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LOS ANGELES — The Colorado Rockies will look to close out June by heading in the opposite direction from when the month started and build off the momentum from a wild victory Thursday.
The first weekend of June was one to forget when the Rockies were swept in a three-game series by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In full revival after a slow start to the season Kolton Miller Raiders Jersey , the Dodgers scored 33 runs in their three victories.
Now the Rockies head to L.A. with a full head of steam. They lost a heartbreaker Wednesday on a Giants game-ending home run and coughed up a late lead Thursday before DJ LeMahieu’s ninth-inning home run was the difference in a victory.
With the month set to close this weekend, the Rockies have some confidence on their side as they open a three-game series against the Dodgers. The Rockies will send left-hander Tyler Anderson (4-3, 4.62 ERA) to the mound Friday night against Dodgers lefty Rich Hill (1-2, 5.30).
Even after the Rockies were swept by the Dodgers to open the month they still sat in second place in the National League West, 31/2 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers were in third place, 4 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks.
Heading into this weekend series, though, the Rockies are in fourth place eight games back, while the Dodgers are in second, 31/2 back. The Rockies have gone 9-16 in June.
The Rockies victory Thursday appears to be motivated by a talk-is-cheap statement from Nolan Arenado Cheap Brian O'Neill Jersey , who then went out and hit a first-inning home run in a win that ended a four-game losing streak.
“We can talk about it all we want; we’ve been talking about this since April,” Arenado said, according to The Athletic. “How are we going to turn it around? Blah blah. We haven’t yet.”
The Dodgers have turned around their season by going 17-7 in June. But their turnaround goes back even further. They are 27-11 since May 17 and have the long ball to thank for it.
With two home runs Thursday, the Dodgers now have 53 in the month to tie a franchise record. They will spend the next two games chasing the major league record of 58 for a single month.
But the Dodgers are coming off an 11-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday and went 3-4 against the Cubs over the past 10 days. The Dodgers have called the Cubs a measuring stick and they ended up losing the season series to the team they have faced in each of the last two National League Championship Series.
Now the Dodgers return to division play, after just six games against NL West opponents this month. The Dodgers are 5-1 against the Rockies this season.
If there is anything the Cubs might have exposed when it comes to the Dodgers it is a bullpen that appears to be in something of a lull. Dodgers’ relievers gave up eight runs in a defeat Tuesday and 10 in Thursday’s loss.
“I’m not concerned about it,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters after Thursday’s game. “We match up very well with (the Cubs) and they match up well with us. I think we are very comparable clubs. You give away outs, walks, we both can slug. You have to play good baseball. You look at a couple of games where they broke it open against our (bullpen) but by and large, our bullpen has been pretty good for some time.”
Anderson is 2-3 with a 4.85 ERA in eight starts versus the Dodgers. Hill is 0-3, 7.52 in four starts against the Rockies.
鈥?The Jacksonville Jaguars heard the chatter Sam Hubbard Jersey , read the tweets and Instagram posts. And they got a little confused.Why were the Pittsburgh Steelers talking about the New England Patriots? Didn’t they have to face the Jaguars first before reaching a rematch with the Super Bowl champions?“I don’t know if they misread the schedule or didn’t play us this week, but they didn’t acknowledge us at all,” Jacksonville linebacker Myles Jack said. “And we didn’t take that too kindly.”Not at all. That shouldn’t be a problem going forward.The Jaguars, yes the Jaguars, have the NFL’s full attention now. A trip to Foxborough on the horizon, too.Dominant at the start and resilient at the finish, Jacksonville stunned the Steelers 45-42 on Sunday to advance to the AFC title game for the third time in franchise history and maybe, finally, earn a bit of respect.Leonard Fournette ran for 109 yards and three scores . Embattled quarterback Blake Bortles added 214 yards passing and a pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown as the third-seeded Jaguars (12-6) beat the second-seeded Steelers (13-4) at Heinz Field for the second time in three months.The victory in October served notice Jacksonville was ready to put a decade of losing firmly behind. This one sent an even bigger message: overlook the Jaguars at your own peril, something Pittsburgh appeared to do in the run-up. Coach Mike Tomlin hinted at facing the Patriots twice back in December. Running back Le’Veon Bell posted on about the pair of “round 2s” the Steelers will face in coming weeks.Turns out Breeland Speaks Jersey , one rematch is all the Steelers will get.“We knew we had this team’s number,” Jacksonville safety Barry Church said. “All we did was feed on the fuel that everybody was providing, the media, everybody was talking about how they’re going to run through us, it’s not going to be like last (time). Blake Bortles this. Blake Bortles that. all he did was dominate their defense.”A week removed from an ugly performance in a wild-card round win over Buffalo in which he passed for 87 yards and struggled with the easiest of throws, Bortles went 14 of 26 for a touchdown without an interception. He ran for 35 more and wasn’t sacked by a defense that led the NFL and set a franchise record with 55 during the season. Jacksonville’s 45 points tied the most ever allowed by the Steelers in the playoffs.Not bad for an offense that at times simply appeared along for the ride as the NFL’s top defense carried the load.“Blake Bortles has always been criticized,” Fournette said. “It is different now. He has guys that have his back, especially me.”Certainly looked it as Fournette scored two first-quarter touchdowns. The Jaguars built a 21-point lead and responded whenever the Steelers rallied to get within one score.“The guys played with confidence all day long,” Bortles said. “Obviously, what they have on their side of the ball Quenton Nelson Youth Jersey , it’s a good team. We know they got a good offense. We knew we were going to have to be efficient, hold on to the ball for a little bit, so we did it.”Ben Roethlisberger threw for 469 yards and set a franchise record with five touchdown passes, but was also intercepted once and had a fumble returned for a score. All-Pro Antonio Brown caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in his return from a left calf injury. Bell had 155 yards of total offense and two scores.But Pittsburgh’s vaunted “Killer Bs” couldn’t keep pace with Jacksonville, one of four NFL franchises to never make the Super Bowl.“It’s disheartening,” Brown said. “I thought we had the right group of guys.”The Jaguars dominated the Steelers on Oct. 8, winning by three touchdowns in a performance so overwhelming Roethlisberger only half-jokingly wondered aloud whether he still had “it’ after throwing a career-high five picks.Roethlisberger and his teammates left little doubt they hoped for a rematch, though Jacksonville cornerback A.J. Bouye cautioned Pittsburgh to be careful what it wished for. The Jaguars hardly appeared intimidated by the 18-degree chill or trying to earn their first road playoff win in a decade.“I’m sure there will still be tons of people that are going to disapprove and talk negative or hate or do whatever they want,” Bortles said. “But we get to keep playing and we get an opportunity to play in Foxborough next week for another week. Just honored to be able to do this especially with this group of guys.”“It’s been an awesome year. Just want to keep it going.”FOURTH AND WOEPittsburgh rolled up 545 yards of offense, but it’s 2 yards the Steelers didn’t get that helped send them into an offseason filled with questions.Twice Pittsburgh had fourth-and-1 in Jacksonville territory. Twice the Steelers did something other than have the 6-foot-5 Roethlisberger sneak. Pittsburgh ran wide in the first quarter and Bell was stuffed for a 4-yard loss. The Jaguars responded immediately by going 75 yards in 11 plays Donte Jackson Youth Jersey , the final one a 4-yard sprint by T.J. Yeldon that put them up 21-0.The Steelers were down a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and had fourth-and-inches at the Jacksonville 39. Roethlisberger checked at the line of scrimmage, faked a handoff to Bell and instead threw incomplete to diving rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster .“It’s been a while since I’ve run a quarterback sneak, I’m for it,” said Roethlisberger, who added he will return in 2018. “That’s kind of over my head when it comes to why we don’t do it. I’m not going to sit here and second guess why we didn’t quarterback sneak. I don’t know how many years it’s been since we quarterback sneaked.”UP NEXTThe Jaguars travel to New England,.”Playing football,” the New York Jets rookie quarterback said with a huge grin.
The birthday boy is now officially of the legal drinking age, but Darnold wasn’t expecting to toast the milestone Tuesday night.
”Probably not,” he said, smiling. ”I’ll probably just stay in and go to sleep early, like I have been every single night.”
Partying is not high on the list for Darnold, who’s the youngest player on the Jets’ roster – and the fresh-faced future of the franchise.
The No. 3 overall draft pick out of USC has taken a businesslike approach to his introduction to life in the NFL. Eat, sleep and dream football.
Those are Darnold’s days. Every day.
”I’m making a ton of strides, but at the same time, I’m not exactly where I want to be,” Darnold said. ”But I know it’s going to take time and it’s a process. I’m aware of that and it’s exciting, though Josh Rosen Cardinals Jersey , to understand the playbook the way I am and the strides I’m making. I’m really excited about where I’m going right now.”
Darnold will compete with veterans Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater this summer for the starting job, and he’s giving Todd Bowles and his coaching staff plenty to consider early in this offseason.
The youngster looked predictably shaky in his first practice of organized team activities two weeks ago, but has appeared increasingly more poised in the sessions open to the media since.
”He’s just more comfortable with the playbook and obviously seeing things a couple of times will make you more comfortable,” Bowles said. ”He’s just hard-working. Everything we thought coming in. He’s going to work every day, wants to be good, understands the mistakes he makes, works at them night and day, and watches film and asks questions.
”At this time of year, that’s what you’re supposed to be doing.”
During Tuesday’s practice, Darnold tossed a badly underthrown pass that safety Jamal Adams, last year’s first-rounder, easily intercepted.
For a guy who was celebrating his birthday Cheap Taven Bryan Jersey , it was certainly a gift – but for the defense.
”Yeah, I just made a bad read on it,” Darnold said. ”I should’ve just dumped it down to the back, but I tried to force one in there.”
Rookie mistake.
”He retains things when you tell him,” Bowles said. ”He makes mistakes, but doesn’t make the same one twice, so he’s very good from that standpoint as far as retaining information.”
Late in practice, though, Darnold had perhaps his prettiest play as a pro. He zipped a deep pass down the sideline that dropped over the reach of safety Kacy Rodgers II and right into Chad Hansen’s hands. It was a terrific throw and a reminder of why so many labeled Darnold as ”special” in the months leading up to the draft.
But such is the up-and-down life of a rookie quarterback that Darnold overthrew his final pass of practice on a deep toss to a wide-open Jordan Leggett. There’s no doubt Darnold would be spending part of his birthday night breaking that down in the film room.
Darnold’s development has included lots of rewinding and fast-forwarding through plays, and dissecting every move. He’s got that type of time now, because football is the only thing that matters these days.
”I don’t have class, so I’m spending every single day in the film room or on the practice field Cole Beasley Jersey ,” he said. ”So in regards to that, just being able to spend time watching football and playing football is awesome. To be able to come in here every single day and do it for a living, that’s pretty sweet.”
Darnold also recognizes the value of working with McCown and Bridgewater on and off the field.
”What makes it really cool is that they’re really good players,” Darnold said. ”They’ve experienced ball and they understand what’s going on on the field all the time, at all times. It’s amazing to be able to learn from them. After that play with Jamal, to be able to talk about it with them is something that is really cool, to be able to do that right after the play and get that feedback.”
Darnold has had to make several adjustments since coming to the Jets, including calling plays in the huddle – something he hadn’t done much of at USC. He also says the increased pace of the game is evident, even in practice.
”It’s faster, which is what I thought it would be, so it’s been awesome,” he said. ”It’s just been a learning experience Uchenna Nwosu Youth Jersey , just learning every single day and getting used to it has been awesome.”
Darnold says ”awesome” a lot and sounds like a kid who’s happy to be doing what he loves.
”You know, no, I don’t feel any different,” a smiling Darnold said of his milestone birthday. ”It’s cool to be 21, but at the same time, I’m just coming here every single day ready for practice. Nothing’s changing for me.”
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Sean Couturier had a goal and two assists, Brian Elliott stopped 34 shots and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Friday night to even the first-round Eastern Conference series at a game apiece.
Shane Gostisbehere, Travis Konecny, Andrew McDonald and Nolan Patrick also scored for the Flyers. They bounced back from an embarrassing 7-0 loss in the opener to beat the Penguins for the first time this season. Game 3 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Patric Hornqvist scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal with just over 5 minutes left to avoid the shutout, but the Penguins looked ordinary for long stretches after looking unstoppable in Game 1.
Matt Murray’s shutout streak dating to the 2017 Stanley Cup finals ended at 226:49 when Gostisbehere scored on the power play late in the first period. Murray finished with 16 saves to lose for just the third time in 17 home playoff starts in his career.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2, KINGS 1, 2 OT
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Erik Haula’s goal in double overtime gave Vegas a 2-0 lead against Los Angeles in their first-round playoff series.
With 4:37 left on the clock in the second overtime Nick Chubb Browns Jersey , Haula skated in on his own to beat goalie Jonathan Quick and send a towel-waving crowd of 18,588 into a frenzy.
Game 3 in the best-of-seven Western Conference series is Sunday night in Los Angeles.
Alex Tuch scored for expansion Vegas in regulation, and Paul LaDue had the Kings‘ goal.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for the Golden Knights. Quick stopped 54 shots for the Kings.
Los Angeles played without star defenseman Drew Doughty, who served a one-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head on Vegas forward William Carrier during the Golden Knights’ 1-0 series-opening victory Wednesday.
JETS 4, WILD 1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) – Paul Stastny, Andrew Copp and Patrik Laine scored in the third period and Winnipeg beat Minnesota to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference series.
Defenseman Tyler Myers had a goal in the second period and also had an assist. Rookie Jack Roslovic, replacing injured Mathieu Perreault, had two assists in the game that ended with a series of fights.
Zach Parise had his second goal of the series when he deflected Mikko Koivu’s shot past Connor Hellebuyck to end the goalie’s shutout bid with 45 seconds left. The goal came on the power play after Jets forward Brandon Tanev was called for hooking with 59 seconds left.
Hellebuyck made 16 saves. Devan Dubnyk stopped 39 shots for Minnesota.
Winnipeg won 3-2 on Wednesday night. Game 3 is Sunday at Minnesota.
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RALEIGH Cheap Marcus Davenport Jersey , N.C. — Two teams that are not in line to make the playoffs will see if they can gain some good vibes nonetheless with the end of the regular season just about a week away.
The New York Rangers visit the Carolina Hurricanes for Saturday night’s game at PNC Arena.
These teams were contending for a playoff spot, but they have mostly fallen by the wayside.
Now it’s a matter of trying to put on strong performances the rest of the way.
“We want to play the right way,” Carolina coach Bill Peters said.
The teams are in similar spots in the Eastern Conference standings below the wild-card playoff line.
The Hurricanes avoided official elimination with Friday night’s 4-1 victory at Washington, but their situation had become dire during the past couple of weeks.
The Hurricanes must win their remaining games along with the New Jersey Devils losing in regulation for the rest of the regular season to make the postseason.
Carolina has four games remaining, though Saturday night’s game marks the second-to-last home game.
“We’re not going to go out there and just throw our sticks on the ice DJ Moore Jersey ,” Hurricanes goaltender Scott Darling said. “We want to finish strong.?
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault also said it’s an important time to conclude the schedule the right way.
“We’ve talked to our group about being professionals,” Vigneault said. “Having them to understand to come in every day whether it’s a practice or a game and give your best. (I’ve) given them very precise instructions on what we want them to do and how they can get better.”
The Rangers are 1-4-2 in their last seven games after allowing five goals in the third period of a 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay in its final home game.
Vigneault said he’s impressed with the positive reinforcements that have been provided from veterans such as defenseman Marc Staal and right winger Mats Zuccarello
“I’m very proud of how those two have conducted themselves,” Vigneault, noting the positive examples that have been on display.”
For Staal, this will be another chance to play against his brother Terrell Edmunds Jersey , Carolina center Jordan Staal.
The Hurricanes have called upon several younger players during the past couple of weeks.
Still, since the last home game they reassigned forward Warren Foegele and defenseman Roland McKeown to Charlotte of the American Hockey League.
Foegele, 21, scored his first NHL goal and earned his first assist in his NHL debut against Ottawa on Monday and then added another goal the next night in New Jersey.
Carolina has had some recent shortcomings with special teams.
“Let’s not go to the box unnecessarily,” Peters said. “Let’s not take the penalties that are because of a lack of moving your feet.”
Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk returned to action Friday night after missing about a week with an upper-body injury. Peters said it was undetermined if Faulk would be used in both games on back-to-back nights.
The Rangers are 3-0-0 against Carolina this season Jaire Alexander Jersey , outscoring the Hurricanes by a combined 17-5 score. That includes a 6-3 win on March 12 when Jimmy Vesey recorded a hat trick and the Rangers blocked a season-high 30 shots.
New York is 14-3 in the last 17 meetings since April 8, 2014.
.Member of the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff disagreed with the approach of team owner Jerry Jones to have a show of unity and take a knee prior to the national anthem in the wake of comments made by President Donald Trump.聽The Amazon Prime series All or Nothing followed the Cowboys throughout the 2017 season and included footage detailing behind the scenes the events leading up to Jones kneeling with Cowboys players prior to the team's 28-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals.In a clip posted to YouTube Dallas Goedert Jersey , Jones tells Cowboys players he wants to "walk out there together all of us and kneel down in the name of unity":However, Frank Pollack, who was the Cowboys offensive line coach, didn't hold back his criticism of how the team handled things Mike McGlinchey Jersey , per the Star-Telegram's Drew Davison:"What happened to blocking out the [expletive] noise?聽Who gives a [expletive] what the President says? Let's get our focus on what we're trying to do. All this is doing is distracting us from what we're trying to [expletive] accomplish. And we're just prolonging it and making it worse by making a mountain out of a molehill."Many NFL players had been angered by Trump when he indicated his wish for teams to discipline players who knelt during the national anthem."Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired!'" Trump聽told supporters聽at a rally last September.All or Nothing聽shows Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett talking to his staff about how the comments motivated players to continue kneeling and that it might be better for the team to try and get ahead of things.Garrett echoed some of the frustrations of his staff but ultimately agreed with Jones' decision."What do you think I want to do?" he said Courtland Sutton Jersey , per Davison. "You think I want to spend one ounce of breath on this? I don't. ...聽There's no easy solution. I wish there was one.聽That was the only objective of this conversation as we go forward because we do have to come up with a solution that works for everybody."The show of unity ultimately may not have had the result Jones had hoped to see. He said in October the Cowboys would bench any player who was "disrespecting the flag," per the聽Dallas Morning News'聽Brandon George.聽ESPN's聽Chris Mortensen聽also reported Jones was surprised Cowboys players still wanted to protest after the team's demonstration earlier in the year. A SWAT team raided the house of former University of聽Tennessee at Chattanooga defensive end Keyon Reed聽in Melbourne, Florida, after he allegedly made threats against the Dallas Cowboys DJ Chark Youth Jersey , per TMZ Sports.According to police, Reed "had called members of the Dallas Cowboys and was telling them they needed to sign him. They stated he was making threats to harm people if the Cowboys did not sign him."Reed reportedly admitted to making the threats to police, saying he was "frustrated they wouldn't 'show him the real money' and sign him to a contract."After assessing the situation, the authorities determined he wasn't a threat and did not arrest him.Reed's Twitter account has聽since been suspended. Per TMZ Cheap DJ Moore Jersey , in one of his tweets, he wrote "GEttin impatient with u mfs @dallascowboys if Terrell not drafted n Im not the 1st Pick of the Dallas Cowboys. IMMA BLOW THaT B--CH UP n Ask y I am Mad Ask Coach HUESMAN n SHEILds B--CH ASS.. CALL the POLice."Reed, 26, played two seasons for Chattanooga M.J. Stewart Buccaneers Jersey , playing in 13 games (three starts) and registering 24 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. He was arrested in 2013 and聽charged聽with assaulting a police officer. He was also arrested and聽charged聽with domestic violence in 2011..
Six were arraigned Tuesday and one was arraigned Monday.
The university says about 2 Tyron Smith Jersey ,000 students gathered outdoors in a residential area after the New England Patriots lost Sunday’s game to the Philadelphia Eagles and they destroyed property, started fights and set off firecrackers.
One of the students arrested allegedly threw a chunk of ice at an officer trying to quell the crowd, while another allegedly threw a road flare at officers.
They face charges including assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct James Washington Steelers Jersey , and resisting arrest.
All were released on personal recognizance and face punishment up to expulsion if they are found to have violated the university’s student conduct code.
The Nashville Predators embraced every bit of their chase for the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy right down to captain Roman Josi grabbing hold with his left hand during their pregame ceremony.Now it’s time to chase the hardware the Predators really want: The Stanley Cup.
”It’s definitely a good regular season for us, definitely something we can be proud of,” Josi said. ”But now the real work and the real fun starts.”
Filip Forsberg scored three goals for Nashville’s first hat trick of the season, and the Predators finished off the best regular season in franchise history by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 Saturday night.
The Predators accepted the Presidents’ Trophy before the game from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and took a moment to remember the moment with a team photo on the ice. Fans then chanted ”We want the Cup” for the defending Western Conference champs who lost the Stanley Cup in six games to Pittsburgh last June.
The Predators will begin their run for the Cup against the Colorado Avalanche.
Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said he’d never coached a team that won the Presidents’ Trophy before. This night was to remember all the personal milestones DJ Chark Jaguars Jersey , including David Poile notching the most NHL games by a general manager.
”It was nice to take a minute just to acknowledge that,” Laviolette said. ”Our guys are proud of it. They worked really hard this year. They stayed focused for the entire year. It’s all been part of a vision of something bigger than what happened tonight.”
Nashville followed up the trophy presentation by winning its franchise-record 53rd game this season to finish with 117 points.
Goalie Pekka Rinne made 22 saves through two periods before being replaced by Juuse Saros. Rinne finished 42-13-4 this season.
Austin Watson also scored for Nashville, which goes into the postseason having won two straight.
Josh Anderson and Brandon Dubinsky scored for Columbus.
Losing helped Columbus avoid opening the playoffs against Pittsburgh for a second straight year and instead put the Blue Jackets into a first-round series with Washington.
Coach John Tortorella scratched nine Blue Jackets including captain Nick Foligno and defenseman Seth Jones, and also rested goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with Joonas Korpisalo in net. Tortorella is giving the Blue Jackets the day off Sunday.
”I’ve got some decisions to make DJ Moore Jersey ,” Tortorella said of playing Washington. ”I have a pretty good idea of what I think the starting lineup will be in our first playoff game, but I’ve got decision to make in case we’ve got injuries.”
The Predators scored three goals in the first period with Watson starting the scoring at 7:52 of the first and Forsberg adding a pair on the power play.
Forsberg scored on a snap shot at 11:04. Then he got his 26th goal of the season just before the buzzer for a 3-0 lead with a shot from the right circle that went off the post and then Korpisalo into the net. Officials reviewed the play, which crossed at 0.4 seconds before the end of the period.
With Korpisalo pulled, Forsberg got the hat trick with an empty-net goal with 39.4 seconds left as fans celebrated by tossing the giveaway visors onto the ice.
Forsberg tied his career high with 64 points and also became Nashville’s scoring leader for the regular season with Viktor Arvidsson (61 points) scratched.
Anderson got his 19th goal at 7:55 of the second Brian O'Neill Jersey , and Dubinsky pulled Columbus within 3-2 with a short-handed goal at 7:20 of the third.
”We played a pretty good game,” Dubinsky said. ”Obviously, we gave a couple power-play goals to them there in the first, got down 3-0 to a really good team.”
NOTES: Defenseman P.K. Subban played his 82nd game Cheap Rashaad Penny Jersey , the only player on the Nashville roster to play every game this season. … The Predators improved to 41-4-6 when scoring first and 23-4-4 when leading after one period. … The Predators sold out their 102nd straight game with a franchise record 17,594.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Face Washington in the first round of the playoffs.
Predators: Hosting Colorado in Game 1 likely Thursday.
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CALGARY Babe Herman Jersey , Alberta — The Vegas Golden Knights bring their astonishing, record-breaking inaugural regular season to a close Saturday in Calgary.
The host Flames, meanwhile, drag themselves to the finish line of a disappointing 82-game schedule that likely will bring some changes to the organization in the offseason.
The Knights (51-23-7) look to get back on track against the Flames (36-35-10) at the Saddledome after seeing their three-game winning streak end in a 4-3 loss to Edmonton on Thursday.
“We’ve been pretty good as of late Cheap Kerryon Johnson Jersey ,” Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb told reporters in Edmonton. “We’ve had a couple of stretches where we’ve had breakdowns, but that’s hockey. It happened, we have to keep building. We have one more left and we’ll keep building for Game 1 of the playoffs.”
It was against the Flames back on Feb. 21 that the Golden Knights established an NHL record for most points by an expansion team with 84.
Now with the regular season coming to an end the Golden Knights find themselves reveling in a Pacific Division title in their first year with 109 points heading into Saturday. They await the end of the weekend to find out which team they will host in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Flames have won just four of their past 18 games and one of their past 10 to fall out of playoff contention, and as of Sunday morning talk will not be of the playoffs but of the future of second-year coach Glen Gulutzan and others. General manager Brad Treviling wouldn’t discuss whether Saturday’s game will be Gulutzan’s last behind the bench when questioned earlier this week by Postmedia. He is expected to face the media on Monday.
“I’m not getting into any of that Youth Derrick Nnadi Jersey ,” he said. “That’s an easy thing in sports to do — the first thing is to look at the coach. I think we’ve got a good coach.
“We’ve got some good players, but we’re all subject to scrutiny when a season goes like this.”
The elimination from contention means the Flames have been getting some NHL playing time to some youngsters, including U.S. college grad Spencer Woo, who had 20 goals in the American Hockey League in his rookie professional season. He tallied his first NHL goal in Thursday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets and has impressed observers with his play.
“You never really know how it’s going to go until you get up here Cheap Uchenna Nwosu Jersey ,” Foo told Postmedia. “But once you settle into a game and you realize that you can play here, you can still make plays and still find ways to get scoring chances; that feels pretty good.”
The Golden Knights will rest some of their regulars Saturday in a meaningless tilt. Head coach Gerard Gallant gave starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury the night off in Edmonton on Thursday, and Malcolm Subban started in goal instead.
“We’re making sure Fleury’s ready to go; he’s our No. 1 guy,” Gallant told reporters in Edmonton.
The Golden Knights gave defenseman Zach Whitecloud of Brandon Authentic Byron Maxwell Jersey , Manitoba, his NHL debut in Edmonton, and he’ll likely play again Saturday. He signed after finishing the season with Bemidji State on March 8.
“You can’t be out of character (when you get to the NHL). That’s the biggest thing is be someone you’re not and I’m not going to do that,” he told reporters. “I’m going to do my best to be responsible and help the team win.”
.Like any parent, she was full of emotions: pride, excitement – just a bundle of nerves.
But Rivers had somewhat of a parental advantage Cheap Carlton Davis Jersey , she works for an NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers. So when her son – who starred at Villanova – was taken by the 76ers with the 10th overall pick, she couldn’t believe it.
”It’s amazing” Rivers Authentic Deadrin Senat Jersey , vice president of human relations for the 76ers, said in an ESPN interview with her son sitting in front of her wearing a 76ers baseball cap after he was drafted. ”It’s an experience I’ll never forget. I’m so excited he’s coming home to be part of our Sixers family. It’s amazing.
”Go Sixers!”
Unfortunately, it was a fleeting moment Hector
Rondon Jersey , thanks to the sometimes cruel business side of
basketball.
The 76ers put a quick end to the fairy tale – hometown hero who led the local school to national championships and now about to join the surging hometown NBA team – by promptly trading Bridges, who they took with the 10th overall pick, to the Suns in a deal they felt was too good to pass up. Philadelphia got Zhaire Smith (the 16th overall pick) and a 2021 first-round pick for the rights to Bridges.
And though the storybook ending lasted only a few minutes for Rivers Authentic Byron Maxwell Jersey , she and her son didn’t walk away empty handed.
After all, being a top-10 pick in the NBA draft is something to celebrate – in Philadelphia or Phoenix.
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At 6-foot-1 Authentic Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jersey , 201 pounds, he hits like a safety. His speed, hip movement and feet might make him more tailored to cornerback.
So the Alabama star is spending this weekend explaining to NFL scouts he can excel at either, both or some combination of the positions.
”It’s a different kind of position, kind of like a combination between safety and corner,” said Fitzpatrick, describing the slot corner spot he played in college. ”I like to play both safety and corner, so I think slot corner is optimal for my abilities.”
If true Jose Cruz Jr. Jersey , Fitzpatrick would be one of the rarest commodities in football – a tweener with an actual fit.
Traditionally when players at the NFL’s annual scouting combine are explaining what position suits them best, it’s because team executives aren’t sure where they should play and the player’s draft stock sinks.
But Fitzpatrick’s physical gifts could make him a trend-setter in a league that has become increasingly more pass-happy and places a premium on versatility.
He was recruited as a true cornerback, moved to slot corner before the 2015 season, won the starting job and never relinquished it. Coach Nick Saban was so impressed he usually paired Fitzpatrick on the opponent’s top receiver, one-on-one.
It didn’t take long for Fitzpatrick to make an impact.
After being selected to the SEC’s all-freshman team in 2015, he earned first-team All-American honors in 2016 and 2017.
Now he’s off to the NFL, where teams are trying to figure out what Saban once did – the best place for Fitzpatrick to play.
”I think he could play all six defensive back positions. Both corners, both safeties Youth Durham Smythe Jersey , nickel and dime linebacker,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said Saturday. ”He’s the only guy I can say that about. Now, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’ve had a couple of coaches say to me, `Hey, is he a difference-maker? Is he a nickel? Where’s his ball production?’ He had six picks two years ago, but only had one this year. But I look at (his versatility) as a positive.”
Mayock’s sentiment may explain why Fitzpatrick appears to have a slight edge on his competition right now. He’s projected to be a top-five pick.
Some expect Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, a true cornerback, to be selected in the top 10 with Florida State safety Derwin James the only other defensive back tabbed for the top 20.
The workouts in Indianapolis Jim Bunning Jersey , which conclude Monday, will help determined the actual pecking order in April.
But one thing working in Fitzpatrick’s favor: work ethic.
While growing up in New Jersey, he sometimes helped his father fix trucks.
After the family’s home collapsed during Hurricane Irene in 2011, Fitzpatrick helped his parents rebuild.
And when the Catholic high school he attended provided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to students who couldn’t afford school lunches, Fitzpatrick ate them up.
So when he arrived at the combine, less than two months away from possibly hitting a multimillion-dollar jackpot, the reality finally hit.
”It’s really crazy,” Fitzpatrick said. ”I remember the second I got here Joe DiMaggio Jersey , I was laying in bed, looked up at the ceiling and just started smiling.”
Yes, it’s been a long trek here for Fitzpatrick and his family.
Yet he hasn’t forgotten his blue-collar roots, his humble perspective on life
or his passion for football. It’s served him well, so far.
”I think he’s going to go out there and run like a corner, have the size of a safety, and if you’re a defensive coordinator and take him in the top 10, you’ve got to have a plan Cheap Trent Murphy Jersey ,” Mayock said. ”What is he? Is he my safety, is he my corner, is he my nickel? Or is he a piece that I can match up week to week against a big wideout or a tight end? How you use him is ultimately going to determine the value of him.”
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Ronald Gasser Denard Span Jersey , 56, had faced up to 40 years in prison. Defense lawyers argued that Gasser fired in self-defense when McKnight walked up to his car following a 5-mile confrontation that began on a bridge spanning the Mississippi River in New Orleans and ended with gunfire in neighboring Jefferson Parish.
”Let this be a cautionary tale,” Judge Ellen Kovach said. McKnight’s death could have been avoided ”if either of the men had had the good sense, the courage and the wisdom to simply disengage.”
Sentencing followed emotional testimony from McKnight’s loved ones.
”That day Greg Bird Jersey , you didn’t have to do that,” McKnight’s mother, Jennifer McKnight, said while looking down at Gasser Authentic Jihad Ward Jersey , who sat a few feet away at the defense table. She cried throughout her testimony and was escorted from the courtroom sobbing.
Witnesses at the trial said McKnight had been weaving in and out of traffic at high speed before the shooting. Prosecutors acknowledged to the jury that he was, in the words of Assistant District Attorney Seth Shute, ”driving like a jerk.” But they argued that Gasser escalated the conflict, following him down an exit that he would not ordinarily have taken moments before the shooting.
Shute acknowledged that McKnight had a hand on the open Cheap Rasheem Green Jersey , passenger side window of Gasser’s car before he was shot. But he said physical evidence proved Gasser lied during extensive police questioning when he claimed McKnight lunged at him.
Michelle Quick, the mother of McKnight’s now 9-year-old son, described struggling to tell the child what had happened, and trying to protect him from seeing internet video of McKnight on the ground at the shooting scene as people worked to save him.
Defense attorney Matthew Goetz David Ortiz Jersey , who is appealing the verdict, had argued for a lenient sentence, noting Gasser’s lack of a criminal record. A prosecutor argued that Gasser has shown no remorse.
McKnight had been a high school football hero at Louisiana’s John Curtis Christian School. He signed with the University of Southern California in 2006. In the NFL, he played three seasons for the New York Jets and one with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gasser was indicted on a second-degree murder charge. The jury voted 10-2 in January for the lesser verdict of manslaughter.
Gasser did not leave the scene of the shooting and he was released for a time after being questioned. He is white and his release after the shooting of the black athlete sparked protests from some who said race was a factor.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand Redskins Cheap Jerseys , who has since retired, denied that race played any role and noted that a thorough investigation led to Gasser’s arrest and indictment. Prosecutors later recounted a painstaking investigation, including an extensive search for witnesses and physical evidence that eventually led to Gasser being charged.
The case in some ways echoed another New Orleans-area road rage shooting from
2016. Former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith was gunned down in that April
incident. The shooter was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 25
years.
Their duel between the pipes looked more like survival in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final as the Vegas Golden Knights outlasted the Washington Capitals Authentic Jerome Baker Jersey , 6-4.
Fleury came into the series with a 1.68 goals-against average for Vegas with Holtby not far behind at 2.04. Giving up nine goals between them seemed unlikely but that’s exactly what happened Monday night as both goalies were screened relentlessly, caught out of position at times and left out to dry on occasion by defensemen trying to keep up with two swarming offenses.
For Washington, scoring against the Golden Knights was taking advantage of Vegas defenders failing to clog the slots and Fleury making his own mistakes.
Brett Connolly’s redirect that went through defenseman Colin Miller’s legs in the first period caught Fleury overcommitting on Michal Kempny’s shot from the point. Less than a minute later, Nicklas Backstrom backhanded a shot past Fleury, who couldn’t recover after sprawling to his right with T.J. Oshie coming around the back of the goal.
Fleury didn’t stand a chance against John Carlson Authentic Luke Falk Jersey , who scored an easy backhander after a beautiful feed from Oshie, who wrapped a pass around defenseman Shea Theodore across the slot. And while Tom Wilson got credit for Washington’s fourth goal, the puck slid into the net after Fleury kicked it in himself after getting caught under his skate.
”Obviously it’s not what was expected of both of us, or what I want,” said Fleury Cheap Chase Edmonds Jersey , who improved to 13-3 in the postseason. ”It’s not going to go perfect every night. Sometimes I put in the puck in my net by myself. It happens. It’ll happen again at some point in my career. You just have got to brush it off, forget about it and try to stop the next one.”
Fleury stopped 24 shots and has now allowed four goals in four games in a single postseason for the first time – and he has given up at least four goals five times in 15 postseason games against Washington.
Holtby made 28 saves, but Game 1 was the second time he had allowed five goals this postseason (Vegas got its sixth goal on an empty-netter by Tomas Nosek).
Miller caught Holtby leaning to his right, peeking over Carlson’s shoulder, and got caught with the one-timer that went beneath his glove on the Golden Knights’ first goal. William Karlsson was able to tie the game just before the end of the first period when he grabbed a rebound off the end boards and caught Holtby out of position Authentic Martavis Bryant Jersey , after he overcommitted on a Reilly Smith’s shot.
Smith also got a goal thanks to a fortunate rebound from the end boards, after Holtby failed to scoop up Deryk Engelland’s wrist shot and the puck caromed off his pads. Jonathan Marchessault then one-timed it past the goal and off the boards, allowing Engelland to feed Smith in front of the net.
”For me, I thought my puck-handling was not great tonight,” Holtby said. ”I
wasn’t recognizing the type of forecheck they were having Authentic
Robert Griffin III Jersey , and I made the wrong decision on a few
occasion. That’s just something that you go back, watch the video, see where
there’s defaults at times to get the puck back in our team’s hands.”
Rebounds have continued to haunt Holtby, who fell to 12-7 in the playoffs.
Ryan Reaves scored his second goal of the postseason, in as many games Cheap Daryl Worley Jersey , when he smacked a loose puck over the knob of Holtby’s stick, just 1:31 after the Capitals had taken a 4-3 lead in the third period.
Both goalies and their defenses don’t have much time to turn things around. Game 2 is Wednesday night.
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