s much as anything, it just speaks to them finishing the season and finishing it strong and continuing to play at a high level, Brewers manager Craig Counsell

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer and Arizona Coyotes coach Dave Tippett endured similar challenges early this season.Both had a group of players report late to training camp after playing in the World Cup of Hockey. Both played one home game before embarking on lengthy road trips -- the Sharks for five games, the Coyotes for six.I think our five-game road trip was a little bit of a reflection of the lack of preparation we had with the group, DeBoer said Monday after practice at Gila River Arena as his team readied to face the Coyotes on Tuesday.We had seven guys away, so we didnt get a chance to get our group together for very long. We really only had one exhibition game where we actually had our group together and maybe a couple practices.The difference for DeBoer is that he coaches a veteran-laden, star-studded team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last season. Tippett coaches a team with four rookies and four second-year players on its 22-man roster.That gap is reflected in the standings. San Jose entered Tuesdays game with a 6-3 record, in second place in the Pacific Division, and Arizona was 2-6, in last place in the Pacific and NHL standings.The surprising one for me is our record, Tippett said. I expected us to be better than this. These close games, those are the frustrating ones because we should be finding ways to get more points than we have.The Coyotes last four losses have all been one-goal games, with New Jersey adding an empty-net goal with 14 seconds remaining to win 5-3 on Oct. 25 at Prudential Center.With so much youth in the lineup, along with four new faces added in free agency, Tippett is still tinkering with his lines to find the right mix.That tinkering continued Monday when the Coyotes assigned rookie center Christian Dvorak to Tucson of the American Hockey League to make room for 2015 first-round pick (No. 3 overall) Dylan Strome, who has played in just three games this season.Arizona has three junior-eligible players on whom it must make decisions soon. Per the CHL-NHL agreement, junior-eligible players can only play nine games in the NHL before teams must engage the first year of their entry-level deals or send them back to their junior clubs. In addition to Strome, defenseman Jakob Chychrun has played seven games and left winger Lawson Crouse has played five.Optionality is a good thing so Im not going to close any options; thats for sure, Coyotes general manager John Chayka said when asked about plans for those players. Youre trying to balance whats best for the players and their long-term needs with the needs of the team and where that player is in all of that.Youve got to define exactly what it is that player needs to play at the NHL level and excel and be the player you drafted or acquired him to be. Then you ask whats the best place for that development to occur. Some things are better served to be worked on in the NHL; some things are better served to be worked on in juniors.San Jose is more concerned with fine-tuning than major roster decisions. While much of the team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Final is back, DeBoer is still trying to find a home for free-agent signing Mikkel Boedker, a former Coyote who signed a four-year, $16 million deal with the Sharks in the summer.Its always tough to find skill guys the right kind of chemistry and sometimes its not even finding the right chemistry, its letting that chemistry develop, keeping him with the same guys, DeBoer said.Boedker, who has just one goal in nine games, began the year playing on a line with center Logan Couture and left winger Joonas Donskoi. Now he is playing on the top line with center Joe Thornton and right winger Joe Pavelski.Youve got to get accustomed to it and theyve got to get accustomed to the way I play, Boedker said. Big Joe is an amazing player and Pavs is a goal scorer, so youve got to fill in where you need to fill in. I guess on that line it will be a lot of hunting the pucks down and making sure I get it to them and then going in and making sure I create some room.Martin Jones is expected to make his fifth straight start in goal for San Jose. Louis Domingue will start for Arizona in place of injured starter Mike Smith (left leg).Smith skated on his own for the first time since suffering the injury on Oct. 18 in Ottawa and is still listed as week to week. Arizona defenseman Michael Stone is also questionable for Tuesdays game with an upper-body injury suffered Thursday in Philadelphia. Zapatillas Nike Baratas . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Zapatillas Yeezy España . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . https://www.zapatillasbaratasspain.es/zapatillas-yeezy-baratas-spain-d1188.html . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Air Max Baratas . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Zapatillas Nike Baratas Hombre . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. CHICAGO -- A year ago, Kyle Hendricks might have been satisfied giving up a couple runs in a start.Now, as a Cy Young candidate, Hendricks expects more from himself.Hendricks, the major league ERA leader, allowed two runs in six innings and remained stuck on 15 victories as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the NL Central champion Chicago Cubs 3-1 Sunday.It definitely means my mentality is just in a different place, Hendricks said. This game last year, I probably would have been a lot happier with it. Resulting in a loss, I feel like I could have done a little more just with the tools I have available to me, where Im at this year.Hendricks (15-8), making his first start since losing a no-hit bid in the ninth inning at St. Louis, struck out nine and gave up six hits. His ERA rose from 2.03 to 2.06 as he lost for the first time since July 26 at the White Sox.Last year, he went 8-7 with a 3.95 ERA in his second season.We have not supported him run-wise a lot this year, and theres another great example today, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. He definitely pitched well enough to win, and we only came up with the one run, so its just unfortunate. He didnt have his best stuff, but nine punchouts and two runs in six, pretty good day.Tyler Thornburg struck out Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo with two on in the ninth to earn his 11th save in 16 chances.The Cubs have lost four of six and are trying to secure home-field advantage in the playoffs. They resumed playing their regulars after clinching the division Thursday. The Cubs went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.We hit the ball well, Maddon said. This is one of those days (with) the culmination of the wind blowing in and their defense played well. We had good at-bats.Chris Carter homered and Martin Maldonado and pitcher Wily Peralta (7-10) added RBI singles for the Brewers, who took three of four games from the Cubs.Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun got a scheduled day off after hitting two home runs Saturday.As much as anything, it just speaks to them finishing the season and finishing it strong and continuing to play at a high level, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.HHendricks hasnt allowed more than two earned runs in a home start since April 15 against Colorado.dddddddddddd In each of his last 21 starts, he has surrendered three or fewer earned runs.Fastball command just wasnt great, Hendricks said. So its something Ive got to hone back in this week in my bullpens. But that happens from time to time. It shouldnt be too much of an adjustment.The right-hander struck out the first three batters before allowing a single to Hernan Perez to start the second inning. The Brewers hit three straight singles to score two runs.Theyre playing good baseball right now, Hendricks said. Their lineup, everybody is putting together good at-bats. Theyre aggressive, but then theyll surprise you at times when theyre patient.Carter hit his 36th home run, a solo shot, off Felix Pena in the eighth.Tommy La Stella pinch hit for Hendricks in the sixth and doubled in a run. Anthony Rizzo missed a game-tying home run when he flied out to the right-field warning track in the seventh.Peralta gave up a run on nine hits and struck out five in six innings.LOOKING AHEADBeyond home-field advantage in the playoffs, Maddon wants to reach 100 victories. Theyre at 94 right now. Its a pretty neat number. Ive never done that before, said Maddon, who won 97 in 2008 with Tampa and last year with Chicago.A CHANGELHP Mike Montgomery will return to the bullpen after pitching as the sixth starter, Maddon said. The Cubs are expected to use a bullpen day during their Pittsburgh series Sept. 26-29.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: OF Jorge Soler (tight side) is day-to-day after he underwent an MRI, Maddon said. Soler could resume playing Monday or Tuesday after taking swings in the batting cage.UP NEXTBrewers: After a day off Monday, RHP Matt Garza (5-7, 4.22 ERA) is to start the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Pirates.Cubs: RHP Jason Hammel (14-9, 3.60) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game set against the visiting Reds, who are expected to start RHP Tim Adleman (2-4, 4.21). ' ' '