NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified for more than two hours to start Ray Rices appeal hearing on Wednesday, a person familiar with the case told The Associated Press. Adidas Gazelle Baratas .Rice and his wife, Janay, will testify on Thursday at the offices of former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones in New York, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Jones has told both sides not to discuss details of the private hearing. The source said Goodell spent much of his testimony under cross examination by Rices attorneys.Rice spent nearly 10 hours at the hearing, which took place nearly two months after the former Pro Bowl running back was suspended indefinitely by the NFL and released by the Baltimore Ravens.League security chief Jeffery Miller and Ravens President Dick Cass are among the key witnesses expected to testify in the two-day hearing.Rice was suspended indefinitely Sept. 8 for violating the NFLs personal conduct policy after a video of him hitting his then-fiancee was released publicly.Rice is seeking immediate reinstatement, though its unlikely a team would sign him this season. Rice has also filed a separate wrongful termination grievance against the Ravens.Its uncertain how long Jones will take to make a decision, but shes not expected to make it on Thursday, the source said.Goodell originally suspended the running back for two games. The incident occurred inside an elevator at an Atlantic City casino in February. The couple married a month later.The league considered the video made public after the initial suspension to be new evidence, giving Goodell the authority to amend Rices punishment. But Rices attorneys are arguing he should not be disciplined twice, citing the collective bargaining agreement.Rices side also is arguing that he described details of the incident to Goodell when they met in June. Goodell has called Rices description ambiguous while the players representatives have maintained he gave exact details.Jones was jointly picked by the commissioner and the players union to hear the appeal. Though it isnt a criminal case, Jones ruled witness will testify under oath. Transcripts of the testimony will not be released publicly, the source said.Rice, a three-time Pro Bowl pick, played in two preseason games for the Ravens this year. His last carry was a 6-yard run against San Francisco on Aug. 7.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Rob Maaddi can be reached on Twitter at ww.twitter.com/ap_robmaaddi Adidas Ultra Boost España . Villar connected off Joe Saunders (11-14), sending a drive well over the left-field fence for his first career homer. The Astros scored six times in the first three innings to chase Saunders. Adidas Ozweego España . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. http://www.baratasnmd.com/adidas-nmd-r1-baratas.html . Head coach Corey Chamblin announced on Monday that Avon Cobourne had been hired as the defending Grey Cup champions new running backs coach. WASHINGTON -- With newly signed Evgeny Kuznetsov looking on, the Washington Capitals did their best to entertain their new teammate. Troy Brouwer scored a power-play goal off a rebound to cap a rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period as the Capitals beat the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 on Saturday night. After failing to score in the first 49 minutes against Mike Smith (30 saves), Washington tallied three times in a span of 5 minutes, 2 seconds. Karl Alzner started the surge with a goal at the 9:45 mark. Just 32 seconds later, Brooks Laich tied it on a feed from Jason Chimera. When Washington got just its second power-play opportunity of the night, David Moss tripping Dmitry Orlov, the Capitals cashed in. Smith failed to control a slap shot by Nicklas Backstrom and it rebounded to Brouwer who scored his seventh goal in his last eight games. The win snapped Washingtons three-game losing streak. The Capitals remained in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, one point behind Columbus and Detroit, who are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot. "We know that were at a point where our season is on the line every single game," Brouwer said. "That should be enough motivation in here and it was tonight." It was a successful Washington debut for goalie Jaroslav Halak, who made 31 saves. Halak was acquired from Buffalo in a deadline deal on Wednesday. "It was really weird, wearing that jersey, looking down, seeing the red colour," Halak said. "The first half of the game, I was really nervous. I wanted to obviously leave a good impression on fans on my teammates and everybody in the organization." The victory ended an eventful night for the Capitals. Less than two hours before the game, Washington signed 2010 first-round draft choice Kuznetsov, ending a long pursuit of the 21-year-old forward, who has played the last four years in Russias Kontinental Hockey League. He could make his NHL debut Monday night when the Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Adidas NMD R1 España. "He doesnt know this hockey and we dont want to put him in a situation that he cant handle right now," Washington coach Adam Oates said. "But in saying that, if we can spot him in the lineup it could be a nice spark for us. Hes a very talented man." Brandon McMillan and Radim Vrbata scored for Phoenix, with Keith Yandle assisting on both. "It seemed like we stopped playing the way we played in the first and the second," Vrbata said. "When you have a 2-0 lead going into the third, you have to find a way to win, and we didnt." The Coyotes took the lead with 62 seconds left in the first period when Washington lost the puck in the neutral zone as it began a transition play. McMillan turned the mistake into a breakaway goal, his first in the NHL since scoring in the 2011 playoffs for Anaheim. It might have been the second goal for McMillan. Midway through the period, he appeared to score off a rebound. But officials ruled that McMillan simultaneously pushed the puck and Halaks pad across the goal line. In the second period, Phoenix made it 2-0 as Vrbata redirected a shot from the point by Michael Stone. After losing 3-0 on Thursday at Boston, Washington appeared destined for a second straight shutout until Alzner scored from deep as Yandle appeared to screen the view of Smith -- starting the big comeback. It was just the second goal this season for the defenceman. "Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was me who scored it and not a guy who normally scores, but people seemed really up after that," Alzner said. "It was the perfect momentum swing and the perfect line to come out right after that. It was a perfect storm for us." Notes: Phoenix forward Martin Erat was booed many times when he touched the puck. Erat was dealt by Washington this week after scoring one goal for the team. In November, Erat asked to be traded, complaining about a lack of playing time. ' ' '