out of the chute and throw up

There is no doubting Ales Hemsky has been a nice addition to the Senators lineup. Over the past two games, Hemsky has assisted on six goals and found instant chemistry with Jason Spezza. For most of the season, Sens fans bemoaned the fact that Spezza was not playing with quality wingers. These last two games with Hemsky have only served to tease everyone, wondering what could have been if Hemsky was riding shotgun with Spezza all season long. But would the Senators be sitting in a playoff spot if they had acquired Hemsky a few months ago? Since Im officially banned from using the phrase "probably not" in this town, I will instead answer by saying I think its highly doubtful the Senators would be sitting in a playoff spot if Hemsky had been here since October. Ottawas big issue this season has been in their own end. And to be brutally honest, that has been their biggest problem since Paul MacLean took over as head coach a couple of years ago. To MacLeans credit, he has drastically improved the offense on this team. When they missed the playoffs in Cory Cloustons last season at the helm, Ottawa scored just 193 goals and was one of only three NHL teams who failed to crack the 200-goal barrier in 2010-11. So heading into MacLeans first season, the big question was: Who is going to score goals for the Senators? But MacLean worked his offensive magic and had terrific seasons from the likes of Spezza, Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson and the team ended up scoring 249 goals and ranking in the top five in the NHL in that category. Thats a remarkable transformation; bottom five in the league in goals one year to top five the next. But Ottawas defensive game showed no real improvement in that first season under MacLean. They ranked 24th in goals against under Clouston (giving up 250 goals) and they also ranked 24th in goals against under MacLean (giving up 240 goals). In fact, no team that made the playoffs in 2012 allowed more regular season goals than the Senators. And when you give up as many goals as the Senators do, you either make the playoffs by the skin of your teeth - or miss them altogether. This trend appears to be rearing its ugly head again this season, as the Senators have no real problems scoring goals. They currently rank in the top half of the Eastern Conference in goals scored with 185 - more than playoff-bound teams like Montreal, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers. But the Senators have surrendered an astounding 213 goals this season - the second-worst total in the entire NHL.  And no matter how many goals Hemsky would have added to the offensive side of the ledger, its hard to imagine how he would have helped with the defensive breakdowns that have been problematic with this team for months. A lot of people will point to the lockout-shortened season a year ago, where the Senators were the stingiest team in the Eastern Conference, sporting a 2.08 GAA. But last year needs to be taken with a grain of salt because it was only a 48-game schedule and the Senators were still giving up a ton of quality chances.  Take a look at Ottawas NHL ranking in shots allowed/game since MacLean took over and you will see they didnt actually have a great defensive improvement in that department last season: Shots Allowed/Game (NHL Rank) 2011-12: 32.0/game (29th in NHL)2012-13: 31.3/game (23rd in NHL)2013-14: 34.4/game (28th in NHL) Even though the Senators were near the top of the league in GAA in 2012-13, they were still giving up too many shots and chances each night. They werent necessarily playing a tough, defensive style. Instead, they were bailed out by unbelievable goaltending that was producing numbers that were never going to be sustainable for the long-term.  Craig Anderson, for example, had a .933 save percentage while short-handed last season - a number that has tumbled by more than 100 points this year. In short, the Senators brilliant goaltending masked the issues for this team last season. Now that the goaltending has been average this season, it highlights the defensive issues that have been around for the better part of three seasons. The best teams in the NHL over the past three years - like Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles - have all ranked in the top 10 in fewest shots allowed. Even a team like the Blackhawks, who have the reputation of being offensive-oriented, have allowed the fourth-fewest shots against this season. Again, MacLean deserves a ton of credit for turning this team into an offensive juggernaut. And if Hemsky re-signs next season, there is every reason to believe he can flourish in this system. But now is the time that MacLean and his staff need to fix the defensive flaws with this team.  He is trying to implement a similar system he used in Detroit when they won the Stanley Cup in 2007-08. That season, the Red Wings had no trouble scoring goals, ranking third in the NHL in that department. But they also allowed the fewest shots per game at 23.5 - the best number in the entire league. The offensive comparisons to Detroit are accurate, but its the defensive game for Ottawa that still has miles to go. Bryan Murray didnt make any trades involving defensemen at the deadline because the organization believes they have the right personnel on the back end. If thats the case, its the system that needs to be adjusted moving forward. So when it comes to the re-build that started a couple of years ago, its fair to say the Senators are only halfway there. Scarpe Balenciaga Outlet Online . -- Arkansas didnt need a spectacular dunk to beat No. Scarpe Balenciaga Outlet . Mission accomplished. Now the Royals will take the field on Saturday with a World Series lead for the first time in team history when they play Game 4 of the Fall Classic against the Giants at AT&T Park. http://www.balenciagaoutlet.it/. Now he can be had by any team willing to pay his salary. According to a report from ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shopping the veteran CB and plan on releasing him Wednesday if they cant find a trade partner. Outlet Balenciaga Online . -- LeGarrette Blount wasnt satisfied with three short touchdown runs, not against a team coming off the second greatest comeback in playoff history. Balenciaga Outlet Italia . -- Victor Bernardez tied the game with his second goal in the 95th minute and the San Jose Earthquakes drew 3-3 with Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Alex Rios had two hits, drove in a pair and scored a run as the Texas Rangers held off the Miami Marlins, 5-4, to earn a split of a two-game interleague set on Wednesday afternoon. Nick Martinez (3-9) started for the Rangers and picked up the win in his hometown, surrendering just two runs on six hits in six innings. With his family in the stands, the right-hander struck out seven and walked two to win for the second time in three decisions. "Just a great day for everyone," said Martinez. "Everyone came out swinging. (Geovany Soto) called a great game." Leonys Martin added three hits and drove in a run for the Rangers, who improved to just 6-12 in the month of August. Adrian Beltre chipped in with two hits and scored a run for Texas, which won for only the 15th time in 57 games since June 14. Marcel Ozuna had three hits, including a solo homer, and drove in a run for the Marlins, who ended a nine-game homestand with a 6-3 mark. Miamis Christian Yelich finished 3-for-4 to increase his hitting streak to nine games. Yelich has three consecutive three-hit games and has 19 hits over his hitting streak. The Rangers got going in the first inning, putting up three runs against Miami starter Nathan Eovaldi. With two outs, Rios began the rally with a base hit. After a Beltre single put runners on first and second, J.P. Arencibia doubled to plate Rios and after Miami shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria dropped the relay throw, Beltre scored the second run. Then, following a wild pitch that allowed Arencibia to move to third, Martins base hit pllated Arencibia for the third run of the frame.dddddddddddd. Texas kept going in the second as Rios doubled home a pair of runs for a 5-0 lead. The Marlins got two runs back in the fourth inning when Ozuna doubled home a run and later scored on a wild pitch, but that was it until the Marlins made it interesting in the ninth. Martin greeted closer Neftali Feliz with a solo homer to make it a two-run game. An out later, pinch-hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a solo homer to make it a 5-4 contest. However, Feliz struck out pinch-hitter Jeff Baker and, after a walk to Yelich, struck out Donovan Solano to end it. Eovaldi (6-8) suffered the loss, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on nine hits in five frames. He struck out four and walked one, suffering his set straight setback and fifth in six decisions. "Too many runs early," said Miami manager Mike Redmond. "You got to come out of the chute and throw up some zeros. We didnt play good defensively. We made a couple errors that cost us. We know we can play better than that." Game Notes The Marlins benefited from a replay overturn in the sixth inning. After initially being called safe by third base umpire D.J. Reyburn, Martin was ruled out after diving back to the bag following a strikeout of Rougned Odor. The double play ended the inning ... Texas returns home to host the Kansas City Royals for three games starting Friday ... Miami embarks on a nine-game road trip beginning on Friday in Colorado ... Yelich has lifted his average from .267 to .288 during his hitting streak, which includes four three-hit games. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '