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VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks had a December to remember. Since the calendar flipped to 2014, its been a very unhappy new year. After compiling a 10-1-2 mark last month that put some distance between the teams chasing them in the Western Conference wildcard race, the Canucks have lost five in a row, including four straight to start January. The latest setback came Tuesday, when the Pittsburgh Penguins scored twice in the final 1:11 of regulation with their goalie pulled to tie the game before winning 5-4 in a shootout. All told, the Canucks have given up six goals in five games this season when opponents have their goalie on the bench for an extra attacker. "Late in games, I always talk about situational play," Canucks head coach John Tortorella said after Thursdays practice at Rogers Arena. "Situational play is a mindset and we have not totally grasped that. Thats a mental toughness, to me. I believe you can develop that type of mental toughness -- to play in the (hard) areas at certain times, at certain (moments) of games. "I think at times weve done it this year, and obviously of late here, we havent." Tortorella said the only way to deal with blown leads is to get back on the horse. "You hope youre leading again 3-2 in the third period ... and you find a way to get it done," he said. "You need to grasp something." Tortorella said that for him, the most fascinating part of coaching is the mind, adding that its his job to make sure players learn how to be tough mentally game in and game out. "I tell the players theyre screwed -- if I see it once, I know its there," said Tortorella. "When you show signs you can do it, then you need to demand yourself to do it more consistently. Thats a big part of our responsibility. Ive seen us play stiff enough to handle situations. "When youre developing an identity of a hockey club, it falls on the coach to demand it and keep it there. Im in it with them as far this little slump here." Vancouvers current losing streak includes road defeats to the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks currently sit in the first wildcard position, but they host the powerhouse St. Louis Blues on Friday before travelling back to Los Angeles and Anaheim as part of a three-game roadtrip. "The schedules not getting any easier," said Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa. "Weve got a lot teams that are ahead of us in the standings that were playing. These are the teams we have to beat if we want to catch them." Bieksa said the players arent dwelling on the late-game collapses, but are instead trying to learn from the mistakes. "Sometimes maybe we clench up a bit towards the end of the game with the lead because weve lost it so many times and its in the back of guys head," he said. "You still have to go out there and make a play. Its not just going back and just hammering pucks around the boards and shooting it out and then they come right back on you. "Somebodys got to make a play. Somebodys got to make a tape-to-tape pass. Somebodys got to hold onto a puck down low and kill some time. Someones got to beat a guy and get a shot on net. Its just a mindset of continuing to play the same way." Apart from blowing leads, the Canucks have also had a miserable time in the shootout this season. Vancouver has a meagre 2-6 record and is a combined 4-for-32 on shootout attempts. Tortorella had the Canucks practice the shootout for nearly 15 minutes at the end of practice on Thursday, with fourth-liner Zac Dalpe and defenceman Jason Garrison finding a measure of success. Tortorella downplayed the exercise, saying its impossible to mimic game shootout conditions in practice, before sharing what he thought of NHL games being decided by a skills competition. "It should be out of the league," he said. "That gimmick should be out of the league." Note: Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows and defenceman Alexander Edler were both full participants at Thursdays practice, but Tortorella said neither has been cleared to play. Burrows has been out with a broken jaw, while Edler has been sidelined by a knee injury. Nike Sneakers Kopen . Casey Janssen was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday due to a strain in his left abdominal area and lower back. Goedkope Nike Sneakers Dames . Terry came from Boston along with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce but has appeared in just 35 games after a knee injury, averaging 4.5 points on 36 per cent shooting. Evans was a favourite of fans but not coach Jason Kidd, who used him in just 30 of their 51 games. http://www.goedkopenikesneakers.com/ .com) - The Columbus Blue Jackets rewarded starting goaltender and pending restricted free agent Sergei Bobrovsky with a four-year contract extension on Friday. Goedkope Nike Sneakers . On July 27 cyclings best-known race will host "La Course by Le Tour de France" -- a one-day womens competition staged hours before Tour riders race on the same circuit to finish the three-week event on Paris Champs-Elysees. Nike Sneakers Nederland . -- Kevin Harvick pulled away on a restart with 47 laps to go and ended Chase Elliotts two-race winning streak in NASCARs Nationwide Series with a dominating victory early Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. PHILADELPHIA -- Forget tanking. Rookie Michael Carter-Williams and the Philadelphia 76ers cant lose. Pegged in the preseason to be one of the leagues worst teams, the Sixers continued their stunning start to the season, beating the Chicago Bulls 107-104 on Saturday night behind 26 points and 10 assists from Carter-Williams. Evan Turner had 20 points and Spencer Hawes added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the supposedly rebuilding Sixers (3-0), who have already defeated the Washington Wizards and two-time defending champion Miami Heat to rise to first place in the Atlantic Division. "We understand what everybody has said and written about us," first-year coach Brett Brown said. "Our guys have put in the day-to-day stuff, which has always been our message. Im lucky Ive found a group that enjoys each others company and they enjoy playing together." Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 22 points and 10 rebounds and Luol Deng had 20 points. Still dealing with neck soreness, Derrick Rose finished with 13 points and six assists for Chicago, shooting 4 for 14 from the field and committing eight turnovers. "I would blame tonight on me," said Rose, who wore tape around his neck for the second straight game. "Turnovers, missed shots, miscommunication -- I just couldnt get in my groove." After trailing by as many as 18 points earlier in the second half, the Sixers took a 100-99 lead with 3:29 left after Carter-Williams picked up a loose ball and calmly laid it in. It was the Sixers first time in front since they led 11-10 midway through the first quarter. Rose buried a 3-pointer with 2:12 left to put the Bulls in front 104-102 but the 2011 MVP committed turnovers on the next two Chicago possessions, allowing the Sixers to tie the game on a layup by Turner and then take a 105-104 lead when Turner made one of two free throws with 1:30 remaining. With 5.9 seconds left, Hawes made a jumper to put the Sixers ahead 107-104, and Deng missed a potentially game-tying 3-pointer on the other end. "At the end, they got to almost every loose ball and hit almost every shot they needed to win the game," Rose said. Carter-Williams, the Sixers prized first-round draft pick out of Syracuse, said he relished the chance to play against Rose, just one night after going toe-to-toe with Washingtons John Wall. And Rose, who sat out the entire 2012-13 season with a knee injury, looked at times unable to slow down Carter-Williams, who drove the lane with the kind of fearlessness and deteermination usually seen in veterans.dddddddddddd The rookie was 10 for 22 from the field and had three steals. "Coach gives me a lot of confidence out there," Carter-Williams said. "Im able to play freely and I just try to make things happen within the team. I try to do my job out there and get all my teammates involved. They did a great job. And when they do a great job, it makes me look good." In the first half, the Bulls looked like one of the NBAs premier teams, as theyre supposed to be. Dominating the inside and outrebounding the Sixers by a wide margin, Chicago closed the first quarter on a 24-11 run before increasing the lead to 20 late in the second quarter. But a 3 by Hawes followed by a driving layup through traffic from Carter-Williams cut the Bulls lead to 79-74 with just under 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter, getting the crowd back into the game. And the Sixers had a chance to take the lead after three quarters but a pullup jumper by Darius Morris rolled around the rim and out. "In this league, no lead is safe," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I know you get tired of hearing that. But in one minute, a team can make up 10 points very quickly." Five Bulls ended up scoring in double figures, with Taj Gibson getting 12 and Joakim Noah adding 10 points and nine rebounds. Kirk Hinrich was effective spelling Rose with nine points and six assists. But Thibodeau knows his team wont be able to start churning out wins until Rose starts playing like he did two seasons ago. "Its hard to execute when you dont practice," he said. "We need time in the gym. Hell work his way through it. Hell be fine." Brown, meanwhile, doesnt have too many concerns about his team, as his young players are flying high and putting all talk of a high pick in the 2014 NBA Draft to bed for now. On Saturday, Brown played all 11 players available, with 10 of them scoring. Thaddeus Young finished with 13 points and Tony Wroten added 11 for the Sixers, who shot 48.8 per cent from the field and 50 per cent from 3-point range. "Im surprised weve been able to score at the rate that weve able to score," Brown said. "I didnt know they had it in them." NOTES: Before Saturdays loss, the Bulls had won five straight over the Sixers, dating to 2011-12. . Saturdays game marked the first of four straight at home for the Sixers. . Philadelphia rookie Brandon Davies made his NBA debut and banked in his first shot as a professional. ' ' '