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Geregistreerd op: 26 Okt 2019 Berichten: 195
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Geplaatst: 15-11-2019 02:36:48 Onderwerp: didnt have much to do with the construction of the Olympic |
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LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup the hard way, ending their marathon playoff run with a double overtime thriller. Luke Bard Jersey . A post-season that started with the Kings having to dig themselves out of a three-game hole against San Jose ended Friday night in a 3-2 double-overtime triumph over the New York Rangers to seal their second Cup in three seasons. The final lasted five games, with three going to overtime -- including two double OT contests. It was the only playoff series that didnt go the distance for the Kings. Alec Martinezs winner at 14:43 of the second overtime was a fitting conclusion to a post-season slog that saw the Kings run a gauntlet of Western Conference heavyweights before dispatching the speedy Rangers in the final. It was the 26th game of the Los Angles playoff run, matching the single-year league record set by Philadelphia in 1987 and Calgary in 2004, who both lost seven-game series in the final. L.A. did set a record for most playoff games by a Cup winner. The Kings had to go through a murderers row in the West just to get to the final after finishing 10th in the league with a 46-26-8 record and 100 points. Los Angles had to get by San Jose (111 points), Anaheim (116) and defending champion Chicago (107) in one of the most gruelling post-season routes on record. They overcame a 3-2 series deficit in the second round against Anaheim and rallied from 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 deficits in Game 7 of the Western Conference final in Chicago. Their latest campaign lasted 115 games, counting seven pre-season, 82 regular-season and a record 26 post-season contests. Los Angeles went 7-0 in playoff elimination games along the way. Only the 1975 Islanders won more (eight). The Kings are only the fourth team in playoff history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit in rallying to beat the Sharks in the first round. And they are the first team to play -- and win -- three Game 7s on the road in a single post-season. Throughout it all burned the belief that if the Kings played their game, they knew they were tough to beat. "We really earned it," said forward Justin Williams, named winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after opening the scoring with his ninth goal and 25th point of the post-season. "Its been a wild year," said forward Jeff Carter. "A lot of hockey, a lot of ups and downs ... We had to dig deep. We really had to battle." Like teammate Drew Doughty, Carter won Olympic gold and hoisted the Cup in 2014. "A hell of a year," he said. "Couldnt ask for anything more." Captain Dustin Brown hoisted the Cup first, then handed it off to veteran defenceman Robyn Regehr, a spectator since suffering an injury in Game 1 of the Anaheim series. Brown sacrificed his body to get to the Cup, delivering 125 hits in the post-season. The native of Ithaca, N.Y., is the first U.S.-born captain to win multiple Stanley Cups. Family and friends packed the ice as fans pressed their nose to the glass to watch the post-game partying. Coach Darryl Sutter watched with a smile, his son Christopher -- who has Down Syndrome -- hoisting the Cup in the celebration. "You got to give these guys full marks," he said simply of his players. The Kings squandered 3-0 series leads both times en route to hoisting the Cup. But they got the job done in five games -- three wins coming via overtime -- this time compared to six against New Jersey in 2012. Los Angeles remarkable road to this Cup was long and tortuous. It was an edge-of-your-seat record-setting ride though all-comers that will be hard to beat. Martinez ended the longest game in Kings history, surpassing Game 5 of the 2013 Western Conference final (91:40), by wristing home a rebound of a Tyler Toffoli shot to seal the Cup. "I havent been married and I havent had kids but as far as Im concerned so far this is the greatest feeling in the world," Martinez said. "It came out pretty quick," he said of the rebound. "I just tried to get it on net then I blacked out." It was the 17th Stanley Cup-clinching overtime goal in NHL history. Martinez eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks in OT in Game 7 of the Western Conference final at Chicago on June 1. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he joins Martin Gelinas (Calgary, 2004) and Adam Henrique (New Jersey, 2012) as the only players in NHL history to notch two series-clinching overtime goals in one post-season. Amazingly Los Angeles did not hold a lead in the first three games of the final. The Kings led for just 14.6 per cent of the first four games -- a 40:01 stretch that was all in Game 3. The Kings trailed 2-0 the first two games of the series but rallied both times to win in OT. The Rangers probably deserved better. "Obviously everybodys very disappointed in the outcome," said New York coach Alain Vigneault whose team went past Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Montreal en route to the Rangers first final in 20 years. "You go into this hoping that you dont regret anything. We put it out there," he added. "We gave our best shot, best effort. Three games here all went to OT. What can I say?" The never-say-die Kings, who trailed by two goals four times in the first two games of the final, proved once again that the third period is their domain. They have four victories this post-season when trailing after two periods. And in mounting the latest comeback, they put an end to New Yorks remarkable 5-0 record in elimination games. The win improved the Kings playoff overtime record in 2014 to 5-2. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist kept the Rangers in the game for the second outing in a row. The elegant Swede stood on his head for much of the evening, especially when push came to shove. "During the regular time he made some big saves. I thought in the overtime, though, thats when we played our better hockey of the night," said Vigneault. "Had some real good looks. Both goaltenders were outstanding." Lundqvist ended the evening face down in disbelief. He may still be shaking his head. The contest started slowly and took its time to boil, but finished in nail-biting, adrenalin-pumping end-to-end fashion. The third period was all Kings as a goal by Marian Gaborik pulled Los Angeles even at 2-2 some eight minutes in. Gaborik knocking in a rebound of a Doughty wrister from the point at 7:56. It was his 14th of the playoffs -- following a season in which he had 11 goals in 41 games. Los Angeles outshot New York 12-3 in the period and 29-15 in regulation time. The shots were 42-25 for L.A. after four periods of hockey and 51-30 when the dust settled. Overtime was a thrill ride as both teams hit the post and Los Angeles poured it on. The Kings also had to kill off a minor penalty in each overtime. New York defenceman Ryan McDonagh hit the post with a blast from the blue-line in the first OT period. Toffoli also rang a shot off the post, some 13 minutes in. Lundqvist stopped Williams twice at point-blank range during one sequence late in overtime as the Kings turned the screws. Then the Rangers mounted two assaults on the L.A. goal before Chris Kreider fired wide on a semi-breakaway. In the second overtime, a Dan Girardi shot clipped the outside of the Kings post and L.A. goalie Jonathan Quick make several key saves. Kreider and Brian Boyle scored for the Rangers in a 3:53 stretch late in the second period -- the first on the power-play, the second short-handed -- as New York clawed its way back to lead 2-1 after 40 minutes that saw just 12 shots on the L.A. goal. That New York outburst silenced the sellout crowd of 18,713 at Staples Center. The Rangers were 11-1 when leading after two periods in the playoffs and had won 39 of 43 games in that scenario including the regular season. But L.A. refused to go quietly. The Kings have outscored their opponents 30-16 in the third period this post-season, including 3-0 in the Cup final. Fridays game was the 93rd game of the 2014 playoffs, surpassing the previous single-year record of 92 established in 1991. It was also the 63rd post-season game for the Kings dating to 2012, tying the NHL record for most games over a three-year span (Dallas, 1998-00; Detroit: 2007-09). It was the 25th post-season game for the Rangers, who finished 12th in the league at 45-31-6 and 96 points but still made it to their first final in 20 years by eliminating Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Montreal. Going into Friday, the Rangers were 5-0 when facing elimination. Lundqvist led the way in such games with a 1.00 goals-against average and .971 save percentage. The Rangers record in elimination matches is now 11-3 dating back to 2012. New York hadnt got a shot on target by the time the Kings went ahead at 6:04, with Williams scoring on a deft backhand as linemates Jarret Stoll and Dwight King poked away at Lundqvist after a shot from the point by Willie Mitchell. It took New York almost eight minutes to record a shot on goal. That followed a third period in Game 4 in which they only managed one shot. It took the Kings some 27 minutes to crack double digits in shots. New York, frustrated for stretches by the L.A. forecheck, was stuck at seven. The New York power play, 1-for-19 in the final up until then, finally clicked at 15:37 of the second period as Kreider tipped in a McDonagh feed from the faceoff circle to tie it at 1-1. McDonagh threaded the pass through three Kings to set up the goal, which came on the Rangers 11th shot of the night. McDonagh, who turned 25 on Friday, becomes the first player to record a point on his birthday in the Cup final since Jari Kurri did it in 1990 for the Oilers. Boyle then scored shorthanded to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 19:30. The big man deftly roofed the puck after a nice curl-and-drag past Doughty, with New Yorks Dominic Moore in the penalty box for hooking. The speedy Carl Hagelin triggered the play, beating defenceman Slava Voynov to the puck, as Boyle notched his third of the post-season. The Rangers third short-handed goal of the playoffs had Moore celebrating in the box. The Kings ranked 26th in the league in average goals per game during the regular season, averaging 2.42 a game. It helped that they led the league with just 2.05 goals against per game. They found their scoring touch in the playoffs, leading all teams with an average of 3.40 goals a game going into Friday. It was the 26th overtime game of the playoffs, tied for the third-highest total in one year (the record of 28 was set in 1993). Los Angeles is the 17th team in NHL history to win the Cup in overtime and the first to do so at home since the 1908 Islanders. Jerry Coleman Angels Jersey . -- Jesse Lussier scored 8:24 into overtime as the Halifax Mooseheads erased a four-goal deficit to beat the host Val-dOr Foreurs 6-5 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. Mike Trout Angels Jersey . A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press the Steelers will part ways with the former Pro Bowler, a move that hardly serves as a surprise after fifth-year linebacker Jason Worilds agreed to accept a "transition player" tag last week. https://www.cheapangels.com/673j-bert-blyleven-jersey-angels.html . A strong fastball. A big, bending curveball that can buckle hitters at the knees. Against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, Elias put the entire package together against one of the leagues strongest lineups. TORONTO -- It took until he stepped onto the ice at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton at the 1986 world junior championship for Joe Nieuwendyk to appreciate what it meant to wear a Team Canada jersey. "I didnt really understand the magnitude of what it meant until that moment: skating out there in front of 19-20,000 people, flags flying everywhere," Nieuwendyk said. "It was a special feeling." On Tuesday morning, he got to pass that feeling on to about a dozen teenage players chosen to model Hockey Canadas 2014 Olympic jerseys at the official unveiling at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Hockey Canada told them theyd be doing some promotional things, but the players didnt learn exactly why they were at the arena until just before the event. "Their mouths dropped, a little awestruck," Nieuwendyk said. "They didnt realize what they were here for. When they saw the jersey for the first time, it hit them like it hits any NHL guy thats going to don that jersey." For many hockey fans it wasnt the first glimpse of the red, white and alternate black jerseys that the mens, womens and sledge hockey teams will wear at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi. Pictures of the uniforms have leaked out over the last month. But that didnt damper the enthusiasm for the teenagers who stepped onto the ice amid club music and laser lights and skated around to show off the uniforms. "First to ever try on the Team Canada Olympic Jersey and unveil it to everyone. Speechless," Paul Coffeys son, Blake, wrote on Twitter afterward. "Honoured to get the opportunity to unveil the 2014 Team Canada Olympic Jersey Launch." Hockey Canadas reveal was another opportunity for fans to give their opinions about the jerseys. Some said it looked like Petro-Canadas logo, while others wanted to go back to the jerseys used when Canada won gold in Vancouver in 2010. "People talking about how they feel about a jersey thats close to their heart and represents their country is a great thing," Nike creative director Ken Black said. The red and white jerseys feature a Maple Leaf logo with a stripe across the chest, while the black jersey has "CANADA" written across it in white letters on a gold stripe. All three include 12 gold maple leaves inside the collar to commemorate the eight mens, three womens and one sledge hockey gold medal the country has won at the Olympics. Black said the jerseys were inspired by the 1920 team that won gold at the Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, with touches from the 1972 national team uniform. "The best resource that we have in our country are our players and our people," Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson said. "This really respects where it all started back in 1920." Back then there were fewer avenues for fans to express their feelings about jerseys. This time around criticism began in early September when a photo of Jonathan Toews wearing Canadas red jersey surfaced online. "Thats the great thing about the game of hockey: Everyones passionate," Nicholson said. Bobby Knoop Angels Jersey. "The key is the players will be proud to put it on, and know when the players are on the ice, whether its our womens team, our mens team or our sledge team, Canadian fans will support the jersey and the team." Montreals Caroline Ouellette, a forward on the womens team and a three-time Olympian, offered a very positive review. "I think theyre lighter and they seem very comfortable," she said. "I think every time change happens, theres some people that resist it. I know weve heard some negative comments on it so far, but for me the jersey becomes the memories we make with that jersey." International Olympic Committee regulations prohibit sports federations from putting their logo on uniforms. Canada is the only team that will have a third jersey in Sochi. Nicholson said he wasnt sure how many times it would be worn at the Olympics but mentioned it was added because fans and players like black. Of course, Nicholson said, Canadas "real colours" are red and white. Thats why those jerseys got praise from Nieuwendyk for their simplicity. "The most important thing is the Maple Leaf," he said. "You follow a little bit of Canadian hockey history, this follows some of the history and captures that. Its just such a clean look: red, white and a Maple Leaf." The process of getting to the final products was far from simple. Phil Pritchard from the Hockey Hall of Fame took some historic Team Canada jerseys to Nike, where designers got to see and feel what former players wore. The jerseys are 15 per cent lighter than anything previously worn by Team Canada. The uniform fabric contains material from recycled water bottles. "Even this design is much lighter than what we wore in Nagano or Salt Lake," Nieuwendyk said. "Its getting lighter. They look faster. But the athletes are getting bigger and faster too." Tuesdays event at the Mattamy Athletic Complex, located on the former site of Maple Leaf Gardens, didnt have much to do with the construction of the Olympic teams. But Nicholson said that "seeing the jersey is a key stepping point for all three teams." "We are launching a symbol that truly serves to unify our great nation," Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut said. "In Canada the concept of (a) jersey is an integral part of our DNA." The next step is for the teams to be named. "Theres a lot of work going on behind the scenes," Nicholson said. "(General manager) Steve Yzerman and his whole crew are out now every night watching NHL games to select the mens side." The provisional mens roster of 22 skaters and three goalies must be submitted to the International Ice Hockey Federation no later than Dec. 31. The womens team has until later in January to submit a roster to the Canadian Olympic Committee. The Games will be held Feb. 7-23, and the Paralympic Games are set for March 7-16. ' ' ' |
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