After a relative saw off in the first half, one in which the Whitecaps created the better chances, only one team seemed to come

After a relative saw off in the first half, one in which the Whitecaps created the better chances, only one team seemed to come out for the start of the second, and it wasnt the home team. Patrik Nemeth Jersey . Its an issue that has crept up from time to time for Vancouver, the most notable example being their July game with Chivas at BC Place. In that game, they conceded off a corner in the very early stages of the second half. Momentum turned, and the Whitecaps never got it back. The momentum turner against Portland also occurred early in the second half. Pedro Morales, who by his own high standards had probably his least effective home game since joining the club, took a knock, fell to the turf, and remained down with his boot off for a good two minutes. There was confusion, there was concern. An awful thought crossed my mind, as it probably did the managers, and seemingly Morales teammates too. If the skipper was seriously hurt, then the Portland game was inconsequential, the Whitecaps season would be in serious jeopardy. The Caps played for a few moments with 10 men, and then for a few more with the skipper hobbling. Not long after, Alvis Powell drifted in front of Andy OBrien to glance home the first, and eventual game winner for the Timbers. It was a double sucker punch. Concern for the captain, some discombobulation in his absence, and then the whammy of a goal against. Having been blanked in four of the last five, the realization will have sunk in to the young Whitecaps: that coming back would be a tall order. If that was the games defining moment, the consensus theme from the latest Cascadia clash was how badly they missed Gershon Koffie. In Carl Robinsons three-man central midfield set-up, one of the two holding pivots has to be able to provide something going forward. At one point, assistant coach Martyn Pert seemed to be begging Russell Teibert to try and penetrate, rather than constantly deferring to teammates laterally or behind him. Thats where Koffie was sorely missed. But the most worrisome matter from Saturday was the continuation of a franchise trend to come up short in big home games during the seasons run in. Last year, it was a devastating loss to RSLs second string team before 2-2 draws with Chivas and Portland when they needed maximum points. Even in 2012 when they made the playoffs, the Whitecaps lost 2-0 at home to Dallas, and later, 1-0 again to the Timbers, who have yet to lose in Vancouver. They even spoiled the BC Place grand opening in 2011. From here, the biggest question will be whether the higher ups acquiesce to the mounting demand by fans and media to bring in a goal scorer. At this stage, and with their cap maxed, thats a tall order, and would mean moving a young asset, something theyve been loathe to do. Waiting until the off-season when the cap situation improves and more high end strikers are available would probably be the more prudent long term approach. Thats a tough sell to an impatient fan base, especially as season tickets come up for renewal. Chris Bigras Jersey . Case in point: LeBron James vs. Ben McLemore. James was driving to the rim in the first quarter and McLemore decided to try to take the charge, which was quite admirable and predictably futile. Patrick Roy Jersey . So it was understandable if he was a little shaky early in his return to the Texas Rangers rotation. He spent most of the outing searching for his best stuff, but still managed to shut down the struggling Minnesota Twins offence. http://www.avalancheauthority.com/authentic-nail-yakupov-avalanche-jersey/ . Now, Sarah Burkes legacy will live on in Canadas Sports Hall of Fame. Burke, who tragically died at age 29 from a training accident in 2012, headlined the 2014 class named for induction Wednesday.One of the National Hockey League’s big pushes this off-season was to refine the draft lottery process in preparation for the upcoming 2015 Draft. The lottery weights were adjusted to “more appropriately reflect the current state of competitive balance in the league,” a thinly-veiled attempt to lessen the incentive to tank a full season in hopes of picking up the first overall pick. It’s difficult to not look at Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and the Buffalo Sabres as impetus behind the change. McDavid, who has already racked up 34 points in 12 games this year in the OHL, is the consensus No. 1 pick, but Eichel is not far behind. McDavid is considered a generational talent, and outside of Sidney Crosby in recent seasons, no other draft eligible hockey player has produced at his current rate. American Jack Eichel, the consensus No. 2 pick, offers an impressive consolation prize for the team that misses out on McDavid. He has three goals and six assists in three games for Boston University, competing against much older players than McDavid. His hot start comes on the heels of an impressive 20-goal, 45-point run with U.S. Hockey’s National Under-18 Team. The two players create serious opportunity for the team that manages to finish dead last. Under the 2015 Draft lottery rules, the 30th-place team has a 20% chance at picking No. 1 and a 100% chance at getting no worse than the consolation prize. It’s the final year where the draft will utilize the lottery to identify the first overall pick – in 2016, the lottery will expand to determine the top three teams, further depressing the motivation to lose out. The Sabres appear to be a lock for the upcoming draft lottery. And despite other poor performances around the league, it’s growing increasingly difficult to see them finishing anywhere other than dead last – although Carolina is winless and two points behind Buffalo. Few will accuse them of outright tanking, but the organization has certainly done an excellent job of stripping away most of the talent at the NHL-level, using this year to develop a litany of younger players. The team might not be actively trying to lose, but the roster has been carefully assembled to the point where it’s going to be almost impossible for Ted Nolan’s lineup to sustain any kind of success, even over short periods of time. It’s a rebuild, by the harshest of designs. In the early goings, the Sabres have amassed four points in nine games – a shocking victory over San Jose, and a shootout win over Carolina. What’s amazing is that the 2-7-0 record is probably favorable to how they’ve played, which is historically bad. To show just how bad the Sabres have been in the early season, I compiled monthly Score-Adjusted Fenwick% -- or eeven-strength possession, adjusted for score effects -- for every team over the last eight years. Teemu Selanne Jersey. Score-Adjusted Fenwick measures 5-on-5 unblocked shot attempts while the score is within a two-goal margin. It should be noted that Buffalo has two games remaining in the month of October – one in Toronto, one at home against Boston. Possession Lost Team - Month Score-Adjusted Fenwick% Buffalo Sabres - October 2014 34.5% Atlanta Thrashers - March 2008 38.7% Buffalo Sabres - October 2013 40.1% Columbus Blue Jackets - January 2012 40.3% Edmonton Oilers - January 2014 40.9% Minnesota Wild - March 2011 41.2% Edmonton Oilers - November 2010 41.5% Minnesota Wild - March 2010 41.7% Calgary Flames - February 2011 41.7% Atlanta Thrashers - January 2007 41.8% So, Buffalo’s possession rates – importantly adjusted for score effects, since they are almost always trailing in hockey games – through the stretch of October are as bad as we have ever seen. You simply cannot win hockey games getting territorially drilled at the rate which Buffalo experiences, and this is with the team getting decent goaltending (.921 save percentage) at 5-on-5. If Michal Neuvirth and Jhonas Enroth ever go through a poor stretch of hockey – and they will, at some point – wins are going to be almost impossible to come by. I don’t think Buffalo will be able to sustain this low of a percentage over a full season, simply because the historical data we have suggests it’s almost impossible to be this bad. But, it’s comparatively difficult to see Buffalo not becoming the worst possession team of the analytics era when next April rolls around. What’s going to be fascinating is whether Buffalo really has any lottery competitors three months from now, and how extreme they’ll take roster-stripping in order to preserve a hopeful 30th-place finish. There are going to be plenty of opportunities to move veteran players, especially guys on expiring deals. Chris Stewart, the team’s best possession player at 43.7%, has been the subject of trade rumors and will likely be one of many shuffled off to the highest bidder at the deadline. Some will say Buffalo’s version of tanking will be worth it the minute they grab one of McDavid or Eichel; others will point to failed rebuild strategies in places like Edmonton and argue that throwing away seasons for nothing more than a chance isn’t worth it. The one point both sides will find agreeable is that this year’s edition of the Sabres is headed for futility. Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Baseball Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys China Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap Custom Jerseys China Cheap Basketball Jerseys Authentic NFL Jerseys China Cheap College Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys ' ' '