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DENVER -- Phil Kessel keeps scoring and the Toronto Maple Leafs keep on winning. That four-game skid in early January seems as if its a long time ago. Kessel scored twice, James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist and the Maple Leafs beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight win. Nazem Kadri also scored and James Reimer stopped 35 shots for Toronto. Kessel has been one of the hottest players in the league over the past 12 days, and it came at the right time for his team. The Maple Leafs were struggling when Kessel started scoring. He has six goals and eight assists during Torontos winning streak. "With Phil, if he continues to get chances, hes got a history behind him and he knows how to score goals," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. The Maple Leafs are on their longest winning streak in eight years after losing four in a row. Toronto has climbed to fourth in the Eastern Conference during its win streak. The previous time Toronto won six straight was Dec. 23, 2005-Jan. 2, 2006. "Theres a lot more life in the room," defenceman Dion Phaneuf said. "Weve got a confidence in our dressing room that we feel good about ourselves." Kessel was playing for the University of Minnesota during Torontos previous six-game winning streak, but now hes leading the way for the Leafs ahead of the Sochi Olympics next month, where he will be part of Team USA once again. "Were winning, thats the most important thing," Kessel said. Rookie Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals for the Avalanche, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere had 19 saves in relief of Semyon Varlamov. "We lost the game in the second period," MacKinnon said. "Their goalie made some good saves for them. Weve been playing well of late, but we cant let this game get us down too much." Colorado generated more early chances but Toronto scored first. Phaneuf sent a puck from his own end off the backboards and Kessel, who got behind the Avalanche defence, put a soft shot past Varlamov 3:56 into the game. "Dion made a good play, I kind of whiffed on it but it went in," Kessel said. The Avalanche failed to capitalize on two early power plays, and the Maple Leafs made it 2-0 on their first try on van Riemsdyks 20th goal at 17:41. Kadri redirected Jake Gardiners shot from the point 2:55 into the second period, giving Toronto a 3-0 lead and chasing Varlamov. Varlamov allowed three goals on 10 shots. "I think Varly was just a bit tired," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "I almost took him out after the first period. I didnt see in him the same energy that hes shown since the start of the year. When he gave up that third goal theres no need to push that." Giguere came in and Kessel made it 4-0 with his second of the night and team-leading 26th of the season. He nearly had his second hat trick of the season, but was denied by Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the third. Kessel finished with eight shots on goal. "I had a bunch tonight," Kessel said. "I missed some good chances." Giguere settled down, and the Avalanche finally got on the board when MacKinnon scored on a 2-on-1 break with P.A. Parenteau at 18:35 of the second period. Colorado turned up the pressure in the third and scored again on MacKinnons high wrist shot at 5:07. It was his 17th goal of the season. Colorado pulled Giguere for an extra skater with 2:56 remaining, but Jay McClement scored into the empty net to seal the win. "We played a decent enough of a hockey game to give ourselves a chance," Carlyle said. "The home teams going to come with a push and we withstood that." NOTES: Toronto RW Joffrey Lupul had two assists. ... Kessel extended his point streak to seven games. ... The Avalanche honoured referee Brad Watson before the game. Watson was officiating in his 1,000th NHL game. ... Colorado activated Parenteau and D Nate Guenin from the injured list. Parenteau missed 10 games with a sprained left knee and Guenin was out for seven games with an ankle injury. Joel Castro Pereira Jersey . Sixteen teams have moved on. Sixteen teams have gone home. Timothy Fosu-Mensah Jersey . The Cubs made the moves before Thursdays game against Arizona. They promoted left-hander Zac Rosscup and right-hander Neil Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Blake Parker to their top minor league team. http://www.manutdfcsoccershop.com/c-39-s...-fc-jersey.aspx. Jim Leyland, in his eighth playoffs, has never had a starting rotation he trusts as much as the grouping of Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. Jesse Lingard Jersey . American Lindsey Jacobellis was third, while Japans Yuka Fujimori finished just off the podium. 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No leaks, no whispers, nothing.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan might have once shared a golf cart, making small talk during an uneventful ride around Washington Redskins training camp 25 years ago or so.The details are fuzzy, but Bowles was a safety in the prime of his playing career and Maccagnan, an eager intern in the front office.I probably checked Todd into training camp, Maccagnan recalled Wednesday.Little did the two know that they would someday share the spotlight as the leaders of the New York Jets new regime — Bowles as coach and Maccagnan as general manager.Although we never really interacted a lot, its kind of ironic our paths have crossed even though we are from two different backgrounds, 40-something miles apart, Maccagnan said at the teams introductory news conference.This is a homecoming of sorts for both Bowles, who grew up in Elizabeth, about 19 miles southeast, and was the Jets secondary coach in 2000, and Maccagnan, whos from Hightstown, about 50 miles south of team headquarters. They both know the history of the franchise, from Broadway Joe making good on his Super Bowl guarantee in 1969 to the failure to make the big game since.Were going to try to build a championship team here, Bowles said. Thats my only job.Funny thing is, Maccagnan thinks theres a good chance the two actually first crossed paths in the late-1970s. Maccagnans father was a teacher at the Peddie School, while Bowles played football at Elizabeth High School. When Maccagnan picked up Bowles from the airport for his second interview with the Jets last week, the two talked about their New Jersey roots.Maccagnan realized that Bowles football team would often have preseason practices at Peddie in 1978 or 79. And thats when it hit the new Jets GM.I actually went out there and probably watched their practices, Maccagnan said, not realizing that 50 yards away, Todd was running around as a junior or senior in high school.Now, theyre on the same team, two Jersey guys aiming to turn around the Jets fortunes after four straight years without making the playoffs.It was just one of those situations that just felt right, Maccagnan said.Maccagnan was hired last Tuesday to replace the fired John Idzik. Bowles was signed a day later to replace Rex Ryan.Ive been at it 15 years now and hopefully,, Im making better decisions or good decisions because, yeah, you have to win these games and you have to get to the next level, owner Woody Johnson said.dddddddddddd Each of the gentlemen sitting to my left are, in my estimation, the people to do it.And unlike Ryans first brash, headline-making news conference with the Jets in 2009, Bowles offered no Super Bowl guarantees but rather modest goals focused on restoring a winning approach.Were going to be a tough team, Bowles promised, an intelligent team.A few months into his tenure, Ryan declared that he didnt come to New York to kiss (Bill) Belichicks rings. Bowles was asked about those same rings, and managed not to provide the New England Patriots with any bulletin board material.Im going to work on getting my own rings, he said.The 51-year-old spent the last two seasons as Arizonas defensive co-ordinator. Before that, he worked with some of the games most successful coaches — Bill Parcells, Joe Gibbs and George Seifert to name a few — first as a player during his eight-year NFL career and then as an assistant coach.As you get older, you evolve and you learn more of the football game, Bowles said. And in 2007, maybe 2007-08, I started to think, OK, Im starting to learn the game pretty good. If I can get some things down, if Im good enough and somebody is lucky enough to see me as a head coach, it was about that time.Maccagnan, 47, had been with the Houston Texans since the franchises inception in 2000, brought on board by Charley Casserly — who Johnson tapped as a consultant in the Jets hiring process. Maccagnan had carved out a reputation as a tireless scout who identified key players for the Texans over the years.People in my profession work their entire career to get an opportunity like this, Maccagnan said. This is my lifes passion, my dream. And to actully 50 miles from where I grew up is truly a dream come true.After that car ride together last week, it didnt take long for Bowles and Maccagnan to feel comfortable tackling a new challenge with the Jets — together.We hit it off, Bowles said, smiling. So, going forward, its going to be a dream working with this guy.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '