WINNIPEG -- Devin Setoguchi was hiding his face Friday night but not in shame, as his two goals lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a much-needed 4-3 win over the slumping Vancouver Canucks.
https://www.washingtonfootballshop.com/99-Jersey . He was wearing a player-of-the-game pilots helmet, complete with darkened visor, that the team has come up with as a new locker-room tradition. "This time of year youve got to find a way," Setoguchi said of his timely goals, which ended his seven-game goal-scoring drought. "Theyre ahead of us in the standings and the other night Nashville was and we let one slip away there. And if were going to try and crawl back up in this thing were going to have to make big wins late in the season here." Zach Bogosian and Michael Frolik also scored for the Jets (26-25-5). Captain Andrew Ladd picked up two assists. Alexander Edler, Ryan Kesler and Jason Garrison scored for the Canucks (27-20-9). Daniel Sedin picked up an assist but his goal drought didnt end and has now stretched to 15 games. The win means the Jets have won seven of the nine games theyve played since Paul Maurice took over as head coach. "Im really happy for him, its been a tough stretch of games," Maurice said of Setoguchis performance. Not much changed in the standings however. With Nashvilles 3-2 overtime win over New Jersey Friday, the Jets remain a point behind in the Central Division cellar. And, despite the loss, the Canucks sit in eighth place and cling to the final wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference with 63 points. Phoenix is next with 60, but things are tightening up with Nashville at 58, and Winnipeg and Dallas both with 57 points. It was also the last game Vancouver has to play without head coach John Tortorella behind the bench, as his suspension for his actions before and after a brawl with the Calgary Flames ends this weekend. Eddie Lack, in goal instead of Robert Luongo, made a lot of great saves to keep Vancouver in the game as the Jets outshot the Canucks 34-26. "Their goalie made some huge saves for them to keep them in it," said Ladd. Lack said it was tough to start the game by giving up the first goal. Though they battled back and twice tied it up, they could pull ahead. "Its not the first time that happened for us and it kind of feels like were talking about the same thing," he said. Assistant coach Mike Sullivan took his time coming out to talk to reporters as Tortorellas stand-in and said late penalties were momentum killers. "It was frustrating because we fought our way back into the game," said Sullivan. "I thought we had all the momentum in the third period (but) we shot ourselves in the foot." The Jets outshot the Canucks 15-7 in the first period and Vancouver had managed just one shot when Bogosian scored from the point at 5:02, slamming one past backup Eddie Lacks glove. The Canucks rested Roberto Luongo Friday night. The Jets kept up the pressure and Vancouver called a time out just over a minute later as Setoguchi backhanded one in from the side of the net to make it 2-0. The Canucks got their first on a power play when Edler slipped a rebound behind Ondrej Pavelec from the side of the net at 10:27. Winnipeg continued to control the play, however, and Dustin Byfuglien thought he had another with about a minute and a half left in the period. But Lack caught a piece of it as the big winger swept past. The Jets started well in the second but turned over the puck in front of their own net and Kesler was right there to backhand his 19th of the season past an unprepared Pavelec at 4:48. The tie didnt last long. Frolik put the Jets back in the lead when he snapped in Ladds behind-the-net pass at 6:41 and that was it for the second. Winnipeg kept its edge on shots at 13-10. But the Canucks tied it up again in the third when Jason Garrison blasted one from the point and Pavelec went down as the puck went high. Setoguchis second of the game at 17:04 put the Jets back in the lead and the Canucks took a high-sticking penalty at the same time, their second of the period, to keep them from making another comeback. Notes: It was Vancouvers first visit to the new Jets at the MTS Centre. The last time they played the Jets at home was in 1996, the final season for the original Jets before they relocated to Phoenix and became the Coyotes. With Vancouvers visit, every team in the NHL has now played in Winnipeg.
https://www.washingtonfootballshop.com/48-Jersey . The underachieving franchise finished 17th in the 19-team league with a 6-17-11 record this season. "Our soccer team is absolutely in complete disarray," said Leiweke, drawing laughs during an Empire Club luncheon speech about the future of MLSE teams and plans to improve them.
https://www.washingtonfootballshop.com/71-Jersey . -- Miami Dolphins defensive co-ordinator Kevin Coyle defended the management style of coach Joe Philbin in the wake of the teams bullying scandal.VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Whitecaps forward Erik Hurtado was known more for his wild hair style than his ability on the pitch prior to Saturdays match against the Columbus Crew. That bleach blonde Mohawk still stands out, but not as much as his first goal in Major League Soccer -- a wonder strike in the first half that helped propel Vancouver to a 1-0 victory in Ohio. The fifth overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, Hurtado has had to bide his time with the Whitecaps and he took full advantage of his first league start of the season. The 23-year-old controlled a long free kick in front of a Columbus defender on the right before cutting into the middle and unleashing a vicious left-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box that curled into the top corner. "You know how when you hit it on the sweet spot and you just know its going in? Thats what happened," Hurtado said after Mondays training session. "As soon as it left my foot, I was like Oh my God yes. Thank you God." The Fredericksburg, Va., native has played 22 MLS games since joining Vancouver last season, including five starts. But with the club parting ways with veteran striker Kenny Miller earlier this month, and with Darren Mattocks on the shelf with a hamstring injury, Hurtado is finally getting an opportunity under Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson. "Im maturing as a player. I matured over my rookie season last year a lot," he said. "(Robinson) having faith in me has been great. Hes going to give players opportunities if they deserve it. "Ive been working really hard on the field and I got my chance and took it." Hurtado stands out because of his raw talent, but also for a hairstyle that has earned him an array of nicknames from teammates, including Rufio from the movie "Hook" and Sonic the Hedgehog, in honour of the video game character. "I dont know if its like a Brazilian blowout mixed with a mohawk and some bleach -- got in a fight with a bottle of bleach or something like that," Whitecaps defender Jordan Harvey said with a chuckle. "Thats his style and how he wants to express it and more power to him." Hurtado is fine with the jabs. "I dont know if Im trying to achieve anything," he said. "Im just trying to stay fresh." In his first season at the Whitecaps helm, Robinson couldnt care less what Hurtados hair looks like as long as he continues to develop and stays committed to his craft. "Hes an example to all the young players that things dont go your way sometimes," said Robinson. "Its important you put the work in and youll get your reward. It might not come in the next week or two wweeks.
https://www.washingtonfootballshop.com/28-Jersey. It might come in the next two or three months, and thats what happened with Erik." Hurtados raw talent was evident to his teammates as soon as he arrived in Vancouver, but it was clear his game needed to be honed. "It was kind of like corralling a wild stallion, if you know what I mean," said Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit. "Hes one of those guys (where) you can see his athletic ability. You can see his pace, his power, and its about corralling that and making sure that turns into good football. You can see it really start to take shape now, you can see him gaining in a little bit of confidence." Speaking of confidence, Hurtado and his teammates have loads of it heading into Wednesdays second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal against Toronto FC. Robinson fielded a "younger than young" squad in last weeks 2-1 away defeat in the first leg, but that result means that a 1-0 victory for Vancouver at B.C. Place Stadium would see the Whitecaps advance to the final on the away goals rule. DeMerit and many of Vancouvers other veterans watched from the sidelines as the baby-faced Whitecaps, including Hurtado, battled hard against Torontos star-studded roster. "Guys are contributing when asked upon. Guys are staying on the same page and as a collective were continuing to work on our brand of soccer," said DeMerit, who looks likely to sit out against Toronto again this week after playing Saturday in Columbus. "That needs to continue. That mentality needs to continue to shift and even get better." Apart from Hurtados recent success, former No. 1 pick Omar Salgado has impressed since rejoining the Whitecaps from the second-tier Charleston Battery last week. A big target who has been plagued by injuries in his young career, Salgado seems fitter and had a great chance late against Columbus that just bounced wide in the games dying minutes. "Im still a little disappointed I missed that but every striker in the world misses chances," said Salgado, the top choice in 2011. "Its something youve just got to get over and score against Toronto." Robinson said saying goodbye to Miller was difficult because of their personal friendship, but added that it was a move that had to be made with youngsters like Hurtado, Salgado and Kekuta Manneh clamouring for minutes. "It was the right decision for the club and me moving forward with this group of players that Ive got," said Robinson. "It will give the young players more opportunities to play and Ive said from Day 1 that I will give them more opportunities and I think you will see that more now." ' ' '
