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VANCOUVER -- Mistakes have cost the Vancouver Canucks time and time again during this lost season. Don Larsen Jersey . With newly minted president of hockey operations Trevor Linden looking on from above one day after being handed the keys to the franchise, it was more of the same on Thursday night. The Canucks directed 40 shots on goal and played well for long stretches, but turnovers at key moments were the difference as the Colorado Avalanche downed Vancouver 4-2. "I think it was there. Again, I think its like a lot of other games when we lose," said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin, who opened the scoring in the first period. "Shooting enough pucks to the net, enough chances to win but were making crucial mistakes in the wrong areas of the ice. Thats been something thats been happening all year." Vancouvers captain for seven of his 19 seasons in NHL, Linden was hired on Wednesday to replace president and general manager Mike Gillis, who was fired after the Canucks were officially eliminated from post-season contention for the first time in six years following a dismal 3-0 home loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. What Linden saw Thursday was a team that produced a solid effort in a meaningless outing, but also one that is still finding its way in first-year head coach John Tortorellas system with only two games left in the regular season. "Thats great to get 40 shots, but as a group we were too lax defensively," said Canucks forward Ryan Kesler. "Playing defence is most of the time a thankless job and its hard work." Tyson Barrie buried the winner for Colorado with the score tied 2-2 and the teams playing 4-on-4 in the third period. The 22-year-old defenceman from Victoria moved in on a 2-on-1 rush, toe-dragged around a sprawling Alexander Edler and rifled his 13th of the season, and fifth game winner, past a helpless Jacob Markstrom. "We hung Markstrom out to dry," said Kesler. "He played good for us tonight and a couple of those goals we hung him out to dry and he had no chance." Tortorella said he was happy with his teams effort in a difficult spot, but lamented the lack of finish that has been commonplace during his time behind the Canucks bench. "We played well, we played hard. It takes us a lot of scoring chances to score a goal," said Tortorella. "That has been a reoccurring theme throughout the year, but I have no beef with our team as far as how hard they played. We generated some good scoring chances in the third period, they did too ... we need a lot of chances to score." Paul Stastny added two goals and Semyon Varlamov stopped 38 shots for Colorado (52-21-7), which is 8-0-1 in its last nine games and took over top spot in the Central Division ahead of the scuffling St. Louis Blues. John Mitchell scored into an empty net for Colorado in the final minute. The Blues, who have lost four straight, and Avalanche each have 111 points with two games left on the schedule, but Colorado holds the tiebreaker. After Barrie gave the Avalanche their 3-2 edge, Edler had a chance to tie the game with just over five minutes to go, but Varlamov made a great glove save on the Canucks defenceman. "Those are big points for us," said Barrie. "We have two games left and we know whats on the line. Varly was outstanding like he has been all year and these next two games are big." David Booth had the other goal for Vancouver (35-34-11), which got 24 saves from Markstrom in his first start for the Canucks. Dan Hamhuis added two assists. Markstrom was acquired as part of the Roberto Luongo trade with the Florida Panthers last month, but got into just one game in relief before Thursday as Eddie Lack started 19 straight in the Canucks failed attempt to make the playoffs. "No good enough," said Markstrom. "It felt good to be out there and everything felt good, but obviously you want to start with a win." Following a scoreless middle period, Stastny snapped a 1-1 tie with his second of the night and 25th of the season at 5:21 of the third, firing home a rebound off Eric Johnsons shot from the faceoff circle. Booth tied the game 1:39 later with his ninth of the campaign, roofing Hamhuis rebound off the end boards over Varlamovs shoulder from in tight. The Avalanche tied a franchise record with 52 wins and Varlamov broke rookie head coach Patrick Roys mark of 40 wins in a season by a Colorado goaltender after collecting his 41st of the campaign. "The coach is very happy," Roy deadpanned. "Were going to call Patrick tomorrow to let him know that Varly beat the record and I am sure he is going to be OK with it." Linden, who was shown on the video board before Thursdays opening faceoff and received a nice applause, didnt have to look far to see the kind of success former players can have in management. Avalanche executive vice-president of hockey operations Joe Sakic has his team in a battle for top spot in the Central Division, while Roy is in the running for the Jack Adams Trophy for a Colorado team that finished 29th last season. But Lindens mountain might be even tougher to the climb. The Avalanche have a tremendous young core, led by Barrie, captain Gabriel Landeskog and last years No. 1 pick Nathan MacKinnon -- something the Canucks are sorely lacking. It should be noted that the Edmonton Oilers have also tried the former-players-in-management route and have failed to make the playoffs every year since 2006. Vancouver opened the scoring on Thursday when Sedin tipped home his 11th of the season off a point shot from Hamhuis at 13:52 of the first period. Tortorella said earlier this week that his young players would get a chance to play with three meaningless games left on the schedule, and a play by Vancouver rookie Niklas Jensen directly led to Colorados tying goal with 1:21 to go in the period. Stastny stripped Jensen of the puck at the Avalanche blue-line and he raced in alone, snapping his 24th through Markstroms five-hole. "I thought our guys handled themselves very well tonight. I thought they played hard right on through," said Tortorella. "Its hard. These guys want to play for something. They know in a couple days were done. "Its a difficult situation but its no excuse no matter where were at not to finish the season the proper way and were going to keep on trying to that for the next couple of games here." Notes: Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa said after the game that he will represent Canada at the world championships. ... The Canucks will honour former head coach and general manager Pat Quinn before Sundays season finale against the Calgary Flames. ... Canucks defenceman Jason Garrison was a healthy scratch as Vancouver chose to dress rookie Frank Corrado. ... Avalanche forward Matt Duchene remains out with a knee injury. ... Vancouvers next game is Saturday night in Edmonton against the Oilers. ... Colorado also has two games left on its schedule, both on the road, Friday against the San Jose Sharks and Sunday against Anaheim Ducks. Brian McCann Jersey . Convincing evidence came in the way the Blue Devils kept their focus in a win over Georgia Tech. Jabari Parker had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. Derek Jeter Yankees Jersey . Nick Bonino and Matt Beleskey also scored in regulation and Frederik Andersen stopped 27 shots for the Ducks, who will face Dallas in the opening round of the post-season. Anze Kopitar had two goals, including the tying one with 3:12 left in the third period, and Dustin Brown also scored for Los Angeles.NEW YORK -- The "laughingstocks" won in a laugher. The Knicks resembled the division champions of a season ago rather than the biggest losers in New York, outplaying and even outtalking the Brooklyn Nets, who look like the real Big Apple busts. Carmelo Anthony had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Iman Shumpert scored a season-high 17 points, and the Knicks ended a nine-game losing streak with 113-83 romp Thursday night in the first meeting of the season between the city rivals. "I think everybody looked like they had that feeling that we were tired of losing," Anthony said. "It showed from the tipoff." The Knicks (4-13) snapped a tie with the Nets (5-14) for most losses in New York, winning the game and the crowd with a dominant second half that had Spike Lee and the rest of the fans wearing blue and orange cheering perhaps the Knicks most complete performance of the season. Andrea Bargnani scored 16 before he was ejected in the fourth quarter, Knicks fans roaring in support of him standing up to Kevin Garnett. Brook Lopez had 24 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who again played without Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, or much passion in the second half. "Were struggling but were going to come out of this, man, thats the only way to think," Garnett said. "Im not going to think anything else." The game was nationally televised, as all four matchups are this season, but neither team had been giving fans much reason to watch. Nets coach Jason Kidd said Tuesday that both teams "stink," and Anthony not only agreed but added that the Knicks were the "laughingstock" of the league. Nobody was laughing at the Knicks on this night. New York made a season-high 16 3-pointers in 27 attempts (59 per cent), rediscovering a stroke that has been missing all season after it set an NBA record for makes in 2012-13, and led by as many as 34 points. Shumpert, who has been the subject of trade rumours and has struggled, hit five 3s and added six rebounds. The Nets hung in while the Knicks made 16 of their first 21 shots overall and trailed by only seven at halftime "Youve got to give the Knicks credit. They came (for) the season shooting around 32 per cent. Tonight they looked like the team of last year where they made a lot of 3s," said Kidd, who played for the Knicks last seaason. Alfonso Soriano Yankees Jersey. "When they started the game off it didnt seem as if they were going to miss. But we stayed the course." Until the third quarter, that is, when their season-long woes in that period returned and the Knicks outscored them 34-16. When the public address announcer urged fans to stand and cheer before the fourth, they responded by booing, clearly sick of watching Brooklyn get hammered over the previous 12 minutes yet again. Tensions rose a couple of times, chiefly in the fourth quarter when Bargnani and Garnett became tangled as Bargnani fell to the court while trying to box out. Both players, along with Amare Stoudemire, were called for technical fouls, and Bargnani was hit with a second and thrown out shortly after when he appeared to say something toward Garnett after making a jumper. Garnett wouldnt discuss the incident, saying "I dont understand Italian" -- though Bargnani insisted whatever he said was in English. He also downplayed the exchange. "The most important thing is that we won the game, we played a great game and weve really got to start to build on this," Bargnani said. There were also double technicals and words exchanged after Andray Blatche set a hard pick on Shumpert in the first half, but that was about all the fight the Nets showed on the way to their sixth straight home loss. Both teams were booed during the introduction of starting lineups by split fan bases who are united in their early season disgust. The Nets believed they were a championship contender after acquiring Garnett and Pierce from Boston, the centerpieces of a roster that will cost more than $180 million in salary and luxury taxes. The Knicks are second to the Nets in payroll but had never gotten going after losing Tyson Chandler to a broken leg in their fourth game of the season. But they were the better team right from the tip. The Knicks made 12 of their first 14 shots and were ahead 30-15 after Anthonys 3-pointer with 2:36 remaining in the opening quarter. NOTES: There was a moment of silence before the game for Nelson Mandela, South Africas first black president, who died Thursday at 95. Commissioner David Stern called Mandela "one of the most powerful and inspirational leaders in the world and a great friend of the NBA." ... The Knicks will try to end their seven-game home skid Friday against Orlando. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
