Painzable » Angeles LHP Tyler Skaggs opposes Brad Peacock

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - The Colorado Avalanche were deflated after their blowout loss in the season opener.Their egos, especially. And maybe not a bad thing, either.Coach Patrick Roy thinks maybe the success of last season went straight to their heads, as did all the preseason hype proclaiming them contenders again in the Western Conference.The Avs didnt play with their usual chip on the shoulder throughout the preseason, and it carried over when they were outhustled and outshot in a 5-0 loss at Minnesota on Thursday.Roy is hoping to see a different team a€” one resembling the squad that captured the Central Division last season a€” on the ice Saturday night for the home-opener against the Wild.All summer long, everybody said how nice we were, how good we were, how special we were, how everybody was excited about the team, how everybody was excited about this year, said Roy, whose team tied a franchise record with 52 wins. We forgot how hard we worked last year to be the team we were. Thats what we have to do.This is a wake-up call.The Wild had a franchise-record 48 shots on goal and chased goaltender Semyon Varlamov from the game. When asked if Varlamov would be in net again Saturday, Roy chuckled. Not because his goaltenders performance was laughable, but because Varlamov was actually solid in spite of the score.Hes the reason why it was only 5-0, Roy said.Just like last season, Roys trying to keep an even-keel approach. No highs after big wins and no eruptions after losses like this one. The team was scheduled to have a day off the ice on Friday, so Roy kept it that way. The players worked out, watched film and then went home.However, Roy will alter his lineup. Hes pairing Jarome Iginla with Matt Duchene and Ryan OReilly on one line. The second line will feature Alex Tanguay, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.Simply trying to find a spark just as Roy did all during the preseason when his team went 1-5-2.Its only one game, but we have to learn from that game, Roy said. We cannot push it aside and say, Hey, lets forget about it.Roys coaching debut last season was quite memorable a€” he tried to push through a glass partition to get to Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau. And that was after a 6-1 win.The team took on the persona of their fiery coach and got off to a sizzling 14-2 start.But the way they lost this opener a€” struggling with possession and outraced down the ice a€” made for a long plane ride back to Denver.Its always quiet after a loss, but last night guys were kind of talking to each other on the plane and chit-chatting about what really happened and what are we going to do to get better, Landeskog said. Everybody has a right to be (mad) and disappointed, but everybodys got to be able to step back and look at what we really did and what we didnt do and what we have to do to be a better team.Like putting the past behind.We have to know that we cant just show up and put the gear on and were going to be a good team, said Duchene, whose team was knocked out of the post-season by the Wild by an overtime goal in Game 7. We have to do what we did last year a€” come to every game with enthusiasm and hard work and excitement. Last night, we almost seemed a little tentative.This team is a trendy pick to possibly make an even deeper post-season run. The Avs brought in veterans like Brad Stuart, Daniel Briere and Iginla to not only improve the roster, but help in tough situations like this.A lot of us didnt want the puck last night, Duchene said. There were times when we tried to pass the problem off to someone else. We just have to take control and be loose and just play. Theres no reason to be nervous or uptight about trying to duplicate what we did last year.We just have to relax and play hockey, work hard and have fun. Thats what we did last year. Custom NHL Jerseys . The Argentine midfielder made the announcement himself on Twitter on Tuesday and posted a picture of his swollen left foot. His message said he would be out "at least three weeks. Wholesale NHL Jerseys China .Y. - The NFL has fined Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch $20,000 for making an obscene gesture during last Sundays NFC championship game, a person with knowledge of the fine told The Associated Press on Thursday. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/.The Dallas Cowboys released Sam from the practice squad Tuesday, dropping the rush end as they prepare for several potential reinforcements to return to the defensive line. Fake NHL Jerseys . -- Caris LeVert had 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and No. NHL Jerseys Sale . Vonn flew back to Vail, Colo., last week after hurting her surgically repaired right knee at a downhill race in France. "Her knee was swollen again after Val dIsere," U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser told The Associated Press. HOUSTON -- Garrett Richards followed the worst start of his career with one of his best. He also a truly special inning, striking out the side on just nine pitches. Richards fanned nine to match his major league best, helping the Los Angeles Angels snap a season-worst four-game skid with a 4-0 win over Houston Astros on Wednesday night. Richards (5-2) bounced back from a terrible outing in his last start when he allowed five runs while getting only two outs. It was the shortest non-injury-related start of his career. "I definitely came into this game with a little chip on my shoulder," Richards said. "Last one was embarrassing. And thats not the pitcher I am." In the second, he joined Nolan Ryan as the only Angels pitchers to strike out the side on nine pitches. Ryan did it in 1972. "That was my guy growing up," Richards said. "Its cool. Its cool to be put in a group with a guy like that. I didnt even realize it until after the game." Richards gave up four hits and walked none in eight innings. Of his first 35 pitches, 32 were strikes. Joe Smith struck out one in a hitless ninth. Erick Aybar had two doubles and an RBI and David Freese doubled and drove in a run for the Angels. Jarred Cosart (4-5) allowed eight hits and three runs and tied a career-high with eight strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings. Dexter Fowler had two hits for the Astros, but no one else could get anything going against Richards. Heralded prospect Jon Singleton went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his second major league game after homering in his debut on Tuesday night. Fowlers ground-rule double led things off for the Astros, but Richards retired the next eight batters. Fowler singled with two outs in the third but Jose Altuve grounded into a force out to end the inning. Richard located his pitches well all night, but his control was impeccable early in the game. "Garrett was ready," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I dont know if it was based on the last outing which was obviously tough for him. He just showed great command withh all his pitches.dddddddddddd" Houston manager Bo Porter was impressed. "(He) had electric stuff tonight from the very first pitch until he left the game in the eighth," he said. "He was throwing 95, 96 late in the game with a wipeout slider. That is what you call dominating stuff." Freese doubled with one out in the fifth and C.J. Cron put the Angels on top 1-0 with his RBI single with two outs. Aybar hit a one-out double in the sixth before Albert Pujols drew a walk. Howie Kendrick and Freese hit back to back singles with two outs to stretch the lead to 3-0. The Angels didnt get a hit until Albert Pujols singled with two outs in the fourth inning, but Cosart struck out Josh Hamilton for the third out. Hamilton played centre field on Wednesday night in his second game back from the disabled list with star Mike Trout out again with back problems. Collin Cowgill entered the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth and took over in centre field and Hamilton moved to left. Cowgill preserved the shutout by sprinting to make a catch on the track just before Tals Hill in centre field on a fly ball hit by George Springer for the last out in the eighth. Trout had an MRI on Wednesday and said it didnt reveal any damage. He has some inflammation in the middle of his back on the left side and hopes to return to the lineup on Thursday. Trout missed two games with stiffness in his upper back before starting Tuesday night in Houston. He left that game in the second inning because of his back problem. He said that he feels a lot better on Wednesday than he did when he left the game on Tuesday night. "If I dont feel it at all, Im going to play," he said. "If I feel it a little bit, I should just be smart about it." NOTES: The series wraps up on Thursday when Los Angeles LHP Tyler Skaggs opposes Brad Peacock. ... Houston SS Jonathan Villar was out of the lineup on Wednesday after being hit on the right elbow by a pitch the night before. X-rays were negative and he is day to day. ' ' '