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arlier. Were a different team.Regardless of how weve gotten here theyre in sight. The challenge to beat them remains the same a
arlier. Were a different team.Regardless of how weve gotten here theyre in sight. The challenge to beat them remains the same a
in Weihnachts-Forum von Planet Xmas 10.07.2018 01:31von jcy123 • 5.628 Beiträge
TORONTO -- Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were born into a rivalry 11 years ago which doesnt really befit the sport they play.Hockey is more about team than any other sport. They are both the first to tell you that.They both constantly downplay their individual comparisons. They long ago tired of the narrative. Frankly, so have many of us.But it is on nights like these when the comparison is dragged back out because you have no choice.It is on nights like these, fair or not, that superstar players either add to their mystique or ... the complete opposite.And on this World Cup of Hockey semifinal night, No. 87 rose above everyone else yet again, while No. 8 struggled mightily.Its like the five-tool guy vs. the home-run hitter: The five-tool guy finds more ways to win all the time, said a Western Conference head coach not involved in the tourney, via text message after Canadas 5-3 semifinal win Saturday.Full-court player vs. half-court player, added an Eastern Conference GM not involved in the World Cup, via text message during the third period.World juniors, NHL playoffs, mens world championships, Olympics and now World Cup: Crosby owns Ovechkin by any definition.No question, if you had Crosby and Ovechkin swap uniforms Saturday night, Ovechkin might have had a better chance of scoring with Team Canada boasting a deeper squad.But the point is, its Crosby who led the way, its Crosby with the superb takeaway on the opening goal, its Crosby who set up Brad Marchand just 1:12 after Russia had taken a stunning 2-1 lead in the second period.Its Crosby, always Crosby, in the big moment, the bigger the stage.Hes able to impose his will or change the game at any time, said Team Canada defenseman Shea Weber, playing in his third best-on-best tourney with Crosby. Hes one of those guys thats got the ability to switch momentum.The great ones always seem to have perfect timing.I think thats one thing that makes him such a good player, is his determination, and he always comes up big in the big games, linemate Brad Marchand said. You see plays like that, thats where the leadership comes in. And when youre able to lead at this level, of a group of leaders, then youre able to take control. That just shows how special of a player he is, and he created that whole goal, and ultimately, that did lead to turning the game around.Its as if Crosby never stopped playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, his short summer after winning his second NHL championship perhaps helping him find that top-level stride here in a September tournament.I think definitely playing later into the year and playing in those type of games helped to kind of transition to these type of games, Crosby said. One game, anything can happen -- the intensity, the emotion -- everythings so high. So, I think that that definitely helps.The Canadian captain tallied a goal and two assists in 16:43 of ice time, while Ovechkin was limited to one shot on goal in 20:29 of ice time.Different players with different talents playing different positions. Still, the discrepancy on this night between both superstars was staggering.I tried to do my best, obviously, Ovechkin said afterward. Sometimes it doesnt matter if you score goals or not. You just have to you play hard, and I tried to play my hardest. Everybody was on the same page, playing the same system.Credit to Ovechkin, who always faces the music after these tough losses -- just like he did after his Washington Capitals were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins just a few months ago. The pose is all too familiar: the gray specks of hair, the stare into emptiness, the look of a defeated man.Dont ever confuse Ovechkins desire. He wants to win so badly. But it just hasnt happened for him at the Olympics or the World Cup and certainly not in the NHL. Ovechkins downfall on this night had nothing to do with Crosby but rather with the matchups that Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock lined up for the Russian winger: Jonathan Toews line paired with the blue-line combo of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Weber.Just like in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic quarterfinal game, Ovechkin got a healthy dose of the Man Mountain, Weber, and it didnt go well for him.Ovies a big big man and can wear you down. Web doesnt get worn down; hes too big, Babcock said in explaining the matchup. I thought it was a good stable pair and a good group.Weber, who easily played his best game of the World Cup, takes pride in that kind of difficult challenge.Yeah, obviously hes a guy that can score at will, Weber said of Ovechkin. He scores 50 goals a year in the NHL. Hes a dangerous player. Any chance you get to play against a guy like that and shut him down, yeah, you take pride in that side of the game.Years from now, though, fewer will remember the job Toews or Weber did on Ovechkin. They likely will remember it as another big game in which Crosby got the better of Ovechkin.Like it or not, thats the story which doesnt seem to ever change. Lamar Jackson Hoodie . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. Jordan Lasley Hoodie .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. http://www.cheapravenshoodiesjerseys.com/joe-flacco-hoodie/ . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. Authentic Ravens Hoodies . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Greg Senat Hoodie . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . HOUSTON -- The Astros entered their decisive series with their American League West division rivals Texas in need of a jolt, something to snap them from their recent doldrums and the Rangers dominance of the series.The Astros (57-52) had lost nine of 10 against the Rangers before coasting to a 5-0 victory in the opener Friday night. But their inability to succeed against Texas, as opposed to their 11-1 mark against the Angels, was something worthy of discussion with the division up for grabs.I think in a lot of ways you just have to play the game, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I dont think theyre all related. I scoff at the idea of them having our number of the next time we play the Angels that theyre automatic wins. The fact that youve got to play the whole schedule, youve got to figure out ways to match up against them. This is a different team from when we played them earlier. Were a different team.Regardless of how weve gotten here theyre in sight. The challenge to beat them remains the same as it does whether theyve beaten us nine out of 10 or weve beaten them eight out of 10.Right-hander Doug Fister (10-7, 3.56 ERA) returns from the paternity list to start for the Astros. Fister is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two road starts against the Rangers this season and 5-5 with a 4.88 ERA in 12 career starts against Texas.The Rangers (63-47) counter with right-hander Lucas Harrell (3-2, 3.57 ERA with the Braves and Rangers), who makes his second career start with Texas on Saturdayy.dddddddddddd It will mark his first career appearance against the Astros, for whom Harrell made 77 appearances from 2011-14.Texas has yet to fully discover its offensive stride following the non-waiver trade deadline acquisitions of Carlos Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy. Beltran, who started as the designated hitter for a fourth consecutive game, finished 1-for-4 on Friday night. He will start in right field Saturday for the first time with the Rangers.Lucroy was given the night off but will return behind the plate Saturday to catch Harrell. Lineup maneuverings aside, the Rangers need more of an offensive punch than they mustered against Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who tossed a three-hit shutout in the series opener.I think it was more of a story that they were able to get him a lead, Rangers manager Jeff Banister said of Keuchel. You get a guy of his caliber some runs to work with he can go to work. He was able to pound the strike zone, which early on our guys felt like we had a nice patient approach against Keuchel. First we got a little impatient for the last out of the first and also on the double-play ball. Look thats what he does.He can induce the groundball. I mean 19 groundball outs tonight, 16 of which were on the pull side which tells me that he was able to put the fastball where he wanted to, kept us off-balance with the slider. China Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale NFL Gear Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys ' ' '
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