EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers are improving — but theyre still struggling with defensive lapses. Nike Air Force 1 Low suomi .Ben Scrivens made 32 stops as the Oilers won their second game in a row, handing the Capitals their first loss in regulation this season with a 3-2 victory over Washington on Wednesday.Scrivens faced 13 shots in the third alone, safeguarding Edmontons narrow one-goal lead in the scoreless period.I will say thats not how we want to play in the third period, said Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins. We started backing up and we dont want to do that as a group. Well get better at that for sure. Even though we ended up in our zone a lot, we were able to cover off that bad area. that red zone, and when Ben needed to, he was there for us, he was excellent.Theyre maturing, theyre getting some gamesmanship. Its not like there is a big fire drill going on anymore.Defenceman Justin Schultz agreed with his coach, but put an emphasis on Edmontons progress from game to game.Were improving each game and were definitely trying to clean that up, not be running around and leaving guys open. Its been working for us in the last few games, said Schultz, who added that Scrivens was a game saver. When he plays like that, he always gives us a chance. It wasnt our best effort for us out there, but we found a way to win.Schultz, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nikita Nikitin scored for the Oilers (2-4-1), who had avoided setting a new franchise record for the worst start to the season with a win over Tampa Bay on Monday. Teddy Purcell picked up a pair of assists for Edmonton.John Carlson and Mike Green replied for the Capitals (3-1-2), who saw a two-game winning streak snapped.For the last two periods we played great, said Washington forward Marcus Johansson. We had enough chances to score, we just didnt bury them. It is the small details that can cost you a game and tonight it did. It was a tough one to lose, but thats hockey sometimes. We played well, we just didnt execute and it cost us too much.Capitals goalie Braden Holtby shouldered part of the blame.We did a lot of good things, we just didnt seem to be able to get a bounce, he said. Our team played well enough to get a win. In the end, they won a goaltending battle. Their second goal had no business going in and that was the difference in the game.The Oilers started the scoring seven minutes into the opening period as Purcell made a nice backhand pass from the corner to a pinching Schultz in front, and he beat Holtby for his second goal in as many games.Washington tied the game 1-1 midway through the first on the power play as the Capitals caught Edmonton running around, allowing Carlson to move in tight from the point and beat Scrivens with a bullet of a shot.The Caps next power play with two minutes left in the first was equally dangerous, but Scrivens came up with a huge save in tight on Green to keep the game tied. Edmonton outshot Washington 11-10 through the first 20 minutes.Greens wrist shot from the slot five minutes into the second period gave Washington a 2-1 lead.That lead was short-lived, however, as Nugent-Hopkins picked off an Alex Ovechkin pass and blazed into the Washington zone, scoring just 20 seconds after the Capitals surged ahead.Edmonton regained the lead with four minutes left in the second period as a clumsy power play suddenly connected as Purcell tapped a puck back to the point and Nikitin scored his first as an Oiler on a point shot through traffic.Washington came out flying in the third, but Scrivens stood tall, stopping Ovechkin after he walked around Schultz for a great opportunity.Scrivens almost single-handedly preserved the win as the Capitals buzzed the Edmonton net, outshooting them 12-1 halfway through the third, but the Oilers held on for the victory.The Oilers play the fourth game of a season-high seven-game homestand on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals continue their three-game road trip on Saturday, when they play the second match-up in Calgary against the Flames.There was a moment of silence before the game in recognition of the shootings in Ottawa earlier in the day, as well as the attack in Quebec earlier this week. A sombre crowd loudly sang the Canadian national anthem.Notes: It was the first of two games between these teams this season. Washington won both meetings last season, winning games 10 days apart in October… The Capitals came into the meeting having allowed fewer than 30 shots on net in each of its first five games this season. Last season, Washington permitted 30 or more shots on net in 61 of its 82 games… The clock is ticking on Leon Draisaitl as he played his seventh game of the season with questions about whether the Oilers will keep him past a permitted nine-game audition or return him to junior. Draisaitl, who had an assist to show from his first six games, was the third overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, but picked up another assist on Edmontons third goal… Edmonton backup goalie Viktor Fasth continues to skate with the team and is near to a return from a groin injury… Washington forward Jay Beagle saw his first action of the season after getting injured during the pre-season. Beagle subbed in for Brooks Laich, who sustained a shoulder injury in Saturdays win over the Panthers… Washingtons Nicklas Backstrom picked up his 500th career NHL point on the night. Nike Air Force 1 Low .Desperately needing a win to revive its campaign, Ghana looked to be on the brink of elimination before Gyan ran onto a desperate long ball right at the end and scored past Rais Mbolhi in the Algerian goal. nike air max thea musta . -- Former British Open champion Darren Clarke has withdrawn from the Masters because of a hamstring injury.TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers three questions each week. This week, topics cover if and when the Blue Jays should start rebuilding, how good catchers handle a pitching staff and how best to develop young pitchers to best avoid arm problems. 1. Jim Bowden wrote on ESPN.com this week that the Jays should already be thinking of blowing the team up, deeming last years deals a failure and suggesting that waiting to tear it down would compound the problem. Agree or disagree with Bowdens assessment? Let me first say that I respect Jim Bowden for his knowledge and his experience. He has been around the game for quite a while and knows what he is talking about. That being said, I do not think it is time for the Jays to blow this team up. We are only in the first week of the season. It is far too early to consider demolition plans. The Jays have a ton of offensive talent. I agree with Bowden that on paper they are under-manned in the pitching department. But the game is not played on paper. It is played by people. RA Dickey could return to his Cy Young form of a couple of years ago. Mark Buerhle looked amazing in his first start and Brandon Morrow at one time, when healthy, was dominant. Drew Hutchison and Dustin McGowan have some upside. Of course, there is plenty that needs to go right but funnier things have happened. I didnt think the Pirates had enough pitching last season nor did I think the Orioles had enough pitching in 2012 to be a playoff team. But they both were. Fans need hope. The season begins with hope for all 30 major league teams. Why rob them of that feeling unnecessarily? I agree with Jim Bowden that it is unlikely that the Jays will make the playoffs. I picked them to finish fourth. So I get it. But I have been wrong before and so has Jim. The season is a marathon. There is plenty of time to disassemble if it is appropriate. Quite honestly, if they should do it now, they should have done it in the offseason when more teams could vie for the Jays talent and had money to spend. This may be the worst time to create a market for players as most teams are tapped out financially at the start of the season. They spent their money in the winter. Just ask Kendrys Morales, Stephen Drew and Scott Boras how difficult it is to find GMs with money to spend. The trades of 2013 were a bust for the Jays but it doesnt necessarily mean that things cant work out this year. If and when it becomes clear that hope is lost for 2014, there will be time to tear things apart. But that wont mean that everything has to be done during the season. Take a deep breath and at least enjoy some hope. 2. The Jays players are already expressing admiration for new catcher Dioner Navarro and the way he handles the staff, in some ways taking not so veiled shots at former catcher JP Arencibias struggles behind the plate. What is your assessment of Navarro and can you explain the intimacies of "handling a staff" and what that really means? Many fans know and use the term, but few really understand the minute details or why it is so important. I am not surprised that Dionner Navarro is getting rave reviews for his ability to handle the pitching staff. Some part of that is about him and some part of that is about the deficiencies of JP Arencibia in the past. We often talk about a catcher "handling a pitching staff" and just assume that everyone knows what we mean. Let me see if I can explain it. It is imperative for a catcher to know his pitchers. He doesnt just have to know what pitches they throw but he has to know when they should be thrown, to whom they should be thrown, how hard to throw them and where to throw them. He has to understand how each individual pitchers arsenal of pitches can attack each hitter on the opposition. The catcher has to know how each pitcher handles pressure. He has to understand when they arent quite right on a given day and what to do to get them right. He has to know the keys for each pitchers delivery and when they are out of sync how to get them back on track. The catcher has to read body language. He has to communicate confidence and support with his own body language. Some players are smart. They can rationally think through situations and know what to do. Some players have instincts, which is defined as a "feel" for the game; an idea about what needs to be done in this time and space. Their natural reactions can lead them down the right path without tremendous thhought.Nike Free 4.0 musta. The best players have a combination of intelligence and instincts. Navarro has both and it can be seen in his work behind the plate. He has the feel and intelligence to evaluate the situation and what is needed to be successful. This will lead to improved preparation and execution over the course of the season. The Jays need to maximize the talents of their pitching staff as they are not as deep as other teams. Navarro is just the guy for the job. 3. Another season, another rash of pitching injuries, with the Mets Bobby Parnell the latest to possibly face Tommy John surgery. He would be the third Met to have TJS in under a year. GM Sandy Alderson told the NY Times its an "industry-wide problem." Pitch counts and innings limits for young pitchers dont appear to have made much of an impact. Do you acknowledge this as an industrywide problem - or is it more of a team/system problem as it does seem to hit some teams (including the Jays) more than others. What do you think is the best way to bring a pitcher along after draft day? And has your mind changed on that over time? Injuries for pitchers is a GMs worst nightmare. Just when you think you have enough pitching, injuries happen and you can find yourself shorthanded. The arm is not built to throw a baseball. Every time a pitcher throws the ball, there are fibers that tear in the shoulder, bicep, tricep and forearm. I have seen thermodynamic pictures of a pitchers arm before and after pitching. The amount of heat given off from the bleeding in the arm after pitching is profound. You can only imagine the toll that throwing a couple of hundred innings can take on a pitchers arm. In 2013, Justin Verlander threw 218 innings and 3692 pitches (most in majors). That doesnt include the 23 innings he tossed in the playoffs, nor does it count spring training innings and pitches. In addition to all of this game activity, Verlander had pitching practice between starts. The bottom line is that his arm took a ton of abuse. When I became general manager of the Mets in July of 1997, one of the first things I did was call a meeting with our top pitching coaches and team doctors. We were having a significant number of arm injuries and it was severely impacting the pitching depth in our organization. The outcome of that meeting was clear; pitchers can injure their arms in two ways: fatigue and poor mechanics. Too much throwing for any pitcher can lead to injury. It doesnt matter if he has perfect mechanics or the worst mechanics; too much throwing can break down any arm. There was an old school belief that the more pitchers throw the stronger they get. The science doesnt support that. Fatigue breaks down the arm. Mechanics for a pitcher is critical. He has to be able to repeat his delivery in order to throw consistent strikes. If a pitcher has poor mechanics in his delivery, he can put more pressure on his elbow or shoulder, making it more prone to injury. Pitchers can pitch with poor mechanics but they are much more prone to injury, especially if they are fatigued. Poor mechanics lead pitchers to tire more quickly and when tired, the poor mechanics make the pitcher more vulnerable. It is really that simple. After this meeting, we implemented very stringent pitch count limits in our minor league system and dramatically reduced the number of arm injuries. The arm only has so many bullets in it. They cant all be wasted in the minor leagues. We had to learn to be more efficient in our player development. I predicted Stephen Strasburgs arm problems a couple of years ago. He has poor mechanics, which put a significant amount of stress on his elbow and shoulder. You might wonder why they just dont try and correct his mechanics. Often times, cleaning up a pitchers poor mechanics can rob him of what makes him special: velocity, movement or deception. In Strasburgs case, his mechanics are his mechanics. It is how he is wired to throw a ball. I completely supported the Nats when they made the unpopular decision to shut Strasburg down even when they were going to the playoffs in 2012. If the Nats dont take dramatic steps to protect their big right-hander moving forward, he will break down again. He is so valuable to their franchise they are crazy if they dont. Arm injuries will always be part of the game. But I truly believe that individual organizations can make significant strides in reducing arm injuries. Throwing less to pitch more is the answer. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ChinaWholesale Jerseys ' ' '
