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Doczy: 01 Cze 2018 Posty: 436
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TORONTO — The Florida Panthers will be trying to keep their playoff drive alive Wednesday night while the Toronto Maple Leafs will make another attempt to set a franchise record for wins in a season.
The Panthers (39-28-7) defeated the New York Islanders 3-0 Monday night as they pursue the New Jersey Devils for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“I really haven’t been paying much attention to what’s going on with the Devils and those other teams Cordrea Tankersley Jersey , but obviously we know it’s tight and you can’t afford to lose at this point,” said Panthers center Nick Bjugstad, who scored a goal Monday. “There’s not much breathing room here at the end of the year. We’ve got a tough schedule coming up here, a lot of games, but it’s going to be a fun challenge.”
The Maple Leafs (45-24-7) are secure in their playoff spot but will be trying for a franchise-record in wins for a season with 46. That goal was thwarted by a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Monday night in which they had a 41-27 advantage in shots on goal. The loss also stopped a franchise-record 13-game home winning streak and prevented the Maple Leafs from winning their 27th home game of the season, which also would be a team record.
“I think we got a nice warning against Detroit (a 4-3 win over the Red Wings Saturday) that no matter if the teams are playing for the first draft pick or whatever or they’re playing for the playoffs, they’re going to bring it every night,” Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen said. “I think we came prepared, I think we played well tonight — we could have hit the net a little bit more maybe, but I think we had a lot of good opportunities. Those nights are going to happen, and I think we played a good game overall.”
A former Maple Leafs goaltender Tommylee Lewis Jersey , James Reimer, has played a big part in the Panthers attempt at a playoff spot.
Reimer made 32 saves for his fifth consecutive win Monday. The backup to Roberto Luongo earned his fourth shutout of the season. He is 7-1-0 since returning from injury Feb. 12.
“I just tried to be big in there and try to read the puck as best as I could and be on it,” Reimer said. “And then rely on your D-men to clear any garbage, and they did a great job.”
“Reims has answered the bell every time,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “This is the part of the season you need guys stepping up and he’s been one of our guys that’s stepped up for us. His preparation is real good and you can see he was focused right from the drop of the puck tonight, made some big saves.”
Monday night, the Panthers signed their first-round draft pick from 2016, center Henrik Borgstrom to a three-year entry-level contract. He could join the team as soon as Wednesday.
Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said there are things his team can improve on from their performance on Monday.
“Obviously, I thought our turnovers in our own zone in the first period; I thought we were a little bit loose,” he said. “We’ve got to hit the net, we had so many opportunities in the offensive zone and we failed to hit the net. We missed the net Kalen Ballage Jersey , just looking right here, it says 26 times we missed the net. So, I mean, that would be part of it too. In the end, we had every opportunity to win, we were a little too loose and we didn’t win. Let’s get back to work.
“I thought we had lots of good things, but then we got carried away with it and gave up some chances. Now, the puck has got to stay out too. The bottom line is we did lots of good things, we didn’t win the game. I still think we can be better without it at times. I thought we turned it over a bit too much — too cute — and in the end you go home disappointed.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — If given their choice and presented with an opportunity to be honest, the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings probably would both admit they would rather not even play their regular-season finale.
But they don’t have a choice Jeremy Kerley Jersey , and no such admission is coming.
So, the Rockets and Kings will suit up and insist they won’t just go through the motions when they play Wednesday at the Golden 1 Center.
“People pay for their tickets,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni told the Houston Chronicle last week.
The folks in Houston are getting a better bang for their buck than the Sacramento fans.
The Rockets (65-16) long ago wrapped up the NBA’s best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The only mystery for them is which team they will play, and the path that might await them.
Houston may not find out its opponent until after its contest with the Kings.
Minnesota and Denver entered Tuesday’s action tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and they both were one game behind San Antonio, Oklahoma City and New Orleans. All of those teams play their finale on Wednesday.
“The ultimate goal is holding that trophy up,” Houston guard James Harden told the Houston Chronicle. “So, until we do that, there’s no celebrations. We haven’t done anything yet.”
Harden enters the finale averaging 30.4 points, more than two per game better than runner-up Anthony Davis of New Orleans, and he could win his first scoring title. He also needs nine points to reach 2 Laquon Treadwell Jersey ,200 points for the fourth straight season.
Houston’s bigger concern is injuries.
Forward Luc Mbah a Moute, who averages 26 minutes per game, suffered a dislocated right shoulder in Houston’s 105-99 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. The Rockets already were without forward Ryan Anderson (ankle).
Houston’s 105-99 win over the Lakers prevented the Rockets from having their first two-game losing streak since January. The Rockets have gone 38-5 since that skid.
Summer vacation starts early for the 12th straight year in Sacramento.
The Kings (26-55) will wind up with their lowest win total over a full campaign since a 24-58 finish in 2010-11. But they haven’t stopped playing hard, as evidenced by a 98-85 loss in San Antonio on Monday.
“We fought, we scrapped,” coach Dave Joerger told the Sacramento Bee. “We were not out there just soaking up minutes.”
The Kings’ season has been in keeping with what Sacramento said it would offer. General manager Vlade Divac made it clear before the season even started that the Kings were starting anew and playing for the future.
The season will be known for the development of guards Buddy Hield (13.5 points per game in his first full season since being acquired for DeMarcus Cousins); top draft pick De’Aaron Fox (11.6 points per game and a team-best 4.4 assists) and European transplant Bogdan Bogdanovic (11.8 points per game, including 12.4 per game since the All-Star break).
It also will be remembered for the surreal nature of their last long homestand, during which protests against a police shooting of a Sacramento man was the backdrop to four losses in six games.
The Kings’ 13 home victories overall are the second fewest in basketball, behind only the Phoenix Suns (10). The Kings opened their home campaign and season with a 105-100 loss to the Rockets. They will close out the season against the same team they opened it against for the first time since winning the opener and finale against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011-12.
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