Herzlich Willkommen » Wildcats perform well at the defensive

TORONTO – Amongst the data gathered by the Maple Leafs coaching staff and available to the team at large after every game is the total number of scoring chances created by each individual player (not to mention those generated by the opposition). And so despite the fact that James van Riemsdyk has scored just once in the past 10 games and has just three goals since the start of December, the 24-year-old believes he is generating opportunities that, for the time being, are going unrewarded. "Im creating a lot of chances," said van Riemsdyk, following a grueling Sunday practice which followed an ugly 7-1 showing at the ACC a night earlier. "As long as thats there I know Im going in the right direction. I know that its going to go in eventually." van Riemsdyk has blossomed into a bona-fide force during his brief tenure in Toronto. In 89 games with the club, hes scored 33 goals, totaled 62 points and was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the first time following Wednesdays Winter Classic in Ann Arbour. He remains on pace this season for career-highs in goals, assists, points, ice-time and just about every other offensive category. But after a torrid start – 12 goals in the first 25 games – he, like a number of Leafs, has cooled off into something of a slumber offensively. van Riemsdyk managed his 15th of the year against the Red Wings during the snowy New Years Day bash. The goal snapped an eight-game drought and was just his third since the outset of December. "Its a long season," he said. "You go through ebbs and flows; youve just got to stick with it." Luck has not been on his side amid the cool spell. A career 11 per cent shooter, van Riemsdyk has been successful on just 5 per cent of his 59 attempts during the 16-game struggle. A flurry of chances opposite Cam Talbot in the opening moments of Saturdays embarrassing showing against the Rangers ultimately went unfulfilled – as they have been in the past month. A confident personality, his swagger doesnt appear rattled. "Obviously its a game of bounces," said van Riemsdyk, who remains second on the team in scoring with 30 points in 41 games. "Its weird how sometimes you can get a lot of grade-A chances and the goalie makes big saves and you cant buy one. And then you maybe throw one at the net from a crazy angle and it hits off something and goes in. Youve just got to stick with, stay positive and go from there." That advice could well be served for 23-year-old Nazem Kadri. Kadri is lumbering through one of the driest spells of his short NHL career. He has just one point in the past nine games and only four points in the past 14 outings. His growing pains have been notable after a quick start of 13 points in 14 games. "He seems to be in a little bit of a funk," said Randy Carlyle, observing that Kadri had been standing still too often in recent weeks and not moving his feet. "Our advice to him is commit to the time off the ice and when youre on the ice you work extremely hard and then you do extra and thats what hes doing right now." Kadri has seen some of his luck flounder this season - he posted an impressive 44 points in 48 games last year while owning the highest on-ice shooting percentage of any player in the league - while facing a nightly barrage of increased competition. A year ago, he lined up in the Leafs no. 3 centre hole, but with the offseason departure of Mikhail Grabovski and long-term injury to Dave Bolland, has been forced to rise up the depth chart, squaring off with a new level of talent every night. He even saw 12 games on the top line with Tyler Bozak sidelined by an oblique injury. Paired almost exclusively with Phil Kessel since he was traded to the Leafs, van Riemsdyk endured a similar challenge when he landed in Toronto. "Obviously being on [Kessels] line you see a lot of that [increased competition] and its a great challenge," said van Riemsdyk. "[But] its definitely a little bit different. When I was in Philadelphia I was definitely in more of a secondary role where youre expecting to play against probably their third [defence] pairing and not obviously their top checking line; you get a little bit more room out there." Carlyle pulled Kadri aside for a brief word at the end of Sundays practice, preaching persistence and hard work. "When things arent going well for yourself you have to be selfish and take a look in the mirror and say Hey Ive got to work myself out and the old adage was you put your nose to the grindstone and work your way through it," said Carlyle of Kadri, who wasnt available for interview on Sunday. "And I dont think that is too far from the way young players today should approach it." "Youve just got to stick with it I think," added van Riemsdyk, trying to break free from a slump himself. "You cant beat yourself up too much. Its a game of confidence and youve got to try to keep that confidence high throughout the whole year, get to work, and improve upon the things you can improve upon." Ed Walsh Jersey . Smith, an eighth overall pick, had two goals in only 276 minutes of playing time over 16 appearances last season. The left side midfielder played only 43 minutes in three games this season. Chicago White Sox Store . The 20-year-old Inoue landed a series of combinations and the bout was stopped 2 minutes, 54 seconds into the sixth round. Inoue, the first Japanese boxer to claim a world title in just his sixth professional fight, improved to 6-0 with five knockouts. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/3284e-seby...sox.html.Brooks, a three-year veteran, was slow to get up after suffering the injury during a 5-yard run by Arian Foster.Brooks limped off the field midway through the quarter and then slowly walked to the locker room a few minutes later. Johnny Callison White Sox Jersey . During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who cant wait to play in his hometown. Caleb Frare Jersey . -- Top-seed Shahar Peer and Canadian Eugenie Bouchard advanced to the second round of the inaugural WTA Citi Open.Manhattan, KS (SportsNetwork.com) - The Kansas State Wildcats shoot for their sixth win in the last seven games, as they entertain the 17th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in a Big 12 Conference clash at Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday night. West Virginia claimed victory in 14 of its first 15 games to open the 2014-15 campaign, but the team has split the last four to fall to 4-2 in conference. The Mountaineers had to go to overtime in last Saturdays bout with visiting TCU, but managed to slip by in an 86-85 final. As a result, WVU improved to 7-2 at home this season -- the two setbacks coming against LSU (74-73) and Iowa State (74-72). Kansas State knocked off Oklahoma State at home on Saturday, 63-53, as it rebounded from a 77-71 loss at nationally-ranked Iowa State four days earlier. For their efforts, the Wildcats enter this evenings fray at 12-8 overall and 5-2 in conference, and while the team is just 1-4 in true road games, it is 10-2 in front of the hometown faithful, with victories coming for K-State in each of its last four tilts inside Bramlage Coliseum. K-State owns a 4-2 lead in the all-time series with WVU, including a 2-0 mark in Manhattan. The Mountaineers won the most recent encounter though, taking an 81-71 decision in at home last February. West Virginia needed a pair of free throws from Jevan Carter in the final second to push its way past TCU in overtime on Saturday. The Mountaineers got double-double performances from Juwan Staten (18 points, 12 assists) and Devin Williams (18 points, 12 rebounds), 15 points and eight boards from Jonathan Holton, and 10 points and three steals from Daxter Miles, Jr. in what wound up being a nip-and-tuck battle throughout. WVU shot 40.8 percent from the floor, 24 percent from 3-point range, and turned in a 22-of-32 showing at the foul line, while the Horned Frogs finished with percentages of .491 overall, .429 from distance, and .636 at the charity stripe. TCU won the rebounding battle (47-37), but committed 19 turnoovers.dddddddddddd Staten is averaging a team-best 15.2 ppg, and he also serves as WVUs primary playmaker with 80 assists. Williams is netting 11.2 ppg while also spearheading the Mountaineers rebounding effort with 7.9 rpg, and there are five others who net between 6.4 and 9.9 ppg for a squad that produces 77.7 ppg, despite shooting knocking down only 41.7 percent of its field goal attempts and 29.9 percent of its long-range launches. The teams defensive allowance stands at 64.2 ppg, but it has been its ability to force turnovers that has WVU in the favorable position it is as foes are guilty of a whopping 21.9 miscues per outing, its +9.9 turnover margin ranking it first in the country. Nino Williams scored 20 points, his second straight game with at least that many, as he helped power Kansas State to its recent win over Oklahoma State. Williams went 10-of-13 from the floor, the team as a whole dropping 57.1 percent of its total shots, while at the same limiting the Cowboys to 43.2 percent field goal efficiency, which included a dismal 3-of-14 effort from 3- point range. The Wildcats didnt perform any better from distance (2-of-8), but went 13-of-16 at the foul line, narrowly won the rebounding battle (23-19), and made a 10-point halftime lead stand up. Marcus Foster and Justin Edwards both reached double figures as well for K-State, netting 14 points apiece, with the former also dishing out five of the teams 16 assists. Kansas State is far from an offensive juggernaut, as the team averages just 65.7 ppg despite shooting a solid 46.1 percent from the floor. Fortunately, the Wildcats perform well at the defensive end most nights, yielding just 62.7 ppg while forcing an average of 13.3 turnovers per outing. KSU is in the black with regard to rebounding margin (+2.8), but on the negative side of the ledger in turnovers (-0.4). Foster (13.7 ppg) leads three players in double figures, with Williams (12.0 ppg) and Thomas Gipson (11.2 ppg) being the others. ' ' '