NASHVILLE -- General manager David Poile hopes he sent the strongest message possible by making the first coaching change in Nashvilles history: missing the playoffs is not acceptable for the Predators. [url=http://www.brownsrookiestore.com/Browns-Myles-Garrett-Jersey/]Myles Garrett Womens Jersey[/ur

NASHVILLE -- General manager David Poile hopes he sent the strongest message possible by making the first coaching change in Nashvilles history: missing the playoffs is not acceptable for the Predators. Myles Garrett Womens Jersey . Poile announced Monday that Barry Trotz, the NHLs longest tenured head coach with one team, would not be back for a 16th season after the Predators missed the post-season for a second straight year. A few hours later, Poile said at a news conference a few hours later that wont get it done. "This is a wakeup call for everybody in our organization," Poile said. "Its a wakeup call for me. Get out of your comfort zone. Its going to be different here. Theres going to be a new coach in charge. ... Its going to be a difference voice and its going to be a different direction. And hopefully ... the foundation Barrys presented here for the next coach will take us to a higher level." Trotzs contract expires June 30, and the Predators offered him a job in their hockey operations department. The two-time Jack Adams finalist made it clear in a very emotional news conference before Poile spoke that he appreciated the offer but wants to keep coaching. "I love Nashville, but now Im going to have to beat you," Trotz said with a smile. Poile refused to put a timetable on hiring a new coach or what type coach he wants. This will be his first search since hiring Trotz in August 1997 when the Predators were gearing up for the expansion franchises debut season in 1998-99. Trotz said he had not been contacted by any other teams when he spoke to reporters, but Poile said he will let the coach out of his contract instantly for another coaching job. Predators captain Shea Weber said the only NHL coach hes ever played for wont be out of a job long. "His resume speaks for itself," Weber said. Still, missing the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time since 2001-02 and 2002-03 was too much for a franchise that needs to reach the post-season to sell tickets and generate crucial revenue. "We didnt win this year, we didnt win last year," Trotz said. "Theres no excuse. I expect us to be in the playoffs, the Nashville Predators expect us to be in the playoffs. We didnt make it this year, so Im good with it." Trotz said losing goaltender Pekka Rinne, a two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, for 51 games to an E. coli infection in his surgically repaired left hip "blew a hole" through the Predators this season. Poile said having a healthy Rinne or even two more shootout wins after going 2-9 would have gotten Nashville into the playoffs. Poile said that would have at least delayed this coaching change. But the general manager noted that hes been thinking about needed changes since the Predators missed what both he and Trotz thought was their best chance at a Stanley Cup in 2011-12. That team lost 4-1 to Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals. Trotz coached 1,196 games with Nashville, second only to Greg Popovich of the NBAs San Antonio Spurs for longest active coaching tenure in the four major sports. He is the only NHL coach to take his team to the playoffs in seven of eight seasons between 2003-04 and 2011-12, which included two conference semifinals. He was 19-31 in the post-season. But the Predators have been in transition since losing defenceman Ryan Suter to Minnesota as a free agent in July 2012 and matching a 14-year, $110 million offer sheet to keep Weber. Poile said hes been rebuilding the Predators "on the fly" over the past year. He said upcoming changes will not include Weber, who will remain with the Predators. With the lockout shortening the season, the Predators posted their first losing record (16-23-9) since 2002-03. Nashville spent more than $36 million on five free agents last July. Goalie Carter Hutton did post 20 wins in Rinnes absence, but the rest of the spending spree didnt produce the offence they wanted. With Rinnes hip keeping him sidelined, they finished 10th in the West going 38-32-12 with 88 points. "In the end, its our fault he got fired," said forward Patric Hornqvist, "and obviously thats a huge responsibility for us and we have to be better next year." David Njoku Youth Jersey . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. Denzel Ward Youth Jersey . - Dominika Cibulkova erased three match points in the second set Wednesday and beat Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Sony Open. http://www.brownsrookiestore.com/Browns-Baker-Mayfield-Jersey/ . "That was a great lift for the staff," Padres manager Bud Black said. Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal homered, and Chase Headley drove in three runs, as the Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 on Friday night.OWINGS MILLS, Md. - In the afterglow of a playoff victory over Pittsburgh last weekend, Ravens coach John Harbaugh proclaimed Joe Flacco to be the best quarterback in football.Given time to reflect on his comment, Harbaugh didnt back down.I said it. I meant it, Harbaugh said after Tuesdays practice.Flaccos numbers in the post-season support Harbaughs lofty assessment.After throwing two touchdown passes in a 30-17 win over the Steelers, Flacco improved to 5-0 in his last five playoff games. He has 13 TDs, no interceptions and a 116.6 quarterback rating during that span. He was Super Bowl MVP two years ago, is 10-4 in the post-season and has more road playoff wins (seven) than any quarterback in NFL history.Flacco has twice as many playoff wins as peers Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger.So, is this guy elite or what?At the end of the day it doesnt really matter what everybody wants to think, Flacco said. It obviously means a lot for a head coach to stand up in front of everybody in the whole world and say those kind of things. Whether it really means anything, I dont know. But it definitely means a lot to me.Harbaugh became Baltimores coach in 2008, the same year the Ravens made Flacco their top draft pick out of Delaware. The two have been to the post-season in six of seven years.Joe has a great arm, is a very good athlete, a big, strong guy in the pocket, can make any throw in any kind of weather, Harbaugh said.Especially in the playoffs.Hes a good quarterback, period, said New England coach Bill Belichick, whose top-seeded Patriots (12-4) host the Ravens (11-6) on Saturday.I have a lot of respect for him, Belichick said. He has a great arm, can throw the ball the length of the field with guys hanging all over him. Hes mobile. Hes athletic enough to extend plays, makes good decisions, uses all his weapons.Flacco and the Ravens beat the Patriots 28-13 in the AFC championship game two years ago to advance to the Super Bowl. Flacco joined Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throww 11 touchdown passes without an interception in a single post-season. Nick Chubb Jersey. Big-time players show up when you need them most, and thats how hes been, Ravens fourth-year receiver Torrey Smith said. Hes as good as anyone, and maybe the best in the playoffs these past few years.Soon after Baltimore beat San Francisco 34-31 in the Super Bowl, Flacco received a contract worth $120.6 million that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.To this point, its been a worthwhile investment. Although the Ravens went 8-8 and missed the playoffs last year, theyve never had a losing record and are 82-44 (including the post-season) with Flacco as a starter. Oh, and hes started every game since the outset of his rookie year.Flacco has thrown 166 passes in the playoffs since his last interception, in the 2011 AFC title game in New England.Im doing the best I can to put everybody in position to do good things, he said. Put the ball in their hands and let them take over.Flacco is 6-foot-6 but surprisingly agile in the pocket. Against Pittsburgh, he scrambled to his left to elude the rush and threw off his back foot to connect with Smith for an 11-yard touchdown that made it 20-9.His athletic ability is underrated, Smith said. Hes been making plays like that for a long time.In the playoffs, though, something special happens when Flacco is on the field.Hes a franchise quarterback and has had a great career, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said.Brady is among a select few top-shelf quarterbacks considered to be the best in the game by those not named John Harbaugh.The cool thing about it is, Tom was playing for who knows how many years before I got in here, Flacco said. I was in high school watching him win Super Bowls.Flacco is 2-1 in the playoffs against the Patriots, but warns that those games — and this one — arent about Brady vs. Flacco.Its not really me outdueling Tom or him outdueling me, he insisted. Were not playing against each other.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '