ST. LOUIS -- The secret is out on T.J. Oshie, who showed the world at the Sochi Olympics hes perfected the art of the shootout. Hes among nine Olympians whove rejoined a top contender that doesnt overly rely on razzle-dazzle. The St. Louis Blues are in prime position for the NHL stretch drive. They lack star power, with no one among the top 25 scorers, but are second overall in the Western Conference and atop the Central Division entering the re-start Wednesday at Vancouver. "Weve played awfully well. Weve been really resilient all year, weve responded to challenges all year," coach Ken Hitchcock said before the break. "But its going to really get dialed up when we get back and our players recognize that. "I think some guys are really looking forward to it." So far, theyve done the franchise proud. The next few months, theyll be working on solidifying their position and proving they belong against other powers in the conference. Theyre 3-0 against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, but 1-2 against the Kings, 0-3 against the Sharks and 0-2 against the Ducks. The Sharks have outscored them 16-7, the Ducks 8-4. "I told the players when we come back in March and April, its for them," Hitchcock said. "They have to really grab it coming back." The blueprint for success is a defence thats allowed the second-fewest goals. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have combined for seven shutouts aided by strong support and willing shot blockers throughout the defensive rotation. Oshie and Alexander Steen are tied for the team scoring lead at 46 points, Steens total coming in 46 games due to a lengthy concussion-related absence. Theres plenty of depth with six players scoring at least 14 goals and Alex Pietrangelo is the first defenceman in franchise history and first in the NHL since Dion Phaneuf (2005-08) to record 40 or more points in each of his first three seasons. Theyve been dominant without much of a power play lately, entering the break in an 0-for-20 skid that included numerous failures with the two-man advantage. The Blues must regain their stride quickly after the break with 12 games in 22 days and never more than one day of rest. Theyve played the fewest games in the Western Conference and have three games in hand on the Ducks, first overall, and Blackhawks, who like St. Louis have 84 points. "Its really going to be like coming out of the lockout where everybody is full-tilt and every point means something down the stretch," defenceman Barret Jackman said. "Its going to be about the mental focus coming back and being the team that doesnt crack in those one-goal games." The Blues got a taste of the pressure going to overtime the last four games prior to the Olympics. They won three of them, with Oshie providing a preview of his Sochi show with four shootout goals to drive the United States past Russia in a preliminary round game. Stateside, Oshie scored in overtime to beat the Bruins, scored in the shootout to help beat the Jets and had a goal and assist against the Senators and then scored again in the shootout in a 5-4 loss. "We came through some injuries, sickness, like a lot of teams have gone through," Jackman said. "But were still one of the top teams in the league and thats a pretty good feeling." Wholesale Angels Jerseys . He also had some help Monday night.Hibbert scored a season-high 29 points to help Indiana beat the Utah Jazz 97-86 Monday night, ending the Pacers six-game losing streak. Los Angeles Angels Shirts . 1 player in the world. So Duval gutted it out Thursday at the Byron Nelson Championship despite the pain from a muscle issue in his right elbow, a day after his stepson had to drive him because he couldnt even use that arm. https://www.cheapangels.com/ . Thats when the eight-time champion revealed that a painful back is slowing his serves -- and, all in all, giving him more trouble than his opponents so far. Los Angeles Angels Pro Shop . -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh says he isnt going to change what he does on the field. Fake Angels Jerseys .com) - Maria Sharapova rallied for a three- set win over Ana Ivanovic on Saturday to capture the season-opening Brisbane International tennis tournament. LONDON -- Arsene Wenger signed a new three-year deal to manage Arsenal until 2017, renewing his commitment to the club on Friday after ending a nine-year trophy drought. The new deal was announced by Arsenal to the London Stock Exchange and will take Wenger into his 21st year at the club, where he has been in charge since 1996. "I want to stay and to continue to develop the team and the club. We are entering a very exciting period," Wenger said on the Arsenal website. "We have a strong squad, financial stability and huge support around the world. We are all determined to bring more success to this club." The 64-year-old Frenchman won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups in the first half of his Arsenal tenure, but failed to capture a trophy since 2005 until winning this seasons FA Cup. Wenger has guided the London side into the Champions League for 17 consecutive seasons and is the longest-serving manager in the Premier League following the retirement of Alex Ferguson at Manchester United last year. "The club has always shown faith in me and Im very grateful for that," Wenger said. "We have gone through fantastic periods and also periods where we have had to stick together. Every time when that togetherness was tested I got the right response. I think I have shown some loyalty as well towards this club and hopefully we can make some more history. I am sure we can." Wenger is Arsenals most successful manager in its history, helping change the face of English football by bringing in new training methods and dietary plans that were regarded as revolutionary in his first years in the country after joining from Japanese club Grampus Eight. Previously, he was at French side Monaco. On the pitch, his Arsenal team broke Uniteds stranglehold oon the Premier League around the turn of the century and then went through a season unbeaten in the 2003-04 campaign, playing an eye-catching brand of football with Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira to the fore to the fore.dddddddddddd Fans patience has been tested in recent years during the trophy drought, however, with dissenters frustrated at Wengers refusal to spend money on big-name players and his unshakeable belief in squad members who didnt appear to be at the required standard. Further criticism was targeted at Wenger for selling star players Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri to rivals like Barcelona, United and Manchester City. The club-record signing of Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil for 50 million euros ($66 million) last summer suggested a chance in stance in the transfer market from Wenger. "What I can promise is that we work very hard on a market that is very, very congested with many people who have a lot of money," Wenger said. "But we have a big advantage, players want to join us and if we find the right quality Im sure we can strengthen the team." And winning the FA Cup could be the catalyst for a new successful era under the Frenchman, widely regarded as the Premier Leagues only manager who cant be fired. "Sustained excellence is the hardest thing to achieve in sport and the fact Arsenal has competed at the top of the game in England and Europe throughout the time Arsene has been manager, is the ultimate testimony to his consistency of performance, talent and ambition," Arsenals majority owner Stan Kroenke said. "We are delighted with the FA Cup success which has added to his already outstanding record. Under his guidance we look forward to adding more trophies in future seasons." ' ' '