leagues top power play during the regular season went just 1 fo

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Rays, Padres and Nationals finalized an 11-player trade Friday that sent 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers from Tampa Bay to San Diego and outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from Washington to the Rays.The deal was announced two days after the Rays agreed to part with Myers in a move that president of baseball operations Matt Silverman said will make Tampa Bay more competitive for 2015 and beyond.Tampa Bay acquired five players. Catcher Rene Rivera, pitcher Burch Smith and minor league first baseman Jake Bauers come over from the Padres, and Souza and minor league pitcher Travis Ott from the Nationals.Myers, catcher Ryan Hanigan and minor league pitchers Jose Castillo and Gerardo Reyes were dealt to San Diego. Washington received minor league pitcher Joe Ross and a player to be named from the Padres.Trading Wil Myers was not an easy decision, but we are very excited about the talent coming back our way, and this deal has potential to improve our team on both sides of the ball, Silverman said.Myers, then Kansas Citys top prospect, was acquired by Tampa Bay in a trade that sent pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals two years ago. He hit .293 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs in 88 games on the way to being selecting AL Rookie of the Year, then struggled in 2014 when a broken right wrist limited him to playing 87 games and batting .222 with six homers and 35 RBIs.Silverman said during last weeks winter meetings that he expected Myers to rebound with a big season. On Friday, he rejected the notion the Rays appeared to have given up on the 24-year-old slugger.This isnt about giving up on Wil Myers. This is about a trade to make this team better, the executive said, adding that Myers vast talent enabled the Rays to make a deal that can help the team both offensively and defensively.To clear room on the 40-man roster for Rivera, Smith and Souza, the Rays designated right-hander Brandon Gomes for assignment.Souza spent most of last season at Triple-A Syracuse, where he hit .350 with 18 homers, 75 RBIs and 26 stolen bases.The 25-year-old was a September call-up for the Nationals, best known for a sprinting, diving catch in left field for the final out of Jordan Zimmermanns no-hitter in the NL East champs regular-season finale.Souza did not make the teams post-season roster, however, he was expected to compete for a spot on the bench behind starters Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Denard Span next season.Silverman said the Rays have not decided where theyll play Souza, who has experience at all three outfield positions and third base.Hes an outfielder with tremendous talent, Silverman said. We expect him to be a mainstay in our lineup for years to come.Rivera, 31, batted .252 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs while making a career-high 85 starts at catcher for the Padres in 2014.Smith is a 24-year-old right-hander who was 15-11 with a 3.71 ERA in 48 appearances over parts of four minor league seasons. He spent 2014 with Triple-A El Paso, where he made two April starts before missing the remainder of the years with a forearm injury.Bauers, a 19-year-old prospect, hit .296 with eight homers and 64 RBIs in his first full pro season with Class-A Fort Wayne.Ott, also 19, split time between Class-A Auburn and Hagerstown last season, going 1-4 with a 3.993 ERA over 13 starts. Nike Air Max 90 Cheap Wholesale . While plenty of statistics illustrate Torontos turnaround in the second year of manager Ryan Nelsens tenure, stopping goals is not one of them. Air Max 90 Cheap Online . Nick Holden scored two goals and had an assist and the Avalanche held off the Nashville Predators 5-4 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory. http://www.nikeairmax90outlet.com/ . -- Challenged for the first time under Major League Baseballs expanded replay system, umpires got it right. Nike Air Max 90 Clearance Sale . Ilonen birdied five of his closing seven holes in superb scoring conditions to end the day with a two-shot lead on the Fota Island course. Ilonen had just 26 putts on the occasion of his 300th European Tour event. Air Max 90 Sale Outlet . The former world No. 1 Djokovic, who is the top seed here despite being ranked No. 2, snuck past 35-year-old Czech showman Radek Stepanek in four high- quality sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), on Centre Court. Djokovic appeared relieved when he converted on his first match point by swatting a cross-court forehand winner that just caught the line to end an affair that featured only two service breaks.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Sidney Crosby will be back. Evgeni Malkin too. After that, what happens to the Pittsburgh Penguins over another post-season disappointment is anybodys guess. Dan Bylsma, the winningest coach in franchise history, may be out of a job. Ray Shero, the general manager who spent the last half-decade unsuccessfully trying to replicate the success of 2009, could also be gone. When Crosby lifted the Stanley Cup in triumph on that warm night in Detroit five years ago, it was supposed to mark the beginning of hockeys next dynasty. That hasnt materialized. A handful of maddening springs later, it might be time to move on. Bylsma allowed as much Tuesday night after the Penguins fell to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, a 2-1 defeat that capped a stunning collapse after Pittsburgh grabbed a commanding 3-1 series lead. "You think about it being the last game," Bylsma said. While the Rangers exulted at one end of the Consol Energy Center ice after advancing to hockeys final four, the Penguins solemnly lined up for a handshake after losing a Game 7 at home for the third time in five seasons. This isnt the way it was supposed to go. Not this time. Despite losing over 500 man games to injury — easily the highest total in the NHL — Pittsburgh strolled to the Metropolitan Division title behind the steady and spectacular play of Crosby, who led the league in scoring and is a heavy favourite to win his second MVP award. After surviving a bumpy six-game series with plucky Columbus in the opening round, the Penguins appeared in total control after a 4-2 win in Game 4 against the weary Rangers. Then it all fell apart. A dismal 5-1 loss in Game 5 shifted momentum to the guys in the blue shirts. New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist did the rest, including 35 sublime saves in the deciding game. Defenceman Matt Niskanen called the debacle in Game 5 a "missed opportunity," one that could lead to significant change in a dressing room that has been among the most stable in the league. "When expectations are high and you ddont win, thats normal," Crosby said.dddddddddddd "Im sure there will be a lot of questions." At the moment, there dont appear to be a lot of answers. Crosby insists hes healthy but lacked his otherworldly sharpness at times, scoring just one goal in 13 playoff games. "It wasnt a lack of effort or competing or anything like that," he said. "Id love to tear it up every series, but its not always the case. It doesnt make it any easier, Ill tell you that. Its tough losing as it is but when youre unable to contribute as much as youd like, its even tougher." Maybe, but its become all too common for one of the NHLs marquee franchises. The Penguins have sold out every home game since Valentines Day in 2007 and play a brand of entertaining hockey that is overwhelmingly successful in the regular season but doesnt always translate in the tight-checking crucible of the playoffs. The leagues top power play during the regular season went just 1 for 20 with the man advantage against New York. Unable to generate much offence from in front of the net, the Penguins spent most of the last three games unsuccessfully peppering Lundqvist from long distance. Its a path that led only to frustration and an all-too-familiar result: the Penguins watching another team skate off the ice in celebration. It happened in 2010, when Pittsburgh fell to Montreal at home in Game 7. It happened last spring, when the Penguins failed to lead the Boston Bruins for a single second while getting swept out of the conference finals. Ray Shero doubled down after seeing his team silenced by the Bruins. He awarded Bylsma a two-year extension, signed Malkin and defenceman Kris Letang to long-term deals and brought back defenceman Rob Scuderi to give the blue line some heft. Different path. Same result. Only this time there will be no doubling down. There will be only change. "Its all tough," Malkin said. "We have great teammates here. We work hard. But 3-1 up in series and last three games we lost, its tough. See you next season, I dont know." Neither does anybody else. ' ' '