NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Predators wanted experience and a proven winner as their new head coach, and general manager David Poile believes thats what they got in hiring Peter Laviolette -- just the second coach in the franchises history. Laviolette has won nine of the 14 post-season series he has coached with the Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers. He also won the Stanley Cup in 2006 with Carolina and coached the Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in 2010. The Predators announced Tuesday they signed him to a multi-year contract. "Weve taken a big leap in the right direction getting our team back on the path, and that path is toward the playoffs," Poile said at a news conference. The Predators reached the Western Conference semifinals in 2011 and 2012 but missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Laviolette will take over in Nashville once he finishes coaching the United States at the 2014 World Championship. He said in a statement he loves the Predators nucleus starting with defenceman Shea Weber and goaltender Pekka Rinne. "My challenge will be to impart a system that enables our young forwards to thrive and reach their offensive potential," Laviolette said. "Being a perennial Stanley Cup contender requires buy-in, passion and commitment from every player on the roster. I cant wait to get to Nashville and get started on our journey." Poile said hes known Laviolette for years through USA Hockey. Also general manager of the 2014 U.S. Olympic team, Poile named Laviolette one of that teams three coaches. He also interviewed Laviolette for the Predators job along with a couple others he did not name originally planning to hire his new coach in June. Openings in Florida, Carolina, Washington and Vancouver prompted Poile to move quicker to avoid losing Laviolette. Poile said he was very comfortable hiring Laviolette. "Basically in some form, I was interviewing him all year long," Poile said. Laviolette has been a head coach over 12 seasons starting with the New York Islanders between 2001 and 2003, Carolina from 2003-09 and Philadelphia from 2009 until October. He has 389 wins and 866 career points and six playoff berths, winning nine series. He helped the Islanders end a seven-year post-season drought with back-to-back berths in 2002 and 2003, and the Flyers lost the cup to Chicago in six games in 2010. Laviolette is considered an offensive-minded coach with his teams finishing in the Top 10 in six of his eight full seasons and not lower than 13th in goals scored. That helps fill a major need for the Predators who scored only 216 goals this season when they finished three points out of the final Western Conference playoff berth. Poile said he wanted a coach with a different style of play, and Laviolettes teams play more up-tempo and are more offensive oriented. Thats what Poile wants out of the Predators. The general manager said theyve been working to improve their forwards, including trading Martin Erat in March 2013 for Filip Forsberg and David Legwand to Detroit this March for Calle Jarnkrok. Forward also is likely to be the position the Predators draft with the 11th pick overall in June. Young forwards already on the roster will get a second chance with Laviolette. Mix that with what Poile believes is one of the best defences in the NHL, and he expects the Predators to be back in the playoffs next year. "With his system and different ideas if you will, I think offensively we have a chance to be a lot better under his leadership," Poile said. Forward Matt Cullen helped Laviolette win the Stanley Cup in Carolina and is looking forward to playing for him again. "Hes a great fit for our team and what we need going forward," Cullen said on a conference call. "And I just think a lot of Peter as a coach. Hes a good person, and he just has that real ability to bring out the best in all of his players." The Predators also hired Kevin McCarthy as an assistant coach. He joins assistant coaches Phil Housley and Lane Lambert. They worked with Barry Trotz, the only other coach for this franchise who the Predators announced April 14 that he would not return. Deandre Ayton Jersey . Ricciardos exclusion from the results tarnished what had been a day of celebration for local fans, who were jubilant that the Red Bull driver had apparently become the first Australian to finish on the podium at his home race. However just before midnight, stewards ruled that Ricciardos car had "exceeded consistently the maximum allowed fuel flow" and that the team refused an instruction from the races technical delegate Charlie Whiting to change the fuel-flow sensor before the race and a further request during the race to reduce the fuel flow. Kelly Oubre Jr. Suns Jersey . Wheeler said Kane was just making a joke that was misunderstood and misinterpreted by "Winnipeg folks" and the media once again. Wheeler repeated that he believes Kane is a player who has the ability to help the Jets get to the next level as they try once again to reach the playoffs in 2014. He made the comments initially in an interview, when asked how the Jets could compete in the Central Division with teams that have made some high-profile off-season signings. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/Isaiah...Edition-Jersey/. 8 Sergio Parisse for its penultimate Six Nations match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. Charles Barkley Jersey . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Dan Majerle Jersey . -- During Kansas shootaround on Wednesday before the Jayhawks faced Oklahoma, coach Bill Self told Wayne Selden Jr. NEW YORK -- Part of Brooklyns resurgence this month has been due, in large part, to the team trusting each other on both ends of the court and buying into first-year coach Jason Kidds plan. The Nets continued their winning ways Tuesday by sweeping a back-to-back set for the first time this season, beating the Orlando Magic 101-90 a night after routing the crosstown rival New York Knicks. "Its a sign that were showing consistency with what were trying to do around here," said Nets forward Paul Pierce, who along with Joe Johnson, the other forward in Kidds small lineup, chipped 13 points apiece. Andray Blatche had another great game off the bench, scoring a team-high 18 points, and reserve forward Mirza Teletovic added 14 points as the Nets won for the eighth time in nine games. "Were not only winning, but were pretty convincingly turning it on in the third quarter with the defence, the way were moving the ball, Pierce said. "Thats what we want. Thats all he wants out of us, night in, night out, a consistent effort. Thats what were trying to do especially in back-to-backs." The Nets 8-1 start in January is an NBA best after a disappointing 10-21 start to their second season in Brooklyn. The Nets improved to 2-6 in the second game of a back-to-back. Once again, Kidd stuck with the same starting unit since Deron Williams went down with an ankle injury. Kidds starting five of Pierce, Johnson, Kevin Garnett, Alan Anderson and Shaun Livingston improved to 6-0. "For us coming off the back-to-back, we havent had that much success -- if any. This was more or less -- no matter who the opponent was -- it was about trying to get a win against a team we hadnt had back-to-back win," Kidd said. Despite heavy snow that was expected to dump 8-14 inches on the city, there were barely any empty seats with 15,482 in attendance at Barclays Center. New York City native Kyle OQuinn led Orlando with 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench. ETwaun Moore had 13 points for the Magic, who lost for the 10th time in 11 games. Brooklyn built an early seven-point lead in the second quarter after Williams, who came off the bench for the second straight game, hit a 3-pointer to make it 31-24 with just 10:34 remmaining.dddddddddddd But the second unit started to lose that lead as the offence became stagnant. Tied 38-all with 3:51 remaining in the second quarter, the Nets went on an 8-4 run to close out the first half up 46-42. The Nets, who had been plagued by a lack of effort in the second half during the first two months of the season, buckled down in the beginning of the third quarter after allowing the Magic to hit 50 per cent of their shots in the first half. Brooklyn came out focused on the defensive end as they had done during its previous seven victories and held the Magic to just 3 for 21 from the field. "Well that was the difference in the game, the third quarter", Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn said. "Their approach, the way they came out. They hit us first and we didnt have an answer." Orlando missed its first nine shots of the quarter and the Nets were able to capitalize, going on an 18-6 run to take a 64-48 lead with 5:09 left in the period. Aaron Afflalo then made the Magics first bucket with 4:50 remaining. "We stopped moving the ball. We stopped playing together. We stopped playing defence. We stopped doing everything. ... We just laid down," said Magic forward Glen Davis. "To be in the game and to have a chance to win the game and we just let it go like that, its just really disappointing." The 14 points scored by Orlando in that quarter were a Nets opponent season low. Williams had nine points and dished out nine assists in 28 minutes. It was his second game back after missing the last five due to a sprained ankle. "I think our third quarters have been a lot better. That was a problem a lot in the first half of the season," Williams said. "We just came out and couldnt get going and got blown out the water. Weve definitely been better since the start of the new year." The Nets have allowed 91.7 points per game during their eight wins in January. NOTES: Brooklyn has won four straight games over Southeast Division opponents after starting out the year 1-4. Theyve beaten Atlanta twice, Miami and now Orlando. . Williams nine assists moved him past Stephon Marybury into eighth place on the teams all-time assist list. . Blatche has averaged 19.7 points during his last three games. ' ' '