The chances that came and went, we all from zgr123's blog
TORONTO – Its been a black hole in Toronto since the second NHL lockout ended, save for one fleeting bright spot last season. Cam Robinson Jaguars Jersey . Second-best in 2013, the Maple Leafs penalty kill has tumbled right back to the bottom of the NHL this season, second-worst in a league of 30 teams. Since the beginning of November, the unit boasts a very unflattering 73 per cent success rate, yielding 13 goals alone in the past 15 games. No team, in fact, has allowed more power play goals this season (43). "The biggest negative is were giving up too many goals," said head coach Randy Carlyle of the beleaguered penalty kill. "Thats an area we definitely have got to improve on to give ourselves a better chance [to win]. You cant and we do not believe that you can give up a power play goal to the opposition every game and have success." Success a year ago, in which they killed off an impressive 87.9 per cent in the lockout-shortened 48-game campaign, was a true rarity. In the seven seasons between the last two lockouts – from 05-06 to 11-12 – the Leafs never had a penalty kill finish higher than even 24th overall – sitting 24th, 27th, 29th, 30th, 30th, 28th, and 28th. And yet despite employing most of the same personnel as last season – with Jay McClement, Nik Kulemin, Carl Gunnarsson and Dion Phaneuf absorbing the bulk of minutes (new Leaf Tim Gleason proving an added resource) – the results, oddly, have not followed. In their most recent failing, the Leaf penalty kill allowed a pair of power play goals in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets – the eighth time theyve allowed two or more in a game in the past 40 outings. "If we string together a couple games with a good PK, confidence rises," Gunnarsson said. "If you have a couple bad games where they score 50 per cent on us, that confidence goes down." According to Extraskater.com, an advanced statistics website, the Leafs are allowing the most shots in the league on the penalty kill per 60 minutes (four-on-five situations), nearly 50 per cent more, in fact, than they did last season. The goaltending, while not quite at the superb level of a year ago – when they held the second-best save percentage in four-on-five situations – has remained just about average (12th best) despite the increased workload. One obvious drop-off from last season is the faceoff circle, specifically with Tyler Bozak, the teams primary faceoff employee. Bozak, who is used almost exclusively for the draw before darting off in favour of Kulemin, has won a scant 36 per cent of his shorthanded faceoffs this season (34-96), down from a stellar 53 per cent mark in 2013. McClement, a 50 per cent marksman last season, is down only slightly at 47 per cent. Losing more faceoffs, quite simply, means more time spent in-zone defending which results in fatigue, more shots against and thus, more goals for the opposition. "It seems like if we have six minutes [shorthanded] a night, were doing a good job for five and a half [of those minutes]," said McClement, "and then we dont get a puck down [the ice] and we have tired legs and its hard for us to kill the way were supposed to kill with tired legs." Though the group believes it has upped the requisite aggressiveness of last season in recent days, theyve often found themselves burned by a simple mistake, such as a failed read or clear. Against the Jets for instance, it was an inability to pick up a hot-charging Blake Wheeler on the first goal, a failure to intercept Tobias Enstroms point-pass to an unchecked Bryan Little in the slot on the second. "It feels like were doing some good things," McClement said. "Were pressuring better and pressuring smarter in the right situations, its just those little tiny breakdowns that are costing us goals." Countering the woes of the Toronto penalty kill has been an exceptional power play, one that ranks amongst the top five in the NHL this season. "Were aware of where our penalty kill is at and were aware that we have to be better on it," said Phaneuf. "We have let it slide and thats our job to get it back." Cam Robinson Youth Jersey . Ryan Getzlaf certainly got them started in the second. Getzlaf scored the first two goals in the second, and Teemu Selanne scored the go-ahead goal late in the period as the Anaheim Ducks beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 Thursday night. Dede Westbrook Youth Jersey .com) - Many people at Eastern Washington are waiting to see if star quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.Andy Murray produced an extraordinary effort to see off long-time rival Novak Djokovic to win the ATP World Tour Finals and end the year as world No 1, felt Barry Cowan. Murray saved the best to last by outclassing Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to claim his first ATP World Tour Finals title and secure the year-end top ranking on Sunday.Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray became the 17th man to hold the prestigious year-end No 1 berth since the inception of the ATP rankings in 1973. He is the first player other than Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal to earn the honour since Andy Roddick in 2003. Highlights of the final of the ATP World Tour Finals between Murray and Djokovic And ruining Djokovics bid to return to the top caps an incredible year for Murray, who has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic gold medal and become a father for the first time.Well, it was an extraordinary effort, to do that in the manner that he was able to do it in and given everything thats happened not just this week, but everything thats happened since the Davis Cup, said Sky Sports Tennis analyst Cowan. Murray wins World Tour Finals Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic to win the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time Whats surprised me more than anything was that he won the physical battle. He was stronger physically than Novak which meant he was mentally stronger than Novak. I guess Andy was on a winning streak but I certainly thought that Novak would continue the sort of tennis he played last night.Andy was clinical, gutsy, it was an astonishing effort what hes achieved in 2016 and I thought we all felt coming into it, given his year, given what hes had to endure and whats hes contributed over the decade, I think its only right that in at least one year, he would end the year as number one which hes done in such an amazing manner. Andy Murray spoke to Marcus Buckland, Annabel Croft and Greg Rusedski after winning the ATP World Tour Finals Peter Fleming said the Scot made a mockery of what he went through this week with epic matches against Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori four days earlier.Three hours and 38 minutes on Saturday, and three hours and 20 minutes against Nishikori on Wednesday. He was brilliant, admitted Fleming. Murray: I still need to improve Andy Murray needs to improve to fend off Novak Djokovic in 2017 I think a lot of us thought it would be a real physical struggle for him, yet he came out and almost put it out of his mind. Dawuane Smoot Womens Jersey. He elevated his consciousness if you will and just said I have reserves, Im going to tap into them and thats whats exactly what he did - he was terrific.I think it then was telling on Djokovic because he might have thought he would win the physical battle but suddenly appeared as though it was still going to be a fight. The pressure affected him and in the end, it was a battle of two equals and Murray showed that much more resolve. Heres the moment Murray sealed victory on his third Championship point Commentator Barry Millns described Murrays victory as an awesome, awesome performance.Over this whole year, its an incredible conclusion. But hes got such steel in him and sometimes you have to go through that furnace, said the voice of Sky Sports Tennis. Murray milestones Andy Murrays greatest moments revisited after winning ATP World Tour Finals He was the stronger out there. It was an incredible display of mental fortitude through this week, but to bring it to bear against Djokovic, it was Murray who was the more pro-active. He was the one who was hurting Djokovic.All those Championship points reminded me of the Wimbledon final in 2013. The final game of this match was reminiscent of the final game there. The chances that came and went, we all thought is it going to happen again?But hes not a bottler. Hes a brilliant, brilliant tennis player. Hes the new world champion and quite rightly the year-end number one. Reaction from Murray and Djokovic after a dramatic conclusion to the ATP World Tour Finals Well be back in 2017, but in the meantime you can follow us at skysports.com/tennis, or our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices. Also See: Murray wins World Tour Finals Murray: I still need to improve Murrays climb to greatness Murray milestones Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
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