Storm- News » to leave Tampa Bay up 5-0

ANAHEIM, Calif. Mousa Dembele Jersey . -- The Anaheim Ducks realize theyre in for plenty of tight defensive games in the next seven weeks while the rest of the NHL attempts to catch them atop the standings. In their first game back from the Olympic break, Jonas Hiller and the Ducks handled the pressure splendidly. Hiller made 18 saves in his fifth shutout of the season, Andrew Cogliano scored in the opening minutes, and the NHL-leading Anaheim Ducks returned with a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. With help from a few Blues shots off his posts, Hiller came back strong from the break after posting two shutouts for Switzerland in Sochi. Coglianos early goal off a neutral-zone turnover stood up in a hard-hitting, choppy game between two of the NHLs best teams. "We learned we can keep up with one of the toughest teams in the league," said Hiller, who matched his career high for shutouts in a season. "On a close game, everybody tries to play as tight as possible. You know you cant let up at all." The Ducks were the NHLs final team to resume play, giving extra rest to gold medallists Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and bronze medallist Teemu Selanne. Anaheim likely needed the break after losing three of its last four before the Olympics, getting shut out twice during just its second significant skid of the entire season. Coach Bruce Boudreau earned his 300th career victory as Anaheim swept the season series with the Blues. With 89 points from 61 games, the Ducks are five points ahead of St. Louis, Chicago and Pittsburgh in the overall NHL standings. "It was a good first game for us in terms of the competition," Cogliano said. "It was really high-paced. Its good to jump into a game like that. ... To hold them to 18 shots is something were proud of." Cogliano put the Ducks ahead just 3:39 in with a breakaway goal set up by Saku Koivus pass. The speedy Coglianos goal was his 18th, matching his career high with 21 games left in the regular season. Brian Elliott stopped 18 shots for the Blues just a few hours after St. Louis acquired star goalie Ryan Miller in a five-player trade with the Buffalo Sabres that included goalie Jaroslav Halak. St. Louis still hasnt scored after the break, taking its first two shutout losses of the season. Vancouver also beat the Blues 1-0 on Wednesday night. "Weve just got to put a couple in the net and well get going," Blues defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk said. "Were creating the chances. Were doing a great job of that. But theyre one of the toughest teams. Thats a team were probably going to have to compete against down the road." The Blues made a major move for their post-season stretch about three hours before the puck dropped in Anaheim, acquiring Miller and agitator Steve Ott from Buffalo in a deal for Chris Stewart, prospect William Carrier, two draft picks and Halak, the Slovak Olympian who has been with St. Louis since 2010. "Its tough when friends leave, when you get to know families and get in personal relationships with those guys," said St. Louis captain David Backes, Millers teammate with the U.S. Olympic team. "But from a hockey standpoint, the management and ownership is really committed to winning, and winning now, and thats partly shown in the move weve made. Ryan Miller is an all-world goalie that has shown it time and time again." Miller and Ott wont join St. Louis until this weekend in Phoenix, so the Blues backup goalie was Jeff Tyni, the Ducks locker room attendant. Both teams attempted to make up for their post-break rust with aggressive physical play. Backes and Perry fought in the first period, extending their personal feud. Adding to the Canada-U.S. rivalry vibe, Getzlaf and T.J. Oshie also nearly dropped gloves during the same prolonged scuffle. NOTES: Ducks C Mathieu Perreault left the game early in the third period with an upper-body injury after taking a big hit. ... Stewart was traded on a Blues-Ducks gameday for the second time. St. Louis acquired Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk from Colorado on Feb. 19, 2011, and Stewart made his Blues debut against Anaheim later in the day. ... The Ducks scratched F Jakob Silfverberg, who won a silver medal for Sweden last weekend. D Sami Vatanen, who won bronze with Finland and led the Olympic tournament with five assists, is back with Anaheims AHL affiliate in Norfolk. Davinson Sanchez Hotspur Jersey . - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin has cleared league-mandated concussion protocol and has returned to practice as a full participant. Paulo Gazzaniga Jersey .Y. - Through three quarters, the Brooklyn Nets could not shake the NBAs worst team. http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/Women-Serge-Aurier-Tottenham-Hotspur-Jersey/ . Hoffman, the former star closer, will evaluate and help co-ordinate all pitchers at Double-A, Triple-A and the big league team. Byrnes says Hoffman "will be a key part of finishing the development of our younger pitchers. HOUSTON -- Tampa Bays David Price couldnt get his legs to stop shaking in the first inning against the Houston Astros in his return from the disabled list on Tuesday night. The AL CY Young Award winner eventually calmed down and pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in an 8-0 win over the Astros. Afterward, Price, who won 20 games last season, made a bold statement. "Thats probably the best Ive felt on a baseball field maybe in my entire life, honestly," he said. "I felt like thats the most control Ive had of a baseball game in a very long time. I think that was better than I threw the ball really at any point last year." Desmond Jennings homered and tied a career high with four RBIs to help the Rays shut out Houston for the second straight game and win their fourth in a row. Price (2-4) had missed the last 44 games with a left triceps strain in his first-ever stint on the DL. But he showed no signs of rust, allowing a season-low for hits and striking out a 2013-best 10. Eight of his strikeouts were called, which ties his career high. "He did it easily," manager Joe Maddon said. "He wasnt out there labouring. The fastball was there with good life at the end. He finished off every pitch well which means his arm felt great. Just pretty much a complete performance." Maddon had said hed be happy to get six innings out of his ace before the game, but Price was so efficient he got through seven with just 70 pitches. His low pitch count left Maddon in a quandary. "I didnt know what to do, really," he said. "I mean 70 pitches after seven innings. The up and downs matter, but youre trying to stretch the guy out pitch-count wise. Youre really caught in between right there. We felt that after the seven innings that would be enough just physically on him." Three relievers combined to finish the four-hitter, a night after the Rays two-hit the Astros. Tampa Bay hasnt allowed a run for 23 straight innings -- since Detroits Miguel Cabrera launched a homer into the Rays Touch Tank in the fourth inning on Sunday. Jennings, who finished with three hits, had a two-run single in the fourth to make it 3-0 and his two-run homer in the sixth pushed the lead to five runs. Price credited Jennings for helping him settle down after the first inning. Jennings was only joking when he asked him if he was nervous, and was shocked when he said he was shaking. "But you couldnt tell," Jennings said. "It didnt look like it. He lives for it. Hes a competitor and he loves to be out there." Houston starter Erik Bedard (3-4) yielded six hits and four runs with a season-high six walks in 5 1-3 innings. Price had a tough time in his nine starts before the injury, winning just once in that span. On Tuesday he looked crisp from the start, pitching a 1-2-3 inning before J.D. Martinez singled to start the second. But he still faced the minimum through two after Brandon Barnes grounded into a double play. He strucck out the first two in the third before a single by Jimmy Paredes, who was soon caught stealing to end the inning. Michel Vorm Hotspur Jersey. . The 27-year-old Price really got rolling after that, retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced with five strikeouts. Houstons only hit in that stretch came on a single by Carlos Corporan with one out in the fifth. The Astros have been in an offensive funk lately, and havent scored in 21 consecutive innings. But that run was unearned, leaving them without an earned run in 29 innings. Theyve managed just four earned runs over the last five games. But Houston manager Bo Porter thought Tuesdays struggles were less about his team and more about Price. "I think its called, Mr. Price," Porter said when asked what was wrong with his offence. "Thats why hes a Cy Young winner. And he pitched like it tonight." Tampa Bays Evan Longoria had two singles in his return to the lineup after missing three straight games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The All-Star third baseman was Tampa Bays designated hitter against Houston as he continued to struggle with the condition. He was replaced by a pinch-runner after his single in the ninth. Houston had its best chance to score in the eighth with runners at first and second with no outs. But Joel Peralta replaced Jamey Wright, and he sat down the next three Astros to preserve the shutout. Yunel Escobar hit a two-run double in the ninth and James Loneys double sent him home to make it 8-0. Jennings led off with a single before Sean Rodriguez drew a walk. Longoria walked with one out and Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Wil Myers. Bedard limited the damage by striking out Escobar. Loney extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a one-out single in the fourth inning. Jose Molina walked before Loney advanced to third on a groundout. The single by Jennings, which sailed just out of reach of a diving Jose Altuve and into shallow right field, sent two home to extend the lead to 3-0. Molina doubled to start the sixth and Bedard was replaced by Josh Fields with one out. He was greeted by the towering homer by Jennings, which bounced high on the wall in left field, to leave Tampa Bay up 5-0. NOTES: Tuesday was the second time this season and the seventh time in franchise history that the Rays have thrown back-to-back shutouts. ... Houston 1B/DH Carlos Pena returned to the team after missing two games following the drowning death of his nephew in the Dominican Republic, but he did not play. ... The series continues on Wednesday when Houstons Bud Norris opposes Roberto Hernandez. ... Houston optioned RHP Hector Ambriz to Triple-A Oklahoma City and recalled LHP Brett Oberholtzer from there on Tuesday. ... The Rays optioned INF Ryan Roberts to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday to make room for Price on the roster. ... RHP Mark Appel, the No. 1 overall selection by Houston in the 2013 draft, will make his professional debut on Friday with Class-A Tri-City. ' ' '