~TheFuriousX~ » ensive season. The Trojans lost their home opener 1

TORONTO -- James Reimer began to wonder if the Toronto Maple Leafs could hold on and shut out the Washington Capitals. It didnt matter that they were being drastically outshot. When Alex Ovechkin scored late in the third period, Reimer tried to keep the negative thoughts from getting to him. "You kind of tell em to screw off and just keep focus on the puck," Reimer said. "You cant focus on the bad things or the negative things. All you can do is make that next save." Reimer did that again and again as the Leafs gave up 50 shots but beat the Capitals 2-1 in a shootout Saturday night at Air Canada Centre. James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul scored in the shootout to give Toronto (14-8-1) its third victory in four games. Being outshot and winning has become a familiar refrain for the Leafs, but this one was about quality over quantity as far as what Reimer faced. "Honestly it was more of them just throwing pucks at the net from everywhere," said Reimer, who made 49 saves and then stopped three of four in the shootout. "Our team did a great job of keeping the shots to the outside, and I just tried my best to control them. When I left some out there, obviously they were there to back me up." Reimer naturally watched the shots pile up. Leafs coach Randy Carlyle pointed to back-to-back Washington power plays in the second period as the time the shot differential became so lopsided, but even considering that his team was out-shot 40-26 at even strength. The 50 shots were a season high for the Capitals (12-10-2), as well as a season-high allowed by the Leafs. "I think any time you get outshot, you look at it," said winger David Clarkson, who scored Torontos only goal of the night on the power play in the second period. "But there was also a lot of good things we were doing. Theres always things you can improve on, theres things you can get better at. But the big thing is finding a way to win, and right now were doing that." It doesnt mean the Leafs were proud to be outshot 50-28, despite keeping so many of the Capitals attempts to the outside. "Regardless of the quality of the shots, were never going to tell you that we want to give up 50," said defenceman Mark Fraser, who returned to the lineup after missing two games with an aggravated knee injury. "Thats probably a few too many for us to be happy with. But it was just nice that we could keep it off the scoreboard. Obviously Reims had a lot to do with that." Reimer was in the zone, something defenceman Morgan Rielly said the 19,473 fans in the building could all notice. Carlyle was satisfied that his goaltender kept the Leafs in the game as Braden Holtby (27 saves) was brilliant at the other end. "When you get into situations like tonight it was one where we needed the save and he continued to make them," Carlyle said of Reimer. "Its a credit to him." Reimer might just be starting to get the credit he deserves for his play this season. With his performance against the Capitals, he raised his save percentage to an NHL-best .947. Even in the glow of an emotional shootout win that included stops on all-stars Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, Reimer wasnt making too much of the save-percentage accomplishment. "Obviously I believe in my ability and in my skill," Reimer said. "I try and work hard every day to be the best I can. Stats are stats. I think you could arguably say that (Henrik) Lundqvist was the best goalie in the league, and I dont know where he is in save-percentage stats. "It means something but it doesnt mean everything, thats for sure. Its cool to be up there, but at the same time the most important thing is playing the best for your teammates. So whether thats a .915 save or a .940 -- whatever gets the job done." Reimer and the Leafs got the job done for much of the night against Ovechkin, who was held to three shots before tying the score at one at the 15:50 mark of the third period. On his fourth shot, Washingtons captain fired a bouncing puck past Reimer for his league-leading 20th goal of the year. "Lucky bounce, puck kind of stop and I have opportunity to shoot it and it goes in," said Ovechkin, who became just the third active player to put up at least 20 goals in each of his first nine NHL seasons. Capitals coach Adam Oates didnt believe the Leafs did anything "extra well" to shut down Ovechkin. He and Ovechkin expected the match-up with Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf. It was on the penalty kill that the Leafs zeroed in on stopping Ovechkin. Carlyle said they changed their structure to take away Ovechkins shot, and it worked as the Capitals went 0 for 3 on the power play. "On power play they put me in one position, they take me away but we dont use it," Ovechkin said. "Its blame on us of course." No one was really to blame for a fluke injury to ex-Leafs centre Mikhail Grabovski late in the second when he suffered two cuts on the right side of his face after was sliced by Clarksons skate while falling to the ice. Grabovski was booed by the crowd for laying on the ice after getting cut and skating off quickly following a whistle, but there was a copious amount of blood coming from his face that fans did not see. Grabovski needed 20 stitches but returned to the game early in the third. He said the play was his fault because he held on to the puck too long. Ovechkin called Grabovski a "warrior" for returning. His coach agreed. "Pretty scary play, actually," Oates said. "He came back, and he played a great game." It was Grabovskis first game back in Toronto since the Leafs bought him out over the summer. He had two shots in 16:18 of ice time. In his 18:38, Clarkson had a far bigger influence on the game. His second goal of the season was a perfect redirection of defenceman Jake Gardiners point shot on the power play, and he did his job of getting under the skin of Capitals players all night. Offensively, he was buzzing alongside linemates Lupul and Nazem Kadri well before scoring on the power play. Clarkson wondered as he had for the previous five or six games if hed be rewarded. "When youre getting chances as a player or as a line or as a team its bound to finally go in for you," he said. "Biggest thing is us winning. Whether you score or not, it doesnt matter whos putting it in the net, when you win thats all that matters." NOTES - Toronto defenceman Paul Ranger was made a healthy scratch as Fraser returned to the lineup. Ranger had played all 22 games going in and had one goal, five assists and a plus-4 rating. ... Martin Erat was scratched for Washington in favour of Eric Fehr, who took the penalty that set up Clarksons goal. Jimmy Garoppolo 49ers Jersey . Cox started the season with San Francisco, but was released by the team on Nov. 12 before being signed by Seattle, where he appeared in two games and tallied three tackles before being released on Dec. Dante Pettis 49ers Jersey . Still, Encarnacion felt a sense of relief. He felt a pop just before crumpling to the ground after running out a groundball in the first inning of Saturdays game. It could have been worse. “Its going to take maybe two weeks,” said Encarnacion. “It depends how Im going to be and how Im going to be day after day, feeling better or not. http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Youth-Fred-Warner-49ers-Jersey/ . - The Minnesota Vikings have ruled Christian Ponder out for Sundays game at Baltimore, because the quarterback has not yet passed all of his post-concussion tests. Weston Richburg 49ers Jersey .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. Weston Richburg Jersey .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 20th consecutive win across all competitions by cruising to a 4-1 victory at Almeria on Friday.LOS ANGELES -- Lane Kiffin triumphantly flew in from Tennessee nearly four years ago as the unlikely choice to extend Southern Californias football renaissance. When Kiffins Trojans trudged home to that same airport early Sunday morning after another loss, athletic director Pat Haden couldnt wait another minute to end the divisive coachs tumultuous tenure. USC fired Kiffin hours after a 62-41 loss at Arizona State that dropped the Trojans to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Pac-12. The loss was the seventh in 11 games for a powerhouse program still struggling under the cumulative effect of NCAA sanctions, but unwilling to accept such a dramatic decline. "Its never the perfect time to do these things, but I thought it was the right time," Haden said. Ed Orgeron will be USCs interim head coach for the final eight games of the season before Haden chooses a permanent successor for one of college footballs highest-profile jobs. Orgeron, Kiffins assistant head coach and top recruiter, is the former Mississippi head coach. Haden broke the news to Kiffin in a 3 a.m. meeting at the Trojans private airport terminal, but not before a 45-minute chat in which Kiffin tried to change Hadens mind. Haden didnt hire Kiffin, but had been firmly behind the coach in public until Saturday, when the Trojans matched the most points allowed in school history. "He did a lot of things well under some very difficult circumstances here," said Haden, who also fired mens basketball coach Kevin ONeill during the season last January. "No one could have worked harder. He did a lot of the things we asked. Graduated players, never had compliance issues ... and he really worked under some very difficult NCAA sanctions, theres no doubt about it." Kiffin ran a competent program despite the loss of 30 scholarships over a three-season stretch that ends in 2015. But even Kiffin acknowledged he wasnt winning enough in the last two seasons at a school with USCs pedigree, and he also created off-the-field troubles ranging from ethically questionable tactics to pointless squabbles with media. "Lane did negotiate some of these things remarkably well," Haden said. "I have supported Lane with my heart and soul for 3 1/2 years and gave him every opportunity. He wasnt given a fair hand in a lot of ways. I said all along, we graded on the curve, but we failed on the curve, too." The Trojans are off this week before returning Oct. 10 at the Coliseum against Arizona, giving Orgeron time to evaluate what can be done to salvage the season with the toughest matchups on USCs schedule still looming. Kiffin went 28-15 in parts of four seasons in his self-described dream job, but USC is 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 2001 after losses to Arizona State and Washington State -- and the record only partly captures the discontent of USCs fans and alumni. The Trojans were unimpressive on offence even in their three victories this season, stoking unease around a school with sky-high expectations even at the tail end of crippling NCAA penalties stemming from coach Pete Carrolls tenure. Kiffin received withering criticism for persisting in calling the Trojans offensive plays himself well into the schools second straight poor offensive season. The Trojans lost their home opener 10-7 to the Cougars earlier this month, and Coliseum fans serenaded USC repeatedly with chants of "Fire Kiffin!" USC has been in a slow tailspin since going 10-2 and beating Oregon in 2011, the last year of its bowl ban. After starting as the preseason No. 1 last year, the Trojans finished 7-6 and out of the rankings -- the first preseason No. 1 in nearly a half-century to fall so far -- followed by this seasons disappointments. "I think it could easily be asked, Why not last year after the 7-6 season?" Haden said. "What do you know now that you didnt know after a 7-6 season? The rationale was the prior year, Lane had won 10 games. We thought, and (were) hoping that last year was an aberration. We felt we could rebound, make some changes, and indeed, Lane did. ... But at the end of the day, we just werent making the progress I felt we needed to make." The firing comes less than five months after Haden said Kiffin had "been as good as he can be" in the face of USCs sanctions. Before this season began, Haden said he was "100 per cent" behind the embattled Kiffin. "We support our coaches 100 per cent until theyre no longer our coaches," Haden said.dddddddddddd "Why would you support a coach 85 per cent?" The 52-year-old Orgeron went 10-25 in three seasons at Ole Miss, but that failed tenure did little to diminish his stature as a bulldog recruiter and defensive line coach. He coached alongside Kiffin at Tennessee before following his friend back to USC. Orgeron, a Louisiana native with a thick Cajun accent, might sound a bit out of place in Los Angeles, but hes a popular assistant coach and a USC devotee after 11 years over two tenures at the school. "Its an unfortunate day today that a coach got let go, but we understand the circumstances," Orgeron said. "I want to tell you were here as a staff to answer the bell. Were all accountable for what happened as a staff and as players. Us Trojans know how to do it." Orgeron said Clay Helton will be his offensive co-ordinator and the Trojans play-caller. Helton, USCs quarterbacks coach and passing game co-ordinator, has been with the Trojans since Kiffin returned in 2010. Most players found out about Kiffins dismissal by text messages in the middle of the night. The players have the next two days off before returning to practice Wednesday. "Well try to move forward now and focus on these next eight games, really bonding as a Trojan family and getting these wins," offensive lineman Marcus Martin said. Like the precocious Kiffins other two head coaching jobs, his USC tenure had an abrupt, messy exit. The Trojans former co-offensive co-ordinator was an NFL head coach at age 31, a head coach in the Southeastern Conference at 33 and USCs head coach at 34. If there was a consistent trend to those stops with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee and the Trojans, it was turmoil. With Oakland, he lasted only 20 games as an overmatched head coach before his departure became a public feud with Al Davis, the late Raiders owner. He then infuriated Volunteers fans when he left after just 14 months to head back to the Trojans. Former USC athletic director Mike Garrett hired Kiffin away from Tennessee to replace Seattle Seahawks coach Carroll, the architect of USCs dynasty over the previous decade. Kiffin was an assistant under Carroll, eventually running the Trojans offence alongside Steve Sarkisian, now Washingtons coach. Kiffin had nothing to do with the misdeeds committed under Carroll and Garrett, who was swiftly dismissed and replaced by Haden. The coach still faced enormous expectations at USC -- especially last season, when the Trojans started out ranked No. 1 in the country with quarterback Matt Barkley and star receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. USC lost five of its last six games, including the Sun Bowl, and Kiffin parted ways with his father, defensive guru Monte Kiffin. The scholarship restrictions gradually eroded the Trojans depth, and last seasons struggles clearly hurt the vaunted recruiting power of Kiffin and Orgeron. Between the sanctions and injuries, the Trojans played at Arizona State on Saturday night with 56 recruited scholarship players, well below its limit of 75 and the standard 85. Kiffin didnt help several strange decisions. Last year, USC was reprimanded by the Pac-12 for underinflating footballs before a loss to Oregon. Kiffin also was criticized for switching jersey numbers on players in an apparent attempt to deceive the Trojans opponents. Kiffin even closed USCs practices to the public after years of transparency under Carroll, who embraced USCs tradition of raucous open workouts. This season, Kiffin also closed his practices to the media. He then dithered on his choice of a starting quarterback, waiting until the third game to select Cody Kessler over Max Wittek. The offence has been largely terrible this season, but Kiffin was finally undone by another dreadful game by his defence, which had been solid under new co-ordinator Clancy Pendergast until Arizona State piled up 612 yards. USCs next game is in 11 days, giving the Trojans time to regroup and heal. Orgeron still plans to hit the recruiting trail for a school in transition. "I want our guys to believe and have a little fun," Orgeron said. "One of the things well do as a staff is get really close to our players, circle the wagons a little bit and have some fun for these next eight games, and let the chips fall where they may." 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