CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames shook up their front office Thursday after a disappointing start to the season, firing general manager Jay Feaster and assistant general manager John Weisbrod. Ryan Switzer Raiders Jersey . The Flames have just 26 points this season, good for 13th place in the 14-team Western Conference. Brian Burke, the teams president of hockey operations, will serve as acting general manager. He said the search for Feasters replacement is underway. Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger the Dallas Stars have granted Calgary permission to speak with former Flames player and Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. Burke felt the moves needed to be made to get the franchise back on track as it tries to pursue a championship. "I wouldnt have come here if that wasnt the ultimate goal," he said. "I have to look at the steps that have been taken and figure out whats the best way for us to get on that path. "And I reached the conclusion that we needed to make this change." Burke, who was hired by the Flames in early September, added that one of the teams priorities is to get tougher and more "truculent." "We want black-and-blue hockey here, thats what we do in Alberta," Burke said. "Weve got to be big and more truculent -- I know youre all waiting for the word, there it is. I want a little more hostility out there than what Im seeing right now." Burke said it was tough to fire Feaster, who he called a friend. But he said potentially unpopular decisions come with the job. "Im not kissing babies up here," he said. "Im not running for office. This is about winning hockey games. And I have to take the steps that I think are going to lead us to win the most hockey games we can win." Calgary took an 11-15-4 record into Thursday nights home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. "If you look at our record, its not where we want to be and we have to change it as players," said Flames captain Mark Giordano. "You could call it whatever, but the bottom line is this: as an organization, Ive been here for a while now, and right from our owners down, we want to win. "Nothing else is acceptable. Weve got to start winning hockey games and push this forward." Burke said there are no plans to make any changes to the coaching staff this season. "When he came in he told me he likes the way that we play," said head coach Bob Hartley. "And this morning he told me again. But at the same time, it doesnt change my job. You come in every day, I have a great coaching staff, we have players that want to learn and they want to work. "It doesnt really change our day-to-day operation." Burke said one of the reasons for the shakeup is that he believes the Flames are giving up points in games they should win. "Im frustrated like all of our fans are with our inability to hold leads," Burke said. "I love how this team works, I love how the coaches are playing the kids ... Im just frustrated that we seem to routinely turn third-period leads into losses." Calgary did not make the playoffs in the two full seasons Feaster served as GM. He took over in an acting role midway through the 2010-11 season, and Calgary did not qualify that year either. "We wish Jay the best," said forward Matt Stajan. "Hes a great man, he did a lot for the guys in that room. Its too bad we didnt show better on the ice but weve got to keep grinding here and find a way to win games." Feaster previously served as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who he guided to a Stanley Cup win in 2004. Burke has had a long career as a hockey executive. He has previously served as GM of the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Hartford Whalers and Anaheim Ducks, who won the Stanley Cup under his watch in 2007. Tahir Whitehead Jersey . Louis Cardinals continued their offensive tear with a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series. Arden Key Jersey . Calgarys Bo Levi Mitchell and Montreals Troy Smith will be the starting quarterbacks in a CFL season-opener for the first time in their careers. Both want to reinforce their No. 1 status. You can watch the game live in the first half of a doubleheader on TSN and TSN GO at 3:00pm et/Noon pt. http://www.shoptheraidersonline.com/Elite-Cornellius-Carradine-Raiders-Jersey/ . Power had a two-lap average of 218.896 mph in qualifying Friday at the high-banked, high-speed 1 1/2-mile track for his 34th career pole.The Formations Knowing he would be facing one of the premier teams in MLS, Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson elected to revert back to his 4-2-3-1 formation for their away match with Real Salt Lake. Jonny Leveron replaced skipper Jay Demerit in defence, while Kekuta Manneh replaced Pedro Morales; both Demerit and Morales were rested for the match, and stayed behind in Vancouver. Real Salt Lake head coach Jeff Cassar made one change to the team that defeated the Portland Timbers 1-0 the week previous. Joao Plata replaced Olmes Garcia up front, where the diminutive Ecuadorian partnered RSLs top goalscorer, Alvaro Saborio. The Game To suggest the Whitecaps were flat in the opening 45 minutes would be an understatement – they were very poor. They did not make effective use of the space that was available to them (which was in wide areas) and they were half a step slow and half a step late defensively. The result was that the Whitecaps trailed 2-0 after just nine minutes, with RSL getting goals from both Plata and Saborio. RSL very nearly went in at the break up 3-0, but David Ousted did well to deny Plata a second goal just before the halftime whistle. The opening half was a perfect exhibit of the challenge faced when fielding a very young lineup - those players dont yet have the experience to figure out how to fix things when they go wrong on the pitch. Of the six attacking players who started the match, only Kenny Miller (34) can be classified as an experienced player. Matias Laba (22), Gershon Koffie (22), Russell Teibert (21), Kekuta Manneh (19) and Darren Mattocks (23) are young, talented professionals – but when things go wrong, they cannot rely on previous experience to help them turn things around. In the first half, the movement of RSLs midfield caused problems for the Whitecaps. Despite having a numerical advantage, Vancouver struggled to put pressure on the ball. When the Whitecaps did manage to regain possession, they were too often wasteful, giving the ball straight back to RSL, as Teibert did on the opening goal. Offensively, they were never able to use their speed in transition to maximum effect. In Darren Mattocks and Kekuta Manneh, Vancouver had the two quickest players on the pitch. However, neither player was able to use that speed to their advantage, as Vancouver never found their passing rhythm. Both fullbacks, Jordan Harvey and Steven Beitashour, were cautious in their approach when Vancouver had the ball. This was entirely understandable, given Real Salt Lakes formidable home record and their early 2-0 lead. The result was that far too often Vancouver failed to use the only space that RSL conceded to them, which was out wide. This played into RSLs hands perfectly, as their two wide midfielders, Ned Grabavoy and Jake Mulholland, simply dropped slightly deeper to sit alongside Kyle Beckerman when Vancouver tried to build in midfield. The RSL defenders, who compressed the space between lines, supported this tight midfield unit. This meant that there was very little space in which Vancouver could play. Real Salt Lake controlled virtually the entire first half. Robinson and his coaching staff showed their worth once they could sit the players down at the break. There, the coaches were able to correct the mistakes that were being made and give their young players renewed belief in their abilities. The result was a completely different performance from Vancouver in the second half. The Whitecaps aggressively closed space in midfield, pressured the RSL defenders and midfielders into conceding possession, and denied both Plata and Saborio a sight at goal. While Saborio struck the bar with a header in the 80th minute after a quickly taken free kick, the home side appeared content to defend their 2-0 lead. Vancouver showed better control of the ball and much better use of space in wide areas in the second half. Cornellius Carradine Raiders Jersey. . There was a confidence in the Whitecaps team that wasnt present in the opening forty-five minutes – a belief that they could not only compete with RSL, but also get something out of the game. Robinson again used his substitutes effectively, bringing Erik Hurtado, Nicolas Mezquida and Sebastian Fernandez into the game. And it was the two Uruguayans – Mezquida and Fernandez – who clawed back a point for Vancouver. Mezquida scored Vancouvers first goal in the 86th minute, knocking home a poor rebound from RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando after great work from Darren Mattocks. Fernandez scored the equalizer deep into stoppage time, ripping a strike from 35 yards past a flat-footed Rimando. The RSL goalkeeper – along with his teammates – will be left to ponder just how they managed to throw away two points after failing to extend their dominant first half performance into the second. The Positives The second half performance from Vancouver was exactly what their fans want to see – positive, confident, attacking play. The pace in Vancouvers team is frightening; Mattocks, Manneh and Hurtado are all likely in the leagues top 10, if not the top 5, in sprint speed. It is really about finding a way for these players to use their assets to maximum effect, which Vancouver did really well in the second half. Good performances from all three substitutes will give Robinson and his coaching staff some decisions to make in choosing their starting lineup for their next match at home on May 3rd against the San Jose Earthquakes (TSN2, 6:30pm ET, 3:30pm PT). It is an enviable problem to have, as every coach much prefers to have too many good players from which to choose than not enough. Real Salt Lake put on the best forty-five minutes of football that I have seen from a team so far this season in the opening half. The concern for Jeff Cassar is finding a way to extend that performance over the course of the game. While they havent found the secret to this yet, RSL is still unbeaten this season. The Negatives Poor performances all around for Vancouver in the opening half, but the silver lining is that this can be used as a teaching moment. With such a young squad of players, the biggest challenge for Robinson is to develop his promising youngsters into seasoned professionals who can solve problems on the pitch, without always requiring the intervention of the coaching staff. This isnt a job that will happen overnight, and the players will now be expected to reflect on what they did differently in the second half that they werent doing in the first. As long as the players are able to learn from their mistakes, the opening forty-five minutes can be looked back on as a valuable lesson. Nick Rimando has been sensational for Real Salt Lake this season, so he can be forgiven for having a 10-minute spell to forget at the end of the game. He should have prevented both of Vancouver goals, and on any other day would likely have done so. The Star Man This was the best performance I have seen from Erik Hurtado. The youngster has incredible speed, but is still learning how to best utilize his prized asset. He made a big impact coming off the bench in last weeks 2-2 come-from-behind draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy, and while he didnt score in that game or against Real Salt Lake, he made a very meaningful contribution on Saturday. His willingness to run in behind stretched the RSL back line and created space for his midfielders to operate, effectively changing the game. He is still very raw and has a great deal of learning to do, so it will be important for him to seek out the coaching staff to carry on that education. But he is certainly showing exciting potential at this moment in time as a second half substitute that can change the game. Cheap Heat Jerseys Cheap Bucks Jerseys Cheap Timberwolves Jerseys Cheap Pelicans Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Cheap Thunder Jerseys Cheap Magic Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Cheap Suns Jerseys Cheap Blazers Jerseys Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys Cheap Spurs Jerseys Cheap Raptors Jerseys Cheap Jazz Jerseys Cheap Wizards Jerseys ' ' '