Subject :CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames shook up their front office Thursday after a disappointing start to th
CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames shook up their front office Thursday after a disappointing start to the season, firing general manager Jay Feaster and assistant general manager John Weisbrod. Marcus Maye Jersey . The Flames have just 26 points this season, good for 13th place in the 14-team Western Conference. Brian Burke, the teams president of hockey operations, will serve as acting general manager. He said the search for Feasters replacement is underway. Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger the Dallas Stars have granted Calgary permission to speak with former Flames player and Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. Burke felt the moves needed to be made to get the franchise back on track as it tries to pursue a championship. "I wouldnt have come here if that wasnt the ultimate goal," he said. "I have to look at the steps that have been taken and figure out whats the best way for us to get on that path. "And I reached the conclusion that we needed to make this change." Burke, who was hired by the Flames in early September, added that one of the teams priorities is to get tougher and more "truculent." "We want black-and-blue hockey here, thats what we do in Alberta," Burke said. "Weve got to be big and more truculent -- I know youre all waiting for the word, there it is. I want a little more hostility out there than what Im seeing right now." Burke said it was tough to fire Feaster, who he called a friend. But he said potentially unpopular decisions come with the job. "Im not kissing babies up here," he said. "Im not running for office. This is about winning hockey games. And I have to take the steps that I think are going to lead us to win the most hockey games we can win." Calgary took an 11-15-4 record into Thursday nights home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. "If you look at our record, its not where we want to be and we have to change it as players," said Flames captain Mark Giordano. "You could call it whatever, but the bottom line is this: as an organization, Ive been here for a while now, and right from our owners down, we want to win. "Nothing else is acceptable. Weve got to start winning hockey games and push this forward." Burke said there are no plans to make any changes to the coaching staff this season. "When he came in he told me he likes the way that we play," said head coach Bob Hartley. "And this morning he told me again. But at the same time, it doesnt change my job. You come in every day, I have a great coaching staff, we have players that want to learn and they want to work. "It doesnt really change our day-to-day operation." Burke said one of the reasons for the shakeup is that he believes the Flames are giving up points in games they should win. "Im frustrated like all of our fans are with our inability to hold leads," Burke said. "I love how this team works, I love how the coaches are playing the kids ... Im just frustrated that we seem to routinely turn third-period leads into losses." Calgary did not make the playoffs in the two full seasons Feaster served as GM. He took over in an acting role midway through the 2010-11 season, and Calgary did not qualify that year either. "We wish Jay the best," said forward Matt Stajan. "Hes a great man, he did a lot for the guys in that room. Its too bad we didnt show better on the ice but weve got to keep grinding here and find a way to win games." Feaster previously served as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who he guided to a Stanley Cup win in 2004. Burke has had a long career as a hockey executive. He has previously served as GM of the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Hartford Whalers and Anaheim Ducks, who won the Stanley Cup under his watch in 2007. Jamal Adams Jersey . - Ronda Rousey realizes shes finishing up one of the biggest years for any fighter in the young history of mixed martial arts at UFC 168, and the UFCs bantamweight champion intends to go out on top. ArDarius Stewart Jets Jersey . -- With his team down 16 points in the second quarter and headed for another blowout loss at home, Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson yelled out to his players to keep shooting and keep fighting on defence.DALLAS -- Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff doesnt want the recent success of his clubs homestand to go to his players heads. Erik Cole scored twice and Tyler Seguin netted his 20th goal of the season as the Stars edged the struggling Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Tuesday night. The Stars have earned five points through three games of their five-game homestand. "Just stay grounded," was the message Ruff gave to his team. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. Try to stay consistent. Our hard work ethic in the first 40 games has been good. If we can consistently work like that, then well have success." Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar scored for Los Angeles, which has lost four straight. "We easily could have won the last three," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "Thats the way it goes." The Kings, beaten at Chicago on Monday, will end a four-game trip on Thursday at St. Louis. "Youve got to work harder," Los Angeles defenceman Matt Greene said. "Youve got to pay more attention to details and get back to playing our game. Were not playing as well as we can right now, and thats it. "Theres no moral victories. Theres nothing like that going on here. Everybody has to raise their game to a level that they can play at and theyve played at before." Kari Lehtonen (16-8-7) stopped 23 shots for Dallas, which hasnt made the playoffs since 2008. "Instead of winning a game and looking to see if we gained any ground, we decided to forget about that," said Cole, whose only other two-goal game this season was Saturday. "Just focus on our play and what we can do to win games. "If we just focus on that, one day well wake up and well be in fifth or fourth or third or whatever." Seguin reached 20 goals for the second time in his four-year NHL career. He had 29 goals in 2011-12 with Boston. Carter and Kopitar tied Justin Williams for the team lead with 13 ggoals. Jamal Adams Jets Jersey. Dallas previously anemic power play accounted for Coles first goal and Seguins tally. It was the first time the Stars have scored multiple power-play goals in a game since Oct. 11. Dallas went into the game with the NHLs 29th-ranked power play (11.7 per cent) and the leagues worst at home (4.8 per cent). "I cant sit here and say that we werent doing things properly before," Cole said. "We just werent getting enough pucks at the net, and second and third chances, just (not) being as opportunistic as we should have been." Seguin put Dallas ahead for good at 12:13 of the second period. He corralled a puck that caromed off the boards behind Ben Scrivens (17-5-4) and banged it off Scrivens left skate as the goalie slid across the crease to try to cover the opposite post. "Thats how goal scorers score goals," Scrivens said. "They throw the puck. They find ways to score when it doesnt look like theres room. Ive got to give credit to a good player, too." Cole followed three minutes later with a wrist shot from a sharp angle near the goal line that beat Scrivens to his right. Carter gave Los Angeles its first lead during a 4-on-3 power play with a deflection of Mike Richards shot that popped over the right shoulder of Lehtonen and dribbled into the net. About three minutes later, Cole tied it by swatting in a rebound that was nicked by Dallas Alex Chiasson following a shot from the left point by Seguin 35 seconds into a power play. Kopitar accounted for the final margin 1:05 into the third period with a shot from the left circle after Dallas Benn brothers, Jamie and Jordie, got tangled up and lost the puck. NOTES: Dallas forward Ray Whitney sat out with the flu, the first game that the 23-year NHL veteran has missed following 16 consecutive appearances. ... The Kings dropped to 4-2 in the second of back-to-back games. ... The Stars won the season series 2-1. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
|