e lost eight straight games and have
e lost eight straight games and have
PHILADELPHIA -- Welcome back, R.J. Umberger. The Philadelphia Flyers acquired Umberger and a fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Scott Hartnell on Monday. Umberger makes a return to the Flyers after spending the past six seasons with Columbus. Last season, Umberger had 18 goals and 16 assists in 74 games to help the Blue Jackets reach the playoffs. "Hes a versatile player, a good skater, a good two-way player," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said. "He plays all three positions and can kill penalties. He is an attractive guy for us moving forward." The Flyers also made another move, signing centre Brayden Schenn to a multi-year contract. Umberger began his NHL career with the Flyers in 2005-06 and had 49 goals and 67 assists in 228 games over three seasons from 2005-2008. He was traded to Columbus on June 20, 2008, after helping the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference finals that spring with 10 goals and five assists in 17 playoff games. "It was apparent that the team was ready to play the younger guys here," Umberger said. "Last few years they got some great young talent and the young guys deserved to play. Some are waiting to come in next year. It was understandable and from a business side." Umberger gives the Flyers some cap relief. He has three years left on his contract at $4.6 million per year while Hartnell has five years remaining at $4.75 million per. The popular Hartnell appeared in 517 games for the Flyers over seven seasons with 157 goals and 169 assists. He was acquired from Nashville on June 18, 2007. "He has hockey left in him," Hextall said. "Versatility, length of contract, and speed are the main points we thought about here." Schenn had a career high in points (41), goals (20) and assists (21) in 82 games this past season. The Blue Jackets made another move by re-signing backup goalie Curtis McElhinney to a one-year extension. He was 10-11-1 with a 2.78 goals-against-average, .909 save percentage and two shutouts in a career-high 28 games last season, his first with Columbus. Ray Ban Sunglasses Sale .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. Authentic Ray Ban Sunglasses Wholesale .Y. -- First, Patrick Kane gave his family and friends something to cheer about by scoring a highlight-reel goal in a rare trip home to Buffalo on Sunday night. http://www.cheapraybanfromchina.com/. -- Pinch-runner Rajai Daviss decision to steal third base just as Oakland catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to the pitcher caught most everyone by surprise -- including several of his Detroit teammates. Ray Ban Sunglasses Cheap . -- J.R. Sweezy was the one part of the Seattle Seahawks offensive line that had avoided injuries or having to change positions this season. Cheap Ray Ban From China . -- Deshorn Brown scored twice, the first coming 13 seconds into the game, and the Colorado Rapids beat the undermanned Seattle Sounders 5-1 Saturday night.Depending on ones level of optimism, the Toronto Maple Leafs are either running out of time or are completely out of it in their search for a playoff berth. The Leafs have lost eight straight games and have tumbled all the way from second in the Atlantic Division to two spots back of the final Eastern Conference wild card position. Reminiscent of the teams struggles in February of 2012 that saw them drop 10 of 11 games and fall from fourth in the Eastern Conference all the way to 10th, it appears that the proverbial 18-wheeler is going off the cliff once again, to borrow former Leafs general manager Brian Burkes immortal turn-of-phrase. The 2011-12 failure would cost head coach Ron Wilson his job, with Randy Carlyle taking over before the Leafs March schedule even began. Burke, too, would become a casualty in the seasons aftermath. He would be replaced by his colleague - Dave Nonis – prior to the lockout-delayed start to the 2012-13 season. The Leafs are still mathematically in the thick of the wild card hunt – two points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets entering Monday night. But with games-in-hand to be factored, the hill could become steeper still. Regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs or not, they have certainly done themselves no favours with the slide. With the skid, the Leafs have lost the possibility of home-ice advantage against the likes of the Montreal Canadiens or Tampa Bay Lightning and have painted themselves into a black-and-gold corner that would likely see them draw the Boston Bruins (again) in the first round - that is, if they even make the playoffs. So who takes the blame this time around? Traditionally, the coach is the first to shoulder the load. So does Carlyle wear the horns? He has been a polarizing figure if former players like Mikhail Grabovski are to be believed and as the old adage goes, "you cant fire the team." Dion Phaneuf has drawn his share oof criticism over the streak as well, making notable on-ice gaffes against both the Philadelphia Flyers and St.dddddddddddd Louis Blues and taking additional heat after refusing to speak to the media after the streak hit seven. He has posted a minus-8 rating in the Leafs past three games. Nonis, too, could shoulder some of the blame for failing to add to a team that many had predicted was overachieving earlier in the season. Not only did Nonis not make a trade leading up to the Mar. 5 trade deadline, the Leafs war room was shown deserted in the minutes leading up to 3pm et that day. A lack of deadline activity is nothing new to Toronto as the team has avoided big name additions in each of the last three seasons, but should Nonis have pressed harder to improve his club? Or does the blame fall to the teams long-term core? The Leafs have five forwards - Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, David Clarkson, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak – locked up over the next four seasons beyond 2013-14 at a combined cost of just under $27 million. While Lupuls productivity has actually trended upwards during the slump (three goals in his last five games and six points over the eight games), the big line of Kessel, van Riemsdyk and Bozak has not been up to the lofty standards it set earlier this season. Kessel has scored just twice in eight games and the entire line has combined for just 12 points with only one player (Bozak) having managed a multi-point game over the stretch, and that only once. As for Clarkson, his career lows in goals and assists this season speak for themselves. The blame game could go on and on. The team has given up three goals or more eight straight games. That statistic could be pinned on the defence corps, overall team defence, or a four-game stretch without Jonathan Bernier. So who takes the blame for the Leafs late-season struggles? As always, its Your! Call. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '