NEW YORK -- Accustomed to clawing back from deficits, the comeback Los Angeles Kings now must figure out how to play with a series lead.
Authentic Ed Davis Jersey . Despite not leading for a single second in this Stanley Cup final, Los Angeles has a two
games to none lead on the New York Rangers. Thats not something players are
proud of, but somehow it has worked. You can listen to Game 3 on TSN Radio at
8pm et/5pm pt and watch the post-game news conferences on TSN.ca and TSN GO. "We
find ourselves in the same situation reguritating the same mumbo jumbo every
time," winger Justin Williams said. "Were in a results-oriented league, and the
results are were up 2-0. I dont care how we got here." The Kings have gotten to
Monday nights Game 3 by winning four times in these playoffs after falling
behind by at least two goals. One more would tie the record set by the 1987
Philadelphia Flyers. Adept, if not comfortable, at coming from behind, the
bigger question for the Kings is how theyll handle what on paper is a
comfortable lead over the Rangers through two games but based on the play is far
from it. They already saw their 2-0 series lead over the Anaheim Ducks in the
Pacific Division turn into a 3-2 deficit, and theyre hopeful that history wont
repeat itself. "Momentum is a big part of playoff hockey and once a team has it,
its important to try to switch the tide in your favour as quick as possible,"
forward Dwight King said. "The longer you let that go, like in the Anaheim
series, they get a little more confident and feeling good about their game. When
youre playing a team thats got that going for them, its a little tougher to
defend." The Rangers sound like a confident group because theyve gone stride for
stride with the seasoned Kings and could believe theyre a couple of bounces away
from being up 2-0. Coach Alain Vigneault has been satisfied with his teams play
save for one period, and his players are attempting to focus more on the
positives on the ice than the deficit in the series. "I think we played two good
games over there," forward Mats Zuccarello said after landing in White Plains,
N.Y. "I think we played the best hockey." Maybe the Kings havent played their
best hockey, and certainly they havent at the start of games. Theyre the first
team in NHL history to win three straight playoff games after trailing by two
goals, having also done it in Game 7 of the Western Conference final against the
Chicago Blackhawks. Williams said he can tell a lot about teammates from
studying their faces in trying times. "You can read a lot (about) what someones
thinking by just looking at their face," he said. "Between the second and third
(Saturday) night I looked around and I didnt see anyone scared. I saw a prepared
team that knew what they had to do." Thats thanks in large part to being here
before. From Williams to captain Dustin Brown, defenceman Drew Doughty, centre
Anze Kopitar and goaltender Jonathan Quick down the roster, this core group has
experience going deep in the playoffs. The Kings also now have a resume full of
multi-goal comebacks, which hasnt necessarily made digging out of holes easier
but provided perhaps some muscle memory when playing from behind. "I feel
together as a team weve been through almost all of them you can imagine, and
weve pulled through," Williams said. "So when were down, do we feel comfortable?
No, we dont feel comfortable. But we feel like were able to come back. And
belief is a very underrated attribute, and we have that going on within our team
right now." Experience from the 2012 Cup run could serve Los Angeles well right
about now. That Kings team went up at least two games to none in every series on
the way to the franchises first championship. In these playoffs, they havent
been as much of a buzz saw. They fell behind 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the
first round before pulling off the improbable series comeback and needed seven
games against the Ducks and Blackhawks, too. What the Kings havent had in the
same vein as their 2012 domination theyve made up for with resilience. Coach
Darryl Sutter sees experience as the root of that. "Weve played a lot of hockey
in May and June over the past three seasons," Sutter said. "For us, youre never
not of the belief that you cant come back or youre not going to win." The
Rangers, who came back from being down 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the
Metropolitan Division final, share that same belief. Vigneault was short and to
the point on what he thought New York needed to do to get back into this series:
win Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. "We need to hold serve," Vigneault said in
White Plains. "Were back in our building. Weve played some good hockey. We might
feel that we deserve a better outcome than what we have right now, which is
trailing by two games. But it doesnt matter. At the end of the day we got to
take care of business tomorrow, and thats what were going to do." If anyone
understands the mental approach of coming back, its the Kings, who havent led
for over 228 straight minutes dating back to the conference final. And while the
Kings are quick to point to results, they cant believe theyve broken the Rangers
spirit already. "We should know that more than anybody, that its tough to put a
team down," Williams said. "Especially when youre playing for the Stanley Cup,
its going to be hard to put a team down. But we need to try to step a little bit
more on the throat tomorrow." Stepping on the Rangers throat might as well be
code for dont fall behind by two goals again. Marian Gaborik, whom the Rangers
traded at the 2013 deadline, knows more than anyone on the Kings just how the
Garden can sound and feel if things get hairy for the visiting team. "To look
around the building itself, it has some sort of energy that you want to be in
there and just play," Gaborik said. Sutter, who has been coming to the Garden
for 30 years, knows it looks different now following renovations but that the
fans still have the same moxie. "They love their team and they hate the other
team," he said. "Thats what you like. You like going into buildings that are
like that. Theyre loud, they say they hate you, all those things, its good."
Plenty of hatred has already built up between the Kings and Rangers already
after two physically gruelling games. Fatigue could be a factor as well, as the
teams flew back from Southern California on Sunday and did not take the ice for
practice. But the Kings are used to this. They made similar trips against the
New Jersey Devils in the final two years ago before ultimately lifting the Cup
back home in Game 6. Theyre two victories away from doing it again. And while
this group is similar to the 2012 one, Williams said he gets a similar feel to
the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes Cup-champion team he was on about never being out
of games. That kind of belief can go a long way, no matter the score in a game
or the situation in a series. "Now we feel that anythings possible out there,"
Williams said. "You get down two goals, it doesnt matter. You get down three, I
dont care. Were going to keep pushing, and the term 60 minutes-plus certainly
applies to anyone who wants to beat us." NOTES -- Sutter did not provide an
update on Jeff Carter, who left Game 2 briefly after taking a hip check from
Ryan McDonagh but finished with 24:01 of ice time. The Kings coach said he
wouldnt talk about injuries because he didnt have to. ... Vigneault similarly
had nothing new to say about Rangers backup goalie Cam Talbot, who has been
unavailable in the Cup final with an undisclosed injury.
Chris Kaman Jersey .Y. -- Cory Schneider has to make the most of his opportunities to guard the New Jersey Devils net to earn
more playing time.
Authentic Terry Porter Jersey . Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse will reunite at this weekends season-opening
World Cup at Canada Olympic Park as they begin their buildup to the Winter Games
in Sochi.MILWAUKEE -- Jonathan Lucroy has been frustrated, struggling at the
plate the past month despite being named to his first All-Star team. That all
changed Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds. Lucroy homered leading off
the bottom of the ninth to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 victory over the
Reds. "To be honest with you, the last couple of weeks have been kind of tough
for making solid contact, but Im glad to help the team out, contribute and get
it done tonight," said Lucroy, who was batting just .200 (21 for 105) in his
last 25 games. It was Lucroys second homer of the game and 11th of the season.
It was his second career walkoff homer and both were against the Reds. His first
was last season off closer Aroldis Chapman and this one was off Sam LeCure. The
Brewers had lost five consecutive series before beating the Reds in the first
two games of this series. Lucroys average had dipped from .341 on June 18 to
.308 entering Tuesday nights game. "Hes frustrated because he thinks hes
squaring up some balls," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "Its not like he
wasnt locked in, but today obviously he was." Francisco Rodriguez (4-3) pitched
the ninth to earn the victory. Cincinnati, which is 0-5 since the All-Star
break, brought in LeCure (1-2) to pitch the ninth. His outing lasted just three
pitches as Lucroy hit a 1-1 offering for a line drive homer inside the left
field foul pole. His first homer of the game was on a 3-2 pitch from starter
Homer Bailey in the sixth. The Reds came out of the All-Star break just 1 1/2
games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central but have quickly fallen 4 1/2 games
back. "We just havent executed," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "We havent
swung the bats well. We havent gotten a quality start. "And we havent played
particularly good defence, weve missed some signs and just havent played
terribly well," he said. Milwaukee scored all its runs on solo home runs.
Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in the first inninng on
the one-year anniversary of the start of Brauns 65-game suspension for violating
Major League Baseballs drug policies.
Al-Farouq Aminu Blazers Jersey. "Im glad Im not facing them so its nice to have them on our side," Milwaukee starter
Jimmy Nelson said of having Braun, Ramirez and Lucroy in the lineup. Braun hit
his 13th homer and Ramirez followed with his 12th homer, and first since June
26. Cincinnati made it 2-1 in the fourth on Jay Bruces RBI double that scored
Billy Hamilton from third. Lucroys first homer extended Milwaukees lead to 3-1.
Cincinnati tied it 3-3 in the seventh. Nelson hit Ramon Santiago on the foot
with a pitch with the bases loaded and pinch-hitter Chris Heisey hit a sacrifice
fly off reliever Brandon Kintzler. Billy Hamilton then hit a soft fly ball but
Zack Cozart was doubled off second base to end the inning. Kintzler, Zach Duke
and Rodriguez pitched three hitless innings of relief for Milwaukee. "Kintzler
did a great job, coming in with the bases loaded and no outs," Nelson said. The
Reds managed only five hits and Milwaukee had six. Nelson allowed three runs,
four hits and a walk and hit three batters while striking out five in his fourth
major league start. "He was down in the zone and his slider was good," Roenicke
said. Bailey allowed three runs, four hits and two walks while striking out
three in his first start since leaving a game against the Chicago Cubs on July
10 due to right knee soreness. NOTES: Brewers 2B Scooter Gennett left the game
in the fifth inning due to tightness in his right quad. Roenicke said he was
day-to-day. ... Cozart left the game after being hit on the right hand by a
pitch from Nelson in the seventh inning. X-rays were negative and the team said
he was day-to-day. ... The Reds placed RHP Logan Ondrusek on the 15-day DL
retroactive to July 13 and recalled RHP Curtis Partch from Triple-A Louisville.
... A brief rain shower caused the Brewers to close roof at Miller Park in the
fourth inning. It reopened in the sixth.
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