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Five Things We Learned From Ken Norton Jr.’s Appearance On 710 ESPN SeattleKey takeaways from defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.'s interview on 710 ESPN Seattle.Podcast Player - Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer talks 2018 seasonFive Things We Learned From Brian Schottenheimer’s Appearance On 710 ESPN SeattleKey takeaways from offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's appearance on 710 ESPN Seattle.Podcast Player - Seahawks DC Ken Norton Jr. on the 2018 seasonThursday Round-Up: Colville High School Coach Nominated For 2018 Don Shula NFL High School Coach Of The Year AwardColville High School football coach Randy Cornwell was recognized by the Seattle Seahawks for his leadership Germain Ifedi Jersey Green , character and integrity, and on-field success.Podcast: Dallas aftermath, the 2018 season and looking ahead 芦 Seahawks Draft BlogOpinion: Seattle Seahawks – the lost season that wasn’t – The Observer0 Flares 0 Flares 脳 To say the Seahawks had a rough off-season before the 2018 opener would be putting on a thick coat of sugar. Richard Sherman said the Seahawks lost their way after he was released. Rumors dropped alleging Seattle’s supposed coddling of star quarterback Russell Wilson. Earl Thomas was contemplating holding out,...Seahawks QB Russell Wilson to attend Yankees spring training again | SI.comSeahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will attend Yankees spring training again this year.Seahawks fire strength and conditioning staff, head trainer – ProFootballTalkSeahawks head strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle wasn't the only member of the team's strength staff to get let go this week. Assistant strength and conditioning coaches Mondray Gee and Jamie Yanchar, and head trainer Donald Rich were also fired by the team this week, sources told PFT...Seahawks grades: Final judgment of the 2018 seasonFinal Seahawks grades for the 2018 season. Seattle may not have won a Super Bowl but they exceeded expectations and the grades show that.Around The NFL Podcast: Divisional Round Preview - NFL.comThe heroes -- Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler and Chris Wesseling -- react to the latest coaching moves and Antonio Brown's relationship with the Steelers, and they break down this weekend's games.Rams' Zac Taylor is favorite to land Bengals job - NFL.comZac Taylor is coaching a team that is still alive in a chase for a Lombardi Trophy. But whenever and however that chase ends, he'll be wanted on the banks of the Ohio River for a promotion.Bruce Arians: Bucs OC Byron Leftwich is a 'rising star' - NFL.comBruce Arians is back in football after a yearlong sabbatical that took him to broadcast booths across the country. From that vantage point, he had a pretty good view of what Byron Leftwich was doing.Steelers president open to trading WR Antonio Brown - NFL.comHas Antonio Brown played his final down in Pittsburgh? Steelers president Art Rooney II said Thursday that while they won't release Brown "all other options are on the table."Broncos' Vic Fangio: 'Von Miller can play even better' - NFL.comVic Fangio has long been one of the smartest defensive minds in football. And in Von Miller he inherits one of the league's best players. The new Broncos coach believes Miller's best days are still ahead.Leonard Fournette, Tom Coughlin meet to clear air - NFL.comA week after Jaguars executive vice president Tom Coughlin openly criticized RB Leonard Fournette, the two sides met to smooth things over and are prepared to move forward amicably, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.Reports: Nick Rapone, Kevin Garver to join Buccaneers coaching staff – ProFootballTalkBruce Arians is continuing to get the band back together in Tampa. Wide receivers coach Kevin Garver is leaving the Arizona Cardinals to re-join Arians with the Buccaneers, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.Alshon Jeffery thinks Adam Gase will turn Sam Darnold into MVP candidate – ProFootballTalkPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery only spent one season with Adam Gase as his offensive coordinator in Chicago. That short stint left a strong impression with Jeffery and has him predicting big things for Gase and quarterback Sam Darnold in New York. A month after the Seattle Seahawks slapped an original-round tender on defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson Patrick Kerney Jersey , the big man has reportedly signed that offer to remain with the team.Tom Pelissero..."A month after the Seattle Seahawks slapped an original-round tender on defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson, the big man has reportedly signed that offer to remain with the team.Tom Pelissero reports that Jefferson has signed the restricted free agent tender, which is one-year, $2.025 million for the former fifth-round pick.Jefferson was drafted by Seattle in 2016, but found himself on injured reserve after hurting his knee early in the season. The Seahawks waived him prior to the start of the 2017 regular season. He was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams and was there for about 3 minutes, then was brought back by Seattle later that season. Last season, Jefferson appeared in every game and started a dozen of them. He racked up three sacks, five TFLs, two passes defensed, a fumble recovery, and 25 tackles. The 26-year-old has become a regular part of Seattle’s defensive line rotation, so it’s a welcome sight to see that he’s been re-signed.The Seahawks also notably gave tackle and fellow RFA George Fant a second-round tender, worth $3.095 million. He has not signed that tender yet, although with Seattle’s offseason workout program underway, you can probably expect news of Fant’s signing to follow suit.This Quinton Jefferson news was obviously the contract update you all were desperately wanting to hear about on April 15th. Hopefully this calms some nerves.

Jimmy Garoppolo didn't feel the need to throw any chairs http://www.49erslockerroom.com/authentic-robbie-gould-jersey , yell at teammates or do just about anything different following a season-opening loss.Sure, he might have lost his first game as a starting quarterback since he was back at Eastern Illinois, but Garoppolo kept the same approach he had while leading the San Francisco 49ers to five straight wins to end last season."I think it's pretty easy," Garoppolo said Wednesday. "I come in here every day grinding, trying to be the best quarterback for this team that I can be. As long as I have that mindset, I think I'll be all right."Garoppolo was far from his best last week in a 24-16 loss at Minnesota. He completed less than half his passes, threw three interceptions and led the 49ers (0-1) to just one touchdown in his first start since signing a five-year, $137.5 million contract in the offseason.Garoppolo earned that deal after winning his first seven career starts, including two in New England in 2016. Garoppolo's last loss as a starter came in the FCS playoffs when Towson beat Eastern Illinois 49-39.That game ended Garoppolo's college career so the last time he had to come back from a loss came after a loss at Northern Illinois on Sept. 21 Terrell Owens Jersey , 2013, and Garoppolo bounced back to throw for 322 yards and three TDs in a 42-7 win over Eastern Kentucky.He will try for a similar result in the home opener Sunday against Detroit (0-1) and coach Kyle Shanahan sees the same approach as always from his quarterback."I'd be disappointed if it was different," Shanahan said. "Jimmy tries his hardest every week. I know he didn't have his best game last week, but he doesn't need to come in here and make stuff up. He's had some successful games in this league. He's going to have plenty more. He just needs to get back to work."Garoppolo went 15 for 33 for 261 yards last week against a Minnesota defense that was ranked first in the NFL a year ago and his three interceptions were the most by a San Francisco quarterback in a season opener since Hall of Famer Steve Young did it in 1993 against Pittsburgh.One interception came when Kendrick Bourne ran the wrong pattern, another on a high throw and the third when Garoppolo was trying to lead a late comeback.There were some bright moments, too, most notably when Garoppolo spun out of pressure and found Dante Pettis with an off-balance throw to the back of the end zone for a 22-yard TD."I like guys who aren't scared to fail," Shanahan said. "They're going to let it rip. They're not going to just guess and gamble, but they're trying to win the game and they try to see stuff and they try to let it rip. You do the best you can and then you live with the consequences. What you don't want is someone who isn't sure and they're scared to get blamed so they sit there and take a sack. It's really hard to win when you have that unless you depend on everyone else."That play led to San Francisco's only touchdown on four red zone drives against the Vikings. That was also a problem last year when the Niners had TDs on just 12 of 28 red zone trips in Garoppolo's starts.Some of the problems in the opener were self-inflicted Jerick McKinnon Jersey , like when Alfred Morris lost a fumble at the 1 in the first half and when Garoppolo threw high to an open George Kittle later in the game. There was also a third-down pass to Pierre Garcon that was broken up in the end zone, leading to another field goal."It gets tougher down there, and when you have an opportunity and you miss it you will not have a good day in the red zone," Shanahan said. "Not going to reinvent the wheel, but we're going to try and get better at that stuff."NOTES: The Niners placed LB Brock Coyle on IR with a concussion and a broken bone in his back. He can't have contact for at least six weeks. ... G Mike Person (foot), G Joshua Garnett (toe), WR Marquise Goodwin (thigh), S Adrian Colbert (hamstring) and LB Malcolm Smith (hamstring) all missed practice and are day to day. ... The team signed LB Terence Garvin to a one-year deal and promoted OL Najee Toran from the practice squad to the active roster. ... WR Frank Stephens was signed to the practice squad. ... WR Aaron Burbridge was released off IR with an injury settlement.Golden Nuggets: 49ers lose one of their primetime games In a move that surprises no one, the 49ers’ game against the Rams that was scheduled for Sunday Night Football on October 21st has been moved up to the afternoon. The NFL moved a more likely enjoyable game in its place. The Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals will now face off on Sunday night in place of the 49ers game. The NFL was hoping to have the 49ers competing in the NFC West with Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan against Jared Goff and Sean McVay. But after Jimmy went down for the season Womens Laken Tomlinson Jersey , it was only a matter of time that the decision was made to move their game. An undefeated team versus a one win team was not what the NFL was looking for when they made the schedule.The 49ers still have 4 more primetime games, but they are likely to lose the December 2nd Sunday Night game against the Seattle Seahawks unless they have a quick turnaround in their play. They still have their other 3 primetime games that they can’t lose because Monday and Thursday night games cannot be changed. The nation will be able to see the injury depleted 49ers at least 3 times whether they want to or not.On Tuesday, the 49ers made a few roster moves. They released DB Dexter McCoil and WR Frank Stephens from the practice squad. They signed RB Matthew Dayes, OL Najee Toran, and DB Tyvis Powell to the practice squad. 49ers linksLooking for players at all positions | Looking for backups (Inman)Trade Sherman? (Inman)Makes sense for SNF | Moving the Rams-49ers game out of SNF (Florio)Will probably lose one more | Losing the primetime slot (Inman)QBs are staying away from him. But they are torching the others | Sherman having a good season so far (Gayle)Out of Sunday Night Football (49ers staff)TOs and sacks | Some eye-opening stats (Madson)Practice squad moves (49ers staff)Time to look at who the 49ers should eye for the draft | Draft season (Call)He’s allowed only 1 reception all year | Richard Sherman still has it (Linsey)Added 3 players to practice squad (Madson)Rams - 49ers moved to 1:25 pm PT kickoff (Madson)He has not been an issue for the defense | Sherman’s numbers (Madson)Bottom of the power rankings (Madson)Will they get it?| In position to get #1 pick (Madson)Big lose for the 49ers and SNF | Losing Jimmy G helped 49ers lose SNF (Biderman)They will likely lose one more | Lost one of their primetime games (Branch)6 TOs so far | CJ’s turnovers (Madson)Down QB1, RB1, RB2, and so many others | Injuries piling up (Almquist)Addressing the pass rush (Biderman)Time for the future to play a bigger role (Cohn)49ers audioInsider podcast (Maiocco)

LAS VEGAS (AP) Jonathan Marchessault vowed after the Golden Knights‘ morning skate to come out swinging in Game 3 of the Western Conference final Womens Bryan Rust Jersey , looking to avoid a back-and-forth affair with the Winnipeg Jets.He didn’t disappoint.For the second straight game, Marchessault scored two goals – including one just 35 seconds into the game – to lead Vegas to a 4-2 victory Wednesday night, helping the expansion Golden Knights to a 2-1 series lead.Vegas, two wins from advancing to the Stanley Cup final, improved to 5-1 at home in the playoffs and host Game 4 on Friday night.”We worked all year to get in a position like that,” Marchessault said. ”We definitely can’t take it for granted. They got to come out like their season’s on the line, so we’ve got to be ready to push back and get some energy off the crowd.”Marchessault added an empty-net goal with 3 seconds left, becoming the first player in league history to score in the first and last 60 seconds of the same Stanley Cup playoff game, according to the NHL. He leads Vegas with 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in the postseason, and needs two goals to tie the NHL record for the most by a player in his club’s first postseason appearance.James Neal and Alex Tuch also scored for Vegas, while Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 33 shots.Mark Scheifele scored both of Winnipeg’s goals and has a playoff-leading 14 goals in 15 postseason games. Connor Hellebuyck had 26 saves for the Jets Josh Jooris Jersey Womens , who arrived in Las Vegas having outscored their opposition 23-15 in road games during the playoffs.”A few miscues and they made us pay for it; that can’t happen,” Scheifele said. ”We can’t sulk on this too long. We’ve got to pick ourselves up tomorrow and be ready for a big game on Friday.”Scheifele is correct, with history against the Jets, who are trailing in a series for the first time this postseason. Teams with a 2-1 lead in the conference final (or NHL semifinals) have won the series 35 of 43 times (81.4 percent) since 1975.”That’s an important challenge,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. ”We’re going to have to be able to handle that. It would be rare that you lead the series straight through. We want to make sure we deal with our loss, don’t carry it too heavily and then come up with our finest game of the post-season.”The problem for Winnipeg is stopping a Golden Knights team that is finally seeing production from the depth of its lineup.While Marchessault got things going early to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead, their second line of Neal, Tuch and Erik Haula continued to heat up.After Scheifele tied the game in the second period, Neal answered 12 seconds later after Haula dished a perfect pass to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. Tuch notched his fifth goal of the playoffs after Neal fed him with a nifty pass from behind the net.”They played on the road trip, they just didn’t have many chances to score and I thought they were more involved in the offense and they were skating, and they played really well,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said about his second line.Scheifele’s second goal of the game 18 seconds into the third seemingly sparked the Jets Melker Karlsson Jersey , but they couldn’t solve Fleury, who made several huge saves late in the game to preserve Vegas’ lead.After stonewalling Tyler Myers‘ breakaway attempt with 11:50 left in the game, he stymied Scheifele’s back-to-back shot with 9:30 remaining. Less than two minutes later, he smothered the puck with a slew of players piled near the crease.”He’s made unbelievable saves,” Gallant said of Fleury. ”They were obviously important at a key time for us. That’s Fleury. He’s been great all playoffs, he’s been great all year for us. He’s a guy that has fun out there. I’m sweating on the bench yelling my head off and I look down there and he’s just having fun.”He sure is. During a scrum behind the Golden Knights’ net with 2:34 left in the second period, Fleury reached over and tickled the left ear of the Jets’ Blake Wheeler – whose back was to the goalie.”I was just sitting there and people, they were fighting,” Fleury said, ”and (I was) trying to have a little smile by myself. That was it.”Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck with 1:03 left, but Marchessault’s empty-netter with 3 seconds left sealed the win.”I didn’t imagine it in October and November, but come around January Tyler Ennis Jersey Womens , we knew we had a good hockey team,” Gallant said. ”I didn’t know if we’d go this far right now, but I knew we had (as good) a chance as anybody else. Early January, around the All-Star game, I was a strong believer in our team. I knew we were going to battle well, compete well and no one was going to push us over, that’s for sure.”NOTES: The Jets had scored a power-play goal in 11 of the 13 playoff games, but was 0 for 2 with a man advantage in this one. … Winnipeg hadn’t lost back-to-back games during the playoffs. The last time it dropped consecutive games was a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) from March 10-13. … The Golden Knights welcomed the family of Humboldt Broncos head coach and GM Darcy Haugan, wife Christina and children Carson and Jackson. … With his two goals, Scheifele now owns the NHL record for most goals scored on the road in a single playoffs with 11, surpassing Sidney Crosby and Joe Mullen, each with 10.UP NEXTGame 4 is Friday night in Las Vegas. OTTAWA — Dark clouds are circling over the Ottawa Senators Tim Heed Jersey , who hope to make it through Saturday without getting drenched.The season forecast could hinge on what hits them in the morning.The status of team leading scorer Matt Duchene and veteran winger Bobby Ryan is expected to be made clear when the team returns to work after Friday’s day off. Article continues below ...Both players were injured during Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, after which Senators coach Guy Boucher said both “could be” out long term.The Senators (12-14-3) are still among the pack in the playoff chase, but after back-to-back losses they are also only a couple of points from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins in home-ice starts less than 24 hours apart — beginning with Saturday’s game against a Penguins team that’s revving its engine — will be a difficult challenge even if the Senators catch a break on the Duchene and Ryan injury fronts.They can ill afford to lose either player for an extended period.“I would like to say going forward it’s going to be better,” goalie Craig Anderson said after the Senators were sunk by a second-period breakdown against the Montreal Canadiens — for the second time in two days — after stringing three wins together the previous week.“We have to make sure we do everything we can to make it better and be more consistent. Losing that momentum, making it two, three, four (losses), that’s where things start to be a little sour. We want to make sure we don’t go down that path.”The Penguins (12-10-5) will be starting a three-game road trip when they visit Ottawa. They are coming off back-to-back wins (6-3 over Colorado and 6-2 over the New York Islanders) for the first time since October. Pittsburgh is now 5-2-1 in its last eight games.“Obviously this year hasn’t started off the best for us,” Penguins winger Phil Kessel told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’re right in it. There’s lots of hockey to play. We have to keep improving and getting better.”Taking over the goaltending reins since the injury to Matt Murray, Casey DeSmith is now 5-1-1 in his last seven starts.“That’s what happens when the whole team comes out and plays really well, plays really hard,” DeSmith told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after stopping 19 of 21 shots in Thursday’s win over the Islanders. “Dominated at home Alex Pietrangelo Jersey Kids , that’s something we’ve been wanting to do more and more lately. I think (Thursday) was kind of a culmination of that. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling.”This will be the second of three meetings between Ottawa and Pittsburgh this season. The Senators, who are 9-5-2 at Canadian Tire Centre, defeated the Penguins 6-4 on Nov. 17 at PPG Paints Arena, with Duchene and Mark Stone each scoring twice and Anderson making 31 saves.Anderson, who is 6-10-3 in his career against the Penguins, is expected to get the start Saturday. In that case, coach Guy Boucher would likely go with backup Mike McKenna versus the Bruins.“The major thing we have to do is play with the puck a little more,” said Anderson, who has faced more rubber than any other goalie this season. “That’s the key.”

GLENDALE Mikael Granlund Jersey , Ariz. (AP) — Calgary coach Bill Peters took one on the chin Sunday, and so did the team his Flames dominated, the Arizona Coyotes.Noah Hanifin and Mark Jankowski each scored twice, former Coyotes goalie Mike Smith just missed his 38th career shutout and the Flames routed Arizona 6-1.Smith, making his first start in five games, made 28 saves in his first win since Nov. 1.Peters wasn’t around to watch about 10 minutes of the game after he was hit in the left jaw with a puck while standing in his customary spot in the bench area early in the second period. He needed eight stitches and returned late in the period.“I think it’s going to hurt more tomorrow, right?” Peters said after the game, the nasty cut and stitches clearly visible. “One of those things. There’s not a lot of room up there, you’ve got to be paying attention. … They did a good job, got me stitched up and back to work. … Hopefully, it’s the last time, but I doubt it.”The Flames have won four of five but were coming off a loss to Las Vegas. Peters liked what he saw.“We’ve got a good group. We like our team,” he said. “When we have time to practice and work on things typically we get better.This sets up real well. We’ve played every other day for a long time now. Now we get a day off and then we get another practice and we’ve got two at home.”Calgary led 6-0 before Clayton Keller scored for Arizona with 6:16 remaining.Three of the Flames’ goals were short-handed.“If you have a chance to make something happen Youth Mikko Koivu Jersey , do it,” Hanifin said. “They want us to make plays. A team like Arizona, they have a ton of short-handed goals this year. It just shows that if the opportunity is there, take it.”The Coyotes have allowed five shorted-handed goals in their last two games.“The power play is horrendous,” Arizona coach Rick Tocchet said. “It really cost us. The effort on the power play is not there. The 5-on-5 we’re fine at, but it’s just we lose juice during the power play. … A lot of our best players are on the power play and they have to stick with the program and right now they’re not, and that falls on me.”Hours after the game, the Coyotes traded forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini to Chicago for forward Nick Schmaltz in a swap involving three former first-round picks.Strome went No. 3 overall in 2015, but the 6-foot-3 forward has just seven goals and nine assists in 47 career games. Perlini has two goals and four assists in 22 games this season.Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie also scored for Calgary. The Flames rebounded from a loss at Las Vegas on Friday night and have won four of five. Arizona has lost four in a row, counting in overtime loss, and has been outscored 11-2 in the two games since goalie Antti Raanta returned after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. The Coyotes finished the home stand 1-3-1.“We have to regroup here and especially not feel sorry for ourselves,” Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. “That’s the last thing you can do in this league. You just have to work harder, that’s it Ryan Suter Jersey , just work had and support each other and come to the rink with a positive attitude.”About the only thing that did go wrong for Calgary was Elias Lindholm’s failed penalty shot attempt, the puck knocked away by Raanta.Hanifon’s first goal came on a power play and his second was short-handed. The Flames’ two other short-handed goals, by Brodie and Jankowski, came in a 24-second span in the third period.“That was crazy. It’s fresh to me,” Hanifin said. “I have never seen that.”NOTES: With an assist on Hanifin’s second goal, James Neal earned his 500th career point. “A big number,” Peters said. … Smith has one shutout this season. … Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larson remains two assists shy of 200 for his career. … Smith played six seasons for the Coyotes before being traded to the Flames on June 17, 2017. … With an assist on Calgary’s first goal, Mark Giordano earned his 200th career point for the Flames, 12th-most in franchise history. He needs one point to reach 400 for his career. … The Coyotes entered the game at 29th in the NHL in goals per game. … Keller’s goal was his sixth of the season.UP NEXTFlames: Host Dallas on Wednesday night.Coyotes: At Minnesota on Tuesday night. BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Ryan O’Reilly was unable to hide his dejection as he acknowledged that the Sabres‘ latest last-place finish led him to question his love for hockey.If that wasn’t enough, the high-priced center accused the Sabres of adopting a mindset of ”being OK with losing.””It’s crept into all of our games. Yeah, it’s disappointing. It’s sad Evgeny Svechnikov Jersey Womens ,” O’Reilly said Monday, two days after Buffalo closed one of its worst seasons in franchise history. ”I feel throughout the year I’ve lost the love of the game multiple times, and just need to get back to it because it’s eating myself up, and eats the other guys up, too.”Losing is all O’Reilly knows in the three seasons since being acquired in a trade with Colorado, after which the Sabres signed him to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension.Rather than being part of a rebuilding plan, which included Buffalo selecting Jack Eichel with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft, O’Reilly and company find themselves back at square one. They became the NHL’s first team to finish 31st – following this year’s addition of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights – after back-to-back 30th-place finishes in 2013-14 and 2014-’15.This year’s collapse is considerably worse given that Buffalo’s trajectory was supposed to be trending upward under the new regime of general manager Jason Botterill and coach Phil Housley. They took over last spring after the Sabres underachieved in finishing 26th under GM Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma”We have to evaluate everything, coaching staff, the players. What are they willing to change?” Housley said. ”There comes a point in your career where you have to realize what’s important. Obviously, winning, what it takes to win Womens Zach Parise Jersey , the commitment to win in this league. And that’s what we talk about change.”Very little went right in a season Buffalo opened 1-5-2 and closed 2-9, extending the franchise’s longest playoff drought to a seventh straight year.Buffalo matched a franchise low for home wins by going 11-25-5, including a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers in the Winter Classic at New York City. The Sabres finished last in the NHL with 199 goals scored, 91 goals at home and in being outscored by 81 goals.Their best run was a three-game win streak, all on the road, while the Sabres went winless over four or more games seven times, including an 0-5-2 skid from Nov. 10-22.The reality of how bad the Sabres were, set in at the midpoint of the season for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.”It was around Christmas and we were done, and we still had 40 games to play,” Ristolainen said. ”Everyone wants to make the playoffs so bad, and we weren’t even close.”LIKING EICHEichel led Buffalo with a career-best 25 goals and 64 points in 67 games, despite missing 15 games with a sprained right ankle. Much more is expected next season when Eichel’s eight-year, $80 million contract kicks in.”Things will get better and it starts with me Andrew Shaw Jersey ,” Eichel said. ”Everybody needs to look at themselves and figure out what they’re doing. Obviously, whatever I’ve been doing hasn’t been working. What we’ve been doing as a team hasn’t been working.”DOWN ON THE FARMWhile the Sabres are done, their AHL Rochester Americans affiliate qualified for the playoffs for the first time in four years. The Americans feature several Sabres prospects being counted upon to play in Buffalo full-time next season including forward Alexander Nylander, defenseman Brendan Guhle and goalie Linus Ullmark.FREE AGENTSThe Sabres have a decision to make in goal with starter Robin Lehner set to become a restricted free agent and backup Chad Johnson eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. The team’s other pending unrestricted free agents include forwards Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Nolan, and defenseman Josh Gorges.Forward Sam Reinhart, who scored a career-best 25 goals, completed his three-year entry level contract and eligible to be a restricted free agent.OFF TO THE WORLDSRookie first-round draft pick Casey Mittelstadt accepted Hockey USA’s invitation to compete at the world championships in Denmark next month. Mittelstadt signed with Buffalo last month after completing his freshman season at Minnesota. The center won a bronze medal representing the U.S. at the World Junior hockey championships in January.INJURIESLehner visited a specialist Monday to assess a lower body injury that forced him to miss the final five games. D Zach Bogosian expects to be cleared to skate by June after having season-ending hip surgery in January.—

CHICAGO (AP) — These Vegas Golden Knights are beginning to look like the old Vegas Golden Knights.Well Filip Forsberg Jersey , like the Golden Knights of last season, at least.Cody Eakin and Shea Theodore each had two goals and an assist, and Vegas beat the Chicago Blackhawks 8-3 on Tuesday night for its season-high fourth consecutive victory.“I think everyone’s putting in the work,” Eakin said. “I think it’s just a matter of finding that chemistry with new guys. Our D are playing the right way. Our forwards are getting open for them. We’re doing the right things and we’re starting to see some positive outcomes from it.”Alex Tuch added a goal and an assist as Vegas continued its resurgence in the opener of a three-game trip. William Karlsson, Ryan Reaves and Daniel Carr also scored Juuse Saros Jersey , and Marc-Andre Fleury made 21 saves for his sixth win in his last seven starts.The Golden Knights (13-12-1), who made it to the Stanley Cup Final last season as an expansion team, improved to 4-0 against the Blackhawks since entering the league.“We’ve been trying to concentrate on our defensive part. Getting pucks out and simplifying has really helped,” Tuch said. “I know we have a lot of offensive weapons in this room, but if we concentrate on the team first Kyle Turris Jersey , things are working out for us.”Dylan Strome had a goal and an assist in his Chicago debut, but the sliding Blackhawks lost for the third time in four games. Defensemen Gustav Forsling and Erik Gustafsson also scored.Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford stopped 24 of 30 shots before he was replaced by Cam Ward for the third period. Ward finished with 11 saves.“If you don’t defend hard enough then you don’t give yourself a chance to win,” coach Jeremy Colliton said.Strome and Brendan Perlini were acquired in a trade with Arizona on Sunday night for Nick Schmaltz in a swap of former first-round draft picks. Strome, who went No. 3 overall in 2015, looked quite comfortable while centering a line with former junior hockey teammate Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane.But that was about the only bright spot for Chicago (9-11-5) Youth Matt Irwin Jersey , which got off to another slow start and committed a couple of ugly errors in its worst defensive performance of the season.“We’re giving up way too much,” captain Jonathan Toews said. “Getting behind the 8-ball early in games and tonight, we start pressing, trying to create offense, and we just open things up way more Womens Mattias Ekholm Jersey , and just make mistakes.”Carr, Tuch and Eakin scored in the first as Vegas jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Carr got his first of the season at 2:10, Tuch picked off Crawford’s errant pass and extended his goal streak to three games at 12:14, and Eakin converted a slick backhand in front at 16:14.The Blackhawks have been outscored 11-1 in the first period over their last four games.Fleury lost a shutout streak of 150 minutes, 54 seconds when Forsling’s shot ricocheted off Karlsson and into the net 29 seconds into the second. Karlsson responded with a power-play goal at 6:27.“I felt we controlled the game in the second and third P.K Subban Jersey ,” Fleury said. “I thought we had the puck and we didn’t give them many shots.”Theodore and Reaves also scored in the second to extend the Golden Knights’ lead to 6-2 going into the third. Eakin was credited for his 10th of the season when his shot went off Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith all alone in front and into the net midway through the final period.NOTES: It was the most goals allowed by Chicago at home since an 8-3 loss to Nashville on Jan. 5, 2007. … Vegas D Deryk Engelland had three assists. … Blackhawks D Henri Jokiharju was held out because of an illness. Fs Chris Kunitz and Andreas Martinsen also were scratched. … Blackhawks D Brandon Davidson had right knee surgery. He is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks. … It was Strome’s second multipoint performance in 49 NHL games.UP NEXTGolden Knights: Visit the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.Blackhawks: At the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night. PITTSBURGH (AP) Penguins goaltender Matt Murray looks ready to return from a concussion that’s kept him out for the past three weeks.Murray practiced with his teammates on Monday and could be available on Tuesday night when the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions visit the New York Islanders.Coach Mike Sullivan said Murray looked strong during Pittsburgh’s workout. Murray hasn’t played since taking a shot off his mask in practice late last month.The Penguins created a spot for Murray on the roster on Monday when they reassigned Tristan Jarry to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Jarry split starts with Casey DeSmith during Murray’s absence.Pittsburgh has hung tough without Murray, who helped backstop the Penguins to consecutive Cups. The Penguins trail first-place Washington by two points in the Metropolitan Division with 10 games left in the regular season.—

New Jersey Devils (26-36-9 San Jose Sharks Hats Authentic , eighth in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Vancouver Canucks (29-32-9, sixth in the Pacific Division)Vancouver, British Columbia; Friday, 10 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Vancouver plays New Jersey at Rogers Arena in a non-conference matchup.The Canucks are 16-13-4 at home. Vancouver averages 9.3 penalty minutes per game, the sixth-most in the league. Antoine Roussel leads the team serving 118 total minutes.The Devils have gone 9-24-3 away from home. New Jersey leads the Eastern Conference with 10 shorthanded goals, led by Blake Coleman with three. In their last meeting on Dec. 31, New Jersey won 4-0.TOP PERFORMERS: Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks with 32 assists and has recorded 58 points this season. Bo Horvat has scored four goals over the last 10 games for Vancouver.LAST 10 GAMES: Devils: 2-7-1 Custom San Jose Sharks Jerseys , averaging 2.1 goals, 3.3 assists, 4.3 penalties and 9.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game with a .905 save percentage.Canucks: 3-5-2, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.8 assists, 2.7 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game with a .914 save percentage.Canucks Injuries: Quinn Hughes: out (lower body), Ashton Sautner: day to day (undisclosed) www.officialblues.com , Ryan Spooner: out (general soreness), Antoine Roussel: out for season (lower body), Ben Hutton: day to day (lower body).Devils Injuries: Sami Vatanen: out (upper body), Miles Wood: out (ankle), Nico Hischier: day to day (upper body), Jesper Bratt: out (lower body), Mirco Mueller: out (undisclosed). UNIONDALE St. Louis Blues T-Shirts Authentic , N.Y. (AP) — Justin Williams, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, has scored many big goals. The puck found his stick after he left the penalty box in the third period Tuesday night, and the veteran forward scored another to lift Carolina to a fifth-straight win.Williams got his 299th career goal at 17:18 of the third and the Hurricanes beat the Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night to snap New York’s six-game winning streak.His 10th goal of the season made it 3-2. The 37-year-old forward flipped a backhand past goaltender Thomas Greiss with an assist from Greg McKegg.“I was hoping they would kill off the penalty and they did. Then I got a great pass, the top side opened up and it turns out to be the game-winning goal,” Williams said. “That team makes you earn everything. We got it done.”Jaccob Slavin made it 4-2 for the Hurricanes with a power-play goal at 18:53 before Brock Nelson scored his second of the game for the Islanders at 19:01.Curtis McElhinney made 28 saves for Carolina, which also got goals from Saku Maenalanen and McKegg.The Islanders were coming off a three-goal comeback win over St. Louis on Saturday following an overtime home win over Chicago last Thursday. The loss left their coach Barry Trotz frustrated about his team’s lack of execution.Trotz was perturbed the Islanders gave up McKegg’s goal with only six seconds left in the first as well as Williams’ tally on a broken play in the Islanders’ zone.“I thought we just mismanaged the game St. Louis Blues Hoodies Authentic ,” Trotz said. “There are certain moments where you have to execute what is in the best interest of the group. We didn’t do that. That’s a good way to lose hockey games. That one or two points we could have had, we just threw them away.”Rookie defenseman Devon Toews tied it early in the third period for New York. It was his second goal since being recalled from AHL Bridgeport.Nelson opened the scoring 13:42 into the first period, but Carolina tied it when rookie Maenalanen scored his first goal at 15:10. The 24-year-old Maenalanen played his fifth career game after signing with Carolina last May as a free agent. He previously played for Karpat of the Finnish League.“Saku had a good game. He’s been a huge boost,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We are finding ways to win right now and we know we can be better.”McKegg put the Hurricanes ahead with six seconds left in the first, knocking a loose puck past Greiss in the crease for his second goal of the season.“I just tried to get to the net. It was a lucky bounce and it ended up going in,” McKegg said.Jordan Eberle appeared to tie it for the Islanders early in the second period, but Valterri Filppula was ruled offside before the goal.McElhinney also made a sprawling save on Ryan Pulock alone in the slot in the waning seconds of the middle period.Lee echoed his coach regarding the missed opportunity to snare at least a point. The Islanders will try to make amends with an upcoming home-and-home series against the Rangers starting on Thursday.“We should have played better and smarter St. Louis Blues Hats Authentic ,” Lee said. “We have to reset and get ready to go in a couple of days.”NOTES: The Islanders had won the previous three meetings between the teams this season. … The Islanders are 3-1-1 at Nassau Coliseum and fell to 10-4-1 in division games. … Islanders forward Matt Martin played his 600th career game. … The Islanders loaned forward Josh Ho-Sang to AHL Bridgeport and activated Filppula before the game. … The Islanders scratched Fs Ross Johnston and Tom Kuhnhackl and D Luca Sbisa. … The Hurricanes scratched F Clark Bishop and D Dan Renouf.UP NEXTIslanders: Begin home and home series with Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.Hurricanes: Play at Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

TORONTO (AP) — Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen will sit out Saturday night’s game against the New York Islanders because of a groin injury.The team said Andersen is day to day Laurent Brossoit Jersey Womens , and announced hours later it had acquired goalie Michael Hutchinson from Florida for the Maple Leafs’ fifth-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft.Andersen last played on Dec. 22 against the New York Rangers, stopping 25 shots in a 5-3 win. The 29-year-old from Denmark has 20 wins through 30 starts this season to go along with a .923 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average.Garret Sparks will start against the Islanders, with Kasimir Kaskisuo — called up from Toronto of the AHL on an emergency basis — serving as the backup.Hutchinson Timothy Liljegren Jersey Womens , 28, has appeared in four games with the Panthers this season and eight for Springfield of the AHL. He played in 102 games for Winnipeg from 2013-18 where he was 43-39-11 record with a .910 save percentage and a 2.65 GAA.The Maple Leafs said Hutchinson will report to the Marlies. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon will miss a minimum of four weeks due to a partial tear of his right hamstring Antoine Roussel Jersey Womens , a big blow to a team trying to maintain control of a playoff spot with 12 regular-season games to go.The Wild announced the news Wednesday, after Spurgeon was hurt Tuesday against Colorado when he crashed hard into the boards early in the third period. His legs were spread apart, gymnastics-style Tim Schaller Jersey Womens , and split further after his collision. He needed to be helped off the ice and didn’t return to the game.Spurgeon likely would miss some postseason games if the Wild, currently in third place in the Central Division, make it. The 28-year-old Spurgeon has nine goals and 28 assists in 61 games this season. He leads the team in blocked shots (127) and is second behind stalwart Ryan Suter in average ice time per game (24:32).The Wild recalled forward Zack Mitchell and defenseman Ryan Murphy from their AHL affiliate in advance of Friday’s game against Vegas. With 85 points Jay Beagle Jersey Womens , the Wild have one game in hand and a two-point lead on fourth-place Dallas. They’re three points ahead of fifth-place Colorado, which has played one fewer game than Minnesota. The Stars and Avalanche currently occupy the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference.—

Ambidextrous, indeed.

Hit on his pitching arm by a line drive, Velasquez made a dazzling throw with his left hand, and Philadelphia overcame an early injury to its starting pitcher to beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Saturday night.

”It is well-known he is one of our best all-around athletes,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. ”You just would never predict that.”

Velasquez was struck in the forearm by Adam Eaton’s liner in the second inning. He dropped his glove, hustled to retrieve the ball as it deflected toward third base, and unleashed a strong toss with his opposite arm that nipped the speedy Eaton at first for the final out.

”I tried to finish the play,” Velasquez said.

The Phillies pitcher actually spent his junior season in high school as a lefty-throwing center fielder due to bone chips in his pitching arm that prevented him from taking the mound.

And on Friday night, Velasquez startled Phillies first baseman Carlos Santana by throwing a ball to him left-handed from the dugout in between innings.

”Kind of warmed up for that play today,” Velasquez joked.

So, Velasquez knew he could throw left-handed – he just didn’t know if he could make an accurate toss.

”I actually surprised myself throwing a strike right there,” he said.

After completing the play, Velasquez then dropped to the ground, writhing in pain and clutching his right arm. He was pulled from the game with a bruise Daniel Winnik Jersey , having allowed one run and three hits.

X-rays were negative, a better result than he anticipated.

”I thought something was broken,” he said. ”Thanks to God, nothing is severe.”

Kapler said Velasquez would be further evaluated on Sunday. The pitcher said it was ”up in the air” whether he would be able to take his next turn in the rotation.

”We’ll see how it feels,” he said.

Victor Arano (1-0) followed Velasquez with two scoreless innings.

Odubel Herrera homered and Jorge Alfaro and Aaron Altherr had RBI doubles as the Phillies bounced back from a 17-7 loss. Anthony Rendon homered for the Nationals, who went deep seven times in Friday night’s romp at Citizens Bank Park, but managed just eight hits against six Philadelphia pitchers.

”I thought we were going to score more than two runs after yesterday’s performance,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. ”We had our chances.”

Yacksel Rios kept Philadelphia in front by getting out of a jam in the eighth. After Adam Morgan allowed the first two runners to reach on a single and a walk, Rios entered and got Rendon to line out to right, Juan Soto to pop out and Mark Reynolds to ground out.

Rookie Seranthony Dominguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save in his eighth chances. Dominguez retired the first two batters before pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy doubled to right, but the right-hander retired Eaton on a flyball.

”Cool as a cucumber,” Kapler said. ”A special performance.”

Jeremy Hellickson (2-1) returned to the mound for Washington after being sidelined since June 4 with a right hamstring strain. The veteran right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks.

RED-HOT RENDON

Rendon is batting .396 in his last 13 games, with hits in 12 of those contests. His 85 career hits against Philadelphia are tied for his most against any opponent.

WHAT A THROW

Alfaro upped his major-league lead to 15 base runners caught stealing when he nailed the swift Trea Turner for the final out in the fifth. Turner entered second in the majors with 22 steals, but was easily out.

”Alfaro threw a bullet Eric Staal Jersey ,” Martinez said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (right shoulder inflammation), out since June 10, threw a bullpen session on Saturday. … Washington transferred 1B Ryan Zimmerman, who has been out since May 10 with a strained right oblique, to the 60-day DL.

UP NEXT

The teams close out the four-game series on Sunday afternoon with Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 3.68) facing Phillies RHP Jake Arrieta (5-6, 3.54).

Matt Koch will aim for his fourth consecutive victory on Tuesday night, and the Arizona Diamondbacks will try for a two-game road sweep of the Los Angeles Angels.

Arizona (40-32) won the series opener 7-4 on Monday night to extend its lead in the National League West to two games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs and is batting .426 (29-for-68) with eight homers and 18 RBIs in his last 17 games.

The Angels (38-35) gave up the first six runs of the interleague series opener before dropping their seventh game in the past eight to fall 8 1/2 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the second wild card in the AL. They were 3 1/2 games back on June 9.

“It’s tough to spot them six,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters after the loss Monday.

Koch (5-3, 4.09) wasn’t expected to be part of the rotation this spring, but an arm injury to fellow right-hander Taijuan Walker prompted the club to recall Koch from Triple-A Reno on April 20.

He was 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA after four starts, lost three straight in mid-May, but has regrouped with the help of exceptional run support. The Diamondbacks have combined for 36 runs in his past four starts.

“You always have to be ready for your opportunity,” Koch told the told Sioux City Journal last week. “You never know when it’s going to come Jason Zucker Jersey , how early or how late it is, you just have to be ready for it, whenever it is, and try to take advantage of it.”

Koch’s spot in the rotation isn’t set in cement, as veterans Shelby Miller (Tommy John surgery) and Robbie Ray (right oblique strain) are making rehab starts and nearing their returns.

Despite his recent success, his first career appearance against the Angels could determine whether Koch remains in the rotation. He said he’s not focused on that aspect of his performance.

“All I try to do is just get ready for that game and do all I can to keep the team in the game, and try to win,” Koch said. “I can’t really worry about all the other stuff that’s going on or your focus isn’t going to be on what you need to do.”

Koch would be more than willing to occupy a spot in the bullpen if it meant staying with the Diamondbacks.

“I want to be part of the team and if it’s best for the team for me to go to the bullpen I’ll do it, and if it’s best for me to stay in the rotation I’ll do it,” he said. It’s whatever they think will help the team most.”

The Angels are scheduled to send 28-year-old right-hander Felix Pena to the mound for his first major league start.

For the third time this season, Pena (0-0, 10.13) was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday. He has made two relief appearances with the Angels this season totaling 2 2/3 innings. Nine of his 10 appearances for Triple-A Salt Lake this season have been as a starter, and he’s 1-2 with a 3.51 ERA for the Bees.

Pena was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in October after making 36 relief appearances over the past two seasons. He has never faced the Diamondbacks.

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

HITTING BRAVES

Among the many things the Atlanta Braves have done right on their way to leading the National League East this season Adrian Kempe Jersey , they’ve been getting hits. The Braves began their series against fellow division leader Milwaukee on Thursday night with three of the top four hits leaders in the NL, with outfielder Nick Markakis (108) leading the way and infielder Ozzie Albies (102) and Freddie Freeman (101) close behind in third and fourth, respectively. It’s the first time in franchise history the team has had three players reach 100 hits prior to the All-Star game, and the Braves will continue their series when Mike Foltynewicz and Freddy Peralta face off.

GOING GRAY

In a season full of highlights for the New York Yankees, right-hander Sonny Gray has been one of the team’s biggest disappointments in his first full season with club. Gray will try and rebound from his worst start of the season when the Yankees begin a weekend series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. After being acquired from Oakland last season, Gray is 5-6 with 5.44 ERA this season and is coming off an 11-0 loss to Boston last weekend in which he allowed six runs in only 2 1/3 innings.

CHICAGO SEEING RED

Two weeks ago Youth Dion Phaneuf Jersey , the Chicago Cubs suffered through an embarrassing four-game sweep in Cincinnati – beginning a stretch of six losses in seven games. Chicago has won six straight games since that rough patch, and has the opportunity to make amends with the Reds when the two teams begin a weekend series at Wrigley Field. Mike Montgomery (3-2) starts for Chicago, and Tyler Mahle (6-6) takes the mound for Cincinnati.

ACE OF NEW YORK

Despite the struggles of the New York Mets for much of the season, Jacob deGrom has been one of the NL’s most dominant starters. The right-hander leads the league with his 1.84 ERA and will be back at work when he takes the mound against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. He has allowed three runs in each of his last two starts, the first time he’s allowed three or more runs in back-to-back games since April.

SUMMER KING

Seattle Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez (8-6) put together his best full month of the season in June, posting a 3.71 ERA in six starts and lowering his overall ERA from 5.83 to 5.11 in the process. The 2010 Cy Young award winner will try and extend his improved performance into July when he starts in an interleague game against the visiting Colorado Rockies.

—

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was suspended Tuesday without pay for the first two games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s conduct and substance-abuse policy.

The NFL said Foster will also be fined for violations from a weapons offense and misdemeanor drug charge that were resolved earlier this offseason.

Foster will miss San Francisco’s games against Minnesota and Detroit before being allowed to return on Sept. 17 before the Niners play Kansas City.

”I accept the League’s decision and am sorry that my mistakes have hurt my team Dustin Brown Jersey ,” Foster said in a statement. ”I have a responsibility to the 49ers, our fans and our community, and I am committed to learning from this situation and making better choices in the future. The support I have received over the last five months has been humbling, and I do not take it for granted.”

Foster was charged in January in Alabama with second-degree marijuana possession. That charge was eventually dismissed after he completed a first-time offender diversion course.

Foster then faced more serious charges for an incident in California in February. He was initially charged in April with felonies for domestic violence, making criminal threats and weapons possession after being accused of beating up his ex-girlfriend.

A judge ruled there was no probable cause on the first two charges after the ex-girlfriend recanted the allegations and the judge found no other evidence to support the charges. The weapons charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and Foster pleaded no-contest to that in June.

He was sentenced to two years’ probation, 232 hours of community service Jonathan Quick Jersey , and $235 in fines. He will not be allowed to own guns while he’s on probation.

The 49ers initially told Foster to stay away from the offseason program after the felony charges were filed in the domestic violence case before welcoming him back after that was resolved in May.

”Our organization understands and supports the League’s decision,” general manager John Lynch said. ”Although we are disappointed that Reuben will not be with our team for the first two games of the season, we will continue to work with him on making better decisions and eliminating unnecessary distractions. We are encouraged to see Reuben take responsibility for his mistakes, and hopeful that he has learned from them as well.”

The 49ers drafted Foster 31st overall last year after questions about his health and character caused him to drop from being a possible top 10 pick.

Foster delivered on the field, ranking second on the team with 72 tackles in 10 games as a rookie and looking like a key part of San Francisco’s defensive future.

—

NEW YORK — A major theme of Friday’s pitching matchup at Yankee Stadium when the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees continue their four-game series will be the long road that Nathan Eovaldi and Jonathan Loaisiga took to reach the mound.

For Eovaldi Womens Samuel Girard Jersey , is it his fourth start with the Tampa Bay Rays after a second Tommy John surgery. For Loaisiga, it is his major league debut with the New York Yankees after a quick ascent through the minors following Tommy John surgery and missing two seasons.

The Yankees opened the series with a 4-3 victory Thursday when Gleyber Torres hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning off Blake Snell. Torres leads all rookies with 13 homers and 33 RBIs, and the Yankees are 11-3 in their last 14 games and 11-2 in their last 13 home games.

Matt Duffy homered for the Rays, who are on a seven-game road losing streak after striking out 15 times. The Rays also are 4-10 in their last 14 games overall.

Eovaldi, who was 23-11 with a 4.45 ERA in 51 appearances (48 starts) in two seasons for the Yankees, is 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA in his first three starts for the Rays. Though he said his velocity is coming back, he is averaging 97 mph on his fastball, which is roughly the same he averaged on the pitch with the Yankees.

“For sure, the fact that I’ve been throwing the ball good as it is (is nice),” Eovaldi said Thursday. “So I’m going to try to keep doing that with my fastball command and really make sure I execute the off-speed pitches and get them down. Other than that, when you step between the lines, it’s about going out there and competing.”

“I know Nate really appreciated his time here, but, no, I’m not overly concerned,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s been so focused on what he’s doing and kind of his surroundings, and he’s thrown the ball well for us since he’s gotten back. I think that focus won’t change, and it won’t change just because he’s facing a former team.”

Eovaldi last pitched Sunday in a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners when he allowed three runs and four hits in five-plus innings. He allowed a solo homer to Nelson Cruz and a two-run homer to Mike Zunino while throwing 102 pitches, his most since Aug. 4, 2016 Semyon Varlamov Jersey , against the New York Mets.

“I feel like I’ve been throwing the ball well,” Eovaldi said. “I’ve been recovering better now that we’ve been getting into kind of a five-day routine of things. I feel like my arm really hasn’t been as sore as when I first started from my rehab.”

Eovaldi is the 35th player to pitch after multiple Tommy John surgeries and the 13th to start a game.

He is facing the Yankees for the first time. He is 10-4 with a 3.73 ERA in 24 appearances (23 starts) at Yankee Stadium.

Eovaldi was one of those young low-cost pitchers the Yankees were hoping to develop. Now Loaisiga is one as he fills in for Masahiro Tanaka, who injured both hamstrings last Friday against the New York Mets.

Loaisiga is pitching above Double-A for the first time and is 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 combined starts with Double-A Trenton and Class A Tampa this season. He attended spring training with the Yankees after being added to the 40-man roster in November.

“I’m excited to see him pitch here,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a guy with a really good arm, really simple athletic delivery, and I think a big reason why he’s the guy we chose is that we feel like his stuff is excellent, but his delivery is low-maintenance enough that it should allow him to step up.”

The 23-year-old originally was signed by the San Francisco Giants in 2012, and the Yankees signed him in February 2016. He was 8-1 in the Dominican Summer League in 2013 but did not pitch again until 2016 because of Tommy John surgery.

“It’s been a tough road for me to get here, and now it’s about enjoying this moment and this opportunity and trying to help this team win,” Loaisiga said through an interpreter. “I’m focused on winning; it’s everything for us and I’m looking forward to it.”

Loaisiga is the 15th native of Nicaragua to appear in the majors and the 11th pitcher. He is the first native of Nicaragua to appear in a game for the Yankees.

The career leader in wins by a Nicaraguan is Dennis “El Presidente” Martinez. Martinez won 245 games from 1976 to 1998 with Baltimore, Montreal, Cleveland, Atlanta and Seattle, and Loaisiga is aware of his impact.

“He’s a baseball ambassador,” Loaisiga said. “You look up to him as a kid, because he’s proof you can make it to the big leagues. For us, it’s following in his footsteps, and hopefully doing well and representing Nicaragua well.”

NEW YORK — The Tampa Bay Rays have become one of baseball’s most pleasant surprises since implementing an unusual wrinkle into their starting rotation. But possessing a true old-fashioned ace atop their rotation hasn’t stopped the New York Mets from enduring one of the worst runs in their history.

Two teams heading in unexpectedly different directions will begin a rare three-game series Friday night when the Mets host the Rays at Citi Field.

It will be just the second time the Rays play the Mets at Citi Field since the stadium opened in 2009, though Tampa Bay played three “home games” against the New York Yankees at Citi Field last September after Hurricane Irma hit the gulf coast of Florida.

Right-hander Ryne Stanek (1-2, 1.98 ERA) is scheduled to serve as the “opener” for the Rays against Mets ace Jacob deGrom (5-4 Roberto Luongo Jersey , 1.84).

Both teams were off Thursday after completing brief two-game interleague series on Wednesday when the Rays fell to the host Miami Marlins 3-0 and the visiting Mets beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3.

Despite falling to .500 with the loss, the Rays (43-43) received what has become a standard strong pitching effort. Tampa Bay has the lowest ERA in the majors (2.81) since May 19 when it began utilizing an “opener” instead of a traditional starting pitcher in select games.

The Rays have allowed three runs or fewer 25 times in the subsequent 43 games, 23 of which have been started by relief pitchers typically pitching three innings or fewer.

Stanek will make his 10th start, by far the most among openers. He has a 1.42 ERA as a starter and has pitched longer than 1 2/3 innings just once.

Stanek has also contributed as a late-inning reliever in the last six weeks, which means he’ll take the mound Friday fresh off three decidedly different experiences.

After tossing a scoreless inning as a starter against the Houston Astros last Saturday, Stanek took the loss Monday when he allowed a run without getting an out as the Rays fell to the Marlins 3-2 in the 10th inning before he tossed two hitless innings in Tuesday’s 9-6, 16-inning win.

“Ryne’s thrown the ball so well for us in that opener role,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters after the loss Monday. “He’s done some good things in the later innings.”

Nobody in baseball is doing a better job of things during traditional starter’s innings than deGrom, who leads the majors in ERA despite suffering from almost inconceivable bad luck. DeGrom has a 1.42 ERA in his last 13 starts, during which the Mets have gone 3-10 and deGrom is 3-4.

DeGrom’s misery is par for the course for the Mets (34-49), who have gone 7-22 since June 1 and are just 23-48 since an 11-1 start.

“I’m tired of losing to be honest — everybody else in here I’m sure is,” deGrom told reporters Saturday when he took the loss after allowing three runs in six innings as the Mets fell to the Marlins 5-2. “That’s not what we want to do. We came in here to win baseball games and we’re not doing that. We have to find a way to do that.”

With the Mets buried in the postseason race, deGrom has been the subject of trade rumors, though SNY reported Thursday that it appears he will stay with the team through at least the end of the season.

New York, which has a three-headed general manager setup after Sandy Alderson went on an indefinite leave of absence last week in order to battle a recurrence of cancer, is expected to hire a new general manager in the offseason.

Stanek has never faced the Mets. DeGrom didn’t factor into the decision in his only previous career start against the Rays on Aug. 7, 2015, when he gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings in New York’s 4-3 victory.