TORONTO - No team in the NHL relies more on a core group to

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TORONTO - No team in the NHL relies more on a core group to produce offence than do the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lorenzo Alexander Jersey . Seven players have combined for 84 per cent of the teams 74 goals this season, the highest such percentage for any teams top seven scorers in the league. Alarmingly among that group in Toronto are two centres, Dave Bolland and Tyler Bozak, who have each missed a months worth of games due to injury already this season and yet remain amongst the teams scoring leaders. The Leafs have dropped a season-high five consecutive games, also losing six of the past seven while skidding through an unhappy November that saw them win just twice in regulation. Prominent in their struggles was a failure to produce offence at even-strength; theyve scored just 18 such goals in the past 14 games, delivering two goals or fewer overall in 11 of those games. Depth or a lack thereof has been the issue, both from the defence and depth forwards. The Toronto blue-line has barely made a blip in the cause offensively, totaling a scant three goals all season, two from Dion Phaneuf and one into an empty-net. By comparison, the San Jose Sharks, who beat the Leafs at the ACC on Tuesday, have 16 goals from their defenders this season. Four Sharks alone have more goals individually than do the Leaf defence as a unit. "When you describe our hockey club its always the back-end," said Randy Carlyle following practice on Wednesday morning. "Does the back-end need to provide more offence? For sure it does. We need more from our back-end." Unlike last season, the team has also gotten little in the way of contributions from its depth forwards. David Clarkson and Nik Kulemin have a mere two goals apiece while Jay McClement, averaging nearly 17 minutes, has yet to score and has just two assists. A fourth line with plenty of punch has been predictably punch-less offensively, the likes of Colton Orr, Frazer McLaren, Troy Bodie, Carter Ashton, and the since waived Jerred Smithson, all with zero goals this season. Phil Kessel (15 goals), James van Riemsdyk (12), and Mason Raymond (10), a late free agent add who sits third on the team in scoring, have been responsible for the bulk of offence, helped by Nazem Kadri (7) Joffrey Lupul (, and the aforementioned Bolland (6) and Bozak (4). Injuries and suspensions to core players, such as Clarkson, Bolland, Bozak and Lupul, certainly havent helped with their replacements unable to fill the void. One rare exception is Trevor Smith, who since being recalled to line up in an offensive role, has produced six points in eight games. "We need more from secondary scoring," Carlyle said. "Secondary scoring comes from your second, third and fourth line. Weve noted that. Weve asked that." Among the desired changes to the offence would be more shots to the net and more efficient movement of the puck up the ice, thus instigating whats been an inconsistent forecheck. Spending vast amounts of time defending, while struggling to break out of their own end, the Leafs have been unable to establish that forecheck, the lifeblood in some ways of the teams attack. "The one thing weve got to do is weve got to get stronger on our forecheck," said Carlyle, pointing to brief periods of such success against the Sharks, notably during an energetic start to the season period. Generating much of their offence from a potent power-play this season, if not the flash and dash of their skill players on the rush, the Leafs have yet to produce much off their forecheck, thereby unable to sustain time in the offensive zone in the manner Carlyle would like. "We have to start being more fluent as a group of five," said Cody Franson, who leads the defence with 13 points, but has yet to score this season. "Theres a couple things that were doing systematically that are inhibiting our chances to one, generate things off cycles, and two, generate shots from the point. Just a couple small, little technicalities that are hurting us rather than helping us. Once we can get fluent with correcting those I think thatll help out a lot." Team Percentage of offence from top-7 scorers (Entering Wednesdays action) Toronto 84% Washington 78% Minnesota 78% Tampa 74% Pittsburgh 74% Philadelphia 73% Colorado 72% Montreal 72% St. Louis 72% Winnipeg 71% Vancouver 70% Anaheim 70% Chicago 70% Ottawa 70% San Jose 70% Columbus 69% Dallas 68% Los Angeles 68% Detroit 68% New Jersey 66% New York Islanders 66% New York Rangers 66% Calgary 66% Phoenix 66% Florida 65% Boston 64% Edmonton 64% New Jersey 64% Carolina 62% Buffalo 62% Andre Reed Jersey . THE MICHAEL JORDAN FLU GAME First this famous basketball moment. The story goes like this. “Game 5, known as "The Flu Game", was one of Michael Jordans most memorable. Cordy Glenn Jersey . -- The Val-dOr Foreurs made it to the Memorial Cup semifinal thanks to their workhorse goaltender and their ability to hang around like a bad cold. http://www.authenticbillsfanatic.com/c-78-bills-jordan-matthews-jersey.aspx .Y. - Major League Soccers independent review panel has taken back the fine and one-game suspension it placed on Toronto FC forward Luke Moore earlier this week.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Brandon Moss had grand slam on his mind. It felt as good as he thought it might. Moss hit a grand slam in the first inning, Josh Donaldson had two home runs and four RBIs, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-5 on Friday night. "Ive never come close to one," Moss said after his first career slam. "I came close-ish once last year when I flied out to the wall. It was on my mind, not that I was trying to hit one. I just thought it would be cool to do it. And it felt good, for sure." Coco Crisp had two hits and drove in a run for the As, who have won three of five since a four-game losing streak. Moss, who left the game later with right calf tightness, came to the plate ready to swing. "He had just thrown six balls in a row and I was looking for one pitch in one spot," he said. "He needed to throw a strike. He has good stuff and you never know if the first pitch will be the best one you see. He missed twice and then threw a pitch in a good spot." Howie Kendrick hit a two-run homer and Mike Trout added a solo shot for the Angels, who lost for only the seventh time in 21 games. C.J. Cron also drove in a pair of runs. Drew Pomeranz (5-2) pitched a season-high 5 1-3 innings, allowing five runs and four hits. He walked three and struck out five. Pomeranz had not allowed a run at home in 17 innings before the Angels struck in the fourth. Garrett Richards (4-2) had not allowed more than two runs or five hits in his first six starts on the road before giving up five runs on five hits in the first inning. "That was embarrassing," he said. "I didnt show up for us tonight. I put us in a hole early. I couldnt find a feel for the two-seamer and couldnt make the adjustment." He did get an out prior to Moss slam and loaded the bases again before getting his second (and final) outt. Tyrod Taylor Jersey. Richards walked Crisp to force in a run and was replaced by Wade LeBlanc. "When you know a fastball is coming, its easier to hit," Richards said. "Wade threw a heck of a game to keep us in it. Im disappointed, but I cant let one outing ruin my progress." Donaldson homered in the second and singled home a run in the third before the Angels answered with three runs in the fourth on the homers by Kendrick and Trout. Donaldson added a two-run shot in the fifth to put the As up 9-3. Cron responded with a two-run double in the sixth. "Ive been seeing good pitches for a while now," Donaldson said. "Its a matter of squaring them up or not. I was preparing for Richards and then its completely different with LeBlanc. He left a couple of mistakes over the plate and I was able to take advantage." Moss got his 19th extra-base hit of the month, setting an Oakland record for May. Donaldson reached base safely in his 45th straight game as a third baseman, the longest such streak in franchise history since at least 1914. LeBlanc pitched 6 1-3 innings in relief. He gave up four runs and six hits, striking out four. NOTES: The As sent 10 batters or more to the plate in an inning for the sixth time this season, which leads the majors. ... Angels OF Josh Hamilton was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a strikeout in his first game of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake. ... Oakland LHP Eric OFlaherty threw 20 pitches in a simulated game at Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. ... LHP Tyler Skaggs (4-2, 3.97 ERA) is the Angels scheduled starter Saturday. He set a season high with eight strikeouts in his last start. LHP Tommy Milone (3-3, 3.50) goes for the As. He is 3-0 with a 1.03 ERA over his last four starts. ... Trout extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ... The As improved to 21-3 when scoring first, best in the majors. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '