LOS ANGELES -- Elijah Stewart scored a career-high 30 points, Shaqquan Aaron added a career-high 17, and Southern California beat Montana 75-61 in the season opener for both teams Friday night.The Trojans trailed by double digits in the first half but rallied to win its seventh home opener in the last eight years.We were terrible early and had a lot of turnovers, said Trojans coach Andy Enfield. We missed some easy shots and I think there was some nerves and anxiousness without Benny (Boatwright, starting forward out with an injury). But we kept playing and settled down.Stewart and Shaqquan combined for 12-of-22 shooting, 17 of 20 free throws and 14 rebounds and sparked the 17-4 run that gave USC the lead for good at 20-18.I really didnt take that many shots, I hit my free throws, said Stewart who took 12 shots. Ive learned that the good shooters get to the free-throw line about 10 times a game. Coming into the season, I wanted to work on my free-throw efficiency. Stewart made 14 of 16 from the foul line.Aaron, who sat out last season after transferring from Louisville, was pleased to get back on the hardwood again.I was thinking about it before the game and Its been a long time, its been two years, since Ive been on the court, Aaron said. To be honest, there was some nerves, but it was fun to get back out there. We didnt panic early. Its a long game and we didnt get mad. When you get mad, you lose. We fixed it.USC shot 41.2 percent and outrebounded the Grizzlies 39-32. Montana shot 38.6 percent for the game.Ahmaad Rorie, a redshirt sophomore and Oregon transfer, scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers for the Grizzlies. Fabijan Krslovic added 10 points for Montana.Chimezie Metu added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Trojans.They had a lot of energy and they rebounded well, said Montana coach Travis DeCuire. We didnt execute and we had too many turnovers and that was the difference.The Grizzlies committed 16 turnovers in the game.USC freshman DeAnthony Melton led the Trojans with eight rebounds.BIG PICTUREMontana: The Grizzlies (20-13 last season) have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons but lost in the final of the Big Sky Tournament and played in the 2016 CBI post-season tournament. Montana last qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2013.USC: After finishing the 2015-16 with a 21-13 record and qualifying for its first NCAA Tournament since 2011, the Trojans have high expectations for this season.HIGHLIGHT REELFollowing a Grizzlies turnover, Jordan McLaughlin lofted an ally oop pass to 6-11 Chimezie Metu for a thundering dunk that gave USC a 29-21 lead at the 3:30 mark of the first half.INJURIESUSC sophomore power forward Bennie Boatwright, who started 32 games last season and averaged 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, did not play due to upper back spasms. His availability is listed day to day. Im not sure when Benny will be back, said Enfield. I dont want to rush him. If it was a PAC 12 championship game he would have played, but I dont want to rush him and get him reinjured. We have a long road to go.UP NEXTMontana plays its home opener on Monday against the Wyoming.USC will host Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday. The Mavericks won 18 games last year, return four starters and played in the CBI post-season tournament last season. UNO opens its season with a road game against Big West opponent UC Santa Barbara on Saturday.Babe Herman Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. David Freese Dodgers Jersey . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. http://www.dodgerssale.com/dodgers-sandy-koufax-jersey/ . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Chris Taylor Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. Maury Wills Jersey . 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.Since the NHL officially starting publishing shot attempts (Corsi) on their site a couple seasons ago, there are a wide range of applications being done for fantasy hockey purposes. While it is not an available stat category for use in ESPN fantasy leagues, the stats are there for us to use in researching players that can help in the traditional fantasy categories.Since most leagues count minimal defensive statistics -- plus/minus arguably as the only relatively common category that touches on defense -- shot attempts as a whole (SAT for minus SAT against) dont paint a great fantasy picture. Since the penalty for a SAT against is minimal in fantasy hockey, it helps us a little more to throw them aside and concentrate on SAT for. After all, SAT for are what help drive all the fantasy statistics that do help us, including goals, assists, shots on goal and positive plus/minus.Remember that all the following numbers are for five-on-five ice time only, as that is what counts for SAT.We thought wed have an early look at the leaders in shot attempts for per minute of even-strength ice time. Basically a calculation of SAT (Corsi) for, on a per-minute basis. Within that table, we are looking at players who are playing a below-average number of even-strength minutes per game, because we want to identify guys who can earn more ice time as the season progresses.Efficiently driving offenseHere are five players at the top of the chart for SAT for per minute that we think could start capitalizing more on their offensive chances:Pavel Buchnevich, LW/RW, New York Rangers: Out with back spasms at the moment, Buchnevich ranks seventh in the NHL with 1.43 SAT for per minute during his two games played on the Rangers second line. It will be worth keeping a close eye on Buchnevich when he returns to the lineup. Regardless of sample size, the Rangers put a lot of pucks on the net when Buchnevich was on the ice.Zack Smith, C/LW, Ottawa Senators: Playing a relatively low 8:33 per game at five-on-five, Smith has room to grow if the Sens start letting the second line loose a little more frequently. Currently 10th in the NHL with 1.36 SAT for per minute, Smith is skating with Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard. Only Erik Karlsson is scoring with regularity for the Senators at the moment, so some lineup shuffles are inevitable if something doesnt change. Smith might have the inside track on a better assignment when that occurs.Nick Ritchie, LW, Anaheim Ducks: It might be tough for the Ducks to demote Ritchie on the depth chart when Rickard Rakell returns. Ritchie is 13th in the NHL at 1.34 SAT for per minute, showing that hes making the most of playing on the Ducks top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. His two points might not be enough to fend of Rakell though, as the latter is due back in action as early as next week. If nothing else, this should be confirmation that you want to own whomever is skating in this spot. That isnt as clear as it should be, as Rakell is only owned in 36 percent of ESPN leagues.Jakob Chychrun, D, Arizona Coyotes: Possibly only around for five more games -- his entry-level deal will kick in if he skates more than nine games this season -- Chychrun has been showing well in limited minutes for a defensemen. Hes tied for 35th in the NHL with 1.17 SAT for per minute, hanging around the same ballpark as players like Drew Doughty and Adam Larsson, and actually better on a per-minute basis than fellow rookie Zach Werenski. The moment the Coyotes decide to keep Chychrun around for the whole season, its probably worth stashing him in deeper leagues.Sam Bennett, C, Calgary Flames: Playing fewer than 11 minutes per game at the moment, Bennett is driving more offense than the other Flames forwards irrespective of ice time. Hes been on the ice for 72 SAT for compared to Johnny Gaudreaus 70 SAT for, despite Gaudreau playing a full four minutes more of even-strength hockey per game. Bennett is tied for 53rd in the NHL with 1.11 SAT for per minute, and is arguably due some additional ice time in the near future.Inefficiently driving offenseHere are five players at the bottom of the chart for SAT for per minute that arent doing as much with their ice time:Alexander Steen, LW, St. Louis Blues: Despite playing more than 15 minutes at even strength per game, Steen has only been on the ice for 55 SAT for at five-on-five. His 0.60 SAT for per minute is near the bottom of the league and hes easily the lowest ranked among what we consider the top 100 fantasy skaters. Its likely coach Ken Hitchcock is continuing his trend of using a scoring line in what might be considered a traditional checking line matchup, as he used to do with David Backes line. Either way, Steen will be saved from any significant downgrade thanks to his time on the Blues deadly power play.Brayden Schenn, C, Philadelphia Flyers: This may be a product of playing tough possession teams in his only two games of the season, but Schenn has not had a great start for his fantasy owners. After serving a three-game suspension, Schenn has posted only 0.60 SAT for per minute through his first two games. This should improve as Schenn shares the ice with Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds on a dominant first line, but itll be worth checking in on him if the numbers dont improve soon.Kyle Connor, LW, Winnipeg Jets: On the receiving end of a very generous 12 minutes of even-strength ice time per game, Connor is very clearly in a defensive role for the Jets. His SAT for per minute is a lowly 0.63 and, just for the record, his SAT on the season is minus-24. Connor has some offensive upside, but with Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine boasting more offensive upside, it looks like Connor will be limited in any scoring role for now.Tyler Johnson, C, Tampa Bay Lightning: Playing a defenseman-like 16:53 at even strength per game this season, Johnsons SAT for per minute is just 0.66. The low number is partly a byproduct of playing so many minutes, but its still concerning that Johnson and Nikita Kucherov arent driving the offensive chancees like they have in the past.dddddddddddd In fact, the team split them up on Saturday, putting Johnson on a like with Jonathan Drouin and Ondrej Palat.Marian Hossa, RW, Chicago Blackhawks: There were already other concerns with Hossas deployment, so it should be no surprise that he ranks poorly in SAT for per minute at just 0.67. Hossa is currently playing on the third line for the Blackhawks, well out of range of the teams offensive catalysts on the top two lines. He looks good on the surface -- with four points in five games -- but that kind of production wont continue in his current role.Forwards rising and fallingPatric Hornqvist, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (down 10 spots to No. 81): As long as Sidney Crosby remains sidelined, Hornqvist is going to free fall in the rankings. Hes managed a respectable five points in six games, but the Penguins shifted him to the third line this week. He needs that Crosby boost to stay in the top 100 going forward, and we still have no clear indication when Crosby might return. Youll notice Sid slipping a bit each week in the rankings, too, as we try to balance his absence with the lack of news surrounding his recovery from a concussion. We dont want to drop him too far unless we find out hell miss significant time. Six games doesnt qualify as significant.Jonathan Marchessault, C, Florida Panthers (up 36 spots to No. 199): Seizing the opportunity afforded to him with the absence of Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad, Marchessault has done enough to basically lock down the top-line role until Huberdeau returns in 2017. With seven points in five games, Marchessault should be universally owned while hes playing with Aleksander Barkov. That is not the case right now, as hes available in 65 percent of ESPN leagues.Thomas Vanek, LW, Detroit Red Wings (enters at No. 222): A special teams specialist to be sure, as Vanek is playing fewer than 10 minutes per game at five-on-five, but well take the seven points in six games regardless of situation. Four of Vaneks points have come on the man advantage. He wouldnt be the first player to ride a power-play role to fantasy glory, so dont sleep on him too long if you can find a way to scoop him up. We wouldnt drop a clear point-producer for a specialist, but if you have a sleeper thats not panning out, make the switch.Defensemen rising and fallingMike Green, D, Detroit Red Wings (up 26 spots to No. 168): Unlike Vanek, Green doesnt need the power play to produce his numbers this season. With only two of his seven points on the man advantage, Green is using his passing to make hay. In fact, he only has seven shots on goal but owns a hat trick this season, so dont buy to much into his inflated shooting percentage numbers. However, the four assists as a great indicator of good things to come for the strongest fantasy asset on the Red Wings blue line.Goaltenders rising and fallingTuukka Rask, G, Boston Bruins (up 16 spots to No. 73): Rask is currently dealing with an undisclosed general soreness issue, but we arent too worried about the injury side of things for him. So setting that aside, Rask has had a terrific start to the campaign with three wins and a vintage .947 save percentage. Coming off the worst ratios of his NHL career in 2015-16, Rasks early start is encouraging for those who rolled the dice on him this season.Quick hitsThings have been changing game by game for the Blues, but a hat trick out of David Perron on Saturday probably bought him more time on a stacked top line with Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.The Penguins stacked the top line on Saturday -- and promptly lost to the Predators 5-1. While it might have been nice to have Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel sharing the ice together, there will probably be another shakeup here soon.After three points in his first four games, including an absolute beauty against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zac Dalpe was rewarded with a promotion to the third line by Minnesota Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. The result has been a pair of goose eggs skating with different linemates in two games. Not only Dalpe, but Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, Teemu Pulkkinen and Chris Stewart need to be on the radar for when Boudreau finally finds his favorite scoring lines, as they are all linemate-dependent for fantasy value.With no Patrick Sharp, no Patrick Eaves and no Jiri Hudler, it was Ales Hemsky skating on the top line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn on Saturday. No one has locked down this top-line assignment yet.The best performance by any Nashville Predators goaltender so far this season belongs to prospect Juuse Saros, who was called up to fill in for Pekka Rinne on Saturday. Given Rinnes struggles in recent seasons and the high expectations on the Predators, its not a bad idea to file Saros name away for later this season. If Rinne played like he did last season, well hear about Saros again sooner than later.We are going one more name deep on the Los Angeles Kings goaltending depth chart. Jonathan Quick is out for around three months, Jeff Zatkoff is now also on injured reserve, while Peter Budaj has won his first two starts for the Kings. However, they havent been pretty wins, with Budajs save percentage sitting at .889. Jack Campbell is next in line. Hes a former high-end prospect that never panned out for the Dallas Stars, but is still just 24 years old. As evidenced by the slew of injuries to the Kings goalies, anything can happen, so keep his name stashed away.Top 250 rankingsHere are the updated rest-of-season, top 250 rankings of forwards, defensemen and goalies, including position ranks.Note: Sean Allens top 250 players are ranked for their expected performance in ESPN standard leagues from this point on. ESPN standard stats include goals, assists, power-play points, shots on goal, plus/minus, penalty minutes and average time on ice for skaters, and wins, goals-against average and save percentage for goalies. ' ' '
