Bewerbungen » ough to beat a team that had been practically perfect on ho

Its New Years Day and Jack Armstrong is here with his first thoughts of 2015 on the high-flying Portland Trail Blazers, the Toronto Raptors current road trip, the return of Kevin Durant, Jared Dudleys impressive first year in Milwaukee and the injury to Al Jefferson. Greetings from San Francisco! I can think of a lot worse places to be, thats for sure. Happy New Year! My Best Wishes to each of you and I hope you have a wonderful 2015. FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS: 1. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Im really impressed. They have a very nice team and a big factor that jumps out at me is that they have four above-average perimeter defenders in Damian Lillard, Steve Blake, Nicholas Batum and Wesley Matthews. All do a solid job in making you earn everything you get. Not many teams in the league that have a perimeter corps that prides itself on being two-way players. This team is sound on both sides of the ball. 2. GREAT CHALLENGES FOR THE RAPTORS: It was a sensational game in Portland on Tuesday night between the #2 and #3 teams in the NBA in overall record. There was a terrific atmosphere and, even though Raps ran out of gas late, it once again proved to me that theyre growing as a team and are capable of playing with anyone. Another awesome test awaits on Friday against the top team in Association and the Golden State Warriors. I cant wait. These are the games that Raptors fans having been waiting to experience for years. Enjoy it - win or lose. Its all part of the journey of this team figuring out how to become a contender. Its not there yet, but this is what shapes and tests you for future improvement. There are many more ups and downs coming, but its nice to have true meaning each time game night arrives. 3. KEVIN DURANT (Thunder): A quiet night for Durant against the Suns on Wednesday with only 44 points, 10 boards and with seven assists. Eh, the guy is decent. The Thunder are only a game-and-a-half back from the final playoff spot in the West. If these guys stay healthy, watch out. Imagine being a top-three seed and having a sensational season and then being stuck having to play the Thunder as a bottom-three seed. Itll be fun to watch the elite Western teams in early April try to avoid a first-round match-up with these guys. Scary opponent. 4. JARED DUDLEY (Bucks): Ive always been a huge fan of his. Dudleys a no-frills, hard-working guy, who gets a lot out of his abilities. He does whatever you need to win. The Bucks second unit has been a huge plus this season and a big reason is his team-first approach. A winning player, Dudleys bounced back from a tough year and Im sure the Clippers miss him. 5. AL JEFFERSON (Hornets): What a nightmare season. Josh McRoberts bolts to Miami (and they miss him), Lance Stephenson has been a bust, chemistry has been shaky and now the big fella is going to miss some time with a groin injury. Jeffersons a force inside that you cant replace. Its a tough blow for Coach Steve Clifford, one of the talented young coaches in our game. Its been a brutal year for Charlotte after such a fun one last season. Winning, health and chemistry are a very fragile thing. Dalton Pompey Jersey . Head coach Randy Carlyle confirmed the news after the Leafs morning skate on Monday. Kozun was hurt during Friday nights home game against the Red Wings and did not make the return trip to Detroit for Saturdays game. Marcus Stroman Blue Jays Jersey . You can watch all the action on TSN2 beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. Pineda won his second straight start last Wednesday against Chicago, as he held the Cubs to just four hits over six scoreless innings to run his record to 2-0, while lowering his ERA to 1. http://www.bluejaysonline.com/blue-jays-...rero-jr-jersey/. 1 Pete Sampras. Speaking ahead of an exhibition match against Andre Agassi in London on March 3, Sampras said on a conference call Wednesday that he is impressed by Federers longevity. Joe Carter Blue Jays Jersey . The Raptors (15-15) posted six road victories last month and have won seven of their last nine games overall. Toronto visits the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Teoscar Hernandez Blue Jays Jersey . Venable and Jeremy Hermida drove in three runs apiece, and the Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 7-2 on Sunday to snap a nine-game losing streak. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Although Paul Maurice declines the credit, the Winnipeg Jets still havent lost since he stepped behind their bench. Theyre even good enough to beat a team that had been practically perfect on home ice all season long. Ondrej Pavelec made 40 saves, Evander Kane had a short-handed goal and an assist in his return from injury, and the Jets ended the Anaheim Ducks 10-game home winning streak with a 3-2 victory Tuesday night. Blake Wheeler and captain Andrew Ladd also scored for the last-place Jets, who handed the overall NHL leaders their first regulation loss at home this season after a 20-0-2 start at Honda Center. Bryan Little had two assists as Winnipeg hung on for its fourth consecutive win since Maurice replaced Claude Noel, culminating in this gritty win in the leagues most daunting road arena. "Its a tough building to play in, and it feels good to be the first team to beat them (here) this season," Pavelec said. "Its only two points, but it feels really good, especially in this building. ... The whole team is playing with confidence. The new coach let us know were good players, and we can beat anybody." With a fourth win for Maurice, Winnipeg even relinquished sole possession of last place in the Central Division, pulling even with Nashville at the bottom of the table. Yet when asked what hes done to this underachieving group, the veteran coach is frank: "Nothing." "Before I got here, I thought this was a good hockey team," Maurice added. "Now were feeling good, and that changes everything." Cam Fowler and Nick Bonino scored for the NHL-leading Ducks, who hadnt lost at home since Dec. 3. Anaheim has won 19 of 22 overall, but has lost two of its last three games despite putting 42 shots on net and having 36 more potential shots blocked by the Jets. Anaheim was just the fourth NHL team in 40 years to earn a point in its first 22 home games to start a season. The Ducks were the only NHL team that hadnt lost in regulation at home this season, but they began the week leading up to Saturdays game at Dodger Stadium by overlooking the Jets for two mediocre periods. "Theres a lot of distractions going on this week with this outdoor game,&qquot; Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf said.dddddddddddd"Everybody wants to talk about it, and everyones been talking about it for two weeks, so its hard to focus in on what you need to do and getting the two points on hand. But thats no excuse." Anaheim faces the Los Angeles Kings at home on Thursday and again in Chavez Ravine on the weekend. Jonas Hiller yielded three goals on 11 shots and was pulled late in the second period of his second straight loss after a 14-game winning streak. The Swiss Olympic goalie candidly acknowledged a lack of focus. "I just didnt feel like I was really in the game and I wasnt able to cut out all the distractions, like the outdoor game," Hiller said. "Those things happen, but its too bad in this situation. We wanted to keep that streak going. Some days you feel better and other days you dont. You cant be perfect every night. The problem with a goalie is, you see right away if you dont feel good, and you cant really hide." Frederik Andersen stopped 10 shots in relief during the Ducks return from a road trip that began with a loss in Chicago, snapping their eight-game winning streak. Fowler scored a goal in his second straight game just 3:59 in, ripping a slap shot off Zach Bogosians stick on a power play. But Wheeler evened it moments later, putting a stoppable shot past Hillers glove for his 18th goal, and Ladd scored late in the period by pouncing on a loose puck. Anaheim struggled on two power plays in the second period, and Hiller got yanked when he fanned on a quick shot by Kane, who had been out since Jan. 7 after hurting his hand in a fight. After Andersen relieved Hiller, the Ducks pressed in the third period and finally scored when Bonino followed Jakob Silfverbergs rebound in the slot and scored his 16th goal. "You hate to lose," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "You want this thing to go on forever." NOTES: The erstwhile Atlanta Thrashers hadnt visited Honda Center since Oct. 15, 2010. A Winnipeg Jets team hadnt visited Anaheim since 1996. ... Before the game, Anaheim sent D Sami Vatanen down to the AHL. ... With Kanes return, Winnipeg scratched F James Wright, who had missed just one game all season. ' ' '