TAMPA http://www.ramsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-brian-allen-jersey , Fla. — The way the schedule lined up, the Tampa Bay Lightning knew they’d be facing the Boston Bruins three times in the final 12 games of the regular season.
And now, having lost the first two games by a combined score of 7-2 and trailing the Bruins in the standings in the final week of the season, there’s much on the line when the teams meet Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.
“It’s going to probably have a big determination of which team comes first, let’s be honest,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of the divisional implications. “We win the game, we’re right back in it. They win it, they’ve probably got it. It’s Game 80 Tarvarius Moore Color Rush Jersey , but it’s big Game 80.”
Boston (49-17-12) has picked up points in nine straight games and now has a two-point lead in the standings — with a game in hand — over the Lightning (52-23-4), who led the Atlantic Division most of the season.
Tampa Bay is reeling, having gone 1-4 in its last five and having star Steven Stamkos questionable with a lower-body injury sustained in Saturday’s loss to Nashville.
Boston is 4-0-2 in its last six, and now stands as the only NHL team ranking in the top five in scoring, goals allowed, power-play percentage and penalty-kill percentage.
“It’s fun to play together — we have each other’s backs,” Boston’s Torey Krug said after the Bruins rallied from 3-1 down Sunday, getting a tying goal with 3.8 seconds remaining to salvage a point in an overtime loss to Philadelphia. “It doesn’t matter what the time or the score is. It’s good to get that point.”
The Atlantic champion will face a wild card from the other division Jeff Locke Color Rush Jersey , either Columbus, Philadelphia or New Jersey, all within a point in the standings.
The runner-up will likely face third-seeded Toronto — the Lightning are 3-1 against the Maple Leafs this season — but it would still mean a tougher playoff path and losing home-ice advantage should they eventually meet the Bruins again.
Boston has won the last two meetings with Tampa Bay on the strength of its special teams. The Bruins have killed off the NHL’s No. 2 power play on six of seven opportunities in the two games, and their power play has converted three of five chances.
Cooper said whether to rest Stamkos this week or keep him on the ice to build momentum for the postseason will depend on his health, but the team has a long-term focus as the playoffs approach.
Beat Boston on Tuesday and their final two games are against non-playoff opponents Buffalo and Carolina for a shot at four points in the final two days of the regular season.
“We need (Stamkos) feeling his best a week and a half from now, and not necessarily right now,” Cooper said. “However, we can help that Ravens Lamar Jackson Jersey , we will. We want to get better as a team in the next three games. We want to make sure we’re ready as a group.”
LeBron James defied belief with another brilliant playoff performance and was in utter disbelief at the officials and a play by teammate J.R. Smith down the stretch that sent the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 124-114 overtime loss to Golden State in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
James posted the first 50-point game in the finals since Michael Jordan did it 25 years ago and had the Cavaliers in position to stun the heavily favored Warriors in the opener before a disputed replay overturn and Smith’s blunder turned the tide in Golden State’s favor.
”Tonight we played as well as we’ve played all postseason, and we gave ourselves a chance possession after possession after possession,” James said. ”There were just some plays that were kind of taken away from us. Simple as that.”
James finished with 51 points in the highest scoring finals game in a losing effort and had the Cavaliers in position to win when his pass down low to George Hill drew a foul on Klay Thompson with 4.6 seconds left and Cleveland trailing 107-106. Hill hit the first shot to tie the game but missed the second.
Smith secured the rebound but dribbled to half court, a play usually made with the lead. James was calling for the ball that entire time and could only hold his arms out in shock before walking back to the huddle for overtime.
While coach Tyronn Lue said Smith thought the Cavs were up by a point, Smith insisted he knew the score.
”I knew it was tied,” he said. ”I thought we were going to take a timeout because I got the rebound. I’m pretty sure everybody didn’t think I was going to shoot it over KD right there. … I tried to bring it out and get enough space to maybe get a shot off. I looked over at LeBron and he looked like he was trying to get a timeout. So I stopped, and the game was over.”
James said he didn’t know what Smith was thinking and walked out of the postgame news conference after growing tired of repeated questioning about whether Smith knew the score.
”I don’t know what J.R. was thinking,” James said JK Scott Color Rush Jersey , refusing to speculate on Smith’s thought process. ”I don’t know the question you’re trying to ask.”
The Cavaliers were not able to recover from Smith’s blunder.
The Warriors scored on their first possession of overtime when Durant drew a foul from Hill that upset James once again and never looked back, outscoring Cleveland 17-7 in the extra session.
The game ended with James jawing with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and then teammate Tristan Thompson getting ejected for a flagrant foul after he got upset when Shaun Livingston attempted a shot when the game was already in hand instead of taking a shot-clock violation.
There were several calls down the stretch that angered James, with the biggest coming after James drove past Stephen Curry for a three-point play that put Cleveland up 104-102 with 50 seconds left.
James appeared to draw a charge on Durant. But officials went to the replay to see if James was in the restricted area which would make it a block. While James was clearly outside the restricted area, officials also had the chance to review whether James was in legal guarding position and changed the call to a block.
”I thought I read that play just as well as I read any play in my career, defensively,” James said. ”I saw the drive, I was outside the charge line, I stepped in Martinas Rankin Color Rush Jersey , took the contact. It’s a huge play. It’s a huge play.”
James answered with an impressive drive, changing hands in midair before scoring to give the Cavs the lead. But it wasn’t enough when Curry answered with a three-point play followed by Smith’s miscue.
The opener of the fourth straight finals between these teams followed a familiar script with the deeper Warriors overcoming a sensational individually effort by James the way they did in winning the past two titles.
James had his highest-scoring playoff game ever, tied Jerry West for the most 40-point games in a single postseason with eight and almost single-handedly led the Cavs to the win.
He made 19 of 32 shots, added eight rebounds and eight assists and played nearly 48 minutes for a third straight game.
But the lasting image of this game will be of James calling for the ball behind the 3-point line as Smith dribbled out the clock in a play reminiscent of one made by Dallas’ Derek Harper in a playoff loss to the Lakers 34 years ago.
”It was epic,” Lue said ”He did enough to carry this team to a victory. We just came up short. But this is LeBron James, that’s who he is. That’s why he’s the best player in the world. He’s been doing it for us all season.
”To do what he did tonight and come out robbed, it’s just not right.”
—
.
« If you excel in these regions then you are likelyIndia, the land involving great and magnificent »
Weitere Artikel der Kategorie Allgemein
RSS-Feed abonnieren
Besucher
Forum Statistiken
