comes stagnant, the Thunder dont
comes stagnant, the Thunder dont
MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens dressing room remained closed to the media for a long time after their 5-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. "We have nobody to blame except ourselves and we have to be a lot more resilient moving forward." The Canadiens (27-20-5) have lost four in a row and five of six, allowing Eastern Conference rivals to move closer to the playoff spot they held by a comfortable margin until recently. The slump has rumours flying of trades and has some questioning whether coach Michel Therriens job is safe, although Gorges doesnt see a need for a change. "I cannot see one guy that has lost faith in anyone in this organization," he said. "Thats not who we are. "Collectively, were just in a rut and were finding ways to beat ourselves. Tonight, once we got down, mentally we didnt have that resiliency. But in no way, shape or form are we quitting on anybody." The Canadiens half-effort, in which they were outshot 27-3 at one point in the second frame before closing the gap to 34-21, was just what the struggling Capitals (23-21-8) needed. Alex Ovechkin returned from missing two gamjes with a lower body injury to start a four-goal second period as the Capitals ended a seven-game winless run. The Caps had scored only eight goals in their seven previous games. "Its a big win, a good win for the boys," said Ovechkin. "It brings some confidence back. "This building is an exciting place. Its good." John Erskine, Jay Beagle and John Carlson also scored in the middle period and Casey Wellman, who was recalled Saturday from AHL Hershey, scored on a feed from Ovechkin on a 2 on 1 counterattack 8:38 into the third period. Erskine, Beagle and Wellman each got his first of the season, while Ovechkin got his league-leading 36th. Carlsons goal at 10:31 of the middle period chased goalie Carey Price in favour of backup Peter Budaj. It was a sixth straight game in which Montreal allowed four or more goals. Caps goalie Braden Holtby improved his record against Montreal to 5-0-0 with two shutouts. The Canadiens talked among themselves about the rut they are in after the game, but it was management that ordered every player to stay in the room to face the media. They had been booed mercilessly by the 21,273 Bell Centre fans, who also gave a mock cheer when they were held without a shot on goal until Daniel Briere got only their fourth of the game at 12:25 of the second period. "Its probably the biggest cheer I ever got for making a save," said Holtby. "People should be frustrated," said Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban. "Im frustrated. Everybodys frustrated in here. "But thats life. Thats part of the sport. Its how you respond. I think we have the right attitude in here. We just have to work through it." Therrien said every team goes through bad patches in a season and its up to them to play their way out of it. "That the players had a meeting shows they want to fix the problem," he said. "I have confidence we will bounce back from this." Price said the meeting should help. "We need to tackle this problem as a team," he said. "Doing things individually is what got us to this point. So this was a good step. "At this point, our support isnt good enough. We have to battle better for our teammates. You have to count on the guy beside you. Right now were not doing that." The Canadiens seemed to go to pieces once Washington got the lead. Ovechkin fed Troy Brouwer on a power play for a shot that was disallowed when video review found it entered the net a fraction of a second after the first period ended. The man advantage had just ended when Ovechkin produced magic in the second period when Jason Chimeras rebound looked to be floating past the net. He tapped the puck twice in the air to keep it from getting away, then he lifted it into an open side for his 36th of the season. "It was kind of a tough angle, but its in and well take it," said Ovechkin. Less than two minutes later, Erskine saw his sliding pass go through a surprised Prices legs after Subban lifted Brooks Laichs stick in front of the net. Beagle scored on a set-up from Tom Wilson at 6:21 and Carlson added one on a long shot Price didnt see. The Capitals have won seven in a row at the Bell Centre since March, 2011 and are 9-1-1 in their last 11 visits. Notes -- There was a standing ovation in a pre-game ceremony for Anthony Calvillo. The CFLs all-time passing leader retired this week from the Montreal Alouettes. . . There was also a moments silence for victims of the Ile-Verte fire. . . Montreal defenceman Raphael Diaz was scratched for a fourth game. . . While Ovechkin returned, centre Mikhail Grabovski sat out with a lower body injury. . . Adam Oates coached his 100th Capitals game. Bismack Biyombo Jersey . Halladays resume as a Blue Jay is among the elite in the franchises 36-year history. Over 12 seasons in Toronto, he was named an All-Star six times. He had arguably the finest campaign of his career in 2003 when he posted a 22-7 record, a 3. Nikola Vucevic Jersey . Kyle Shanahan was hired as offensive co-ordinator Monday after spending the previous four years in the same role with the Washington Redskins. http://www.magicbasketballprostore.com/ ... ic-jersey/. Third-place Madrid fell behind and settled for a 2-2 draw earlier at Osasuna in a match both sides finished with 10 men, and Barcelona didnt let the chance escape. Barcelona, still without the injured Lionel Messi, again turned to Neymar after his hat trick against Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday to convert a penalty on the half-hour mark and restore the lead in the 68th after Villarreal levelled. Aaron Gordon Jersey . Jose Bautista homered for the fifth straight game in the sixth inning, following a two-out solo homer by Melky Cabrera. Edwin Encarnacion led off the seventh with a homer to tie the game 3-3 and, with two out in the seventh, Munenori Kawasaki came through with the two-out single to score pinch-runner Steve Tolleson with what proved to be the winning run. D.J. Augustin Jersey . Poti played in 824 regular NHL games with four teams in his career; the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals.On this weeks Three Man Weave, Will Strickland and Duane Watson of TSN 1050s 1 On 1 With Will and Duane draft, #1On1 occasional guest co-host and Canadas first female pro sports play by play announcer in Canada - Brampton As mic boss Meghan McPeak. With the conference finals set and the coaching carousel spinning, they Weave To Achieve on Steve Kerr, the threat of Donald Sterling in 2014-2015 and the NBAs Final Four. With Steve Kerr accepting the job to coach Golden State, who does Phil Jackson hire in New York? Watson: While all roads lead to the man in the mirror, I think the Zen Master will look towards a pupil who understands the triangle offense and one that he can also puppeteer from afar. Not that hes not his own man, but Derek Fisher is a name that sounds like a fit. Its not like Kerr was coming to the Knicks with coaching experience, so clearly thats not an issue. My dark horse pick is Mark Jackson making a return to New York, with something to prove. McPeak: I think Phil is definitely going to go for someone who he coached as a player, or was part of his coaching staff while he was in Los Angeles. Derek Fisher, Tyronn Lue and Kurt Rambis have been some of the names thrown around since Kerr signed with Golden State. The tough job will be getting someone who is willing to deal with the front office meddling that we have seen and with the personality of Knicks owner James Dolan, who said Phil was going to have complete control but then reportedly said he didnt think Kerr was "the right fit". Rambis would be the best fit because he has experience coaching and has coached alongside Jackson in The Triangle offence. If you go away from the triangle offence and just allow the coach to implement their style, I wouldnt be surprised if Lionel Hollins name was in the mix also, because he has experience both as a head coach and assistant. But I have a feeling and wont be surprised if in the end, the Zen Master himself ends up on the sideline again. Strickland: After Kerr spurned the cold of Gotham, the short money and coaching term of James Dolans offer, because yes, it is he and not Phil Jackson who signs the check, the Zen Master is in quite the conundrum. The natural fit, aesthetically at least, would be former NBA Rookie of The Year, native New Yorker and former Knickerbocker himself, the displaced Mark Jackson. But coming out of a meddlesome and distasteful ownership situation in Golden State and into one of the worst in The Association wont bring him home. OKC Thunder ageless backup PG Derek Fisher won five rings with Phil and knows The Triangle, which Jackson wants to run in New York. Fisher would be a decent fit despite lacking coaching experience and what seems to be an overwhelming desire to be more a front office guy than bench boss. Congrats to Kurt Rambis, new patsy... ahem… head coach of the New York Knicks! After Being Ousted From The Playoffs, Whats Next For The L.A. Clippers? Watson: Aside from the Donald Sterling drama, this team needs to retool. Not necessarily blow it all up, but the Clippers have witnessed the growth of DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin this season, in addition to the likes of veterans J.J Reddick, Danny Granger, Hedo Turkoglu and Glenn Davis and it still wasnt enough. "The best point guard in the game" cant get them over the hump and without a conference finals appearance to speak of, its clearly not enough. Doc Rivers has a busy summer in front of him. McPeak: Honestly, its hard to say for certain. The Clippers have been through a lot within a short period of time with the Donald Sterling saga. They should take some time for themselves to think about what they want to do about next season. We already know that Sterling is going to try and drag this out as long as possible. Does that mean that the players and coaching staff opt out and take Commissioner Silver on his word and try to work something out to play elsewhere? Do we see them stay together and try to piggy back off this season, take the momentum into next season for another run? If the league does everything within its legal powers regarding Sterling and its then left to the judicial system, maybe we will see the Clippers make another run at the Larry OBrien trophy. Strickland: Adam Silver and the other 29 owners of the NBA are either dragging their collective feet or bracing for years of litigation while exercising what may be necessary due diligence to get this Donald Sterling thing right. Whatever the case, time may not be in their side or the Clippers. It could get ugly quick. With the Draft and impending free agency coming in the next six-plus weeks, the face of Clipper franchise cant have Donald Sterling stains on it or the results could be cataclysmic not only for LA but the entire NBA. Eastern Conference Finals: Pacers-Heat - Who Wins and Why? Watson: No easier question has been asked since the inception of the Three Man Weave. This is far from the same Pacers team that played in the NBA Playoffs last year. The Pacers cant get it together, even struggling against the Wizards. Miami is in fine playoff form and ready for a fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. Heat in fivee.dddddddddddd McPeak: Pacers. Yes they have been very inconsistent. Yes they plummeted the last eight weeks of the regular season. Yes there was a national manhunt for Roy Hibbert until Game 7 of the Hawks series. But they managed to play through all of that to get what they wanted all along: a repeat matchup with the Heat and another shot at the NBA Finals. Indy has the ability to hit the reset button and play the way many expected them to play all playoffs. They can rise to the occasion and go chest to chest with the two-time defending champs. But to do that, the Pacers need Roy Hibbert to be ROY HIBBERT. He cant shy away. Big Roy needs to dominate the paint the way he did in the first four months of the season. Lance Stephenson, when he isnt making bonehead plays, is a great facilitator. If he can get the ball to the right people in the right places at the right time, Stephenson can also be big for the Pacers. At the end of the day, the Pacers just need to give the effort many expect from them. Strickland: Heat in six. The Pacers are just too emotionally fragile to believe they can beat the Heat four times in a seven game series. On paper and in reviewing last years Eastern Conference Finals, sure, Indy has a shot. Thats it - a shot. Paul Georges uneven playoff performances vs lesser competition in Atlanta and Washington, as well as rumours of infighting, dysfunction and The Invisible Man Act of Roy Hibbert have hurt this team. Miami has championship pedigree, has taken care of their business with relative efficiency... and they still have the biggest x-factor in the game: LeBron Raymone James. Western Conference Finals: Spurs-Thunder - Who Wins and Why? Watson: This series goes seven games, although Im not quite sure for who. The balance and steadiness of the Spurs is a definite advantage, however the energy and drive of the Thunder is too compelling for me. KD, the MVP is playing like one and Westbrook is competing at just as high of a level. If Parker is slowed with this hamstring injury it makes him mortal and puts a little more work on the Coach of the Year. The Thunder have continually found ways to win and I dont think its going to stop in the Western Conference Finals. McPeak: Spurs. As good as the Thunder are, I dont think they can win long term with Westbrook playing with a score-first mentality. When he takes more shots than Durant, OKC struggles to win. When you break down what the Thunder do offensively, they dont actually run anything. When the play completely breaks down and becomes stagnant, the Thunder dont look good. Serge Ibaka suffered a calf injury and is questionable to play. The Thunder need him because he can extend the defence and knock down the long two and occasional three-pointer. Tony Parker is dealing with the hamstring injury so it will be interesting to see how he comes out, however the Spurs have played and won without him this season. San Antonio has things rolling so well in the way they execute on both ends that it will be tough for the Thunder to get four wins. Strickland: The Spurs lost all four games in the regular season to the Thunder... and it means absolutely nothing right now. With news that OKC starting PF and third-leading scorer Serge Ibaka will be out for the remainder of the playoffs, that sweep means even less. MVP Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will have to summon four of their greatest games of the season, along with help by committee from their entire roster. It probably wont matter as the Spurs are peaking at the right time, in relative good health and solid from Man one to Man 12 on their roster. Spurs in six. Watching the first round of the NBA Playoffs, did you think the #1 and #2 seeds from each conference would be playing in their respective conference finals? Watson: The first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs was easily the best ever witnessed. While I had little doubt the Heat would be here, the Pacers and Spurs both provided scares. Ultimately, this is how it was set out to be and there have been challenges along the way for all top seeds, which makes this upcoming showdown all the more compelling. Good job Adam Silver! McPeak: Spurs, Thunder and Heat were expected. The Pacers I did not expect to be in the Eastern Conference Final based on how they finished the regular season, and the first two rounds of the playoffs. Indy was just flat out bad and were lucky to get past the Hawks and Wizards, eventually resembling something more like the Pacers we saw start the season so well. Strickland: Indeed. Despite all the hand wringing, wishing and praying in Dallas, Memphis, Atlanta and Washington, the NBA Playoffs are not a live version of Hoosiers or March Madness. The cream more often than not rises to the top over a seven game series and this dictum rings true here with these four teams, the last standing in the quest for the 2013-2014 Lawrence OBrien Trophy. Good luck to them all! The Three-Man Weave contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane , Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1) and Duane Watson (@byDuaneWatson) and guest point goddess Meghan McPeak (@meghanmcpeak). Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '