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Cheap Jerseys . PAUL, Minn. -- Jared Spurgeon spent a month watching the Minnesota Wild from the press box. When he returned to action Tuesday night, he didnt waste any time making an impact. Spurgeon had two assists in his return from injury, Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves and the Wild defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. One of Minnesotas top defencemen, Spurgeon was placed on injured reserve Jan. 4 after he hurt his left foot against Buffalo. While the Wild went 8-4-2 in his absence, they were eager to get him back in the lineup -- and he was eager to get back into the flow. "I think theres lots of adrenaline that helps you," Spurgeon said. "At the start I was a little nervous being off for a month, but they threw me right out there for the opening shift and that helped me really calm down and get my feet wet for that first one." Spurgeon got started early, setting up Nino Niederreiter for his fifth goal of the season 9 seconds into a power play in the first period. Early in the third, Spurgeon helped the Wild double their lead when he fed Dany Heatley in the slot for his 11th. Spurgeon ended up playing 21:12, third-most among Minnesota defencemen. "Hes taken really good care of himself while hes been out," Wild coach Mike Yeo said. "To be able to come in and play at the level that he did tonight just shows you how smart of a player he is." The Lightning pulled within a goal with just more than 6 minutes to play when Valtteri Filppula tipped in Martin St. Louis pass at the goalmouth for his 20th of the season. Tampa Bay buzzed around the net the rest of the way, but Kuemper stopped Alex Killorn and St. Louis from in close, and Tyler Johnsons shot hit the post in the final 40 seconds. Lightning coach Jon Cooper was hoping to see a little more fire out of his club at the end of a 1-3 road trip. "I dont know how much courage we had going to the net tonight, until the end," Cooper said. "Hence, its shocking where our goal was scored, standing right in front of the net." While the Lightning are still clinging to second place in the Atlantic Division, goalie Ben Bishop said theyll welcome a return home for two games before the Olympic break. "I dont know if you want to say were tired, but its been a long road trip," Bishop said. "We dont want to make excuses, but weve got to be better." Bishop, who finished with 24 saves, was tested often throughout the first two periods, stopping Zach Parise on a breakaway with 5 minutes to play in the first period and stoning Mikael Granlund on a point-blank backhand early in the second. Bishop was shaken up midway through the second when Parise fired a slap shot that hit the goalie in the head, but he remained in the game. Meanwhile, Kuemper made a nifty glove save to stop Johnson on a breakaway late in the second and stood tall all night in his 11th straight start, a franchise record for rookie goalies. The Wild are 6-3-2 in that span, but Yeo was impressed with how Kuemper rebounded from his last two starts, a loss at Colorado in which he was pulled and an overtime defeat at Calgary. "How do you come back to the rink the next day and be mentally tough enough to come in and perform at the level that you need to? Thats what was very impressive about him tonight," Yeo said. "I liked his game an awful lot." While the Wild got Spurgeon back, they had another setback on the blue line 2 minutes into the game when defenceman Marco Scandella got tangled up with Johnson. Scandella skated off the ice with assistance, favouring his right leg, and did not return. Yeo labeled him "doubtful" for Minnesotas pre-Olympics finale Thursday against Nashville. NOTES: Filppula returned after missing Saturdays game at Montreal with a lower-body injury. ... St. Louis assist gave him 966 points, moving him past former Canadiens great Maurice Richard into 85th place on the NHLs career list.
Cheap NFL Jerseys . Vancouver is 0-2-1 over its last three games and has dropped the first two tests of a five-game homestand in regulation. The slide has damaged the clubs already fragile playoff hopes, and the Canucks enter Saturday seven points out of the Western Conferences last postseason berth with only five games left on their schedule.
Wholesale Jerseys. According to bodog.ca, the Roughriders are 3-1 favourites to hoist the Grey Cup again at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver next November.NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Zach Mettenberger thinks he is the answer to the Tennessee Titans quarterback problem, not Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston.The Titans have four months to decide if they agree before going on the clock with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft.Its an important decision for us, for the organization going forward, and I think that thats one that we have time to make that decision, coach Ken Whisenhunt said. Were going to go through that process and look at it. Im sure in time well come to the right one.Whisenhunt wrapped up his first year with a 2-14 record that is this franchises worst since 1994. The Titans tried one last time to see if Jake Locker might be their quarterback. He didnt get the chance to return after his second injury in five games before the Titans turned to Mettenberger, a sixth-round draft pick out of LSU.Mettenberger started six games before hurting his right, throwing shoulder, and the season slipped away with 10 straight losses, including 14 of the final 15.Mettenberger finished with 1,412 yards passing, becoming the eighth quarterback to lead the Titans in passing in eight seasons. Tennessee now has struck out on two quarterbacks selected with a top eight draft pick or better since 2006. The Titans also extended their playoff drought to six seasons.We didnt get it done, so weve got work to do to get to that point, Whisenhunt said. Whenever you have a season like we did, theres going to be changes. Youre going to get better. Weve got work to do. We understand that.Whisenhunt brought in both a new offence and had defensive co-ordinator Ray Horton switch the Titans from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4. Neither produced, with the Titans ranking 29th in total offence and 27th in total defence. They couldnt run, scoring only six touchdowns on the ground all season, a franchise-low in a 16-game season. They also couldnt defend against the run, ranking ahead of only Cleveland.Titans president and CEO Tommy Smith insists he is sticking with general manager Ruston Webster and Whisenhunt despite fans wanting both fired. Whisenhunt knows hes on the clock.It better get better than this, or youlll be talking to somebody else next year, Whisenhunt said.
Cheap NFL Jerseys China. Here are a few things to know about the Titans:THE METT SHOW: The rookie quarterback played in seven games, starting six, and was 107 of 179 for 1,412 yards, averaging 7.89 yards per attempt. He was sacked 18 times and posted a passer rating of 83.4 with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Mettenberger said he will be sticking around Nashville for the off-season working to improve and get stronger a year after spending his time rehabilitating a torn ACL.Mettenberger has a bright future ahead of him, safety Michael Griffin said.BAD OFFENSE: Blame the constant turnover on the offensive line or Titans slow to pick up Whisenhunts new offence. But Tennessee scored 254 points, this franchises lowest total since 1984, when the then-Houston Oilers scored 240 in a 16-game season. The Titans also finished with the worst point differential at minus-184 since 1984 (197).ROSTER TURNOVER: The Titans put 15 players on injured reserve and played seven offensive tackles, five tight ends and four quarterbacks. They go into the off-season with at least 17 players with expiring contracts, including both punter Brett Kern and kicker Ryan Succop. The Titans also have to decide if its worth keeping struggling right tackle Michael Oher and left guard Andy Levitre.ROOS FUTURE: Left tackle Michael Roos finished his season on injured reserve, and he said Monday he may be leaning toward retirement after having a version of microfracture surgery on his right knee. The longest-tenured player currently with this team after 10 seasons, Roos contract is up in March. He said he will see how he feels when done with rehabilitation in a couple months.SENIOR BOWL: Holding the No. 2 pick overall gave the Titans the coaching assignment at the Senior Bowl, and Whisenhunt said hed like the chance to start evaluating college players up close. This franchise last picked second overall in 1984 when it took tackle Dean Steinkuhler out of Nebraska.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker
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