considered, the first 40 games have offered a little bit of ev

A season after winning 19 of 50 games against Western Conference opponents, the Calgary Flames are slowly convincing themselves and others they can compete in whats widely considered the superior side of the standings. The next step comes Saturday night in Arizona, where the Flames will try to establish some road success after five seasons of struggles in visits to the Coyotes. Calgary (14-8-2) is gaining plenty of confidence from games such as Wednesdays 2-0 win in San Jose, which came a night after a 3-2 loss at Anaheim and extended the Flames season-long run of not having suffered consecutive regulation losses. Theyre 8-4-0 against the West. Character, coach Bob Hartley told the teams official website. It starts with our captain (Mark Giordano). We have lots of great players. They understand our situation. We want to make it to the (Stanley Cup playoffs) and we understand the Western Conference, its a real tough conference. But at the same time, every time we get two points were believing more and more. Its fun to push those guys. Jiri Hudler scored twice and has four goals and an assist in his last three games. He has 10 in 23 games this season after needing 117 games to score 27 goals in his first two seasons in Calgary. Giordano, meanwhile, leads the team with 24 points in 24 games, more than doubling the defensemans career production of 0.47 points per game. With similar contributions from players such as defenseman T.J. Brodie and rookie forward Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames have established themselves as an offensive force in the league with 3.00 goals per game a season after finishing 23rd (2.46). In goal, Karri Ramo shut out the Sharks with a 32-save effort for his best game of the season. I think everybody here in the room knows that if we just keep playing our game were going to win many games, Ramo said. In the long run, we dont have to panic. Just play our game and focus on our own game. Jonas Hiller has handled the bulk of the load, but hes allowed at least three goals in each game of a 2-3-0 stretch, including a 5-3 home win over Arizona (9-11-3) on Nov. 13. Hiller has a 1.97 goals-against average over a 10-0-1 span against the Coyotes, but 10 of those starts came with Anaheim. In the meeting earlier this month, Giordano scored - his seventh point in his last six games against Arizona. In Phoenix, however, the Coyotes have won four straight over the Flames and nine of 10. They might not be entering with quite that level of confidence after Tuesdays 4-3 overtime loss to Colorado gave them a fourth straight home defeat. Arizona led 3-0 just 10:53 into the game. It doesnt feel good leaving points out there, defenseman Michael Stone told the teams official website. We had a good handle on the game and we let it get away. Stone and Antoine Vermette had a goal and an assist each, but the Coyotes fell to 0 for 20 on power plays in their last five home games. Mike Smith made 31 saves but saw his losing streak grow to 0-5-2 with a 3.00 GAA, though thats an improvement from the 3.44 mark that accompanied his 4-6-0 start. At home against Calgary, Smith is 4-1-0 with a 1.59 GAA. The teams play Tuesday in Calgary with the Coyotes first making a stop in Edmonton. Khalil Mack Jersey . -- A lawyer for the fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez asked a judge Friday to throw out perjury charges, saying Shayanna Jenkins did not wilfully lie as she was bombarded with 1,630 questions over two days before a grand jury. Tim Brown Jersey . Amare Stoudemire had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony scored 21 and the New York Knicks won their eighth straight game, 93-92 over Philadelphia on Friday night, sending the Sixers to their 23rd straight loss. http://www.officialraidersgear.com/Raiders-Bo-Jackson-Draft-Jersey/ . And all things considered, the first 40 games have offered a little bit of everything from a hockey club that faced many questions in its first year under new management, with a new head coach and with a number of new faces in the lineup. However, with a recent dip in scoring, it seems some of the same old questions persist and several new ones have been raised after a somewhat troubling homestand. http://www.officialraidersgear.com/Raiders-Rashaan-Melvin-Draft-Jersey/ . In five games last month, Billings led all scorers with 11 goals, 27 assists and 38 points as the Rock posted a 2-3 record. http://www.officialraidersgear.com/Raiders-Connor-Cook-Draft-Jersey/ . - Henrik Samuelsson and Curtis Lazar each had two goals and two assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings secured top spot in the Eastern Conference by defeating the host Red Deer Rebels 7-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolinas Steve Spurrier has received a one-year contract extension and a raise that will pay the coach $4 million annually. The university board of trustees approved a $700,000 raise and the extension Thursday. The deal ties Spurrier to the school through 2018. If the 68-year-old coach decides to retire, the trustees voted for a contract clause that would make Spurrier a special assistant to university President Harris Pastides and athletic director Ray Tanner. With the raise, Spurrier becomes one of the top 10 highest-paid college football coaches in the country. Spurriers nine assistant coaches also received raises that put their combined compensation at $3.3 million, up from the $2.7 the group earned this past season. All assistants were given new two-year contract agreements except for defensive co-ordinator Lorenzo Ward, who received a three-year deal. Also earning a raise was quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus, whose salary was frozen for a year after his arrest for urinating in public. Mangus salary increased $100,000 to $275,000. Ward will be the highest-paid assistant at $750,000, a $100,000 raise. The biggest boost came for offensive line coach Shawn Elliott, who saw his compensation rise from $305,000 to $430,000 next fall. Spurrier thanked Pastides, Tanner and the board for the new contracts and raises. "We all hope to coach here many more years and we still have some goals that have not been accomplished yet," he said. Spurrier led the Gamecocks to a third-straight 11-2 season. Before he arrived in 2004, South Carolina had only one 10-win season in history. "It was a fun year. I tell you what, our players found a way to win all these games," Spurrier said. "We didnt clobber a lot of people. These guys know how to play in the fourth quarter." Tanner said he talked with Spurrier about the new deals shortly after South Carolinas 31-17 victory over Clemson on Nov. 30 -- the Gamecocks record--setting fifth straight over their rivals.dddddddddddd Spurrier was most concerned about making sure his assistants were adequately compensated, Tanner said. The coach talked about raises on his call-in show Wednesday night, saying Tanner "has done a super job of (saying), Hey, whats right and how can we aligned in the SEC competitive wise with coaches salaries? The president and from what I am hearing the Board of Trustees think that keeps us where we should be." It would also mean be the first time in Spurriers nine seasons the assistants he finished one season with all returned for the next one. Tanner, the two-time national championship baseball coach turned head administrator, said it was his thought to add the clause about Spurrier remaining with the school after he leaves as football coach. Spurrier told Tanner he has enjoyed living in Columbia and planned to stay when his time on the field was finished. The post-football position is based on Spurrier maintaining a residence in town and either Pastides or Tanner remaining in their current positions. Tanner stressed the special assistant spot was not an exit strategy for Spurrier, wholl be 73 should he stay for the length of the deal. "Age is just a number," Tanner said. Right now, leaving the field seems as far from Spurriers mind as possible. Spurrier has said he didnt plan on coaching into his 80s like Florida States Bobby Bowden and the late Joe Paterno at Penn State, and the Capital One Bowl victory over Wisconsin was his 300th game as a college coach. Still, the schools all-time wins leader said hes excited about the success the team has had the past few years and anxious to see what else they can achieve. "If you continue doing what you did in your 50s, then the age factor doesnt kick in," Spurrier said on his radio show. "It doesnt kick in until you dont know what you are doing. Hopefully, I still know what is happening out there." 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