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CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames shook up their front office Thursday after a disappointing start to the season, firing general manager Jay Feaster and assistant general manager John Weisbrod. The Flames have just 26 points this season, good for 13th place in the 14-team Western Conference. Brian Burke, the teams president of hockey operations, will serve as acting general manager. He said the search for Feasters replacement is underway. Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger the Dallas Stars have granted Calgary permission to speak with former Flames player and Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. Burke felt the moves needed to be made to get the franchise back on track as it tries to pursue a championship. "I wouldnt have come here if that wasnt the ultimate goal," he said. "I have to look at the steps that have been taken and figure out whats the best way for us to get on that path. "And I reached the conclusion that we needed to make this change." Burke, who was hired by the Flames in early September, added that one of the teams priorities is to get tougher and more "truculent." "We want black-and-blue hockey here, thats what we do in Alberta," Burke said. "Weve got to be big and more truculent -- I know youre all waiting for the word, there it is. I want a little more hostility out there than what Im seeing right now." Burke said it was tough to fire Feaster, who he called a friend. But he said potentially unpopular decisions come with the job. "Im not kissing babies up here," he said. "Im not running for office. This is about winning hockey games. And I have to take the steps that I think are going to lead us to win the most hockey games we can win." Calgary took an 11-15-4 record into Thursday nights home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. "If you look at our record, its not where we want to be and we have to change it as players," said Flames captain Mark Giordano. "You could call it whatever, but the bottom line is this: as an organization, Ive been here for a while now, and right from our owners down, we want to win. "Nothing else is acceptable. Weve got to start winning hockey games and push this forward." Burke said there are no plans to make any changes to the coaching staff this season. "When he came in he told me he likes the way that we play," said head coach Bob Hartley. "And this morning he told me again. But at the same time, it doesnt change my job. You come in every day, I have a great coaching staff, we have players that want to learn and they want to work. "It doesnt really change our day-to-day operation." Burke said one of the reasons for the shakeup is that he believes the Flames are giving up points in games they should win. "Im frustrated like all of our fans are with our inability to hold leads," Burke said. "I love how this team works, I love how the coaches are playing the kids ... Im just frustrated that we seem to routinely turn third-period leads into losses." Calgary did not make the playoffs in the two full seasons Feaster served as GM. He took over in an acting role midway through the 2010-11 season, and Calgary did not qualify that year either. "We wish Jay the best," said forward Matt Stajan. "Hes a great man, he did a lot for the guys in that room. Its too bad we didnt show better on the ice but weve got to keep grinding here and find a way to win games." Feaster previously served as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who he guided to a Stanley Cup win in 2004. Burke has had a long career as a hockey executive. He has previously served as GM of the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Hartford Whalers and Anaheim Ducks, who won the Stanley Cup under his watch in 2007. New Balance Outlet Store Australia . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. New Balance Cheap Australia . Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. http://www.cheapaustralianewbalance.com/. JOHNS, N. Cheap New Balance Shoes Australia .Y. - The New York Islanders are brimming with confidence these days, thanks to a standout goalie and a newfound winning attitude. Cheap New Balance Shoes Online Australia . After overcoming a three-goal deficit the Senators forced the game to overtime only to watch it slip away as Seth Jones scored the winner 3:49 into the extra period as the Nashville Predators defeated the Senators 4-3 Monday night.ROME - Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (5), 6-4 on Thursday to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals. Raonic, the No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., won five of the last six points in the first-set tiebreaker. He picked up a break in the second set en route to his first career victory over the 11th-seeded Frenchman. Tsonga outlasted Raonic in a marathon match at the London Olympics in 2012 and beat him again last year at Indian Wells. Raonic hit seven aces and saved five break point chances on the red clay courts at the Foro Italico. Hell make his fourth Masters 1000 Series quarterfinal appearance of the season Friday against Jeremy Chardy of France. Chardy, who upset Roger Federer of Switzerland in the second round, advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Croatias Ivan Dodig. Raonic has yet to reach a semifinal this year. Also Thursday, Rafael Nadal was pushed to three sets for the second consecutive match before ultimately prevailing to set up a quarterfinal against Andy Murray. The top-ranked Nadal dropped behind a set and a break against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, then won 11 of the final 12 games to win 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1 on another windy day at the Foro Italico. "Get used to (it)," Nadal said of his recent struggles. "With the years thats the normal thing. Everybody suffers. Thats part of the sport." At 27, Nadal believed his best days were probably behind him. "At this age, (Bjorn) Borg was doing other things," said Nadal, a 13-time Grand Slam winner. "Its not possible to win for 10 years with easy scores and easy matches. At the same time, Im sure I can do much better than I am doing." Nadal was looking forward to facing Murray for the first time in more than two years. "I play against one of the top players in the world after two tough days," Nadal said. "If I play well Im going to have my chances, if not Im going to spend the weekend (at home) in Mallorca." Murray eliminated Jurgen Melzer of Austria 7-6 (1), 6-4 to celebrate his 27th birthday. In an upset, the seemingly ageless Tommy Haas beat third-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. On the womens side, Maria Sharapovas 12-match winning streak — which included titles in Stuttgart and Madrid — ended with a 6-1, 6-4 loss to Ana Ivanovic. Showing no signs of trouble from the left thigh injury that forced her tto withdraw from Madrid, defending champion Serena Williams cruised past fellow American Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 6-2.dddddddddddd Pushed for three hours by Gilles Simon to nearly midnight a day earlier, Nadal didnt generate the usual depth with his groundstrokes, and began to take control only when Youzhny started committing more unforced errors. "The conditions were very impossible," said Nadal, a seven-time Rome champion. "You always have to find the positive thing. I was able to play with the right motivation even if the feeling was not perfect." Nadal consistently ran around his backhand, a shot that also caused him concern in recent losses to David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, respectively. Of Nadals 29 winners, only two of them came with his backhand. Haas, the oldest player in the draw at 36, used his expertise to give Wawrinka trouble with heavy topspin. Haas last beat a top-10 player more than a year ago in Miami, where he took out then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic. "These things dont happen too often anymore, so when I take them Im really proud of them," the German said. He has been winning this week in Rome for the first time since he lost the 2002 final to Andre Agassi. Wawrinka cited a back injury that occurred in colder conditions during his opening win. "I couldnt move too well," he said. "Its really nothing serious. Its just painful and I need some rest — maybe a few days." Wawrinka has made a great start by winning the Australian Open and the Monte Carlo Masters but another early exit in last weeks Madrid Open leaves his form in question with the French Open starting in 10 days. Haas quarterfinal opponent will be Grigor Dimitrov, who at 22 is the youngest player in the top 20. Dimitrov rallied past sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2. Fifth-seeded David Ferrer beat Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 6-2, 6-3 and will meet either Novak Djokovic or Philipp Kohlschreiber, who were playing late. In womens play, second-seeded Li Na defeated Sam Stosur 6-3, 6-1 and will next meet Sara Errani of Italy, who kept the crowd content by beating Czech qualifier Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 7-6 (3). Also, third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska eliminated Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-1, and will play 2007 and 2008 Rome champion Jelena Jankovic, who got by Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-3. ' ' '