Bewerbungen » passes for 779 yards and six touchdowns last se

The Colorado Avalanche were rather quiet on the player front this offseason, but made major headlines with a late coaching change.Patrick Roys unexpected resignation in August forced the Avs into the kind of coaching search no team should ever desire -- the one that comes after most of the top names had been hired.But GM Joe Sakic took a gamble he believes will pay off in elevating unheralded Jared Bednar from the minors, where he led his teams to championships both in the AHL and ECHL.The most constant and stinging criticism of Roys coaching style was that the Avs bucked the trend of puck-possession systems that have garnered much success around the league, instead playing a counterattack game that was exciting at times, but also in the long run led to too much time without the puck. Bednar promises to address that this season and change the way the Avs play with the puck.Colorado was in the playoff race last season until fading late, losing eight of its last 10 games, missing the postseason for the second straight year after the surprising Central Division title win in 2013-14, Roys first season behind the bench.The Avs return with largely the same core of players. Theyve got high-end offensive talent led by Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, but have struggled mightily defensively. Theyve got to be better there.Best new facesThe Avs acquired defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Patrick Wiercioch to help bolster the blue line, also adding forwards Joe Colborne, Rocco Grimaldi and Ben Smith. Gabriel Bourque and Rene Bourque were signed to tryout contracts.The 6-foot-5, 202-pound Wiercioch gets a second lease on life in Colorado after wearing out the patience of the Ottawa Senators. He had promising moments during his first few years but frustrated the Sens with his lack of consistency. Does a fresh start in Colorado help the 26-year-old meet his potential?Colborne, also 26, put up career highs of 19 goals and 44 points last season. The 6-foot-5 center, however, was let go by the Calgary Flames, who had to preserve salary-cap space. Perhaps a sneaky signing here by the Avs.All in all, though, nothing earth-shattering as far as player additions.As far as a newcomer to the NHL lineup, however, exciting things are ahead from forward Mikko Rantanen, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft. He has the potential to get into the Calder Trophy conversation.The most important new face, though, is behind the bench in Bednar, who makes his NHL debut after cutting his teeth for years in the minors.Biggest unknownsHow will Bednar fare? He wants to play a puck-pressure game and obviously tighten up defensively, all the things you want to hear if youre an Avs fan. But how will the players respond to a largely unknown coach?Is Nikita Zadorov ready to make a step this season? That would be a boon to the blue-line if the 6-foot-5 Russian turned in an impact season. Hes got the talent to be a two-way guy, but needs to show more consistency.Which Semyon Varlamov shows up this season? The Russian goalie has regressed two straight years since putting up a career-best .927 save percentage in 2013-14 in helping lead the Avs to that Central title. He brilliantly masked a lot of Colorados defensive issues that season. But since then, that save percentage has dipped to .921 in 2014-15 and then just .914 last season (to go along with a 2.81 goals-against average). Now, Varlamov could certainly use better defensive play in front of him, no question. But its the chicken and the egg here. If hes better this season, everything else flows from there.His backup, Calvin Pickard, has potential to be a No. 1. So the Avs look pretty darn solid in goal if Varlamov bounces back.Sure thingsDuchene, MacKinnon and defenseman Tyson Barrie are the offensive dynamos, while captain Gabriel Landeskogs consistent two-way game forms the core of Colorados go-to arsenal. Landeskog and Swedish countryman Carl Soderberg formed a steady pairing up front last season.MacKinnon was outstanding in the World Cup of Hockey for Team North America, while Duchene shined in a Team Canada win over Team USA. Look for both offensive stars to carry that over into strong starts. It should be noted that Duchene played through a separated shoulder, which he suffered before the tournament officially started but he didnt miss a game and the worse of it is behind him, he said.PredictionI think the Avs will do a better job of protecting the puck with Bednar, but some of the same concerns remain on defense. How Varlamov bounces back will have a huge bearing on things. Theyre in a crazy division, where a team such as the Winnipeg Jets is going to be better while contenders the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and improved Nashville Predators arent going away. I just cant see Colorado being any better than those teams. They will be competitive but miss out by a few points. Seventh in the Central. Yeezy Boost 700 Cheap . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Cheap Wholesale Adidas Nmd . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. http://www.cheapyeezysneakers.com/yeezy-shoes-outlet/yeezy-boost-350-near-me.html . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Cheap Yeezys Authentic . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. Cheap Yeezys Sneakers For Sale . PAUL, Minn. HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- First-year Southern Mississippi coach Jay Hopson walks into a situation that many of his peers would envy.Theres the loaded roster that includes 13 returning starters and an experienced quarterback. Theres a fan base thats second to none in Conference USA and hungry for a return to prominence.But with that comes the expectations. And Hopson knows nothing less than a C-USA title will be accepted.On our Eagle Walk, they only put the champions up there, Hopson said. At the end of the day, the goal at Southern Miss is to win a championship -- thats our charge.Hopson takes over a program thats seen a remarkable variation of highs, lows and turnover since 2011. A quick history lesson:- Coach Larry Fedora and quarterback Austin Davis led Southern Miss to a 12-win season and Conference USA title in 2011. Fedora left for North Carolina in the offseason while Davis went to the NFL.- Coach Ellis Johnson took over the program and the Golden Eagles had one of the most remarkable collapses in college football history, falling to 0-12 in 2012.- Johnson was fired after one season and Todd Monken inherited a depleted program and lost its first 11 games in 2013. But he slowly rebuilt the roster and led Southern Miss to a 9-5 record in 2015, including a trip to the C-USA championship game before a loss to Western Kentucky. Monken left to become offensive coordinator for the NFLs Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason.That brings the Golden Eagles to present day and the arrival of Hopson, who led Alcorn State to two straight SWAC championships in 2014 and 15.The pressure for Hopson will be intense. The Golden Eagles were especially effective on offense under Monken -- quarterback Nick Mullens threw for 4,476 yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last seeason.ddddddddddddMullens says even with a new coach, he expects the same results.Every coach has to adjust to their personnel and they all have their little twist, Mullens said. So its a little different. But there are also a lot of similarities. So I think you can look forward to a balanced attack thats going to score a lot of points.Here are a few other things to know about Southern Miss this season:THOMPSONS TURNSouthern Miss top two receivers from last season -- Michael Thomas and Casey Martin -- are gone. That means Mullens likely top target will be D.J. Thompson, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior who caught 55 passes for 779 yards and six touchdowns last season.HOPSONS DEFENSEWhile Monkens background was mostly on offense, Hopson has spent most of his career on the defensive side of the ball. The Golden Eagles return five of their top seven tacklers from last season, including safety DNerius Antoine, who had 103 tackles and two interceptions in 2015.KEY GAMESThe Golden Eagles have a couple big opportunities against Southeastern Conference opponents, including the Sept. 3 season-opener at Kentucky. Southern Miss also travels to face LSU on Oct. 15. In C-USA play, the Golden Eagles conference title hopes could come down to showdowns against Marshall on Oct. 29 and Louisiana Tech on Nov. 25. Both of those games are at home.PREDICTIONSouthern Miss has the talent to win the C-USAs Western Division for a second straight year. Its just a matter of if Hopsons system can gel with the new personnel in time.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP-----Online: AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '