Farrell. "Hes been a very successful pitcher

The Vancouver Canucks have had quite a ride with goaltending in recent years and attempted to solve the problem by signing the number one free agent puck-stopper. Numbers Game looks into the Canucks signing Ryan Miller. The Canucks Get: G Ryan Miller. Miller, 33, was having a terrific season in Buffalo, posting a .923 save percentage in 40 games before he was traded to St. Louis. From there, Miller struggled down the stretch, with aa .903 save percentage in 19 regular season games before an .897 save percentage in the first-round playoff loss to Chicago. That finish might have dimmed his star somewhat, but Miller has a repuation earned with a save percentage of .919 over the past five seasons, during which no one has registered more saves than Millers 8278. That rep isnt everything, though. Miller is a 33-year-old who last made it out of the first round of the playoffs in 2007 and his .925 even-strength save percentage over the past four seasons ranks 22nd out of 43 goaltenders to play at least 4000 5-on-5 minutes. Following their abrupt playoff departure, the Blues changed their goaltending approach, retaining Brian Elliott with the expectation that they would add prospect Jake Allen to the tandem for next season. Whether Miller is at the peak of his game isnt necessarily the point though, because hes an upgrade in net for Vancouver; more proven than Eddie Lack or Jacob Markstrom, and thats what matters for the Canucks over the next three seasons. If they are going to remain competitive for at least a few more seasons, then the Canucs cant be stumbling around with question marks in goal, hoping that it will work out. New Canucks GM Jim Benning was instrumental to the Buffalo Sabres decision to draft Miller in 1999, so its not altogether surprising that Benning would turn to Miller to help the Canucks now. Miller doesnt guarantee success for the Canucks, but if he can provide at least average, or ideally above-average, goaltending, then the Canucks have had good enough possession numbers to compete for a playoff spot if they get decent goaltending. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Nike Air Max Plus Outlet . Detroits powerful offence made that unnecessary. Scherzer allowed two hits and struck out seven, and the Tigers backed their star right-hander with three early homers in an 8-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night. Discount Nike Air Max Plus . Tottenham claimed top spot in Group K by winning 2-0 at Tromso after defender Adnan Causevic scored an own goal before Mousa Dembele put the result beyond doubt. Valencia made sure it will finish first in Group A with a 1-0 win at Swansea thanks to an early goal from Dani Parejo. http://www.cheapnikeairmaxplus.com/ . Cleveland has won the first two of this set and has won six straight games since losing back-to-back tilts to open the year. Seattle, on the other hand, has now lost six in a row following consecutive wins to kick off its campaign. Nike Air Max Plus For Sale . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. Air Max Plus For Sale Cheap . The fourth-year guard from Carleton University kicked off his varsity career with rookie of the year honours in 2011, before racking up three straight Mike Moser Memorial Trophies for outstanding player.BOSTON - With Game 6 looming, Fenway Park a quiet calm before a New England crowd fills it and creates a raucous storm, were down to the nitty-gritty in this American League Championship Series. The hometown Red Sox, leading 3-2 and a win away from a trip to the World Series; the visiting Tigers, facing the daunting task of having to win twice on the road to wrest away the American League pennant. The prospect seems doable, however, considering presumptive Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer is due to hurl Game 6 and, should Detroit win, former Cy Young award Justin Verlander is scheduled to pitch Game 7. These teams are grinding. A series which started on the strength of pitching has morphed into an offensive battle. The Red Sox are hitting only .206 as a group in the ALCS, the Tigers .259, but the two clubs have combined for 41 hits in the last two games after teaming up for only 35 total in the first three. The Tigers are hurting, namely their star third baseman Miguel Cabrera and catcher Alex Avila. Cabrera, sapped of his ability to drive the ball to the opposite field by a leg injury which also has further depleted his already limited range at third base, will continue to chug along as best he can. Cabrera is 5-16 (.313) in the series but his lone extra base hit is a Game 2 home run, more the product of a mistake curveball hung by Clay Buchholz than Cabreras ability to get his damaged lower body to leverage his swing through the baseball. There has been next to no discussion, except in whispers, to removing Cabrera from the starting lineup. Manager Jim Leyland couldnt do it, hed be skewered publicly if he did and the Tigers were eliminated, and from a logistical standpoint his replacement options are limited. Hernan Perez? Thats not happening. What about some combination of Jhonny Peralta and Jose Iglesias on the left side of the infield and the insertion of Andy Dirks or Don Kelly in left field? Sounds like a better plan but, really, despite Cabreras Game 5 base running foible, costly error and poor at-bats, a Miggy at 60-percent (or less) remains the best option. If hes willing and able to play, play him. "It kind of breaks your heart, to be honest with you," said Leyland of the state of Cabreras health. "Hes tough as nails. I have so much respect for him. Everybody is conscientious these days about people earning their money. You talk about somebody who is earning their money, this guy feels like he owes it to the Detroit Tigers and our fans to be out there." As for Avila, hes reaffirming the notion that catchers play one of the most difficult positions in pro sports. Hes fouled a pitch off his right toes, strained the patellar tendon in his left knee in a home plate collision with Bostons David Ross, had Ross foul a pitch squarely off his face mask, and left a game early dazed and in pain, all in the last 72 hours. Avila is willing and able to play and hes the man with whom Leyland must go. "The main thing from a managers standpoint, the one thing you dont want to happen is when youre dealing with an injury - and I think Alex is fine now - the one thing you dont want to happen is start the game and take him out in the second or third inning," said Leyland. "Thats the one thing I try to guard against as a manager." Meantime, Prince Fielder has a hit in four of the five games so far. It feels, however, as if hes done nothing outside of doubling and then scoring in the sixth inning of Game 2. The plate approach is being questtioned, even Leylands referred to Fielders attempts to slap the ball to left field, but Fielders one of the horses which brought Leyland to the rodeo.dddddddddddd Hes not coming out of the lineup and nor should he. The only lineup move of significance Leylands made has been to drop Austin Jackson from the lead off spot to the eight-hole. The Tigers bullpen has allowed seven earned runs in 11 innings pitched against the Red Sox (5.72 ERA) but the damage has been limited to just two of the games, although one is most certainly memorable. Five Detroit relievers each allowed a run in Game 2, the "Big Papi Grand Slam" game, and Phil Coke and Joaquin Benoit each got nicked for a run allowed in the Tigers Game 4 win. Regardless of the numbers and how you break them down to determine the true extent of their ugliness, the relievers Leyland has are the guys hell have to live with - maybe die with - the rest of the way. No doubt Leyland is hoping Scherzer and Verlander, if necessary, can get him very deep into these remaining games. Boston, despite hitting a paltry .150 in the first three games, has an opportunity to book its third appearance in the World Series since 2004. The bats have awakened, with 22 hits combined in Games 4 and 5. The catalyst hasnt been David Ortiz or Dustin Pedroia but Mike Napoli, whose seventh inning home run off Justin Verlander in Game 3 accounted for that games only run. It also propelled Napoli, previously slumping, and including that home run hes since 6-10 with two home runs and a double. "As we talked about the other day, when it was thought because of his struggles or the way things were going in this postseason do you look to sit him and that was never contemplated, other than Game 2 where we thought there might be a better matchup with Mike Carp and the left hander," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "When he gets into that upswing he can carry us and not just because of the home run he hit (Thursday) night, you see the other things hes very capable of doing." Farrell has found magic in the back end of his bullpen. Koji Uehara has four saves in as many playoff opportunities but its been the work of Junichi Tazawa (2 1/3 innings - one run) and Craig Breslow (2 1/3 innings - no runs) that has solidified Farrells late game approach. The key has been Uehara. "Hes not doing something this year that is so out of the norm for him," said Farrell. "Hes been a very successful pitcher, whether its been in Japan or here. But the fact hes the closer here, hes gained the notoriety that he deserves." Farrell, by the way, deserves credit for the handling of his pitching in Game 5. Sensing that Jon Lester was losing control of his outing, a 4-0 lead had been trimmed to 4-2 with one on and one out in the sixth inning, Farrell called for Tazawa and initiated his plan, which asked for Tazawa, Breslow and Uehara to get the final 11 outs of the game. The plan worked and even if it hadnt, it would have been unfair – flat out wrong – to question Farrells strategy. Farrell also deleted the slumping Will Middlebrooks from the starting lineup and replaced him with 21-year-old Xander Bogaerts, whos responded with two doubles, two runs scored and a walk (2-4) in five plate appearances. However this series concludes, the winner will be lauded and the loser will be second-guessed. What weve seen in this series, for the most part, is great pitching and good baseball. The best could be yet to come. ' ' '