BOSTON — Toronto coach Mike Babcock thinks his Maple Leafs should cherish the chance to play in Wednesday night’s Game 7 of their first-round series with the Boston Bruins.
“You’re a kid playing outside road hockey http://www.lionscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-matthew-stafford-jersey , it’s the seventh game and you’re scoring a winning goal in overtime,” Babcock said after his Leafs won their second straight and evened the series with a 3-1 victory in Toronto on Monday night.
“That’s just the way it was your whole life,” he continued. “No one else in hockey is playing right now, they’re all stopped and watching and that’s always some, but I think just the opportunity, you get to go on. I think there’s obviously a lot on the line that way and we’d like to play in the next round, Boston wants to play in the next round, something’s got to give. We’re excited for the opportunity and enjoy the rest of today. Get ready tomorrow.
“…Let’s embrace it.”
The Boston Red Sox dedicated the 2013 season to being “Boston Strong.” Tuesday, Toronto joined the long list of cities attacked in some way when a van jumped a curb and mowed people down. The Leafs paid the proper tribute to the victims before the game, and then rode Frederick Andersen to the win.
Does it carry over in Game 7?
The winner faces the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference semifinals Ryan O'Reilly Jersey , the Bruins surrendering the top spot in the conference with a shaky finish to the regular season.
Also in 2013, the Maple Leafs, who haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, led the Bruins 4-1 late in Game 7 and wound up losing in overtime. Tuukka Rask gave up four goals on 28 shots and was not brilliant in that game and his record in elimination games is 5-11, 1-2 in Game 7s.
Tim Thomas won three seventh games and led the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup. Rask lost to Philadelphia in 2010 and to Washington in 2012.
He was poor in Game 5 and guaranteed he’d be better in Game 6. He was, keeping his team in the game in the third period.
His teammates were not as good. The top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, on fire with 20 combined points in the two wins that started the series, have been scoreless in the last two games (plus Game 3) — Bergeron was out of Game 5 with an upper-body injury and being ineffective in Monday night’s game.
The trio has no points and is a combined minus-16 in the Bruins’ three series losses.
“It’s always how it should be. When you’ve lived it, you want to share that experience Womens Anze Kopitar Jersey ,” Bergeron said of playing in another Game 7 (he scored the tying and winning goals in the 2013 comeback). “We have some amazing young players in this locker room and I know they’re going to step up. That’s the approach that we have.
“Everyone just needs to go out there and play and step up their game up and rely on everybody else to do the same. Do your job, I guess, is kind of the cliche, but that’s how you have to approach (a Game 7).”
Andersen, 10-1-0 lifetime against the Bruins coming into these playoffs, shook off a shaky start in the series and has been great since.
The Bruins are trying to win their first playoff series since 2014.
Patrick Mahomes II wants to get out of the huddle without any issues, call the right protections and limit his mistakes, all while leading the Chiefs to a couple of touchdowns when he plays the first quarter of their preseason opener against Houston on Thursday night.
If something doesn’t work according to plan? He’ll be in coach Andy Reid’s ear to stay out there.
“I mean, yes, kind of Christian Dvorak Jersey ,” Mahomes said with a grin. “I know he’s going to keep it where he can try to let everyone play and get everyone. But if I don’t score I might say something to him.”
There are a few things to unpack from that statement.
First, the Chiefs’ new starting quarterback has high expectations for himself, perhaps even higher than those of a fan base that is already fawning over him. Second, he is secure enough to lobby a coach who’s been at this for two decades to reconsider his plan. And third, he understands his job is to put up points, especially considering the myriad question marks surrounding the defense.
Oh, and fourth: There is a competitive streak in Mahomes that is nearly unrivaled.
“We are going to try to win. That is the first thing coach Reid said when we were game planning for this week is he doesn’t like losing,” Mahomes said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes. I am going to try to encourage those guys and help those guys on the sideline. We have a lot of competitors, so hopefully we can win the football game.”
The result doesn’t matter much, of course. It will likely be decided long after the starters exit following the first quarter Womens Joe Mixon Jersey , and probably after the backups hang up their helmets at halftime.
Still, the Chiefs hope to begin building some momentum for the regular season right away.
“You’re looking for assignment football. You’re looking, when the juices get going, how you handle that,” Reid said. “You’re in the stadium with the fans there. We’ve had a great turnout here (at camp), but it’s a little different with the lights on and it’s game time.
“It’s one more evaluation period that you have a chance to see these guys in.”
This will be Eric Bieniemy’s debut as offensive coordinator after the longtime running backs coach was promoted to replace current Bears coach Matt Nagy. He has worked closely with Mahomes throughout camp and will be wearing the headset to communicate with him on game day.
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