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OTTAWA — A week ago it was unthinkable, but the Ottawa Senators are back in playoff contention. Asics Shoes Australia Cheap . Ales Hemsky scored the only goal of the shootout Monday night as the Senators earned a huge 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Hemsky moved in and fired a shot off the post and into the back of the net behind goaltender Cam Ward to give the Senators their third straight win, and fourth in their past fifth games. They have nine points over that stretch. As it stands now, the Senators are in 12th in the Eastern Conference four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets, who currently possess the second wild-card berth with 82 points. The Hurricanes are seven back. „All Im doing is going game-by-game still. We won today, now we have to get ready for Wednesday and again well see where we are at (in) 82 games,“ said Senators coach Paul MacLean. Craig Anderson stopped all three Carolina shooters, including Elias Lindholm with the final shot to earn the victory. Mika Zibanejad scored in regulation for the Senators (32-29-14) while Anderson made 30 saves. Jeff Skinner had the Carolina goal while Ward backstopped the Hurricanes (32-32-11) through regulation with 28 saves. Coincidental minor penalties in overtime meant the teams played two minutes of three-on-three hockey. Kyle Turris had the best opportunity for the Senators during that span but his shot went over the net. Alex Semin had Anderson beat on a two-on-one but his backhand went wide. „Structure wise we werent really sure what to do, but you need guys that are creative and are able to beat guys one-on-one because thats what it comes down to,“ Senators defenceman Marc Methot said of the rare three-on-three. „The guys handled it well.“ There was very little in the way of scoring opportunities through most of the third period. That changed in the final few minutes as both teams started to apply pressure as neither wanted the other to claim a bonus point in the tight playoff race. „There were definitely opportunities and a little spark at the end. The fans started getting into it knowing the pressure of the last five minutes and that any mistake could be in the back of the net,“ said Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal. „It raised the intensity of the game for sure.“ The way the first period started it seemed as though the goaltenders were going to have nightmares even before they went to bed. The score was tied 1-1 before the five-minute mark and the non-defensive style was allowing for several opportunities on both sides. Zibanejad opened the scoring at 1:41 of the first period when he deflected a Patrick Wiercioch point shot past Ward. The play was reviewed but quickly announced that the call on the ice stood and it was in fact a goal. „Youve got to look at it as a lucky break on their side, and just get ready for the next shot,“ Ward said of the goal. „The puck was bouncing a little more than I would have liked, but other than that we gave our team a chance to win. Unfortunately, it doesnt feel good to lose in a shootout.“ Zibanejad continues to improve on his career-high numbers as he now has 14 goals and 29 points in 64 games. „Lately weve been taking it one game at a time. Its cliche but we are. And were doing whatever we can to make sure we get the points,“ said Zibanejad. „The pressure is not on us, the pressure is on the teams above us and by winning were putting more pressure on them.“ It wasnt all good news for the Senators though as Erik Karlsson gave the puck away behind his own goal and then was the last player to touch it before it went into the back of the Ottawa goal behind Anderson. Karlsson tried to sweep the puck around the boards behind the net but fanned on his attempt, giving skinner possession of the puck behind the goal. He danced from side-to-side before banking the puck off Karlsson and in to tie the game at the 4:03 mark. Notes- Jason Spezza, Bobby Ryan, Jared Cowen and Colin Greening were scratches for the Senators. Mike Komisarek, Radek Dvorak and Justin Peters were scratches for the HurricanesaThe Senators recalled Jean-Gabriel Pageau from Binghamton on MondayaSenators forward Kyle Turris was named the NHLs First Star of the Week Monday after collecting four goals and three assists in four gamesaJeff Skinner now has points in five straight games and recorded his 30th goal of the season MondayaThe Carolina Hurricanes are scheduled to play back-to-back games 20 times this season, second only to the NMD R1 Sale Australia .Impact president Joey Saputo confirmed Thursday that he is part of a group of investors whose offer to buy the 105-year-old Italian club was accepted by the teams board of directors. Nike Air Max 90 Womens Australia .5 million. The 25-year-old Varlamov is thriving under first-year coach and Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, posting a 26-9-5 record with a 2.MADRID – The president of La Liga said Tuesday that Catalan clubs like Barcelona and Espanyol would be excluded from Spains top tier should the region succeed in its push for independence from Spain.Javier Tebas said the countrys sports law entitles only one non-Spanish territory Andorra to legally participate in the league or other official competitions.The pro-independence government of Catalonia is pushing for a referendum to see how many of the wealthy northeastern regions inhabitants would like to secede.The plan is overwhelmingly opposed by Spains parliament, where the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has a large majority.A debate held in parliament in April vetoed the regions request to hold a referendum by 299 votes against to 47 in favour.Despite the veto, the Catalan government says it will hold a non-binding referendum on Nov. 9, a decision that has led to furious arguments about the ballots legality.The government argues that such a move would violate the Spanish Constitutions stipulation that only the national government can call referendums on sovereignty and that all Spaniards are entitled to vote in such a ballot.Whatever the outcome, the fact that Andorra a tiny state straddling the Pyrenees Moountains that separate Spain from France is allowed to play in the league creates a precedent that could permit the Catalan clubs eventual inclusion. New Balance Shoes Sale Australia. Tebas said that for clubs from an independent Catalonia to be included in La Liga would require a modification of the law that would have to be approved by parliament.For such a modification to be given the go-ahead, wed have to wait and see if the affected sector would agree to such a change, Tebas said, referring to the likely reaction in the rest of Spain to any secession by Catalonia.Separatist sentiment has surged in Catalonia in recent years following Spains refusal to give the region more autonomy and fiscal powers.The push is Europes latest secession attempt following a Scottish independence poll last month on separating from Britain which resulted in a No vote.Catalonia, with some 7.5 million inhabitants, is Spains wealthiest region. Barcelona vies with Real Madrid for supremacy on the football field domestically and internationally with both clubs being listed among the worlds richest.Tebas said the financial consequences of a split in La Liga caused by a Catalan secession would be a disaster to the development of the football industry. ‚ ‚ ‚