Neues » with a massive 7-foot-2

The surprising Columbus Blue Jackets will try to grab their first lead of the Eastern Conference first round series when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for tonights Game 5 at CONSOL Energy Center. Darryl Roberts Jersey . The Blue Jackets entered this series against the Metropolitan Division champions as heavy underdogs, but they sit tied with the Penguins at two wins apiece. Columbus has arrived at this point with a pair of overtime victories, including a 4-3 triumph in Wednesdays Game 4 clash at Nationwide Arena that gave the franchise its first home playoff win. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, hopes to rebound after coughing up an early 3-0 lead in Wednesdays game. Holding leads has been an issue for both clubs in this postseason encounter. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this series is the first in league history in which four consecutive games have been won by a team which has trailed by at least two goals. Marc-Andre Fleury made 42 saves in Game 4, but the Penguins goaltender is aiming for a bounce-back performance on Saturday. The veteran backstop made a stickhandling blunder to allow Columbus to tie the game in the final minute of regulation before yielding a weak goal to Nick Foligno in overtime. "He was our best player in the (Game 4) last night. Unfortunately a mistake, the bouncing puck behind the net, cost us in the last 30 seconds of the game," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said of Fleury. "He was our best player in the game. He has to rebound now from that, as does our team." Although he helped Pittsburgh win a Stanley Cup title in 2009, Fleurys postseason struggles for the Pens over the last few seasons have been well- documented. Last spring, he was benched in the middle of Pittsburghs first- round series win over the New York Islanders and replaced by Tomas Vokoun as the starter for the rest of the playoffs. Vokoun is still with the Pittsburgh organization, but hasnt played an NHL game since last spring due to ongoing issues with a blood clot. Fleurys current backup Jeff Zatkoff has never played in the postseason. Fleury isnt Pittsburghs only problem in this series, as the club is still waiting for superstar forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to record their first goals of the 2014 playoffs. Both players have four assists through four games. "(Crosby and Malkin) are our best players," Bylsma said. "We need more from our whole team. We need more from them." Foligno, who sat out the first two games of this series due to injury, tallied the game-winner 2:49 into OT on Wednesday. He carried the puck up the left wing through the neutral zone in a 1-on-1 with Pens defenseman Matt Niskanen, then released a long-distance shot from above the left circle. The puck fluttered toward Fleury and dipped below his glove hand before hitting the net and ending the game. "I didnt think it would actually work, but it ended up working, so Im thanking my lucky stars tonight," Foligno said. Fleury also was responsible for a miscue leading to the Blue Jackets tying goal with less than 24 seconds remaining in regulation. He headed behind his net to play a Jack Johnson dump-in, but the puck hopped over his stick and found Ryan Johansen, who dished into the slot for a successful shot by Brandon Dubinsky. In a performance that was the polar opposite of Fleury, Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky started the game slowly and finished strong. Last seasons Vezina Trophy winner clocked in with 22 stops after giving up the games first three scores in a span of just over five minutes in the first period. Johansen and Boone Jenner notched the other goals for the Blue Jackets, who had gone 0-3 in Ohios capital in the postseason before Wednesdays triumph. Craig Adams, Chris Kunitz and James Neal tallied for the Penguins, who will try to bounce back with a better effort tonight on home ice to regain a lead in this best-of-seven battle. "The work, compete and battle level has been the most troubling thing from our team," Bylsma said. "Thats been the thing throughout this series thats been the most troubling. Thats got to be raised up to a level that is necessary at this time of year, this type of hockey, playoff hockey. We have ourselves in a series now. Its 2-2, best-of-three. We have to have that in our game and in our team if we are going to win this series." Prior to Game 4, the Blue Jackets scratched defenseman Ryan Murray with a right foot injury suffered when he took a shot to the skate in practice. Murray is questionable for Game 5, as is fellow defenseman Fedor Tyutin, who could be back in the lineup Saturday after missing the past two outings with an upper-body issue. Pittsburgh was 28-9-4 in the Steel City during the regular season, while the Blue Jackets were 21-17-3 as the visiting team. Columbus road win in Game 2, a 4-3 double-overtime victory, marked just the third time the Jackets won in Pittsburgh over 11 all-time meetings. Game 6 of this series is scheduled for Monday in Columbus. If needed, a decisive seventh game is set for Wednesday at CONSOL Energy Center. Curtis Martin Jersey .Fucale will not only be one of the local boys, he is also a Montreal Canadiens draft pick and will have a huge cheering section when Canada opens the tournament Dec. Sam Darnold Jersey . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. http://www.officialnewyorkjetsfootball.com/authentic-jason-myers-jersey-womens . According to a report from CSN Bay Area, the 49ers are bracing for 6-8 game suspension for their outside linebacker.TORONTO - For only the third time in the franchises 20-year-history, and first since 2002, the Raptors are slated to select outside of the top 19 in the first round of Thursdays NBA Draft. A year ago, as newly appointed general manager Masai Ujiri bided his time and sat out of a lacklustre 2013 draft, this scenario seemed highly improbable. The Raptors, like every other team in the association, had at least one eye on this years rookie crop, one of the most highly touted and eagerly anticipated ever to enter the league. The rest is history. Ujiris team overachieved in his first year on the job and as a result, they will miss out on this drafts biggest prizes: hometown phenom Andrew Wiggins, NBA ready star Jabari Parker, the intriguing Australian Dante Exum and, depending on your aversion to risk, Joel Embiid. Even so, their reality doesnt sound half bad. Instead, they find themselves nearing the end of an extensive pre-draft process, intending to add a complimentary piece to their winning program. This is not a bad year to be in such an advantageous position. Although Ujiri has called this draft "a little overrated", its one with solid depth specifically at the wing positions, one of Torontos most glaring needs heading into next season. Provided the Raptors hang onto the 20th overall pick, as expected, they will hope to hit a home run although they wont necessarily be swinging for one. Their philosophy throughout this process, one that has seen them audition roughly 60 prospects over the last four weeks, has been consistent with Ujiris management style. As always, hes ambitious albeit realistic and well prepared while knowing full well hell have to roll with the punches. And on draft day, specifically what figures to be one of the most eventful and unpredictable in recent memory, there will be more than a few punches to roll with. "Its a huge process for us," Ujiri acknowledged just ahead of the teams final pre-draft workout Monday afternoon. "It just builds and builds and builds. Hopefully by [Tuesday], Wednesday morning, well have gathered all the information that we have." "And theyll mess it up with a trade or something," he joked. Indeed, the Raptors are at the mercy of the 14 teams that occupy the 19 slots ahead of them. So much of this is a poker game, only the guys youre playing with, 29 other executives, are not sitting across from you at the table. The "homework" that Ujiri references is far more involved than just player scouting but also anticipating the motives of every other team, which will ultimately determine who is available to them at 20. Thats the biggest challenge. Its feasible to look at the Bulls, slated to draft 19th overall, and their roster to determine who or what they might be targeting with their pick. Accounting for a possible trade, an unknown team with unknown interests moving up, is not so simple. So Ujiri and his staff have put together their wish list. On Monday, it was 10 players long, as the draft approaches it figures to be cut in half. Theyll weigh the pros and cons, ranking each prospect while keeping a keen eye on the ones that could fall to them unexpectedly. "Our mindset is we get the best guy, best talent available and we try to do our homework as much as we can," Ujiri said. "Weve done our homework on the top guys because you never know what can come up in the next couple days. Our job is to do our homework. We really have to be prepared for this draft." Among the 60 or so prospects the Raptors have brought in over 11 workout sessions this month, theyve seen about a dozen that figure to be selected somewhere between the middle of the first round to the beginning of the second. Here are a few names that may interest them should they be available at No. 20. Tyler Ennis - PG, Syracuse, freshmanLast years stats: 12.9 points, 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals When the Brampton-native auditioned in Toronto as part of the Raptors first workout crop this spring, it seemed like a pipe dream to think he could fall to his hometown team at 20. At worst, Ennis was believed to be a lock to go in the top half of the opening round. Since then, his stock seems to have dropped, a likely result of fellow prospect point guards Elfrid Payton and Shabazz Napier rising up draft boards. The correlation is understandable, though its hardly an indictment on the NBA player Ennis could become. The qualities that make thhe 19-year-old such an intriguing prospect wont necessarily jump out at you in a workout. Juston Burris Jersey. While Payton and Napier are probably quicker, flashier and more athletic players, Ennis is still considered to be the best pure point guard in the draft. Hes a natural leader with a nose for the game, something that is evident on the court in live action more so than in drills or smaller scrimmages. He has a fan in the Raptors, who have been tracking his progress for a long time. "From what Ive seen, hes very poised, he plays very calm and thats the first thing I noticed," Ujiri said ahead of his workout in Toronto. "[He] can get his teammates involved and then when he needs to score, he takes care of business which I think is a good trait to have as an NBA player." The Raptors top priority is re-signing Kyle Lowry, they also have to make a decision regarding Greivis Vasquez, a restricted free agent, but Ujiri has made it clear he intends to select the best player available, regardless of position. If Ennis name is on the board, Canadian angle aside, they would have a hard time passing up on him as Lowrys back-up or possible insurance should the incumbent go elsewhere. K.J. McDaniels - SF, Clemson, juniorLast years stats: 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.1 steals Given his elite athleticism and upside as a lockdown defender at one of the NBAs most crucial positions, its hard to fathom why McDaniels is routinely overlooked in this draft. With each year at Clemson, accompanied by increased playing time, McDaniels has expanded his game and appears to be well on his way to becoming an impact rotation player in NBA. Questions surround his offensive versatility, efficiency and whether or not hell be able to knock down the NBA three with consistency. Still, with his athletic gifts, size and commitment to defence, he would be a welcomed addition to Dwane Caseys roster. "I think hes a dynamic player," Dan Tolzman, the Raptors director of scouting, said earlier this month. "Its hard to see how good he is in this [workout] setting because in five-on-five, with help-side defense, thats where he flourishes. I think with the way the spacing in the NBA is, rotations and defensive principles are so important. A guy like him, he can fly in from the wing and get blocks off the board like nothing. I think plays like that, thats what gets guys time in the NBA." Kyle Anderson - G/SF, UCLA, sophomoreLast years stats: 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists Not only is Anderson the most unique player in this draft but hes poised to become one of the most unique in the association. The 20-year-old wont blow you away with speed or athleticism but he has a tremendous command of and vision for the game, a point guard in a 6-foot-8 body with a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan. The question is, where will he play in the league and what position will he guard? Although, in todays position-less NBA, it doesnt seem to matter all that much. "I think he can definitely play the point, I think its the defending the point thats the thing," Tolzman said of Anderson. "So many point guards are scoring guys now. So that means you have six-foot, 6-1, 6-2 guys on the floor who are just there to score and then youd have a guy like Kyle who is on the floor to do the actual running the team at the point. And on offence that sets up fine but then on defence you can just switch men." Outside of their point guards, the Raptors dont have anyone that can handle the ball and initiate the offence in a pinch. Although it may be more of a challenge to fit Anderson into your system than, say an athlete like McDaniels, there is undeniable value in having a player that combines size, versatility and court vision, something that made Boris Diaw such an integral part of the Spurs championship run. "Hes the definition of versatility, really," Tolzman added. "I mean that guy, he can play just about every position on the floor. Just the pace that he plays at and the level of IQ that he plays with and the composure that he shows when handling the ball its at NBA level, no question. Hes like a throw-back player to the fullest. Hes an old school-type guy." Others to keep an eye on: Wichita State forward Cleanthony Early, Swiss forward/centre Clint Capela, Michigan State power forward Adreian Payne, Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes, Missouri guard Jordan Clarkson. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys discount uswnt jersey Wholesale AC Milan Jerseys Wholesale Arsenal Jerseys Wholesale A.S. Roma Jerseys Wholesale Atletico Madrid Jerseys Wholesale Chelsea Jerseys Cheap Barcelona Jerseys Bayern Munich Jerseys For Sale Cheap Borussia Dortmund Jerseys Cheap Inter Milan Jerseys Juventus Jerseys From China Leicester City Jerseys For Sale Discount Liverpool Jerseys Wholesale Manchester City Jerseys Manchester United Jerseys For Sale Wholesale Paris Saint-Germain Jerseys Real Madrid Jerseys From China Cheap Sevilla Jerseys Authentic Tottenham Hotspur Jerseys ' ' '