Forum » ree straight games for Pittsburgh with an u

TORONTO -- It was nothing new to see these Toronto Maple Leafs beaten. Custom Buffalo Bills Jerseys . A 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings was their eighth straight in regulation. But Saturday night in the home locker room at Air Canada Centre, the Leafs looked defeated for the first time during this losing streak or this once-hopeful season that has quickly gone off the rails. "I cant describe it right now," winger Joffrey Lupul said. "This was as close to a do-or-die as you can get. But obviously were not going to throw out hope until its mathematically set in stone. But we pretty much had to have this game." Seven losses piled up and yet the Leafs still sounded like a team that had hope. Giving up huge leads in the standings to the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals to fall into a four-way tie at 80 points was one thing. Squandering the most important game of this stretch so far to a fellow Eastern Conference wild-card competitor felt like the breaking point. "This loss is the most disappointing out of the eight. Theres no hiding that," captain Dion Phaneuf said. "We come tonight against a team that was battling for that same spot and they win this hockey game. This is the toughest loss for sure." Detroit (34-26-14) got a hat trick from Darren Helm and another from the NHLs hottest goal-scorer, Gustav Nyquist, to reach 82 points. "It was the first hat trick I ever had, which is pretty special," Helm said. "Big game to win, too. I was happy to win the game, first off, but the hat trick is a nice thing to take home." The Red Wings werent the only ones in the race to win Saturday night, as the Blue Jackets beat the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime to take over the top wild-card spot in the East at 82 points. Columbus leads Detroit because they have more regulation and overtime wins (33 to 29). With just six games remaining -- two less than each of the three teams theyre competing with for two spots -- the Leafs are fourth among those teams and know the difficult task in front of them. "Weve got to win the rest of our games and get help now, I think," said Lupul, who scored the Leafs second goal of the night late in the second period to give some life that evaporated in the third. "All we can control right now is winning the rest of our games, and were going to have to have every one, probably." Phaneuf didnt want to consider that daunting task. The defenceman whose miscues cost the Leafs in previous defeats didnt want to think too far ahead but also called this a "very trying" time for a group that was in second place in the Atlantic Division as recently as Mar. 16. This was the first time in franchise history that Toronto (36-32-8) went eight straight games without a point since 1996 and the first time it lost eight consecutive in regulation since 1985. "Its not like were playing bad hockey, its just one of those things where every mistake that we do make ends up (in our net)," said defenceman Cody Franson, who opened the scoring 10:57 into the first period. "Its the end of the season, everybodys clamping down and your little mistakes end up costing you. Plain and simple." Mistakes like a turnover by Phil Kessel on the power play early in the second that led to Helms first, a short-handed goal. Or like the puck taking a bad hop off Franson and right to Helm for his third. "It just isnt meant to be for us right now, and this is the tough ones," coach Randy Carlyle said. Asked what he figured the difference was in the loss, his third straight since returning from a groin injury, goaltender Jonathan Bernier (24 saves on 28 shots) said: "Odd-man rushes." Lupul agreed. "We gave up odd-man situations repeatedly for whatever reason," he said. "Its tough to say from the bench, thats something you notice when you watch the game again. But the try is there, just we didnt get the job done and we have to pay for that now." The Leafs have been paying since they last won a game, Mar. 13 at the Los Angeles Kings. Most importantly they havent been picking up valuable points with the games whittling down to the end of the regular season. On the other hand, Detroit has picked up 11 points and gone on an impressive run without star forward Pavel Datsyuk and captain Henrik Zetterberg. The injuries have piled up, but the Red Wings have gotten 21 goals in 26 games from Nyquist and continued solid performances from goalie Jimmy Howard (25 saves) to remain in the playoff race. "Weve been devastated this year, no question about it, but we found all these kids and were better for it going ahead, so thats a positive thing," coach Mike Babcock said. "Weve had a lot of fun doing it. Weve been in the grinder since day one, theres no question about it, but weve had a lot of fun doing it and weve got a big game against Tampa tomorrow." Every game down the stretch is big for the Leafs now. They return to Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night to face the Calgary Flames before hosting the Atlantic Division-champion Boston Bruins on Thursday and the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. They finish the season with three on the road: at the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. But unless they manage to string together a home winning streak, those games will be too late. The task in front of them is to prevent doing even once more what theyve done eight consecutive times. As the Leafs seemed to realize Saturday night, they can no longer afford to lose. "Weve won six in a row in the season," Bernier said. "Obviously its hard to snap the long losing streak like that, but weve got to find a way. If not, then well be home very soon." NOTE -- Winger Phil Kessel took a pass from James van Riemsdyk off his right foot in the first period and laboured to the bench in pain. Kessel was seen limping after the game, but Carlyle did not have any information on his condition. ... Bernier started on back-to-back days for the first time this season and just the second time in his NHL career. The only previous time was March 5, 2013 with the Los Angeles Kings, when Bernier was pulled after giving up three goals on eight shots. ... Defenceman Paul Ranger and enforcer Colton Orr were scratched for the Leafs, who recalled forward Jerry DAmigo earlier in the day from the AHLs Toronto Marlies. ... The Red Wings were playing their 14th straight game without Datsyuk (knee) and 16th straight without Zetterberg (back). Theyve played 35 total without Datsyuk and 29 without Zetterberg. ... The game was broadcast live on CCTV in China. Vontae Davis Bills Jersey . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. Tremaine Edmunds Bills Jersey .com) - A pair of Eastern Conference rivals will meet on Saturday as D. http://www.billsnflgears.com/Black-Taron-Johnson-Bills-Jersey.html?cat=989 . LOUIS - The St.The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to grab their first lead of the second round on Monday when the series shifts to New York City for Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. This best-of-seven set is tied at one game apiece. The Rangers opened the series with Fridays 3-2 overtime win in Pittsburgh, but the Penguins rebounded with a 3-0 victory Sunday in the Steel City. New York went 20-17-4 at Madison Square Garden during the regular season and posted a 2-1 record on home ice against Philadelphia in the opening round. The Rangers, of course, eliminated the Flyers with a 2-1 Game 7 victory at MSG on Wednesday. Pittsburgh and the Rangers split a pair of meeting in New York this season, but the Pens have claimed five of the last seven regular-season encounters in the Big Apple. Marc-Andre Fleury anchored Sundays home win over the Rangers, making 22 saves to set a franchise record with his seventh career playoff shutout. Pittsburghs frequently criticized netminder also picked up his 50th career postseason win, becoming the 17th goalie in league history to reach the milestone. "He was very good tonight," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said of Fleury. "The calmness and how he made the saves ... It made it feel like it wasnt as many (chances). But the puck was in the crease a little bit and he played it really well. He deserved the shutout tonight." Kris Letang was credited with a goal and collected assists on third-period goals by Jussi Jokinen and Evgeni Malkin. Letangs goal was the 15th of his postseason career, tying Larry Murphy for the most by a defenseman in franchise history. Pittsburgh won despite giving the Rangers three power-play opportunities in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Pens killed off the three early penalties and New York finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play.. Josh Allen Jersey. . "Maybe the penalty killers set the tone for us," said Bylsma. "Maybe it was them stepping over the boards in those situations. You are not happy about having to kill three in a row but they do a great job for us and I thought, to a man, our players were extremely good tonight." Sidney Crosby is still without a goal in eight playoff games this spring, but the Penguins star captain did register six shots on net in Game 2. Crosby, who has 40 career postseason goals, has gone 13 straight games in the playoffs without scoring. He has six assists in this postseason. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 32 shots for New York, which has now failed to score on 29 straight opportunities with the power play. The Blueshirts are just 3- for-37 with the man advantage in this postseason. "Power play had some looks," Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault said. "Could have given us momentum, we didnt finish. Power play ultimately is my responsibility, and Ive got to find the right trigger points here to make it work and spend the night trying to figure it out." New York is aiming for its first playoff series win against Pittsburgh, which has won all four previous postseason meetings. The Pens boast a 17-5 all-time record against the Rangers in the playoffs and a 7-2 mark at the Garden. Overall, the Rangers have won seven of nine and 12 of their last 17 home playoff games. Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik has missed three straight games for Pittsburgh with an undisclosed injury and expects to sit out again on Monday. Orpik has been sidelined since missing Game 6 against Columbus in the opening round and Robert Bortuzzo has filled in for him. The Rangers will also host Game 4 of this set on Wednesday before the series heads back to Pittsburgh for Fridays Game 5. Cheap Nike Celtics Jerseys Cheap Nike Nets Jerseys Cheap New York Knicks Jerseys Cheap Philadelphia 76ers Jerseys China Raptors Jerseys Wholesale Chicago Bulls Jerseys Wholesale Cleveland Cavaliers Jerseys China Pistons Jerseys Wholesale Indiana Pacers Jerseys Cheap Milwaukee Bucks Jerseys Atlanta Hawks Jerseys Online Cheap Nike Hornets Jerseys China Heat Jerseys Cheap Nike Magic Jerseys China Wizards Jerseys Cheap Nike Nuggets Jerseys China Timberwolves Jerseys China Thunder Jerseys China Blazers Jerseys Cheap Utah Jazz Jerseys China Warriors Jerseys Cheap Nike Clippers Jerseys Discount Lakers Jerseys Phoenix Suns Jerseys Online Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys Dallas Mavericks Jerseys Online Wholesale Houston Rockets Jerseys Wholesale Memphis Grizzlies Jerseys New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys Online Discount Spurs Jerseys ' ' '