ght goals and 25 assists in 56 games in 2013
The Edmonton Oilers reputation precedes them. For offseason acquisitions, defencemen Mark Fayne and Keith Aulie and wingers Benoit Pouliot and Teddy Purcell, that reputation includes two top-30 point producers and three top-50 goal scorers from last season and three former No. 1 overall picks. It also happens to include eight consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. Its no secret which part of the see-saw reputation the new guys are focusing on heading toward the upcoming campaign. "The rebuild is pretty far on its way now with some of the guys they have, and especially this offseason with some of the other guys theyre bringing in," said Fayne, who was signed as a free agent on July 1. "I dont think its so much at the beginning stage anymore and I think thats only going to help." "Its a young group that desperately wants to win," Aulie, also a July 1 signing, added. "Just playing against them in the past, theyre hard working. Its an exciting team."If the Oilers do have the ability to be one thing, its exciting. Taylor Hall finished seventh in league scoring during the 2013-2014 season with 80 points, including 27 goals. Jordan Eberle and David Perron collected 28 goals each while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins set career highs in goals (19), assists (37) and points (56). Theres also former No. 1 pick Nail Yakupov, who has shown flashes of brilliance more than once in his first two seasons. "Im looking forward to actually being able to get the puck up to some of those younger guys and just let them fly," Fayne said. Star players are clearly not the problem in Edmonton, but what has been an issue in the past is complimenting those players and adding stability beyond the big names on the roster. Aside from the top four scorers on the club, no other player reached forty points last season. Only one of 28 players to appear in more than 10 games and five of 37 in total managed to avoid a minus rating. And thats a small sample size of a much larger problem. There are holes to fill and the new guys appear ready and willing to get their hands dirty. "Were not going to come in here and save the day, but we think were going to come in here and add some depth and make the team a better team," said Purcell, the returning player in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for Sam Gagner. "Were not putting unrealistic expectations on ourselves, but we think we can help these guys." Reaching the post-season for the first time since a Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Final in 2006 may be an unrealistic expectation. What is likely more attainable is improving beyond the basement of the Pacific Division, where the club has finished in four of the last five seasons. "I think theres lots of work to be done, obviously," Aulie said. "Theres nowhere to go but up, so as young guys, myself and these other guys here with me, we just want to come in and make a positive impact; just help this team out because its exciting to be a part of a team thats on the upswing." "We understand how much pride this city has in the team and we just cant wait to make a positive impact." Becky Sauerbrunn Jersey . The agreement comes a little more than one week after the video game manufacturer agreed to a $40 million settlement in a similar but separate case, bringing the total payout planned for athletes to $60 million, said Steve Berman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, and the NCAA. Kelley OHara Jersey . As for regular Olympic spectators, theyre being warned that most travel insurance policies wont cover acts of terrorism or war. The Games in southern Russia, which run from Feb. 7-23, are being staged amid unprecedented security and under global warnings of danger. http://www.uswntproshop.com/c-19-crysta ... ersey.aspx. Peko, a fourth-round pick in 2006, started all 16 games and a playoff loss to San Diego last season. He was second on the line with 72 tackles and had a career-high three sacks. Rose Lavelle Jersey .The third-seeded Murray, who won here in 2009, will face seventh-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa next on the indoor hard court. Allie Long Jersey . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason.Despite sitting last in the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers enter Thursdays tilt with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-game winning streak and are coming off Tuesdays 5-1 home victory over Nashville. Catch the game on TSN starting at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. Jordan Eberle had two goals and an assist to lead the Oilers in the rout of the Predators. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and two assists while Sam Gagner also scored for Edmonton. Eberle is also ailing, tending to a knee injury sustained in Tuesdays victory and will sit out tonights contest. Nail Yakupov has been sidelined by a sore ankle and will also miss tonights action. Gagner has 10 points in his last 11 games and recently told the Oilers official web site how hes playing with more confidence since the Olympic break. "Im feeling better, Im feeling more confident," Gagner said. "Im obviously not happy with how my year has gone. I think the Olympic break was good for me to just kind of refocus and Im feeling better and our team is playing a lot better" All told, the 24-year-old Gagner has eight goals and 25 assists in 56 games in 2013-14 after recording 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 48 tilts last season. Taylor Hall added the other goal for the Oilers and Viktor Fasth stopped 28 shots in the win. Edmonton improved to 13-16-3 at Rexall Place this season and is playing the second test of a six-game homestand tonight. The Oilers halted a six-game losing streak in the series with the Sabres by recording a 3-2 win in Buffalo on Feb. 3. Ilya Bryzgalov made 42 saves to help Edmonton register that regulation victory, but the goaltender has since been traded to Minnesota. Ben Scrivens gets the call between the pipes for the Oilers this evening. Meanwhile for the Sabres, it has already been a trying season. The club will try to avoid its longest losing streak of this difficult campaign when the Sabres visit the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Buuffalo is at the bottom of the NHL standings with just 46 points.dddddddddddd. The next- worst team is the Oilers, but Edmonton is still 13 points ahead of the lowly Sabres, who have lost seven straight in regulation. The teams current skid matches a season-opening 0-6-1 stretch from Oct. 2-14 for the longest winless drought of 2013-14. Buffalo has managed just six goals over the course of its present slide. Buffalo began a five-game road trip Tuesday night in Calgary and dropped a 3-1 decision to the Flames. Mike Cammalleri and Paul Byron scored in the third period to help Calgary pull away for the win at the Saddledome. Drew Stafford scored the lone goal for the Sabres, who have lost four straight on the road and are 7-22-3 as the guest this season. Nathan Lieuwen made his first NHL start and turned aside 23 shots in the loss. Lieuwen was recalled from Buffalos AHL affiliate in Rochester on Sunday and made his NHL debut later that day in a 2-0 loss to Montreal after Jhonas Enroth left 36 minutes in with a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old Lieuwen was playing for the fourth time in five days after starting games for Rochester on Friday and Saturday. "I thought he (Lieuwen) played well," Sabres interim head coach Ted Nolan said. "The second goal we kind of backed right into him and we lost our positioning. They got a good shot and tipped it in. Overall I thought he played well." With Enroth and fellow goaltender Michal Neuvirth expected to miss tonights game with injuries, Matt Hackett will get the call in net. Hackett, 24, has seen action in 13 NHL games, but last played at this level when he started for Minnesota at Dallas on March 29 of last season and he surrendered five goals on 33 shots to take the loss in that game. Hackett is 3-7-0 with a 2.64 goals against average over his 13 career outings. Buffalo still carries a three-game road winning streak in this series into Thursdays game. Cheap Chargers Jerseys Cheap Rams Jersey Cheap Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Vikings Jerseys Cheap Patriots Jersey Cheap Saints Jerseys Cheap New York Giants Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Raiders Jerseys Cheap Eagles Jerseys Cheap Steelers Jerseys Cheap 49ers Jerseys Cheap Seahawks Jerseys Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys Cheap Titans Jerseys Cheap Redskins Jerseys ' ' '