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CHICAGO - Forget Patrick Kanes flashy moves and Jonathan Toews steady play. Same for the rest of the talented forwards on the Chicago Blackhawks. Instead, check out the players who line up right behind the teams biggest stars. Chicagos athletic defencemen play a prominent role in the NHLs most potent offence. Duncan Keith leads all NHL defencemen with 30 assists. Niklas Hjalmarsson is on pace for career highs in goals and assists. Brent Seabrook has three goals and 23 assists after he had 20 points in 47 games last season. Nick Leddy and Johnny Oduya also have provided valuable support on offence. Its hard enough for teams to deal with the likes of Kane and Toews. Now, when Keith & Co. are coming up and taking aim, the Blackhawks turn into a goaltenders nightmare. "I love our defence. Theyve been huge for us the past two seasons," forward Patrick Sharp said. "They all skate well. They all move the puck and with the forwards that we have in our locker room, we like to get it with speed and they do a good job of getting it to us. Our defence (has) been the key to our team this year." The importance of Chicagos offensive defencemen was on full display Monday night, when the Blackhawks beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 for their sixth win in the last eight games. Leddy helped set up Kanes tiebreaking goal in the second period, and then capped the scoring with his fifth of the season in the third. Seabrook added two assists. It was the Blackhawks 15th game with at least five goals, running their league-best total to 145. They also lead the NHL with an average of 2.87 points a game by their defencemen, according to STATS, a significant increase from their 2.08 average for last seasons Stanley Cup-winning team. St. Louis, which hosts Chicago on Saturday night, is next on the list with 2.64 points a game for its defencemen and 128 goals overall. "I think as a defence corps you know that its important that we help control the offensive goal, not just necessarily scoring points but just being in on the attack and being an extra option that might create some space for our forwards," said Keith, who also had an assist against the Devils. Keith is one of the top contenders for the Norris Trophy after he took home the award for the NHLs top defenceman in 2010. The 30-year-old Keith, who was selected by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2002 draft, has led the team in ice time every season since he made his debut in 2005. He plays alongside Seabrook in Chicagos top defensive pairing. "The two of them have been together basically since they broke into the league," said coach Joel Quenneville, a former NHL defenceman. "Thats been a big part of our team. When you think about all the shifts theyve played together, theres a lot of familiarity with one another and I think they complement each other for the right reasons." That familiarity is a common theme when it comes to the Blackhawks defencemen. Seabrook, a first-round draft pick by Chicago in 2003, had two of the Blackhawks biggest goals in their run to the title last season. He scored in overtime in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against Detroit after Chicago battled back from a 3-1 series deficit, and then had another overtime winner in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals at Boston. Hjalmarsson also was drafted by the Blackhawks and is in his seventh season with the team. The 22-year-old Leddy, a 2009 first-round selection by Minnesota, was acquired in a trade in 2010 and has played for Chicago for four seasons. Oduya came over in a February 2012 trade with Winnipeg. "Youre with a group or a linemate or a defence partner for a certain amount of time, you develop that chemistry on the ice and even off the ice," Keith said. "You become more familiar with one another and closer. I just think it helps the overall game on the ice knowing what guys tend to do out on the ice and what they want to do." The Blackhawks (26-7-6) also have done a strong job of finding the right players for their system, which emphasizes puck possession. The eight defencemen on Chicagos roster range in height from 6-foot (Leddy and Oduya) to 6-3 (Seabrook and Hjalmarsson) and weight from 190 pounds for Oduya to 221 for Seabrook. The top defencemen are all strong skaters who are comfortable with the puck on their stick and can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. "The style of play fits the player and the player fits style of play," Oduya said. "I think thats important." Bill Walton Jersey . Orlandos Glen Davis tried to get in the way, only to be driven back into the padding under the basket as the Pelicans forward slammed home a windmill jam. Rodney Hood Jersey . I kept my eyes focused up on the camera during each approach. I just tried to stay focused on my form, as I didnt know what the ball reaction was. I was quite emotional at the end. I did not actually see any of the shots in the game until I got home and watched the video. https://www.blazerslockerroom.com/Mario-Hezonja-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 Wednesday night. Rodney Hood Blazers Jersey . The injury will keep the Finnish forward out of the Olympics. The 29-year-old has 20 goals and 41 points in 56 games this season, his first with Tampa Bay. Custom Portland Trail Blazers Jerseys . - Mathew Barzal scored 3:47 into overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds downed the visiting Everett Silvertips 4-3 on Tuesday in Western Hockey League playoff action.LONDON -- Tim Sherwood was fired by Tottenham less than five months into his first management job on Tuesday, having quickly gained a reputation as a lively if erratic figure on the touchline. The inexperienced Englishman was promoted within the north London club in December after Andre Villas-Boas was fired after failing to gel a slew of expensive signings. Although the 45-year-old Sherwood was given an 18-month contract, it contained an end-of-season break clause that Tottenham has now exercised. Amid constant doubts over his future in charge, the clubs former head of football development won 13 out of 22 games in the league, where Tottenham finished sixth to qualify for the Europa League. "We wish him great success in his managerial career," Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said. "Moving forward, now the season is over, we shall embark on the process of finding a new head coach." In the 13 years that Levy has run Tottenham, the club has gone through seven permanent managers. Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with the Tottenham job in recent weeks, while Ajax coach Frank de Boer said last month that Tottenham had approached the Amsterdam club to test his interesst in making the switch.dddddddddddd Tottenham aspires to qualify for the Champions League again, having played one season alongside Europes elite in 2010-11. "We have a talented squad and exciting young players coming through," Levy said. "We need to build on this season, develop our potential and inspire the kind of performances that we associate with our great club." Some of the liveliest performances came on the touchline in the second half of the season, with Sherwood cutting a frantic figure, swearing and engaging with complaining fans. During Sherwoods final match, a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at White Hart Lane on Sunday, Sherwood plucked a heckling supporter from the crowd, handed him his sleeveless jacket and sat him down in the managers chair. "That guy is an expert," Sherwood said. "Every week he tells me what to do, so I gave him the opportunity to have a go." Tottenham didnt pose the same attacking threat without Gareth Bale, who was allowed to join Real Madrid in August for 100 million euros (then $132 million). The cash was invested in signing seven players, including Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen. ' ' '