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St. Rocky Bleier Jersey . Louis Blues 3 Winnipeg Jets 1 (Jets 31-20-9, Road 15-16-3) – The previous four games between these two teams this season were all decided by one goal, and for the most part so was this one. With the win the Blues become the first team to hit the 100 point mark (101) as they upped their record to 20-0-2 in games within the Central Division. This was a physical, feisty affair with 100 penalty minutes handed out at 19:59 of the third. The Jets are now six points behind Phoenix for the final playoff spot, as the Coyotes were 4-3 winners in Los Angeles. The First period was scoreless as the Jets, playing on back to back nights, put together a very solid 20 minutes, outshooting the Blues 7-6. St. Louis got the games first goal early in the second, as Brendan Morrow notched his 11th of the year. The Jets managed only five shots on goal in the second. The Jets tied the game early in the third. With the teams playing four on four, Evander Kane set up Eric ODell on a two on one. ODell went to his backhand to score his third. Zach Bogosian also drew an assist. In the back half of the period Kane was called for slashing giving the Blues their second power play of the game. David Backes was the recipient of a fortunate bounce to score his 22nd of the year and give the Blues a 2-1 lead. Mark Stuart blocked a shot, with the puck deflecting to the front of the net and right onto the stick of Backes. With Al Montoya on the bench for an extra attacker, Backes and Jacob Trouba were chasing a puck into the Jets zone, there was some contact between the two, Backes went to the ice and the officials ruled it an automatic goal feeling Trouba had tripped Backes. As time was running out a number all the players on the ice ended up in the corner in the Blues zone, gloves off and fists flying as emotions from this physical game hit the boiling point. The Blues again kept the Jets to just five shots on goal making the final tally 25-17. 3-1 was the final. The Blues did score another with under a second to go, again with Montoya on the bench, but it was eventually ruled play had been whistled down because of the melee in the Jets zone. The power play goal by Backes was the first given up by the Jets in 40 shorthanded road situations. The last time on the road the Jets gave up a power play goal was January 21st in Anaheim. They then went eight road games where the PK was perfect. The Jets outhit the Blues 40-26, with Stuart leading the way with nine. He also led the way in blocked shots with seven. Andrew Ladd led the way in shots on goal with five. Jacob Trouba led in ice time at 24:38. Blake Wheeler led the penalty count with 15 PIM. Jets are now 1-6-1 in the second game of back to backs, as the game ended three in four nights, while the game Wednesday vs Colorado (TSN Jets, TSN 1290) ends a difficult stretch of five games in eight days. For coach Paul Maurice the Jets got the start they wanted. "We had a really good first, on the road, played the night before." On the penalty to Kane in the third, "We cant be in the box there. Thats the bottom line. That gets called in this league. We have to be responsible for our own play." On the 3-1 goal, Coach Maurice felt the wrong call was made. That it was incidental skate contact by two players going after the puck. For the Jets it was the same lineup as it was against Dallas, with a chance that Jim Slater and Ondrej Pavelec will be able to return to the lineup Wednesday. Heath Miller Pittsburgh Steelers . A goal machine for the MLS team when healthy, the former striker is back in his native Netherlands these days. Sean Spence Jersey . -- Last month, Richie Incognito said severe repercussions would be warranted if the Miami Dolphins kept allowing sacks at such an alarming rate.HOUSTON -- The Seattle Mariners couldnt do anything against Houstons Collin McHugh in his first start against them this season. Sundays game was a lot different. Robinson Cano and Willie Bloomquist each drove in two runs, and the Mariners pulled away in a four-run third inning to beat the Astros 8-7. Bloomquist broke a 1-all tie with a two-run double against McHugh (2-1) and Cano followed with his first triple since June 3, 2012. McHugh, who entered with a 0.59 ERA and 19 strikeouts in two starts, gave up six runs -- five earned -- and eight hits in four innings. He allowed three hits and struck out 12 in 6 2-3 scoreless innings against Seattle on April 22. "We had no knowledge of him the first time, and the young man threw the ball pretty good," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "This time I thought we had better at-bats, gave him stressful at-bats. His pitch count was up, and we were able to take advantage of it." Houston manager Bo Porter said McHugh struggled with his offspeed pitches Sunday. "What you saw today was a Seattle Mariners team making an adjustment from the last time they faced him," Porter said. "He didnt have the sharpness to his breaking stuff like he did that day in Seattle." Brandon Maurer (1-0) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings for his first win since Sept. 28 against Oakland. McClendon was proud of how Maurer got out of the fifth. "It was a big inning in a lot of ways for him from a mental standpoint," McClendon said. "I think he learned a lot. And I think maybe he grew up a little bit." Danny Farquhar allowed one run in two innings for his first save since that Sept. 28 game. Farquhar allowed a two-out single to Jason Castro that pulled Houston within one run in the ninth, then struck out Matt Dominguez to end the game. Alex Presley and Jonathan Villar homered, and Chris Carter and Marc Krauss had two RBIs apiece for the Astros, who lost for the seventh time in 10 gamees and dropped to a big league-worst 10-21. Authentic Rod Woodson Jersey. It was the second straight game with a homer for Villar, who leads the team with five and his 14 extra-base hits are most among American League shortstops. Cano hit an RBI groundout in the first after Michael Saunders singled leading off and took third on McHughs errant pickoff throw, which went for an error. Saunders is hitting .444 with four RBIs in four games in the leadoff spot. Presleys leadoff homer tied the score in the second. After Canos triple, Corey Hart singled for a 5-1 lead in the third. "Just not executing pitches very well is what it comes down to," McHugh said. "I just missed with a couple of pitches here and there. They put some good swings on it, and that really took the wind out of the sails in that third inning." John Buck, who had three hits, doubled and scored on Saunders single in the fourth. Buck had two doubles for his 10th career game with more than one double and first since July 20, 2010. Carter, who entered with a .169 average, hit a two-run double in the fourth -- three of his four homers and seven of his 12 RBIs have come off Mariners pitching. Seattle boosted its lead to 7-3 in the fifth when Jerome Williams walked Dustin Ackley with the bases loaded. Villar homered in the bottom half. NOTES: The Mariners optioned OF Abraham Almonte to Triple-A Tacoma after the game. A corresponding roster move is expected on Monday. ... Houston designated LHP Raul Valdes for assignment and recalled LHP Darin Downs from Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... Astros starter Scott Feldman, who has been on the DL since mid-April with right biceps tendinitis, felt good after throwing 60 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday. ... McClendon said there wont be any pitch limitations on RHP Hisashi Iwakuma in his next start after he threw 81 pitches Saturday in his first outing after coming off the DL. "Theres no reason why he cant go 100 or 105 pitches next time out," McClendon said. ' ' ' |
