Fragen und Antworten » dismal 2-for-36

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Its no secret the Western Conference has been dominating the NHL landscape in recent years. A month into the 2014-15 campaign, its plain to see not much has changed. While the West is littered with teams that appear to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, the Eastern Conference, and in particular the Metropolitan Division, is marked by mediocrity. Not only is the West boasting a 37-22-8 record when facing clubs from the East, the superior conference also owns a cumulative goal differential of plus-30 in all games this season. Teams from the East, meanwhile, have been outscored by 28 goals. A closer look at the Easts two divisions reveals the Metro to be the anchor weighing down the conference at the moment. Five of the eight teams in the Atlantic Division own positive goal differentials and the groups collective minus-10 differential is in large part due to one team -- the Buffalo Sabres, who are an NHL-worst minus-27. The Metro, on the other hand, is minus-18 as a whole with only Pittsburgh (plus-19) and Washington (plus-2) in the black. Only the Penguins have played consistently well and its no surprise Pittsburgh is leading the division with 15 points on a 7-2-1 record. The rest of the division has been wildly inconsistent as every team not named the Penguins has suffered through a losing streak of three games or more. In fact, other than Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers -- last years conference champions -- each Metro club has lost at least four in a row at some point in the early going. To be fair, some of the Metros struggles this season could be explained by injury woes. Columbus has been absolutely decimated by injuries in the first month, while the Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers also have dealt with key losses to their rosters. The Devils and Islanders are currently sitting second and third behind the Pens for the divisions remaining two automatic bids, but they have both cooled off considerably since beginning the season on hot streaks. At this stage, only Pittsburgh, New Jersey and the Isles would be playoff teams if the season ended today, while the Atlantic would eat up the Easts remaining five postseason spots. Its a long season of course and things could get better for the residents of the NHLs oddest-named division once some of the Metros clubs get a little healthier. At the moment, however, the division is giving the lesser Eastern Conference an even worse reputation. TARASENKO TEARING IT UP One player who could sum up the Wests superiority at the moment is young St. Louis winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who just like his conference seems to be getting better every season. The 22-year-old Russian broke out with 21 goals and 43 points for St. Louis last season and is on pace to obliterate those career-bests in 2014-15. Tarasenko, the NHLs reigning First Star of the Week, has seven goals and six assists in 11 games this season, with six of those markers coming over his past four outings. That puts him on pace to tally 52 goals and 97 points in just his third NHL campaign. The burgeoning star delivered on a big stage Monday against the New York Rangers, notching the early front-runner for goal of the season at Madison Square Garden. On the power play, Tarasenko received the puck in the neutral zone before skating his way through the heart of the Rangers defense. After weaving his way through the New York zone, Tarasenko finished with an amazing move as he skated left and reached back to his right with one hand on the stick to push the puck past Rangers goaltender Cam Talbot. Tarasenko also scored the shootout winner later against the Rangers, leading St. Louis to its fifth straight victory. Hes as dynamic of a goal-scorer as anyone Ive ever played with, said Blues captain David Backes. His shot and his burst of speed and his ability to find the net obviously is out of this world. Tarasenkos early success is a good sign for the Blues, a team that has been strong in the regular season during the Ken Hitchcock era only to disappoint come playoff time. One thing to remember is St. Louis is still a young team and if players like Tarasenko and fellow forward Jaden Schwartz continue to develop the way they have been, the Blues could challenge the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks of the world for NHL supremacy. St. Louis needs someone to be a difference maker if it plans on getting over the postseason hump. The way Tarasenko has steadily improved since his rookie season of 2012-13, its easy to believe the 2010 first-round pick may be the right man to help the Blues turn the corner. When he first came over, he was just happy to play here, Hitchcock said of Tarasenko. Now he wants to be a guy that contributes every night. He wants to be a significant player in the League. Its a big difference. Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . Although Olivetti, a qualifier, had 13 aces, he failed to force a single break-point chance on Gasquets serve and lost his own three times. Gasquet next plays third-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, who won had 18 aces in a 6-2, 6-4 win against seventh-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France. Authentic Trevor Van Riemsdyk Jersey . Ronaldo netted his 14th goal of the season in Europes top competition to give Madrid a clear advantage ahead of next weeks quarterfinal return leg in Germany. But it came at a price as the Portugal forward, who came into the first-leg nursing a sore left knee, came off in the 80th minute. http://www.cheaphurricanesjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-haydn-fleury-jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Authentic Victor Rask Jersey . The 36-year-old Colts receiver is going back to the playoffs as a division champion. Authentic Dougie Hamilton Jersey . The 20-year-old overager has appeared in 35 games for the Ontario Hockey Leagues Erie Otters this season, scoring 41 goals and adding 27 assists with a plus-28 rating.VANCOUVER -- Once the Chicago Blackhawks got rolling, there was little the Vancouver Canucks could do to stop a team determined to get back to its winning ways. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad each had a goal and an assist in the second period Wednesday as Chicagos quick-strike offence turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead in a span of 7:41 to snap a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over Vancouver. "We kind of lost ourselves there a little bit in the second period. It turned into a little bit of a track meet," said Canucks assistant coach Mike Sullivan. "It wasnt from a lack of chances on our part. We had a 4-on-2 and 3-on-1 that we dont convert, then shortly thereafter one ends up in our net." Marian Hossa had the other goal for Chicago (33-10-13), while Saad added an empty netter late. Corey Crawford made 29 saves to get the win. "Theyre a good team. They havent won a couple of Stanley Cups for no reason," said Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, who finished with 36 saves. "Its disappointing being up 2-0 and losing the lead so quickly like that. "Weve got to play 60 minutes against teams like that. For the majority of the game I thought we played really well but we had a little bit of a lapse and its game over." The Blackhawks four goals in that 7:31 barrage -- which came on just five shots -- helped end Chicagos recent 0-2-2 run. "They had a few chances early in the game and they kept on pressing," said Luongo. "Once they got one I felt like it deflated our team and they kept scoring." With the victory, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville passed Dick Irvin to move into the sole possession of third place on the all-time NHL coaching wins list with 693 as Chicago improved to 10-1-3 in the second game of back to backs this season. "Im fortunate and happy with the places Ive been," said Quenneville. "Took a little while to get this last one, but certainly its been fun and well keep pushing forward." Chris Higgins and Tom Sestito had the goals for Vancouver (27-19-9), which dropped its second straight. The Canucks hold down the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, but the ninth-place Phoenix Coyotes are three points back with two games in hand. Vancouver is 2-3-0 in the absence of suspended head coach John Tortorella, who will sit out one more game after he tried to get into the Calgary Flames locker-room after that infamous line brawl on Jan. 18. The Canucks have been held to two goals or fewer in nine of their last 10 games and have just four wins in 15 outings. "We have to fight through this," said Canucks forward Daniel Sedin, whose goal-scoring drought is now at 14 games. "Weve got to believe in what we do out there and start making plays -- I think thats the main thing. When we have the puck I think were too passive. "I think when we have the puck we have to start believing in what were doing." Things were looking good for the home side early in the second period after Sestito doubled the Canucks 1-0 lead with his fifth of the season at 2:44. But the Blackhawks fifth-ranked power play finally made a breakthrough against the leagues No. 3 penalty kill when Hossa finished off a pretty tic-tac-toe passing sequence for his 23rd at 6:30. Chicago then tied things 3:39 later when Saad scored his 15th of the season on a nice deflection. A couple of Luongos Canadian Olympic teammates then conspired to give the Blackhawks a lead they wouldnt surrender. Toews scored his 18th at 10:47 before Sharp rounded out the blitz at 14:27 when he wired a shot farside for his 27th. "Thhey had a few chances early in the game and they kept on pressing," said Luongo.dddddddddddd"Once they got one I felt like it deflated our team and they kept scoring." Vancouver had a chance to get back in the game later in the period, but the leagues 29th-ranked power play, which entered the night on a dismal 2-for-36 run, failed to generate anything. Needing a big third, the Canucks were unable to find a way past Crawford on another man advantage midway through the period as Toews sprawled on the goal-line to keep Higgins effort out. Saad then iced it with 38 seconds left into an empty net. "I think guys are discouraged," said Sullivan. "Weve hit a bump in the road here and weve got to try and dig ourselves out of it. For me, theres no sense putting your head down and shrugging your shoulders. This is an unforgiving league." The Blackhawks grabbed sole possession of first in the Central Division with the victory and sit second in the conference. "Things went smoothly for us the first part of the season and going through what were going through right now is when you find out about everyone," said Quenneville. "(I) still think that stretch hasnt been bad, but it feels so much better when you have that type of effort and get a result as well." With the Canucks set to begin a five-game road trip on Friday night that will take them into the Olympic break, players from both teams heading to the Games in Sochi, Russia, were honoured before the opening faceoff. Fans at Rogers Arena were just settling into their seats after the national anthems when Higgins opened the scoring just 16 seconds into the first. Canucks forward Ryan Kesler shovelled a puck towards the Chicago goal that Higgins sent through Crawfords five-hole for his 15th goal of the season and third in the four games. "Getting scored on the first shift is never a good feeling but we knew that wasnt going to be the difference," said Toews. "We had a great momentum swing in the second scoring four goals like that. It was huge for us." After taking that early punch, the Blackhawks carried the play for much of the rest of the period but couldnt find a way past Luongo or his posts. Blackhawks defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson saw his shot from the point deflect off a stick and hit the crossbar before Hossa also found iron moments later. "Im sure (the teams confidence) is not at an all-time high," said Sullivan. "The greatest thing about confidence is its fleeting. You can get it back just as quick as you lose it. It all starts with a good shift and it grows from there. Weve got to get that snowball going." NOTES: Canucks defenceman Christopher Tanev was added to Vancouvers sick bay prior to the game, missing his first game of the season with an upper-body injury. Also on the shelf at the moment is captain Henrik Sedin, who missed his fourth straight game, while fellow forward Mike Santorelli sat out his sixth straight contest. ... Before the game, a banner honouring both the mens and womens hockey gold medals at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver was unveiled in the rafters at Rogers Arena. Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Niedermayer -- who captained Canadas gold-winning mens team in 2010 -- and former womens national team member Tessa Bonhomme, who also won gold four years ago, performed the ceremonial faceoff before the game. ... The Canucks five-game road trip will take them to Winnipeg, Detroit, Boston, Montreal and Toronto. ... Vancouvers next home game is Feb. 26 against the St. Louis Blues. ... The Blackhawks continue their six-game pre-Olympic road trip on Saturday in San Jose. 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