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DETROIT -- Desperation fueled the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night. Francisco Rodriguez Authentic Jersey . David Legwand had a goal and an assist, and Detroit held off the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings are trying to stretch their playoff streak to 23 seasons, the longest such active streak in North American professional sports. "We got to find to find a way to win some games here to get in. Weve got Washington breathing down our necks and Columbus is right with us here, and Torontos in the mix too," said Gustav Nyquist, who extended his point streak to nine games with his 27th goal. "... Everyones going to be playing for their playoff lives here. Its a good thing we have it in our own hands at least." Jonas Gustavsson stopped 26 shots and Joakim Andersson also scored for Detroit, which won 4-2 in Toronto on Saturday night. "Its huge obviously to get four points on a back-to-back weekend is big," Legwand said. "Especially the race is so tight and if we can start gaining some ground here and getting some traction well be all right." It was Mike Babcocks 411th win as the Red Wings coach. He passed Scotty Bowman and moved into second place in franchise history behind Jack Adams (413). "Scottys the greatest coach of all time in our business. The way the business was then and the way it is now, to have the amount of wins Scotty has is impossible and youre not going to get to coach so many Stanley Cup champions," Babcock said. "Youre not able to keep teams together like they used to. Scotty should be in a class by himself." Valtteri Filppula and Sami Salo scored for Tampa Bay and Ben Bishop made 27 saves. "We played a pretty good game. ... Got a solid 60 minutes, but didnt get the result we wanted," Lightning centre Steven Stamkos said. "Theyre a good team and they played desperate game." Salo scored his fourth goal to pull Tampa Bay within 3-2 with 4:29 left in the third. Legwand made it 3-1 with a power-play goal with 3:24 left in the second period, tipping in Johan Franzens shot for his 13th goal. Nyquist gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead with 4:36 remaining in the opening period with his spectacular goal. He was being bothered by Lightning defenceman Matthew Carle on a breakaway and after Carle thwarted the initial attempt, Nyquist slid in a shot from along the goal line. Legwand got the assist. "Leggy (Legwand) made a real nice play up the middle and I just tried to get good body position on the D-man there to get an opportunity to score," Nyquist said. "Made that last move to my backhand and noticed that the goalie was out of the net. I lost the puck a little bit and it went behind the goal line there. I was hoping the goalie was still out of the net on the other side so I just tried to spin and get it on net as fast as possible. Nice to see it go in." Nyquist has 11 goals and two assists during his streak, and 22 goals in his last 27 games. Andersson tied the game at 1 with 8:52 left in the first period when he put in a rebound for his eighth goal. It was his first goal in 20 games. Filppula gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead 8:40 into the game on the Lightnings second shot. He beat Gustavsson from the high slot on a wrist shot for his 25th goal. He stretched his point streak to 12 games (five goals and 11 assists). Tampa Bay didnt get its first shot until 8:17 into the game. NOTES: The crowd chanted "You got Kronwalled" after Detroit D Niklas Kronwalls hit on Tampa Bay RW Ryan Callahan late in the first period. . Detroit LW Justin Abdelkader returned after missing seven games with a leg laceration. . Tampa Bay vice-president and general manager Steve Yzerman spent his entire Hall of Fame playing career with Detroit. . Red Wings RW Todd Bertuzzi was a healthy scratch. . Filppula spent eight seasons with the Red Wings before signing a free agent contract with Tampa Bay last July. . Detroit LW Drew Miller played 14 games with the Lightning in 2009-10, before being put on waivers and picked up by the Red Wings. . Tampa Bay assistant general manager Pat Verbeek and assistant coach Steve Thomas both played with Detroit during their careers. Matt Garza Authentic Jersey . Atletico built a provisional three-point advantage over Barcelona before the defending champion hosts Elche on Sunday. Barcelona then visits Atletico in the following round. "We will have to wait and see if Barcelona wins tomorrow to stay leader, as it is accustomed to doing," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. Aramis Ramirez Jersey . Louis Blues just continue to roll -- especially against the Nashville Predators.TORONTO -- Understandably, Ryan Nelsen is torn about Jermain Defoe and the World Cup. Talk to the Toronto FC manager and he lists off the reasons why his star striker should go to Brazil. But he better than anyone knows that Englands gain would be his loss. "Look, for Toronto FC Id love him to stay obviously, because hes a quality player," said Nelsen, who captained New Zealand at the 2010 World Cup. "But for Jermain, if I was the England manager, I probably would pick him. Because you know what youre going to get with him -- you absolutely know what youre going to get with him." Defoe, who played at the 2010 World Cup, offers England experience and a scoring touch off the bench. He has potted goals everywhere he has played -- including 19 in 55 appearances for his country. The 31-year-old striker says he is in the dark, waiting for the phone to ring. "Its down to the manager," said Defoe, referring to England boss Roy Hodgson. "He picks the squad. "Im sure he knows what every player can do. And even before he was the England manager, he probably knew all the players anyway. So Im sure that the manager knows his squad. And he probably knew his squad a long time ago -- maybe just one or two additions that youre not sure about. "I dont know. Its up to the manager. As players, you just concentrate on playing for your club and then, like you said, you wait for the call." Hodgson has apparently made up his mind. He is set to announce his 23-man squad Monday as well as seven standby players. "Ive known for a while," he is quoted on Englands Football Association website. England will travel to Portugal on May 19 for a training camp that runs through May 23. The squad will reassemble May 27 with a friendlyy against Peru at Wembley on May. Kyle Lohse Jersey. 20. The 23-man World Cup squad will be confirmed June 2. England has friendlies June 3 against Ecuador and June 7 against Honduras, both in Miami, before heading to Brazil for its World Cup opener June 14 against Italy. Realistically Defoe is hoping to land a spot as a reserve striker with Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck of Manchester United, Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool and perhaps Rickie Lambert of Southampton ahead in the pecking order. Given that, some argue that it would make more sense to take a younger player over Defoe. The argument there is that it would be an investment in the future. Nelsen sees the other side to that coin, suggesting his man has the seasoning and mental toughness to survive the England spotlight. "Probably the Brazil and the England national team are the hardest teams in world sport to play for, in terms of expectation and pressure," he said. "You know Jermain can handle that. On the worlds biggest stage, you want to kind off knock out the variables. And I think Jermain does that." "With my TFC hat on, I hope he doesnt (go). I hope he stays here," Nelson added with a laugh. Barring injury, U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley and Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar will leave Toronto for the World Cup. Nelsen expects Cesar to leave his team after the May 23 game against Sporting Kansas City. "Jermain, if he does (go), (will be) roughly about the same time," he added. "(U.S. manager Juergen Klinsmann) Juergen wants Michael now. Or tomorrow," Nelsen said with a smile. "But were trying to hold that. I think for Michael, it will probably be the 19th or the 20th that we lose him." The World Cup runs June 12 to July 13. cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
