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[b]Didi Gregorius Jersey[/b] . PAUL, Minn. -- Jason Pominville scored the only goal of the shootout to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. Minnesota took a 2-0 lead into the locker room after 20 minutes on goals Carson McMillan and Charlie Coyle. New Wild defenceman Keith Ballard assisted on both. Winnipeg (1-2-2) stormed back with second-period goals by Eric ODell, Patrice Cormier and Paul Postma. Minnesota defenceman Ryan Suter forged a 3-3 tie in the third period, scoring off a feed from Zach Parise. Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves for Winnipeg, while Niklas Backstrom had 28 saves for Minnesota, and stopped Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little in the shootout. The teams will play in the NHLs new Central Division this season.
[b]Bobby Murcer Jersey[/b] .com) - Robert Upshaw made a putback jumper to put 17th-ranked Washington ahead with 1:27 remaining in the game and the Huskies held on to beat Eastern Washington 81-77 on Sunday.
[b]Adam Ottavino Jersey[/b] . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training.NEW YORK -- Geno Smith is still No. 1 for the New York Jets. For the moment. Whether its the second-year quarterbacks job to lose, well, offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg will see what effect Michael Vick has in whats expected to be a hotly contested competition this summer. "We brought Mike in to compete, to push Geno and to make Geno the very best he can make him, and I wanted to make sure Mike was ready for that," Mornhinweg said during a conference call Tuesday. "I think this thing is going to work beautifully. Well see." Smith started all 16 games for the Jets after incumbent Mark Sanchez was lost for the year after injuring his shoulder in the preseason. It was a roller-coaster ride for Smith and the Jets, as the young quarterback led four comeback victories in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first nine games, but then struggled mightily with six interceptions and no touchdowns in three straight losses. He bounced back with a solid final four games, with only two turnovers while leading the Jets to three wins and an 8-8 finish. "Were going to structure it a certain way," Mornhinweg said. "One thing I want to make sure of, that nothing impedes the young quarterbacks progression. Im talking about Geno. He progressed beautifully, and Im talking the last quarter of the season. Played like a winning quarterback, played at a high level." Not surprisingly, Mornhinweg acknowledged that Smith will take the first snaps with the starting offence when the team begins on-field practices in a few weeks. The Jets did the same last spring with Sanchez getting the first snaps over Smith. "Geno will get a few more reps, but not many (more)," Mornhinweg said. "Im going to try to do this thing right, and itll vary day to day, much like Ive done it in the past." Smith said last week hes taking the approach that hes the starter, and Vick acknowledged that when he signed with New York last month. But that doesnt mean Vick will be resigned to the fact he will be the backup, and thats one reason Mornhinweg was happy to be reunited with the veteran after their four seasons together in Philadelphia. "He has a really important role here," he said of Vick. "Hes 33 years old, and hes still got it. I look at him as a young 33. Hes still got it. ... When hes called uupon to play, Ive got great confidence in Mike.
[b]Raul Mondesi Jersey[/b]. ." And, if it turns out its in a mentor-type role as it was for Vick last year with Nick Foles in Philadelphia, Mornhinweg anticipates no issues. "Mikes going to handle that real well," he said. "Hes going to do the right thing." Vick is extremely familiar with Mornhinwegs system, theoretically giving the Jets two starting-calibre quarterbacks who can run the offence with little drop-off in case of injury or ineffectiveness. "I would expect Geno to progress at a high rate with Mikes help," Mornhinweg said. "I want to get Mike back comfortable with our terminology, with our system, exactly how we want these things done, so its just that simple. Vick isnt the only newcomer to an offence that finished 25th overall and struggled with consistency last season. The Jets signed former Titans star Chris Johnson to bolster the backfield and former Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker to upgrade perhaps the teams weakest spot a year ago. Mornhinweg is intrigued by the pass-catching ability Johnson has, but also believes he can be the "electric, dynamic" type of running back he was during his best years in Tennessee now that hes healthy. "Thats a pretty good little 1-2 punch," Mornhinweg said of the Chris Ivory-Johnson pairing. Decker had 87 receptions for 11 touchdowns last season while catching passes from Peyton Manning. Meanwhile, the Jets leading receiver was Jeremy Kerley with 43 catches, and it was clear New York would need to get better at the position through free agency -- they also signed Jacoby Ford -- and the draft. "Last year," Mornhinweg said, "I thought was quite possibly the start of something special." NOTES: Defensive co-ordinator Dennis Thurman said "the skys the limit" for Dee Milliner, the Jets top pick last year who will assume the No. 1 CB spot with the departure of Antonio Cromartie. Milliner struggled at times while dealing with injuries, but Thurman believes he can become "a very good corner." ... While cornerback remains a potential target in the first round, Thurman expressed confidence in his current group. "Im comfortable with our cornerback situation," he said. "We have guys who can play." ' ' '
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