__________________ » bazz Napier basked in the celebration

Pride was etched onto Bob Hartleys face and evident in his voice.The coach of the Calgary Flames had spent the better part of 2 1-2 hours watching his team play spoiler to the New Jersey Devils playoff hopes, winning a 1-0 game at the Prudential Center on April 7.I love this group, Hartley said. Its just a hard-working group. Were going to fight until the last second.Calgarys work ethic was a key component last season. A significantly under-talented squad played hard and finished with a 35-40-7 record despite competing in the tough Pacific Division.Before the Flames open their 2014-15 campaign at home against Vancouver on Oct. 8, here are some things to consider:FROSH FLAMES: A little more than a year after embarking on an organizational-wide rebuilding project, it is too soon to state the Flames possess more talent their pipeline. But what they do possess makes for an intriguing foundation. Sean Monahan, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft, played 75 games for Calgary last season and finished with 34 points (22 goals and 12 assists). He could be joined this year by the offensively gifted Johnny Gaudreau, 2014 fourth overall pick Sam Bennett and Sven Baertschi, who recorded 11 points in 26 games last season with Calgary.CONTENTIOUS CALGARY: One of the hot topics in hockey is the role of fighting in the game. The Flames, who finished tied for 11th in the league with 32 bouts last season, believe it has a role, especially as it pertains to their young players taking care of themselves on the ice. Calgary brought in former AHL pugilist Serge Roberge into training camp to teach their prospects about fighting. Whats our job as a coaching staff, as an organization? Hartley rhetorically asked reporters when the subject was brought up. To try and protect our assets.It was about doing the right things in order to teach them to protect themselves.GUIDEPOSTS: By and large, NHL organizations are loathe to throw their prospects in too deep. Instead, teams us veterans to show them the ropes. To that end, Calgary added established NHLers Mason Raymond, Deryk Engelland and Jonas Hiller in free agency, and traded for Brandon Bollig.BLUELINE BREAKOUT: Consider the 2013-14 season Mark Giordanos coming out party. Calgarys top-pair defenceman set career highs in goals (14), points (47), average time on ice per game (25:14) and finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting. Now the challenge is to repeat the feat, as he will be counted to stabilize Calgarys back end.SET IN NET?: Karri Ramo acquitted himself well in 2013-14, compiling a 17-15-4 mark with a 2.65 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 40 games. Yet he enters training camp challenging for the No. 1 job as the Flames signed Hiller to a two-year, $9 million deal in free agency. In 326 NHL games all with Western Conference rival Anaheim, Hiller had a 162-110-32 record with a .916 save percentage and 2.51 goals-against average. Cheap Puma Shoes Online Australia . The lightning strike was in the parking lot of Crew Stadium on Saturday night, but its not known if the off-duty lieutenant was struck directly, Columbus Fire Department Battalion Chief Tracy Smith said. The firefighter, identified as Lt. Wholesale Puma Shoes Free Shipping . The 33-year-old defender has spent his entire career at Chelsea, scoring 57 goals in 621 appearances. He regained his regular starting place under Jose Mourinho in the season that ended at the weekend without Chelsea winning a trophy. http://www.pumaaustraliawholesale.com/. Wiggins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward who plays his first exhibition game on Wednesday against Pitt State, was the top prospect in the class of 2013. Puma Shoes Australia Sale . While plenty of statistics illustrate Torontos turnaround in the second year of manager Ryan Nelsens tenure, stopping goals is not one of them. Puma Online Sale Australia . Amid a rain of confetti, Shabazz Napier basked in the celebration on the court after being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four following the 60-54 win over Kentucky.The post-Olympic NHL is buzzing with rumors of trade talk between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning involving some significant pieces – Ranger captain Ryan Callahan and Lightning captain Marty St. Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less.2. The real question, though, is what is the latest and greatest information. Or, in other words, is this a story that is a couple of weeks old, just now finally coming to light and perhaps outdated? If its the latter, and either Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman doesnt intend to trade St. Louis or St. Louis doesnt want to be traded (he has a full No Move Clause), one or both of them may want to put the kaibosh on this story real fast now that theyre back from Sochi. Thats their call, but the Lighting are an Eastern Conference contender and letting this take on a life of its own is going to make for an unsettled week to 10 days leading up to the March 5 trade deadline. Ultimately, the larger issue is where is St. Louiss mindset at right now? Does he want to remain captain of the Lightning? There is reason to believe in the immediate aftermath of his Jan. 7 snub from the Canadian Olympic team, in some form or another, St. Louis indicated to the Bolts he may look favorably on a move out of Tampa. We have to be careful here not to get too hung up on semantics. Was it a trade demand? A trade request? A conversation? Was it St. Louis speaking directly to Yzerman or was it some form of communication between St. Louiss agent Lewis Gross and the organization? While none of the principals were confirming or denying anything in those days and weeks after the initial snub, talk in the NHL community was rife that St. Louis wanted out. There was even talk – again, nothing with an absolute confirmation -- that the only place St. Louis would waive his No Move Clause for was the New York Rangers. His off-season hhome is just outside NYC, in Connecticut.dddddddddddd If the NYR or bust account is accurate, it would certainly explain the St. Louis rumors coming out of NYC the last few days and the talk of Callahan for St. Louis. But heres the problem on that front. Tampa, especially now that Steven Stamkos is closer to returning, is a potential Eastern contender. St. Louis is a huge part of the Lightning attack and if you take a primary offensive catalyst out of the Bolts lineup now, its difficult to believe it could be accomplished with Ranger captain Callahan coming the other way on an expiring contract. Yzerman would want and need more from the Rangers than that. And as long as we presume the Lightning want to remain a contender in the East this season, trading St. Louis for future considerations or younger, unproven players presents its own set of unique problems in the short term. As for the Rangers, theyre not about to start giving up draft picks, prospects or young players for a 38-year-old. So the Tampa-NYR fit doesnt appear to be there. Even if there were a fit, when its all said and done, nothing happens if St. Louis doesnt want it to happen. His NMC guarantees that. If he feels more strongly about staying in Tampa now that hes played for Team Canada in the Olympics than he may have in the aftermath of the Jan. 7 snub, then the trade stories out of NYC are old news recycled as new. But if St. Louis would look favorably on a move now, even if its only to NYC, then the ball is back squarely in the Lightnings court to decide if theres any desire to oblige him and whether theres even a deal to be made. The way I see it, Yzerman isnt making any move in the short term unless it totally suits his purposes and IF he is contemplating trading St. Louis, it may make as much or more sense to do it in the summer as now. Or maybe St. Louis and the Lightning are going to live happily ever after. If thats the case, theyll no doubt let us know. Or not. In the meantime, well just sit tight to see how this one plays out but it sure seems as though it has way too many moving parts. ' ' '