TORONTO - No team in the NHL relies more on a core group to produce offence than do the Toronto Maple Leafs. Seven players have combined for 84 per cent of the teams 74 goals this season, the highest such percentage for any teams top seven scorers in the league. Alarmingly among that group in Toronto are two centres, Dave Bolland and Tyler Bozak, who have each missed a months worth of games due to injury already this season and yet remain amongst the teams scoring leaders. The Leafs have dropped a season-high five consecutive games, also losing six of the past seven while skidding through an unhappy November that saw them win just twice in regulation. Prominent in their struggles was a failure to produce offence at even-strength; theyve scored just 18 such goals in the past 14 games, delivering two goals or fewer overall in 11 of those games. Depth or a lack thereof has been the issue, both from the defence and depth forwards. The Toronto blue-line has barely made a blip in the cause offensively, totaling a scant three goals all season, two from Dion Phaneuf and one into an empty-net. By comparison, the San Jose Sharks, who beat the Leafs at the ACC on Tuesday, have 16 goals from their defenders this season. Four Sharks alone have more goals individually than do the Leaf defence as a unit. "When you describe our hockey club its always the back-end," said Randy Carlyle following practice on Wednesday morning. "Does the back-end need to provide more offence? For sure it does. We need more from our back-end." Unlike last season, the team has also gotten little in the way of contributions from its depth forwards. David Clarkson and Nik Kulemin have a mere two goals apiece while Jay McClement, averaging nearly 17 minutes, has yet to score and has just two assists. A fourth line with plenty of punch has been predictably punch-less offensively, the likes of Colton Orr, Frazer McLaren, Troy Bodie, Carter Ashton, and the since waived Jerred Smithson, all with zero goals this season. Phil Kessel (15 goals), James van Riemsdyk (12), and Mason Raymond (10), a late free agent add who sits third on the team in scoring, have been responsible for the bulk of offence, helped by Nazem Kadri (7) Joffrey Lupul (8), and the aforementioned Bolland (6) and Bozak (4). Injuries and suspensions to core players, such as Clarkson, Bolland, Bozak and Lupul, certainly havent helped with their replacements unable to fill the void. One rare exception is Trevor Smith, who since being recalled to line up in an offensive role, has produced six points in eight games. "We need more from secondary scoring," Carlyle said. "Secondary scoring comes from your second, third and fourth line. Weve noted that. Weve asked that." Among the desired changes to the offence would be more shots to the net and more efficient movement of the puck up the ice, thus instigating whats been an inconsistent forecheck. Spending vast amounts of time defending, while struggling to break out of their own end, the Leafs have been unable to establish that forecheck, the lifeblood in some ways of the teams attack. "The one thing weve got to do is weve got to get stronger on our forecheck," said Carlyle, pointing to brief periods of such success against the Sharks, notably during an energetic start to the season period. Generating much of their offence from a potent power-play this season, if not the flash and dash of their skill players on the rush, the Leafs have yet to produce much off their forecheck, thereby unable to sustain time in the offensive zone in the manner Carlyle would like. "We have to start being more fluent as a group of five," said Cody Franson, who leads the defence with 13 points, but has yet to score this season. "Theres a couple things that were doing systematically that are inhibiting our chances to one, generate things off cycles, and two, generate shots from the point. Just a couple small, little technicalities that are hurting us rather than helping us. Once we can get fluent with correcting those I think thatll help out a lot." Team Percentage of offence from top-7 scorers (Entering Wednesdays action) Toronto 84% Washington 78% Minnesota 78% Tampa 74% Pittsburgh 74% Philadelphia 73% Colorado 72% Montreal 72% St. Louis 72% Winnipeg 71% Vancouver 70% Anaheim 70% Chicago 70% Ottawa 70% San Jose 70% Columbus 69% Dallas 68% Los Angeles 68% Detroit 68% New Jersey 66% New York Islanders 66% New York Rangers 66% Calgary 66% Phoenix 66% Florida 65% Boston 64% Edmonton 64% New Jersey 64% Carolina 62% Buffalo 62% Ryan Weber Jersey . - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club. Boston Red Sox Shirts . The 30-year-old Moore played in 13 games for the Saints last season, catching 37 balls for 457 yards and two touchdowns. https://www.cheapredsox.com/581z-roger-c...ey-red-sox.html. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released veteran guard Davin Joseph, a mainstay on their offensive line over the past eight seasons. Dwight Evans Red Sox Jersey .C. -- The Edmonton Oilers used a late-power-play goal to get a hard-fought road victory. Josh Taylor Red Sox Jersey . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche are showing they wont be pushed around this season. Semyon Varlamov stopped 26 shots, P.A. Parenteau scored two goals and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Friday night. Patrick Bordeleau had a goal and rookie Nathan MacKinnon had an assist for the Avalanche, who have won their first two games under new coach Patrick Roy with another physical showing. Pekka Rinne had 33 saves and Paul Gaustad scored for the Predators, who lost for the second time in as many nights. The game featured two of the top four picks in last Junes draft. MacKinnon was taken first overall and Seth Jones, a Denver native, was picked fourth by the Predators. The friends were on the ice together throughout the game but didnt chat much. "It felt a little different from the Memorial Cup," Jones said. "I didnt really talk to him before the game. Lined up with him a couple of times and small talk." Said MacKinnon: "I talked to him a little bit. Hes my buddy." For the second straight game, the Avalanche created some controversy. Forward Steve Downie drew the ire of the opponent a day after Roy was fined $10,000 by the league for his actions in the opener. Downie left his feet to deliver a hit on Roman Josi and knocked the Nashville defenceman out of the game with an upper-body injury. Shea Weber and Gabriel Bourque went after Downie before the officials broke it up. "Were trying to get all of that out of the game, launching yourself, especially the head shots," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "If you watch the film its pretty self-explanatory and the league will handle it correctly. There will be something to come out of it I think." It was a tough loss for the Predators, who lost a skilled defenceman when theyre struggling defensively. "We need some of our skill guys to step up. No production from some of our skill guys," Trotz said. "Weve got some work to do. There were lots of positivees, but the negative is we didnt win the game.dddddddddddd" Colorado saw Downies hit differently. "That was a great hit. I thought it was a fair check," Roy said. "What I like about Steve is he is a great leader and he plays hard. He doesnt go wild. He stays composed, he stays focused and he doesnt get rattled." The Avalanche scored first for the second straight game. Jamie McGinn, who had two goals in Wednesdays win, gloved the puck in the slot and fired a shot on Rinne, who made the initial save. Parenteau jumped on the rebound and knocked it in to give Colorado a 1-0 lead with 1:10 left in the first period. "It was a great play by Jamie McGinn, keeping it in there and shooting at the net," Parenteau said. "It was a strong effort and I was there to get the rebound." Colorado made it 2-0 at 7:54 of the second with a goal from the fourth line. Bordeleau, the teams enforcer, tipped in a shot from the point by Nate Guenin for his third career goal. "Its just one of those plays where it just goes in," Rinne said. "I think it hit the post and went in. It was a good tip for him. Our guy, Gaustad, was trying to block the shot and it went through his legs." Nashville cut the lead in half with a goal at the end of a power play. Gaustad spun and used Avalanche defenceman Jan Hejda as a screen to beat Varlamov with 5:50 left in the second. The Predators couldnt get the equalizer, but they got back at Downie when defenceman Victor Bartley checked him into the Nashville goal at the end of a play midway through the third. "They came up and were supporting a teammate," Trotz said. Parenteau put the game away with an empty-net goal with 1:12 left. NOTES: The Predators said Josi will be evaluated this weekend. ... Avalanche C Gabriel Landeskog (leg) was scratched. He is day to day. ... Rinne is 11-4-1 against Colorado in his career. ... Nashville C Filip Forsberg was scratched with a lower body injury. ' ' '