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MONTREAL - So close and yet so far. nfl jerseys china . That was how defenceman Josh Gorges felt after the Montreal Canadiens were eliminated from the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 loss in Game 6 to the Rangers in New York on Thursday night. It was a second trip to the Eastern Conference final for Gorges, who was there in 2010 when the Canadiens lost to Philadelphia after upsetting Washington and Pittsburgh in the first two rounds. His disappointment at bowing out again without reaching the Stanley Cup final was evident. "This harder to accept because I can see the window of opportunity closing bit by bit," said the 29-year-old Gorges. "The older you get, the more you realize how difficult it is. We were so close." At the start of the season, it was widely felt the Canadiens would be among the group of teams having to battle for the final playoff spots, but an 11-3-1 spurt down the stretch saw them finish with 100 points, good for fourth in the conference. Then they swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round of playoffs and upset their biggest rival, the first-place Boston Bruins, in a heated, seven-game conference semifinal before bowing out to the Rangers. More than one player noted when the playoff run was over that the team has a bright future, although coach Michel Therrien didnt want to think about next year so soon after a bitter defeat. "Its really tough talking about the entire season, because I know its like when you get close to achieving a goal, it hurts," he said. "It hurts more when youre close. "There are 29 teams this year that are going to be disappointed, and one team is going to be enjoying their season while winning the Stanley Cup. That is the purpose. But I look at the season and we made some big progress this year. Im proud of this hockey team. We battled hard through the regular season and we battled hard in the playoffs." The players are to have their exit interviews on Saturday and general manager Marc Bergevin will review the season with the media on Monday morning. There are likely to be changes. Bergevins priority will no doubt be signing star defenceman P.K. Subban to what could be a major multi-year contract. The 25-year-old who won the Norris Trophy in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign and who leads the team in ice time is due to become a restricted free agent on July 1. Negotiations may be difficult, with Subban likely to end up among the leagues highest-paid players, even if a rival team doesnt make him an offer. Other potential RFAs are centre Lars Eller, who had a disappointing regular season but was second on the team in playoff scoring, late-season pickup and playoff surprise Dale Weise and forward Ryan White, who didnt see any playoff action. He must also decide whether to try to keep unrestricted free agents Andrei Markov, Brian Gionta, Thomas Vanek, Mike Weaver, Francis Bouillon, Douglas Murray and George Parros. Markov, a mainstay on the defence since 2000, is 35 and, while he is still a skilled and heady playmaker, has become slower on his skates. Its somewhat the same for Gionta, the 35-year-old captain whose points production is on the wane. Vanek has said repeatedly he will test the free agent market and Bergevin will need to decide whether to bid for him. Weaver, another late-season acquisition, is 36 but Bergevin may make the third-pair defenceman an offer because of his solid post-season play. He earned $1.1 million this season. Bouillons history with Therrien goes back to junior hockey, but the stocky defenceman is 38 and may have reached the end of his career. It would be surprising if the painfully slow Murray and little-used enforcer Parros were back. Decisions on defence will be influenced by young blue-liners who may be ready to be full-time NHL players, including Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn, who had 15 goals for the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. Bergevin will also need to sort out his goaltending. When Carey Price was injured in the opening game of the conference final, Therrien turned to third-stringer Dustin Tokarski over back-up Peter Budaj. Tokarski played brilliantly and looks to have taken over the back-up job, but Budaj has a year left on a contract that pays $1.4 million. Players signed long-term include Price, Gorges, Alexei Emelin, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty. The easy one will be signing a new deal with Therrien, whose two-year contract is up. Bergevin has already hinted that he will keep the 50-year-old coach. --- With files from Canadian Press sports reporter Bill Beacon. cheap jerseys from china . Five first-round trades were made Tuesday night as well as another involving an early second-round selection. wholesale nfl jerseys . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Nick Mangold is staying home and sitting this one out. The All-Pro centre did not travel with the New York Jets for their game at Oakland on Sunday because of a high ankle sprain, and rookie Colin Baxter will start in his place. "Hes just not ready," coach Rex Ryan said Friday. "Its as simple as that. Hes doing really well, but a high ankle sprain going against these guys, travelling across the country, its not in his best interest." Mangold didnt practise all week after injuring his right ankle in the first quarter of the Jets 32-3 victory over Jacksonville last Sunday. He had just made a solid block on a seven-yard run by Shonn Greene when he went down as the Jaguars Daryl Smith rolled into his leg. Mangold had started in 82 straight games since being drafted in the first round in 2006. It will be the first time someone other than Mangold has started at centre for the Jets since Pete Kendall in the last 10 games of the 2005 season. "Its going to be tough," Mangold said, "but you cant argue with the body." He was on the field in the rain during practice for the first time all week, but just as a spectator while wearing a brace on his right foot. He was walking without a limp, but isnt ready physically for an NFL game. "Its not the fun thing, but probably the smart thing," Mangold said of missing the game. Mangold left MetLife Stadium last Sunday with his foot in a boot while using crutches. High ankle sprains normally take a few weeks to heal, but Mangold was off the crutches early this week and out of the big, bulky boot Friday. "Its definitely getting better," he said. "Every day, it gets better, but its just not good enough." Both Ryan and Mangold were optimistic that the centre might bee able to play next week at Baltimore. cheap jerseys. "I sure hope so," Mangold said. "Thats my goal. It was my goal to play this week, so thatll be my goal definitely next week." Meanwhile, Baxter is set to make his first NFL start in what will be a big test while facing the Raiders big defensive linemen in Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly and Matt Shaughnessy. He was solid in his debut last week when he played three quarters when Mangold went out with the injury. "Hes doing well," Mangold said. "He learned a lot from the last game and weve been working hard this week. We were hoping that we didnt have to use it, but were glad we put the work in with him." Baxter, an undrafted rookie free agent claimed off waivers from San Diego a few weeks ago, has been preparing all week as if he was going to start. He has spent lots of time with Mangold, injured offensive lineman Robert Turner and offensive line coach Bill Callahan to try to get ready. "I think Im absorbing it all pretty well and I feel like I understand the stuff," Baxter said. Ryan said the team liked what it saw of Baxter on film before signing him, and his tough-guy demeanour on the field reminds them a lot of Turner, who would normally be Mangolds backup but is sidelined with a broken leg. "This ones going to be a huge challenge," Ryan said, "but I think hes up for it." And so does Baxter, who realizes the Jets saw some talent in him when they went after him a few weeks ago. "I got thrown in there last week against Jacksonville and I think I played pretty well," he said. "They obviously had other options and couldve brought in other guys, but they feel confident in me, I feel confident in myself and I want to go prove them right." cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
