TORONTO – Amongst the data gathered by the Maple Leafs coaching staff and available to the team at large after every game is the total number of scoring chances created by each individual player (not to mention those generated by the opposition). Marcus Smart Jersey . And so despite the fact that James van Riemsdyk has scored just once in the past 10 games and has just three goals since the start of December, the 24-year-old believes he is generating opportunities that, for the time being, are going unrewarded. "Im creating a lot of chances," said van Riemsdyk, following a grueling Sunday practice which followed an ugly 7-1 showing at the ACC a night earlier. "As long as thats there I know Im going in the right direction. I know that its going to go in eventually." van Riemsdyk has blossomed into a bona-fide force during his brief tenure in Toronto. In 89 games with the club, hes scored 33 goals, totaled 62 points and was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the first time following Wednesdays Winter Classic in Ann Arbour. He remains on pace this season for career-highs in goals, assists, points, ice-time and just about every other offensive category. But after a torrid start – 12 goals in the first 25 games – he, like a number of Leafs, has cooled off into something of a slumber offensively. van Riemsdyk managed his 15th of the year against the Red Wings during the snowy New Years Day bash. The goal snapped an eight-game drought and was just his third since the outset of December. "Its a long season," he said. "You go through ebbs and flows; youve just got to stick with it." Luck has not been on his side amid the cool spell. A career 11 per cent shooter, van Riemsdyk has been successful on just 5 per cent of his 59 attempts during the 16-game struggle. A flurry of chances opposite Cam Talbot in the opening moments of Saturdays embarrassing showing against the Rangers ultimately went unfulfilled – as they have been in the past month. A confident personality, his swagger doesnt appear rattled. "Obviously its a game of bounces," said van Riemsdyk, who remains second on the team in scoring with 30 points in 41 games. "Its weird how sometimes you can get a lot of grade-A chances and the goalie makes big saves and you cant buy one. And then you maybe throw one at the net from a crazy angle and it hits off something and goes in. Youve just got to stick with, stay positive and go from there." That advice could well be served for 23-year-old Nazem Kadri. Kadri is lumbering through one of the driest spells of his short NHL career. He has just one point in the past nine games and only four points in the past 14 outings. His growing pains have been notable after a quick start of 13 points in 14 games. "He seems to be in a little bit of a funk," said Randy Carlyle, observing that Kadri had been standing still too often in recent weeks and not moving his feet. "Our advice to him is commit to the time off the ice and when youre on the ice you work extremely hard and then you do extra and thats what hes doing right now." Kadri has seen some of his luck flounder this season - he posted an impressive 44 points in 48 games last year while owning the highest on-ice shooting percentage of any player in the league - while facing a nightly barrage of increased competition. A year ago, he lined up in the Leafs no. 3 centre hole, but with the offseason departure of Mikhail Grabovski and long-term injury to Dave Bolland, has been forced to rise up the depth chart, squaring off with a new level of talent every night. He even saw 12 games on the top line with Tyler Bozak sidelined by an oblique injury. Paired almost exclusively with Phil Kessel since he was traded to the Leafs, van Riemsdyk endured a similar challenge when he landed in Toronto. "Obviously being on [Kessels] line you see a lot of that [increased competition] and its a great challenge," said van Riemsdyk. "[But] its definitely a little bit different. When I was in Philadelphia I was definitely in more of a secondary role where youre expecting to play against probably their third [defence] pairing and not obviously their top checking line; you get a little bit more room out there." Carlyle pulled Kadri aside for a brief word at the end of Sundays practice, preaching persistence and hard work. "When things arent going well for yourself you have to be selfish and take a look in the mirror and say Hey Ive got to work myself out and the old adage was you put your nose to the grindstone and work your way through it," said Carlyle of Kadri, who wasnt available for interview on Sunday. "And I dont think that is too far from the way young players today should approach it." "Youve just got to stick with it I think," added van Riemsdyk, trying to break free from a slump himself. "You cant beat yourself up too much. Its a game of confidence and youve got to try to keep that confidence high throughout the whole year, get to work, and improve upon the things you can improve upon." Jim Loscutoff Jersey .com) - P.K. Subbans power-play goal 4:08 into overtime sent the Montreal Canadiens into the All-Star break with a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Dana Barros Jersey . LOUIS -- The St. https://www.cheapceltics.com/382n-don-chaney-jersey-celtics.html . The Laval Rouge et Or defensive back/kick-returner gained the invitation following his showing Sunday at an NFL regional combine in Baltimore.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Ottawa Senators are 7-1-3 over their last 11 games, but the club enters Saturdays road tilt with the Carolina Hurricanes having lost three of its past four tilts. After opening a four-game road trip with a 2-0 win in Washington on Monday, the Senators dropped a 4-3 shootout decision Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ottawa was able to salvage a point thanks to Chris Neils game- tying goal with 2:18 remaining in the third period. Clarke MacArthur and Erik Karlsson both posted a goal and an assist for the Sens, while Craig Anderson made 35 stops in a losing effort. Ex-Ottawa goaltender Ben Bishop stopped 33-of-36 shots to earn the win for the Lightning. "We competed all night and I think we did the things we needed to do to be in this game," said Anderson. "We got a point, so there is that." Ottawa, which will complete its trip Tuesday at Columbus, is 11-8-5 as the road team this season. Snowy weather may have shuffled the Hurricanes schedule around this week, but it hasnt hurt their play on the ice. Todays game was originally scheduled for Friday, but was pushed back a day to accommodate the Hurricanes. Carolina was originally slated to play Tuesday in Philadelphia, but that tilt was postponed until the following day due to weather. The Canes then visited Buffalo on Thursday and had Fridays test moved back because they couldnt play on three consecutive days. Saturdays game is an important one in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Senators are currently two points outt of the Easts last postseason berth and Carolina is just one point behind Ottawa. Satch Sanders Jersey. The Hurricanes recorded a 4-1 win over a visiting Senators club on Nov. 24, giving Carolina wins in five of the last six meetings. Ottawa has dropped three straight and 10 of the past 11 encounters in Raleigh. Carolina notched a 3-2 win in Philly and followed with a 5-3 decision against the Sabres. The Hurricanes hope to keep heading in the right direction on Saturday, when they play the first of two straight on home ice. Carolina is 11-10-5 as the host this season and will play six of seven tests in Raleigh before the NHL breaks for the Winter Olympics early next month. The Hurricanes and Sabres were tied at 2-2 after 40 minutes on Thursday and Buffalo grabbed a one-goal lead just 48 seconds into the third period. However, Alexander Semin and Andrej Sekera scored 2:25 apart for Carolina near the midway point of the third to give Carolina the lead for good. Jiri Tlusty, who scored the game-winner with 6:10 left in the third period on Wednesday, added an empty-net goal in the final seconds to seal the win in Buffalo. "Were starting to really gel together right now," said Carolina head coach Kirk Muller. "Were getting the goaltending, our big guys are starting to score and our other guys are playing their roles. You put it together, youre getting some good results." Semin finished with two goals, Sekera added two assists and Anton Khudobin made 26 saves for a Hurricanes team that won for the third time in four games. ' ' '