Kansas State has scored on all 16 trips inside the opponents 2

On the day last week that Team USA announced its leadership group, a few eyebrows were raised that Patrick Kane got an A as an alternate captain.Even Kane, the defending Hart Trophy winner and NHL scoring champion, acknowledged that wearing a letter with this team wasnt something he had necessarily anticipated.Its a pretty huge honor, he said. I dont know if I was really expecting it. But I think theres so many great leaders in here.Team USA head coach John Tortorella, as he is wont to do, was unequivocal about his decision to not only include Kane in the teams leadership group, but to bestow upon him an even greater symbol of leadership with an A.He deserves it, the coach said, who also named Joe Pavelski captain and Ryan Suter the other alternate captain.Its not that Kanes resume doesnt speak to greatness. It does.Three Stanley Cups, rookie-of-the-year honors, a playoff MVP award, a silver medal in the 2010 Olympics and, of course, last years dazzling regular season that saw him become the first-ever American to win a scoring title, which went along with his first MVP nod.A money player? One of the best of his generation. But a heart-and-soul guy? A leader?Thats a different story.With the Chicago Blackhawks, it has always been captain Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa. Those were the guys, at least in terms of the notion of leadership. Sure, its nuance, but Kane was different, an immense talent to be sure. But different.Maybe part of this has been his style of play: wildly creative as opposed to possessing the grit we ascribe to most so-called leaders in the game. Maybe part of this has been his past, which has always been a complicated bit of work, given repeated off-ice troubles, including last summers allegation that he sexually assaulted a girl in his Buffalo-area home. Criminal charges were never filed, but the incident polarized how the public views a player who might well end his career as the greatest American player of all time.But the A signals something different for Kane as we head into the World Cup of Hockey. On a U.S. team full of grit and determination, he is now being expected to be something different -- or perhaps something more.I dont coach him, but I watch him during our year, and I listen to him and I see maturity about him, Tortorella said. I cant get too deep into that, but I want him to take more responsibility now. I think hes ready for more responsibility as a leader of a USA team.And so coming off his most successful season as an individual, Kane has now been given a platform that will allow him to, if not redefine himself, then at least enlarge his portfolio, expand his hockey persona.I dont think its something that is going to change who I am or change the way I play or anything like that, Kane said, but its just kind of a nice honor for the team to give me. And, besides, I think were looking to everyone in this locker room to help lead in some way or another.Longtime NHLer and current national broadcaster Ed Olczyk said he would have gone as far to give the C to Kane, although he did praise the selection of Pavelski as the Team USA captain.In my eyes, whether he has a letter or not, he has learned and earned how to and is a leader, Olczyk said.Former goalie and longtime NHL analyst Kevin Weekes, who is providing analysis for ESPN during the World Cup, echoed those sentiments, saying that there is often a predisposition to downplay the leadership roles of highly skilled players.They discredit his work ethic because of his skill, Weekes said. But they dont know his skill is because of his work ethic.I think this is another step for him, Weekes added. I know that hes had missteps along the way, as many of us have had, all of us. Hes a very, very, very passionate hockey player and hes committed to being great.Not everyone feels the same way. One longtime player and scout said simply he believes the A is based solely on skill.Either youre a leader or you arent, the former player said via text. Maybe the most dangerous offensive player in the world. His name and game-breaking qualities allow them to put an A on his jersey. Not because of leadership and character qualities. Just how I see it.This past summer was a different one for Kane, 27, on a number of different fronts. First, it was a lot longer than most recent summers because the Blackhawks were dispatched in the first round by the St. Louis Blues,?after going to either the conference finals or the Stanley Cup finals five of the previous seven seasons. Second, he spent most of his summer in Chicago, as opposed to his native Buffalo, where he has traditionally spent most of his offseasons. He played golf and worked out with a different group of NHLers and Blackhawks prospects. But one thing he didnt do was spend much time reflecting on his season, instead looking forward to proving it was not a one-off.You win an award like [the Hart], and I think for me you dont really want to see that as a fluke, Kane said. You want to come back, and I think thats where the motivation is for me now. Obviously, you dont want to have that one good season and then fall down. You want to keep that level of consistency.Is he more mature? Different?I still feel Im the same person, Kane said. For me, ... I havent really changed who I am as a person, just kind of as you get older, you figure some things out. Kind of grow up at your own rate, I guess.Whether its a throwaway line or not, his teammates and opponents seem to agree there is an ongoing maturation from Kane.Someone that has the vision that he has and sees the game, slows it down, said former Blackhawks teammate Dustin Byfuglien, who now faces Kane regularly as a member of the Winnipeg Jets and is a Team USA teammate.Its just maturity, the big defenseman added. The older you get, the more you get comfortable with your environment. You know how to slow the game down. He can make some adjustments as he goes. Hes done a lot of great things.David Backes, now with the Boston Bruins, has played with Kane in two Olympics and has squared off dozens of times as a member of the Blues.I think theres no denying theres world-class skill and ability there, said Backes. Winning a Hart Trophy last year is definitely a symptom of that. A guy you always have to be aware of on the ice. If you dont play him the right way, hes making you pay in a big way and can win games on his own. ... All those things come to mind.Like many of his U.S. teammates, there is much to prove for Kane in the short-term at the World Cup of Hockey. He had a difficult Olympics in Russia, coming pretty much straight from his grandfathers funeral to then fail to score in six games, missing two penalty shots in the Americans disappointing loss to Finland in the bronze-medal game.Its kind of the challenge thats ahead of us, Kane said. Canadas proven themselves for the last five, six years as the best hockey country in the world, and we feel we have something to say about that and want to prove ourselves. Its a great opportunity for us to do it here in this World Cup.As it turns out, opportunities might abound for both this team -- and those chosen to lead it. Nike Air Vapormax Kpu . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. Air Max 2018 Elite . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. http://www.2018airmax97.it/nike-air-max-2018.html .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Air Max 90 2018 .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Nike Air Vapormax Flyknit Donna . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Linebacker Justin Arndt has been around as long as West Virginia has been in the Big 12. Five seasons in, Arndt and the Mountaineers are still looking for a way to figure out how to outfox Kansas State.From Collin Klein and Tyler Lockett to Kody Cook and Morgan Burns, the Wildcats have gotten the best of the Mountaineers since 2012. Kansas State and Oklahoma are the only two league teams to defeat West Virginia every year.Everyone knows it. Its not something that goes under the radar, Arndt said. Theyve beat us for the past four years.West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said he and his staff didnt need to remind each other about what the Wildcats have done.We understand K-State has been a thorn in our side, Holgorsen said.When the Wildcats (2-1) travel to meet West Virginia (3-0) on Saturday, theyll bring the nations top defense, although last weeks 35-0 win over Missouri State ended at halftime due to storms.Kansas State has allowed just four touchdowns and 537 total yards.West Virginia gets almost that every game and its fast-tempo offense that averages 80 plays will test the Wildcats ability to be ready.We worked against it diligently and constantly, but it is always a concern because you have not experienced it on game day yet, said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. There are other schools in our conference that are even faster, so we know that is on the landscape right now.Quarterback Skyler Howard wasnt at his best against the Wildcats a year ago, completing just 19 of 42 passes. He also couldnt convert a run on fourth-and-2 late in the game near midfield. Kansas State then ran out the clock and won 24-23 .So far this year, Howard has improved both his poise and his accuracy. Hes been sacked only once behind a veteran offensive line and has completed 69 percent of his paasses for 974 yards.dddddddddddd Nine of his 31 completions last week against BYU went to running backs.They are doing it all, Snyder said. If you dont keep him contained, then he can bounce out of there and find open receivers, Snyder said.---Things to know about the meeting between the Wildcats and the Mountaineers:LEAKY RUN DEFENSE: The Mountaineers are giving up an average of 215 yards on the ground, second worst in the Big 12 only to Kansas. Kansas State uses a bevy of running backs and is averaging 5.5 yards per rush. Earlier this month Kansas State piled up 336 yards and seven touchdowns on 54 carries against Florida Atlantic . We got our work cut out for us on defense, Holgorsen said.RED-ZONE WAR: Kansas State has scored on all 16 trips inside the opponents 20-yard line, including 14 touchdowns. West Virginia has allowed six TDs in opponents 12 red-zone trips.SOLID RETURNS: Kansas States Morgan Burns returned a kickoff for a TD against the Mountaineers last year, and Tyler Lockett had a punt return TD against West Virginia in 2014. This year, the Mountaineers have to worry about Dominique Heath, who already has a 75-yard punt return TD this season.LAMBERT IS BACK: West Virginia kicker Josh Lambert returns from a three-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of Big 12 rules. Two years ago Lambert was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nations top placekicker.LESSON LEARNED? Snyder benched running back Charles Jones last week against Missouri State when Jones dropped the ball immediately after he scored on a one-yard run and then struck a pose for the home crowd on Kansas States first series.---AP College Football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '