adverse effect on the injury rate or that injuries have in fac

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins hope to get some healthy bodies back on Friday night when they aim to rebound against the visiting Calgary Flames. The Penguins were minus a number of players on Monday versus the New York Rangers in what ended up as a 4-3 loss in overtime, with forwards Chris Kunitz, Patric Hornqvist, Beau Bennett and Pascal Dupuis all sidelined along with defensemen Kris Letang and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh, though, rallied from a 3-1 hole to force overtime as Evgeni Malkin and Steve Downie scored 24 seconds apart in the third period. Nick Spaling scored earlier in the game and Marc-Andre Fleury posted 25 saves. Fleury yielded the deciding goal with 1:15 on the clock in overtime as Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein sent a shot from high slot through a screen. We just kind of stuck with it, said Pens captain Sidney Crosby. We were able to capitalize on them sitting back. Pittsburgh had won five of its previous seven before the loss and could get a boost tonight as both Hornqvist (upper body) and Letang (groin) are expected to be game-time decisions. Hornqvist has missed the past two games and returned to practice on Thursday, while Letang has missed five in a row. Crosby, though, did not practice on Thursday due to an illness and his status for this game is unknown. The Penguins will visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, so both Fleury and backup Thomas Greiss could see action over the next two days. Fleury is an excellent 5-1-0 in his career versus the Flames with a 1.81 goals against average and .937 save percentage in seven meetings, while Greiss is 1-2-0 against them with a 2.36 GAA and .900 save percentage. The Penguins have won seven straight versus the Flames and are 13-1-0 with two ties in the past 16 meetings at home. Calgary, which last won in Pittsburgh on Dec. 3, 2005, is on a season-worst three-game losing streak, a skid that was extended with last nights 4-3 setback to the Buffalo Sabres. The Flames outshot the Sabres 45-19, getting goals from Mark Giordano, David Jones and Sean Monahan, but netminder Karri Ramo made only 15 saves. As good as we were offensively, we had some breakdowns, said Flames coach Bob Hartley. Were not as sharp as we can be defensively, and there are teams that make us pay for that. Calgarys three-game slide includes a loss in the first two of a four-game swing that ends Sunday in Chicago. Giordano has amassed two goals and four assists over a six-game point streak. Jonas Hiller will start in net for the Flames looking to snap his own personal three-game skid. He is 2-2-1 in his career versus the Penguins with a 2.77 GAA and .893 save percentage. Ted Ginn Jr Jersey .com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. Sam Mills Youth Jersey . Campbell, playing on loan with Greek club Olympiacos, found the net with a left-footed shot in the 44th minute off a pass from second-half substitute Jorge Rojas to open the scoring at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Michael-Thomas-Jersey/ .ca MLB Power Rankings, the third consecutive week that the As have held top spot and the third straight week that they have been one ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. Taysom Hill Youth Jersey . -- ETwaun Moore had 14 points in 30 minutes, and the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 87-86 on Sunday night. Cameron Jordan Youth Jersey . "Hopefully well get all this out of the way," he said, "and everyone will be healthy the rest of the year." Zimmerman was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and is expected to miss between four to six weeks. NEW YORK -- ACL injuries are down, the NFL has told its Health and Safety Advisory Committee. In a memo to the committee sent earlier this week and obtained by The Associated Press, the league said research showed there were 30 ACL injuries in games through the preseason and first 13 weeks of the schedule. There were 39 such injuries in 2012, 35 in 2011, 37 in 2010, and 31 in 2009. Anterior cruciate ligament problems are the most severe knee injuries. There was an increase in medial collateral ligament injuries (MCL), from 74 in 2012 to 89 in games this season through 13 weeks. But there were 106 MCL injuries in 2011, 89 in 2010 and 103 in 2009. The injury reporting service Quintiles/Outcome provided the numbers to the league, which then sent them to the committee chaired by 49ers owner John York. The committee also includes Giants owner John Mara, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Packers President Mark Murphy and Falcons President Rich McKay. The data are for all types of ACL and MCL injuries, including tears and sprains. There have been suggestions that knee injuries have gone up since the NFL cracked down heavily on hits to the head and neck area. While there have been several high-profile hits to the knee that sidelined players -- New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, for example -- the league-requested survey of this years injuries does not indicate a trend toward increased major knee problems through 13 weeks. Earlier this week, Patriots coach Bill Belichick claimed injuries were up. He didnt cite specific numbers, but said it was "a matter of record not opinion" that injuries league-wide have been on the rise over the past three years.dddddddddddd Belichick blamed a decrease in the number of off-season, preseason and in-season practice sessions and workouts allowed as a main contributor to higher injury totals. League spokesman Michael Signora disputed Belichicks assertions. "We carefully monitor player injuries," Signora said. "There is no evidence that the new work rules have had an adverse effect on the injury rate or that injuries have in fact increased." And with the ACL injuries, the research by Quintiles/Outcome shows the opposite. This season through 13 weeks, about 68 per cent of ACL injuries involved contact with another player. The percentage in the four previous seasons ranged from 67 per cent in 2009 to 55 per cent in 2012. A breakdown by positions showed one tight end, one wide receiver and one quarterback had contact-related ACL injuries through 13 weeks this season. That compares to five such injuries combined at those positions in 2012 and four in 2011. For offensive players in general, there have been six such injuries in 2013 through 13 weeks, compared to 10 in 2012, eight in 2011, nine in 2010 and six in 2009. On defence, there were six ACL injuries involving contact with another player. This compares to nine such injuries in 2012, 10 in 2011, nine in 2010, and seven in 2009. For special teams, there were four ACL injuries involving contact with another player as compared to two last season and four in 2011. ' ' '