anked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 polls, as noted by Zach Heilp

FRISCO, Texas -- Glen Gulutzan couldnt end the longest playoff drought in franchise history for the Dallas Stars and the second-year coach didnt hold the option on the remaining season in his contract. When the general manager who hired him was dumped two weeks ago, Gulutzans firing looked like the inevitable next step in an overhaul of the staff and it came Tuesday in an announcement from new general manager Jim Nill. He nevertheless said the move wasnt a foregone conclusion in his mind. "Thats why this process took so long," Nill said. "I needed to do my homework. I needed to get to know everybody. Its tough when you come into a new situation. I wanted to be fair to everyone." The Stars missed the playoffs in both of Gulutzans seasons, making it five straight years without a post-season trip for a franchise that crammed 73 playoff games into a four-year stretch a little more than a decade ago. Joe Nieuwendyk was a prominent member of those Stars teams, winning the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP when Dallas won the Stanley Cup in 1999. He didnt come close to replicating that success as general manager, finally getting replaced by Nill after four years of missing the playoffs. Gulutzan was the second of two failed coaching hires for Nieuwendyk, who fired Dave Tippett when he arrived and hired Marc Crawford, a Stanley Cup winner with Colorado in 1995. Crawford brought a tougher style than the player-friendly Tippett, but he missed the playoffs in both his seasons while Tippett took Phoenix to the post-season the first three years after the Stars let him go. The hiring of Gulutzan when he was 39 was seen as a move back to the players side. He was plucked from the Stars top affiliate, the Texas Stars of the AHL, after eight seasons as a head coach in the minor leagues. Dallas was in contention late in both his seasons, but faltered down the stretch. He was 64-57-9, including 22-22-4 in the lockout-shortened 2013 season. The Stars controlled their playoff fate with five games remaining each year under Gulutzan, but went 0-9-1 in those 10 games. Assistant coach Paul Jerrard also was fired, while assistant coach Curt Fraser and goaltending coach Mike Valley will stay with the club. The new head coach will inherit a playoff drought thats now two seasons longer than the previous record of three straight from 1973-76, when the franchise was in Minnesota. "Things have to change here," Nill said. "It hasnt been right. Were in the business to win here. Were going to put something in place to start that process." Nill said he met with Gulutzan about five times before delivering his decision Tuesday. "We had some good discussions," Nill said. "Its part of the business. Sometimes you have to go through peaks and valleys. In the end, this is going to make him a better coach." Nieuwendyk tried to get Dallas back to the playoffs this year by adding veterans Jaromir Jagr, Derek Roy and Ray Whitney, but ended up trading Jagr, Roy and longtime captain Brenden Morrow with the team languishing at the trading deadline. The Stars made an improbable surge to stay alive with a much younger roster, and many of those players -- led by forward Jamie Benn -- are likely to be part of the rebuilding under Nill, who spent 15 years as an assistant GM with Detroit. The Red Wings have the longest playoff streak in North American pro sports at 22 years. "The nice thing is the slate is clean," Nill said. "We dont have a lot of contracts that tie our hands. We know the positions weve got to get better in. Were fortunate in that we have a good young foundation. Were just going to continue to make that foundation stronger." Nill said he isnt in a hurry to hire a coach and wont necessarily swing back to a coach with NHL experience after Gulutzan couldnt translate his AHL success to the higher level. "Its going to be wide open," Nill said. "There have been some great young coaches that have come in and done some great things with teams. I need to be wide open to that aspect." Joe Thomas Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. Greedy Williams Jersey . JOHNS, N. http://www.footballbrownsnflprostore.com/Youth-Joe-Thomas-Elite-Jersey/ . PAUL, Minn. Odell Beckham Jr Browns Jersey . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Austin Seibert Womens Jersey . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. MIAMI -- The first shot of the game was blocked by Utahs Rudy Gobert, which seemed appropriate.Defense carried the Jazz again.Gordon Hayward scored 25 points, Rodney Hood added 17 and the Jazz added to Miamis miserable start by beating the Heat 102-91 on Saturday night. The Jazz pulled away with a 15-0 run that started late in the second quarter and lasted midway through the third.Thats who we need to be, Utah coach Quin Snyder said. Thats what our strength is with Rudy, and our guys on the ball, and our wings with their size. Were a different type of defense, were more of a containment defense. But thats who we need to be and we need to make it hard on people.Hassan Whiteside had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Miami. James Johnson scored 15 points, Rodney McGruder added 14 and Josh Richardson had 12.The Heat missed 13 straight shots in that scoreless stretch, 10 of those to start the second half.Thats not who we are, thats not who weve been for the last month, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Definitely disappointing.Utah was without George Hill (right thumb) and Boris Diaw (right knee) again, then lost Derrick Favors to left knee soreness in the first quarter. But a night after holding Orlando to 74 points, and playing for fifth time on a seven-night trip, the Jazz limited Miami to 59 through three quarters -- building enough of a cushion to endure the Heat shooting 61 percent in the fourth.Its big with a couple of guys out, Hood said. Its been a long road trip. Weve played a lot of games in a short amount of days.Gobert had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Shelvin Mack scored 12, while former Heat forward Joe Johnson and Dante Exum each added 10.A huge road trip for us, Hayward said.Miami (2-6) has now dropped four straight and is off to its worst start since 2007-08.Weve just got to keepp working, Whiteside said.dddddddddddd Its not easy to win in this league.TIP-INSJazz: Hayward has been in five games this season, and scored at least 20 in all of them. He did miss a free throw for the first time all season, after making his first 31. ... Utah went 4-1 on its Eastern Conference trip. ... The Jazz won for the third time in their last 13 trips to Miami.Heat: Whiteside has at least 10 rebounds in all eight games this season. ... Miami was without Goran Dragic (sprained left ankle). ... Dion Waiters and Luke Babbitt both started, but their nights ended early. Babbitt played only the first 5:15 (going 0 for 3, all from 3-point range), and Waiters sat the final 19 minutes.FAVORS HURTINGFavors started 3 for 3, then was ruled out for the night. Knee soreness was an issue earlier this season, and he averaged nearly 34 minutes over Utahs last three games.ROTATION CHANGESHeat forward Josh McRoberts made his season debut, with four points in 13 minutes. Since coming to Miami, hes missed 112 of 172 regular-season games. And Derrick Williams, who played in just one of the first seven games, scored 11 points in 20 minutes.RINGS COMINGThe 2016 NBA Development League championship banner was unfurled before the Sioux Falls Skyforce -- Miamis affiliate -- played their home opener Saturday. Heat assistant coaches Dan Craig and Octavio de la Grana, who coached Sioux Falls last season, will get their rings before an upcoming Miami home game.UP NEXTJazz: Host Memphis on Monday. After opening with eight of 11 on the road, Utah gets a two-game homestand.Heat: Visit San Antonio on Monday. Its a one-game trip for Miami, wrapping up the season series with the Spurs. ' ' '