Ankündigungen » econd-year QB has the backing of his team

The Calgary Flames find themselves in the midst of a heated Western Conference playoff race coming out of the All-Star break. Bob Hartley is hoping better goaltending can help them end a five-year playoff drought. Theyll look to start the seasons second half in strong fashion Tuesday night when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres. Calgary (25-19-3), a point ahead of Los Angeles for the Wests second wild-card spot, won the first four on a five-game trip prior to a 6-3 loss in Anaheim on Wednesday. Goaltender Joni Ortio, who had limited opponents to five goals while starting the previous four games after being called up, gave up four goals on 11 shots. Jonas Hiller, who hadnt started since facing 35 shots in a 6-5 loss to Florida on Jan. 9, stopped 14 of 15 shots in relief and will start Tuesday after Ortio was reassigned to Adirondack. Calgarys 2.64 goals-against average ranks third-worst among teams in playoff position, ahead of San Jose (2.67) and the Islanders (2.78). (Ortio) was playing really well and we were winning so no reason to change, Hiller told the teams official website. At the end you want to have success as a team and we had that. Now Ill try to help the team to have more success. Were still in the picture. I think its a great position were in but from here its not going to get easier. All-Stars Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano continued their strong play in Sundays exhibition with Gaudreau recording two assists and Giordano posting one. Gaudreau had four assists in his last five games before the break while Giordano, who leads all defensemen with 40 points, had a goal and three assists in his last four. The Flames appear likely to avoid a season-high fourth straight home loss as they take on the last-place Sabres (14-30-3), who have lost 15 of 16 and a franchise-worst 11 in a row. All 11 losses have come in regulation, the most consecutively since Pittsburgh lost 13 straight from Jan. 13-Feb. 12, 2004. Calgary has no power-play goals in a season-worst five straight games, coming up empty on 14 opportunities. Buffalo has given up 13 power-play goals on 36 chances during its losing streak, however, and allows opponents to score on a league-high 26.2 percent of chances. The Sabres went into the break on a particularly sour note on Jan. 18 at Detroit, squandering a 3-0 first-period lead in a 6-4 loss. That defeat dropped them to 0-10-1 on the road since Dec. 4 We gave our team an extra two days (off). Its been a real tough grind on all of us, trying to find our game and so forth. I think it did us real good, coach Ted Nolan said. The guys were much fresher (Monday) on the ice, their spirits were more lifted. Its one of those things where its good to get away and forget about it and start fresh. Buffalo has been without right wing Brian Gionta (concussion) and defenceman Mike Weber (lower body) for the last 13 and two games, respectively, but both return this evening. Rookie Nikita Zadorov, tied for the team lead among defensemen with eight points, was suspended for failing to report to the team on time following the All-Star break. The Flames lost 4-3 at Buffalo on Dec. 11 despite a 45-19 advantage in shots, their biggest advantage in a loss since outshooting Chicago 47-19 in a 3-2 road shootout defeat on Feb. 2, 2013. Theyve won six of the last seven meetings in Calgary, however. Flames Projected Lines Gaudreau - Monahan - Beartschi Bouma - Backlund - Jones Raymond - Jooris - Colborne Byron - Stajan - Bollig Giordano - Brodie Russell - Wideman Diaz - Engelland Hiller starting Ramo Sabres Projected Lines Moulson-Girgensons-Ennis Flynn-Mitchell-Gionta Stafford-Hodgson-Stewart Deslauriers-Ellis-Kaleta Myers-Gorges Benoit- Meszaros Weber-Strachan Enroth starting Game Notes: BUF is 1-0-0 vs CGY this season, winning at home CGY has won 4 straight at home vs BUF, BUF last winning in Oct 2003 Calgary: lost 3 straight at home, 11GA, 3/5 on PK, tied longest home losing streak on season Monahan (4G, 1A) 4 game PT streak Buffalo: lost 11 straight, outscored 49-16, 23/36 on PK Ennis (3G, 1A) last 2 games Jason Spezza Jersey . The move - the latest twist in Greeces nearly three-year financial freefall -- is the first such action by any of the countrys major sports bodies. 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Weedens job has never been more instable after Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said Monday that hes considering a change at quarterback and could start backup Jason Campbell this week against the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs. Chudzinski planned to discuss a possible switch with his staff, and didnt seem to be leaning in either direction. "Well basically put the guys at all positions wholl give us the best opportunity to win," Chudzinski said. Weedens second straight poor outing has Cleveland fans clamouring for a change, but Chudzinski noted there are other problems -- penalties, defensive breakdowns and dropped passes among them -- to fix or the Browns (3-4) will be in danger of letting a once promising season slip away. Making his fourth start this season, Weeden completed just 17 of 42 passes for 149 yards with a touchdown and interception against the Packers. He made some common mistakes: locking on to receivers, forcing passes into tight coverage and trying another ill-advised underhanded flip in the fourth quarter. It wasnt pretty, but unlike last week, when Chudzinski effusively supported Weeden following a loss at home to Detroit, the coach was more noncommittal. "Its not all Brandon and thats the first thing you have to look at as you look at the tape and see," Chudzinski said. "Theres some execution errors and issues with other guys. Brandon needs to play better, but we all need to play better around him. Well go through that process, talking about that, and come up with the plan that gives us the best chance to win." Weeden only returned to the starting lineup two weeks ago after Brian Hoyer, who led the Browns to wins over Minnesota and Cincinnati, suffered a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 3 againsst Buffalo.dddddddddddd Weeden came off the bench and rallied the Browns to a victory over the Bills, and the 30-year-old seemed to finally have some momentum in his second NFL season. But hes lost it all in the past two games, and linebacker DQwell Jackson believes Weeden has been shaken by the pressure. "Id be lying if I said he wasnt," Jackson said. "Im pretty sure he is. You try to block out the noise and cant avoid it. It comes with the territory. It comes with being in this league. Its a big-boy league. Youve got to take the good with the bad. People are going to love him when he plays well and people are going to try to run him out of Cleveland if he doesnt. "And that goes for all of us. It comes with the territory, especially playing in Cleveland." An hour after Chudzinskis news conference, a national report said the Browns will stick with Weeden. However, a team spokesman said "the truth" was that Chudzinski had not yet decided on his quarterback situation. Despite Weedens ragged play, Chudzinski still feels the second-year QB has the backing of his teammates, who understand that they all need to play better. "I think that our guys are looking at themselves, and we have plenty of places and plenty of opportunity to get better," he said. "By no means is it one guy, and it certainly wasnt a perfect game by anybody. Those guys know and I can guarantee that were going to put the best guys out there and the guys that give us the best chance to win. Thats what well always do." Weeden does have the support of several teammates. Tight end Jordan Cameron said hell abide by whatever decision is made, but that he trusts Weeden. "I have confidence in Brandon, 100 per cent confidence," he said. "Hes a tough guy. Hell hang in there, and whoever they pick will be ready to play. I just have confidence in whoever they choose and Im backing whatever their decision is." ' ' '