TORONTO -- The Toronto Marlies lost the special-teams battle to the visiting Rochester Americans and that made all the difference. The Marlies surrendered two power-play goals and failed to score on six man-advantage opportunities en route to a 4-1 defeat in American Hockey League action on Saturday. "One of the keys we talked about in the dressing room was the special teams game," said Marlies coach Steve Spott. "They go 2-for-7 and were 0-for-6 and thats the hockey game. "The effort was there but ultimately our challenge is pure finishing around the net. We have to find ways to manufacture offence and it may not be pretty." Rochesters Luke Adam scored his seventh goal in seven games, and extended his goal-scoring streak to four games. Mike Zigomanis, Alexander Sulzer and Phil Varone -- with an empty-netter -- provided the rest of the Americans offence. Adam and Varone chipped in with an assist apiece for two-point games. The contest also marked Zigomanis return to Toronto, where he spent the previous four seasons with the Marlies before signing with Rochester last summer. "Theyve got some veterans over there, theyve got some offensive weapons over there that were good tonight," Spott said. "When you look at Luke Adam and how hes playing right now, hes a natural finisher and hes getting it done." With the victory, their third win in four outings, the Americans improved to 4-2-1 on the season. Matt Hackett was sharp in the Rochester goal, making 29 saves and surviving a penalty shot. The Americans netminder was the beneficiary of solid team defence in front of him, and also got some help from his goalposts. Toronto defenceman John-Michael Liles clanged one midway through the second period and again in the third, and Marlies defender T.J. Brennan hit the post on a penalty shot early in the third period. "Give Hackett some credit," Spott said. "Usually the goalie has to be your best penalty-killer and I thought he was excellent for them tonight." Spencer Abbott had the lone goal for Toronto, his first of the season, in front of 4,169 fans at Ricoh Coliseum. "I tipped one off the crossbar right before (scoring) and I missed an open net earlier, so I was thinking it might be tough to get that first one," said Abbott, who has eight assists in six games. "But it just squirted out and (Kevin) Marshall made a nice play a it was a tap-in." Toronto goalie Garret Sparks, making his second start of the season, had 25 saves in a losing effort. "He battled hard, he competed, I dont fault him on any of the goals," Spott said. "He was solid, he gave us a chance to win." The Marlies have dropped three of their past four games, scoring a total of six goals in that span, to fall to 4-3-0. "We have an elite group of defencemen here, weve got some offensively gifted defencemen, so the message is get pucks to the net and then the forwards have to get around the net," Spott said. "Theres some natural finish that you need to have, but we did a good job. We generated a lot, we had pucks around the net. a But ultimately we have to allow our power play to get us a goal every night because 5-on-5, its a struggle for us to score regularly." Adam opened the scoring on the power play when he whipped a high wrist shot from the right faceoff circle past Sparks glove at 16:09 of the first period, just four seconds after Torontos Tyler Biggs was sent off for holding. Zigomanis, with his third goal of the season, whacked a rebound over Sparks blocker at 7:12 of the second period. Sulzer made it 3-0 for the visitors when Adam fired a cross-ice pass which the Americans defenceman one-timed into the gaping net at 16:58 of the middle frame. After Brennans penalty shot hit iron early in the third period, Abbott deposited a rebound into the open net to put the Marlies on the scoreboard at 10:16 and Varone closed out the scoring with an unassisted empty-netter at 19:45. The Marlies visit the Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday, while the Americans are off until next Friday when they host the Syracuse Crunch. Carnell Lake 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. Terry Bradshaw Jersey . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. http://www.cheapsteelersjerseysauthentic...-brown-jersey.C. - The housecleaning continues for the B. Rod Woodson Jersey . After making his All-Star debut in Fridays Rising Stars Challenge, the Raptors sophomore centre wont be sticking around for the duration of the weekends festivities, thinking about the big picture instead. Troy Polamalu Jersey . - The Green Bay Packers got back to work on Friday without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The numbers, at least by James Harrisons impeccably high standards, arent good enough. Not by a long shot.Try to offer the occasionally snarly Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker an olive branch about the improvement in the teams run defence over the last two months and he swats it away.By no means is it where we would like it to be, Harrison said.Maybe, but the Steelers (9-5) are closer to respectable than they were two months ago. After a sluggish start in which the front seven played as if stuck on a treadmill running in reverse, Pittsburgh is showing flashes of reponsible play.The dividing line is pretty clear, at least on paper. The Steelers are 5-2 in their last seven games, allowing less than 100 yards rushing in all five wins and more than 100 yards on the ground in both losses. Whichever trend holds up on Sunday against Kansas City (8-6) will likely determine whether Pittsburgh ends the weekend with its first playoff berth in three years.Pittsburgh is 11th in the NFL against the run, not bad until you consider the franchise ranked in the top 10 every season from 2004-12, a stretch that included three Super Bowl appearances and two championships.Harrison, who has been limited by a knee injury the last two weeks, knows the difference between good and great. At the moment, he figures the Steelers are passable at best.Were going to continue to work at getting it better and getting our defence all-around better, Harrison said. Our location and assignments and just making plays when we in position to make plays.Theyre coming, but not with the frequency Harrison would like.Pittsburgh has given up just two rushing touchdowns since Halloween, including a fluky 20-yard sprint by Cincinnatis Andy Dalton two weeks ago that proved only a footnote in a resounding 42-21 win over the Bengals. The large swaths of green grass opponents darted through in September and October have closed up of late as Pittsburghs revamped group of linebackers has discovered some cohesion.Injuries to Harrison, Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier forced defensive co-ordinator Dick LeBeau to give Arthur Moats, Vince Williams and Sean Spence extended playingg time.dddddddddddd Finding the right mix with so many new faces was not easy. Pittsburgh gave up 132 yards rushing four times in the seasons first seven weeks, often putting up little resistance until running backs were well into the secondary.I feel like in the past weve got hurt because we were trying to do too much at certain times and we werent as mentally disciplined as we need to be, Moats said. Weve got to keep our eyes on our assignment. For us to go forward and go where we want to go, we need to continue to do that.Considering the way quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the NFLs top-ranked offence is currently piling up yards and points, the Steelers dont need to shut opponents down so much as they simply need to slow them down.Theyll face perhaps their biggest test of the season from the Chiefs, who rely heavily on the electric running back tandem of Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis. The two have combined for 1,388 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. While Kansas City quarterback Alex Smiths inability to throw to a wide receiver in the end zone has become a punchline of sorts, Moats figures that just makes what the Chiefs are able to do even more impressive.Even without an outside threat, Kansas City is in the thick of the post-season chase even though everyone knows exactly what is coming.The fact that theyre still winning games and havent been able to have passing touchdowns like that, it shows that theyre a very resourceful team, Moats said.One that figures to put whatever momentum the Steelers believe theyve found to the test. With the defence as healthy as it has been all season, Pittsburgh is running out of time and excuses.Earlier in the year we were getting used to guys, guys didnt really know how each other are playing, Jones said. Guys are feeding off each other now and getting into the right places. I think its all coming together.NOTES: Safety Mike Mitchell (groin), safety Troy Polamalu (knee) and tight end Matt Spaeth (elbow) did not practice. ... Center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) and cornerback Ike Taylor (shoulder/forearm) were limited.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '