WINNIPEG -- Carl Hagelins first career hat trick rescued a three-game road swing for the New York Rangers and threw a little more dirt on the Winnipeg Jets playoff chances Friday night.
Deshaun Watson Jersey . "It feels good, Ive never had one before, not even in College," Hagelin said after the Rangers outgunned the Jets 4-2, behind some solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist following a pretty wide open first period. They went into the second tied 2-2 but Hagelins second goal of the game with just eight seconds left was enough to win it. His final one in the third was just icing. It was frustrating for the Jets, who outshot the Rangers 32-23 yet watched their sixth game without a win go into the books. "The third period we came out and kind of threw everything we had at them," said Winnipeg centre Bryan Little, whose assist on Winnipegs second goal kept him in the scoring lead for the Jets with an NHL career-high 54 points. "But we couldnt find a way. Our mistakes kind of made us pay tonight." "They did a good job coming at us hard, very aggressive, but at the same time we played such an aggressive style you might give up some scoring chances that are really grade-A scoring chances," agreed Hagelin. The Jets caught a small break when the Dallas Stars only increased their lead in the final wild-card spot in the West by one point, after losing 4-3 in a shootout to the Calgary Flames. But the Jets are also one point behind Vancouver and four behind the Phoenix Coyotes as they try to climb into that final wild-card spot. Hagelins three goals raised his total this year to an NHL career-high 16. Chris Kreider also scored for New York (36-28-4), who had lost their two previous road games in Carolina and Minnesota. "You cant come on a road trip and go back empty handed, those are two big points," said Martin St. Louis, who came out of the penalty box to snatch the puck and set up New Yorks go-ahead goal at the end of the second period. "Being able to come out of the box and get one was I think big (for) the momentum of our team." Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd scored for the Jets (30-29-9), who havent won a game since Mar. 1. "I dont think guys in here are giving up," said Ladd, who played his 600th NHL game Friday night. "I dont know. I want to think were trying as hard as we can to get this going in the right direction." The Jets also lost starting netminder Ondrej Pavelec, who didnt answer the bell for the second period and was replaced by Al Montoya. Coach Paul Maurice wouldnt comment on the nature of the lower-body injury that sent him to the dressing room but said hed say more Sunday after its evaluated. The Jets also lost fourth-line forward Chris Thorburn to injury Friday night. The Jets have tried to remain positive and not look back at their losses but Little admitted that isnt easy. "Its getting harder right now," Little said. "Were really fighting to win and theyre not coming easy by any means. . . . Coming into the rink tomorrow is going to be tough because tonight was a painful one. "I wish we could go out and redo the whole game right now." The Rangers were playing back-to-back after a 2-1 loss in Minnesota Thursday, but came out fast and scored on just their third shot of the game. Hagelin deflected his first past Pavelec at 1:15. The goal had barely been announced when Byfuglien evened things up at 2:33 as he batted Blake Wheelers rebound past Lundqvist. Less than a minute later, Ladd put the Jets up 2-1, when he found the upper corner of the New York net with a wrister from the faceoff circle on Lundqvists stick side at 3:26. Winnipeg was cycling the puck in the Rangers zone until Kreider broke away and scored at 11:28 with Winnipeg defenceman Zach Bogosian on his heels. With eight seconds left in what had been a scoreless second period, St. Louis came out of the box, fed Hagelin from behind the net and he flipped in a backhander. "Thats a tough goal," said Maurice. "I think clearly the 3-2 goal changed how we moved the puck and how we moved some things around." At the same time, he said the games the Jets are losing are a lot like the games the Jets won after he took over. The only difference now -- chances arent turning into goals. "Its a frustrating run, theres no question," Maurice said. The Winnipeg coach also said the Jets know theyre facing one of the toughest stretches in their schedule with games against some of the top teams in the NHL. Hagelin put in his third at 8:50 of the third period off a pass from Brad Richards on a two-man rush that beat Montoya through the five hole. Notes: This was the second meeting this year between the Rangers and Jets. Winnipeg won the first 5-2 at Madison Square Garden Dec. 2.
Max Scharping Youth Jersey . In Englands first game since its worst-ever World Cup showing, Roy Hodgsons side rarely looked like scoring against unambitious opposition and the breakthrough in the friendly only came when Raheem Sterling was tripped in the penalty area.
DeAndre Hopkins Youth Jersey . Today, their baseball playing sons were reportedly traded for each other. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Cubs dealt minor league outfield Trevor Gretzky to the Angels for catcher Matt Scioscia. WINNIPEG -- And then there was one. Val Sweeting, the 26-year-old skip from Vegreville, Alta., knocked off four-time Scotties Winner Jennifer Jones Monday night to claim sole possession of first place at the Canadian Olympic curling trials. But she says her young squad isnt going to drop that underdog moniker just yet. "We still like to think we are," said Sweeting, who curls out of Edmonton with third Joanne Courtney, 24, second Dana Ferguson, 26, and lead Rachelle Pidherny, 27. "Yeah were 3-0 but theres lots of week left and we dont have a playoff spot or anything like that yet." Sweeting was down three early but evened things up in six and stole seven points en route to a convincing 9-6 win over Jones. Jones, who entered the game in a tie for first with Sweeting, now sits in second at 2-1 along with fellow Winnipeg skip Chelsea Carey, who knocked off Ottawas Rachel Homan 9-8. "We just missed a couple of bad shots and lost control of the game," said Jones, who is trying to claim the one prize that has eluded her team, the right to represent Canada at the Olympics. "We battled back and won one today, this morning and kind of let one slip away tonight but well come beck sharper tomorrow." In the morning, Jones needed an extra end to finish off Middaugh. Homan and the rest of the womens field sit at 1-2. Saskatoons Stefanie Lawton picked up her first win 8-6 over Renee Sonnenberg of Grande Prairie, Alta., and Edmontons Heather Nedohin also picked up her first win 6-3 over Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont. Jones took an early 3-0 lead against Sweeting but got in trouble in the fourth end and then was heavy on a draw letting Sweeting to steal a crushing four in the seventh end. On the mens side, Jeff Stoughton made a great shot to tie their game but it wasnt enough as Kevin Martin extended his winning streak to two games. That puts Stoughton in a must-win situation for the rest of thhe tournament.
Justin Reid Womens Jersey. "Wasnt that something... youre just never safe," Martin said of Stoughtons shot, minutes after the Edmonton skips single in the 10th made it 6-5. "We had to make it a tough double and of course he made an incredible double and made it a close game." Brad Jacobs and John Morris also stayed undefeated. Morris, Martins former third, is curling with B.C.s Jim Cotter and he beat Calgarys Kevin Koe 6-4 and Jacobs, out of Sault Ste Marie, Ont., downed Winnipegs Mike McEwan 7-5. Glenn Howard, out of Coldwater, also beat fellow Ontario skip John Epping of Toronto 9-5, which left both at 1-1. The almost 6,000 at the MTS Centre had lots to cheer about as Stoughton made a difficult double off one of Martins stones to score three in the ninth. He missed another, perhaps even more difficult, multiple takeout in the sixth that could have given him four but he had to settle for one. Stoughton knows he has no more room left to lose another game, with all agreeing a record of 5-2 is probably a must to make the playoffs. "I would think so. Its not where we wanted to be after two games," he said. "Weve played worse and won." He has already said this will be the last time he tries to win a spot on the Olympic team. "Theres five games left . . Were not out of this by any means." Martin agreed that losing more than two looks like elimination. "Five and two is safe, four and three I dont think ever has been." Jacobs was enjoying the moment as well. "Its a seven-game round robin so every win is huge. You feel great to be at 2-0. You wouldnt want to be 0-2," he said. The Manitoba Curling Association and the province also announced Monday that curling is joining the CFLs Winnipeg Blue Bombers and NHLs Jets with a specialty license plate of its own, and part of the proceeds will go to the associations Curling for Life Endowment Fund. ' ' '
