Avalanche snap a four-game losing streak with

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WINNIPEG - It appears the honeymoon is over between the Winnipeg Jets and their fans. Starlin Castro Cubs Jersey . Once rare game tickets at the MTS Centre are available, and those who attend have booed their 16-18-5 team for inconsistent play that has the club sitting at or near the bottom of their new, tough Central Division. Armchair general managers have also called for roster changes to the transplanted ex-Atlanta Thrashers team, while likeable head coach Claude Noel has had his job security questioned. And the fans arent the only ones voicing their frustration. Players are fed up with looking for the positives in each loss. "Its what you do out on the ice. You can blow smoke as much as you want in the media," right-winger Blake Wheeler told reporters after the Jets lost a sixth straight game at home on Dec. 14. "Weve been blowing smoke for three years – everyone, myself. Everyone thats stood in front of a microphone for the last three years, weve said the same (expletive)." The airing out of frustrations in Winnipeg is something new. When the Jets were resurrected in 2011, fans enthusiastically embraced the return of the NHL after a 15-year absence. Thirteen thousand season tickets with a minimum three-year commitment were snapped up, and unlucky fans paid $50 to join a wait list. The team was loudly cheered by 15,000 grateful admirers at home games, and were even given a standing ovation when the inaugural season ended with an overtime loss and no playoff berth. After last seasons NHL lockout ended, fans were just happy to head back to the rink and their adoration continued despite another campaign without post-season action. But in this third season, cracks are starting to show. When the home winless streak finally ended with a 5-2 victory over Florida on Dec. 20, there was relief, but no fist pumping as the team headed out on the road for what ended up being losses to Vancouver and Edmonton before its three-day Christmas holiday. Before boarding the plane for the road trip, Wheeler was asked if he senses the marriage with fans is hitting rocky times. "I think the expectations have risen every year," he said. "We took a step last year and we just missed the playoffs. I think a lot of us felt we were a playoff team. "And now, I think this is the best group weve had since weve been here so I think the expectations have risen pretty linearly since weve been here. "(The scrutiny) comes with the territory. Its a market that cares about the product on the ice and theyre very passionate. Theyre very enthusiastic when youre winning and very enthusiastic when youre losing, its just a different kind." Jets defenceman Zach Bogosian got a different view of fans when he recently missed 15 games with a groin injury. Did he feel the winds of change while sitting in the press box? "Its a touchy subject," Bogosian said. "Theyre usually pretty loud, but sometimes if the team is not playing as well as we should, some people get unhappy." Behind his mask, goalie Ondrej Pavelec hasnt noticed more unforgiving fans this season. "They cheer for us every time," he said. "Sometimes we play bad, we dont deserve it and theyre still there. I dont see any difference." He and Wheeler havent been sought out by fault-finding fans. "The people are all very respectful," Wheeler said. "When people see us out and about, theyre happy to see us out in the community. "The wins and losses are obviously very important, but at the same time were still people. Theres nobody that wants it more than we do in this locker-room. Its just a matter of going out there and doing it." Noel acknowledged fans have higher expectations this season. "I think weve had that sense for a while," he said. "After the first year, we had that sense that they would like more performance and the honeymoon is over. "We dont sit here and take our fan base for granted. They expect us to work, and they should, and perform." Prior to Winnipegs loss to the lowly Sabres in Buffalo earlier this month, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed hes felt heat from critics. "If youre able to find a way to improve, then you try to act on it," he said. "But change doesnt always equate to improvement. "Change can certainly placate phone calls, emails on the different venues out there, but that doesnt necessarily mean thats the proper direction to go." Cheveldayoff, who extended Noels contract earlier this year through the 2014-15 season, was also asked if Noel is doing a good job. "Coaching in this league is a tough job," Cheveldayoff said. "Theres lots of second-guessing that goes on everywhere. "And thats the nature of it when youre in the public eye like this. Everyones got their own interpretation of whether someones doing a good job, not doing a good job. At the end of the day, I know that (all the coaches are) working hard and doing all they can." Ron Santo Jersey .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. Jake Arrieta Cubs Jersey . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. http://www.jerseycubsteamshop.com/Billy-Williams-Cubs-Jersey/ . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers.DENVER -- Ryan OReilly and Gabriel Landeskog scored power-play goals, helping the Colorado Avalanche snap a four-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. Semyon Varlamov had 35 saves for Colorado. Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner and Ryan Johansen scored Columbus goals. Leading 3-2, Colorado scored on the power play for the second time when Paul Stastny passed across the slot to Landeskog, who was perched on the doorstep. Landeskog put the puck into an open net at 8:10 of the third period. Just 37 seconds later, Foligno responded with a wraparound shot that got past Varlamov to again narrow the Blue Jackets deficit to one. Columbus snapped a 1-1 tie at 8:34 of the second period on a goal by Jenner, but the Blue Jackets couldnt hold the lead as the Avalanche scored a pair of goals less than three minutes apart later in the period. Matt Duchenes shot from the slot bounded away from goalie Cuurtis McElhinney and onto the stick of McGinn, who backhanded the rebound into the net to make it 2-2 at 12:04 of the second. Anthony Rizzo Cubs Jersey. The Avalanche then capitalized on a power play to take the lead at 14:42 of the second with Duchene again in the middle of the action. His shot was stopped by McElhinney, but the rebound again got away. OReilly gathered in the loose puck and knocked it into the net to put the Avalanche up by one at 14:42 of the second. The Blue Jackets scored first 4:13 into the game. Foligno muscled his way past defenceman Hejda to get a shot that bounced off the pads of Varlamov. Johansen beat MacKinnon and slapped the puck past Varlamov for his 16th goal. Hejda, who spent four seasons with Columbus from 2007-11, made amends at 6:33. He got to a loose puck along the boards, and his slap shot from the left point wriggled through McElhinneys pads for his fourth goal. NOTES: Duchene had a team-leading 16 points in December (4 goals, 12 assists). ... The Avalanche hosted a New Years Eve game at the Pepsi Center for the first time. ... Johansen has 10 goals and eight assists in his last 17 games. ... Columbus is 6-17-2 against Colorado. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '