ust of 2014, a span of 70 races. He qualified 11th on Friday.I think the Hendrick engine package is strong, Kahne said Saturday.

The Ottawa Senators have a different team calling the shots this season.General manager Bryan Murray stepped aside as he continues to battle cancer. Pierre Dorion replaced Murray as GM and quickly fired coach Dave Cameron. Many thought the Senators were waiting for the Boston Bruins to fire Claude Julien, so they could swoop in and hired the Stanley Cup-winning coach.Boston, however, made the right decision and kept Julien in place. So, the Senators hired Guy Boucher, who returns to the NHL after three seasons coaching in Switzerland, along with associate coach Marc Crawford. Their expertise should give Ottawa a chance to return to the postseason for only the second time in four seasons. The Senators should have been a playoff team last spring but fell short down the stretch and finished in fifth place.Best new facesBesides the new additions to the coaching staff, the Senators acquired center Derick Brassard, and a seventh-round pick in the 2018 draft, from the New York Rangers in exchange for center Mika Zibanejad and a second-round pick in 2018. Brassard, 29, had 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 80 games for the Rangers last season.After spending six seasons in Boston, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011, veteran unrestricted free agent forward Chris Kelly returns to Ottawa, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career. The 35-year-old will be relied upon for his leadership and penalty-killing abilities.Biggest unknownsThere are plenty of unknowns for the Senators. For instance, what type of season will Bobby Ryan have? He was left off the roster for Team USA at the World Cup of Hockey and has struggled in recent seasons to find consistency. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Ryan, now 29, needs to provide more offensive output. He did register 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points in 81 games last season, but he struggled down the stretch and the Senators missed the playoffs.?Goaltending continues to be a dilemma for the Senators. Craig Anderson, 35, posted a 31-25-3 record in 60 games last season, including a 2.78 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. Maybe the secret to his success is cutting down his playing time, keeping him healthy and hoping for a late-season surge that could push the team in to the playoffs.After the Senators and?Toronto Maple Leafs?pulled off a blockbuster nine-player deal at the trade deadline in March, veteran defenseman Dion Phaneuf found himself in Ottawa. The 31-year-old blueliner played 20 games down the stretch and registered eight points. For the Senators to have success this season, theyll need a lot more from Phaneuf; and he needs to remain healthy.Sure thingsErik Karlsson. Erik Karlsson. And, oh, Erik Karlsson. The two-time Norris Trophy winner was outstanding last season. The 26-year-old Senators captain had 16 goals and 66 assists for 82 points in 82 games. He averages close to 26 minutes of ice time per game and was only a minus-2 on a mediocre team last season. No doubt Karlsson is one of the best two-way defensemen in the league and theres no reason not to think he cant continue that dominance. Hell have to if the Senators can figure out a way to make it back to the playoffs.Forward Mark Stone is one of the bright young talents in the league. The 24-year-old is entering his fourth season in the NHL and last season he registered 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points in 75 games. He has been consistent, but hell need to hit the 30-goal plateau this season to spark the offense.Mike Hoffman, a 26-year-old forward, was one shy of reaching the 30-goal mark last season. He finished with 29 goals and 30 assists for 59 points in 78 games. Hell also need another impressive offensive output to help Ottawa return to the playoffs.PredictionAll in all, the Senators will make it interesting again but ultimately fall short. Sixth in the Atlantic. Balenciaga Sneakers Discount . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Balenciaga Sneakers Wholesale .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. http://www.balenciagaoutletuk.com/ . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. Cheap Balenciaga Sneakers Uk . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Balenciaga Sneakers Buy Uk . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. BROOKLYN, Mich. -- With time running out on his bid to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Greg Biffle is back at the site of his most recent victory.It was over three years ago.In June of 2013, Biffle won at Michigan International Speedway -- his fourth victory at the track and second in a row. In 116 Cup races since, hes come up empty. He missed the Chase last year and is in danger of falling short again unless he can pull out a victory in one of the last three races of the regular season.This sport is very humbling, Biffle said. When you think youve got it figured out, for sure you dont, and it reminds you of that every week.Biffle is the active leader in wins at Michigan, but he finished 19th at the track earlier this season. Shortly after that, he ran off a streak of three straight top-10 finishes at Daytona, Kentucky and Loudon, but hes been outside the top 15 in each of the four races since.Biffle and Roush Fenway Racing teammates Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would all miss the Chase if the regular season ended now. None of them has a win this year.Stenhouse started 25th and finished second last weekend at Bristol.Our qualifying efforts lately havent been as good but our racing package has been better, Stenhouse said. Earlier in the year I felt like we qualified really well and then wouldnt race as good. For whatever reason we havent been able to get them both dialed in together.Since his last win in 2013, Biffle has finished in the top 10 twice in six races at Michigan.You have to have a car that gets around this place good. Each end is different, and what I like about the race track is no matter how your car is driving, you can adjust your line around the race track, Biffle said. Maybe run a little bit higher on one end than the other to compensate if your car is a little too loose or is doing something that you dont like.ddddddddddddTheres always a lot of drama in the last few races before the Chase, and thats when the seasons second race at Michigan falls on the schedule. A dozen drivers have won this year, solidifying their spots in the Chase as long as they stay in the top 30. Rookie Chris Buescher is cutting it close. Hes currently 30th and has only two top-10 finishes, but one was a win at Pocono.Hendrick Motorsports could end up with only one Chase entry if Chase Elliott falters and Kasey Kahne doesnt make it. Jimmie Johnson is safe for Hendrick, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still sidelined as he recovers from a concussion.Kahne hasnt won since August of 2014, a span of 70 races. He qualified 11th on Friday.I think the Hendrick engine package is strong, Kahne said Saturday. Everybody at Hendrick Motorsports is working hard to get our cars back where they need to be.Elliott has 11 top-10 finishes this year, but none over his last eight races -- and he has no wins.Austin Dillon is 11th in the standings, the top racer without a win. Hes in position to make the Chase on points as of now. So are Elliott, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman, who have no victories but are immediately behind Dillon in the standings.I was able to win a championship without winning a race in the Xfinity Series. Its definitely possible, but I would like to go to Victory Lane, Dillon said. We are going to focus hard on Victory Lane the next three weeks -- and then ten after that.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '