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The Montreal Canadiens recent skid couldnt have arrived at a worse time. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Not to say theres ever a good time for four losses in a row, but thats the Habs reality and in doing so have seen themselves drop into wild card territory behind the hated Toronto Maple Leafs. Granted, Montreal has two games in hand, but with the three teams ahead of them all riding hot streaks - the Boston Bruins earning points in four straight, the Tampa Bay Lightning on a three-game winning streak and the Leafs having earned points in seven of their last eight - the alarm is rightfully going off. Its not just the losses or even the standings that are of highest concern to Montreal fans. The Canadiens have given up at least four goals in each of their last six and Carey Price has been chased out of the net in two of his last three games. Even the lone win that they have managed to garner over the stretch – a 5-4 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 16 – was a puck that trickled past Craig Anderson and led to a firestorm with P.K. Subbans game-winning celebration. Add that to a near-goalie fight against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Wednesday and the Canadiens are grabbing headlines for the wrong reasons. So what gives? Mired in the longest stretch of futility since general manager Marc Bergevin took over, the Canadiens dont have a single player among the NHLs Top 50 scorers and their current leading scorer is a defenceman (Subban). A defenceman - mind you - that will once again be the centre of contract negotiations and all sorts of rumours until his name is once again down on a contract. However, with 55 points through the first 44 games of the season, perhaps the Habs should be granted some slack as they endure this skid. After all, the Detroit Red Wings - currently two points back of Montreal and in the second wild card spot - rattled off a six-game losing streak in December. The Maple Leafs, too, lost four straight before going on their current streak, giving up even more goals in their four-game skid than the Canadiens have on their current slide. Even if they should win both their remaining games, the Canadiens will post their worst monthly record of the season for January. They will then have five games in eight nights in early February to try to make some hay before the Olympic break. But then what? If Price or Subban are unable to thrive – or not even feature – for Canada at the Olympics, will it affect their play after the break? Will the likes of Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov return jubilant if Russia captures gold at home? Or will they be crushed by disappointment? The Canadiens have time to turn the ship around with more than a third of the schedule left to play, but the closer the playoffs get, the tougher the games will get. The Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning are both keeping pace with one another, meaning a failure to gain ground could soon result in a first-round date with one or the other. Or even the Pittsburgh Penguins. Or even failing to make the postseason for the second time in three seasons. So are the Habs going through a bad stretch? Or are they just a bad team? As always, its Your! Call. Cheap Jerseys From China . Brad Richards scored twice on New Yorks previously anemic power play, Martin St. Louis had three assists in his best game since joining the Rangers last month, and Henrik Lundqvist kept the Carolina Hurricanes at bay in a 4-1 victory on Tuesday night. Cheap Jerseys . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics.ST. LOUIS - At the trade deadline in July, the Cardinals appeared to be in the market for starting pitching. Instead, St. Louis stood pat and trusted their young arms. That trust paid off - in a trip to the World Series. Michael Wacha capped a nearly untouchable month by being selected the NL championship series MVP after outpitching Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the second time in a 9-0 win in Game 6 Friday night. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, a 19-game winner, said the 22-year-old rookie has been so good he wouldnt be surprised if Wacha was on the mound for Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Wednesday at the winner of the ALCS between Boston and Detroit. "I told them if we have enough time off they might try to get Michael back for Game 1," Wainwright said during the Cardinals celebration Friday. "You never know." Joe Kelly was the strongest member of the rotation for a long stretch in the summer and has been tough in the post-season, too. Closer Trevor Rosenthal hit 100 mph on the stadium radar in finishing off the Cardinals 19th NL pennant, tied with the Giants for the most in the league. Carlos Martinez emerged as the setup man, 41st-round draft pick Kevin Siegrist had a lights-out 0.43 ERA and Seth Maness was one of the best at inducing the double-play ball. Kelly is in his second season and the rest are rookies, all of them enjoying themselves in the post-season instead of stressing out about the implications of each pitch. Wacha made his major league debut in late May, but he was back at Triple-A Memphis when many of his teammates were promoted. "They were performing at a high level, they werent letting a lot of things affect them," Wacha said. "So whenever I got called up, I felt like I had to hang with these guys." The Cardinals have a mid-level payroll with a handful of high-paid players and rely heavily on a system that keeps promoting prospects - who keep coming through. After dispatching the free-spending Dodgers, theyre seeking their second title in three years and third since 2006. "Payrolls arent playing, the players are playing," chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. As the rookie fill-closer on a veteran-laden team, Wainwright got the final out of the NLCS and World Series in 06. The current crop is a lot deeper, influencing general manager John Mozeliaks no-deal strategy. Wacha leads the way, a little more than a year after thhe Cardinals drafted him in the first round out of Texas A&M. Wholesale Jerseys. The 6-foot-6 right-hander held the Nationals to no-hits for 8 2-3 innings in his final start of the season and is 3-0 with an 0.43 ERA in three post-season starts. He kept the Cardinals alive in Game 4 of division series at Pittsburgh. "I think our general manager had a pretty good plan," Wainwright said. "I think he knew he had an ace in the hole. I think the rest of the world wanted him to go out and sign a big-name starting pitcher." Turns out they had more than enough pitching to overcome serious setbacks to three-fifths of the starting rotation entering spring training, Edward Mujicas collapse the final month after earning 35 saves and the failures of other projected bullpen stalwarts. It was enough to sideline Shelby Miller, too. Miller led all rookies with 15 wins and was in the rotation from opening day, but he has barely pitched in the post-season. Chris Carpenter, 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner, has been out all year with a nerve ailment that could end his career and Jaime Garcia underwent shoulder surgery in midseason. Jake Westbrook, dogged by elbow and back injuries, was barely used the final month and hasnt been on the post-season roster. Cleanup man Allen Craig could be ready to contribute, as a DH or more, after ramping up his rehab program and getting favourable results. The first baseman-outfielder been out since early September with a mid-left foot sprain. "I cant put myself on the roster, but I feel pretty good and Im excited about what lies ahead," said Craig, whose .454 average with runners I scoring position led the majors. "I feel ready." Elder statesman Carlos Beltran is fired up about the first World Series appearance of his 16-year career. He was the offensive star of the NLCS and made some key plays in right field, too. "My legs are fine, man, my legs are good," Beltran said. "Im very happy." Beltran has three go-ahead hits in the post-season and 12 RBIs, a number that should boost his profile entering free agency. The Cardinals have to be interested even though theyll be trying to find regular duty for Matt Adams, the stand-in first baseman in place of Craig, and top outfield prospect Oscar Taveras. Also, big contracts for Chris Carpenter, Jake Westbrook and Rafael Furcal are expiring. But thats for later. cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
