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CALGRY, Alberta -- Brian Elliott was eager to get back in the rink on a hot summer day. After years of fending off challengers in St. Louis, the goalie has big expectations entering next season as the unquestioned No. 1 in Calgary.This is a big one for me so Im really looking forward to it, Elliott said when introduced to the media Wednesday. Sometimes you want that extra bit of summer to relax and enjoy your downtime but now Ive gotten really excited to get the pads back on and ready to get back at it.The Flames acquired the 31-year-old Elliott from St. Louis on the night of the NHL draft for a second-round pick. Elliott and his wife were on vacation in Croatia at the time.When I got the news, it was 2 oclock in the morning and I saw my phone lighting up, Elliott said. I didnt go back to sleep after that, I was so excited.Elliott has the second-highest save percentage in the league among goalies who have played at least 50 games over the past five seasons at .925, just behind New Jerseys Cory Schneider (.926).Yet as well as he has performed over that five-year period in St. Louis, he never seemed to fully gain the trust of the coaching staff that kept trying other options. He gave way to Jaroslav Halak in one playoffs, Ryan Miller was brought in to be the guy in another. Two years ago, the Blues turned to Jake Allen in the postseason.To have that good of numbers and not get the opportunity to be the No. 1 guy, sometimes its frustrating, Elliott said. But Ive always believed if you worked hard, put your head down and plowed through it, opportunities will pop up for you.Last year, the Flames trio of Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio collectively ranked last in the NHL in goaltending.Calgary will turn to two new goalies. Veteran backup Chad Johnson was signed as a free agent.Elliott was selected by 291st overall by Ottawa in the 2003 draft and has played 323 career games (165-99-32) with the Senators, Blues and Colorado Avalanche. He said hes ready for this next chapter.Its talked about a lot with goaltenders. It just takes longer to develop. You have to go through those experiences just to be able to be that consistent player and not really feel the ups and downs and the roller coaster of a season, he said. Just stay calm. Trust your game, trust your work and just go out and play. It takes time to learn that.Flames general manager Brad Treliving said while Elliotts on-ice performance was important, they also really liked the fit off the ice.The numbers speak for themselves but a big part of us going out and getting Brian is also the person, he said. We talked to players that played with him, teammates that have had him, coaches that have coached him. The work ethic, the type of person that he is in the locker room, the teammate stood out as much as the goaltender stood out.Also on hand at the Saddledome was Elliotts wife, Amanda, who is pregnant with the couples first child, due at the start of the season.A little cowboy on the way, Elliott said. Cheap Cowboys Jerseys Hoodies . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Cheap Cowboys Jerseys Free Shipping . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. http://www.cheapcowboysjerseys.us/ . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cowboys Jerseys China . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys China . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford ran for the winning touchdown in another close victory.The big concern now is whether hell be able to throw effectively as the Detroit Lions chase a division title.Staffords 7-yard scoring run with 3:17 remaining lifted the Lions to a 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, but the Detroit quarterback was bothered by a finger issue on his throwing hand. The middle finger on his right hand was taped up and covered by a white glove, and Stafford passed for only 223 yards with two interceptions.I just tried to play through it, play as good as I could, he said. I let those guys know that it may not be pretty coming in there, but those guys made some great plays for me.Detroit (9-4) leads the NFC North by two games, but the Lions havent won a division title since 1993. They play their next two games on the road against the New York Giants and Dallas.They barely held on in this one. Chicago (3-10) made it across midfield in the final minute before two consecutive holding penalties negated completions that would have put the Bears in field goal range.I think our margin for error right now is very minimal, Chicago coach John Fox said. Efforts not an area were deficient in.The Bears host Green Bay next weekend.Detroit trailed 17-13 before Stafford led the Lions on a seven-play, 76-yard drive for the winning touchdown, which came on a second-down scramble up the middle. He completed 21 of 35 passes on the day, including a 16-yard touchdown strike to Anquan Boldin with 19 seconds left in the first half.The Lions came away with the win, but their quarterbacks health is in question.Any time youre doing something thats out of the norm like that, its going to affect you, to be honest, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. The great thing about it is hes mentally tough and was able to battle through it.Here are a few things we learned from Detroits eighth victory in nine games:RECORDDDetroits season hasnt just been exciting -- its been historic.dddddddddddd The Lions are the first team in NFL history with eight comeback wins from fourth-quarter deficits in a season, according to information provided by the team from the Elias Sports Bureau.Only one of Detroits games this season has been decided by more than seven points.PERSEVERINGAlthough the Lions held on for another close victory, they arent getting every break in these games. Staffords pass into the end zone early in the fourth quarter was tipped by a defender, then bounced off receiver Golden Tate and caromed over to defensive back Demontre Hurst, who intercepted the ball.Stafford later had an interception returned for a touchdown, but he rebounded to lead the Lions on the winning drive.RETURNDeAndre Levy is finally back. The Detroit linebacker was active for the first time since Week 1, returning from a knee injury. He had three tackles and an assist.Levy had an amusing take on Detroits penchant for playing close games.Early on in the year, watching it was giving me a heart attack every week, but now its kind of like you settle into it, he said. You kind of know its going to happen and you kind of expect to win.POTENTIALChicago quarterback Matt Barkley did some good things in his third career start. With the Bears down 13-3, he found Cameron Meredith for a 31-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, and he had his team driving at the end until the two holding calls.STILL BATTLINGAlthough Chicagos record is ugly, the Bears are still playing hard. Before playing the Lions tough Sunday, they beat San Francisco and had close losses to the Titans and Giants.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL .---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Cheap Jerseys 2020 Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '