season, including a 24-23 loss to TCU in early October and a 31-24 loss to Iowa

Jonathan Marchessault returns to Tampa Bay on Tuesday night as the leading scorer of his new team, the rival Florida Panthers. But the 25-year-old winger certainly doesnt have an ax to grind with the Lightning, grateful for what they did for him, but also gratified that he made the right decision to leave this summer in order to find a more stable gig.That was the biggest thing, just wanted to be a guy that could play all his games in the NHL and be able to show what he can do, Marchessault said Monday afternoon over the phone. When I talked to Florida management, they told me they saw me in a bigger role and able to play in all the games and on a good line. Thats just what I wanted, is to play more in the NHL.He would have been penciled in for a third-line role with Florida this season, which was fine for him, but a long-term injury to Jonathan Huberdeau has opened up first-line duty, and Marchessault has responded with two goals and two assists in two games to open the season.Panthers GM Tom Rowe coached against Marchessault in the AHL during the years, so he knew the player. Last season, Rowe and Panthers coach Gerard Gallant were at a Lightning game in Tampa when Marchessault was discussed.I told Gerard, If the opportunity ever presented itself, hes a kid we [are] going to target come free agency, Rowe said over the phone Tuesday. A lot of us here had done research on him. We always liked his skill, on top of that, we liked how he competed.Marchessault is playing on a line with center?Aleksander Barkov and winger?Jaromir Jagr. OK, then.I think those two guys could find chemistry with pretty much anyone, said Marchessault, chuckling. Im just happy to be able to be on their line and be successful right now. Every game, were trying to know how each other plays.His early season success is no surprise to his old coach in Tampa.Coached against him enough in the minors to know he was a scoring threat every time he was on the ice, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Monday night via text message. Special skills when he is around the net. Needed to raise his competition [level] and he did ... that is why he is a regular now. Great locker room guy as well ... has some swag!Marchessault has a certain kind of confidence, which he probably needs, given that he was never drafted and that hes 5-foot-8, 184 pounds.Hes got good hands but hes also cocky -- in a good way, said another Eastern Conference coach. He believes in himself. He was stuck in Tampa behind [Jonathan] Drouin, [Nikita] Kucherov and [Ryan] Callahan?on the right side, thats not easy.He was stuck, period, behind a lot of guys in Tampa.Theyve had the same 11 forwards for most of the last three years, said Marchessault, who appeared in 45 games with the Lightning last season, putting up 18 points. Its just a really good group of hockey players and it was hard to be in the lineup every night.So when free agency beckoned this summer, he looked for a better opportunity.[The Lightning] had salary-cap concerns but it was never a question of money for me, it was a question to play more in the NHL, said Marchessault, who signed a two-year deal worth $750,000 a year with the Panthers. I loved Tampa, theyre a world-class organization, the coaching staff, teammates, everything was unreal over there. Its just about thinking about your career a bit more and thats what I did this summer.Its not like Lightning GM Steve Yzerman didnt want him back, because he likes the player. But its an example yet again of the salary-cap system and its impact, organizations cant horde talent, they can only keep so many guys. So while the Bolts saw the talent in Marchessault when most other teams did not, theyre so loaded up front that keeping him as a depth guy was a luxury they couldnt have.As for Marchessault, hes out to prove hes not a fringe player but a player who can produce in the NHL.I mean, I was never drafted in the NHL, I was only drafted 12th round in junior hockey. Nobody really expected me to be productive, he said. I just keep surprising people. I always produced in the AHL. I just never really got the chance and I knew I would deliver if I ever got it. Yeezy Boost 350 Uk Cheap . PETERSBURG, Fla. Best Price Yeezy Boost 350 . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. http://www.cheapyeezy350uk.com/ . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Cheapest Yeezy Boost 350 .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. Yeezy Boost 350 Uk Release . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Matthew Wyman may have booted Charlie Strong right out of Texas.The senior kicker for Kansas knocked through a field goal to force overtime, then drilled a 25-yarder in the extra session Saturday to send the Jayhawks to a 24-21 victory over the Longhorns -- one that just might end Strongs disappointing tenure on the 40 acres.The moment Wymans field goal went through the uprights, the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7) poured off the sideline and into a jubilant pile with thousands of students. The win snapped a nine-game skid, a 19-game losing streak in Big 12 play and was their first over Texas since 1938.It made Strongs future bleak, but it made Kansas coach David Beatys appear just a little bit brighter.What resilient dudes those guys are, he said after his first Big 12 win. Theyve continued to work through some really, really difficult situations, and Ive said it before, I feel like we have the right kind of kids in our program. Theyve stuck it out.The Longhorns (5-6, 3-5) squandered chances down the stretch, including a fumble and failed fourth-down try in the final minutes of regulation that could have put the game away.They got the ball first in overtime, but Shane Buechele badly overthrew his intended receiver on their second play and Mike Lee was there to pick it off. After the Jayhawks marched inside the 5-yard line, their senior kicker playing in his final home game knocked through the winner.Its great to send the seniors out like this, he said. Theyve been through some struggles, some adversity, so it means a lot.Their stirring win made DOnta Foremans performance merely a footnote.The Texas running back carried a school-record 51 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns, though his two fumbles proved costly -- not only to the Longhorns season but quite possibly to Strongs future.The third-year coach has been on the hot seat all season, and the temperature is only going to rise after a loss to the lowly Jayhawks. Strong dropped to 16-20 since arriving at Texas, and not even the $10 million buyout he would be due could be enough to keep him from getting fired.We just had our opportunities there, Strong said. Not much needed to be said.Asked what it means for his future, Strong replied: No idea.The Jayhawks took advantage of four first-half turnovers, including a pick-six by Brandon Stewart, to take a 10-7 lead into tthe locker room.dddddddddddd But they committed two turnovers of their own in an ugly third quarter, which the Longhorns turned into back-to-back touchdowns for a 21-10 lead.Kansas marched downfield for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and Steven Sims won the race to the pylon to convert the 2-point conversion and get within a field goal.That proved to be pivotal in the final minute of the game.The Jayhawks stuffed Texas on fourth down and regained possession with 58 seconds left. Three passes to Keaun Kinner and a targeting penalty got them within field goal range, and Wymans kick from 36 yards out with 7 seconds remaining sent the game to overtime.Set up one of the most memorable wins in recent history, too.The seniors have been through a whole lot, and we havent had too much success, Kansas safety Fish Smithson said. Just proud, proud of how hard we worked. How resilient weve been.THE TAKEAWAYTexas: Texas was shaky throughout the game, especially when Buechele left for a short period in the first half with an injury, in what might go down as the biggest indictment of Strongs tenure.Kansas: Kansas has been close to breaking through several times this season, including a 24-23 loss to TCU in early October and a 31-24 loss to Iowa State earlier this month.STRONGS FUTURETexas athletic director Mike Perrin declined to speak with reporters after the game, looking away when he approached them. Strongs wife, Victoria, was crying outside the Longhorns locker room and even Strong looked visibly shaken as he fielded questions.I love coach Strong. Thats my dog, Texas safety DeShon Elliott said. No matter what, I love him, but I said thats not our decision. We cant make that decision. Its the AD and all the men up there.SEE YAAfter police encircled the goal posts at the south end zone, students raced to the opposite end of the field and hopped on that set. It took them a while before they got them to the turf, then they carried them right out of Memorial Stadium.UP NEXTTexas heads to TCU on Saturday for what could be Strongs final game as coach.Kansas tries to make it two straight on Saturday at Kansas State.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . ' ' '