Allgemeines » Melancon has been dominant since taking over the closers

CALGARY - Mason Raymond will have to adjust on the fly to his new team. Wholesale Nike Shoes From China .Limited to a pair of pre-season games with the Calgary Flames because of a lower-body injury, Raymond says the first few games of the NHL season will be a lesson in adaptation.Would I have liked a few more pre-season games? Sure, Raymond said. Coming to a new team, theres new things to learn, theres new systems, new everything kind of walk of life. I try to pick that up as much as I can, but in saying that I think actually being on the ice and in those situations is the best way, quickest way to learn those.Part of being a professional is being able to adapt. Ive been a pro in this long enough. You have to learn, you have to adapt, thats just part of the way it is.The Flames signed Raymond to a three-year, $9.5-million deal when unrestricted free agency opened July 1. Mike Cammalleri, Calgarys leading scorer last season, departed for the New Jersey Devils the same day.Looking to fill the void on offence, the Flames came to terms with Raymond, who is from Cochrane, Alta., just northwest of Calgary. The six-foot, 185-pound left-winger had 19 goals and 26 assists and played all 82 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013-14.What was a bounce-back season with the Leafs made Raymond attractive to the Flames. Hed gone to Torontos training camp without a contract and earned a one-year deal.Raymond spent his first six NHL seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and posted a career-high 25 goals and 28 assists in 2009-10. He suffered a broken vertebra in Game 6 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins.The long recovery from the injury hampered his output in subsequent seasons. The Canucks did not re-sign him in 2013. No other teams showed interest until the Leafs took a flyer on him and invited him to training camp.Truth be told, I couldnt get a contract, so I was there on a tryout, Raymond said. Im grateful for the opportunity that Toronto gave me and to be able to succeed.Its satisfying for me coming off a good season, playing well and proving you still deserve to play in this league. I think I proved it to myself, first and foremost, but proved to others I deserve to be here.Goal scoring is a question mark for the Flames to start this 2014-15 season and predicted to be by committee. Raymond, 29, is expected to be a significant producer on that committee.The reason why we went to get Mason is that we had two priorities . . . to get us bigger and to get us faster, Flames head coach Bob Hartley said during training camp. Mason fits in in the second category. Hes been through battles. When youre stuck in a corner and feel like none of the 30 teams want you anymore, youre facing adversity. He did this with flying colours. Last year he had a great season in Toronto and now hes with us.He wanted to be a Flame so its my job, its all our job and his job to make sure we come up with a plan that will make him feel good and make him feel hes going to be a big contributor for us.Raymond relishes the idea of increased responsibility on a re-building hockey team.The work ethic thats been going on here, its something very intriguing for any player to come into, he said.You want to contribute wherever you can for sure. Ultimately, you want to be a part of the solution. I love playing in the O-zone and producing. In saying that you have to be responsible at both ends of the ice.Its easy to romanticize a local hockey product playing for the hometown NHL team. Raymond did go to Flames games as a youngster and recalls once meeting Lanny McDonald, who was captain of the Flames in 1989 when they won the Stanley Cup.Raymond says its cool to play for the Flames and having immediate family close by was attractive for him, his wife and young son.But he hasnt spent his career plotting a return to southern Alberta. Raymonds interests and those of the Flames happened to align to bring it about. The hometown thing for me, its kind of there, but its not there, Raymond said. Family come visit you in every city. Because Im here, is there more? Not necessarily. They know that youre here, this is my job, this is my business and to be quite honest, I was gone from here for 10 years. Did I know I was going to be a Calgary Flame five days before free agency? No, not really. The process is interesting and how it works and theres that grace period where you can start to speak with teams and the Flames showed interest.Returning to an NHL market in western Canada was high on his wish list as a free agent. That was also a box the Flames were also able to check off.For me, Ive been fortunate enough to play in Canadian markets and to be honest, I really wouldnt want it any other way, Raymond said. Fans are passionate. They pay close attention to their teams. Clearance Nike Shoes From China . -- Kurt Buschs Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, in some ways, was like his career wrapped into one afternoon. Nike Shoes China . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. https://www.nikeshoeschina.us/ . 1 and reigning champion Caroline Wozniacki was among Thursdays third-round winners, while second- seeded Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the draw at the $4.PITTSBURGH -- A single strike from falling two games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the race for the top spot in the National League wild-card race, the Cincinnati Reds needed a break. Jordy Mercer provided one. The surging Reds took care of the rest. A wild throw by the Pittsburgh shortstop with two outs in the ninth inning opened the door for a three-run rally off Pirates closer Mark Melancon that tied the game. Joey Vottos home run off Kyle Farnsworth an inning later won it as the Reds pulled off an improbable 6-5 victory to move into a tie with the Pirates. Both teams are two games behind St. Louis for the lead in the NL Central. "Thats really uncommon, really rare, and for us to have done that in a game like this, against this squad, against that pitcher, that makes it even more rare and pretty impressive," Votto said. "Guys just strung together a bunch of tough at-bats." Ones that came after Mercer couldnt quite handle a slow grounder by Todd Frazier with one on and two outs in the ninth. Mercer charged the ball but couldnt get a grip on it and it ended up in the stands behind first base. "If I make a good throw right there, the game is over and all the stuff that happened never happens," Mercer said. "It was tough. We played a great game, everybody played a great game and to have it happen like that, its just a bad throw." And the Pirates quickly unraveled. Zach Cozart singled after Mercers error to put runners on the corners. Cincinnati rookie base-stealing specialist Billy Hamilton pinch ran for Cozart and promptly swiped second then raced home when Devin Mesoraco ended a nine-pitch duel with Melancon by sending a sharp grounder that bounced off third baseman Pedro Alvarez and rolled onto the grass in shallow left field. "I really just went up there and just thought about battling ..." Mesoraco said. "That was it. That was my only goal, just go up there, battle, battle, and hopefully leave one out over the plate that I could put a half-decent swing on and hopefully find a hole." Melancon has been dominant since taking over the closers role from Jason Grilli in July, but blew his second save in three days. San Diego rallied for a 3-2 win on Wednesday. This one, however, will almost certaainly be more difficult to overcome. Discount Nike Shoes From China. "Thats a game we should have won and I think the Reds know that too," Melancon said. JJ Hoover (5-5) earned the win for the Reds, who have won four straight. Aroldis Chapman worked the 10th for his 38th save. Farnsworth (1-1) retired Brandon Phillips to start the 10th but left fielder Starling Marte couldnt quite grab Vottos shot down the line. "We hadnt come back in a long time, and we hadnt come back for a long time on the road," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. Pittsburgh began the week 74-2 when leading after eight innings, but has now squandered ninth-inning leads twice in three nights. "Who said it was going to be easy?" manager Clint Hurdle said. "Who said it was going to be easy? Weve been very good winning as a team, losing as a team ... weve got to find a way to finish things off." The Pirates appeared firmly in control through eight innings. Francisco Liriano overwhelmed the Reds, allowing two runs on three hits, walking three and striking out seven. The left-hander needed only 94 pitches to record 24 outs, but told Hurdle he was done when he entered the dugout after striking out Brandon Phillips to end the eighth. "He was fantastic," Hurdle said. "He said when he came off he laid it all out there." Ryan Ludwick finished 3 for 5 for the Reds, while Frazier hit his 17th home run. Jose Tabata and Neil Walker hit consecutive homers off Cincinnati starter Mat Latos in the first and Pittsburgh appeared en route to giving itself some breathing room as the franchise pursues its first playoff spot since 1992. PNC Park, typically a ghost town this time of year as the Pirates play out the string, was electric when Pittsburgh took the field. The 21st sellout of the season included Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. NOTES: Hurdle was ejected in the eighth for arguing after star Andrew McCutchen was hit by reliever Sam LeCure, who was given a warning by home plate umpire Mark Carlson ... The series continues on Saturday when Pittsburghs A.J. Burnett (8-11, 3.43 ERA) faces Home Bailey (11-10, 3.40). Bailey tossed his first career no-hitter in his previous start at PNC Park last September. ' ' '