ERST LESEN! » od team at home rather than another one of the

Just because Wayne Gretzky laced up his skates in an alumni game over the weekend doesnt mean the NHL is back to the 1980s.It just feels like it.Goals are coming fast and furious through the first two weeks of the season, with scoring at a pace that hasnt been seen in over a decade. Players are scoring an average of 5.98 goals a game, a far cry from the offense-happy days of Gretzky but an increase so far from every other year since 2005-06 when new rules were designed to boost scoring.An influx of young players, the preseason World Cup of Hockey and more backup goaltenders playing because of injuries have kept red lights flashing around the league.Overall, the game is going younger, faster, more skill, so I think everything kind of combines and goes into it, Arizona Coyotes winger Radim Vrbata said. I think the penalties are called more now than late in the season last year. Thats normal, so you probably have more power-play goals. And you have all the guys who played at the World Cup, theyre in their midseason form already where normally it would take them a couple games to get going.The NHL, hoping to keep its fans entertained, has tried many things to get scoring up, from shrinking goaltending equipment to adopting 3-on-3 overtime. Yet goals have hovered around 5.3 per game over the past five years.The jump early this season has as much to do with young talent like Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews as anything else.McDavid and Matthews lead a wave of 16 teenagers in the NHL right now, players who dazzle with flashy moves and who sometimes arent afraid to take a risk and maybe turn the puck over. As hockey trends more toward speed and skill, the game becomes more unpredictable and coaches gain more gray hair.You have more skill players in the league, too, so theyre not as conscious with puck management, Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. You talk to the coaches probably around the league that might be as much as anything, and (players are) finding the back of the net on those.Coyotes coach Dave Tippett joked that its a Team North America mentality, referencing the 23-and-under World Cup group that thrived playing end-to-end, fast-paced games and scored at a blistering pace. Beyond just Team North America, the World Cup got many of the leagues elite up to speed to start the year, and Philadelphia forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare believes he and the other 168 players who took part are already in December form.It definitely helps, Flyers teammate Sean Couturier said. I think guys have been in game situations at such a high pace, high level for a month and a half before the season actually started.Eight of the top nine scorers so far this season played in the World Cup, and surprise standout Richard Panik benefited from so many Chicago Blackhawks players being away by making the most of extra ice time in preseason. The Blackhawks are also doing their part to contribute to the goal fest by allowing a league-high 14 of the 138 power-play goals scored through Wednesday.Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters thinks power-play units are ahead of penalty kills and that five-on-five play is looser than usual.Loose play plus a lot of backup goaltenders in the nets is a recipe for offense. Through 97 games, 61 different goalies have started at least once, compared with 85 in 1,230 games last season.Thats in part a product of injuries to starters like the Los Angeles Kings Jonathan Quick, Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask and Arizonas Mike Smith and also the compressed schedule forced because of the World Cup. Each team will have a five-day bye week in January or February.Im sure because we have a lot of back to backs and we have the bye week -- the games are probably compressed a little bit more together than its been in the last (few) years, Capitals backup goalie Philipp Grubauer said. If youre good and play good and get the right numbers and win the games, Im sure (backups) will get a few more starts.Backups will continue to play, but many around the NHL expect production to slide back to normal as the season wears on. So enjoy the throwback scoring while it lasts.I think things will tighten up as we go, Peters said. But its been enjoyable for the fans.---AP Freelancers Matt Carlson in Chicago, Denis Gorman in New York and Paul Gereffi in Sunrise, Florida, contributed.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno Cheap Michigan Wolverines Jerseys . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. College Football Jerseys Wholesale . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. http://www.ncaacheapjerseys.com/ . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. NCAA Jerseys China . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. NCAA Basketball Jerseys Cheap . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix have set their sights on handing Melbourne City and Sydney FC their first defeats this weekend in the A-League.Glory beat the Phoenix 2-0 in Perth on Sunday to get their first win of the season following a first up 3-3 draw with the Central Coast Mariners, but both teams have bigger things on their mind already.Perth scored through Diego Castro (penalty) and Nebojsa Marinkovic in the second half, while Andy Keogh also missed a penalty.The defeat leaves Wellington with two losses to start the season, with Sydney FC arriving on Sunday, while Glory has four points from the first two games.Perth takes on the unbeaten Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Friday night.Glory coach Kenny Lowe is looking forward to challenging an on-fire opponent spurred on by champion Socceroo Tim Cahill - who scored a wondergoal on debut this weekend.These are the games you want. I was watching the game when Cahill stuck one in the seven and I was jumping around like a nine-year-old kid. I thought it was fantastic, Lowe said.You want to go to Melbourne and play against those type of players.Theyy look as though they have put one heck of a team together so lets go and measure ourselves.ddddddddddddThe Phoenix did a lot right in their opening two matches despite losing to City and Glory without managing to score a goal.Attacking threats Gui Finkler, Kosta Barbarouses and Michael McGlinchey havent managed to score but in both games Wellington looked impressive at times.The Phoenix return home to take on a Sky Blues outfit coming off 4-0 thumpings of Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast.Im really disappointed not to have got a draw last week and I would have been happy with a draw this week, but it wasnt to be, coach Ernie Merrick said.Were not overly concerned because we have good players and we play good football.It will be good to play Sydney at home because I would rather play a good team at home rather than another one of these away trips or playing a lower-level team.Sydney are on top, theyve scored eight goals and its the ideal time for us to come back. od team at home rather than another one of theall Jerseys[/url] ' ' '