Edouard-Bellemare. ”The city has our backs. I’m not worried about that situation whatsoever. It’s us to the city, we want to win for them. Once again, it’s one game. That’s all we have to think right now.”Fan Jerrald Larkin, whose own daughter, Allyssa Womens Patrick Marleau Jersey , played soccer with Brooke Hawley, said he started watching hockey in 1989 and was originally a Los Angeles Kings fan. ”But when VGK became a reality it was all in for them,” he said. ”VGK has been such a great team and this year has been nothing short of amazing. Right from the beginning this year has been filled with many emotions and some ups and downs. There is no way we can count our team out and we are VGK proud with any outcome.”Larkin said he and his wife, Theresa, and their four daughters have been able to grow closer to many other fans because of hockey. While Theresa’s family is from Chicago and has been following sports their whole lives, Jerrald is from Vegas and never had a home team to cheer for other than the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball team.Hawley’s dedication to the team led him and his wife to follow the Golden Knights to Washington, where they watched Game 3 at a restaurant and attended Game 4 at Capital One Arena.”As a native Las Vegan, I’m thrilled to see Golden Knights hockey get as much attention as the 1990 UNLV basketball team got,” Hawley said. ”I consider that a huge accomplishment. I’m worried next year what’s going to happen, because what fans don’t realize is what this eight-month team has accomplished, is something the Capitals have been waiting on for 44 years.”But it’s the handful of games he attended with Brooke by his side that will forever be imprinted in his mind.”With soccer practice Rasmus Andersson Jersey Womens , and a young girl’s social calendar, she made as many games as she could,” Hawley said, fighting back tears. ”How wonderful it was to sit with her, cheering on our hometown team. She really enjoyed it. We actually got her extra tickets for one game to bring her friend A.J., who also died in the accident. Those are times I will cherish and thank the team for an unbelievable inaugural season. The memories.”—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals