been plenty of talk that backup netminder Jacob Markstrom

AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn volleyball team picked up its third-straight victory Sunday afternoon, outlasting Mississippi State in a 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-11) win in Auburn Arena. The outcome pushed the Tigers to 11-10 overall and 5-3 in Southeastern Conference play.Mississippi State is an aggressive team that plays great defense so we knew this was a match where we had to stay mentally tough, head coach Rick Nold said. It was a big win and were really happy about the outcome.The Tiger defense put together a solid performance against the Bulldogs, finishing with a season-best 14 team blocks and forcing 39 MSU attack errors. Middle blockers Breanna Barksdale and Macy Reece totaled seven blocks a piece, while freshmen Enija Bidzane and Gwyn Jones added five and four, respectively. Reece & Bidzane each notched a career high in the category, while Barksdale tied a season best.Weve put some good time into our blocking over the last couple of weeks, Nold said. Were not a big blocking team based on our size. But we knew that if were disciplined and take spots away, we would be very successful.The Auburn backrow also has a solid day with 58 digs. Junior libero Jesse Earl picked up her 11th 20-dig performance, having a match-high 24 digs. Classmate Kelly Stewart added eight, while Bidzane finished with seven.Junior setter Alexa Filley did a great job spreading out the Auburn offense and keeping the MSU defense guessing. Reece finished with a season-high 12 kills and Barksdale added 11. Jones finished with 10, while Filley chipped in nine.The Bulldogs (11-10, 3-4) were led by outside hitters Evie Grace Singleton and Emily Hill, having 23 and 18 kills, respectively. Libero Cheyenne Spell had a team-high 17 digs and Jelena Vujcin added 11 kills. Riley Duzenack led all student-athletes with five aces.A pair of kills from Courtney Crable and a service ace by Barksdale lifted the Tigers to a 7-5 lead in the first and a handful Auburn runs pushed the home squad to an 18-11 advantage. The Bulldogs came out of a timeout strong and pressed a run to lock the set at 18 apiece and the teams exchanged sideouts the rest of the way. A kill from Barksdale made it 24-all and back-to-back Bulldog errors gave Auburn a 26-24 win.The second set saw the visitors take a 13-9 lead halfway through the stanza. A Bidzane ace and another MSU error tied the set at 16 before the Bulldogs pushed to a 23-19 lead. An Auburn error gave MSU set point and the Bulldogs tied the match at one set each, 25-23.MSU used aggressive serving to jump ahead at 4-2 in the third. Two-straight Bulldog errors followed by a Reece/Jones block elevated Auburn to a 12-9 lead and a pair of two-point Tiger rallies made it 19-12. Another run of tough serving brought the Bulldogs within on at 19-18, but the Tigers were too much as a kill from Reece made it 24-22 and another MSU hitting errors gave Auburn a 25-22 victory.Big blocks from Barksdale/Bidzane put the home squad up 4-1 to start the fourth stanza. The Bulldogs servers responded with yet another long run to give MSU a slight 6-5 lead. A kill from Brenna McIlroy sent Auburn on an 8-2 push for a 15-11 advantage, forcing a Bulldog timeout. However, a handful of small MSU rallies lifted the team to a 22-21 lead and the teams went to the fifth with a 25-22 Bulldog win.A trio of MSU attack errors gave Auburn a 6-2 advantage and more Bulldog errors pushed the Tigers to a 10-5 lead. The visitors came within two at 12-10, but kills from McIlroy and Reece made it match point (14-10) and a hard Bidzane swing gave the Tigers the win, 15-11. CJ Wilson Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. 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Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. While you may be an avid fan of a particular NHL team -- and keep up to date on all the news and rumors regarding that franchise -- there are 29 others playing in 2016-17.As a fantasy owner, it can be a bit daunting to keep tabs on everything.Thats where the Fantasy 30 comes in, a rundown of the most fantasy-relevant updates on every team.The season opened in wild fashion on Opening Night, with a record-setting debut for Auston Matthews, and a flurry of goals by the ascendant Oilers. But theres much more going on, so lets get right to our updates from every team:Anaheim Ducks: While restricted free agents Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm remain unsigned, the Ducks are required, however briefly, to fill significant holes in their lineup. To start, 31-year-old Mason Raymond benefits from Rakells absence with a top-six role alongside new center Antoine Vermette and Corey Perry, while defenseman Sami Vatanen is tasked with anchoring the Ducks top power play, in place of Lindholm. Of note, Anaheim is reportedly nearer to sealing a deal with Rakell than Lindholm.Arizona Coyotes: If you enjoyed Wednesdays youth-fueled season debut by the Maple Leafs, the Coyotes should be fun to watch as well. Flush with young talent, Arizona is opening 2016-17 with several promising rookies, including forwards Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak, as well as defenseman Jakob Chychrun. The forward duo of Strome and Dvorak will appeal to fantasy owners in particular, especially in dynasty leagues.Boston Bruins: Fortunately for the Bruins, center Patrice Bergeron may only miss one game -- Thursdays tilt with Columbus -- with his minor lower-body injury. Daily fantasy devotees should know that Boston newbie David Backes is tapped to fill in as top center alongside Brad Marchand in the meanwhile.Buffalo Sabres: This isnt the start the Sabres had in mind. Already missing Kyle Okposo, the club now has to manage without another top-six forward -- and for a significant period. Franchise center Jack Eichel had to be helped off the ice after suffering a high ankle sprain during Wednesdays practice. Such an injury can knock a player out an average of four to six weeks (if not longer), so the club will need a replacement for that time. At this point, 24-year-old Johan Larsson is the favorite to fill in behind center Ryan OReilly.Calgary Flames: Itll be interesting to see how long Kris Versteeg endures on a No. 1 forward line with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau; that trio didnt fare well in Wednesdays opening 7-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers (zero points, and a combined minus-seven). However, considering Versteeg had been a Flame for mere hours, and Gaudreau just rejoined the team with a new contract, we dont imagine coach Glen Gulutzan -- himself new to Calgarys bench -- is ready to pull the chute just yet. Fantasy owners keen on Versteeg as a long-shot asset should remain patient.Carolina Hurricanes: Sophomore Jaccob Slavin is poised to launch 2016-17 in a prominent position on the Hurricanes blue line. Booted to the top pair alongside No. 1 defenseman Justin Faulk, the 22-year-old should also see valuable minutes with the man advantage. Slavin amassed 20 points in 63 games in his rookie season.Chicago Blackhawks: The Patrick Kane/Artemi Panarin reunion might be short-lived. Tossed back together for Wednesdays opener against the Blues, the forward trio of Kane, Panarin, and Artem Anisimov combined for zero points and a minus-six in the 5-2 loss. Knowing that Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was already eyeing a more balanced approach to scoring out of the gates, this line could be split up shortly.Colorado Avalanche: Prospect forward Mikko Rantanen is pegged to kick off 2016-17 with the Avalanche. A threat to crack Colorados top-six -- sooner or later -- the 10th-overall selection from 2015 collected 24 goals and 36 assists in 52 AHL contests this past season. Fantasy owners should keep a close eye on the 19-year-olds progress.Columbus Blue Jackets: The young lad chosen third overall in the 2016 draft will kick off his 2016-17 campaign in the QMJHL. Opting instead to recall Alexander Wennberg from the AHL, the Blue Jackets have sent forward Pierre-Luc Dubois back to Cape Breton. The 18-year-olds keeper-league owners should take comfort in Dubois projected brilliant future altogether, but its unlikely well see much of him in a Columbus sweater this season.Dallas Stars: Star forward Tyler Seguin (fractured heel) is still expected to suit up for Thursdays inaugural match versus the Ducks. Coach Lindy Ruff suggested as much earlier this week, and we havent heard otherwise since. Look for Seguin to center a line with Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves, and for the onslaught of offense to commence right where it left out last season.Detroit Red Wings: With veteran Niklas Kronwall out, fellow defenseman Brendan Smith is set to enjoy minutes on the Red Wings second power-play unit, if only for a limited span. But were far more keen on what Mike Green might make of his inflated special-teams responsibilities with Kronwall on the shelf. A former productive powerhouse with the Capitals, Green was far from impotent this past season, notching 35 points in 74 games with the Wings.Edmonton Oilers: We may see rookie Jesse Puljujarvi cement himself a spot aside top-six center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the not-too-distant future. In earlier perceived danger of leading off in the AHL, the 18-year-old instead made most of opening night, scoring a goal while skating nearly 13 minutes -- almost a third of which was spent on the power play -- in a 7-4 win over the Flames. Promising stuff.Florida Panthers: The altogether devastating loss of forward Jonathan Huberdeau for three to four months (lacerated leg) dynamites an enormous hole aside Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr on the Panthers top forward unit. It will initially be filled by AHL regular Jonathan Marchessault. If Marchessault can stick it out in that high-profile role, he would undoubtedly serve as an intriguing dark-horse fantasy asset.Los Angeles Kings: The early diagnosis of Jonathan Quicks lower-body (knee) injury, sustained in Wednesdays opener against the Sharks, isnt good. While we await specific results of comprehensive tests run by team doctors, Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi immediately suggested his No. 1 goaltender could be out a while. This unfortunate turn immediately boosts Jeff Zatkoff into the No. 1 slot, while veteran Peter Budaj is the likely AHL recall candidate to substitute in as backup. If weak at the goaltending position, its suggested you consider Zatkoff for your own fantasy squad. The former Penguin was competent in 2015-16 as third-stringer behind Marc-Andre Fleury and rookie sensation Matt Murray, and the Kings are stingy on defense overall.Montreal Canadiens: Not to minimize the seriousness of any infectious disease, but missing a game or two with the flu doesnt compare with losing months to a serious knee injury. So both Canadiens fans, and those with invested fantasy interest in Carey Price, can probably chill out some. Right now, Montreals elite netminder is only expected to miss a game or two.Minnesota Wild: A fresh beginning might be all thats warranted in re-ignniting Teemu Pulkkinens re-start to his NHL career.ddddddddddddClaimed off waivers by the Wild (from the Red Wings), the 24-year-old is slated to see valuable power-play minutes alongside the likes of Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. If all goes well, it might not belong before he earns his way up the lineup altogether. Mind you, Pulkkinen remains a borderline subject for in only the deepest fantasy leagues for now.Nashville Predators: While he hasnt attracted the same degree of attention as some other rookies to start this season, Kevin Fiala is in position to make a substantive mark. The 20-year-old, armed with six games experience at the NHL level, is projected to begin the season on a dangerous top line with Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg. Make sure the former 11th-overall draft pick (2014) remains on your fantasy radar.New Jersey Devils: Unpredictably cast out on waivers this week by the Islanders, P.A. Parenteau finds himself suiting up for the Devils on opening night. Slotted in as a bottom-six forward to start, the 33-year-old veteran -- who was a strong candidate to skate alongside center John Tavares in Brooklyn -- stands a solid chance of moving up the lineup, particularly if Devante Smith-Pelly doesnt cut it on the top trio with Taylor Hall and Adam Henrique.New York Islanders: The deletion of Parenteau from the Isles roster results in a gaping hole on the Islanders top line flanking John Tavares and winger Andrew Ladd. Head coach Jack Capuano intends to fill it for now with veteran Jason Chimera. If -- and this is a big if -- the 37-year-old manages to secure this gig for an extended period, he could be a serviceable asset in deeper fantasy leagues. Chimera scored 20 goals and 20 assists with Washington this past season.New York Rangers: The Rangers are cracking 2016-17 open with two untested rookies in their top-six corps of forwards. Last week we told you about Pavel Buchnevich fighting -- and since winning -- a job with the NHL club. He has since reportedly nailed down a second-line gig alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. Now were looking at Jimmy Vesey to make a splash on a line with Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. Both Vesey and Buchnevich are worth adding for now and the future.Ottawa Senators: The Senators dont appear in much hurry to rush Curtis Lazar back to the bigs. Battered by mononucleosis throughout training camp, the 21-year-old was shipped off to Binghamton (AHL) to get back into competitive shape. You can be in practice shape but until you get into game shape you cant have the success that you probably need, Sens GM Pierre Dorian said Tuesday. We want to make sure that Curtis isnt put in a position where hes not going to be at a (disadvantage). The takeaway from this, fantasy-wise, is that Lazar should be game-ready if/when he is recalled to fill in for an injured top-six forward.Philadelphia Flyers: Joining defenseman Ivan Provorov on the Flyers opening day roster, fellow rookie Travis Konecny is also poised to make some noise out of the gates. After collecting 101 points in 60 games split between Sarnia and Ottawa in the OHL this past season, the 19-year-old winger is pegged to skate on a top-six line with Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek.Pittsburgh Penguins: Theres reason to be cautiously optimistic about the health of Sidney Crosby. While the Penguins star will miss Thursdays opener with a concussion, he has been skating and taking part in (non-contact) practice. That activity offers some promise that the game wont be without one of its best for long.San Jose Sharks: Nothing earth-shaking here, but Mikkel Boedker appears to be fitting in well enough with his new club in San Jose, as noted by Sharks blog Feat the Fin following Wednesdays inaugural 2-1 win over the Kings: Great games from the Sharks free-agent signings, David Schlemko and Mikkel Boedker. Boedker used his speed well and looks to be a seamless fit alongside Logan Couture and Joonas Donskoi. Such a prominent role will translate into tangible points for the 26-year-old before long, perhaps resulting in his first (long overdue) 60-point season.St. Louis Blues: So far, so good, as far as the Blues power play is concerned. With David Backes and Troy Brouwer playing elsewhere, the newly refurbished top unit followed up a red-hot preseason by going 3-for-5 in Wednesdays meaningful 5-2 victory against the Blackhawks. Food for fantasy thought, considering Paul Stastny -- a member of that unit along with Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Steen, Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo -- is owned in only 60 percent of ESPN leagues.Tampa Bay Lightning: As anticipated, alls well with Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning in Tampa Bay. After agreeing to a three-year deal, the 23-year-old forward is set to take his spot on a line with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn opening night. Look for Kucherov to at least equal this past seasons output of 30 goals and 36 assists in 77 games, but bear in mind that he was even more productive in the playoffs.Toronto Maple Leafs: While Auston Matthews four-goal NHL debut is (deservedly) dominating headlines, and fogging up Torontos atmosphere above the ACC with a long-lost sense of optimism, the reality is the Leafs lost to the Senators in Wednesdays opener. Starting netminder Frederik Andersen deserves a good dose of blame, as the former Ducks goalie wasnt good enough, according to what Leafs coach Mike Babcock told the media afterwards. And Andersen hasnt been good enough in limited action leading up to the regular season, either. So while Andersen will be allowed time to shake off the rust brought on by a largely inactive autumn (including an upper-body injury), and a longer leash extended by a new five-year deal in Toronto, his coach wont put up with substandard performances from the 27-year-old night after night. That means we could see more of former Kings backup Jhonas Enroth soon.Vancouver Canucks: Theres been plenty of talk that backup netminder Jacob Markstrom could eventually take over as starter for veteran Ryan Miller before 2016-17 is through. Sure. But realize that the Canucks would have to play above and beyond the general consensus of expectation for either goaltender to merit fantasy consideration in most leagues. And thats not knocking Markstrom or Miller as individual competitors, just that the Canucks as a whole are considered a club in transition.Washington Capitals: We could witness a breakout performance from one particular young forward with the Capitals in 2016-17. Not only is Andre Burakovsky slated to compete as a top-six winger flanking Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson, but rumblings from Washingtons management suggest they have exceptionally high expectations of the 21-year-old. As a fantasy owner, youve been forewarned.Winnipeg Jets: The demotion of Ondrej Pavelec to the minors means Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson are left to battle it out for starts in Winnipeg. Fantasy owners willing to gamble on one half of the timeshare should know that Hellebuyck is believed to have the early edge, albeit slightly. ' ' '