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WINNIPEG -- Blake Wheeler says his Winnipeg Jets are racing for a Western Conference playoff spot. Winnipeg got out of the post-Olympic starting blocks quickly with a 3-2 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night as Wheeler scored his 23rd goal of the season. "A vast percentage of the league is going to be pretty rested after a 2 1/2-week break," said Wheeler, who played for the United States in Sochi, but saw limited minutes as the Americans 13th forward. "I think its an all-out sprint. Theres no time to be tired." Wheeler was joined on the score sheet by Bryan Little. Olli Jokinen put away the shootout winner in the fourth round for Winnipeg (29-26-6). Devin Setoguchi also beat Coyotes goalie Mike Smith in the shootout, while Antoine Vermette was the only Coyote to solve Ondrej Pavelec. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Martin Hanzal scored in regulation for Phoenix (27-21-11) in the first game for both teams after a 19-day break for the Winter Olympics. The Jets continued their winning ways under new head coach Paul Maurice, improving to 10-3-1 since he replaced the fired Claude Noel. Despite some less-than-crisp play, the coach said he was pleasantly surprised by how well his team played after such a long layoff. "It was tough at times, but just from the stuff I watched the last two days (around the league), it was a better game than I thought I was going to see," Maurice said. Winnipeg pulled within one point of the Coyotes as both teams chase a wild-card playoff spot, although Phoenix has two games in hand. Dallas sits in the final spot with 66 points, one better than Phoenix and Vancouver, and two ahead of Winnipeg. Pavelec made 34 saves for the Jets, with two of his toughest stops coming in overtime. "It wasnt an easy game for both teams. It was the first game back and we didnt know what to expect a little bit," said Pavelec, who stopped Mike Ribeiro to end the shootout. Smith stopped 27 shots for the visitors, including a pair of scoring chances in the final seconds of regulation. "For the most part I felt not too bad," said Smith, who was a member of Canadas gold medal-winning team in Sochi but didnt see any playing time. "But like I said, it doesnt matter how you feel, you need to come out on the better side of things." Hanzal put away a rebound to tie the game at 2-2 with Jets centre Jim Slater in the penalty box 6:40 into the third period. Winnipeg took advantage of a giveaway by Coyotes defenceman Zbynek Michalek to take the lead late in the second period. With Ekman-Larsson in the penalty box, Little intercepted Michaleks pass in the low slot and beat Smiths glove hand to make it 2-1. The teams wasted no time reminding fans of one of the differences between international hockey and the NHL game. Winnipegs Zach Bogosian and Phoenixs Rob Klinkhammer dropped the gloves just 78 seconds into the game after Klinkhammer shoved Bogosians defence partner Toby Enstrom into the boards. The Coyotes opened the scoring with an Ekman-Larsson wrist shot from the high slot that went in off the post 12:17 into the first period. It took the Jets less than three minutes to respond, as Wheelers shot from the corner hit Coyotes defenceman Michael Stone in the leg and bounced into the net. Smith was distracted earlier in the sequence by Winnipeg forward Dustin Byfuglien, and the Coyotes argued for an interference call. Smith and Coyotes coach Dave Tippett both said they disagreed with the non-call in their post-game comments. "Personally, I think if theres incidental contact in the net and then the puck goes in after, it shouldve been not a penalty, but it shouldnt have been allowed," Smith said. Notes: Jocelyne Larocque of Ste. Anne, Man., a defenceman for Canadas Olympic gold medal-winning womens hockey team, performed the ceremonial puck drop. a The Jets welcomed back Slater, who missed 52 games with a sports hernia, and left-winger Evander Kane, who sat out the last six games before the Olympic break with a hand injury. a The Jets head to Nashville for a one-game road trip on Saturday, while the Coyotes play in Denver Friday night before heading home. a The teams have one remaining meeting, April 1 in Arizona. Brian Urlacher Jersey .cas NHL Play of the Year showdown continues today with a man whos spent most of his career on highlight reels and a goalie actually "reaching back" for a save. Jim McMahon Jersey . She was 30. The former British No. 1 died peacefully surrounded by family and friends, the Womens Tennis Association said on its website. The Kyiv-born Baltacha, who represented Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, was diagnosed with the illness in January, two months after retiring from tennis and only weeks after she married her long-time coach Nino Severino. http://www.officialchicagobearsfootball.com/authentic-sam-acho-jersey-womens . Mauer struck out to end the inning, with a runner on third base in the seventh on Wednesday and the Twins trailing 1-0. Everybody does this, of course, in a sport with a 30 per cent success rate at the plate long proven to be a benchmark of excellence. Trey Burton Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Dick Butkus Jersey .The long-haired pivot, who joined the Alouettes midway through the CFL season and put up a 9-3 record as a starter, will be listed as the top quarterback in training camp next spring.With a full training camp under his belt, the Alouettes will see if he has what it takes to get them back to the Grey Cup game after a four-year absence.MELBOURNE, Australia - Women to watch at the Australian Open, which begins Monday at Melbourne Park:SERENA WILLIAMSSeeded: 1Age: 33Country: United States2014 Match Record: 52-82014 Singles Titles: 7Career Singles Titles: 64Major Titles: 18 — Australian Open (03, 05, 07, 09, 10), French Open (02, 13) , Wimbledon (02, 03, 09, 10, 12), U.S. Open (99, 02, 08, 12, 13, 14)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-4th, 13-QF, 12-4th, 11-DNP, 10-WTopspin: the tournaments opening day will mark Williams 100th consecutive week as No. 1 on the WTA rankings (since Feb. 18, 2013). Her 18 Grand Slam singles titles has her level with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and behind Steffi Grafs 22 in the Open Era, with those three women the only players to have more career weeks at No. 1. Williams won $9.317 million last year, second only to her own WTA-record $12.385 million from 2013. Started off the 2015 season playing the Hopman Cup with partner John Isner, where she lost two of her four singles matches, and her composure during a mixed doubles final which the Americans lost to Poland. With her last Australian Open win coming in 2010, this marks her longest period without a trophy at Melbourne Park since she won her first in 2003.___MARIA SHARAPOVASeeded: 2Age: 27Country: Russia2014 Match Record: 48-132014 Singles Titles: 4Career Singles Titles: 33Major Titles: 5 — French Open (12, 14), Wimbledon (04), U.S. Open (06), Australian Open (08)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-4th, 13-SF, 12-F, 11-4th, 10-1stTopspin: Back healthy after a series of shoulder injuries, 2014 was one of her three best seasons on the tour, finishing with a year-end No. 2 ranking after achieving the same level in 2006 and 2012. She reached the fourth round at three Grand Slams — Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — as well as winning her fifth career major at Roland Garros. Looked strong in winning the Brisbane International title on Jan. 10 in a stirring comeback win over Ana Ivanovic. Based on Williams shaky start to the 2015 season, would have to be considered a strong favourite for a second title at Melbourne Park.___SIMONA HALEPSeeded: 3Age: 23Country: Romania2014 Match Record: 49-182014 Singles Titles: 2Career Singles Titles: 8Major titles: none. Best: — French Open finalist (14).Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-QF, 13-1st, 12-1st, 11-3rd, 10-DNPTopspin: Made her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros; also finished runner-up to Sharapova at Madrid. Started 2014 at No. 11 in the rankings but steadily improved to No. 2 in August before being supplanted by Sharapova later in the year. Got 2015 off to a good start by winning the Shenzen Open, beating Timea Bacsinszky in straight sets in the final. She then pulled out of the Sydney International last week with gastroenteritis.___PETRA KVITOVASeeded: 4Age: 24Country: Czech Republic2014 Match Record: 49-162014 Singles Titles: 3Career Singles Titles: 14Major Titles: 2 — Wimbledon (11, 14)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-1st; 13-2nd, 12-SF, 11-QF, 10-2ndTopspin: Surprise first-round loser at Melbourne Park last year to Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand in three sets. Her three titles last year included her second at Wimbledon, where she beat Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in a lopsided final to remain the only player born in the 1990s, male or female, to win a Grand Slam title. Lists her favourite city as Melbourne. Coached by David Kotyza, she trains at the same club as fellow Czechs Tomas Berdych and Lucie Safarova. Lost in the semifinals at the Shenzen Open last week.___ANA IVANOVICSeeded: 5 Age: 27Country: Serbia2014 Match Record: 58-212014 Singles Titles: 4Career Singles Titles: 15Major Titles: 1 — French Open (08)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-QF, 13-4th, 12-4th, 11-1st, 10-2ndTopspin: Had a tour-high 58 wins in the season, helping her move back into the top five. Won four titles from six finals, and reached the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park last year, losing to Eugenie Bouchard. Lost to Sharapova in the Brisbane International final last week in a replay of their 2008 Australian Open final. Ivanovic has an abdominal injury that forced her to withdraw from her Brisbane doubles quarterfinal, but says she expects to be fit for Melbourne Park.dddddddddddd___AGNIESZKA RADWANSKASeeded: 6Age: 25Country: Poland2014 Match Record: 54-222014 Singles Titles: 1Career Singles Titles: 14Major Titles: none. Best: — Wimbledon finalist (12).Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-SF, 13-QF, 12-QF, 11-QF, 10-3rdTopspin: Shes made steady improvement in each of her last five trips to Melbourne Park, making it to the semifinals last year for the first time after beating two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the quarters. Recently added 18-time singles major winner Martina Navratilova to her coaching team in an attempt to improve her performances at the highest level. The goal of course is a Grand Slam, Radwanska said. Martina is a person (of) huge experience with so many titles ... I think she can help me out a lot. Opened the season by winning the Hopman Cup mixed title with countryman Jerzy Janowicz, beating Americans Serena Williams and John Isner.___EUGENIE BOUCHARDSeeded: 7Age: 20Country: Canada2014 Match Record: 47-242014 Singles Titles: 1Career Singles Titles: 1Major Titles: none. Best: — Wimbledon finalist (14).Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-SF (first appearance)Topspin: matching her breakthrough 2014 season might the tough part for Bouchard, who advanced to the semifinals at three majors and lost in the Wimbledon final, moving into the top five for the first time. Bouchard lost to the eventual champion and now-retired Li Na in the semis at Melbourne last year, to Sharapova in the French semifinals and to Kvitova at Wimbledon. At the All-England Club, she became the first Canadian, male or female, to reach a Grand Slam final. Got her 2015 season off to a slow start with a loss to 16th-ranked Lucie Safarova at the Hopman Cup, but rebounded to beat Serena Williams in her next match.___CAROLINE WOZNIACKISeeded: 8Age: 24Country: Denmark2014 Match Record: 51-212014 Singles Titles: 1Career Singles Titles: 22Major Titles: none. Best: — U.S. Open finalist (09, 14)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-3rd, 13-4th, 12-QF, 11-SF, 10-4thTopspin: The former No. 1 is still searching for that elusive Grand Slam singles title, and she came close again last year, losing the U.S. Open final for a second time. A tale of two seasons last year, perhaps affected by her breakup with golfer Rory McIlroy, and not the way many would have thought. She struggled in the first half, going 15-9 between January and June with her best results being two semifinals (she lost her first-round match at the French Open just a week after McIlroy ended their relationship as the wedding invitations were being sent out). But she had a resurgent second half, going 34-10 from the start of grass-court season to end of year, highlighted by her U.S. Open final appearance. Off the courts, the new running enthusiast completed the New York City Marathon, her first, in a better time than she had hoped. Hurt her left wrist in her first-round match at the Sydney International this week, forcing her to withdraw, but hopes the injury wont keep her from playing in Melbourne.___VICTORIA AZARENKAUnseeded.Ranked: 41Age: 25Country: Belarus2014 Match Record: 15-92014 Singles Titles: 0Career Singles Titles: 17Major Titles: 2 — Australian Open (12, 13)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-QF, 13-W, 12-W, 11-4th, 10-QFTopspin: Last year was one to forget for the two-time champion at Melbourne Park, and although her ranking has slipped into the 40s, shes still a threat to repeat her 2012 and 2013 successes here. Injuries to her feet and right knee restricted her to just 24 matches last year. She also was fodder for the gossip pages because of her breakup with rap artist Redfoo, who had accompanied her to Melbourne in the past. Her 2015 got off to a poor start when she lost her first-round match at the Brisbane International — her first competition since September — to Karolina Pliskova in three sets, wasting two match points in the second set. The defeat cost her any chance of a seeding for the seasons first major.___Follow Dennis Passa on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DennisPassa Cheap Bruins Jerseys Wholesale Sabres Jerseys Red Wings Jerseys From China Wholesale Canadiens Jerseys Wholesale Lightning Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Discount Hurricanes Jerseys Blue Jackets Jerseys Outlet Adidas Devils Jerseys Cheap Islanders Jerseys Rangers Jerseys From China Discount Flyers Jerseys Discount Penguins Jerseys Discount Capitals Jerseys Wholesale Blackhawks Jerseys Cheap Avalanche Jerseys Cheap Team USA Hockey Jerseys Cheap Stars Jerseys Wholesale Wild Jerseys Discount Predators Jerseys Discount Blues Jerseys Discount Ducks Jerseys Adidas Coyotes Jerseys Flames Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Oilers Jerseys Discount Sharks Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Golden Knights Jerseys Outlet Authentic NHL Winter Classic Jerseys ' ' '