COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Although it was only the eighth game of the season, it was already vital for the Columbus Blue Jackets to show some improvement.
Dave Winfield Jersey . A pair of thirty-somethings led the way. R.J. Umberger scored his first goal of the season with 8:46 left to help make a winner of Curtis McElhinney as the Blue Jackets ended a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night. "Its a good feeling," said coach Todd Richards, given a nice present on his 47th birthday. "I sense in the locker room theres some relief. As the losses started piling up, obviously the pressure amps up as well. The win will alleviate some of that." The 31-year-old Umberger had yet to score this season. "Its a good first step for us to get out of the hole we were in," he said. "It was a gutsy challenge we had and we had to find a way to win." McElhinney, making his first appearance for the Blue Jackets in place of Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, had 37 saves -- including several clutch ones while Columbus protected a one-goal lead. "I just felt relaxed in there," said the 30-year-old McElhinney, who won his 20th NHL game but first since going 1-0-0 in 2011-12 with Phoenix. "I was certainly nervous going into the game. Its been a while since Ive played at this level. I just wanted to go in, get that first save and then after that it was all downhill. The guys did a good job in front of me of letting me see pucks." McElhinney, who has spent parts of five seasons with Calgary, Anaheim, Ottawa and Phoenix, played last year in the American Hockey League after being picked up in a trade with the Coyotes. Bobrovsky, selected the NHLs top goalie last season, was given the night off after starting Columbus first seven games. Marian Gaborik and Ryan Johansen also scored for the Blue Jackets, who won for the first time at home this season after losing their first two. Umberger and Johansen each had an assist. Umberger scored his 152nd career goal but first since April 15, when the Blue Jackets were putting on a late surge that fell just short of getting them into the playoffs. With the game tied 1-all, Johansen carried the puck on a 2-on-2 rush into the offensive zone and slid a pass through the skates of Vancouvers Chris Higgins to Umberger, who had advanced behind Higgins. Umberger faked and slid the puck between Lacks legs. "Phenomenal," Umberger said of Johansens pass. "He came to the middle and he threaded it right through the guys legs. It was right on my tape. I didnt have to move my stick." The win left a lot of Blue Jackets breathing easier. "Its huge," Johansen said. "But its one win and its not going to get any easier." Henrik Sedin had the goal for the Canucks. Eddie Lack stopped 26 shots in place of Roberto Luongo, rested on the second night of back-to-back games for Vancouver. "It was tough to get good opportunities," Sedin said. "A lot of shots were outside and we didnt have a lot of traffic (in front of the net)." The Canucks, playing their fourth of a season-high seven-game road trip, applied plenty of pressure to try to tie it. McElhinney gloved a hard one-timer by Jason Garrison in the final minutes and then stopped Higgins jam shot from point-blank range off a pass from the back wall by Daniel Sedin with 45 seconds remaining. Johansen then added an empty-netter. Canucks coach John Tortorella said the stat sheet was misleading. "Dont let the shots fool you," he said. "I dont think we played enough in the areas (you have to) to score goals. Theyll let you play on the outside all night long. For most of the minutes, thats what we did." NOTES: Columbus forwards Gaborik, Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov played for Tortorella when all were with the New York Rangers the past few years. ... Anisimov has points in his last three games. ... The crowd of 14,168 booed a call midway through the third period when it appeared Dubinskys shot out of a pileup slipped over the goal line. Seconds later, Umberger scored and it counted. ... Columbus played five of its first seven games on the road. ... Gaboriks goal was his third in eight games, matching his total in 12 games last season after he was acquired from the Rangers at the deadline. ... The Canucks killed five power plays, including 1:34 of a 5-on-3 in the second period.
Wally Joyner Jersey . -- Nick Bjugstad snapped out of his scoring slump and spoiled Drew MacIntyres first NHL start.
Roberto Alomar Jersey . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/613m-fernando-valenzuela-jersey-padres.html . Head coach Randy Carlyle confirmed the news after the Leafs morning skate on Monday. Kozun was hurt during Friday nights home game against the Red Wings and did not make the return trip to Detroit for Saturdays game.SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Gyasi Zardes scored in the 62nd minute on Saturday night to give the LA Galaxy a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes in front of 50,006 fans at Stanford Stadium. Robbie Keane found Marcelo Sarvas in the centre of the box on a cross from the left. Sarvas laid it off to Zardes, who finished in the back of the net for his third goal of the season. The Galaxy (5-3-5) extended theirr unbeaten streak to five games for the first time since the 2012 season and moved up to a tie for sixth place with the Portland Timbers.
Nick Margevicius Jersey. The Quakes (4-6-4) had their best chance to draw even on a header by Steven Lenhart in the 88th minute. Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo blocked it safely over the top of the goal — the only save needed in his second shutout of the season. ' ' '
