LOS ANGELES (AP) Edmonton coach Todd McLellan figured he was due to win a challenge. He was right Authentic Mikael Backlund Jersey , and that allowed the Oilers to hold on for a win they nearly gave away.Ryan Strome’s empty-net goal at 19:01 of the third period and a successful coach’s challenge to overturn an apparent goal by Dustin Brown with less than 10 seconds left gave Edmonton a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.Brown tipped in Drew Doughty’s shot to cut it to 4-3 with 18 seconds remaining and appeared to tie it with 9.8 seconds to play when he batted the puck over the line while making contact with goalie Cam Talbot’s pads. The play was ruled no goal on the ice and changed after a video review, but the Oilers challenged for goaltender interference and the goal was waived off.”Not one that we wanted to be challenging,” McLellan said. ”I thought we could have done a better job, obviously, in those last few minutes. But not going to dwell on that a lot. We haven’t won in this building in a long, long time, so we’ll take any type of win that we can get.”Kings coach John Stevens was angry about the reversal, saying Brown never impeded Talbot’s opportunity to make a save.”I think the league is so confused that I’m confused, right? I don’t think they know what it is Mike Smith Jersey , so how the hell are we supposed to know what it is, right? There’s a loose puck sitting in the crease and he jams it in the net. I sure as heck would like to see it count as a goal. I think that’s just a good, hard, hockey goal,” Stevens said.Anton Slepyshev, Leon Draisaitl and Jujhar Khaira scored for the Oilers, who won for the third time in four games and kept the Kings from moving back into playoff position. Talbot made 30 saves.Michael Cammalleri, who started the season with the Kings before being traded to the Oilers on Nov. 14, recorded three assists and has 10 in his last 11 games.Tyler Toffoli and Tobias Rieder also scored for the Kings Artemi Panarin Jersey , who are two points behind Calgary for third place in the Pacific Division and two points behind Anaheim for the second Western Conference wild card. Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots.Kings center Jeff Carter returned after missing 55 games following surgery to repair a cut on his leg in October. He had four shots and won 11 of 16 faceoffs in 17:36.After getting walloped 5-0 and 5-2 in their first two games against the Kings, the Oilers needed 51 seconds to take a 1-0 lead on Slepyshev’s fourth goal. Strome found Slepyshev for a one-timer during a delayed penalty, giving Edmonton its first lead over Los Angeles this season.The Oilers had to kill three penalties in the first, including 1:06 of 5-on-3 play after Darnell Nurse put the puck over the glass. Talbot stopped all five shots during the Kings’ power plays, including two dangerous shots by Toffoli from close range.Draisaitl gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead at 6:16 of the second, finishing off Cammalleri’s pass with a one-timer from the slot for his ninth point in his last eight games.Toffoli scored his 20th goal to get Los Angeles on the board at 14:26, but Khaira darted through two Kings and scored into the top netting to restore a two-goal lead at 3-1 with 2:56 left in the period.Rieder batted in his first goal for the Kings since being acquired from Arizona in a trade, making it 3-2 at 7:51 of the third. Strome scored an empty-netter for a 4-2 lead with 59 seconds left, setting the stage for a frantic final minute.”It got a little nerve-wracking there at the end Shane Doan Jersey ,” Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson said. ”Who knows how the call is going to go? I didn’t really know what to expect, but it ended up good.”NOTES: Oilers forward Drake Caggiula left in the second period after blocking a shot. . Edmonton forward Patrick Maroon (lower body) is expected back in the lineup at Anaheim on Sunday after missing the last two games. … Edmonton traded D Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders for a 2019 third-round draft pick.UP NEXTOilers: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.Kings: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.— GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — J.T. Compher was just trying to play his game and contribute after 16 games out of the Colorado Avalanche lineup due to injury. He ended up with a memorable night.Compher scored a pair of short-handed goals on the same penalty kill in his return to game action, and the Avalanche defeated the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 Friday night.“Just trying to get a feel for the game. We’ve been working hard these last few weeks once I’ve been feeling better to be in good hockey shape and feel confident about my game,” Compher said. “It was a fun one for sure.”Philipp Grubauer made 37 saves in his fifth win and first shutout of the season. Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and assist, and Tyson Barrie also scored for the Avalanche.Colorado has earned points in six straight games, with victories in five of contests.Dylan Strome scored a power-play goal in the third period as the Coyotes lost for the fourth time in five games.Compher scored twice in less than 1:30 on the Coyotes’ first power pay of the game. His first goal came at 7:28 of the first when Matt Nieto gathered the puck off a turnover, drew two defensemen and dished off to Compher, who scored on a clear shot.At 8:53 www.floridapanthersteamshops.com , with the Coyotes still on the man advantage, Compher scored on a breakaway. It was his fifth goal in six games played. Compher had been out since Oct. 16 with a head injury.Antti Raanta had a rocky return, starting in net for the first time since Nov. 2 and surrendering three first-period goals. The Coyotes’ No. 1 goaltender missed eight games with a lower body injury before finishing with 34 saves on Friday.“The first one’s a straight shot, you have to make that save,” Raanta said. “It was three-nothing and the game was pretty much over. Rough start for sure. You give three goals in three shots, you’re pretty much burying your whole team.”The Avalanche went ahead 3-0 on Rantanen’s goal. It came at 9:39 of the first when linemate Gabriel Landeskog flipped a pass up the ice and over the defense to Rantanen, who beat Raanta for his ninth goal of the season.The Avalanche’s high-scoring top line of Rantanen, Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon added to their combined point total with six points. The group has 94 points this season.“One any given night, it’s being led by our top guys Florida Panthers T-Shirts Womens ,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “It was a pretty good all-around game for our guys.”MacKinnon assisted on Barrie’s goal at 6:11 of the third period, and got an assist on Landeskog’s power-play goal with 4:19 to play in the game.“Watching those guys every night has been a real treat,” Compher said. “They compete night in and night out.”The Coyotes’ four-goal loss was their worst at home this season.“It’s disheartening. You’re prepared game-plan wise but it takes ownership of a player to be ready to play,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said.NOTES: Actor Vince Vaughn, of “Old School” and “Wedding Crashers” movie fame, dropped the ceremonial puck before the game, then threw it to fans in the seats. … Coyotes D Jordan Oesterle was scratched for the second straight game … Avalanche F Gabriel Bourque was scratched for just the third time this season. … Colorado is one of two Western Conference teams with eight road victories this season.UP NEXTColorado: Hosts the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.Arizona: Hosts the Calgary Flames on Sunday afternoon.
WASHINGTON (AP) James Neal had the puck on his stick and was staring at an open net. In a can’t-miss situation Arizona Coyotes Hoodies Womens , that’s exactly what he did.Poised to give the Vegas Golden Knights the opening goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, the veteran leader of this upstart expansion team hit the right post . Ping! The puck skipped behind Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby and slithered harmlessly toward the back boards.”You want those chances. Nine times out of 10 you probably put that in the back of the net,” Neal said. ”I had the composure to wait. And then you shoot it and you’re like, `Oh!”’The Golden Knights, a team in desperate need of a boost of confidence, collectively shrugged as a golden opportunity slipped away.”It definitely would have changed the outcome of the game and would have given us momentum,” said right wing Alex Tuch, who knows a thing or two about being coming up empty on a close-in shot.Not surprisingly, the Golden Knights sputtered the rest of the way Monday night in a 6-2 defeat that put them on the brink of elimination. Washington is up 3-1 and can win its first Stanley Cup on Thursday night in Las Vegas.”Go home, win one game and the pressure is on them,” Neal said, hopefully.Although the Capitals have blown many a playoff series in the past, only one team Arizona Coyotes Hats Womens , the 1942 Detroit Red Wings, has lost the Stanley Cup Final after holding a 3-1 lead.”Not where we want to be, that’s for sure,” Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. ”But we have a good bunch of guys with a lot of character in the room. Nobody’s quitting.”Barring a comeback of historic proportions – an unlikely occurrence after being outscored 12-5 over the past three games – the Golden Knights will always remember this series for ”The Stick” and ”The Post.””The Stick” was wielded by Holtby , who used it late in Game 2 to snuff a seemingly sure goal by Tuch in a 3-2 Washington victory. ”The Post” is a symbol of the frustration Vegas has experienced in this series after winning 12 of 15 in roaring to the Western Conference title.Who knows if things would have been different on Monday night if Neal put the puck in the net?This much is certain: The reeling Golden Knights were looking for something, anything, to build on when they entered Game 4, and a 1-0 lead would have been splendid. Presented with a power play in a scoreless first period, Vegas worked the puck around smartly in the Washington zone. Then, Erik Haula whisked a cross-ice pass to Neal on the left side of the net, and Holtby was slow to react.”We obviously got some breaks at the start of the game,” the goaltender said. ”Honestly, I thought it was in. Somehow Custom Arizona Coyotes Jerseys , it didn’t go in.”Said Neal: ”It’s not like anyone made a save. I shot it off the post on the far side. It’s done with. It’s not the first time it’s happened. Probably won’t be the last. But at this stage, at that moment, it changes the game.”The Capitals rattled off three straight goals before the period ended to take full control.Game over. On to the next one for the Golden Knights, who face elimination for the first time during the playoffs.”You can’t feel sorry for yourself. You’ve got to win a game at home,” Neal said. ”That’s what we’ll focus on. I like the way we played. You’ve got to take the positives.”Coach Gerard Gallant insisted: ”Tonight’s game was a step forward. Obviously, though, we have no more room for error.”The Golden Knights could use a little luck. Tuch and Brayden McNabb both lined shots off the post after Neal, who scored with just under 16 minutes left to make it 4-1.But the outcome by then was all but decided.The Golden Knights have struggled to generate offense against the tenacious Washington defense, and Fleury has not been as sharp as he was in Vegas’ three previous series. He gave up six goals on 23 shots as Vegas dropped its third straight game.”Obviously, when you’re a goalie, you don’t want to get scored on,” Fleury said. ”There was a lot of that tonight. It’s never a good feeling.”—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is closer than ever to playing for the Stanley Cup www.bruinsshoponline.com , and he’s determined to make the most of the opportunity.”I’ve never been in this position before,” he said Tuesday, looking ahead to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.The winner Wednesday night earns a berth in the Stanley Cup Final opposite the Vegas Golden Knights, who will try for hockey’s biggest prize in their inaugural season.Ovechkin and the Caps are hoping to shed a label as playoff underachievers, a franchise that dazzles during the regular season only to disappoint at the most important time of the year.”I’m excited. We’re all excited. … We all want to be in this position and move forward,” said Ovechkin, who is playing in the conference final for the first time during his prolific 13-year career.”(Wednesday night) is probably biggest game in my life, this team, organization probably. … We still haven’t reached our goal. Tomorrow is going to be a huge step forward.”Not if the Lightning have their way.Tampa Bay is playing Game 7 in the conference final for the third time in four years. It beat the New York Rangers on the road to advance to the 2015 Cup Final, but fell short the following year against the Pittsburgh Penguins.”Experience is always a good thing, but it’s nothing I’m going to sit and lean on,” said Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman, who is 7-1 in Game 7s during his career. ”It’s about doing your job at the highest level you possibly can.”Washington forced Wednesday’s winner-take-all matchup with a dominating 3-0 victory in Game 6.In a series where home ice has not been a clear advantage Boston Bruins T-Shirts Womens , the Lightning are hoping it provides an edge in Game 7.Washington won Games 1 and 2 in Tampa, then dropped the next two at home. The Capitals are 7-2 on the road this postseason.”When you get this deep into a series, everyone knows each other by heart. Now it really comes down to a little bit of will. You have to will yourself for this moment,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.”I do like the fact there will be 19,000 people helping us, to will us to victory. I want the guys to enjoy the game. It will be a phenomenal experience. … You just have to remember, don’t let the game get bigger than it really is. Go out there, execute, leave everything out there and we’ll see what happens.”This will be Washington’s 11th Game 7 since the start of the 2008 playoffs, most among all NHL teams in that span. None of them, however, have been for a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after Monday night’s win in Washington that there’s no other team he has coached that he would rather lead into a seventh game.”We just keep taking whatever challenge is thrown at us and build off it. This group doesn’t waver. It has a spirit about it, a strong spirit Boston Bruins Hoodies Womens ,” he said.”This team has done a lot of special things this year, it’s grown, it continues to do that,” Trotz added. ”What an opportunity going into Tampa. … We’ll see if we can earn the right to keep playing.”And while that undoubtedly would be a major breakthrough for Ovechkin, Trotz reiterated the Capitals all have a lot invested.”The opportunity is not only for Alex, but for everybody,” he said. ”Everybody that gets a chance to be in a Game 7, which will allow you to go to the finals. It’s exciting, it’s fun.”—
CHICAGO — Coming out of a three-day holiday break Womens Joonas Donskoi Jersey , the Chicago Blackhawks are hoping to re-establish some of the momentum they have built of late.Although their record isn’t close to where they would like it to be, the Blackhawks (13-20-6) are 4-2-1 over the past seven games heading into their home date with the Minnesota Wild on Thursday at the United Center.More Wild coveragePhotos of the Week: 12/30/18 – 1/5/19Wild Breakaway: Wild start slow, finish fast in beating OttawaSpurgeon scores twice, Wild beat Senators 4-3WATCH: Wild’s Spurgeon scores pair of goals vs. OttawaSt. Cloud State’s Ryan Poehling shines at World Junior ChampionshipDespite a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday, Chicago — which remains without goalie Corey Crawford (concussion protocol) — has found a level of confidence that had been absent for much of the difficult stretch that cost Joel Quenneville his job in early November.Now, coming off a brief respite that will lead into the second half of the season, the Blackhawks hope to play with the kind of energy they were over the past few weeks.“We know we’re a good team,” Chicago forward Dylan Strome said after Sunday’s loss Justin Braun Jersey Kids , according to the Chicago Tribune. “We’ve just got to play the right way and follow the game plan. I think when we’re getting pucks out along the walls and creating chances and we’re locking down defensively and not giving them second and third chances, we’re a good team. Hopefully we can continue that after Christmas and continue the little good run that we’re on.”While it’s uncertain how long the Blackhawks will be without Crawford, the veteran goalie attended Chicago’s morning skate before Sunday’s game. Crawford, who has been out since Dec. 16, is eligible to come off of injured reserve on Thursday and coach Jeremy Colliton characterized Crawford’s attendance at the morning skate as a positive.Cam Ward has seen the majority of time in net since Crawford’s injury, but Collin Delia played well in his season debut last week. Colliton recently told reporters that he doesn’t have a plan in place of who will start on a nightly basis.“Performance will dictate (who plays),” Colliton said, according to the Tribune. “Both guys have been good lately and hopefully that keeps going.”Minnesota Youth Kevin Labanc Jersey , meanwhile, enters Thursday’s game looking for its first victory since Dec. 13 and hasn’t played since Dec. 22 when it lost to the Dallas Stars 2-1 in overtime. The Wild have managed just three goals in their past four games and have yet to tally more than one goal since their 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Dec. 13.Entering the Christmas break on a four-game losing streak wasn’t exactly ideal.“It’s frustrating and it’s disappointing,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters after Saturday’s loss, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I was really disappointed for the players because you can see they stayed on the bench and they hung their head. They really wanted (Saturday’s game).”The Wild (17-15-3) had chances to snap their three-game losing streak but couldn’t capitalize on three power-play chances they had against the Stars, including on four-minute chance they had with an extra attacker.Moving forward, Boudreau said his team has to be better when chances at scoring — and ultimately winning — are at stake.“Those are the times you’ve got to put teams away,” Boudreau said, according to the Star-Tribune. “You have no choice. That’s what you’ve got to do.” ST. LOUIS — Is it too early for desperation from the St. Louis Blues?“I think that we’re still a little bit in a process of realizing http://www.sanjosesharksteamshop.com/authentic-logan-couture-jersey , just remembering how hard it is and how desperate you have to play and do things well in order to win hockey games,” Blues coach Mike Yeo told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.After earning just one point in a disjointed first two games, both on home ice, the Blues hope to find that winning level as they host the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.Article continues below ...St. Louis players and coaches have said it will take time to jell after turning over more than half of its top 12 forwards from last season. But they also realize that time is precious in the ultra-competitive Central Division.“Guys that are playing well are going to play and guys that maybe don’t deserve as much ice time aren’t going to get it,” Yeo told the Post-Dispatch. “We’re here to build our team and we have to make sure we’re on top of that.“Now that said, obviously we have to be mindful of our young players, but I don’t think we want to lose hockey games because we’ve got Vladdy Tarasenko sitting on the bench or Jaden Schwartz sitting in the bench too. We’ve got to walk that line.”The Blues could get some help on the blue line as veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson is expected to make his season debut against the Flames. Edmundson missed the first two games with a sore groin.“We got some contact,” Yeo told the Post-Dispatch following Tuesday’s practice. “There will probably be a little more battle Martin Jones Jersey , a little bit more engagement in the physical side of things tomorrow. He got a little bit of it today. Today was a lot of up and down the ice, which I think was good for him, too. Another good day for him tomorrow and hopefully he’s ready to go.”The Flames took two out of the three games against the Blues last season, but St. Louis won the only contest played on home ice.After dropping the season opener, Calgary has won its last two and is coming off of a 3-0 win at Nashville on Tuesday. Center Sean Monahan scored twice against the Predators, giving him four goals on the season, and goalie Mike Smith made 43 saves for his 37th career shutout.“Obviously it starts with Smitty, he played great for us Womens Melker Karlsson Jersey ,” Monahan told NHL.com. “When you get goaltending like that it makes you go even more (motivated). So I think you start to play for him and you get some timely goals. I think we played good all around.”Calgary is riding hot special teams play. The Flames went 2-for-4 on the power play and killed off all four of the Predators’ man advantages, including a full two minutes on a 5-on-3.“Our power play was good tonight again, PK did a great job, especially that 5-on-3,” Flames left winger Johnny Gaudreau told NHL.com. “We were smart with the puck, getting in their zone and playing down low in their zone. Found a way to get a couple of goals, get the lead and just keep playing the same way throughout the game.”
MONTREAL (AP) — Jonathan Drouin and Max Domi simplified their games night by putting more shots on net.Domi had two goals and an assist and Drouin added a goal and two assists as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-2 Tuesday night.“Me and Max were in the same boat the past couple years where we don’t shoot enough http://www.officialhockeypanthersshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-reimer-jersey ,” Drouin said. “Sometimes you just got to shoot and keep it simple.”Artturi Lehkonen and Brendan Gallagher also scored for the Canadiens, who entered the game with one win in their last seven. Carey Price stopped 28 shots.Mark Stone and Dylan DeMelo scored for the Senators, whose three-game winning streak was halted. Craig Anderson made 36 saves.Drouin scored with 5:30 left in the opening period as he and Domi broke out on a two-on-one against Senators defenseman Cody Ceci. Domi sped up the wing and fed Drouin, who backhanded it through Anderson’s legs.DeMelo tied the game in the second period, taking a pass from forward Mikkel Boedker and scoring past Price.The Canadiens came back with three unanswered goals in the second period.Domi scored with 5:22 left in the second period, burying a one-time pass from Drouin. Domi added his second of the period three minutes later, again on a pass from Drouin. Drouin recorded his first three-point game of the season, while Domi has two this season.“I know how (Drouin) is going to pass the puck,” Domi said. “You read the spin on it. He knows where the sweet spot is. Good players like (Drouin) can find that and I all had to really do was smack the puck.”The Senators felt the game unraveled for them in that stretch.“The game was right there for us,” Stone said. “We just didn’t play smart in the last five minutes of that second period.”Lehkonen made it 4-1 with his fifth of the season 18:17 into the second, and Gallagher scored his 12th of the season four minutes into the third.Stone made it 5-2 with his 13th of the year midway through the third period.NOTES: Gallagher was named the 2017-18 recipient of the Jean Beliveau Trophy for community involvement before the game. … The Canadiens wore jerseys with nicknames on the back during warm-up. The jerseys will be autographed and auctioned off Youth Jamie McGinn Jersey , with proceeds going toward the Canadiens Children’s Foundation. … Brady Tkachuk has been held without a point in three games, his longest drought of the season.UP NEXTSenators: Host the Canadiens in a rematch Thursday night.Canadiens: At Ottawa for a rematch Thursday night. ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) After losing three consecutive games in the heat of a tight playoff race, the Anaheim Ducks were not going to be choosy about who scored their goals or which team they beat.So when the Ducks skated off home ice Wednesday night with a 3-0 victory over slumping Vancouver, they were more than happy with the result – regardless of whether it came against a Canucks team that’s failed to score in its last 10 periods.Anaheim defenseman Brandon Montour scored twice, his first goals in 50 games, and veteran Jason Chimera had a goal and an assist for his first points with the Ducks since they acquired him in a Feb. 26 trade with the New York Islanders.”Every game seems do-or-die right now, the standings are so close,” Chimera said. ”We have to have them all.”The victory left the Ducks tied with Los Angeles for third place in the Pacific Division at 82 points. Anaheim has played one more game than the Kings.”We’re not worried about everyone else,” goalie John Gibson said. ”We can’t be looking at other teams. Just have to hold ourselves accountable.”Shut out for the third straight game, the Canucks kept Gibson busy. He turned away 32 shots to earn his third shutout.”It was a competitive game Womens Jared McCann Jersey ,” Vancouver coach Travis Green said. ”I like how we went toe-to-toe with them.”We created a lot of chances, a lot of shots. We just have to figure a way to get one in.”Vancouver, which has lost five straight and eight of nine, was eliminated from playoff contention.Montour opened the scoring 2:36 into the game on a nice give-and-go from Chimera. The defenseman hadn’t scored since Nov. 19.”It was one of those things,” Montour said after his first career multi-goal game. ”I felt the shots were still there, they just weren’t going in.”It remained 1-0 until the 13:44 mark of the second period when the 38-year-old Chimera scored his first Anaheim goal.Chris Kelly won a battle for a loose puck and fed Chimera, whose quick wrist shot whipped inside the near post for his third goal of the season but first since Dec. 27.”You want to be part of it all, scoring goals and helping out,” Chimera said. ”You don’t just want to be existing out there.”Green said the officials missed an interference call on Anaheim that left one Canucks player on the ice just prior to the goal.”That’s a call that has to be made,” he said.It was 2-0 until late in the third period, when Vancouver’s Alexander Edler was called for interference. On the power play Jonathan Huberdeau Jersey , Montour took a pass from Nick Ritchie in front and snapped it past goalie Jacob Markstrom to complete the scoring.”This game is a lot more fun when you are winning,” Canucks forward Brandon Sutter said. ”We know where we are at standings-wise. We still want to have fun with it and try to improve as a team.”We are playing well, but we have to find ways to win, too. Tonight we did all the things you expect to, especially on the road, but we are having a tough time finding the back of the net.”NOTES: The victory was Anaheim’s fourth straight against Vancouver. . The Ducks have killed off 26 straight penalties at home. They last gave up a power-play goal at home Jan. 23 vs. the New York Rangers. … Markstrom stopped 34 shots.UP NEXTCanucks: Host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, their only home game in an eight-game stretch.Ducks: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.—
TAMPA Roman Josi Jersey , Fla. (AP) — The final score was much more important to Tyler Johnson than his fourth career hat trick.Johnson had three goals, Yanni Gourde scored on a power play to put Tampa Bay ahead and the Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Tuesday night.“I don’t think too much about hat tricks. I’m more excited we won,” Johnson said.Johnson scored in all three periods, completing his hat trick on an empty-netter with 1:56 remaining.“When he’s skating, it’s really game-changing for him,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Boy, that kid was flying tonight.”Johnson also had a three-goal game against the Hurricanes last January.After Carolina defenseman Calvin de Haan fanned on a clearing attempt, Gourde made it 3-2 on a pass from Ondrej Palat at 7:02 of the third.Lightning backup Louis Domingue stopped 38 shots in his first start of the season. He made strong saves on Sebastian Aho and Micheal Ferland soon after Gourde’s goal.Ferland and Martin Necas had goals, and Petr Mrazek turned aside 23 shots for the Hurricanes.After starting 4-0-1, Carolina has lost consecutive games by two goals to Stanley Cup contenders Winnipeg and Tampa Bay.“We know that we can play with them,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “The difference is we have little, little margin. So, when you self-destruct on certain things, that’s going to come back to bite you against these great teams. That’s what the lesson is.”Aho picked up an assist to extend his season-opening point streak to seven games (eight assists http://www.officialpredators.com/authentic-adidas-ryan-hartman-jersey , 12 points), which is tied for third-longest in the history of the Carolina/Hartford franchise. Only Victor Rask (eight games, 2016-17) and Ron Francis (11 games, 1984-85) had longer runs.Tampa Bay is 17-2-2 against Carolina since the start of the 2012-13 season.Johnson picked up Tampa Bay’s second short-handed goal this season 12:42 into the game and put the Lightning up 2-1 at 6:07 of the second. The forward, who snapped a 10-game regular-season goal drought, has 11 goals and 19 points in 18 games against Carolina.Necas tied it 2-all with 7:12 left in the second on his first NHL goal, a one-timer from the left circle.Aho stole Victor Hedman’s clearing attempt and helped set up Ferland’s game-opening goal 10:25 into the first.The Lightning converted their only power play, while Carolina went 0 for 4. Tampa Bay is the only NHL team not to allow a power-play goal (18 for 18) this season.The Hurricanes are 2 for 25 with the man advantage overall, and have allowed eight goals on 22 short-handed situations.“As long as we don’t let the negative part of our special teams drift into our overall game, then we’re going to be all right,” Brind’Amour said.Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton had a game-high seven shots on goal. The line of Aho (four), Ferland (five) and Teuvo Teravainen (four) combined for 13.Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos has gone 16 regular-season games without a goal, dating to last season. He had one shot in 16 minutes of play.NOTES: Domingue tweaked his neck playing basketball during a pregame workout but was cleared to play. . Carolina LW Brock McGinn was cut on the face early in the second on the follow-through of Stamkos’ shot attempt. … Mrazek was briefly shaken up in the second after being struck accidentally by Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov’s stick behind the net. … Mathieu Joseph got his first NHL point by assisting on Johnson’s short-handed goal.UP NEXTHurricanes: Host Colorado on Saturday night.Lightning: Wrap up a season-opening five-game homestand Thursday night against winless Detroit (0-4-2). NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Buffalo Sabres saw defenseman Victor Antipin taken off the ice on a stretcher after being boarded. Then Ryan Johansen Jersey , they took it out on the Nashville Predators by scoring three goals on the ensuing 5-minute major.”We were able to make them pay a little bit,” Buffalo center Sam Reinhart said.Reinhart had a hat trick with Jack Eichel adding a career-high five assists as the Sabres stunned the NHL-leading Predators 7-4 Saturday night.”It’s never easy to see a teammate get injured,” Eichel said. ”It was a good job by our team responding and putting it on the scoreboard where it counts.”The Predators needed a win and a regulation loss by Winnipeg to clinch their first Central Division title, and a loss by Vegas in any fashion for the defending Western Conference champs for their first conference banner in the regular season. But Winnipeg beat Toronto 3-1, and the Predators played a sloppy game giving up a season-high in goals to the NHL’s last-place team.Despite a league-worst 60 points, the Sabres outshot Nashville from the start and chased goalie Pekka Rinne after he gave up six goals on 29 shots through two periods.Jason Pominville and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for Buffalo, and Eichel tied a franchise single-game record with his assists.P.K. Subban, Austin Watson, Kyle Turris and Nick Bonino scored for Nashville.The Sabres took control with the three goals – two by Reinhart – during those 5 minutes after Antipin was boarded by Nashville forward Scott Hartnell behind the Buffalo net at 14:09 of the second. Antipin was strapped to a backboard and taken off the ice on a stretcher.”The guys rallied around Victor and made a point to come out, and that was the difference in the game,” Buffalo coach Phil Housley said.Reinhart tied it up at 4 just 55 seconds into the power play, and he put Buffalo ahead at 17:18 with his second goal. Kyle Okposo scored his second of the night at 19:00 for the big lead.”You’re taught as a young kid obviously to finish your checks,” Hartnell said of his hit on Antipin. ”I wasn’t head-hunting. We were leading the game at that time. A 5-minute penalty, and they scored three quick ones and it’s a totally different ballgame. It’s just unfortunate. I feel really bad about it.”This game also marked the NHL debut of Nashville rookie Eeli Tolvanen Viktor Arvidsson Jersey , and coach Peter Laviolette gave Filip Forsberg the night off and replaced him with the Finn who set the KHL scoring record for an 18-year-old with Jokerit before being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.Pominville started the scoring 43 seconds in. Nashville led 2-1 at the end of the first with Subban scoring on a slap shot that deflected off Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen at 2:59 for a rare Nashville power-play goal. The Predators came into the game 3 of 49 on the man advantage since March 1.Nashville led 2-1 at 17:00 of the first on Watson’s goal, and Turris made it 3-1 a couple minutes into the second.O’Reilly scored at 5:45 of the second on the power play, and Okposo tied it up at 3 with a wrister from the slot off a rebound at 7:20. The Predators took a 4-3 lead at 12:50 when Bonino hopped over Johnson’s left leg and backhanded the puck into the net. Buffalo lots its challenge for goaltender interference with Johnson on his belly in the crease.Reinhart got his hat trick at 11:43 of the third. Buffalo finished 4 of 9 on the power play.”We came out flat the whole 60 minutes,” Nashville captain Roman Josi said. ”We never played up to our potential, and it just wasn’t good enough.”NOTES: Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson, Nashville’s leading goal scorer, played only 43 seconds of the second before going to the locker room to stay. The Predators had no update on his status after the game. … Eichel had Buffalo’s first five-point game since Thomas Vanek on Jan. 31, 2013, at Boston. Eichel now has 102 career assists. … Fisher played in his 1,100th career NHL game.UP NEXTSabres: Visit Toronto on Monday night.Predators: Visit Tampa Bay on Sunday.—
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Johansen had a goal and two assists New York Islanders Hats Womens , Viktor Arvidsson and Rocco Grimaldi each added a goal and an assist and the Nashville Predators scored five unanswered goals to break their six-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Monday.Johansen’s seventh goal of the season beat Braden Holtby to tie the score at 3 as the Predators scored three goals in 4:33 to take a 4-3 lead.The loss broke Washington’s four-game winning streak. They had won 16 of 19.Pekka Rinne stopped 22 shots for the Predators as they ended their longest skid since an eight-game slide from April 4-19, 2013.Holtby stopped 28 shots.Michal Kempny opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season at 4:33 of the first. The Capitals took a 2-0 lead four minutes later on Jakub Vruna’s 12th goal, which was followed 23 seconds later by Nashville’s Grimaldi’s second goal of the season.Washington took a 3-1 lead on Chandler Stephenson’s fifth goal at 8:22 of the second period. Holtby started the rush with a long outlet pass to Devante Smith-Pelly.The Predators got within 3-2 on Miikka Salomaki’s third goal of the season midway through the second period. Nashville tied it at 3 on Johansen’s goal.Frederick Gaudreau’s third goal of the season at 14:30 put the Predators ahead 4-3.Ryan Ellis‘ fourth goal at 11:35 in the third gave Nashville a 5-3 lead and Arvidsson’s ninth goal with two minutes remaining made it 6-3.NOTES: Capitals F Alex Ovechkin hasn’t scored a goal in his past six games, his longest streak without a goal since Nov. 10-20, 2017. … Grimaldi and Salomaki hadn’t scored since Nov. 1. … Holtby received an assist on Stephenson’s goal, his second of the season and the 10th of his nine-season career. … Capitals D Brooks Orpik returned after missing 26 games with right knee surgery. … Washington sent D Tyler Lewington to Hershey (AHL) two days after he scored a goal, received an assist and got in a fight in his second NHL game. … Nashville recalled F Nicholas Baptiste from Milwaukee (AHL), but he was a healthy scratch. … Predators F Kyle Turris missed his second straight game with a lower body injury.UP NEXTPredators: Host Philadelphia Flyers on TuesdayCapitals: Visit St. Louis Blues on Thursday Aleksander Barkov is quick to point out the NHL is so popular in Finland that tickets to two games in Helsinki sold out in less than five minutes.“It shows how much they love the game,” the Florida Panthers captain said. “There’s good reason to do that every year.”The NHL is planning just that after Commissioner Gary Bettman announced initial plans for a 2019 season-opener in Prague, two regular-season games in Stockholm and exhibitions in Germany and Switzerland. The Panthers and Winnipeg Jets played the 24th and 25th regular-season games outside North America on Thursday and Friday at a packed Hartwall Arena in the Finnish capital.As the league sows seeds of interest in new markets like China Custom New York Islanders Jerseys , it is also continuing to cultivate interest in established hockey countries like Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic. And there’s a modest proposal for continuing to stoke the interest in the sport in Scandinavia and across Europe.“One thing that I know former players have been talking about is maybe more games earlier on the weekends so they can actually watch,” said Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom, who is Swedish. “Prime time here is middle of the night there. To make it more popular in Europe and Sweden, I think more games in the middle of the day on the weekends would be great. That’s how you can get it more popular.”A crowded sports calendar in the U.S. with the NFL and college football going on during the first half of the season makes that a challenge. Not counting the three games this season taking place in Europe, just 127 regular-season NHL games — roughly 10 percent of the full schedule — start early enough in North America that fans in places in Western and Central Europe can watch before a late evening bedtime.Even with games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights to fill prime-time spots in the U.S., traditional Sunday afternoon kickoffs have helped the NFL become bigger in Europe. Games at Wembley Stadium in London feature fans in jerseys of just about every team, not just the two playing, and the influence goes beyond England.“In Denmark www.senatorsshoponline.com , the NFL (became) quite popular like 10, 15 years ago because they started games in the afternoon, so people could start watching at dinner time and they could just keep watching a new game,” Capitals center Lars Eller said. “I would welcome more afternoon games.”The “NHL on NBC” games that start at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday largely after the American football season ends fit that bill. And with more teams choosing to skip morning skates altogether, afternoon starts wouldn’t throw off game-day routines to the point that there’s pushback from players.“Whenever that happens, games at 12 or 1 p.m. Eastern time, it’s like 7 o’clock in Finland or (nighttime) in Europe, so people can see,” Barkov said. “Of course there’s a big audience there.”Bettman said he is not sure hockey can grow more in places like Sweden and Finland where there are already strong domestic leagues and a steady flow of talented players reaching the NHL.“What we need to do is continue to work to keep it at the extraordinarily high level that it’s at,” he said.Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly brushed aside the idea of basing an NHL team in Europe Ottawa Senators T-Shirts Womens , saying it would need to be a group of teams and that no one has come up with a viable plan. They said staging an outdoor game in Europe is a possibility but not something likely to happen soon.More likely is a regular schedule of “Global Series” games across Europe. Since the NHL opened the 1997-98 season in Japan, 24 of 31 teams have played overseas. The Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights and defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals are the only ones left. Probably not for long.“We’re happy to share our game,” Bettman said in Helsinki. “We’d like to continue to encourage the enthusiasm, support and development that hockey gets by bringing the world’s best players and the world’s best league over here.”
SAN JOSE Julio Jones Jersey Limited , Calif. (AP) Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves in his fourth shutout of the playoffs and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights are headed to the Western Conference Final in their inaugural season after beating the San Jose Sharks 3-0 in Game 6 of their second-round series Sunday.Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring, Nate Schmidt added an insurance goal that was only detectable by replay and Cody Eakin sealed it with an empty-netter to help Vegas become just the third team in NHL history to win multiple series in its first season.The Toronto Arenas won the Stanley Cup in the first postseason in league history in 1918 and St. Louis won two rounds to win the all-expansion West Division in 1968.Next up for Fleury and Vegas will be the Western Conference Final against either Winnipeg or Nashville. The Jets lead that series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Monday night.LIGHTNING 3, BRUINS 1TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Brayden Point and J.T. Miller scored second-period goals, helping Tampa Bay advance to the Eastern Conference final for the third time in four years.Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots – 14 in the final period – for the Lightning, who rebounded from losing the series opener at home to eliminate the Bruins in five games.David Krejci scored in the final minute of the first period to give Boston a 1-0 lead that Point erased with his unassisted goal at 10:43 of the second.Miller’s power-play goal broke the tie less than four minutes later http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/julio-jones-jersey , and Anton Stralman added an empty-netter with 1:29 remaining to end any chance for a Boston comeback.One day after being put ”on notice” by the NHL for licking Lightning forward Ryan Callahan during Friday night’s overtime loss in Game 4, there were no more such incidents involving Bruins winger Brad Marchand, who also made headlines after appearing to lick Toronto’s Leo Komarov in the first round.— NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings are gaining confidence with each win.Rallying on the road sure helps.Larkin scored 4:09 into overtime, Jonathan Bernier stopped 38 shots and the Red Wings beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday.Larkin got his eighth goal of the season when he converted a 2-on-1 break with Anthony Mantha. It was Detroit’s fifth victory in its last six games.“It’s awesome and feels good coming in here after games and we’ve come back from behind, finding ways to win instead of last year Authentic Matt Ryan Jersey , when it was going the opposite way,” Larkin said. “Seems like now it’s a different way every time.”Luke Glendening and Michael Rasmussen also scored for the Red Wings.New Jersey had won two in a row. Pavel Zacha and Blake Coleman scored for the Devils, and Keith Kinkaid made 28 saves.The Devils dominated the opening period, outshooting the Red Wings 15-4 and taking the lead on Zacha’s first goal of the season at 11:35. Zacha dropped to one knee to snare a cross-the-slot pass from Jesper Bratt and drive a one-timer by Bernier.The 21-year-old Zacha, the No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft, was sent to the minors earlier this month Matt Ryan Jersey Limited , with the goal of improving his shot selection and net presence.“It was one of the things they wanted me to work on,” Zacha said. “When you play with the players I play with, they are always trying to find you. It could help me a lot to score more goals, and help the team.”It was a tough opening period for the Red Wings, who lost Darren Helm to an upper-body injury when he was checked along the boards in the New Jersey end.Detroit played better at the start of the second and generated several good chances. Kinkaid denied Larkin on a prime scoring opportunity, and Trevor Daley hit the post.But New Jersey opened a 2-0 lead when Coleman scored the Devils’ first short-handed goal of the season at 15:53.The Red Wings finally got on the board when Glendening flicked a quick shot from the left circle past a screened Kinkaid with 1:34 left in the period.In the third http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/matt-ryan-jersey , Rasmussen tied it at 2 on a deflection of Mike Green’s point shot at 13:37. The Devils unsuccessfully challenged the goal, claiming goaltender interference.The momentum had clearly shifted, and so had the confidence level of the Red Wings.“Confidence is the biggest factor to success in the NHL today because of how close every team is, and how close every player is,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “I can’t say that enough times. I don’t know if it’s understood totally from the outside, but it’s the biggest factor. As you win Authentic Calvin Ridley Jersey , you gain confidence and certainly gain some swagger.”Now it’s the Devils who could use some swagger after a strong start turned into a disappointing home loss, dropping their record to 3-6-1 in the last 10 games.“The majority of the game we did some things we wanted to do,” Devils coach John Hynes said.“At the end of the day, we made some mistakes and they wound up in our net.”NOTES: Tyler Bertuzzi assisted on each of Detroit’s goals in regulation. … The Devils placed D Sami Vatanen (lower body) on injured reserve. D Eric Gryba was recalled from the minors, and Egor Yakovlev replaced Vatanen in the lineup. … Devils centers Nico Hischier and Brian Boyle were sidelined for the third straight game with upper-body injuries. … Detroit LW Jacob de la Rose (upper body) returned after a three-game absence.UP NEXTRed Wings: Host Boston on WednesdayDevils: At Carolina on Sunday.
DETROIT — The Ottawa Senators will likely have left winger Bobby Ryan back when they face the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.Ryan Semyon Varlamov Jersey , 31, who has six goals and 18 points in 29 games, has missed three games with a concussion.“It’s a concussion thing, so the minute he’s cleared (he’ll play), and he’s doing really good,” Senators coach Guy Boucher told the Ottawa Sun after the team arrived in Detroit on Wednesday. “So if his baseline is clear, then that’s a clear one and, hopefully, we get good news from that.Article continues below ...“Of course, that’s what I’m hoping. But what I’m hoping and what’s reality is often not the same. From what I hear http://www.avalancheshoponline.com/authentic-sergei-boikov-jersey , things are going good, I just have to wait to see now if they have taken the last step.”Ottawa (13-15-4) is also without veteran forwards Matt Duchene and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and defensemen Mark Borowiecki and Dylan DeMelo because of injuries.“Whenever you get guys like that back, it also gives the young guys a bit more breathing room because they don’t feel the pressure is on them,” Boucher said. “It’s a fine line between giving them ice and responsibilities. Sometimes they have too much.“You’ve got to navigate it, but it’s hard to do when you’ve got that many guys injured; it’s actually impossible to do when you have that many guys injured, and that’s where we’re at. When you get guys back who can sustain what you’re doing, it’s hard for the opponent and it’s easier for you. It’s a double effect.”The Red Wings (14-14-4) have been struggling on the power play. They have converted only 2-of-31 power plays in their past 14 games, which is a big dip from their first 18 games (13-of-54).“The one hard thing about our power play is we don’t get very many of them, so then it’s hard to get any kind of rhythm Womens Sven Andrighetto Jersey ,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told www.mlive.com.He tried using centers Dylan Larkin and Frans Nielsen on the same unit in Tuesday night’s 6-2 road loss to the Washington Capitals.“Moving Larks (Larkin) into that bumper spot and moving (Andreas Athanasiou) to the half-wall spot, where it’s more run through him as opposed to running the other side and being a one-timer, we’re hoping to get some chemistry going.” Blashill said.The Red Wings have had only one power play in each of their past two games and 85 for the season. They had 106 through 32 games in 2017-18.“We’ve been in a lot of games where there hasn’t been a whole lot called,” Blashill said. “Since the beginning of the year, when we were leading the league in power plays given up, we’ve been in lots of games after that where there hasn’t been much called either way. Do I sense it’s relaxing? I don’t know. I think every game takes a life of its own. I can’t say sit there and say a bunch of games they’ve missed lots of calls on either side. They generally do a real good job. Maybe it’s just the way the game has been.”Defensemen Mike Green and Jonathan Ericsson didn’t practice Thursday. Blashill said they are both banged up and questionable for Friday night. Detroit is carrying two extra defensemen, Luke Witkowski and Brian Lashoff. It hasn’t taken long for Oscar Klefbom to buy into what Ken Hitchcock has been preaching.Klefbom looks to continue his timely production for the Edmonton Oilers when they play host to the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.Selected 19th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, Klefbom’s best season came in 2016-17, when he established career bests with 12 goals, 26 assists and 38 points. After slumping to 21 points in just 66 contests last season — and a slow start in 2018 — the Swedish defenseman has rediscovered his offensive skills.More Wild coveragePhotos of the Week: 12/30/18 – 1/5/19Wild Breakaway: Wild start slow Tyson Barrie Jersey , finish fast in beating OttawaSpurgeon scores twice, Wild beat Senators 4-3WATCH: Wild’s Spurgeon scores pair of goals vs. OttawaSt. Cloud State’s Ryan Poehling shines at World Junior ChampionshipKlefbom has 15 points in 28 games, but has thrived since Hitchcock took over as coach on Nov. 20 for the fired Todd McLellan.In eight games, Klefbom has scored all three of his goals with four assists. Two of his markers were game-winners in back-to-back contests, and he had the tying tally in the final minute of regulation as Edmonton (14-12-2) went on to a 3-2 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.“Klefbom let go a bomb,” teammate Zack Kassian said.Klefbom is also averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time per game, a team high. He’s also got quite a fan in his captain.“Just scores big goals — overtime winner, game-winner late in the third and now a game-tying goal,” Connor McDavid said after the Oilers’ fourth win in five games. “He’s been great for us, not even because he scores goals. He plays a lot of minutes Authentic Alexander Wennberg Jersey , plays hard, kills penalties, shuts guys down.”Klefbom has assists in seven of 10 career games against Minnesota. And Hitchcock said the message of getting the puck to the net is getting through to the six-year veteran.“I think when you have good players up front, sometimes you defer and we’re trying to get him to shoot the puck. We’re trying to get him to pound it off the net and he’s starting to do that stuff,” Hitchcock said.Edmonton fell to the Wild 4-3 on Oct. 30 at Rogers Place. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the Oilers are 2-11-3 at home against Minnesota (15-11-2).The Wild have a quick turnaround after their fourth loss in five games, a 2-0 defeat to the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Mikko Koivu left with an injury following a hit by Mark Giordano in the third period, and the longtime captain’s status for this game is not immediately known.Coach Bruce Boudreau said he did not have an update on Koivu, who is tied for the team lead with 17 assists and has 21 points.Minnesota, which is trying to wrap up a three-game trip through Western Canada with a winning mark Artemi Panarin Jersey , is 4-1-0 in the back ends of games played on consecutive nights this season.“At the end of the day, especially a game like tonight where we lost the game, it’s always fun going right back at it,” winger Nino Niederreiter said.After backup Wild goaltender Alex Stalock made 18 saves versus Calgary, Devan Dubnyk is expected to get the nod against the team that picked him 14th overall in the 2004 draft.Dubnyk is 3-1-0 with a 1.24 goals-against average, a .947 save percentage and one shutout in four road starts against the Oilers after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in January 2015. His 144 wins since being dealt are the second-most in the league behind the Washington Capitals‘ Braden Holtby (154).Zach Parise, who is expected to appear in his 900th NHL game for Minnesota, has collected nine of his 13 goals on the road this season. One of those tallies came on the power play against Edmonton in October.
PFF: Joe Flacco Youth Michael Crabtree Jersey , Marlon Humphrey and Za’Darius Smith produce solid results vs. Broncos in Week 3 The Ravens bounced back strong after a tough lose against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2-0 Broncos rolled into M&T Bank stadium but left with a loss. Now, the Ravens are sitting right behind the Bengals for first place in the AFC North.OFFENSEUnsurprisingly, Joe produced a good game. Once more, when you give a quarterback weapons and an adequate offensive line, he becomes a better quarterback.After the ugly game against the Bengals many feared this matchup was a loss. The Ravens O-line couldn’t handle Cincy, how were they going to manage Von Miller and Bradley Chubb? Somehow, someway, they did it.DEFENSESmith is quickly playing himself out of a possible re-signing with Baltimore. He’s roaring across the field and disrupting plays every game. Hopefully, Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser can fill in next season.Carr couldn’t quite handle Emmanuel Sanders or Demaryius Thomas in man coverage on Sunday. These are big men with great hands and ball skills, which far too often demonstrated their ability to adjust and reel in the tough back-shoulder throws by Case Keenum. I’m not surprised by Marlon’s stats; he’s a first-round cornerback who has practiced against Michael Crabtree and John Brown all year. Let’s hope the two play even better against the Steelers in Week 4. Baker Mayfield's first NFL start came inside Oakland's notorious Black Hole.No. 2 will be against some nasty black birds.It can only get easier after this.The top overall pick in this year's draft, Mayfield faces a major challenge in his first career home start on Sunday as the Browns host the Ravens. Baltimore's ravenous, second-ranked defense has not given up a touchdown in the second half this season and made Steelers star QB Ben Roethlisberger look lost last week.Now they get a rookie to feast upon.Mayfield knows what awaits him."Baltimore has obviously been historically a great defensive franchise," he said. "They trust what they are good at, and they are going to run it. They are playing well right now. I expect them to continue to do what they are good at and also throw a couple of wrinkles in there for me."For the most part http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/justin-tucker-jersey , Mayfield handled everything the Raiders threw his way a week ago in his first career start, a 45-42 loss in overtime. Showing some of the same poise and playmaking ability that made him a college star, Mayfield passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns. However, he committed four turnovers and the Browns (1-2-1) blew a 14-point lead in the second half and dropped to 2-33-1 in coach Hue Jackson's tenure.Still, Mayfield, who came off the bench on Sept. 20 against the Jets and led the Browns to their first win since 2016, handled the adversity like a seasoned pro and converted a few more doubters into believers.The Browns may have finally found their leader."I think Baker Mayfield is this generation's Brett Favre or John Elway, if you will," Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale said. "This guy knows where he wants to go with the ball, and he's very accurate, has a quick release. He's really playing well. Obviously, he's playing well because they scored 42 points last week against Oakland, and they are the Top 5 of scoring offense. So, I think he's done a nice job filling in http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/nick-boyle-jersey , and it seems like they have more rhythm with him as a rookie, every play he's in there."Mayfield's about to face a defense like he's never seen. Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley knows the Ravens well. After spending six seasons with Pittsburgh going up against Baltimore's tenacious defense twice a season, Haley smiled when told about Martindale's praise of his young QB."He's carving a (Pro Football Hall of Fame) bust?" Haley said. "I will hold my stance. I am excited about a lot of the things that he is doing. This week will be a real test. We will know a lot more come Sunday evening."INSIDE INFOLooking to get an advantage on Mayfield, the Ravens watched tapes of his games at Oklahoma and grilled tight end Mark Andrews and tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who were teammates with the Heisman Trophy winner."There's really not that much that those guys can tell you," coach John Harbaugh said. "You kind of talk about it, but I can't really say we've gotten any great information that way, to be honest with you. Honestly, I thought we'd get more."Asked if he watched HBO's "Hard Knocks" to learn more about the Browns, Harbaugh shook his head. Mayfield was prominently featured on the documentary series this summer."I never watch 'Hard Knocks.' Nope. Not a fan, not interested," he said, perhaps sending a message he doesn't want to be considered for the series in the future. "Couldn't care less about 'Hard Knocks,' just for the record."ROLLLING ROOKIEThe Browns aren't giving rookie Nick Chubb nearly enough touches. They know it."He has to get some http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/maxx-williams-jersey ," Jackson said after Chubb rushed for 105 yards on just three carries, and scored on two long runs last week. The Browns intend to increase his workload this week, mixing Chubb in with Carlos Hyde, who has scored five touchdowns but isn't a breakaway threat.Chubb has made the most of his 10 carries, rushing for 146 yards. According to Elias, Chubb is the first back in league history to rush for 100 yards and score two TDs on three runs.SUPER JOEIf Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco's first four games are any indication, he's going to have a fabulous season. He's thrown for 1,252 yards, eight touchdowns and just two interceptions and has quickly developed chemistry with new receivers Willie Snead, Michael Crabtree and Jon Brown.Still, with 12 games left, Flacco and Harbaugh are not looking too far ahead."Through four games, it's a quarter of the season. You could say we're on schedule, but we're never satisfied http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/terrell-suggs-jersey ," Harbaugh said. "We have a lot of work to do."Flacco agrees."We're only four games in," he noted. "Obviously, we like some of the stuff we're doing. We can get better at a lot of stuff, like always."TOUGH ASSIGNMENTFor Browns rookie left tackle Desmond Harrison, Sunday's matchup with Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs will be a measuring stick. Hopefully, Suggs doesn't use it on him.Harrison has sought advice from retired Browns star Joe Thomas, who had epic battles with Suggs over the years. The undrafted free agent insists he's not nervous about trying to block one of the league's best defenders."I'm just going to play my game, how I play every weekend, not going to try to do anything different, just stick to the script," he said.
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18.02.2019 03:08
