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(SportsNetwork. George Brett Royals Jersey .com) - The Winnipeg Jets hope to set into motion a losing streak for the Colorado Avalanche this evening. You can catch all of the action on TSN Jets and TSN 1290 at 7pm ct. Winnipeg continues to lose ground in the Western Conference playoff race as it sits six points out of the second wild card position. The Jets snapped a six- game slide with a 7-2 win over Dallas on Sunday, but fell in defeat the following night 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues. Eric ODell scored the Jets lone goal and the clubs were tied until the Blues David Backes scored a power-play goal with 6:51 to play. Winnipeg went down a man when Evander Kane went off for slashing. "We just cant be in the box there," Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice said of Kanes penalty, which occurred in the offensive zone. "Thats the bottom line on that play." Al Montoya allowed two goals on 25 shots for the Jets. It is unknown when Ondrej Pavelec will be ready to return from a lower-body injury, so Montoya will get the start again tonight. He has good numbers versus the Avalanche, going 2-1-2 with a 2.14 GAA and one shutout. Dustin Byfuglien will miss his first game of the season tonight due to a lower-body injury. Head coach Paul Maurice hopes hell be able to play Saturday against Carolina. Eric Tangradim, who has been a healthy scratch for the last four games, replaces Byfuglien. The Avs are coming off just their third setback in the past 10 games, losing in head coach Patrick Roys return to Montreal. Roy starred for the Canadiens franchise for 10-plus seasons before a trade to the Avalanche in 1995 and received a warm reception during the game. The home cheers eventually went to Montreals Thomas Vanek, who notched a hat trick to help hand Colorado a 6-3 loss. Jamie McGinn had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who also got goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Maxime Talbot. Jean-Sebastien Giguere turned aside 30-of-35 shots. "I didnt want them to feel pressure of winning a hockey game for their coach. Its all about our team here," Roy said. The Avs fell into a tie with the Chicago Blackhawks for second place in the Central Division, eight points back of the first-place St. Louis Blues. Theyll try to avoid losing two straight for the first time since Feb. 4-6. Reto Berra, the third goaltender on Colorados roster, will get the start tonight and it will be his first with the Avalanche since they acquired him from the Calgary Flames. Berra, signed to a three-year extension by the Avs last Friday, was 9-17-2 with a 2.95 goals against average in 29 games (27 starts) with the Flames. That includes a 1-1-0 mark versus the Jets with a 4.32 GAA. The Avs have won three of four versus the Jets this season, including a 4-3 shootout decision on Dec. 12 in the lone encounter in Winnipeg. Greg Holland Jersey . Louis Blues remain at the top spot of the TSN. Bo Jackson Royals Jersey . PAUL, Minn. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday for the first time in his seven-year career because of a swollen muscle in his left upper back. The 26-year-old left-hander, coming off his second Cy Young Award in three years, already had been scratched from his scheduled start in San Diego on Sunday after an MRI revealed the problem. Kershaw was on a throwing progression program and was tossing the ball at different distances Saturday before the teams Freeway Series finale against the Angels when he experienced some discomfort on his 27th throw. "He felt it, and that was the last straw," manager Don Mattingly said. "So at that point, we knew we couldnt have gone any farther and that it was a DL situation. Its a situation -- not just for me, but for everyone -- that weve got to save Clayton from Clayton at this point and be cautious. We cant allow him to try to keep pushing and go forward. If it was up to him, Im sure hed want to go farther. But we cant allow him to do that right now." Kershaw, who signed a $215 million, seven-year contract on Jan. 15, won the Dodgers season opener 3-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia last weekend. The three-time All-Star was hoping to get back in the rotation for Fridays home opener against San Francisco, but instead it will be Hyun-Jin Ryu, who also will get the assignment Sunday at San Diego against Andrew Cashner. Ryu started and won the second game of the Australia trip, but tore a toenaill while running the bases that day and wasnt sure hed be able to fill in for Kershaw until after his side session Friday. Mike Moustakas Jersey. "I think that once Clayton felt something, he knew that he wasnt going to make his start on Friday," Mattingly said. "With his throwing progression, the fact that he stopped right away is all weve asked of him from the beginning: If you feel it at all, youve got to stop. And he stopped right away." Kershaw has made 33 starts, struck out at least 229 batters and logged 227 2/3 innings or more in each of the last three seasons -- including a career-high 236 innings last year, when he finished 16-9 with an NL-best 232 strikeouts and a 1.83 ERA. Kershaw led the majors in ERA for the third straight year, becoming the first pitcher to accomplish that feat since newly elected Hall of Famer Greg Maddux did it from 1993-95. Now that Kershaws run at a fourth straight ERA title has been adjourned for the time being, Mattingly wasnt making any predictions on when he will return to the rotation. The Dodgers have five off days scheduled between now and April 15. "This is not something that we say, OK, we think hell be ready by this date -- and if he doesnt get there, then its like, Oh, Claytons had a setback," Mattingly said. "We should just let it do what its supposed to do and let the medical staff do their work let them tell us what he could do. "And because of all the days off we have and the schedule we have, its really not worth pushing him." ' ' ' |
