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Castellanos hit his fourth career grand slam, Jordan Zimmermann pitched seven strong innings and the Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-1 on Sunday.
Manager Ron Gardenhire scheduled the pregame meeting, a relaxed session in which players were invited to say whatever was on their mind. Castellanos called it an opportunity to ”just kind of address the elephant in the room.”
”It gave anybody a chance that wanted to speak up to speak up,” said Castellanos, adding that Victor Martinez, James McCann and Gardenhire were among those who talked.
JaCoby Jones hit a two-run homer as the Tigers won for the first time since June 17, when they completed a three-game road sweep of the Chicago White Sox.
Castellanos nearly hit another home run in the ninth but Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar made a leaping catch at the wall.
”I felt like I was going to have a chance to make a play,” Pillar said. ”A ball like that hit as high as it is it allows me time to kind of track the ball and track the fence and go up to try to make a play. ”
Castellanos stopped on the basepaths to applaud Pillar’s catch before turning and heading back to the dugout.
”What else can you say the end of the day besides `What a play,”’ Castellanos said. ”It sucks it had to happen to me but plays like that have to happen to somebody.”
Niko Goodrum had a career-high four hits and Jose Iglesias had two hits and two RBIs for Detroit, which had lost 12 of 14 at Rogers Centre.
”That was a fun win, a really fun with with a lot of great swings,” Gardenire said.
Zimmermann (3-0) allowed one run and five hits in his third start since returning from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss more than a month.
”He had a great curveball today Adidas Jakub Voracek Jersey ,” Gardenhire said. ”That’s probably the best curveball I’ve seen all year out of him.”
Wearing red jerseys and caps for Canada Day, the Blue Jays couldn’t deliver a win for the holiday crowd of 37,445.
Tigers outfielder Leonys Martin left with a sore left hamstring after his bases-loaded bunt single in the fifth brought home Detroit’s first run. Martin was replaced by Victor Reyes.
Following the game, Gardenhire said Martin would be placed on the 10-day disabled list. A corresponding roster move will be made before Monday afternoon’s series finale.
Castellanos followed with his 13th home run, a shot that bounced off the top of the wall in right. It was his first grand slam since Sept. 8, 2017, also against Toronto.
Castellanos also made a fine catch in right, reaching back to grab Russell Martin’s line drive for the final out of the fourth.
Iglesias chased Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (10-4) with a two-out, two-run single in the sixth.
Happ matched season-worsts by allowing seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.
”It’s not a pretty outing and I own that,” Happ said.
Happ had won six consecutive decisions since his previous defeat, May 10 against Seattle.
Teoscar Hernandez tripled in the first and scored on a two-out double by Justin Smoak, but Zimmermann recovered to retire the next nine Blue Jays batters.
For the second straight game Authentic Jeremy Kerley Jersey , the roof was closed at Rogers Centre because of high heat and humidity.
MUSIC MAN
Blue Jays RHP John Axford complied a list of more than 500 songs by Canadian artists and has been playing his mix in the clubhouse all weekend. Axford’s `Oh Canada!’ playlist can be streamed using the online music service Spotify.
NOT YOUR DAY
The Blue Jays are 14-26 on Canada Day, including a 12-17 mark at home.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: RHP Alex Wilson, who left in the eighth inning Saturday because of a sore left calf, was not available. … RHP Drew VerHagen (nasal fracture) pitched one scoreless inning for Triple-A Toledo Saturday night, his first rehab appearance. VerHagen has been out since June 20.
Blue Jays: Toronto optioned utilityman Darnell Sweeney to Triple-A Buffalo after the game and will make a corresponding roster move Monday.
UP NEXT
Tigers RHP Mike Fiers (5-4, 4.04) faces Blue Jays LHP Ryan Borucki (0-1, 3.00) in Monday afternoon’s series finale. Fiers is 0-2 with a 5.91 ERA in two career starts at Rogers Centre. Borucki made his major league debut at Houston last Tuesday, allowing two runs in six innings.
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Sidney Crosby has faced the Washington Capitals three times in the playoffs. All three times the Pittsburgh captain has led his team to victory. And all three times the Penguins used the win as the springboard to a raucous mid-June parade with the Stanley Cup in tow.
Still, Crosby sounded like a cautious investor on Tuesday when asked if Pittsburgh has a mental advantage over rival Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals heading into yet another postseason showdown in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting later this week.
Past performance, the two-time MVP stressed, does not guarantee future results.
”I think it depends on what you do in the series and how you play,” Crosby said. ”I don’t think it plays a huge role. I guess to answer your question Youth Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , no.”
A mantra Crosby’s teammates repeated over and over they prepared for yet another showdown in a rivalry that somehow manages to be both compelling and one-sided. Pittsburgh is 9-1 all-time in the postseason against Washington regardless of who is in the black-and-gold sweaters and who is in red, white and blue.
Not that Ovechkin is intimidated. The Capitals star said he “can’t wait” to get another shot at the Penguins after spearheading Washington’s first-round win over Columbus in six games. That’s fine by Pittsburgh, which has played Lucy to Washington’s Charlie Brown for more than a quarter century, dangling a potentially deep playoff run in front of the Capitals only to pull it back at the last minute.
The Penguins, however, remain wary. Just because they always beat Washington doesn’t mean they’re going to always beat Washington. The teams split their four meetings during the regular season, with the Capitals wrapping up their third straight Metropolitan Division title with a 3-1 win in Pittsburgh on April Fool’s Day.
Of course, none of it matters once the puck drops in Game 1.
”It’s a new year,” Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang said. ”The series is going to play out differently. The game is going to be won differently. You don’t know how it is going to go. The only thing I know is it’s a good rivalry, two really good teams, two teams that have a lot of punch offensively. It’s going to be fun to be a part of.”
Particularly for Letang. He missed all of Pittsburgh’s run to a second straight Stanley Cup last spring while recovering from neck surgery, though he was able to make his way to the arena for Game 7 of the conference semifinals Barkevious Mingo Color Rush Jersey , when Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 29 shots he faced and the Penguins escaped with a 2-0 victory to finish a series in which both teams scored 20 goals and won on opposing ice at least twice.
Though there are a handful of new faces on both sides, the principals remain the same. Ovechkin and Crosby. Evgeni Malkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Letang and Braden Holtby. Two weeks of taut, tense hockey in the offing.
”I think it’s the same old dangerous team,” Letang said. ”Like, don’t get me wrong, those series went the distance, they went to overtime. It was a tough matchup that could have gone either way. They cause the same problems to our team. They cause problems on the power play. They have a lot of skill. They make a lot of plays.”
Yet the Penguins have always found a way to make at least one more, though they may be at less than 100 percent when things get going. Malkin and forward Carl Hagelin both missed practice on Tuesday. Malkin is dealing with a lower-body injury while Hagelin has an upper-body issue after colliding with Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux in Pittsburgh’s clinching victory over the Flyers in Game 6.
That could provide more playing time for players like Riley Sheahan – who filled in capably on the second line for Malkin in Game 6 – and rookie Zach Aston-Reese. The 23-year-old was in high school the first time Crosby and Ovechkin met in the playoffs in 2009 – when the Penguins blitzed the Capitals in Game 7 of the conference semifinals on their way to the Cup.
This time, Aston-Reese’s view will be markedly different. He noticed an uptick in intensity from the regular season when the Penguins fended off the Flyers. Now, the dial goes up to 11 and stays there.
”I expect every game to be almost like a Game 7,” Aston-Reese said.
That’s because it almost always is.
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More NHL hockey: .
The Halas Award is given to a NFL player Authentic Sam Darnold Jersey , coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. Goodwin had a career year on the field while dealing with family tragedies during the 2017 season.
Goodwin was signed as an unrestricted free agent last year. His wife, Morgan, lost a premature baby boy due to complications during pregnancy on Nov. 12. Hours later, he caught an 83-yard touchdown pass, the longest by a 49ers player since 2014. He blew a kiss to the sky before crossing the goal line, and dropped to his knees in the end zone in prayer Cheap Jerome Baker Jersey , overcome with emotion.
Goodwin also went through the loss of his biological father in December, then was carted off the field after being injured in the season finale. He finished with 56 receptions for 962 yards and two touchdowns and was third in the NFL in reception average at 17.2 yards.
He is the 50th Halas Award winner.
Other 2018 nominees were Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, Giants tackle Nate Solder and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.
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鈥?Matt Bryant kicked five field goals, including a 56-yarder, for all of Atlanta’s second-half points and the Falcons clinched a playoff spot by beating the Carolina Panthers 22-10 on Sunday.After the teams played to a 7-7 halftime tie Authentic Kolton Miller Jersey , the 42-year-old Bryant kicked field goals of 30, 42, 30, 56 and 33 yards without a miss.Atlanta (10-6) clinched the No. 6 seed in the NFC and will play at the Los Angeles Rams next week in the first round of the playoffs.On a day when Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense struggled, Bryant’s 15 points provided a margin too great for Carolina to overcome.The Panthers (11-5) had a playoff spot secured entering the weekend, but they couldn’t improve their position.Minnesota’s 23-10 win over Chicago earlier Sunday ended the Panthers’ hopes of a first-round bye. The loss to the Falcons ended Carolina’s goal of winning the NFC South Seahawks Sebastian Janikowski Jersey , and the Panthers will open the playoffs at New Orleans.Matt Ryan completed 28 of 45 passes for 317 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Freeman on Atlanta’s opening drive, and no interceptions.The Panthers pulled even on Newton’s 4-yard scoring pass to Devin Funchess late in the first half.Newton threw three second-half interceptions. The third interception, by Robert Alford in the end zone with 8 seconds remaining, ended the Panthers’ final drive. Newton completed 14 of 34 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown.With the game tied in the third quarter, the Falcons had an apparent touchdown taken off the board when a review showed Mohamed Sanu didn’t maintain control of a 12-yard catch in the end zone. The ball hit the ground after Sanu collided with Julio Jones Wholesale James Washington Jersey , who also was crossing to the middle of the end zone.The Falcons settled for Bryant’s first 30-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.Newton led the Panthers on a 16-play touchdown drive that consumed more than half of the second quarter and tied the game at 7. Newton gained the needed yard on a fourth-down keeper, but the true back-breaking play for Atlanta’s defense was his 27-yard pass to Brenton Bersin on a third-and-23 play. The pass set up Newton’s 4-yard scoring pass to Funchess.SLOW STARTNewton was 0 for 9 before finally completing his final seven passes of the first half. Newton completed his first pass to McCaffrey 鈥?for a loss of 3 yards 鈥?midway through the second quarter.MILESTONE FOR JULIOJones caught a 14-yard pass midway through the third quarter to reach 9,000 career yards faster than any receiver since the 1970 merger.The two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection last month set the league mark with the most catches and yards receiving in a receiver’s first 90 games.Jones finished with five catches for 80 yards. He survived an injury scare after he took a big hit from Carolina strong safety Mike Adams on the opening drive. He returned to the field on the same drive, which ended with Ryan’s touchdown pass to Freeman.NO STEWARTRunning back Jonathan Stewart was due to back tightness. The Panthers also were without two more starters: safety Kurt Coleman (ankle), and right guard Trai Turner (concussion).UP NEXTPanthers: Carolina will play at New Orleans next week in the first round of the NFC playoffs.Falcons: Atlanta will visit the Rams next week in the first round of the playoffs..
On Wednesday Customized Indianapolis Colts Jerseys , one of the NFL's most versatile running backs carried the ball for the final time.
The 32-year-old Forte announced his retirement from playing after 10 NFL seasons in a humble and heartfelt statement to Sports Spectrum that he also sent on Twitter and Instagram.
"It's time for the workhorse to finally rest in his stable," Forte wrote.
s://t.co/DqIf5X7zIu pic.4PzGZNNdgM
鈥?Matt Forte (@MattForte22) February 28, 2018
He had one year remaining on his contract with the Jets, but knee issues during his two seasons in New York, as well as his age, made him a likely salary cap casualty this offseason.
Instead, Forte went out on his own terms.
"For the past 10 years, I've been blessed to play professionally a game that I've loved since I was 6 years old," Forte wrote. "But after much prayer and reflection, I've decided to retire from the NFL."
The move saves the Jets $3 million on their salary cap 鈥?the same amount if they had released him.
Forte's 9 Kalen Ballage Color Rush Jersey ,796 yards rushing rank him 33rd on the NFL's career list. He also had 554 receptions, including setting the league record for running backs with 102 catches in 2014.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection's 14,468 yards from scrimmage over the past 10 years are the most of any NFL player during that span.
Forte spent his first eight seasons with Chicago after being drafted in the second round out of Tulane in 2008. With the Bears, he established himself as one of the best all-around running backs in the league as an electrifying presence who could make plays running or catching the ball out of the backfield.
Forte ran for more than 1,000 yards in five of his eight seasons with Chicago, and caught at least 50 passes six times.
"The roar of the crowd at Soldier Field as I'd break a run or make a big catch," Forte wrote, "will forever be ingrained in my mind."
Simply one of the best on and off the field. Class personified.
Congratulations on an amazing career, @mforte22.聽 pic.qWWE46Wzyb
鈥?Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 28, 2018
He became a free agent after the 2015 season Braden Smith Youth Jersey , and the Jets signed him to a three-year, $12 million contract.
Forte led New York with 813 yards rushing, but it was a career low for the running back who ended the season on injured reserve. He had arthroscopic surgery on the knee at the end of the 2016 season to repair a torn meniscus.
Forte was ready for the season opener, but swelling in the knee worsened last November and Forte said he was "basically playing on one leg" since. He ended up on injured reserve to end the season for the second straight year.
He had a career-low 381 yards rushing on just 103 carries last season and ran for two touchdowns, and also had 37 catches for 293 yards 鈥?the second-lowest totals of his career 鈥?and one TD.
Forte said late last season that he had no intentions of calling it a career, despite saying he did not produce "up to standards." But he changed his mind during the past few weeks.
"While my heart is a bit heavy as I close this chapter of my life," Forte wrote, "I am excited about what the future holds."
Forte thanked his parents, wife, agent Josh Gordon Jersey Youth , the Bears, the Jets and the fans in his statement. He called his career "a miracle" and said playing in Chicago allowed him "to live out my childhood dream in playing for the Bears."
The announcement drew several messages of congratulations and best wishes on social media from current and former teammates with the Jets and Bears. Fellow running backs on other teams such as DeMarco Murray and Mark Ingram also tweeted about Forte,
Former Bears center Olin Kreutz, who played with Forte for three seasons, called him "one of the best all-around backs of his era , if not the best."
Forte.. that guy was a Ball Player !!!! one of the best all around backs of his era if not the best. Congrats !! s://t.co/4jWBlLEwHc
鈥?Olin kreutz (@olin_kreutz) February 28, 2018
Added former Bears fullback Jason McKie : "I knew you were special the 1st day you set foot in Halas Hall."
Congrats on a Great Career!! I knew you were special the 1st day you set foot in Halas Hall!!Truly an honor to block for you! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! Much Love!!Memories Never Retire!! Matt Forte 鈥淲ork Horse鈥?!#BearDown pic.RLOD0BcHkN
鈥?Jason McKie (@Jmack37) February 28, 2018
Jets safety Jamal Adams, a rookie last season, called Forte "a true class act."
True class act. Learned a lot from the OG! s://t.co/ICF8ASSHg7
鈥?JamalAdams (@TheAdams_era) February 28 Cheap Deadrin Senat Jersey , 2018
Former Bears coach Lovie Smith, who had Forte in his backfield from 2008-12, said "few players embody all-around success better than him! Proud to be his coach."
Congratulations to @MattForte22 on his retirement, few players embody all-around success better than him! Proud to be his coach. pic.TRl4MGeW7Z
鈥?Lovie Smith (@LovieSmith) February 28, 2018
For the Jets, Forte's decision opens a spot in the backfield. Bilal Powell led New York with a career-high 772 yards rushing and five touchdowns, and caught 23 passes for 170 yards. He is signed through next seaso The Minnesota Vikings have re-signed kicker Kai Forbath to a one-year contract after a strong finish to his 2017 season.
The deal finalized Wednesday maintains the stability the 30-year-old Forbath has brought to the position since replacing Blair Walsh midway through the 2016 season.
Forbath has missed eight of 53 extra points in 23 games with the Vikings, and he endured some mini-slumps in 2017. But he made a career-best seven field goals from 50-plus yards last year, and he made three of four in the NFC divisional round playoff win over his former team New Orleans. That included makes from 49 and 53 yards in the fourth quarter against the Saints.
Forbath finished 16th in the NFL in the regular season with an 84.2 field goal percentage.
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For both sides Jimmy Garoppolo 49ers Jersey , the delay was well worth the wait. There were no contentious contract negotiations in the way, only a College World Series championship for Larnach with Oregon State.
”We figured it would go to the end, because I thought Oregon State was the best team I saw all spring,” Twins scouting director Sean Johnson said. ”They were really built to win that series, so we knew it would take a while.”
Larnach’s standard minor league deal, signed on Thursday afternoon, came with a $2.55 million signing bonus. The slot value set by MLB for the 20th overall selection was $3.12 million, so the Twins put some of that savings toward signing other players in their draft class.
Larnach, a corner outfielder who hit .327 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs this season for the Beavers, batted .417 with five doubles, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored in eight games at the College World Series. His two-run homer in the ninth inning against Arkansas helped Oregon State stave off elimination in the second game of the finals , and the Beavers went on to win the decisive third game the following night.
”I would say it’s probably the closest thing you are going to get to playing here in the big leagues,” Larnach said as he toured Target Field for the first time before the Twins played Baltimore on Thursday night. ”There are a lot of people at every game. You start playing some SEC teams, and you start hearing them pretty well. It’s all part of it. It’s a wonderful experience, and I wish I could re-live some of it Authentic Kareem Martin Jersey , but you know there are better times ahead.”
The Twins said the 21-year-old Larnach will report to rookie-level Elizabethton of the Appalachian League.
”It’s good to have him in the fold,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. ”I told him to enjoy the experience. I couldn’t really relate to him what it was like to sign at this particular point in my life because it was 40-some years ago, but it was nice for him and his parents to come in and have a chance to talk with them.”
Johnson was on a scouting trip in North Carolina, dining at The Cheesecake Factory restaurant with Twins vice president of player personnel Mike Radcliff, when they saw Larnach’s dramatic home run. They weren’t exactly sweating the timing of the signing.
”Twenty seconds before he hit the home run, I’m like, `If he hits a home run here to give them the lead, we can wait another day,”’ Johnson recalled. ”Right on cue, he hit it. That was the first time I celebrated in a Cheesecake Factory. That was pretty cool. That was a fun moment to watch.”
For Larnach, too, of course.
”My experience at Oregon State, man, it’s pretty unbelievable. I can’t put that into words,” he said. ”I can’t thank my family at Oregon State enough for what they’ve done for me. I’m always going to come back to them and say hi and give them my love and just give back to them as much as I can Ryan McMahon Colorado Rockies Jersey , because they’ve developed me not only as ballplayer but as a person, and that’s what they promised when I got there.”
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HOUSTON — First things first: The Minnesota Timberwolves are not merely happy to be in the playoffs for the first time since 2004, despite the prevailing narrative regarding their presence.
The circumstances certainly allude to a measure of complacency on behalf of the Timberwolves, who claimed a winner-take-all showdown with the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday to end the longest postseason drought in the league.
For their effort, which included surviving a lengthy span of the stretch run without All-Start guard Jimmy Butler, the Timberwolves earned a matchup against the top-seeded and heavily favored Houston Rockets, with their Western Conference first-round series set to commence Sunday at Toyota Center.
Given the long odds, and the fact that Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff series since the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals, is drawing Houston accomplishment enough?
Not particularly.
“We expect nothing but greatness from ourselves,” Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We didn’t wake up this morning like, ‘Hey, we’re going to go to Houston.’ We woke up saying we’re going to go to Houston and get the job done. We put pressure on ourselves because we want to be so great, we want to be the best team possible that we can be. I think we’re going to do fine.
“At the end of the day we don’t need anyone to tell us their opinions of how the series is going to go. We have confidence and we talk to each other. That’s all we need is each other in this moment.”
The Timberwolves will have to circle the wagons against an opponent that blitzed them four times during the regular season. The Rockets claimed the first three meetings by 18 points each and led by 25 in a 129-120 road victory March 18. Houston, the most prolific 3-point shooting team in the league by volume, hit 69 of 159 3s in those four games for a robust 43.4 percent.
How Minnesota handles the challenge that comes with defending the Rockets might align with its offensive approach. By relying on Towns Colts Tyquan Lewis Jersey , who paced the team in points (1,743), rebounds (1,012), blocks (115) and 3-pointers (120), plus Butler in the post, Minnesota might unlock a pace that could prevent Houston from its usually lethal combo of layups and open 3s.
“We’ve got the capability to play slower; we’ve got KAT and Jimmy and those guys who can post the ball and put guys in isolation situations,” Timberwolves guard Jeff Teague said. “Against that team they switch so much they kind of want you to post the ball so they can come and trap, so we’ve got to push the ball and try to get some easy scores. And we’re going to have to make some shots.”
Matching the Rockets offensively might be as sound a strategy as anything the Timberwolves can muster defensively. Houston not only made more 3-pointers (1,256) than any team in NBA history, the Rockets actually attempted more 3s (3,470) than shots from inside the arc (3,446).
Additionally, Rockets guards James Harden and Chris Paul ranked first and fourth, respectively Cheap Derrick Nnadi Jersey , in isolation points per possession. And for added measure, center Clint Capela paced the league in field goal percentage (65.2), gorging on a healthy portion of lobs courtesy of the penetration Harden and Paul created by opponents scrambling to defend the 3-point arc.
The Timberwolves finished 23rd in defensive efficiency during the regular season, so any expectation that they might lock down the Rockets this series is foolhardy. The Rockets are well aware of their potency, and the potential to inflect damage by doing what they usually do.
“You go out there and compete, and go back to what you’ve been doing all year,” Harden said. “Staying together, having that positive mindset. Bad things are going to happen. Turnovers are going to happen, mistakes are going to happen but the sooner you can bounce back to that next play, the better off you’ll be.”
.His name sitting comfortably at the top of that list, Auston Matthews responded in a big way.
Matthews scored the go-ahead goal in the second period to lead the Maple Leafs picked in a 4-2 victory Monday night, cutting the Bruins’ lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series to 2-1.
Toronto was reeling in the wake of 5-1 and 7-3 losses on the road, but got back to using its speed at home.
”I don’t think any of us felt we played how we’re capable,” Matthews said. ”Tonight definitely was a statement game.”
Matthews was fiery after Saturday’s blowout, responding to a question about how Boston’s top line of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron could have 20 points in two games compared to his trio’s goose egg with an expletive: ”(It) happens.”
The raw emotion that comes with being a young star came out a different way in this one after he took a feed from William Nylander down low at 5:13 of the second and fired a shot short-side on Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask to send the Air Canada Centre crowd into a frenzy.
”It just feels like an earthquake in your feet when you score, especially in playoffs,” Matthews said. ”It’s definitely emotional.”
Toronto coach Mike Babcock said he hopes the goal takes a weight off the 20-year-old’s shoulders.
”When you’re my age, social media doesn’t really affect your life,” Babcock said. ”When you’re his age it affects your life. You know what people are saying.”
Patrick Marleau had two goals, James van Riemsdyk also scored, and Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly added two assists each for the Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen stopped 40 shots.
Toronto will look to even the series here in Game 4 on Thursday night.
Adam McQuaid and Zdeno Chara scored, Sean Kuraly had two assists and Tuukka Rask had 26 saves for the Bruins.
”First couple games we had a couple bounces go our way, tonight we didn’t Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey Cowboys ,” Marchand said. ”That’s hockey.”
Pastrnak (four goals, five assists), Marchand (one goal, five assists) and Bergeron (five assists) had their way with Toronto through the first two games, but the Leafs held Boston’s big line at bay thanks in large part to Marner, Marleau and Tomas Plekanec.
”We stuck to our game plan,” Marner said. ”We got the puck in our hands quickly. We used our speed.”
The Bruins’ power play -5 for 10 in the first two games – got its first opportunity early in the third only to see Pastrnak hit the post.
The Maple Leafs sealed it with 3:35 left when Marleau scored his second of the night on a 2-on-1 rush for his 70th career playoff goal.
”We were on it all game,” Marleau said. ”We had our legs, we were playing the right way.”
Pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in the first period of Game 2, Andersen then robbed Pastrnak with a stellar diving stick save with Rask on the bench for an extra attacker with just over two minutes to go.
Trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes, Boston tied it at 3:06 of the second when McQuaid’s shot from the point squeezed under Andersen’s pad and dribbled in. The goal came moments after Andersen made a stellar glove save from his belly on David Krejci with Nash and Travis Dermott battling in the blue paint.
The Maple Leafs went back ahead 43 seconds later when Marner controlled a pass off the boards from Rielly before feeding Marleau in front.
The Bruins again responded when Chara ripped a shot off Andersen’s mask and in from an impossible angle at 6:19.
Toronto’s Kasperi Kapanen, who hit the post early his team’s ugly 7-3 loss in Game 2, found iron again later in the period on a shot that beat Rask clean, but Matthews would make no mistake later in the period.
Boston was left fuming after center Riley Nash, who returned to the lineup after suffering an ear laceration on March 31 Adidas Will Butcher Jersey , was ruled to have put the puck directly over the glass for a delay of game penalty with just over three minutes left in the first, even though replays suggested otherwise.
Toronto, which was 1 for 7 with the man advantage through the first two games, made the Bruins pay just 7 seconds later when van Riemsdyk scored his second goal of the series at 17:05 to give the Leafs their first lead of the series.
NOTES: Marleau’s first goal moved him past Gordie Howe into 17th place on the NHL’s all-time playoffs list. … Johnsson left the game in the third period favoring his left leg after he collided with Marchand, and did not return. … Toronto was again missing C Nazem Kadri for the second game of a three-game suspension for his hit on Tommy Wingels in Game 1, Tomas Plekanec was moved up from the fourth line to play between Marleau and Marner on the No. 2 unit. … Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov sat out with a lower-body injury suffered Saturday, allowing veteran Dominic Moore to move into Plekanec’s old spot on the fourth line between Johnsson and Kapanen. … Hyman returned to the top line with Matthews and Nylander.
When Derwin James slipped in the first round of the NFL draft, the Los Angeles Chargers pounced.The Chargers nabbed the vaunted Florida State safety with the 17th overall pick Thursday night, picking up one of the top defensive prospects in the draft without needing to trade up for him.
Both James and the Chargers left the first night of the draft with fairly significant degrees of surprise, but clear excitement about the way things went down.
"Oftentimes (executives) say that we didn't think he was going to be there," Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said. "We hear that all the time. I hate hearing that. But honestly, this one, we did not expect him to be there at our pick. We were prepared to take him if he was, but we did not think he would be there. So suffice to say we were very excited to bring him in."
James spent a bit longer than expected waiting for his name to be called at the draft in Texas. The hard-hitting former Seminoles star acknowledged he was annoyed when several teams filled other needs instead of grabbing him.
"It was a crazy feeling," James said. "It was like a roller coaster in there Authentic Chase Edmonds Jersey , but it was great having my family in there with me. I'm excited that LA came and got me."
Indeed, James seemed thrilled to land with a probable playoff contender 鈥?and to play alongside Casey Hayward, the Bolts' second-team All-Pro cornerback. James and Hayward share an agent, and they met while James was in Orange County in recent months to prepare for the draft.
"They told me they were going to bring me out to go win a Super Bowl," James said. "I said, 'I'm ready.' It was great getting that call. I'm ready to come and contribute right away. I've got something to prove. Sixteen teams passed (on) me."
Although James was widely considered a top-10 talent, he dropped to the Chargers, who could use him immediately in several roles on an already solid defense. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn could see James everywhere from deep coverage to the Bolts' pass rush.
James has been widely compared to Seahawks star Kam Chancellor, and now he'll have a chance to play for Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, the original coordinator of the Seattle defense that made Chancellor famous.
He will join a secondary led by Hayward and featuring above-average cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Trevor Williams, strong safety Jahleel Addae and versatile Desmond King, who excelled as a rookie last season. James could even take the starting spot held by Tre Boston, who is a free agent after starting 15 games and playing almost every snap last season.
"He has a skill set where he can do multiple things," Lynn said. "A guy like that, we want to get him involved. You'll see him closer to the line of scrimmage Authentic Sam Hubbard Jersey , and you'll also see him in the middle of the field. ... This is a run-hit safety. He's one of the better tacklers in space that I saw on tape. I think he's going to help eliminate some of those explosive runs that you saw last year."
The Chargers had minimal contact with James during the scouting process leading up to the draft, likely because he seemed highly unlikely to be available to them. But James already knows Addison Lynch, who joined the Chargers this year as a defensive quality control assistant after spending the past three seasons working for Jimbo Fisher at Florida State.
James excelled in two of his three years at Florida State, but missed most of his second season with a knee injury. He made 84 tackles and two interceptions last season, earning second-team All-American honors.
James' size, speed and versatility will be a boon to the Chargers, whose defense occasionally struggled to stop the run. He also fills an area of need for a team that has two of the NFL's best edge rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, but wanted more strength up the middle.
The Chargers finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker last season after winning nine of the final 12 games in their relocation season. They've retained nearly every major playmaker from that team, and they managed to add a potential starting safety.
"It means a lot (to join a winning team), James said. "I know I've got Joey Bosa rushing the quarterback and Melvin Ingram and all those guys. I'm pretty happy. I can do my job, come right in, fit right in."
.The Penguins answered every Columbus goal in regulation before Phil Kessel scored 1:06 into overtime to get the 5-4 victory in a tight game before an amped-up sellout crowd.
”We were resilient tonight,” Kessel said. ”We’ve been here before.”
Columbus entered the game needing one point in the standings and earned that when it forced the overtime. They’ll go to the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.
”It’s a little bittersweet because it’s Pittsburgh, and you don’t want to lose to them,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. ”But in the big picture for our team, for our guys, I am really happy for them.”
The Penguins and Blue Jackets are second and third place, respectively, in the Metropolitan Division with playoff positioning not likely to be settled until this weekend.
Columbus is tied with New Jersey – which beat Toronto on Thursday – with 97 points, but the Blue Jackets hold the tiebreaker.
Conor Sheary tied the game at 12:16 in the third period to set up the overtime winner by Kessel, whose shot from the left circle was his second goal of the game and 33rd of the season.
Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang also scored, and Matt Murray had 26 saves for Pittsburgh, which completed a 4-0 season sweep of Columbus.
”We have such great leadership,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. ”These guys, they play their best when the stakes are high. They’ve proven it time and time again.”
Zach Werenski Kyle Long Jersey , Matt Calvert, Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson scored for Columbus, and Sergei Bobrovsky had 38 saves.
Werenski put the Blue Jackets up 1-0 five minutes into the game when he gathered a centering pass from Pierre Luc-Dubois and backhanded the puck between Murray and the near post. Kessel went top shelf over Bobrovsky on a power play to tie it at the halfway point of the first period.
A few minutes later, Calvert danced around Penguins defenseman Olli Maata and lifted a shot over Murray’s shoulder . Hornqvist knotted it again at 15:35 when he batted a bouncing puck past Bobrovsky’s glove.
The Blue Jackets scored on a power play in the second period when Jenner connected from the slot off a sweet centering pass from Thomas Vanek.
Early in the third period, Pittsburgh tied the score yet again when Letang clanged one in off the top bar from the right circle. Atkinson made it 4-3 when he poked a shot in from the doorstep 8:25 into the third.
Sheary tied the score again with a shot that Bobrovsky deflected with his glove.
”We showed a lot of character there, finding ways to hold on and get back into it,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said.
”They’re a team that really builds on leads, especially at home, so we did a good job of finding ways to get ourselves back in it and even it up pretty quick.”
NOTES: Pierre-Luc Dubois tied Zach Werenski’s rookie single-season point record with 47 and pushed his point streak to a career-high eight games. … Artemi Panarin, with assists on two of the goals, also has a five-game point streak. He has a franchise-record 82 points this season. … Hornqvist has four goals in the past four games. … Columbus defenseman Markus Nutivaara missed his second game with an upper-body injury. … Columbus F Josh Anderson returned after missing 17 games with a knee injury. … Pittsburgh F Derick Brassard missed his fourth game with a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh: Hosts Ottawa on Friday night to finish regular season.
Columbus: Ends regular season on Saturday night at Nashville.
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Jameis Winston's first order of business in training camp was apologizing to teammates.
Now, he's appealing for continued support from unhappy fans who think he no longer deserves to be the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I understand the disappointment. I'm disappointed," the fourth-year pro said Thursday, speaking publicly for the first time since the NFL suspended him three games for violating the league's personal conduct policy by groping a female Uber driver the winter after his rookie season.
"I should never have put myself in that situation Cheap Ryan Switzer Jersey ," Winston added. "All I can do is grow and learn from that."
That was the underlying theme of a 10-minute media session following the Bucs' first practice. He declined to discuss specifics about the March 2016 incident in Scottsdale, Arizona, repeatedly saying he's focused on being a good teammate and moving forward.
"That happened after my rookie year," Winston said. "I've made a lot of positive changes since then."
The 24-year-old, who's thrown for 11,636 yards and 69 touchdowns in three pro seasons, will miss what figures to be three of Tampa Bay's toughest games 鈥?at New Orleans on Sept. 9, followed by home dates against defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick will take over in Winston's absence, with Ryan Griffin 鈥?a fifth-year pro who's yet to take a snap in a regular-season game 鈥?moving into the No. 2 role.
"It's disappointing that Jameis put himself in that position and put our team in that position," coach Dirk Koetter said. "But at this point, it's done and we have to deal with it."
Fitzpatrick, 2-1 in three starts last season as a replacement for an injured Winston, practiced with the regulars Thursday.
Griffin worked with the second-stringers, while Winston took snaps with the first http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dj-moore-jersey , second and third teams.
Koetter did not provide details about the incident that landed his starting quarterback in trouble. He also declined to talk about what Winston said to teammates on reporting day.
"I think everybody can appreciate that what's said in there should be between Jameis and the team," the coach said.
And while it won't be ideal opening the season without the No. 1 quarterback, Koetter expressed confidence that others will step up against the Saints, Eagles and Steelers, who are all defending division champions.
The Bucs, who haven't made the playoffs since 2007, are coming off a 5-11 finish.
"I think your team has a lot of leaders. Being a leader starts with being a leader of yourself. I talk to the guys about that often," Koetter said.
"I think that's one of Jameis' strengths as a football player ... But right now, where we're standing with the three-game suspension, it's time Jameis leads from the rear," the coach added. "And there's nothing wrong with that."
Winston, meanwhile, hopes fans will continue to support the Bucs as an organization, as well as him Youth Christian Kirk Jersey , personally.
Tampa Bay drafted him No. 1 overall despite questions about the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner's off-the-field behavior in college.
A fellow student at Florida State said Winston raped her, but the quarterback was never charged. The university settled a Title IX lawsuit over its handling of the allegations with Winston's accuser in January 2016 for $1.7 million.
Since joining the Bucs, Winston has started 45 of 48 games. He's also made an impact off the field through numerous charitable endeavors.
He reiterated he plans to remain active in the Tampa Bay community, adding he "can't let this diminish all the hard work that I've been doing."
"I've made a lot of positive strides since I've been here. I have to continue to grow as a man, as a person, as a leader, as a father. I know I can't put myself in situations like that," Winston said.
The quarterback offered one more reason it's imperative he correct his behavior around women 鈥?Winston's month-old son, born one day after the NFL announced the suspension.
"So seeing things from a different perspective, and learning that I'm going to have to teach that man how to live his day-to-day life," Winston said, "I really took it upon myself to be proactive and make sure I'm being a great example for him and my fiancee."
.Former Rams star Trumaine Johnson signed a five-year, $72.5 million contract on Friday, boosting New York’s improved secondary.
The 28-year-old Johnson, arguably the top free agent at his position, spent his first six seasons with the Rams and had 18 interceptions while establishing himself as one of the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL.
His signing gives Todd Bowles’ defense an unquestioned No. 1 cornerback – and he’ll certainly be paid like one of the league’s best. The deal, which Pro Football Talk first reported included $34 million guaranteed at signing Authentic Trent Brown Jersey , makes Johnson’s contract one of the biggest in franchise history.
”It’s exciting. I was speechless when I finally gave my agent the green light,” Johnson told the team’s website . ”It’s the Big Apple. New chapter, new beginnings and I get to add to this already great defense.”
Morris Claiborne, who was the Jets’ top cornerback last season, hit free agency but will return to New York on a one-year deal. The sides agreed to a contract late Thursday night.
Johnson and Claiborne will combine with second-year safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye to form one of the most promising secondaries in the league. That comes after New York finished a mediocre 21st in the NFL in pass defense.
Johnson was a third-round pick out of Montana in 2012 and established himself as a solid starter in his second year in the NFL. His breakout season came in 2015, when he had a career-high seven interceptions.
The Rams used the franchise tag on Johnson the last two offseasons. He posted a farewell to the Rams on his Instagram account Monday , signaling that he would be leaving the team with which he had spent his entire NFL career.
”The last two years, I’ve been tagged,” Johnson told newyorkjets.com. ”It’s my first time going through this process. It’s quite an experience. You lose sleep and your agent is calling you every five minutes. But it worked out and I’m happy to be a Jet.”
On Friday, he posted a note on Instagram signaling his arrival to the Big Apple : ”Landing Soon NYC! (hash)JetWay.” The accompanying photo featured Johnson with the left side of his body in a Rams uniform and the Los Angeles skyline in the background Cheap Josh Rosen Jersey , with the right side in a Jets uniform with the New York City skyline behind him.
Johnson’s man-to-man coverage ability makes him a valuable addition to the Jets, where he will again work with secondary coach Dennard Wilson – the Rams’ defensive quality control coach from 2012-14 and Johnson’s position coach from 2015-16.
”I was with him in St. Louis and two years ago in LA,” Johnson said. ”He’s very passionate about his work and that’s what I love about him. Coach Bowles is here, too, and I am familiar with him. Coast to coast, California to New York and it’s going to be fun out here.”
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BUFFALO BILLS (9-8)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: WRs Jordan Matthews Shaquem Griffin Jersey , Deonte Thompson, Brandon Tate, and Jeremy Butler; CBs E.J. Gaines Kenta Maeda Jersey , Leonard Johnson, and Shareece Wright; LBs Preston Brown and Ramon Humber; DTs Kyle Williams and Cedric Thornton; Ss Colt Anderson and Shamarko Thomas; RBs Travaris Cadet and Taiwan Jones; FB Mike Tolbert; OT Seantrel Henderson; QB Joe Webb.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
NEEDS: Quarterback moved to the top of the list after Buffalo traded three-year starter Tyrod Taylor to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a third-round pick. The deal leaves Nathan Peterman – a fifth-round draft pick last year – as the only quarterback on the roster. Aside from free agency, the Bills are anticipated to select a quarterback in the draft. The defensive front seven could be in store for major overhaul with Williams yet to determine whether he’ll retire Antonio Callaway Color Rush Jersey , starters Brown and Humber eligible for free agency. Unanticipated hole to fill is center after Eric Woods was diagnosed with career-ending neck injury in January. Bills already addressed needs by signing nine-year veteran CB Vontae Davis and running back Chris Ivory, who is expected to take over as LeSean McCoy’s primary backup.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $30 million.
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Benjamin Watson’s agent says the veteran tight end has agreed to return to the New Orleans Saints.
Drew Rosenhaus tells The Associated Press in an email that Watson has agreed to a one-year contract with New Orleans, where he has posted some of his most impressive seasons of his 14-year career.
Watson posted career highs of 74 catches and 825 yards receiving with the Saints in 2015 Byron Jones Jersey Womens , the third and final year of his prior stint in New Orleans. He also tied a career high with six TDs that season.
He spent the past two years with Baltimore, but did not play in 2016 because of a right Achilles tear. He came back last season, playing in all 16 games and catching 61 passes for 522 yards and four TDs.
Watson began his career with New England Matt Kemp Jersey , which made him a late-first-round draft choice out of Georgia in 2004.
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Shortly after the Suns took Deandre Ayton to start the NBA draft Thursday night http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-rasheem-green-jersey , the Mavericks traded up two spots for the rights to Luka Doncic.
The Atlanta Hawks swapped the rights to Doncic, the No. 3 pick who has spent the last year winning championships all over Europe, to Atlanta for Trae Young, the No. 5 selection from Oklahoma.
The Mavericks also gave up a future first-round pick to draft Doncic, who only arrived in New York on Wednesday after helping Spain’s Real Madrid win its league championship after he won Euroleague MVP and Final Four MVP honors when they won that title this year.
His lengthy European season kept him from working out for teams but he knew the Mavericks were interested in having him on their team for what’s expected to be Dirk Nowitzki’s final NBA season.
”I’ve been talking to Dallas a lot. They really wanted me, and they were very, very nice,” the 19-year-old said. ”They were very nice to me, and I think we had a very good relationship.”
The Hawks will get perhaps the most exciting player in college basketball last season in Young Babe Herman Jersey , the first player to lead the nation in scoring and assists in the same season.
”Whatever city I went to, I was going to be able to be comfortable in,” said Young, who wore suit shorts with his burgundy-colored jacket. ”I was just really excited to get to Atlanta.”
After that, it was a mostly straightforward draft with little fireworks, but plenty of national champion Villanova Wildcats.
The top of it was dominated by big men, starting with a pair of former high school teammates.
The Suns made the 7-foot-1 Ayton the first No. 1 pick in franchise history. The center from Arizona averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds in his lone season in Tucson, tying for the national lead with 24 double-doubles in 35 games.
He joined Mychal Thompson – father of Golden State All-Star Klay Thompson – in 1978 as the only players from the Bahamas to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
”Having my name called to be the first pick for the Phoenix Suns was mind-blowing,” Ayton said. ”Having all that confidence and leading up to that point when I saw Adam Silver came out Jordan Howard Jersey , I was just waiting for my name, and when he called it, my mind went blank.”
The Sacramento Kings followed by taking Marvin Bagley III, the Duke big man who played with Ayton at Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix in 2015-16.
With Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr. going fourth to Memphis, Texas center Mo Bamba going No. 6 to Orlando and Wendell Carter Jr. following to Chicago, it was an early run of big men in what’s increasingly become a perimeter-based league.
Then it was another guard with Alabama’s Collin Sexton going at No. 8 to Cleveland, triggering chants of Michael Porter Jr.’s name by Knicks fans who hoped they would take him with the No. 9 pick. But they ended up disappointed as New York went with Kentucky’s Kevin Knox.
”They booed (Kristaps) Porzingis (on draft night) and look where he is now. That’s the same mindset I’m going to have,” Knox said. ”They can chant Michael Porter all they want. But they got Kevin Knox, and I’m willing to work and I’m willing to get better.”
With concerns over back problems that limited him to only three games at Missouri last season Jets Chris Herndon Jersey , followed by a recent hip injury that he believe scared off teams, Porter ended up falling all the way to Denver at No. 14, the last lottery position.
There were a couple other trades involving lottery picks. Mikal Bridges, the No. 10 pick from Villanova who thought he was staying in Philadelphia with the 76ers – who employ his mother – but was dealt to Phoenix for the rights to No. 16 pick Zhaire Smith of Texas Tech and a 2012 first-round pick from the Miami Heat.
The Charlotte Hornets sent the rights to No. 11 pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – whose floral-patterned suit stood out among the selections – to the Clippers for No. 12 pick Miles Bridges and two future second-round picks.
After Bridges, Final Four Most Outstanding Player Donte DiVincenzo went to Milwaukee at No. 17 and Omari Spellman to Atlanta at No. 30, giving Villanova three first-round picks for the first time. National player of the year Jalen Brunson then was picked by Dallas with the third pick of the second round.
The Holiday brothers had an NBA reunion when Aaron Holiday was taken at No. 23 by Indiana. Brothers Jrue and Justin already play in the league.
Speaking of brothers, Kostas Antetokounmpo of Dayton, brother of Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, was the 60th and final pick by Philadelphia. That marked the first time three international siblings were drafted into the NBA Cheap Vinny Curry Jersey , as Thanasis Antetokounmpo was the No. 51 pick in 2014.
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The Chiefs have announced the retirement of assistant head coach Brad Childress and promoted Mike Kafka to quarterbacks coach as part of a series of changes to coach Andy Reid’s staff.
The 61-year-old Childress was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2006-10. He first worked in the NFL as a coach over 30 years ago.
Longtime assistant Tommy Brasher, who had spent the past year working on special projects, also announced his retirement in a statement Monday. Brasher spent more than 50 years in coaching.
The Chief announced that longtime linebackers coach Gary Gibbs would not return.
Mark DeLeone will take over inside linebackers with Mike Smith handling outside linebackers. Corey Matthaei will help with the offensive line, Joe Bleymaier will assist with quarterbacks and Terry Bradden will serve as a defensive quality control coach.
.That sudden change of emotions would figure to fuel a team’s momentum in overtime. But that’s not always the case, as evidenced the past three nights when a team that squandered a late lead managed to bounce back in overtime and earn a win.
Vegas and San Jose each experienced both sides of that roller coaster the past two games, with the Golden Knights responding with William Karlsson’s goal in overtime in Game 3 at the Shark Tank.
That came two nights after San Jose saw Nate Schmidt tie Game 2 with 6:32 left only to end up on the winning side on Logan Couture’s power-play goal in the second overtime.
”You just move on,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. ”It’s playoff hockey. We were disappointed when they scored with roughly two minutes left in the hockey game. … We regrouped in the overtime session between periods and said let’s go out there and get this game.”
This postseason has featured four games in all that went to overtime after one team tied it with less than five minutes to play. The team that blew the lead has come out on top in three of those games, with Nashville doing it to Winnipeg in Game 2 of their second-round series on Sunday night and Columbus doing it to Washington in Game 2 of their first-round series.
The Blue Jackets are the only team this postseason to force overtime with a goal in the final five minutes and win Youth Calvin Ridley Jersey , having done it in Game 1 against the Capitals.
For all the talk of late-game momentum, teams scoring those late goals are just 7-8 in overtime the past two postseasons.
”We weren’t too happy with this as a team,” said Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who made Karlsson’s winner possible by robbing Couture earlier in the OT. ”But everyone was relaxed between periods. We talked and we knew what we had to do.”
Momentum can be very fleeting in the playoffs whether in a game or a series. In the first five days of the second round, no team has won consecutive games in a series.
The Sharks will try to put the Game 3 loss in the past and continue that pattern to tie their series at two games apiece when they take the ice for Game 4 on Wednesday night (10 p.m. EDT, NBCSN).
”It’s easy,” Couture said. ”The schedule-makers did a good job of playing games every other day so it’s easy to forget about a game when you’ve got another one (coming). … We’re down 2-1. It doesn’t matter how you got there or what the score was in any of the games Weston Richburg Jersey Elite , we’re down 2-1 and we’ve got a big game.”
The Bruins will look to do the same when their second-round series against Tampa Bay shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. EDT, NBCSN).
Boston won the opener handily 6-2 before falling in Game 2 in Tampa Bay 4-2 on Monday night.
”I think that feel good from winning, you take that emotion into the next game,” Lightning forward Chris Kunitz said. ”But each game has its own identity, you can’t rest on what you did last game and just hope they walk away.”
STAY OUT OF THE BOX
The Sharks were one of the best teams in the regular season at avoiding penalties, going short-handed just 2.7 times per game for the fourth-lowest mark in the league. That discipline has been missing this round as Vegas has gotten 18 power plays in three games. The Golden Knights converted five of them, including two during a three-goal barrage in a span of less than five minutes of the second period in Game 2.
San Jose also went short-handed twice in overtime for having too many men on the ice and for delay of game.
”Obviously their two power play goals swing the momentum in the second period Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys Womens , but I didn’t think our discipline or penalties were a problem, just one of those nights,” coach Peter DeBoer said.
LIGHT THE LAMP
Brayden Point is just the latest player with a big-scoring night these playoffs. He had one goal and three assists for Tampa Bay in the Game 2 win over Boston, marking the 11th time a player has posted four points in a game in this postseason. This is just the second time in the last 20 years that there have been at least 11 four-point performances in the first 52 games of the playoffs.
”He’s a special player, and when big games come about, special players take over and he did that,” teammate Tyler Johnson said. ”I can’t say enough about the guy.”
ALL TIED UP
Even though Vegas now has taken a 2-1 series lead over San Jose Donte Jackson Youth Jersey , all four second-round series stood tied after two games. This is just the fourth time since 1975 that teams split the first two games in all four series in the second round. It also happened in 1991, 1986 and 1984.
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AP Sports Writer Fred Goodall in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report
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