HOUSTON - Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek are hoping they can help the Houston Astros keep going in the right direction.
[b]Cheap San Jose Sharks Jerseys[/b] .The Astros finalized contracts with the righty relievers Friday, a big part of general manager Jeff Luhnows off-season plan.Luhnow said the Astros wanted to boost their bullpen this winter by adding arms that will allow us to win games were supposed to win. Houston went 70-92 last season after averaging 108 losses in the previous three years.Gregerson is guaranteed $18.5 million over three years from Houston and Neshek $12.5 million over two years. The contracts were agreed to this week at the winter meetings.Newly hired manager A.J. Hinch, who worked in San Diegos front office when Gregerson played for the Padres, said the pitchers had a solid track record. Hinch said he could trust the heartbeat in both of them.Gregerson, 30, spent five years with San Diego, then went 5-5 with a 2.12 ERA in 72 appearances for Oakland last season. He could take over as closer from Chad Qualls.Im open for any opportunity I get here, Gregerson said. Were here to get outs.Gregerson has pitched in the late innings, setting up Huston Street with the Padres and Sean Doolittle with the As. He receives $6 million next year and $6.25 million in each of the final two seasons.Neshek gets $5.5 million next year and $6.5 million in 2016. The deal includes an option at $6 million to $9 million, depending on his performance, with a $500,000 buyout.Neshek, 34, has pitched for Minnesota, San Diego, Oakland and St. Louis. He was 7-2 with a 1.87 ERA for the Cardinals this year, when he struck out 68 in 67 1-3 innings and was picked for his first All-Star game.Just having quality guys in the bullpen makes all of our jobs easier, he said.
[b]Dylan DeMelo Jersey[/b] . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins (5) – He was locked in all night, made huge stops on Benoit Pouliot, Raphael Diaz, Ryan Mcdonagh, Carl Hagelin, Rick Nash (twice) but none better than the three saves on Mats Zuccarello.
[b]Tim Heed Jersey[/b] .ca. Hi Kerry, Thursday nights Bruins-Blackhawks game had a goal by Patrice Bergeron initially waved off by the referee, but video review clarified it was a good goal.SOCHI, Russia -- Jonathan Toews pushed Matt Duchene into the centre of the ice as Team Canada started to stretch before practice. After sitting out as the 14th forward against Latvia, Duchene is back in the game following an injury to John Tavares. Duchene will replace Tavares in Canadas lineup for the Olympic semifinal showdown with the United States on Friday after the star centre suffered a tournament-ending knee injury. Its also a season-ending injury, as the New York Islanders confirmed their franchise player tore the medial collateral ligament and meniscus in his left knee on a hit from Latvias Arturs Kulda. The team said he would remain in Sochi with Team Canada for the rest of the Olympics before returning home for further evaluation. In the meantime, Canada must go on without him, and that means Duchene stepping into his spot centring the fourth line between Patrick Sharp and Rick Nash. "Johnnys been playing great for us, and hopefully he has a speedy recovery," Duchene said. "But its a big opportunity for myself now, chance to play centre, to play where Im comfortable. Theres been a lot of unfamiliars in this tournament, and when you get a short chance at it, sometimes can be tough, so this is going to be much more familiar." This is where Canadas best-in-the-world depth at centre provides a big advantage. Duchene goes from being a healthy scratch in two of the first four games and playing left wing in the other two back to the middle where he plays for the Colorado Avalanche. Duchene called speed his biggest asset, and its undoubtedly one reason coach Mike Babcock plugged him in where Tavares had been playing. "Thats why were set up (with so many centres)," Babcock said. "Duchhys a real good centreman with great speed, so were not concerned about him that way.
[b]Joe Pavelski Jersey[/b]. ." Another reason might be that it meant not having to mess with the other three lines. Again in practice Thursday, Sidney Crosby centred Chris Kunitz and Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf centred Jamie Benn and Corey Perry, and Toews centred Patrick Marleau and Jeff Carter. If those lines stay together against the U.S., aside from Tavares out because of injury, itll mark the first time Canada had consistent lines two games in a row. Thats not any accident. "We like what we got going," Babcock said. "Were trying to build a team here, too. Were trying to make everybody important. We knew there was going to be some lineup changes." In some places, there are no changes. Carey Price will start in goal for the third straight game and fourth time at these Olympics, and the same defensive pairs of Duncan Keith with Shea Weber, Marc-Edouard Vlasic with Drew Doughty and Jay Bouwmeester with Alex Pietrangelo are expected to stick together. Given that the forwards have scored only six of Canadas 13 goals through four games, there might be some benefits to building chemistry from game to game. "That can add a little bit of comfort going into the next game if youre playing with the same guys and you kind of get that rhythm together," Getzlaf said. "But ... that can change with the drop of the puck, so youve just got to be prepared for everything and be prepared to go out and work that system no matter who youre playing with." Kunitz took Tavares spot on the power play with Crosby, Carter, Sharp and Keith. The other unit of Toews, Getzlaf, Perry, Weber and Doughty remained the same. ' ' '
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