mebacks to vault to the top of the division, starting

DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche have signed first-overall draft pick Nathan MacKinnon to a three-year, entry-level contract. MacKinnon is coming off a championship season where he led the Halifax Mooseheads to their first-ever Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title and first-ever Memorial Cup championship. He was named most valuable player of the 2013 Memorial Cup after recording a tournament-high 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in only four games, which included a hat trick and five points in the final against Portland. During the 2012-13 regular season, MacKinnon had 32 goals and 43 assists in 44 contests for Halifax, averaging 1.70 points-per-game. He finished tied for fourth on the Mooseheads in scoring and had a plus-40 rating. MacKinnon went on to score 11 goals and add 22 assists in 17 playoff games as the Mooseheads won the QMJHL championship. MacKinnon represented Canada at the 2013 world junior championship in Ufa, Russia. The six-foot, 182-pound centre appeared in all six of Canadas games at the tournament, posting one assist. "The signing of this first NHL contract represents for me another step towards becoming a professional hockey player," the Halifax native said. "I am excited and thrilled to have been drafted by the Avalanche, and I am already working very hard in order to be ready physically and mentally for training camp." MacKinnon was just the third 17-year-old drafted No. 1 overall in the last 26 years. Kaleb McGary Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Deion Sanders Jersey . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. http://www.thefaclonsshoponline.com/Chris-lindstrom-falcons-jersey/ . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Qadree Ollison Falcons Jersey . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. Steve Bartkowski Falcons Jersey . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland coach Jack Del Rio got swamped with congratulatory messages after the Raiders clinched their first playoff berth in 14 years.Fans had reason for excitement after more than a decade of losing that featured 18 starting quarterbacks, nine head coaches and the second-most losses in the league with 148.Del Rios focus, however, is elsewhere, with the Raiders (11-3) still needing two more wins to clinch the division and a first-round bye once they get to the postseason.Im excited for the fans, Del Rio said Monday. To be in the playoffs, and theres been a drought here. We got here two years ago and talked about winning the division and being in the playoffs. The being in the playoffs part is there, the winning the division is still to be determined. So we need to continue to work on that, let the fans enjoy the other part, but as a team weve got to get back to work.The Raiders had a very successful Sunday as they watched Tennessee beat Kansas City 19-17 on a last-second field goal to knock the Chiefs out of first place in the AFC West, then went out and beat San Diego 19-16 to clinch at least a wild-card spot.Oakland now turns its attention to Saturdays home game against Indianapolis (7-7). With wins over the Colts and then in the season finale at Denver (8-6), the Raiders will win the AFC West. They can also win the division with only one win, as long as the Chiefs lose again.Oakland also can earn the top seed in the AFC with the combination of two wins and a loss by New England.Its a remarkable turnaround for a team that started the 2014 season with 10 straight losses before turning things around after the hiring of Del Rio that offseason.Del Rio came to a franchise that had building blocks in place in quarterback Derek Carr and pass rusher Khaalil Mack, the teams top two draft picks in 2014, but little else.ddddddddddddBut two strong free-agent classes, key draft picks such as receiver Amari Cooper, and development of players still here have helped Oakland become one of the leagues top teams. It made Del Rios proclamation of aiming to win a division a legitimate possibility.It wasnt anything that I saw. We had a lot of work to do, Del Rio said. Its a belief that anything is possible when you get a group of men to believe in each other and to buy in and to work hard. Weve done that. Weve added to the talent base and weve embraced the message.It hasnt come easy this season. The Raiders have needed seven fourth-quarter comebacks to vault to the top of the division, starting with the winning 2-point conversion in the season opener at New Orleans that set the tone for the year.Carr has also led comeback wins over Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Houston, Carolina, Buffalo and San Diego to tie for the second-most fourth-quarter comebacks in a season.He has gotten help from a maligned defense that, despite ranking 31st, allowing 6.07 yards per play, has not allowed a single point on 11 drives in the final five minutes with the opponent having a chance to tie or take the lead.Weve seen glimpses of what were capable of, we want to be in constant pursuit of a perfect performance, and the perfection is not really in the end result, the perfection is in the effort that you give, Del Rio said. Were looking to give tremendous effort, clean up what we can, be very competitive and continue to win situations and win games.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '