Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins told media on Wednesday that the team had no intentions of trading struggling forward Nail Yakupov.
Arnett Moultrie Jersey . "All of whats out there is 100 per cent untrue," the first-year coach told reporters outside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where the Oilers - last in the Western Conference - play the Lightning on Thursday night. Eakins felt it necessary to personally inform the second-year player that rumours he might be hearing about his impending move from the Alberta capital hold no weight. “Nail Yakupov is not being shopped," said Eakins. "Hes not going anywhere and I wanted him to hear that from me and look me in my eyes and let him know that, hey, were attached at the hip. Were going to make him a better player and its okay to struggle.” In 14 games this season, Yakupov, the first-overall pick in the 2012 draft, has just one goal, after posting 17 in last years shortened season. In Tuesdays overtime win against the Florida Panthers, the Russian played a scant three minutes in the thrid period and overtime. Still, Eakins looks to past players who had high expections thrust upon them and didnt live up to them early on. “Guys like Joe Thornton, the kid, here, [Steven] Stamkos," said Eakins, whose Oilers are 4-10-2. "Those guys struggled early in their careers and boy, they turned out to be pretty good players. Hes 20-years old and were not just going to give up on a guy because hes going through a rough stretch." After Thursday nights game in Tampa Bay, the Oilers head to Philadelphia on Saturday to take on the equally flagging Flyers.
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Hal Greer Jersey . Showing more spark after not taking enough challenging shots on goal in their 1-0 loss Friday night, the Bruins had 18 shots in the first period after managing just 25 in the entire opener. Luke Glendening cut Bostons lead to 2-1 at 13:20 of the second period before Milan Lucic scored late in the second and Zdeno Chara added a power-play goal early in the third.DES MOINES, Iowa -- Mark Calcavecchia appeared to be off to yet another slow start after only two strokes. He managed to save par, and went on to put together his best opening round of the year. Calcavecchia and Wes Short Jr. shot 6-under 66 on Friday at Wakonda Club to share the lead in the Champions Tours Principal Charity Classic. Bobby Clampett, Peter Senior and Shane Lowery were a stroke back. Calcavecchia, who lived in nearby Laurel, Nebraska until he was 13, said the rolling hills of the Wakonda Club reminded him of the course he learned to play on. He finished third in Iowa last season, and four straight birdies on the back nine helped put him atop the leaderboard. "Im comfortable on the course," Calcavecchia said. "Its still tough, and you still have to execute under pressure and handle your nerves and stuff. But the course does suit me." It didnt look that way on the first hole. Calcavecchia sent his approach flying over the green. But he put his next shot within 10 feet and made the par putt for his first and perhaps best save of the day. Calcavecchia entered Friday ranked 63rd in opening-round scoring average, but fifth for final rounds. "It was looking like I wwas going to bogey the first hole right off the hop," Calcavecchia said.
Dana Barros Jersey. . Short followed an eagle on the 15th hole with a bogey. But Short, who has been up and down since opening the season with 10th- and 11th-place finishes, made a birdie putt on No. 18 to tie Calcavecchia. Shorts 66 snapped a stretch of six straight rounds of 70 or higher. "Its been a long road for me. I was hurt for a number of years," said Short, who has long battled back issues. "I put a lot of work into it and its starting to pay off." Clampett, whose best finish was a tie for 29th in March, got stuck in the bunker on the par-4 12th and mishit his approach en route to a bogey. But when faced with a similar shot on the next hole, Clampett holed out from 40 feet for eagle. It was an encouraging start for Clampett, who shot his low round of the year. Jay Haas began his attempt to become just the third player to win the same tournament four times with a 69. But history isnt on Haass side, as no one has rallied from more than two strokes down to win in the 14-year history of the Iowa tournament. Defending champion Russ Cochran had the days worst round, shooting a 6-over 78. ' ' '