Reiseplan » e the QB competition -- and all positional battles

DETROIT -- Jimmy Howard failed to stop Alex Ovechkins shot in the final seconds of regulation. But that was the last time he let a puck get past him in a successful return to the ice. Patrick Eaves scored on Detroits seventh attempt in a shootout and Howard denied Washington seven times, giving the Red Wings a 4-3 victory over the Capitals on Friday night. Howard made 26 saves after missing four games with an injured left knee. "I felt surprisingly good," he said. "I didnt have any issues at all with the knee, which I think is a great sign because I came back last time and still felt it every once in a while." Ovechkin tied the game with 7 seconds left in the third period, but was one of seven shooters who couldnt score on Howard. "I had opportunity before to put puck in the net," Ovechkin said. "Howard played really well." Detroits Gustav Nyquist scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, but the Red Wings couldnt prevent the NHLs goal-scoring leader from sending the game to overtime. The Capitals pulled their goaltender late in regulation and the move paid off. After a short break on the bench, Ovechkin had time and space to wind up for a slap shot from above the circles that sent the puck past Howard and into the net to make it 3-all. "Ovechkins a dangerous guy," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. Ovechkin has 39 goals this season, his highest total since scoring 50 times during the 2009-10 season The banged-up Red Wings welcomed back two key players: Howard and Henrik Zetterberg Zetterberg had missed two games with a back injury. "I think Zetterberg on the bench really helped," Babcock said. "I dont care who you are, when a lot of your best players arent there, youre wondering where the next goals coming from." Michal Neuvirth stopped 42 shots to match a career high. One of his first was perhaps his best, flashing his glove to snag Nyquists shot off a rebound just in front of the net midway through the first period. He also gave Washington a shot to win in the shootout, stopping the first six shots he faced. "Very frustrating being so close to a win, but at least we got one point," he said. Jason Chimera put the Capitals ahead 1-0 at the 15:24 mark of the first period on a power play and teammate Casey Wellman tied it at 2-all midway through the third, scoring on his third straight shot in a 2-second sequence. "Took a couple of whacks at it and it went in," Wellman said. Washington had a chance to tie the game again when it went on the power play with 3:29 left in the game. Howard, though, helped the Red Wings stay ahead by smothering a shot from Ovechkin. "He made huge saves on the penalty kill late," Babcock said. "They had good chances and he made great saves." The lead didnt last much longer because Ovechkin made it 3-all late in regulation. "People dont realize how hard that shot is," Capitals coach Adam Oates said. "The ice is terrible at that time, the pass comes a long way. Just to get good wood on that puck is very difficult. He seems to shine at that moment." Drew Miller tied the game early in the second and Danny DeKeyser gave the Red Wings their first lead late in the period. "All in all, the guys worked really hard and we scored a goal late," Oates said. "I think the guys gotta feel pretty good about that. Yeah, you want to win it, but I think they feel pretty good." Howard helped, too, and will be on the U.S. team at the Winter Olympics in two weeks if he can stay healthy. Detroit star forward Pavel Datsyuk missed his 12th straight game with a lower-body injury. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said he hopes Datsyuk can play at least one game in the next week. The captain of Russias team has vowed he will be healthy enough to go for gold in his home country, but he declined to talk to a reporter following a postgame chat with Ovechkin, an Olympic teammate, that lasted about 10 minutes. Datsyuk often picked up, bent and extended his left leg as he talked with Ovechkin. "We just talked about his injury," Ovechkin said. "I hope hes going to be OK." NOTES: Washington defenceman Mike Green was scratched with a concussion, a night after he was hit hard into the boards on a check by Columbus Boone Jenner. "Were going through the process of testing him," Oates said. ... Nyquist has scored in five of six games and has 10 goals in 29 games this season, putting him in contention to replace injured Red Wings teammate Johan Franzen on Swedens team at the Sochi Games. ... Neuvirth also made 42 saves on Feb. 5, 2010. Ozzie Guillen Jersey . -- During Kansas shootaround on Wednesday before the Jayhawks faced Oklahoma, coach Bill Self told Wayne Selden Jr. Harold Baines Jersey . Goldeyes third baseman Ryan Pineda drove in three runs and the pitching staff didnt allow an earned run, as Winnipeg downed Kansas City 6-3 in American Association exhibition action at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas. http://www.whitesoxteamshop.com/White-So...ox-Kids-Jersey/. Coach Randy Carlyle didnt know the severity of Bozaks injury. Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. Michael Jordan Jersey . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. Adam Engel Jersey . Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros.BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel will start Clevelands exhibition opener on the sideline. Browns coach Mike Pettine chose Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback for Saturdays game in Detroit, giving the veteran the first chance to impress before Manziel takes the field. Pettine said the decision to start Hoyer over Manziel was based on the veterans performance so far in training camp. "That was his job," Pettine said. "He was the one coming into it. We did want to mix the groups up coming into it, as we did, but hes done nothing to have that taken away from him, so hell be out there with the starters." Manziel has steadily improved, closing the gap on Hoyer in recent days as the rookie becomes more comfortable with the Browns playbook and offence. The former Heisman Trophy winner took his first practice snaps with the first-team offence earlier this week and he could get some playing time with Clevelands starters against the Lions. Manziel said the Xs and Os arent as jumbled in his mind as they were even a few days ago. "You just get out there with a lot less clutter," he said. "Were in to a couple weeks now, and it feels a lot more comfortable for me. Theres still a long ways to go for me obviously, and like I said a week ago, I felt like if I kept working on this stuff and got more and more familiar with a certain play call, a certain formation, a certain concept, then in due time I would get better at certain concepts and theres still a lot more for me to go." The competition between Hoyer and Manziel appears to have tightened, and Pettine said both QBs have made progress during the first two weeks of camp. "Theyve both made improvement, and I think theyre both doing a great job of playing to their skill sets," Pettine said. "Its obviously very different, what they bring to the table. I think Brians starting to feel very comfortable in the pocket." As he works toward naming a starter for the Sept. 7 opener at Pittsburgh, Pettine said more weight will be placed on how Hoyer and Manziel do in the first two preseason games. Pettine would like to have the QB competition -- and all positional battles -- decided before the third exhibition. "Thats the plan," he said. "Ive always been a part of, and more than likely will be here, ressting most of the guys in the fourth game, so that third game is critical to get that chemistry and cohesion.ddddddddddddWeve mixed the lineups a lot, which is good because youre getting guys exposure. Theyre in with the twos. Theyre in with the ones. Theyre going against the ones, going against the twos. At some point, youve got to settle down and develop that chemistry, that cohesion." Hoyer got a jolt on Tuesday when his surgically repaired right knee got hit during practice. Hoyer said linebacker Paul Kruger banged into his knee but that it held up fine. "It was more scary than anything else," he said. "I kind of went down and waited for there to be some pain and there wasnt, so it was actually kind of good to have some confidence going into Saturday knowing Ive actually taken a hit and the brace withstood the hit and the brace felt good. "I was scared for about two seconds and realized there was no pain and got up and went on to the next play." Hoyer hasnt considered taking a day off to rest his knee. "I cant afford it," he said. "Thats what were here for is to play football. I really dont think I need it. I feel fine." At least outwardly, Hoyer isnt showing any fear of Manziel gaining on him. The six-year veteran remains focused on getting better, leading his teammates and earning the trust of his coaches. Hes been prepared, meticulous and unshaken despite having the popular Manziel breathing down his neck. Hoyer knows he needs to play well, but hes not feeling any more pressure than hes already putting on himself. "The way I look at it is I feel like Im the starter until someone tells me otherwise and thats how I prepare," he said. "Even if I werent, Id prepare to be prepared regardless of the situation. You never know when your name is going to get called. Thats how my whole career has been. You kind of have to approach it the same way." NOTES: Browns Pro Bowl TE Jordan Cameron remains sidelined with a shoulder injury and will not play this weekend. ... As he awaits word from the NFL on his appeal of a possible suspension, WR Josh Gordon will be mixed in with the starter and backups vs. the Lions. ... S Tashaun Gipson returned to practice after being out with a sprained knee and is expected to play. 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