NEWS » s he was with holding LSU to 28 perc

The season is two weeks old and still growing. Like a puppy or kitten, in two more weeks itll be unrecognizable.So what have we learned so far? What kind of grades would we hand out for each course if we were the grading type (which, of course, we are)? Here goes:Stargazing 101Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers Grade: A+ I must admit that I was skeptical McDavid was ready to hang with the games elite after missing almost half of his rookie season with a shoulder injury and then being named the youngest captain in NHL history. Never mind. The Oilers are the seasons nicest early surprise, at 6-1, and McDavid woke up Thursday morning leading the league with 11 points.Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils Grade:?B+ The Devils have quietly moved above .500 and their moribund offense is slowly rounding into form thanks to their big offseason acquisition, Hall, who has five goals and six points in six games. Whether its because hes still ticked off about being traded or not, Hall is proving hes a pivotal part of the Devils hopes.Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks Grade: C The Blackhawks have had a weird start (see below), but one of the most curious parts of the perennial Cup contenders up-and-down first few weeks has been the lack of production from its captain. Toews talked at the World Cup of Hockey last month about how much he was looking at the coming season as a chance to a start fresh. Thats not how things have worked out so far, as he has no goals and two assists through seven games.Advanced special teams (Power-play section)Nashville Predators Grade:?A+The 2-4 Preds arent nearly the team most people thought they would be early on, but its scary to think about where they would be without their smoking-hot power play, which as of Thursday had scored 10 goals on 24 opportunities. Ryan Johansen, P.K. Subban, Mike Fisher, Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg have combined for 19 power-play points. Now if only Nashville could just figure out the rest of the game.Tampa Bay Lightning Grade:?AIts no surprise that the Lightning are off to a tremendous start in the Atlantic Division and no surprise the power play is cooking at 30.4 percent efficiency, making Tampa Bay one of just three teams north of 30 percent in man-advantage productivity. Whats so impressive is that nine different Lightning players have at least two power-play points to their credit.Washington Capitals Grade:?CWhats wrong with this picture? The star-studded Capitals -- who had the most potent power play in the Eastern Conference last season, en route to a Presidents Trophy -- have managed just two man-advantage goals on 19 opportunities. Expect water to find its own level with this talented group sooner rather than later.Ottawa Senators Grade:?DThe question is: How did the Senators get to 4-2 with just one power-play goal on 15 opportunities? And how do you operate at 6.7 percent efficiency with the games most dynamic defender, captain Erik Karlsson, on your team? Inquiring minds want to know.Advanced special teams (Penalty-kill section)Florida Panthers Grade:?AAn indication of good coaching isnt just killing penalties but not taking them. The Panthers have allowed a league-low 13 opportunities through six games. Theyve allowed just two power-play goals.Minnesota Wild Grade: ARemember when coach Bruce Boudreau had Anaheim at the top of both the power-play and penalty-kill categories in Anaheim last season? The Wild remember, as Boudreaus new charges have allowed just one goal on 21 opportunities.New York Islanders Grade:?A+Hey, lets give credit where credit is due. The only team more successful early on than the Wild at killing penalties is the Islanders, who have killed 21 of 23.Chicago Blackhawks Grade:?F-Yeah, I know theres no such thing as an F-. But if there was, Chicago would be up for it given the fact that the Blackhawks have somehow allowed 14 power-play goals on 26 opportunities. I know thats not going to last, but its still interesting to look at while the perennial Cup contenders are trapped in penalty-kill hell.Pop quiz (As in, Expect the unexpected)Thomas Vanek, Detroit Red Wings Grade:?A+The erstwhile former Wild, Canadien, Islander and Sabre somehow has come alive with the red-hot Red Wings and leads the team with eight points through seven games, including chipping in four power-play assists. Go figure.Jonathan Marchessault, Florida Panthers Grade:?B+With Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad out long term, Marchesseault has stepped nicely into the breach after signing with the Panthers in the offseason. He leads the Cats with eight points in six games.Max Domi/Anthony Duclair, Arizona Coyotes Grade:?DTough start for the Coyotes, who havent won since opening night. Last seasons rookie dynamic duo has been especially snakebit early on, combining for zero goals and three assists, all collected by Domi.Astrophysics (Study of goaltenders section)Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers Grade:?A+Have to admit that after watching Talbot get yanked in the Oilers loss to Buffalo almost two weeks ago I wondered if this would be the start of another tumble down the rabbit hole for the beleaguered franchise. Nope. Turns out this was the teams only loss to date and Talbot has been a rock, leading the league with six wins while posting a very healthy .927 save percentage. Talbot has played more minutes than any other goalie.Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings Grade:?A-Yes, Howard has played in just two games for the surprising Red Wings but hes been very, very good with a 2-0 mark and .984 save percentage. In a market where goaltenders are falling like flies, Howards early play might make him suddenly much more marketable than he was before the season.Cam Ward/Eddie Lack, Carolina Hurricanes Grade:?D-When I spoke with GM Ron Francis before the season, we talked goaltending and his belief that Ward, the longtime face of the franchise (at least in terms of goaltending), and Lack, who came to Carolina from Vancouver before last season, were the best options available to his team. So far that decision has backfired spectacularly, as the Canes duo has given up an average of four goals against per game and is tied for the most even-strength goals allowed in the league as Carolina has staggered to a 1-3-2 start.Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs Grade:?FIt seems a bit unfair to pile on the pride of Herning, Denmark, but facts are facts -- and the fact is Andersen, fresh off signing a five-year deal to backstop the Leafs into the future, has been a mess. He has a goals-against average of 4.29 and a save percentage of .851. Hell get better. Wont he? Sure he will. Unless he doesnt, in which case this is the first true test of the Leafs management team, which is enjoying an extended honeymoon with a squad that finished 30th last season and seems destined to finish near the bottom of the standings again if the goaltender of the future doesnt buck up. Stars Jerseys 2020 .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Stars Jerseys 2021 . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. https://www.cheapstarsonline.com/ . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Stars Jerseys China . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. Fake Stars Jerseys . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Landry Shamet is healthy again, and thats only making Wichita States balanced offense even deeper.The redshirt freshman scored 12 points in the Shockers 82-47 win against LSU on Wednesday in the opening game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. That came three days after he scored 16 points in a high-scoring blowout against Maryland Eastern Shore, part of a strong start to the season after playing just three games last season due to a foot injury.It was a lot of mental stuff as well as physically trying to get myself back, Shamet said, just working really hard in the offseason to get back to where I was.Markis McDuffie scored 15 points to lead the Shockers (5-0), who dominated from the tip and scored the games first nine points to quickly turn this into a rout. And they did it much like their first four lopsided wins, with a balanced deep and offense with seemingly no shortage of scoring options.The development of Shamet, a 6-foot-4 guard from Kansas City, Missouri, will only help after spending last season observing and learning from departed program mainstays Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet.Hes very cerebral, Shockers coach Gregg Marshall said. He watched those guys, he learned from them and thats what we talked about: become a better player by watching.Coming off a 116-point outing, 12 Shockers scored while the team made 9 of 19 from 3-point range (47 percent), shot 46 percent overall and dominated the glass.Antonio Blakeney scored 12 points for the Tigers (3-1), who never recovered from that awful start. LSU didnt manage its first point until the 14:32 mark, didnt manage a basket until nearly 6 1/2 minutes in and shot 28 percent for the game.They did a great job of punching first, LSU coach Johnny Jones said, and we didnt do a great job of responding there in the first half.dddddddddddd.BIG PICTURELSU: This was hardly the start the fifth-year coach wanted in Atlantis. Picked to finish 12th in the Southeastern Conference, the Tigers were trying for their first 4-0 start since the 2012-13 season but managed little resistance as the Shockers sprinted out to the big lead.They got out to a quick start and just never looked back, junior guard Jalyn Patterson said.Wichita State: Oddly enough, the Shockers are thriving in their first games without Baker and VanVleet. Their first five wins have come by an average margin of 36 points and theyre averaging 91 points so far.FRANKAMPS FLOOR GAMEWichita State junior Conner Frankamp finished with eight points and seven assists while committing no turnovers.Hes running our team first, and then looking to score, which is the way to do it, Marshall said.TALK DEFENSE, PLEASEMarshall wasnt as interested with his teams strong offensive play as he was with holding LSU to 28 percent shooting, eventually interjecting during the postgame news conference to ask whether anyone wanted to ask about his teams defensive play.Everybody wants to talk about offense, Marshall said. Talk about defense.UP NEXTLSU: The Tigers will play the Old Dominion in the losers bracket Thursday on Day 2 of the three-day tournament.Wichita State: The Shockers advanced to Thursdays semifinals to face No. 10 Louisville, which edged Old Dominion in overtime.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '