BOSTON ¡ª Toronto coach Mike Babcock thinks his Maple Leafs should cherish the
chance to play in Wednesday night¡¯s Game 7 of their first-round series with the
Boston Bruins.
¡°You¡¯re a kid playing outside road hockey Saquon
Barkley Game Jersey , it¡¯s the seventh game and you¡¯re scoring a
winning goal in overtime,¡± Babcock said after his Leafs won their second
straight and evened the series with a 3-1 victory in Toronto on Monday
night.
¡°That¡¯s just the way it was your whole life,¡± he continued. ¡°No one else in
hockey is playing right now, they¡¯re all stopped and watching and that¡¯s always
some, but I think just the opportunity, you get to go on. I think there¡¯s
obviously a lot on the line that way and we¡¯d like to play in the next round,
Boston wants to play in the next round, something¡¯s got to give. We¡¯re excited
for the opportunity and enjoy the rest of today. Get ready tomorrow.
¡°¡Let¡¯s embrace it.¡±
The Boston Red Sox dedicated the 2013 season to being ¡°Boston Strong.¡±
Tuesday, Toronto joined the long list of cities attacked in some way when a van
jumped a curb and mowed people down. The Leafs paid the proper tribute to the
victims before the game, and then rode Frederick Andersen to the win.
Does it carry over in Game 7?
The winner faces the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference
semifinals, the Bruins surrendering the top spot in the conference with a shaky
finish to the regular season.
Also in 2013 Sean Lee
Jersey , the Maple Leafs, who haven¡¯t won a playoff series since
2004, led the Bruins 4-1 late in Game 7 and wound up losing in overtime. Tuukka
Rask gave up four goals on 28 shots and was not brilliant in that game and his
record in elimination games is 5-11, 1-2 in Game 7s.
Tim Thomas won three seventh games and led the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley
Cup. Rask lost to Philadelphia in 2010 and to Washington in 2012.
He was poor in Game 5 and guaranteed he¡¯d be better in Game 6. He was,
keeping his team in the game in the third period.
His teammates were not as good. The top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad
Marchand and David Pastrnak, on fire with 20 combined points in the two wins
that started the series, have been scoreless in the last two games (plus Game 3)
¡ª Bergeron was out of Game 5 with an upper-body injury and being ineffective in
Monday night¡¯s game.
The trio has no points and is a combined minus-16 in the Bruins¡¯ three series
losses.
¡°It¡¯s always how it should be. When you¡¯ve lived it, you want to share that
experience,¡± Bergeron said of playing in another Game 7 (he scored the tying and
winning goals in the 2013 comeback). ¡°We have some amazing young players in this
locker room and I know they¡¯re going to step up. That¡¯s the approach that we
have.
¡°Everyone just needs to go out there and play and step up their game up and
rely on everybody else to do the same. Do your job, I guess Andy Dalton
Jersey , is kind of the cliche, but that¡¯s how you have to approach
(a Game 7).¡±
Andersen, 10-1-0 lifetime against the Bruins coming into these playoffs,
shook off a shaky start in the series and has been great since.
The Bruins are trying to win their first playoff series since 2014.
Seen Steven Stamkos? Is he healthy?
The Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Tampa Bay Lightning sure hope so after
Stamkos missed four of the last seven regular-season games with a nagging
lower-body injury.
After a torn meniscus in his right knee cost Stamkos several months and
likely Tampa Bay a playoff spot last season, his status bears watching more than
any other injured player going into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Stamkos was a full participant in practice Monday and said it¡¯s ¡±the hope¡± to
be ready for Game 1 Thursday when the Lightning host the New Jersey Devils.
¡±Definitely a step in the right direction,¡± Stamkos told reporters in Tampa.
¡±Felt pretty good all things considered.¡±
That¡¯s a good sign for the Lightning, who got 100 points from Nikita Kucherov
but count on Stamkos to be their top-line center and a big-time scorer on the
power play.
Tampa Bay¡¯s opponent is hoping to get Marcus Johansson back after he missed
New Jersey¡¯s final 35 games with a concussion. Johansson has been cleared for
contact, but not yet to play and said over the weekend he¡¯s feeling better.
In the West, the already-deep top-seeded Nashville Predators are on the verge
of getting forward Calle Jarnkrok back after he missed almost the final month of
the regular season with an upper-body injury. Jarnkrok had 16 goals and 19
assists for 35 points in 68 games with Nashville, which opens against
Colorado.
¡±I think he¡¯s getting real close,¡± general manager David Poile said. ¡±We get
into this time of the year Nick
Chubb Browns Jersey , so I guess you¡¯d have to say he¡¯s day to
day.¡±
Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz called forwards T.J. Oshie (lower body)
and Jay Beagle (upper body) day to day, too. Oshie practiced Tuesday, while
Beagle skated afterward with a more questionable status.
¡±I feel good,¡± Oshie said. ¡±I feel right now I¡¯m playing my best hockey.
Obviously, I¡¯ve rested a couple of games. But I feel like I¡¯ve had the most
energy and the most clarity out there then I did for a while there. Right there
I feel at my best.¡±
In the first round, they¡¯ll have to deal with Columbus captain Nick Foligno,
who¡¯s ready to rejoin the Blue Jackets lineup after missing time with a
lower-body injury.
A few high-profile defensemen weren¡¯t as fortunate, and their injuries could
prove costly. Boston lost Brandon Carlo and Minnesota lost Ryan Suter to broken
ankles, and Winnipeg won¡¯t have Dmitry Kulikov with a back injury. Winnipeg
faces Minnesota in the first round.
It¡¯s the second consecutive playoffs Carlo missed after he was concussed by
Alex Ovechkin a year ago.
¡±It¡¯s the one thing he¡¯s been looking forward to,¡± Krug said of Carlo.
¡±Obviously he went through it last year missing the time and this year he was
excited for it. You feel awful. It¡¯s a tough break.¡±
Coach Bruce Cassidy said: ¡±It (stinks), honestly Roquan Smith
Jersey , for a guy that¡¯s played almost every regular-season game.
¡ It¡¯s disappointing for me. He¡¯s a well-liked guy on this team and done a lot,
so that¡¯s disheartening.¡±
The Bruins are optimistic injured forwards Rick Nash, Riley Nash and Sean
Kuraly will be ready for Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
¡±They¡¯re all working that way,¡± Boston GM Don Sweeney said. ¡±Hopefully
they¡¯ll all be available.¡±
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AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed.
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