gave Miami

[vv1122365]

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma wants his high-powered team to get used to playing tight-checking playoff hockey before the post-season begins next month. St. Louis doesnt need the lure of the playoffs as an excuse to get stingy. The space-eating Blues have been doing it all year, and it showed in a taut 1-0 road win on Sunday. Frustrating the NHLs best power play during a pivotal two-man disadvantage at the start of the second period, the Blues continued their mastery of the Eastern Conference by beating the Penguins the way theyve beaten so many teams this season. The room to manoeuvr that Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin usually enjoy disappeared as St. Louis clogged passing lanes and dictated play defensively. David Backes deflected a slap shot by Alexander Steen past Marc-Andre Fleury midway through the third period for the games only goal and Brian Elliott stopped 33 shots to pick up his fourth shutout of the season as the Blues moved three points clear of Chicago in the race for the best record in the Western Conference. "When youre in a tight game like that against a good team, the guys kind of rose up to the challenge and I tried to make a couple saves and get the rebounds out of the zone and they did the rest," Elliott said. Fleury made 26 saves for the Penguins but watched Backes deflection carom off his glove and into the net just after a penalty against Malkin expired. "I just saw the guy raise his stick for the shot," Fleury said. "There were a bunch of people in front. I tried to cover some net but I didnt see it go in. St. Louis bounced back from a one-sided loss at Philadelphia on Saturday to improve the leagues best road record to 23-11-3. Pittsburghs top-ranked power play went 0-for-5 a day after scoring three times in a win over Tampa Bay. When Elliott wasnt getting a pad on the puck, his teammates were. The Blues blocked 25 shots, with the Penguins frustration growing at every turn as the Blues improved to 20-5-2 against the Eastern Conference, the best interconference record in the league. Pittsburgh had a 5-on-3 power play at the beginning of the second period for more than 90 seconds without being able to sneak something by Elliott. Most of the time the Penguins struggled generating a shot as the Blues effectively disrupted Pittsburghs rhythm. "We just kind of cleared lanes and I was able to see the ones they took," Elliott said. "Whenever guys are moving big guys out of the way, it just helps and you saw guys get in front of shots, block them and clear them down." Malkin was called for high-sticking 9:17 into the third and he was barely out of the box and back on the ice when Backes gave St. Louis the lead. The puck cycled to the point and Alexander Steen fired a slap shot that Backes found a way to nick as it sailed by. His 24th goal of the year proved more than enough. Elliott wobbled several times — including at least two saves where it appeared the puck was creeping to the goal line when the whistle blew — but didnt collapse. When the clock expired after one last clear up the zone, the game ended with the unusual sight of Malkin trying to mix it up with Alex Pietrangelo. Bylsma said coming into an important weekend he wanted his team to get used to playing tightly contested, low-scoring games. Pittsburgh survived one on Saturday, rallying for a 4-3 overtime win against the streaking Lightning that featured 40 minutes of clamp-down hockey and 22 minutes of frantic play. The Blues, who have positioned themselves into contenders in the West by sealing off the net, would not be lulled into the kind of end-to-end stretches that allow the Penguins to run free. "We still want to do a better job in these games and win them," Crosby said. "We have done a pretty good job of being patient when weve been in these kinds of games." At times, Bylsma wonders if his club was too patient, particularly in the first period. "The first 20 minutes we backed them off with speed," he said. "We had some opportunities and needed to have more of a drive and shoot mentality." NOTES: The Penguins played with seven defencemen instead of six, a move Bylsma said was needed in a game where he knew open ice would be at a premium. ... St. Louis plays in Toronto on Tuesday while the Penguins host Phoenix on Tuesday. Authentic Seth Curry Jersey . Wheeler scored at 4:58 of overtime, with Scheifele getting an assist, and the Jets beat the slumping Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday night. Authentic Clyde Drexler Jersey . On the day the club activated Casey Janssen from the 15-day disabled list, his return from a strained oblique that cost him the first six weeks of the regular season, it announced Sergio Santos would be placed on the disabled list on Monday with discomfort in his right forearm. http://www.cheapblazersjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-terry-porter-jersey . Under the deal, the Vikings will donate an undisclosed sum of money to five gay rights-related charities over the next five years. Kluwe said he wont receive any money as part of the settlement. "This will help a lot of people that really do need that help," Kluwe said. Authentic Moe Harkless Jersey . Some teams got significantly better, some teams divested themselves of talent and some teams had quiet afternoons, keeping the status quo. Authentic Georgios Papagiannis Jersey . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left.TORONTO - Shortly after Dwane Casey wrapped up a two and a half hour practice on the first day of training camp, nearly the longest session hes ever held as a coach at any level, he made reference to the new, bright green band on his right wrist. Indirectly, Casey was asked about the play that put an end to his teams magical run five months earlier. We can replay that [possession] 50-million times, he said. And we have, I have. With seconds left in a series-deciding Game 7, Toronto down by one point, Kyle Lowry - the teams undisputed heart and soul - split a couple defenders and hoisted up a floater that was ultimately sent back by Paul Pierce. It was a broken possession that weighed heavily on the minds of Casey and his players throughout what probably felt like a long summer. On Monday, Terrence Ross told the assembled media that he felt responsible having been in the wrong spot, which may have permitted the Nets to converge on the driving Lowry. Yes, its good that he recognizes and notices it, Casey said of Ross admission of guilt, but weve got to continue to look forward. Casey had little interest in harping on or even speaking of the past, that was left at the door when camp opened at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday morning. Instead, he just pointed to his wrist. Printed in capital letters on the band was a question. WHATS NEXT? Casey has been a regular guest of Pete Carrolls at Seattle Seahawks training camp over the past few summers. The wristband is a souvenir from his latest visit to the Super Bowl Champions facility, which is conveniently located near his offseason home. Did Carroll conduct camp any differently this summer, in the aftermath of his teams recent accomplishments? Not according to Casey. It was business as usual for the Hawks and Carrolls message was one that resonated with the Raptors head coach. Whats next? For most Raptors fans, last season was a resounding, albeit unexpected success. The team had overcome adversity, shrugging off an early-season trade while silencing rumours and tank talk en route to a franchise record in wins and their first playoff appearance in six years. With the bar set so low in a city that has long been starving for a winner, some were satisfied. Not the case for those inside the organization, last seasons abrupt ending had left a sour taste in their mouths. They wanted more. They expected more. Me and a few guys [on the team] we talked the whole second round in the playoffs because we felt we should have been there, said veteran forward Chuck Hayes. Having missed the playoffs in each of his first four years in the league, DeMar DeRozan used to watch the entire postseason, applying it as motivation to get there the following campaign. This year, after the Raptors were eliminated, he barely watched a minute.dddddddddddd I didnt, not at all, said the Raptors all-star and leading scorer. I probably watched the first game [of the Nets-Heat series] and I couldnt even watch anymore, honestly, because I knew we couldve been there. And it sucks. Im [back home] in LA and [the Nets are] in Miami playing against a team we shouldve been playing against. It was tough, he continued. That whole [thing], I couldnt wait for them to lose, honestly, just to feel better about myself. I feel like we coulda gave Miami a better run for their money. And you know, whatever, you have all them questions in your head, and just to know youre not there. Im sitting at home, it definitely was frustrating. Casey met with Ross the day after Game 7. It was the first and last time they went over the final possession. That was also the only time the sophomore guard watched the play. Its almost too hard to watch. How often does he think about it? Everyday. No one is forgetting about that moment anytime soon - Casey doesnt expect them to - but, as training camp begins, theyre learning to put it behind them and channel theyre disappointment in the right direction. I think about it all the time, because were going to need that to feed off of and understand how bad that hurt, DeRozan admitted. That feeling of losing Game 7 and coming so close, losing by one point. We gotta carry that starting [at] training camp, have that hunger and that edge to do the same thing all over again this year. Im over it right now, Lowry echoed. Ive done enough dwelling on it and looking back on it. Were on a new season right now, whatever happens, as soon as the ball goes up in pre-season, that should be over. Tuesday marked the first step in moving on as the team returned to practice, where Casey kept them hard at work for nearly three hours. Despite the familiar roster - with only a few minor tweaks made over the offseason - and the success they had together last year, Casey insisted on starting from the basics, as he does at this time every year. You want to skip a few letters of the alphabet but what were doing is starting from scratch like we normally do, building from there, he said, commending their effort and intensity on day one. Well build a little bit quicker from that standpoint but we dont want to skip any letters, even for the older guys to get that muscle memory back of being where theyre supposed to be and that type of thing. For him, like the Super Bowl champs, its not about where they came from or what theyve done. When the campaign begins in just less than a month theyll be 0-0, just like 29 other NBA teams. The season starts over and so does the process. Whats next? Authentic Nike Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Tennessee Titans Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Washington Redskins Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Arizona Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Denver Broncos Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Green Bay Packers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike New England Patriots Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Oakland Raiders Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Seattle Seahawks Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Carolina Panthers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Cleveland Browns Jerseys Cheap Cheap Throwback Baseball Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Atlanta Braves Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Baltimore Orioles Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Boston Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Chicago Cubs Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Chicago White Sox Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Cincinnati Reds Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Cleveland Indians Jerseys ' ' '