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CHICAGO -- The Pittsburgh Penguins could have blown it all up. Swept out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the Eastern Conference final by the Boston Bruins, speculation swirled about the futures of coach Dan Bylsma, superstar Evgeni Malkin and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Amid calls for action, general manager Ray Shero got busy after the Penguins were ousted. But his moves have been the opposite of a complete overhaul. "Its easy to change," Shero said Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Shero extended Bylsma and his assistants contracts two years through the 2015-16 season, gave Fleury a vote of confidence as the teams franchise goaltender and then Thursday agreed to terms with Malkin on an eight-year, $76-million contract extension that could keep him with the Penguins for the balance of his NHL career. It was the equivalent of doubling-down on what has worked so well for years, even though it didnt end well in the playoffs. "I think Ray believes in the core group that he has, and he believes he can win with them," Malkins agent, J.P. Barry, said in a phone interview. "They made the final four this year, again, and they had a bad round, for sure. But I think he believes in this core and he wants to stay the course and believes his team can win. Thats ultimately what his assessment was." Its an assessment that some general managers might not have made, given the raw emotions of the Penguins going from Cup favourites to victims of a sweep in less than a week. Shero cited the Detroit Red Wings as a model of continuity, and staying the course in Pittsburgh follows what he believes is a similar pattern. Next season will be Sheros eighth as GM and Bylsmas fourth full one as head coach. It will be the seventh season with Malkin, Fleury, captain Sidney Crosby and defenceman Kris Letang playing together, more than four years removed from that core group winning the Stanley Cup. In not firing Bylsma and instead extending him, Shero followed his idea of sticking with a path that he believes in, no matter the external criticism. "Public sentiment sometime isnt kind," Shero said. "I believe in Dan Bylsma, and I believe in our coaching staff." Believing in a Cup-winning coach who very well could lead the U.S. team in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi doesnt take much of a leap of faith, and neither does committing to Malkin, who led the Penguins with 16 points in the playoffs despite being held to zero in the conference final. Fleurys playoff stumbles couldve been a tougher sell, but Bylsma and Shero made it clear that the 28-year-old was their goaltender of the present and future. "The faith I have in Marc-Andre Fleury hasnt waned," Shero said. Nor has Malkins faith in the direction of the franchise that gave the No. 2 pick in the 2004 draft a $10-million signing bonus and a $9.5-million cap hit on par with that of No. 1 selection Alex Ovechkin. "We won Stanley Cup before and I believe we will win again because its good people, good guys," Malkin said on a conference call Thursday. "This here is good team, and I hope we win Stanley Cup." Before the Penguins take another run at it, more questions are left to be answered. Letang is entering the final year of his contract, and Shero told reporters in Pittsburgh on Thursday that he didnt know how the process would go toward securing an extension. Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke and deadline acquisitions Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray are all set to be unrestricted free agents July 5. Shero realizes that, given salary-cap restraints, his team "is going to change, and thats the way it is." But thanks to moves that keep Bylsma and Malkin around for at least a little while, the Penguins wont undergo a total team makeover this summer. And thats more than OK with Malkin. "Its not a surprise for me," he said. "I know everyone thought wed win the Stanley Cup. I know we lost 4-0, but we can still learn (from) this year. Im glad Dan stay here, and I hope we win together."Tremaine Edmunds Youth Jersey . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Ed Oliver Womens Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-Jim-Kelly-Bills-Jersey/ . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. Josh Allen Bills Jersey . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. Dawson Knox Bills Jersey . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. MINNEAPOLIS -- Rick Porcello kept up the starting pitching surge Detroit has been riding all season. Prince Fielder came through with another clutch hit, and Jose Valverde even had a stress-free appearance to try to get back on track. This is the way the Tigers wanted to start the series in Minnesota. Fielder broke open a scoreless game with a two-run double in the sixth inning, the spark that Porcello and the Tigers used to beat the Twins 4-0 on Friday night. Despite his status as the afterthought of this stacked rotation behind Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister, Porcello has shined in his last four appearances. He is 2-1 with 30 strikeouts in 27 innings and just 15 hits, five runs and four walks against him during that stretch. "Ive honestly really felt confident all year," Porcello said. "I like what Ive been working on, especially in the off-season going into spring training, and Im starting to get some good results from it now." Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta followed Fielders soaring drive with RBI doubles of their own, ending the night for Twins starter Scott Diamond (4-6). Even better for the Tigers was that the four-run cushion kept sputtering closer Jose Valverde out of a pressurized save situation. "He wanted to be back out there tonight, and he wasnt shy about it," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. Porcello (4-3) didnt need much relief. The right-hander breezed through seven scoreless innings, allowing just two singles and one double without a walk. He struck out five and gave the Tigers their 19th quality start (of at least six innings and three runs or less) in the last 20 games. "Porcello was unbelievable. The last couple starts, hes been doing great. The breaking ball and two-seamer hes throwing, its awesome," Valverde said. Diamond walked Austin Jackson, the leadoff man back in his familiar spot after he missed the last month because of a pulled left hamstring, with one out in that decisive sixth. Torii Hunter advanced Jackson with a groundout, and Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked. "Diamond matched him for a long time there," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, lamenting the leadoff walk: "He got some balls up after that." Fielder made the Twins pay. "Hes done a terrific job of picking us up in that situation when its happened. Terrific job. Tonight, off a left-hander, thats really special," Leyland said. With one of those huge upper-cut swings, he smacked a 2-0 curveball high off the towering right-field wall to put the Tigers in front. Cabrera ran tthrough the stop sign by third base coach Tom Brookens, whose arms were still straight up in the air as the big slugger chugged home without a throw.dddddddddddd "Were a team that slugs it pretty good, and when we slug it pretty good we look pretty good," Leyland said. Valverde came in for the ninth after Drew Smyly and Joaquin Benoit collaborated on a scoreless eighth. Valverde walked Joe Mauer to start the inning, but Ryan Doumit followed with a double-play ground ball. Josh Willingham was grazed by a pitch, but Justin Morneau struck out looking to end the game. "Its great for me and great for my teammates to be on the mound and have my confidence again," said Valverde, who allowed 10 hits, seven runs and five homers over his last six appearances while blowing two of his five save opportunities. Valverde gave up a tying, two-run homer to Kansas Citys Lorenzo Cain with two outs in the ninth inning on Wednesday, a game the Tigers lost in the 10th. Detroits bullpen, the one glaring area of concern on this otherwise-championship-calibre club, has a 4-12 record with eight squandered saves in 22 chances. Leyland bristled at a question about whether Valverde was still the closer, angrily lacing his answer with expletives before eventually affirming the veteran right-handers status. "Were going to use Jose Valverde until we decide Jose Valverde can or cant do it or weve got somebody else better," Leyland said. The skipper tried to suggest too much attention has been fixated on his relievers, noting the Tigers have had some recent trouble scoring. While losing two of three to the Royals they had seven runs in 28 innings. But the Tigers still have the best batting average in baseball, at .281 entering the night. Diamond, who was replaced with two outs in the sixth, gave up five hits and two walks with just one strikeout. The six scoreless innings he pitched on June 2 fueled his lone victory of the last seven turns. That is also the only time in that span he finished six innings. NOTES: Valverde was warming up on the field before the game, working on the split-fingered fastball that has been hit hard lately. ... Willingham, the regular in left field, was the DH for the Twins for the fourth straight time to rest his sore knees as much as possible. ... Sanchez (6-5, 2.65 ERA) will pitch for the Tigers on Saturday against RH Samuel Deduno (2-1, 3.47 ERA) of the Twins. Sanchez took a no-hitter one out into the ninth inning the last time he faced the Twins, in Detroit on May 24. He sat out his previous start because of tightness in his shoulder. ' ' '