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DALLAS -- When the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars meet Thursday night at American Airlines Center, both teams hope to have important contributors back on the ice.Colorado, which beat the visiting Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Tuesday, is starting a three-game road trip. The Avalanche (7-8-0) might see the return of forward Matt Duchene, who leads the team with six goals and 11 points.Duchene missed the past two games with concussion symptoms.Meanwhile, the Stars (6-6-5) could get back center Cody Eakin, who has yet to play this season due to a knee injury he sustained during preseason.Duchene said after practice Wednesday, I feel good right now. Well see what (Wednesday) brings. I feel better every day. Today I felt like I could be myself out there.Avalanche coach Jared Bednar shares Duchenes optimism that the veteran could be back in the mix against Colorados Central Division rivals.As long as he feels good ... then he should be a player for us, Bednar said.Two Colorado players who scored in the win against the Kings, captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, missed practice Wednesday, absences which Bednar termed as maintenance days.I think they both got dinged up just a little bit (Tuesday) night, Bednar said. I think theyre going to be fine, but were just going to keep them off the ice (Wednesday).One decision Bednar already made about Thursday is that Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 32 of 33 shots against the Kings, will start between the pipes.Hes played three really strong games here for us, Bednar said. We like what (Varlamov) has done lately, so were going to go with him again.Dallas started its three-game homestand with a 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, the Stars ninth consecutive OT defeat.Stars coach Lindy Ruff didnt like the energy level he saw from his team against the Devils, so he made both Wednesdays practice and Thursdays morning skate optional.This is a physical grind, its a mental grind, Ruff said Wednesday. We had a team that lacked energy (Tuesday) night. Im going to try to switch things up maybe from game to game. I think it mentally freshens up our personnel.One player who was on the ice at the Stars practice facility in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday was Eakin. He was a key faceoff man who centered Dallas top line for a good part of last season.Feeling pretty good, getting back to where I want to be, Eakin said after practice Wednesday.Ruff makes no secret of his love for Eakins game and what he brings to the ice for Dallas, qualities the Stars missed so far this season.Well, he is our guy that typically goes head to head with the other teams top player, Ruff said of Eakin. Hes probably our best down-low centerman. He brings some speed down the middle, which is important for our game.At some point this week, Dallas also figures to get back veteran forward Patrick Sharp, who missed the past 13 games due to a concussion he sustained Oct. 20 against the Kings.However, instead of seeing Sharp back on the ice against Colorado, it sounds like a more realistic scenario that his return would be Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, according to Ruff.No matter whether Duchene returns for the Avalanche or Eakin is back on the ice for the Stars, the man behind the Dallas bench knows what sort of game is in store for both teams on Thursday evening.Well, I expect a desperate team, Ruff said of the Avalanche. Its a team that got off to a real good start, struggled a little bit, and now they seem to be going a little bit better. Theyve got good speed up front. I want to see our energy up. I want to see our puck possession up. Air Max 90 Womens Nz . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Nike Air Max 90 Nz .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. http://www.airmaxnzwholeale.com/cheap-air-max-axis-nz.html . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Nike Air Max 270 Nz Womens . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. Nike Air Max Tavas Nz . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. MILWAUKEE -- Jonathan Villar had to wait to celebrate his first walk-off hit in the major leagues.Villar hit a game-ending RBI single with two outs in the ninth, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.The play had to be reviewed while Villar and his teammates gathered behind the mound.We were pretty confident he was safe, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.Villars hit, off Seung Hwan Oh, got past diving third baseman Greg Garcia. Left fielder Tommy Phams throw to the plate was on line and Yadier Molina slapped a quick tag on Kirk Nieuwenhuis as he slid. Home plate umpire Will Little ruled Nieuwenhuis safe, leading to an argument from Molina.The call was confirmed after a brief review setting off a celebration.I was ready for that turn at-bat, Villar said.Nieuwenhuis said getting a running lead with a 3-2 count on Villar was crucial in beating the throw to the plate.It was really important because I had to avoid the third baseman, too, he said. He dove for the ball and I kind of had to re-route and I almost rolled an ankle because I had to avoid him and touch the bag.Chris Carter homered twice for Milwaukee, and Jonathan Lucroy also went deep. Jeremy Jeffress (2-4) got the win in relief.Nieuwenhuis led off the ninth with a walk off Trevor Rosenthal (2-4). He moved to second on a sacrifice by Hernan Perez.Carter connected for a towering leadoff drive in the second against Michael Wacha, but the Cardinals jumped in front on consecutive run-scoring singles by All-Star Aledmys Diaz and Matt Holliday in the third.The Brewers regained the lead in the sixth on back-to-back home runs by Lucroy and Carter. Lucroys home run, which bounced back onto the field, was upheld after a review. It was Carters fourth multihomer game this season.Wacha was hit in the lower right leg by a low liner off the bat of Villar with one out in tthe seventh.dddddddddddd The ball, which struck Wacha on the right heel, ricocheted to Garcia, who threw Villar out at first.Wacha remained sprawled on the mound for several minutes while the team trainer examined his leg before walking off the field on his own.Molinas leadoff homer in the eighth against Will Smith tied it at 3.Milwaukees Jimmy Nelson allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. He walked four, one intentionally, and struck out two.Wacha surrendered three runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.RIVERA RETURNSThe Brewers recalled INF Yadiel Rivera from Triple-A Colorado Springs. He fills the roster spot of Aaron Hill, who was traded on Thursday to Boston for Aaron Wilkerson and Wendell Rijo.SPLITTING TIMEHernan Perez and Will Middlebrooks will share third-base duties with the departure of Hill, who had been the everyday starter at the position, Counsell said.PIGEON PLAYAfter throwing out Garcia on a ground ball leading off the game, Brewers 2B Scooter Gennett had to duck out of the way of a swooping pigeon.NO ALL-STAR NOD FOR BRAUNBrewers OF Ryan Braun finished fifth out of five players vying for the final spot on the National League All-Star team. San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt won the fan balloting.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: 3B Jhonny Peralta (left thumb) took batting practice but didnt start. He pinch-hit in the ninth and flied out to right field.UP NEXTCardinals: Carlos Martinez (7-6, 2.90 ERA) is winless in his last four starts despite a 1.33 ERA. Martinez is 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA in five career starts versus Milwaukee.Brewers: Chase Anderson (4-9, 5.49) is 0-3 with a 10.91 ERA over his last four starts. He is 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA in two starts against St. Louis this season. ' ' '