Unser Chat » time on the ice than any other player

WINNIPEG -- Dustin Byfugliens move from defence to forward was made official Friday as coach Claude Noel says the Winnipeg Jets must find ways to boost production and win games. "What Im hoping to accomplish, not only with that line, with each line, is production, just positive production and hope we can move forward," Noel said after practice. The move was telegraphed Thursday when Byfuglien wore a forwards jersey during practice, but with a couple of players out with the flu it could be explained away and Noel wouldnt confirm the change. Friday, however, there was no pretense. A line change isnt all the Jets (19-22-5) need, however, said the coach. "Lets make sure were clear here. If were going to move in any direction weve got to get our workboots on thats the first thing," Noel said. "I dont care where youre playing weve got to win battles, weve got to get to the hard areas and weve got to win in the hard areas. You can juggle all you want." No one is sure how long the change will last but Byfuglien will line up with team captain Andrew Ladd and centre Bryan Little when the Jets face the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday at MTS Centre. Columbus (19-20-4) is one of the teams in the NHL with fewer points than the Jets, although at 42 theyre only one behind. Byfuglien made a very brief appearance last season as a forward, a position he tried with the Chicago Blackhawks as well before moving back to defence, and Noel wasnt saying how long he might remain in that position this time. It means Blake Wheeler moves to a line with Devin Setoguchi and Olli Jokinen, and for now it appears Evander Kane is out with an injured hand. Noel said he didnt know how long Kane might be gone. Kane was one of several Jets whose frustration as the Jets floundered in Tuesdays 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning boiled over in scraps with opposing players. Little and Ladd say after losing four in a row, its not hard to see why Noel would want to shake things up a bit. "Im looking forward to it," said Little. "(Byfugliens) the kind of guy who can play any position out there. Hes really offensively gifted and you know right now we really kind of need a spark." Byfuglien wasnt talking about the move Friday but Little says it looks like hes enjoying it. "I think youre trying to find ways to make a group and different ways to get the team going," said Ladd. "With four losses in a row, I think wed be worried if you werent trying different things." Byfugliens offensive skills are proven and hes currently tied with Little at 34 points as the teams top scorer. But hes also a team worst minus-16, although he also spends a lot more time on the ice than any other player. Moving him to forward might prevent some of the defensive slips that have led to goals. Wheeler, who shook off his own early scoring slump and now sits in second place for the Jets with 33 points, says he isnt looking at his move as a demotion. "It can give some guys some life and some energy," he said. "You see some new faces and sometimes sparks fly." Troy Apke Redskins Jersey . - Skiing far more aggressively than in her season debut a day earlier, Lindsey Vonn was in provisional 10th place after the first 45 skiers in a World Cup downhill on Saturday. Geron Christian Jersey . Eller said the Oilers were a "junior team" that was "all over the place" before Edmontons 4-3 victory over Montreal on Tuesday night, Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins took offence to Ellers comments and used it to motivate his youthful team. http://www.theredskinsshoponline.com/Youth-Paul-Richardson-Redskins-Jersey/ .com) - The NBA will be on display overseas Thursday with the New York Knicks taking on the Milwaukee Bucks at O2 Arena in London. Washington Redskins Jerseys . He will play 10th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in Sundays final, after the Spanish left-hander defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 6-4. Geron Christian Redskins Jersey . The team announced that it exercised the options on 15 players including goalkeepers Evan Bush, Maxime Crepeau and Troy Perkins, defenders Matteo Ferrari, Karl W.ST. LOUIS -- The secret is out on T.J. Oshie, who showed the world at the Sochi Olympics hes perfected the art of the shootout. Hes among nine Olympians whove rejoined a top contender that doesnt overly rely on razzle-dazzle. The St. Louis Blues are in prime position for the NHL stretch drive. They lack star power, with no one among the top 25 scorers, but are second overall in the Western Conference and atop the Central Division entering the re-start Wednesday at Vancouver. "Weve played awfully well. Weve been really resilient all year, weve responded to challenges all year," coach Ken Hitchcock said before the break. "But its going to really get dialed up when we get back and our players recognize that. "I think some guys are really looking forward to it." So far, theyve done the franchise proud. The next few months, theyll be working on solidifying their position and proving they belong against other powers in the conference. Theyre 3-0 against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, but 1-2 against the Kings, 0-3 against the Sharks and 0-2 against the Ducks. The Sharks have outscored them 16-7, the Ducks 8-4. "I told the players when we come back in March and April, its for them," Hitchcock said. "They have to really grab it coming back." The blueprint for success is a defence thats allowed the second-fewest goals. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have combined for seven shutouts aided by strong support and willing shot blockers throughout the defensive rotation. Oshie and Alexander Steen are tied for the team scoring lead at 46 points, Steens total coming in 46 games due to a lengthy concussion-related aabsence.dddddddddddd Theres plenty of depth with six players scoring at least 14 goals and Alex Pietrangelo is the first defenceman in franchise history and first in the NHL since Dion Phaneuf (2005-08) to record 40 or more points in each of his first three seasons. Theyve been dominant without much of a power play lately, entering the break in an 0-for-20 skid that included numerous failures with the two-man advantage. The Blues must regain their stride quickly after the break with 12 games in 22 days and never more than one day of rest. Theyve played the fewest games in the Western Conference and have three games in hand on the Ducks, first overall, and Blackhawks, who like St. Louis have 84 points. "Its really going to be like coming out of the lockout where everybody is full-tilt and every point means something down the stretch," defenceman Barret Jackman said. "Its going to be about the mental focus coming back and being the team that doesnt crack in those one-goal games." The Blues got a taste of the pressure going to overtime the last four games prior to the Olympics. They won three of them, with Oshie providing a preview of his Sochi show with four shootout goals to drive the United States past Russia in a preliminary round game. Stateside, Oshie scored in overtime to beat the Bruins, scored in the shootout to help beat the Jets and had a goal and assist against the Senators and then scored again in the shootout in a 5-4 loss. "We came through some injuries, sickness, like a lot of teams have gone through," Jackman said. "But were still one of the top teams in the league and thats a pretty good feeling." 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