Rainers Stammtisch » "Sean of course is a huge leader on our d

After beating one of the best teams in the league the last time out, the surprising Calgary Flames shoot for a third consecutive victory Friday when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Flames have built a 3-1-0 mark so far on a six-game road trip and are coming off consecutive wins over Nashville and Chicago. Calgary downed the Predators 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday and the next night earned a 2-1 overtime victory against the Blackhawks. Chicago, of course, won its second Stanley Cup title in four years in 2013 and made it to the Western Conference finals last spring. The Flames scored first on Wednesday, as Dennis Wideman scored at the 11:55 mark of the second period to stake Calgary to a lead. Chicagos Andrew Shaw would score a power-play goal with 5:45 left in regulation to even the score at 1-1. It appeared the game was headed to a shootout until Mikael Backlund ended the game in Calgarys favor shortly before the OT period was set to end. Backlund received the puck from T.J. Brodie in the neutral zone and skated into the Blackhawks end. Using defenseman Brent Seabrook as a screen, the Calgary center fired a shot under Corey Crawfords glove with 25 seconds remaining in the extra session. Although Backlund came up with the winning goal, Flames goaltender Jonas Hiller was correctly identified as the games First Star. Hiller stopped 49 shots to anchor Calgarys victory in a game where they were outshot by a 50-18 margin. I was happy that it didnt have to go to a shootout, said Hiller. Its always nice to get it done in overtime. The Flames, who were 16-21-4 as the away club last season, will complete their current road trip Sunday in Winnipeg. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, hope to close out a three-game homestand with a winning record. Columbus beat the New York Rangers to open the residency on Saturday and improve to 2-0 on the season before dropping a 4-2 decision in Tuesdays meeting with Dallas. Stars forward Tyler Seguin recorded a hat trick to help down the Blue Jackets. Seguin snapped a 2-2 tie by scoring with 7:44 left in the third period and then sealed the victory with an empty-net tally. Ryan Johansen had a pair of goals for the Blue Jackets, while Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 34 shots in the loss. I thought we were doing some good things in the first period, and got back into the game in the second, said Johansen. We just came out flat in the third and they took it to us. Johansen, who missed all of training camp due to a contract dispute, is leading the Blue Jackets with five points on two goals and three assists. Bobrovsky is expected to start tonight and he holds a 2-1-2 record and a 2.34 goals against average in five career outings against Calgary. Karri Ramo could get the call in net for the Flames and has never faced the Blue Jackets. Columbus will head out on a four-game road trip after ending its homestand tonight. The Blue Jackets will begin the swing Saturday in Ottawa before heading to the West Coast for matchups with San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Blue Jackets and Flames split a pair of meetings in 2013-14 with each club picking up a win on the road. Columbus has claimed four of the past six encounters between the clubs, but Calgary has won three of four at Nationwide Arena. Flames (6PTS) at Blue Jackets (4PTS) - 7PM CGY was 1-0-1 vs CBJ last season, 1-0-0 at CBJ CGY has gone 3-1-0 past 4 games at CBJ CBJ (2-1-0): 1-1-0 at home, 1/8 on PP, 4/4 on PK 5/5 on PK on season, 1 of 5 teams yet to allow a goal on PK Johansen (2G, 3A) has PT in all 3 games this season Johansen (5G, 8A) has a PT in 9 straight reg season games CGY (3-2-0): outshot on avg 37-24 3-1-0 on road trip, 3/12 on PP, 12/17 on PK Brodie (2G, 3A) during a 4 game PT streak Cheap Jerseys Authentic . Joel Embiid was nearly unstoppable in the paint in the second half, and Naadir Tharpe seemingly couldnt miss. Wholesale NFL Jerseys China .com) - The Utah Jazz look to put an end to their five-game losing streak when the Denver Nuggets visit Salt Lake City Monday night. http://www.wholesalejerseyscheap.net/ .J. -- Kevin Gilbride retired Thursday as offensive co-ordinator for the New York Giants. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Louis Blues are reportedly taking restricted free agent forward Vladimir Sobotka to arbitration. Wholesale Baseball Jerseys . Every once in awhile, it seems like life lets dreams become real - and that is a gift.IRVING, Texas -- Justin Durant was as sick as anyone to see Sean Lee go down with a torn knee ligament in the first off-season practice for the Dallas Cowboys. To suggest the injury gives Durant an opportunity to be the starting middle linebacker sort of turns the eight-year veterans stomach. "It hurt me seriously to my core," Durant said of the left ACL injury that is likely to keep Lee out in 2014. "I just look at it as my trying to step up and fill some big shoes." Durant isnt the only option under consideration by the Cowboys, who still havent specified Lees injury or said how long they expect him to be sidelined. Fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens wasnt far behind Durant for the start of the second week of off-season practice Monday, the same day Hitchens signed his rookie contract. And second-year player DeVonte Holloman worked off to the side, nursing a sore hamstring. If one of those three isnt at the centre of the Dallas defence in the season opener against San Francisco in about three months, it will probably be someone off the streets. The Cowboys arent in a hurry to decide. "I dont have timetables," linebackers coach Matt Eberflus said. "I really dont. Like I said, just working with whos on the grass." Durant and Holloman started the last three games of 2013 after Lee was sidelined by a neck injury. Durant made the first of those three starts before a hamstring injury sidelined him. Holloman took the last two, and had the first two sacks of his career in the season finale against Philadelphia. But Holloman hasnt made it the practice field this off-season because of a hamstring injury after the sixth-round pick missed seeven games his rookie season with a neck problem.dddddddddddd And he was drafted as an outside linebacker. "The reason hes valuable is hes got position flex," Eberflus said. "Where he fits in the lineup Im not sure yet. But hell decide that with his play." A year after coming to Dallas as a free agent who figured to be a backup, Durant finds himself by far the most experienced option to replace Lee. And that could mean a more vocal role for a guy who blended into the background his first year with the Cowboys. "Sean of course is a huge leader on our defence," said Durant, who has started 74 of 89 games in his first seven years. "Im going to be me but Im also going to step up and Im going step in and do some things sometimes." Hitchens was drafted a couple of rounds earlier than most projections, with Dallas thinking about insurance after Lee missed almost half the previous two seasons with injuries. The Cowboys didnt figure on having to cash in on that policy so quickly. "I just take it as this is my job and this is what they brought me in here for," Hitchens said. "I signed up for this. I usually dont look ahead." If hes looking ahead, coach Jason Garrett isnt saying. The coach wouldnt rule out a return in 2014 by Lee, who has missed 18 games in four seasons with hamstring, wrist, toe and neck injuries. "We feel like we have more guys to start with than we had last year at this time," Garrett said. "We want to be sure those guys get an opportunity to show us what they can do. Were also trying to find the best three linebackers." The Cowboys wont be settling on those three anytime soon. ' ' '