Loui Eriksson didnt try to gloss over how much the?Vancouver Canucks, the team he chose by his own free will to join, have struggled over the past couple of seasons.I think theyve been through a tough stretch, Eriksson said. Last year, they had some injuries. It was tough to get something going.And yet, he still signed in Vancouver. Of course, a six-year, $36 million deal helped the cause -- but the appeal of playing with with the Sedins during the final stages of their outstanding NHL career was a factor too.He spoke with Daniel Sedin before signing and left those conversations with a good feeling about the Canucks and Vancouver itself.Its a great city to play, he said. It was an easy decision to come to.The Canucks are in a slow transition. They never quite gutted the teams that vied for Stanley Cups, so they never bottomed out. That decision cost them a crack at some of the premium talent their Pacific Division rivals grabbed at the top of the draft.Vancouver does have nice, young players like Jake Virtanen, Bo Horvat and Thatcher Demko, but not enough that you feel confident about the pending transfer of the baton from Daniel and his brother?Henrik Sedin?to the next generation.Vancouver, for now, seems like a team stuck in transition.Best new facesThe Canucks may not have been in the position to dive aggressively into free agency, but Loui Eriksson is a wonderful fit with the Sedins, as he showed in the World Championships and the World Cup.One Swedish teammate called him a third Sedin brother at one point. If Eriksson ends up playing with the Sedins, that will be one of the best lines in hockey.All three like to play the game the same way and while speed is the hot trend in hockey, this trio will effectively slow the game down so they can play it at their own pace.All three can make effective short passes in tight spaces and Eriksson is so good without the puck that it will make life even easier on the Sedins.Its the rest of the lineup that is a concern, but the addition of Eriksson makes for a natural fit.We play the game the same way, Eriksson said.Biggest unknownsIf were confident that the fit with Eriksson and the Sedins is a good one, the biggest unknown becomes the rest of the lineup. Virtanen had 13 points in 55 games during his rookie season as a 19-year-old. The Canucks are going to need him to be a successful part of a second line if they want to make progress this season.Looking at the rest of the forwards, its hard to figure out where the additional scoring is going to come from. Last season, the Canucks averaged 2.27 goals per game -- a total that was better only than the New Jersey Devils. The lowest Western Conference playoff team last season, the?Minnesota Wild,?averaged 2.60 goals per game, which barely got them into?the playoffs.If the Canucks need to get to that point, where is the improvement going to come from?Sure thingsThe Sedins. If the Canucks arent going to be particularly good the next couple years, its a shame that this is how they will be exiting the NHL. They deserve better.You realize that when you get older, youre down to your last few years, said Daniel Sedin. Who knows how many more games youre going to play?At age 35, Daniel Sedin scored 28 goals last season, a total that was his highest since 2012. Henrik Sedin averaged 0.74 points per game, a number that should rise following the Eriksson addition. The numbers may be declining as the Sedins start to age, but its a sure thing that there will be many nights when they are the best players on the ice.Its just too bad that its going to happen on a team that likely isnt headed anywhere of note.PredictionThe Canucks were lumped in with the Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers last season and all three of those teams improved while Vancouver is treading water. If the Oilers make the strides that everyone expects, it will be Vancouver that replaces Edmonton in the Pacific cellar. Nike Air Force 1 Ireland Sale . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Wholesale Shoes Ireland . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. http://www.wholesalenikeairforce1ireland.com/ .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Cheap Nike Shoes Ireland . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Nike Air Force 1 Ireland From China . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. NEW ENGLAND (7-2) at SAN FRANCISCO (1-8)Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBSOPENING LINE -- Patriots by 14RECORD VS. SPREAD -- New England 7-2, San Francisco 2-7SERIES RECORD -- 49ers lead 8-4LAST MEETING -- 49ers beat Patriots 41-34, Dec. 16, 2012LAST WEEK -- Patriots lost to Seahawks 31-24; 49ers lost to Cardinals 23-20AP PRO32 RANKING -- Patriots No. 3, 49ers No. 31PATRIOTS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (8T), RUSH (13), PASS (8).PATRIOTS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (18), RUSH (14), PASS (19).49ERS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (29), RUSH (7), PASS (30).49ERS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (32), RUSH (32), PASS (14).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Patriots only road win vs. 49ers came in 2008 with Matt Cassel at QB. Tom Brady, who grew up in Bay Area, has never played at San Francisco. ... With win, Brady ties Brett Favre for second most for QB with 199. Peyton Manning holds record with 200. ... New England opened season with record 258 straight passes without INT until Brady threw one vs. Seattle last week. Brady missed first four games this seeason while suspended.dddddddddddd ... Win would assure Patriots of 16th straight non-losing season. ... New England RB LeGarrette Blount has 12 TDs on ground, two shy of Curtis Martins franchise record. ... Niners have lost eight straight games, one shy of franchise worst set in 1978. ... San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick threw four TD passes in only meeting vs. Pats in 2012, season 49ers went to Super Bowl. ... 49ers K Phil Dawson needs one FG to become 10th in NFL with 400 for career. ... San Francisco had allowed 100-yard rusher in NFL record seven straight games before holding David Johnson to 55 yards and Arizona to 80 total last week. ... Fantasy Tip: Patriots TE Martellus Bennett coming off third 100-yard game of season and could be in for another big day with Rob Gronkowski nursing injury.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '