EDMONTON Authentic Youth Ezekiel Elliott
Jersey , Alberta — Todd McLellan was a fixture in San Jose. He
coached the Sharks through 540 regular-season games and 62 playoff matches. But,
after he and the Sharks mutually agreed to part ways following the 2014-15
season, he was tasked with taking over the Oilers, a rebuilding team that hadn’t
made the playoffs since 2006. This season, McLellan’s second behind the bench in
Edmonton, he led the Oilers to their first 100-point season in, gulp, 30 years.
So, of course the Oilers’ first playoff series of the McLellan Era would feature
the San Jose Sharks as the opposition. Sports has a strange way of coming full
circle on a guy. The two teams open up their first-round, best-of-seven series
Wednesday at Rogers Place. The Oilers haven’t lost at home since March 12. They
would be a handful even if they were facing a red-hot, healthy team. But the
Sharks aren’t healthy and they aren’t hot. The Sharks won three out of four to
close the season, but that came after a stretch that saw San Jose lose eight of
nine and slide from first to third in the Pacific Division. Veteran Joe Thornton
missed the last week of the season with a knee issue, and after Tuesday’s
practice said he feels confident Navy Blue Dez Bryant #88
Jersey , but he is still listed as day-to-day. Logan Couture, who
had 52 points in 73 games, missed the last seven games of the regular season
after suffering severe facial injuries from taking a puck to the mouth. When
asked by reporters if he’ll be ready to play Wednesday, Couture answered with a
curt, “I don’t know.” When he was repeatedly asked how he felt, he repeatedly
answered, “same as yesterday.” Even if both play in Game 1, will they be close
to 100 percent? And, other stars were held out of the Sharks’ final game of the
regular season, including defenseman Justin Braun, veteran forward Joel Ward
and, most notably, captain Joe Pavelski Noah Brown Dallas Cowboys
Jersey , who tied for the team lead with 29 goals. Coach Peter
DeBoer said that all of the players who missed the regular-season finale were
dealing with day-to-day, nagging issues. But what the Sharks do have is
experience. They are the reigning Western Conference champs. Their roster is
filled with veterans who have long playoffs resumes. For a lot of the key Oilers
players, this will be their first playoff experience. But McLellan said their
youth could be an advantage. “I don’t think there’s a lot of fear in young
players,” he said. “The approach we’re going to take is that we’re going to play
game 83. It just happens that games 83 to 90, we’re going to play the same team.
We’re not going to change a lot as a team. We’re going to continue to try and
improve from night to night, you have to do that in the playoffs. Preparation is
going to be a little more extensive than what it normally is, because the games
come so fast.” The Sharks will need to limit what is arguably the best one-two
combination in hockey: Oilers center Connor McDavid led the NHL with 100 points,
while right winger Leon Draisaitl scored 29 times and finished eighth in the
scoring race. “We’ve played them a lot this year, and we’ve played them a lot
recently,” said McDavid. “We know their game pretty well, and they know ours
pretty well. It doesn’t take a lot of getting used to off the start.” “It will
be very exciting,” said Draisaitl. “The crowd is going to be buzzing and loud.
Everyone in this city is excited and so are we. We are looking forward to this
and I think it is going to be a very fun series.” Oiler defenseman Oscar Klefbom
was named the NHL’s second star of the final week of the regular season; he has
seven assists in his last four games. He’ll present another problem for the
Sharks. But Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, who tied for the team lead with 29
goals Black Mens Chidobe Awuzie
Jersey , said his team is used to adversity. After all, they still
remember the pain of losing last year’s Stanley Cup final to the Penguins.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” said Burns. “It was great, it was fun. It
was heartbreaking at the end, but those are experiences you don’t trade — and
you hope to re-create it and get to the next step this year.” Despite the
Sharks’ slide down the standings in the spring, DeBoer spoke about the fact
that, for much of the season, his team was at the top of the division. He knows
the Sharks will need to recapture that form against the Oilers. “We’ve played
long stretches of real good hockey this year,” he said. “So, I think we’ll get
healthy, get our guys back and they know the level that they have to play at
when this time of year starts. I have no doubt we’ll be at that
level.”. Chris
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As part of a running series Adidas Ian Cole #28
Jersey , Puck Prose will diagnose what went wrong with the
eliminated playoff teams. Next up from the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs: the
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs lost in six games versus the
Washington Capitals in round one of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were a
young team, one not expected to overwhelm the Capitals. They came close though,
and not much went wrong in their playoff series.But there are things that did go
wrong. We’ll discuss these, breaking down each one. Let us begin with:Defensive
LeadershipToronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (44) skates with the puck
(Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)It would be wishful thinking for me, as a Chicago
Blackhawks fan, to say that the Toronto Maple Leafs desperately need Brent
Seabrook. But they do need somebody, an experienced defenseman capable of
playing top 2 minutes. Somebody with veteran presence who can help the Maple
Leafs blue line youth.Somebody who can play above Morgan Rielly and Jake
Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev, who can come in handy in clutch situations and help
develop these defensemen.Because Toronto desperately needed an experienced
defenseman outside of those three. They need a true top 1 or 2 defenseman,
somebody who can play upwards of 28 minutes a night in the playoffs. There’s not
a lot of those guys, but there are some available to the Maple Leafs.That
includes, in free agency, Kevin Shattenkirk. There will be a bidding war for
Shattenkirk’s services, and the Maple Leafs only have about fourteen million to
spend on six players. If there was a guy and a time to overpay Adidas Evgeni Malkin #71
Jersey , though, it would be Shattenkirk for this team.TradesBut
overpaying can only go so far – if Shattenkirk’s contract gets over six million,
move on. There are other defensemen available to the Maple Leafs. Most of these
are through trades.Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot (3) passes the puck
(Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports)With a smart trade, the Maple Leafs could
acquire somebody like Ryan Ellis or Mattias Ekholm from Nashville – they won’t
be able to protect both in the expansion draft. The Maple Leafs could trade for
Brent Seabrook and more from the Blackhawks for a very small amount in return,
but there’s a reason for that.The Maple Leafs could also trade for one of the
other top defensemen available at the entry draft, because of Vegas’s expansion
draft. Names like Cam Fowler, Mike Green, Jack Johnson, Alec Martinez, Thomas
Hickey, and Marc Methot might be available. All of these guys could play top 2
minutes.Marc Methot is especially appealing.Clutch PlayThe Toronto Maple Leafs
lost three games in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs in overtime. They also won two
in OT, but still. Losing the majority of overtime games, especially when you 2-1
back to back Adidas Matt Murray #30
Jersey , is going to hurt you. And it did.So how do the Maple Leafs
find OT scoring? Well, they have stars that didn’t produce in OT. Neither Mitch
Marner nor Auston Matthews scored an overtime goal. Both Marner and William
Nylander, the third of the rookie trio, scored just one goal.Toronto Maple Leafs
forward Auston Matthews (34) looks for a pass (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY
Sports)And while that can be blamed on being all three of those guys rookie
years and their first taste of the playoffs, they still needed to step up bigger
in clutch situations. Matthews especially, who already delivered a forty goal
season, needs to step it up in overtime.In fact, only three Maple Leafs scored
more than once. While Matthews led the team with four goals (hey, I’m not saying
he played poorly, just in overtime), James Van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak tied at
two. One of Bozak’s was an overtime winner.So the rookies are going to have to
learn from Tyler Bozak as a model for overtime play. I mean, just look at his
whole play on this goal. It’s remarkable.[Via Youtube.com]Everybody on this
Leafs roster next year should be attempting to emulate Tyler Bozak. Something
I’d never thought I’d say.Just Too Darn YoungThe Maple Leafs really only had one
fundamental flaw in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs… they were too damn young.
Yeah, getting defensive leadership will be critical in the offseason Adidas Jake Guentzel #59
Jersey , and the kids could play better in overtime.Next: Preds One
Playoff Win From Franchise HistoryBut at the same time, they took the Washington
Capitals to six games the year everyone though the Capitals would finally win
the Cup. That’s a remarkable feat. The Maple Leafs are special. They just need
more than one year in the playoffs, and they will likely be better next year.A
few of the guys need to show up more than once – Marner, Nylander, Nazem Kadri –
but other than that, they played really well. Sit back and relax Toronto fans,
there’s not much to fix on this roster.More from Puck ProseNashville Predators:
One Playoff Win Away From Franchise History1 h agoNHL Playoff Power Rankings:
St. Louis Falls, Nashville On Top8h agoPittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin Is One
of the Best Players Ever10h agoNHL Expansion Draft: Arizona Coyotes Protection
Strategy12h agoNHL Daily: Spooner Trade, Leafs Eyeing More Defenseman and
More15h agoThis article originally appeared on . Logan
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The playoffs are coming and Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky is a
hot goaltender. That’s always a key to Stanley Cup playoff success. And with the
first-round matchup the Blue Jackets might get Womens Aaron Rodgers #12
Jersey , a hot goaltender will be a must. The second- and
third-place teams in a division face off in the first round. So get ready for
the Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins — owners of the second- and
third-best records in the league — to play a high-profile first-round series.
The Washington Capitals are setting the pace in the Eastern Conference and the
Metropolitan Division with 106 points. The Blue Jackets and Penguins have 103
each. With less than two weeks left in the season, it is unlikely either team
will finish worse than third. The best both can hope for is to surpass the
Capitals and play a wild-card team in the first round. Columbus continues its
pursuit of Washington at home Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres, who hope
to play the spoiler role for the third straight game. The Sabres (32-32-12) beat
Toronto on Saturday. The Maple Leafs are clinging to a one-point hold on third
place in the Atlantic Division over Boston. On Monday, the Sabres all but doused
the Florida Panthers’ flickering Eastern wild-card hopes with a 4-2 victory. “I
liked the way we played,” Sabres forward Marcus Foligno said of the Toronto
victory. “We were physical, we didn’t have sloppy breakouts the whole time and
we were smart in the offensive zone. “We shot a lot of pucks last game. That’s
what’s got to happen in the next seven games. We have nothing to lose so we’ve
just got to make sure we’re playing as a team.” Columbus (48-19-7) has had a
season full of positives. Bobrovsky is at the top of that list with seven
shutouts David Bakhtiari Home Game
Jersey , including a 1-0 victory Sunday over Philadelphia to snap a
two-game losing streak. “He’s locked in,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella
told The Columbus Dispatch. “There’s not a lot extra movement. He just looks
confident. To have 100 points and more (in the standings), that’s a key
position, and he’s been consistent with that all year long.” Bobrovsky owns a
Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender already, but after three seasons of
groin injuries his success this season has been more than anyone could have
expected. His league bests of 40 victories, 1.99 goals-against average and .934
save percentage could mean a second Vezina Trophy. Bobrovsky Authentic Aaron Rodgers Packers
Jersey , though, prefers to talk about the final push toward the
playoffs and his team’s pursuit of the President’s Trophy. “Our most important
games are ahead of us, but we still have to compete, still have to work hard,”
Bobrovsky told The Dispatch. “That’s what will get us ready for the playoffs.”
To try to take a little pressure of Bobrovsky, the Blue Jackets worked on some
different power-play alignments in Monday’s practice Authentic Nike Mike Daniels
Jersey , according to bluejackets.com. The Jackets have failed to
score on their past nine power plays in six games. Buffalo has been hot on the
power play. The Sabres converted twice Saturday and twice again against Florida.
Brian Gionta’s power-play goal Monday was his 15th of the season in a milestone
game. Gionta played in his 1,000th game for the Sabres. The team captain is the
seventh player to do that in a Sabres uniform.. Jean-Gabriel
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VANCOUVER Adidas Patrice Bergeron #37
Jersey , British Columbia (AP) Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff
said he needed more from his leaders after a string of demoralizing losses.
Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn stepped up to the challenge Seguin scored on the
power play in the third period and the Stars beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on
Thursday night to snap a three-game slide. ”The guys did a great job
responding,” Seguin said. ”Our compete level was a lot higher, just our will. …
We were missing it the last few games.” Ales Hemsky, Esa Lindell and Radek Faksa
had the other goals for Dallas, which got 26 saves from Kari Lehtonen. John
Klingberg and Jason Spezza each added two assists. Sven Baertschi and Ben Hutton
scored for Vancouver. Ryan Miller stopped 32 shots in his 12th start in the last
13 games. Both teams are well back in the Western Conference playoff race, and
the Stars were outscored 17-4 during their recent skid, including a 7-1
demolition at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. ”It’s no secret we
were embarrassed by the last two games and the season in general Youth Brandon Carlo #25
Jersey ,” Spezza said. The Canucks, meanwhile, finished winless on
their five-game homestand (0-3-2), with the last three losses coming in
regulation. Seguin snapped a 2-2 tie at 9:07 of the third, blasting a one-timer
past Miller for his 24th of the season after the Stars zipped the puck around
the Canucks’ zone. Faksa then took advantage of a turnover by defenseman Troy
Stecher at the side of his own net to bury his 11th past a helpless Miller at
15:31 as the Stars improved to 12-0-1 in their last 13 games against Vancouver.
Dallas grabbed a 1-0 lead at 8:41 of the first period after its 30th-ranked
penalty kill held Vancouver’s 28th-ranked power play off the scoreboard during
an early four-minute man advantage. Hemsky, who has missed 59 games this season
with hip and groin injuries, swooped past Hutton and beat an indecisive Miller
to a loose puck before scoring his first goal since March 24 Womens Ryan Spooner #51
Jersey , 2016. ”It’s frustrating,” Hutton said. ”We want to win,
especially here in our home rink in front of our fans. One mistake here, one
mistake there and it’s two points for the other team and not us.” Vancouver
responded when Reid Boucher, playing in his 100th NHL game, fed a slick pass to
a pinching Nikita Tryamkin. The big defenseman had both his initial shot and
rebound stopped by Lehtonen before the puck popped into the slot to Baertschi,
who buried his 17th at 13:27. The Stars nudged back in front with 7.2 seconds
left in the period when Lindell scored his sixth on a wrist shot from well out
that went in off Miller’s blocker. Tryamkin tossed Jamie Benn to the ice with
under four minutes to go in a previously sleepy second period Authentic Rob O'Gara Elite
Jersey , with the Stars captain going back at the hulking Russian
and dropping the gloves in what was a spirited fight. Both players went to their
respective locker-rooms after the dust up, but Benn didn’t come back for the
third because of what the Stars called an upper-body injury. It wasn’t clear if
the injury to Benn, who will be re-evaluated Friday, happened during the fight
or earlier in the game. ”I like it,” Ruff said of seeing his captain and
second-leading scorer drop the gloves. ”It sends a message to the team that the
fight is still on. You’ve got to win games and play hard. Hutton then tied the
score on the power play to snap a 1-for-33 stretch on the man advantage. NOTES:
The Stars are 6-0-1 in their last seven games at Rogers Arena dating to the
2012-13 season. … Vancouver D Christopher Tanev missed a third straight game
because of food poisoning. … Dallas F Jiri Hudler was a healthy scratch for the
fifth straight game. Stars: Wrap a four-game trip at Calgary on Friday night.
Canucks: Open a five-game trip Saturday night in Edmonton.. Chris
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The Dallas Stars are bringing back Stanley Cup-winning coach
Ken Hitchcock Premier Olli Maatta #3
Jersey , hoping to turn themselves back into a championship
contender. Hitchcock is returning to Dallas and will be named coach at a news
conference Thursday. A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed
the hire to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the
team hadn’t announced it. Hitchcock, 65, won the Cup with Dallas in 1999,
coaching there for parts of seven seasons from 1995-96 through 2001-02. He has
since coached the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis
Blues. ”Congrats Ken Hitchcock on the (Stars) head coach job,” 1999 Cup winner
and Stars legend Mike Modano tweeted . ”My schedule is pretty open.” Hitchcock
was fired as Blues coach in February and replaced by Mike Yeo. Even before
that Youth Replica Jake Guentzel
Jersey , St. Louis had announced it was Hitchcock’s final season
there and that Yeo would take over. Hitchcock replaces Lindy Ruff, who was fired
Monday after four seasons in Dallas. The Stars missed the playoffs this year
after winning the Central Division last season. The Edmonton native is fourth on
the NHL’s all-time wins list, one shy of legendary New York Islanders coach Al
Arbour for third. Hitchcock can now pass Arbour back with the team that he led
to its only title in franchise history. In all, Hitchcock has 781 wins, 474
losses, 88 ties and 111 overtime or shootout losses in 1 Adidas Carl Hagelin #62
Jersey ,454 regular-season games. In addition to the Cup in 1999,
he led the Stars to the final in 2000. Dallas considered former Florida Panthers
coach Gerard Gallant and others for its vacancy but went with the affable
Hitchcock, whose recipe for success has worked through several eras of hockey.
Good friend and Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz said he believes Hitchcock
will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. ”He’s a guy that tries to
teach the game,” Trotz said. ”He’s a little bit old-school sometimes because
he’s demanding and it’s funny. When you’re demanding with players, they don’t
like it at the time, but when you go away or there’s a change and they come back
10 years later and they go Womens Sidney Crosby #87
Jersey , `You had it right. I was all wrong.”’ Hitchcock made the
playoffs in all five full seasons he coached the Blues, leading them to the
Western Conference final last spring. He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach
of the year in 2011-12 when St. Louis won its first of two division titles
during his tenure. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was emotional about the
difficult decision to fire Hitchcock and agreed with Trotz about the coach’s
impressive resume. ”He’s not here anymore, but there’s one former guy in that
room that I think’s going to the Hall of Fame and that’s Ken Hitchcock,”
Armstrong said at the time. — More AP NHL: http://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey —
Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at .. Jean-Gabriel
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