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» Hauptforum » Forum: Homepage » Thread: s Avalanche are exceeding exp |
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» 13.02.15 06:59h |
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PHILADELPHIA – Teammates in Los Angeles, Jonathan Bernier had a sense of what Wayne Simmonds might attempt when the two squared off in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Hauled down by Paul Ranger with fewer than four ticks left in the second period of a tie game, Simmonds was promptly shut down by the closed pads of Bernier in what proved to be a game-changing penalty shot. "Hes got a great backhand too," Bernier smiled after his Leafs debut, a 31-save gem that sealed a 3-1 win, the second in as many nights for Toronto. "I remember that. I was hoping he was going to shoot it." Passed over for the opening night start in Montreal just a day earlier, Bernier was a sponge in the Leafs crease, absorbing a barrage of shots from a feisty Flyers group, his team eventually finding their way in the third frame en route to victory and a perfect 2-0-0 start to the season. "The puck just seems to stick to him," Joffrey Lupul said afterward of Bernier. "Especially on point shots through traffic or tipped, it just seems to always be right around him." "He just battled," added Randy Carlyle, the Leafs surviving six of seven Flyer power-plays, including three in a turbulent opening frame. "Any of the loose pucks that were around he seemed to have the ability to scoop up, be it with his trapper or his blocker. He grabbed pucks. When there were loose pucks around, they didnt get many second opportunities." And when they did manage those opportunities, Bernier held strong. With the Flyers on the hunt of their fourth man advantage early in the second frame it was the Quebec netminder turning aside multiple whacks from Vincent Lecavalier and Matt Read, the score remaining a misleading 1-0 for the home side. Holding strong early and often, his efforts were eventually rewarded late in the second frame when Phil Kessel buried his first of the season to knot the score at one. It was less than three minutes later though that Simmonds was awarded the penalty shot – 3.1 seconds left on the clock – a simmering Philadelphia crowd about to bubble over with their team on the attack and the period about to close. The game lingered on the line, a goal from Simmonds sure to turn the tides in the Flyers favour heading into the third and final frame. "Those are momentum swings that can carry a team into the room and I think with him stopping the penalty shot [it] gave our room an extra boost between the second and third," Carlyle said. "He made it look pretty easy," Lupul added of the stop on Simmonds. Dave Bolland would score the go-ahead goal minutes into the third, his first as a Leaf and first of two on the evening, all that Bernier would need to preserve victory. On the hunt for the No. 1 gig in Toronto after years as a backup with the Kings, it was a fine first showing for the 25-year-old. How it skews the early race for starting duties will certainly prove curious in the days ahead, the home opener with Ottawa looming at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday. Five Points 1. More pucks for Bernier Bernier better get used to seeing more rubber in Toronto than he did in Los Angeles. The Kings gave up the third fewest shots per game last season, a direct contrast to the Leafs, who finished fourth-worst overall, yielding more than 32 per night. Over the past two seasons – a stretch that includes 25 starts – Bernier faced more 30 shots on only four occasions, winning three of the four starts. 2. Carlyles choice Berniers impressive performance may not be enough to earn him the start on Saturday if past history is the judge for Carlyle. James Reimer has simply sizzled in his career against the Senators, highlighted by a 8-1-1 career mark with a 1.69 goals against average and .949 save percentage. 3. Bolland rises With Claude Giroux occupying the first line centre spot for the Flyers and Lecavalier manning the second hole, Carlyle made the decision at the outset of the second frame to flip Bolland onto a second unit with Lupul and Nik Kulemin, replacing the youthful Nazem Kadri. "We felt that having the flexibility to put Bolland up there gives us another competitive veteran guy to play up against those guys," Carlyle explained of bumping Bolland up in the lineup. Finding a quick favourite in the head coach, Bolland sparked the unit, beating Steve Mason in tight on a feed from Lupul early in the third before icing the proceedings late with his second of the evening. Shortly after the trade with Chicago went down this past summer, GM Dave Nonis hinted at growth potential for Bolland offensively – hes scored 15 or more three times – an early sampling perhaps of such sentiments on Wednesday night. "Hes a solid player," Lupul noted of Bolland, who played 16 minutes. "I knew that playing against him, watching him in the playoffs a lot. Hes going to do things right in his own end … [And] he showed he can go to the net and finish as well." 4. Bernier impressions Lupul observed before the game that Bernier oozed "calm" in the crease, both in handling incoming shots and limiting rebounds. Also noticeable to the 30-year-old was Berniers proficiency with the puck. "Hes really confident handling the puck which I think can help our defence out a lot going back to retrieve pucks," the winger said, prior to Wednesdays match with the Flyers. "Hes pretty good at getting out there behind [the net] and hitting the open man." Added Cody Franson of that ability, "I think anytime a goalie has confidence handling a puck, its going to help us. It doesnt make us go back quite as much for pucks and it can help us spread their offence out a little bit. Thats definitely a plus." 5. Fraser injury, Rielly opening? Mere seconds after he laid a high-stick on Zac Rinaldo did Mark Fraser take an awkward hit from former Leaf Jay Rosehill. Fraser twisted his left knee on the play and did not return. He left the Wells Fargo Center on crutches and will have a further assessment done on Thursday. An injury to the Ottawa native could spell an opening for Morgan Rielly, who sat in the press-box for a second straight night. "Right now they want him to practice and keep picking up some things at practice," Lupul said of the 19-year-old Rielly. "Hes going to be in there eventually. Obviously they didnt keep him here from junior to sit in the press-box all year so hes going to get his opportunity and its his job to be ready and I think he will be." Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-2 PK: 6-7 Quote of the Night "The one call on Colton Orr, I dont know. Im not going to get myself fined but holy crow. Giroux spun to turn around and fell and we got a penalty for it." -Randy Carlyle on the penalties his club faced against the Flyers, including an early tripping call to Colton Orr. Up Next The Leafs host the Senators in their home opener on Saturday. http://www.greeceairmax.eu/nike-air-max-90/nike-air-max-90-mens.html . Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema scored two goals each Wednesday night in a 6-1 rout of Schalke in the first leg of their second-round matchup. "We played a very, very good match," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "We got well into the match, scored two early goals and that opened the game and left us able to counter and to use the speed of our players. nike roshe run greece . Bayern led second-place Leverkusen by 10 points with a game in hand, while Dortmund was another four points off the pace. Freiburg midfielder Felix Klaus scored in the last minute as his side twice came from behind to climb provisionally out of the relegation zone. http://www.greeceairmax.eu/nike-air-max-2015.html . "The opportunities are going to come," he said Monday on a conference call from Slovenia, where the team was preparing for a friendly. "If we werent creating chances then it would be a different conversation. http://www.greeceairmax.eu/ . Howard had 19 points and nine rebounds in his first game since signing a four-year, $88 million deal with the Rockets in the off-season. Howard was 6 of 11 from the field and 7 of 11 from the free-throw line in 27 minutes. http://www.greeceairmax.eu/nike-air-max-95/nike-air-max-95-womens.html . Louis Blues will try to remain undefeated against the defending Stanley Cup champions this season when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks for Wednesdays Central Division showdown at United Center.With the trade deadline passed and the stretch run to the NHL season beginning, its time for Scott Cullens latest update to the NHL Awards races. On one hand, there are familiar names throughout, with previous Hart, Norris, Selke and Jack Adams winners named as best through three quarters of this season. However, as we get more games in the file, the leading candidates begin to separate from the rest of the class. Its not to say that others cant mount a strong finish to alter the outcomes, but as the season gets closer to the end, there isnt as much wiggle room. Anyway, here are my picks for awards through first three quarters of this season: HART TROPHY Winner: Sidney Crosby, C, PittsburghRunners-up: Ryan Getzlaf, C, Anaheim; Alex Ovechkin, RW, WashingtonComment: Its no surprise that a healthy Crosby is in position to win the award as the leagues Most Valuable Player, because hes 14 points up in the scoring race and playing at the level to which weve become accustomed, when hes in the lineup. This year, he hasnt missed a game, and that is the biggest reason that Crosby at the forefront of the MVP discussion. Getzlaf is scoring at a career-best rate of 1.17 points per game, leading the team that sits on top of the standings. While his possession numbers are solid, Getzlafs line has been particularly fortunate in terms of shooting percentage, which leads to a dominant goal differential (57 for, 25 against) when Getzlaf is on the ice during 5-on-5 play. Its not the kind of thing that can be sustained long-term (as in year-over-year) but, this year, it puts him in contention for the Hart. I recognize there may not be a lot of observers that would consider Ovechkin among the most valuable in the league this year, yet I do despite his deficiencies. Hhes so far ahead of the rest of the league as a goal-scorer, that I cant ignore that contribution. Right now, Ovechkin is on pace for a 57-goal season. Second-place Phil Kessel is on pace for a 42-goal season. The last player to win the goal-scoring race by 15 goals or more was Brett Hull, in 1991-1992, when Hull scored 70 and Kevin Stevens scored 54. (Incidentally, in 1990-1991, Hull scored 86 goals, 35 more than a trio of players -- Theo Fleury, Cam Neely and Steve Yzerman -- tied for second.) Its just not that often that the leagues top goal-scorer is that far ahead of the field and, this year, Ovechkin is. Additionally, while he does plenty of damage on the power play, Ovechkin also leads the league with 26 even-strength goals, so its not all one-timers from the faceoff dot with the man advantage. Looking beyond those three, Kessel, Joe Pavelski and Jonathan Toews are among others who could warrant consideration. NORRIS TROPHYWinner: Duncan Keith, ChicagoRunners-up: Erik Karlsson, Ottawa; Victor Hedman, Tampa BayComment: This season hasnt been all that different from Duncan Keiths 2010 Norris Trophy-winning campaign. Hes played his typically-strong two-way game, though he is down more than three minutes per game compared to his peak playing time, and has added more offence this season, scoring at the second-best rate of his carerr (0.79 points per game). There are some that decry the play of the Senators Erik Karlsson, because hes not a hard-hitting block of granite on the blueline and thats their vision of a defenceman, but Karlsson is a game-changer. Hes a rare defenceman that can drive his teams offence and his negative plus-minus is more a function of relatively bad luck on percentages (both shooting and save) when hes on the ice. After Keith and Karlsson, there are a number of worthy candidates, with my preferred choice being Victor Hedman, who has been great, while adding an offensive component that is far ahead of his previously established levels. Im not sure that Team Sweden is on board with this vote, but thats their prerogative. Some familiar names -- Shea Weber, P.K. Subban and Alex Pietrangelo -- are also viable candidates, close enough that a really strong finish could alter the outcome. VEZINA TROPHYWinner: Ben Bishop, Tampa BayRunners-up: Tuukka Rask, Boston; Semyon Varlamov, ColoradoComment: As a 27-year-old who had played 45 career games coming into this season, Bishop has been a major surprise, a rock for a LLightning team that has maintained its playoff position despite missing Steven Stamkos for a couple of months.dddddddddddd. Rask has pretty much always been a top puck-stopper, with a .929 save percentage over the past three seasons, and hes played a career-high 46 games this year, handling a number one workload over a full season for, really, the first time in his career. It hasnt been a smooth and steady road to the top for Varlamov, who has rebounded from a career-low .903 save percentage last season to post a career-best .925 save percentage this season. That might be a matter of arbitrary end-points, with Varlamovs real performance level somewhere between those two extremes but, for this season, his numbers warrant award consideration. If not Varlamov, Carey Price and Jonathan Bernier have both had strong seasons, strong enough that an impressive finish could push them into the discussion. CALDER TROPHYWinner: Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Runners-up: Tyler Johnson, C, Tampa Bay; Olli Maatta, Pittsburgh Comment: Having set the record for the longest point streak by an 18-year-old rookie, MacKinnon is already looking like the kind of game-breaking skilled forward that teams hope to get with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Nothing like having a great pedigree and living up to it. MacKinnons closest challenger may be Johnson, an undrafted, 5-foot-9, 23-year-old who has simply scored wherever hes played and when Stamkos got hurt, Johnson took on more responsibility and continued to play at a high level. Its not easy for a teenage defenceman to step into the NHL and consistently play with poise, but dont tell that to Maatta, who has been a revelation for the Penguins. Injuries on the Pittsburgh blueline have forced the Penguins to use Maatta more than might have been initially anticipated, but hes risen to the challenge. Bruins power play quarterback Torey Krug and Johnsons left winger, Ondrej Palat, are other contenders. SELKE AWARDWinner: Patrice Bergeron, BostonRunners-up: David Backes, St. Louis; Jonathan Toews, ChicagoComment: This isnt an easy award to hand out, though there are some consistent performers that tend to be in consideration year after year. Heres a list of centres that face a decent level of competition yet still have strong possession stats. In addition to Bergeron, Backes and Toews, who have been at the top of my lists for past couple seasons at least, Anze Kopitar, Gabriel Landeskog and Alexander Steen are first-rate two-way performers that warrant attention. JACK ADAMS AWARDWinner: Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Runners-up: Ken Hitchcock, St. Louis; Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay. Comment: It can be difficult to gauge exactly what a coachs role is in a teams performance, so there is some guess work involved here. One of the factors I try to take out of the equation, or at least minimize in importance, is goaltending, because great goaltending can mask all manner of shortcomings. Anyway, Im not sure that Bruce Boudreau has done anything revolutionary with the Ducks that allows them to score on such a high percentage of their shots, but getting strong contributions from so many throughout the lineup has to be considered in some way a reflection of Boudreaus approach. Oh, yeah, the Ducks are also first place in the standings, so he has that working for him too. The St. Louis Blues play such a relentless, grinding game that Im inclined to credit a coach that can keep his team playing that style so effectively. Enter, Ken Hitchcock. Admittedly, Jon Cooper has the benefit of outstanding goaltending, thanks to Ben Bishop, but his team has survived without Steven Stamkos and has done so with a lineup full of young, inexperienced players playing significant roles. For that, Cooper gets my nomination. There are many other qualified candidates. Patrick Roys Avalanche are exceeding expectations, Mike Yeo and Mike Babcock have managed to get through significant injuries and Claude Julien keeps the Bruins rolling with a steady spproach; all of these coaches deserve credit for their work behind the bench this season. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
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