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NEW YORK, N. Nike Air Max 90 Femme .Y. - When other parts of their game are sputtering, the New York Rangers have two solid-gold assets to fall back on. Penalty killing and goaltending. Its a combo that has helped the Blueshirts to within one victory of their first Stanley Cup final in 20 years. And it has frustrated the Montreal Canadiens, who must win Game 5 Tuesday at the Bell Centre to stave off playoff extinction. With a 17.1 per cent strike rate — good for 19th during the regular season — the Montreal power play was hardly a well-oiled machine. But against the Rangers, the Canadiens are 1-for-17 with the man-advantage. Montreals lone power-play breakthrough came Sunday night in a 3-2 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden. And that P.K. Subban blast from the point was tempered by a short-handed goal by Carl Hagelin that opened the scoring. The Canadiens power play went 1-for-8 on a night where the Rangers spent 14.33 minutes or almost 22 per cent of the game a man short. "Give credit to our (penalty) killers and our goaltender," said Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. "They did a real good job." That is nothing new. Prior to Subbans goal, the Rangers had killed off 27 straight penalties. New York is 37-for-39 (94.9 per cent) on the penalty kill in its last 12 games The penalty count was three to one against the Rangers by the 10-minute mark Sunday, the perfect scenario for a Montreal team looking for a decisive start to silence the Rangers crowd. "We had the opportunity on the power play but we didnt take advantage of it tonight," lamented Montreal coach Michel Therrien. "Yes, we scored a goal. It was a tying goal, but we gave up one, and that was the story of the game. I thought our power play had to be better." The Rangers go-to forward pairing on the power play is Hagelin and Brian Boyle. Hagelin is a speed merchant while the Boyle resume reads "big body, blocks shots, good on faceoffs," according to Vigneault. Boyle can also pass a bit, finding Hagelin all alone on a stretch pass deep from the New York end. Hagelin broke in alone, faked a shot and tucked a backhand between the legs of Dustin Tokarski at 7:18 for his sixth of the playoffs. It was the Rangers first short-handed goal in 70 playoff games, dating back to April 9, 2008. The New York penalty kill is smart and sleek. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist has worked hard on his puck-handling and his defenders are well-positioned. If a Ranger gets to the puck first behind the net, for example, there is usually a teammate standing just feet away ready to dump it down the rink. "I think our guys do a good job whether it be on the forecheck coming back in the right positions and trying to create those battles where youve a chance to make a couple plays and get it out," said Vigneault. "When we dont, (our) goaltender stops the puck." In four games, Montreal has seven goals on 107 shots. While Tokarski has won kudos for his play in stepping in for the injured Carey Price, Lundqvists playoffs numbers are sparkling — a .931 save percentage and 1.98 goals-against average. The Rangers have allowed two goals or less in 13 of their 18 playoff games., including six of the last seven games. New York ranks first in the NHL in goals against per game in the playoffs at 2.11. Sundays win was the 41st post-season win of Lundqvists career, tying him with Mike Richter for the most playoff victories in Rangers history. The 32-year-old Lundqvist ranks first in Rangers history in regulation wins with 309, eight more than Richters 301. In contrast, the 24-year-old Tokarski has 13 NHL games —10 in the regular season and three in the playoffs. Lundqvist picked up an assist on Derick Brassards second-period goal, his first in 85 post-season games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first Rangers goaltender to record a playoff assist since Mike Richter on May 11, 1997. With Game 5 coming up fast, the main Ranger talking point will be whether Derek Stepan can return from a broken jaw suffered in Game 3. On the weekend, he managed to drop by the arena to see his teammates before returning home to recuperate from surgery. Brassard, meanwhile, returned to the lineup Sunday after being knocked out of Game 1 early with an upper body injury and made his presence felt. In addition to his goal, he led all skaters with 18 faceoffs wins, winning 75 per cent of his 24 draws. New York is winning the faceoff battle. On Sunday, the Rangers took 48 of 79 draws for a 61 per cent success rate. Martin St. Louis hot hand is also of note. His OT winner Sunday Louis extended his point streak to six games (4-3—7), tying a playoff career high in the post-season. He leads the Ranges with 13 points in these playoffs. NOTES— Hagelin was Sundays recipient of the Broadway Hat, a battered black fedora given to the player judged by his peers to be most instrumental in a Rangers win ... The Rangers are 12-1 all-time when they lead a playoff series three games to one. Nike Roshe Run Pas Cher France . Lee doubled and scored in his debut, Buerhle struck out a season-best eight over 7 2-3 innings and Miami beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 Thursday to split the four-game series. Nike Air Max Thea Homme . And the Ottawa Redblacks linebacker wanted to be sure his words delivered their full effect. "Its an insult," he said over the phone Wednesday after the CFL Players Association lifted its media ban, giving its members the ability to speak openly about stalling collective bargaining talks.ST. CLOUD, Fla. -- Darryl Strawberry will always be tied to his former baseball exploits. Hes now trying to help others avoid the pitfalls that plagued his career with opening of his second drug rehab facility in two years. Strawberry and his wife Tracy -- both ordained ministers -- were in central Florida Friday for the opening of their second drug rehabilitation and treatment centre. The Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center will be focused on helping former athletes and others deal with the issues that once followed them both, as well as the new ones -- like concussions -- that face todays generation of athletes. "I think the legacy we all want to leave is a positive one," said Strawberry, whos been clean more than a decade. "Baseball dont leave you a positive legacy. Thats just a game and that comes and goes. But I think the most important thing is for people to see theyre not a mistake." The new centre joins one already open in Texas, and the couple plans to open a third facility close to where they reside in St. Louis later this year. It offers a 28-day residential treatment program that can treat up to 60 patients at a time for addiction and substance abuse. It also has a program to help athletes address post-playing issues, as well as anyone suffering long-term effects concussions and traumatic brain injury. During Strawberrys journey to sobriety he was once told by a treating doctor that he would never make it out of his addiction. He said he wants these new facilities to be a place where patients never hear anything similar. "Drug addiction is an illness and those that dont know that have a tendency to criticize and point fingers. I was one guy they pointed fingers at and said This guy is a cocaine freak, you know?" he said. "They didnt know the depths of it. Today is a sign to show you that this is about recovery." Tracy Strawberry meet Darryl nearly 15 years ago at a narcotics rehab convention in Tampa. Nike Roshe Run Pas Cher. Both twice divorced, they began dating while both continued to fight their addictions. Getting past their various hurdles they eventually moved to Missouri, and they were married in 2006. Not long after that they started their non-denominational ministry, which Tracy said is the core of the curriculum she helped write for the clinic. But she said it doesnt jam the religious component down patients throats. "You cant be so supernatural that youre not natural," she said. Dr. William Leach, a board certified addiction specialist, is the medical director of the new facility. He said a facility such as this is in a position to approach addiction in ways not previously done at this level. "In 55 years of brain research, we finally figured out that addiction is a biologically-mediated structural brain disease," Leach said. "And we finally figured out to create medicines at least at the start that are going to help with that." Strawberry was joined Friday by several former athletes from the MLB and NFL, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood. Youngblood is on the NFL Players Association concussion committee, and was there specifically to continue to raise awareness about concussion treatment. Youngblood said the potential impact the facility could have is enormous. "Weve been looking concussion issues for the past four or five years and we finally found somebody to partner with," he said. "Once you open the door I believe youre gonna be flooded with those who are suffering from those issues." Strawberry said hes only just beginning his journey to help others. "My own path is experience, and you never give up on a person," Strawberry said. "You never know who will make it with the chance and opportunity." wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
