VANCOUVER
Artemi
Panarin Jersey , British Columbia ¡ª The clock is ticking on the
Philadelphia Flyers.The Flyers (12-14-4) are trying to prevent time from running
out on their season ¡ª and their jobs ¡ª as they prepare to visit the Vancouver
Canucks (14-16-4) on Saturday night.The NHL playoffs are still a possibility,
albeit a remote one. But fans and the media are focusing more on the players¡¯
short-term future as new general manager Chuck Fletcher evaluates the
organization that he took over from the fired Ron Hextall.Article continues
below ...Flyers¡¯ top brass did not like Hextall¡¯s slow-build approach, so he was
sacked earlier this month after four seasons. Fletcher, a former Minnesota Wild
GM, has indicated that a trade is just a matter of time.¡°It is difficult (to
make deals in mid-season) but that¡¯s reality ¡ª my reality,¡± he told Postmedia in
Edmonton, where the Flyers bowed 4-1 to the Oilers on Friday night. ¡°It¡¯s a fun
challenge. This is the time of year where everybody is looking. I don¡¯t think
there is a general manager who looks at his team and says, ¡®You know what? We
have every hole filled and we love our depth.¡¯¡°This has always been the active
part of the season, but for me, I¡¯m trying to get a sense from talking to other
GMs: Who do you like on our team?And, who are you trying to move? Every team is
hoping to add a player, fill one hole.¡±While Fletcher tries to plug holes off
the ice, the players are struggling to fill them on it. The Flyers were still
reeling Friday from a 6-5 overtime loss Wednesday in Calgary, where they
squandered a two-goal lead in the final 1:08 of regulation time and surrendered
the winning tally just 35 seconds into the extra session.After being close to
returning, injured No. 1 goaltender Brian Elliott has returned to
Philadelphia
Cam
Atkinson Jersey Kids , apparently for treatment on a hip issue.¡°He¡¯s not
going to be available for the rest of the trip,¡± coach Dave Hakstol told
reporters Friday while sidestepping the reason for the goalie¡¯s return home.The
club¡¯s goaltending woes were compounded by veteran Michal Neuvirth¡¯s return to
Philly to be with his wife as she was preparing to give birth. Rookie Anthony
Stolarz, who started Friday and was in goal for Wednesday¡¯s loss, is expected to
get most of the netminding work for the foreseeable future. Fellow minor-league
callup Alex Lyon, promoted on Thursday due to Neuvirth¡¯s departure, will likely
serve mainly as the backup.The Flyers have suffered four straight losses.
Hakstol just wants Stolarz to continue to build his game.Meanwhile, the Canucks
hope to build momentum following a three-game road trip on which they earned
five of a possible six points.¡°We¡¯ve got to be happy with our road trip from our
group,¡± center Bo Horvat told reporters. ¡°Both goaltenders (Jacob Markstrom and
Anders Nilsson) played well, and that¡¯ll give us a lot of confidence going
home.¡±The Canucks were bolstered by their second straight late-game rally in
Nashville on Thursday night, although they wound up losing 4-3 in overtime.¡°Like
I¡¯ve said all year, we have character in this (dressing) room,¡± forward Brock
Boeser told Sportsnet. ¡°(Thursday¡¯s rally) shows our character. That¡¯s a huge
point to get.¡±While the Flyers play the second game of back-to-back road
contests, the Canucks will host the first of two home games on consecutive
nights.That likely means Markstrom and Nilsson will split the games. Markstrom
appears likely to play against the Flyers after serving as the backup Thursday.
Nilsson, who has lost seven straight games, could get the call Sunday against
Edmonton.
COLUMBUS
http://www.bluejacketsshoponline.com/authentic-david-savard- jersey ,
Ohio (AP) Hours after the trade deadline, the Columbus Blue Jackets had the kind
of first-period offensive explosion they¡¯ve been missing this season.The Blue
Jackets scored four times in the opening period and went on to beat the
Washington Capitals 5-1 on Monday night. One of the goals in that flurry came
from Mark Letestu, who was acquired in a trade on Sunday.¡±When you come over at
the deadline, you want to contribute right away,¡± said Letestu, who previously
played four seasons for the Blue Jackets in 2011-15. ¡±That¡¯s the way to earn the
respect of some of the guys in the room.¡±Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson each had a
goal and two assists as Columbus won its second game in three days and the first
in four tries against the Capitals this season. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an
assist , and Sonny Milano ¨C who missed 18 games with an injury ¨C also tallied,
his first since Dec. 29.Sergei Bobrovsky had 25 saves for the Blue Jackets, who
held onto the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a knot of
teams still in contention. The Capitals dropped to second place behind
Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division.¡±They got pucks to the net,¡±
Washington coach Barry Trotz said. ¡±They were winning all the puck races, the
battles. We didn¡¯t give ourselves a chance in the first because we didn¡¯t match
their enthusiasm.¡±Alex Ovechkin got his league-leading 39th goal for Washington.
Braden Holtby had 12 saves for the Capitals in the first period, and Philipp
Grubauer had 18 in the last two.In the opening period, 14 seconds after
Washington¡¯s Dmitri Orlov went to the penalty box for holding, Jones backhanded
a pass to Panarin, who rifled a shot from the left circle for his team-leading
18th goal of the season.The Capitals took about 1 1/2 minutes to even
it
Anthony
Duclair Jersey Womens , with Ovechkin scoring a power-play goal from the
left circle. Fifty-six seconds later, Alexander Wennberg centered up a shot for
Milano, who delivered a spinning backhander from the slot to put Columbus up
2-1.¡±I don¡¯t think many guys on our team could score that goal that he scored,¡±
Columbus coach John Tortorella said.Letestu made it 3-1 with 5:28 left in the
period when he buried a puck that Matt Calvert had shoveled out from behind the
goal line. Jones went up over Holtby¡¯s shoulder with a power-play goal from the
point late in the period to give the Blue Jackets a three-goal lead at the first
intermission.Atkinson capped the scoring for Columbus with a short-handed,
empty-net goal late in the third period.Former Pittsburgh Penguin Ian Cole,
acquired by Columbus from Ottawa on Monday, skated in the third defensive
pairing with David Savard, and Tortorella praised his hustle and
communication.¡±The bench was more alive,¡± Tortorella said. ¡±I think some guys
relaxed after the deadline. We got contributions from everybody.¡±NOTES: Ovechkin
played in his 984th game for Washington, passing Calle Johansson for the most in
franchise history. He has five goals and an assist in the last five games. ¡
Jones¡¯ assist on Panarin¡¯s goal was his 100th point with the Blue Jackets. ¡
Milano scored his first goal since Dec. 29 after missing 18 games to injury and
rehab. ¡ Letestu is the sixth player to have two separate stints with the Blue
Jackets. ¡ D Taylor Chorney, who was claimed off waivers from Washington last
week, was a scratch for Columbus. ¡ The four-goal first period was the first of
the season for the Blue Jackets. ¡ Panarin has three goals and three assists in
the last five games.UP NEXTWashington: Hosts Ottawa on Tuesday.Columbus: Plays
at Los Angeles on Thursday.¡ª