HARRISON, N.J. -- Maybe just a touch of the flu is what New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips needed. The English forward, who had one goal in seven games last season, missed Tuesdays training session with a fever, but recovered enough to score three goals Wednesday night and lead the Red Bulls to their second straight victory, 4-0 over the Houston Dynamo. "We thought it was only a matter of time before he scored a goal and then got hot," Red Bulls coach Mike Petke said. "But three goals tonight? I did not see this coming." Wright-Phillips, who joined New York in August, was the first Red Bulls player to record three goals in a match since Thierry Henry in March 2012 against Montreal. "I just try to do the same thing all the time," said Wright-Phillips, 29, the younger half brother of England midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips, who plays with Queens Park Rangers. "I didnt think it was my night. I just try to do the same thing. "No matter where I go, I think I can score goals. I scored today. Next game, I might not be scoring and you guys might be interviewing somebody else." The win earned New York some measure of revenge against Houston, which beat the Red Bulls in Harrison last November to eliminate them from the playoffs. Henry had the other goal for the Red Bulls, who were winless in their first six games but improved to 10 points and within one of Eastern Conference leaders Sporting KC and the Columbus Crew. Houston is winless in its last five. Wright-Phillips put New York ahead in the 12th minute after Kosuke Kimura sent a through ball down the right side into the path of a streaking Henry. Unmarked, Henry had time and space to turn and send a bounding ball to the top of the six, where an equally unmarked Wright-Phillips easily deflected it past Houston keeper Tally Hall. His second goal was similar 12 minutes later. Left back Roy Miller slid to win a ball from Houston counterpart Warren Creavalle on the left touchline and advanced unchallenged into the Dynamo penalty area. There, he sent a low bounding cross that Wright-Phillips was able to redirect at the edge of the six to just inside the far post. Wright-Phillips helped hike the lead in the 65th minute, sending a cross in front of the Houston goal that Hall had to punch out in front. Henry ran onto the free ball and easily converted from the middle of the penalty area. Wright-Phillips completed his hat trick in the 86th, converting a penalty after Henry was brought down in the area. "He had a little bit of flu-ish symptoms yesterday, in practice," Petke said, before adding with a laugh, "so I told him hopefully this Friday hell have the flu again." The Red Bulls play at Columbus on Saturday. "It just wasnt a good night for us," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said. "Probably the third goal, but we were still getting chances after that. After that third goal went in, its definitely a big mountain to climb." Both teams were without significant regulars. New York did not dress injured midfielder Tim Cahill and suspended defender Ibrahim Sekagya, while Houston was without U.S. national team midfielder Brad Davis, who missed his third straight game with an injured ankle, and Kofi Sarkodie, who was ejected against Philadelphia on Saturday. Cheap Shoes Black Friday . The team reported the signing on its website Thursday, but said Friday the deal was off in "a mutual parting of the ways that had to do with the language of the contract. Discount Shoes Black Friday . The agreement comes a little more than one week after the video game manufacturer agreed to a $40 million settlement in a similar but separate case, bringing the total payout planned for athletes to $60 million, said Steve Berman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, and the NCAA. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . - The Detroit Lions have placed tight end Brandon Pettigrew on injured reserve, ending his season. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday . On Thursday theyll learn even more. Despite the cloud of uncertainty that has followed them around from the moment general manager Masai Ujiri was brought in to put his stamp on the franchise, the Raptors have surpassed all pre-season expectations. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 . To get things started, heres a little photo tour to get you acquainted with all the main characters.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Maple Leafs return home from a disappointing road trip with a new look on their bench Wednesday night as they take on the Washington Capitals. The Maple Leafs were outscored 8-2 in losing the final two contests of a seven-game swing to Minnesota and Winnipeg, with the defeats on back-to-back days wrapping up a 2-5-0 road trip. Toronto has lost seven of its past nine and owns just a one-point lead over the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conferences second wild card, but despite currently having a playoff spot head coach Randy Carlyle was fired on Tuesday. It just fell into place that this is where were at. If this would have happened and we felt we were trending this way a month from now we would have done the same thing, said Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis. Earlier in the season we had some pretty good stretches where we thought we were going to be the consistent team we wanted to be. That didnt happen and we couldnt wait longer. At this point we felt we needed to make this change. Carlyle was hired by the Maple Leafs during the 2011-12 campaign, not long after being relieved of his coaching duties by the Anaheim Ducks, and led Toronto to the postseason the following campaign. That snapped a franchise- worst seven-season span without a playoff appearance, but Toronto failed to make it back to the 2014 postseason. Assistants Peter Horachek and Steve Spott will handle coaching duties on an interim basis beginning tonight. Horachek previously served as an interim head coach for the Florida Panthers beginning in November of 2013 before joining Toronto the following summer and also spent 10 seasons in Nashville as an assistant under current Capitals head coach Barry Trotz. Spott spent a season coaching the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League prior to his promotion to an assistant coach in July. The Maple Leafs try to pick up the pieces folllowing a 5-1 loss to the Jets on Saturday.dddddddddddd James Reimer gave No. 1 netminder Jonathan Bernier a breather and was peppered with 40 shots, allowing all five goals. Mike Santorelli recorded Torontos only goal 2:19 into the second period when he batted in James van Riemsdyks cross-ice pass into the back of the net. Maybe we were a little tired, but I dont want to give that as an excuse, Reimer said. Were professionals, and we have to find ways to win these games. Toronto has been able to pick up some wins over Washington as of late, winning each of the previous three meetings. The Maple Leafs took the first of three meetings with the Capitals this season 6-2 at home on Nov. 29. Bernier made 35 saves and is 3-1-0 with a 2.01 goals against average and .932 save percentage versus Washington. Tyler Bozak scored twice. Justin Peters played the first and third periods in net for Washington, allowing three goals on 11 shots. Braden Holtby took over in the second and gave up three scores on 12 shots. Peters has not started since and Holtby is likely to make his 16th straight start tonight. He is 2-1-1 versus the Leafs with a 1.76 GAA and .943 save percentage in four meetings, including three starts. Holtby came up with 29 saves in Sundays 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers. It marked the Capitals sixth victory in eight games and improved them to 10-1-3 in their past 14 games. We are doing a lot of the right things and playing sometimes a boring style of hockey, but its the winning style of hockey and its way more fun playing that way for us, Caps defenseman Karl Alzner told NHL.com. Alzner, Brooks Laich and Andre Burakovsky all scored and Alex Ovechkin tallied and added an assist for his third multi-point game in a row. Ovechkin has three goals and six points over that span, which includes a win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic on New Years Day. ' ' '