dropped back to level par for the week with another three

CALGARY, Alberta -- The Calgary Flames struggled to win with Johnny Gaudreau. Now they face a long stretch in which they must win without him.The Flames play their second game without their injured star on Friday, hosting a Chicago Blackhawks squad that is infinitely better than the team they defeated in their first game without Gaudreau on Wednesday, the Arizona Coyotes.Every guy recognizes that we lost a really good player and now collectively we have to play a certain way to get ourselves in a position to get points in this league, Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan said. Its certainly hurt us as a hockey club, but we look at it as something we can rally around and try to find a true identity here.Gaudreau underwent surgery Wednesday afternoon after breaking a finger the night before when slashed by Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter. He is expected to miss about six weeks, Calgary general manager Brad Treliving said.The Flames (7-10-1) beat the Wild 1-0 on Tuesday on Gaudreaus goal and followed it up the next night by eking out a 2-1 overtime victory over Coyotes, who are last overall in the 30-team league.Up next, however, is one of the leagues elite squads, Chicago, which is third overall entering Fridays play. The Blackhawks (11-4-2) began a seven-game road trip with a 4-0 loss in Winnipeg on Tuesday, which ended their seven-game winning streak and marked the first time they failed to gain at least a point in 11.Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is very conscious that the chasing teams arent far behind.Theres a real big pack in the middle; everybody seems to be just around the .500 mark, he told the Chicago Tribune. The way weve been playing, were fortunate where we are in the standings. Its a tremendous pack where everybodys in the mix and there are no easy games.The Flames took Thursday off from both skating and answering questions about how they were going to overcome the loss of Gaudreau, who after struggling to start the season appeared to be rounding into form. He had three goals in his last two games.Were sort of working around a six-week timeframe (for his absence), Treliving said. Hopefully its shorter. ...We dont have time to feel sorry for ourselves. We have to come together. ... Everyone has injuries. You deal with them.The Blackhawks began their 13-day road trip unhappy with their play despite not having lost in regulation since Oct. 21 prior to the Winnipeg setback. Expectations certainly are higher for a team chasing first place overall than they are for someone like the Flames, who are just trying to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.Its not how you want to start (the trip) at all, Quenneville told the Chicago Sun-Times. We have tougher games as we keep going. They keep getting tougher and tougher and tougher. Theres no easy games on the road anymore. Weve had a favorable schedule here, and we know we have to play much better. Fake NFL Jerseys Online . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Fake NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. https://www.fakenfljerseys.com/ . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. Fake NFL Jerseys For Sale . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Fake NFL Jerseys China .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head.Rory McIlroy believes he is still in with a chance of defending his Dubai Desert Classic title after a strong finish to his second round. The world No 2 looked in danger of an early exit when three bogeys in a four-hole stretch around the turn left him below the projected cut line, before he finished strongly with a hat-trick of birdies to close with a level-par 72.McIlroy heads into the weekend six strokes adrift of midway pacesetter Rafa Cabrera-Bello and the Northern Irishman admitted he had to dig deep to stay in contention. Rory McIlroy was three over for the day when he reached the turn I didnt have my best stuff with me, McIlroy told Sky Sports. I struggled at the start of the round and around the middle, so needed something first and foremost just to be here for the weekend.I felt like I played some decent golf out there. A couple of tentative putts, couple of loose shots, but all in all a decent finish and if I can get off to a better start tomorrow then you never know.Having recovered from a slow start on Thursday to post a decent first round, McIlroy carded an opening-hole blemish for the second day running after finding the bunker with his approach to the par-four. McIlroy the Dubai king? A look back at McIlroys Dubai wins McIlroy bounced back from a three-putt bogey at the fourth to sink aa 15-footer at the next, but lost further ground when he failed to get up and down from just off the eighth green.ddddddddddddA missed par save from seven feet completed a front-nine 38, before McIlroy dropped back to level par for the week with another three-putt at the 11th.After saving par from five feet at the next, the 26-year-old found the par-five 13th green in two and two-putted for the first of four birdies along the closing holes. McIlroy claimed a three-shot win at the Emirates GC last year The four-time major champion followed a close-range birdie at the 16th by nearly reaching the green off the tee at the par-four next to move another stroke closer to the lead, before finishing his round in style by holing a 20-footer at the last.I missed a few short putts and wasnt really committing to the lines that I was picking, McIlroy added. Birdieing the last three holes definitely gives me a little bit of momentum heading into the weekend. In a way Im thankful that Im not out as one of the last pairings tomorrow, because I feel that Ill get some of the better conditions and the course will be a little more receptive.Watch the Dubai Desert Classic throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Third round coverage gets underway live on Saturday from 9am. Also See: WATCH: McIlroys future win? First round highlights Desert Classic leaderboard Golf live on Sky Sports 4 ' ' '