Wichtig!! Forum-Regeln » Rutherford isnt sure the Penguins

BIRMINGHAM, England - Premier League club West Bromwich Albion fired head coach Alan Irvine on Monday after winning just one of its last nine games, saying a change is necessary to boost its hopes of avoiding relegation.The club said in a statement late Monday that Irvine leaves the club with immediate effect, and that assistant head coach Rob Kelly will take charge of the team for Thursdays game against West Ham. West Brom said it hopes to name a permanent successor this weekend, with former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood tipped by British media to be among the leading candidates.West Broms Technical Director Terry Burton said the decision to fire Irvine was a matter of regret but necessity because of the teams continuing poor results.West Brom has won just four of 19 league games and is 16th at the halfway point, one point clear of the relegation zone after losing seven of its last nine.We appointed Alan in the summer convinced that we had taken on one of the foremost coaches in the U.K. and nothing that has happened since then has altered our view, Burton said. But sadly that simply has not translated into results and they remain the ultimate currency of Alans position. Securing a sixth season in the Premier League is the over-riding target and sometimes unpleasant decisions have to be taken to serve that imperative.Irvine becomes the second Premier League manager to be sacked this season, just two days after Neil Warnock was let go by Crystal Palace. Wholesale China Shoes Free Shipping . -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett thinks of one thing when he watches Eastern Conference teams struggle against Western opponents before they get to Phoenix: His team must keep pace. Shoes Wholesale China Market . Dwyane Wade took over in the fourth quarter. http://www.wholesaleshoes.us.org/. It was a loss. But it was also a learning experience. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson had 24 points each to lift Brooklyn to a 94-87 win over the Raptors, making their first playoff appearance since 08. "I thought we played a little bit as expected as it is our first playoff game," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. Cheap Replica Shoes China . 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But first, he will try resting for two weeks before beginning a throwing program that could last up to a month, general manager Sandy Alderson said.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The do-everything, be-everything centre is slumping, at least as far as superstar slumps go.The elder statesman, resident prankster and unquestioned heart is out for the year and maybe forever with blood that just wont behave.The wunderkind 20-year-old defenceman beat cancer but not a shaky shoulder.The businesslike and still kind of mysterious rookie head coach remains months away from the real litmus test, but the early results are encouraging.And then theres the mumps.For the better part of a month, the Pittsburgh Penguins saw their roster almost comically ravaged by a childhood virus that temporarily —and quite painfully — turned Sidney Crosbys face into something created by a 4-year-old with Play-Doh and took a handful of teammates along for the ride.Yet here Sidney Crosby and the new-look Penguins are at the midpoint of an already eventful season back in their usual spot this time of year: near the top of the Eastern Conference and cruising toward the playoffs, which is only barometer that really matters.Pittsburgh trails the first-place New York Islanders by a point in the Metropolitan Division and are on pace for the second-best regular season in team history. Not bad considering nearly three dozen players — including a steady stream of prospects or minor leaguers thrust into action out of necessity rather than merit — have suited up.It hasnt been easy but to everybodys credit theyve done what they had to do, general manager Jim Rutherford told The Associated Press.Even if Pittsburgh is doing it in sometimes very un-Penguinlike ways. With defence. With goaltending. With responsible checking and attention to detail. While coach Mike Johnston allows plenty of work remains to be done by the time April rolls around, considering what his team has gone through during Johnstons first four months in charge, things could be a worse.The first half we were still learning a lot of different things, getting used to a new system still, forward Brandon Sutter said. Now I think in the second half its been kind of time to cement that into our game.The Penguins hired Johnston to replace Dan Bylsma last summer and tasked him with finding a system that could thrive in both the regular season and the playoffs. The first six weeks went relatively smoothly, even with forward Pascal Dupuis sent to injured reserve with blood clots that have jeopardized his career and Olli Maatta missing a few weeks while a cancerous tumour was removed from his thyroid.It was a mirage. The injuries and illnesses began piling up in December, forcing Johnston to abandon teaching the finer points and simply trying to find enough healthy bodies to throw onto the ice on a given night.ddddddddddddIts also forced the Penguins to learn to win by any means necessary, relying more heavily on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and less on the scoreboard-tilting exploits of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh is just ninth in the league in scoring, with Crosby on pace for his lowest goal total over a full season. A sputtering power play over the last month hasnt helped, though Crosby did score an overtime goal at Montreal last weekend.Crosby brushes off any concern about his production. Really, wasnt the point of the off-season front office overhaul to find a way to make the team less reliant on their two centerpieces? Crosby and Malkin are both in the top five in the league in points and the Penguins have had 24 different players find the back of the net, the most of any team in the league.In the whole scheme of things its more about how youre playing and making sure the chances are there and everyone is contributing, Crosby said. That goes further than anything.Crosby hardly looked like a guy struggling to find his game in a 7-2 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, collecting three assists and putting together a handful of sublimely spectacular dashes to the net.Weve had so many injuries and so many moving parts here, both him and (Malkin) dont get to play with the same guys all the time, Rutherford said. Hopefully we can get these guys some regular linemates.The process is already well underway. Forward Chris Kunitz appears all the way back from a foot injury that kept him out for 10 games. Rutherford acquired David Perron from Edmonton on Jan. 2, and the talented forward has four points in his first four games, including a slick forehand to backhand rebound from in front of the net on Tuesday night that showcased his soft hands.Rutherford isnt sure the Penguins are done shopping. With Blake Comeau and Patric Hornqvist also nearing returns from their own medical issues and a schedule that includes games against the Rangers, Philadelphia and Chicago over the next couple weeks, theres a chance to build chemistry and make a statement at the same time.Ill get a better sense for it by the middle of February, Rutherford said. I want to see Hornqvist and Comeau get back in there and get that group of forwards together. I do feel were edging in the right direction. ' ' '