SAN DIEGO - As baseballs hot stove heated toward a full boil with the start of the annual winter meetings, free agent reliever Casey Janssen, late of the Blue Jays, wasnt planning to attend. Tim Salmon Angels Jersey . Im close to signing, Janssen told TSN.ca via text message. Beyond that, Janssens situation is vague. Its believed a number of teams have inquired about the veteran right-hander, whos been clear that his desire is to land in a spot where the dollar value is fair and he has a chance to win. Being a ninth inning guy, a spot in which Janssen excelled for most of the past three seasons with Toronto (81 saves), is not his top priority. Janssen said hes encouraged by the market, believing that teams are placing an increased value on seventh and eighth inning arms. He cited the four-year, $36-million contract left-handed reliever Andrew Miller just signed with the New York Yankees. That deal, however, surely is an outlier. I think Millers unique, one being left-handed and I know people talk about hes a closer, hes not a closer, when you look at the season he had, I dont know that theres anyone to compare him to, even the last few years. Thats why I think his contract is on an island, said Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Everyone knows all the other relievers that are out there but theyre not comparable. Janssen reiterated that hes not closed the door on a return to the Blue Jays, although no formal offer is on the table. He hopes to have a deal in place by the time the winter meetings wrap up on Thursday. Nick Adenhart Jersey . -- A year ago, Flavia Pennetta was close to retiring from tennis. Taylor Ward Jersey . The Argentina striker has not played for the Premier League leaders since September when he refused to warm up during a Champions League match and only returned last week from a three-month unauthorized absence at home. City coach Roberto Mancini had initially told Tevez he would never play for City again after his act of public insubordination, but later softened his stance and only asked for an apology. https://www.cheapangels.com/2113j-chuck-finley-jersey-angels.html . Josh Mazzola drove in five runs to lead the Goldeyes (20-12) past the Capitales 11-5 Friday night at Le Stade Municipal in Quebec City.TORONTO – The silver doors to the Maple Leafs dressing room remained closed for more than 15 minutes after this particularly embarrassing loss. Inside, head coach, Randy Carlyle, blasted his team for their effort in a Saturday night home game and players met amongst themselves afterwards to discuss all that went wrong in a beating by a familiar foe. “I don’t think he was happy,” said Nazem Kadri of Carlyle after a 4-1 defeat to the Bruins. “He shouldn’t be. Neither are we. It’s not like we’re sitting in there laughing and joking around. No one likes to get beat like that, especially in our own building.” “We all know that wasn’t near good enough and [Carlyle] affirmed that,” Cody Franson added. “He didn’t tell us anything that we didn’t know. He has every right to be mad. That’s on us in here, not on him.” It was the third time in five games at the ACC that the Leafs have been beaten in such devastating fashion – also losing handily to the Penguins and Red Wings in the very early weeks this season. It was also a very familiar script opposite Boston, minus one very large cast member. The Bruins, however, didn’t need Zdeno Chara to teach what’s become a familiar lesson. Instead, it was more of the same schooling that’s come to define the rivalry for the past half-dozen years. The Leafs have now lost 18 of the past 27 regular season meetings with Boston, beating the familiar drums for compete level after this particularly dispiriting performance. Carlyle called himself angry and frustrated afterwards, almost appearing exasperated with the familiar troubles – ones that plagued his team last season, especially down the stretch. “It’s pretty simple,” said Stephane Robidas, “the compete level’s got to go way higher.” “We can always push for more of that and we’ll demand that,” Carlyle said, “but I think a lot of that has to come from within.” A juggernaut since the second lockout and the President’s Trophy winner last season, the Bruins limped into Toronto. They’d lost five of their first nine games, were getting unusually poor results in goal – Tuukka Rask with an un-Vezina-like .880 save percentage – and were, most notably, without their captain. All of which made them, at least on appearance, in a vulnerable (relatively speaking) state. But they schooled the Leafs in pretty standard fashion, winning battles not only in possession, faceoffs, and goaltending, but in general competitiveness all over the ice. It was clear on this night who wanted the puck more and it was not the home team. “It was like they had the puck and we struggled to get it back,” Carlyle said. The Bruins struck before five minutes had elapsed in the opening frame; Carl Soderberg won a rebound share and beat Jonathan Bernier on the power play. Late in the second, in a play that symbolizes all that differentiates the two teams, it was the perpetually overlooked David Krejci blowing past Phil Kessel in the neutral zone, his second effort just enough for the two-goal cushion. Boston poured it on some more in the third, scoring once shorthanded on Gregory Campbell’s theft of Dion Phaneuf behind the net and then again, when Dougie Hamilton raced past the Leafs five-pack and slipped one past Bernier. Starting 6-1 last fall – under fragile circumstances – Toronto has lost three of its last four games and five of eight overall so far. Turnovers. Lost puck battles. Little pushback. Long, weary stints in the defensive zone. These were familiar troubles for the Leafs and ones they pledged to fix, or at least improve upon, this season. So far, its been inconsistent at best. What’s quickly become clear is just how much work Carlyle has in front of him to push, prod and demand something more. He couldn’t find the answers en route to disaster a year ago – can he find them in hurried fashion this time around? Five Points 1. Home Ice The 24 home wins the Leafs amassed last season were fourth-most in the Eastern Conference, but it’s been a different story early this fall. Four losses in five games at the ACC by a combined score of 19-10. Blowouts include a 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh, a 4-1 whooping by Detroit and this most recent 4-1 dismantling by Boston. “There’s really no explanation,” Kadri said. “I think we’re two different teams on the road and at home for some reason. Dillon Peters Angels Jersey. ” 2. No Kessel, No Wins The Leafs were carried (offensively) by Phil Kessel and the top line last season, something they hoped to rectify this fall with a more balanced and notably deeper attack. But it’s been more or less the same struggle under similar circumstance so far this fall. Kessel, who has just three goals in 27 career games against Boston, failed to score Saturday and as a result, his team failed to win. The Leafs are 0-4-1 this season when Kessel fails to find the score-sheet, 3-0-0 when he does. 3. Power-play Reset? Steve Spott, who runs Toronto’s man-advantage, wanted the team’s two units to reset following an empty 0-16 stretch that preceded Saturday’s game. “We have to reset,” Spott said following practice Friday. “It’s a matter of going back to basics and getting pucks to the net and simplifying it. I think,sometimes, when you have this much skill, they can try to get a little bit too cute or a little bit too fancy sometimes. It’s resetting. We’ve talked about using that word and getting more pucks and bodies to the net and hopefully having a little bit of puck-luck.” Toronto fired six shots on net against the Bruins, but ultimately came up empty all three times. They’ve now gone 19 consecutive power plays without scoring a goal. 4. Trends Carlyle couldn’t suppress a chuckle and, perhaps, a little dig on the analytics movement when asked about the tepid early production of the team’s second line. “The analytics say,” Carlyle said, pausing for comedic effect, “they say that their puck-possession time is good and this is good and that’s good, but they haven’t scored any goals or provided enough offence so what does that say?” Nazem Kadri, Joffrey Lupul and Daniel Winnik have indeed been the Leafs best possession line so far, but have produced only three goals combined at even-strength. Trends suggest that won’t continue if they keep controlling the puck, which is precisely what Carlyle went on to observe. “What you do is you look at the quality of the opportunities and you know if they continue to have and get chances, they’re going to score,” he said. “If they continue to possess the puck and do the things that they’re doing, we know that their opportunities will result in some form of offence from them. And that’s what we’re looking for. Obviously, we don’t want to be considered a one-line offensive hockey club.” 5. New Everything Everything is still quite new for Richard Panik, who the Leafs plucked off of waivers from Tampa on the second day of the season. There’s the new city, a new organization, a whole set of new teammates and maybe, most challenging for the 23-year-old, an entirely new system to understand. “Everything is new, so I’ve got to get used to it,” Panik said. His life outside the rink also remains unsettled. Panik, drafted and developed by the Lightning, is stuck living at a downtown Toronto hotel along with his girlfriend for at least two more weeks. It’s been confining some for the Slovakian, who likes to cook. “I’m on the road all the time right now,” he said with a laugh. On the ice, it’s gone slightly better of late. Panik was barely noticeable in his earliest Leaf moments, but has come on a touch recently. He scored his first goal with the club in defeat on Saturday. “You feel comfortable on the ice [when] you get more minutes,” said Panik. “You start feeling the puck, play with the puck more and create some offensive chances.” Stats-Pack 0-4-1 – Record this season when Phil Kessel fails to score. 9-15-3 – Record against Boston over the past five-plus seasons. 1-4-0 – Record at home this season. 3 – Even-strength goals for the line of Nazem Kadri, Joffrey Lupul and Daniel Winnik. 0-19 – Power-play over the past five games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3 Season: 16.1% PK: 3-4 Season: 84.4% Quote of the Night “It’s not like we’re sitting in there laughing and joking around. No one likes to get beat like that, especially in our own building.” -Nazem Kadri, on the mood in the dressing room following the 4-1 loss to Boston. Up Next The Leafs host the Sabres on Tuesday night. ' ' '