NEW YORK, N.
Derrick Thomas Jersey .Y. - Henrik Lundqvist wasnt happy going into Game 6 against Montreal. Given the hook midway through the previous game of the Eastern Conference final, the US$100-million-plus Rangers goalie had been doing a lot of soul-searching. "You have so many highs. You have a few lows where youre questioning a lot of things, but then you just have to make up your mind," Lundqvist said after Thursdays 1-0 series-clinching win over Montreal. "You cant have any excuses. You just have to go out there. "I kept telling myself all day, believe in what youre doing. Ive been in that spot before. It gets silly, you get pulled. You have a tough game, but you just have to stay confident." The mental review concluded, Lundqvist returned to world-class form. In dispatching the Canadiens to win the series four games to two, Lundqvist only had to deal with 18 shots. There were stretches of inactivity for the stylish Swede but he had to be razor sharp on a couple of occasions. Lundqvist, in 20 playoff games this season, leads the NHL with a .928 save percentage and ranks second with a 2.03 goals-against average. New York will need more of the same in the Stanley Cup final. "He was totally focused," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said of his goalie. "He was probably a little upset tonight coming into the game. I dont know if it was because of the opportunity or if he was upset with the way it ended in Montreal in Game 5. "But he was definitely focused, and those are not easy games to play. I mean, there is not a lot of work, but youve got to stay sharp. He stayed really sharp." The biggest save came in the second period off Thomas Vanek. It was an amazing circus-like save with his arm and then blocker as Lundqvist, who lost his stick in the process, corkscrewed his body to stop the close-range shot that deflected off a diving defenceman. Asked what he thought of the play, Vigneault replied: "Same thing you did. Wow." The Rangers scored soon after to book a ticket to their first Cup final in 20 years. When the final whistle blew, the normally ice-cool Lundqvist threw his arms up in the air and pumped them in celebration, before being mobbed by his teammates as New York celebrated its 11th trip to the final. The Rangers will open the championship series next Wednesday in either Chicago or Los Angeles. "Its going to be a great challenge," said Lundqvist before knowing the identity of his opponent. "Were going to play against a really good team. Its about, for us, in the room to remind each other that this is such a special moment that you have to grab it. You have to make sure youre ready and play your absolute best. "Youre not going to get that many opportunities. Ive been here for nine years. This is my first final, and now its all about preparing the right way and try to leave it all out there." In front of Lundqvist, the Rangers can roll four lines. Vigneault started the fourth line of Dominic Moore, Brian Boyle and Derek Dorsett against the Habs in Game 6 and they responded with the lone goal on the night. The goal came through nose-to-the-grindstone resolve as the Rangers outworked a tired Montreal quintet to keep the puck in the Habs end. Left alone behind the goal, Boyle sent a perfect pass through defenceman Francis Bouillon and Moore snapped a shot past Dustin Tokarski on the stick side. The Rangers rely on goaltending and penalty killing to limit the opposition offence. Its a recipe that worked well against Montreal, other than Game 5 when Lundqvist was pulled after giving up four goals on 19 shots. New York also has speed in the form of Carl Hagelin, Mats Zuccarello and others. There are Cup winners in Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis. And first-class defencemen in Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. There is character galore. Moore and St. Louis have had to endure personal tragedies in recent time, but found refuge at the rink, according to Vigneault. The team is well-drilled and does the little things well, although there was a tendency to take poor penalties against Montreal. Behind the bench, Vigneault is a calming presence. In a year that saw the Rangers wobble out of the starting gate, forced to play on the road for most of October due to Madison Square Garden renovations, Vigneault kept the train on the tracks while changing the team culture. Lundqvist also endured a rocky start, going 8-11 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in his first 20 games. "We did change a lot of things going into the season. I think it was a time where we had to find ourselves a little bit as a group," the goalie said. "But personally, I think it was my toughest start in my career, my 12, 13 years as a pro, if I combine the Sweden years. "So its definitely a tough test. But it feels better when you turn it around and good things start to happen. Its been a great ride so far, especially the second half of the season. Its been a lot of fun to be around the guys, thats for sure." Lundqvist, in the final year of a six-year, US$41.25 million deal, signed a seven-year contract extension worth US$59.5 million that will make him the NHLs highest-paid goalie. The win that moved the Rangers into the final came a year to the day that New York fired fiery coach John Tortorella, who is worlds apart from Vigneault. "I personally just like how calm he is," Lundqvist said of Vigneault. "Obviously, he changed a lot the way we play, so it was a big change early on in training camp and the first couple months for us to adjust and for me to adjust. It was a little different game. But he was very patient and calm and understood the process for us to get there. Its going to take a while to get there. "But obviously having Tortorella for almost five years and having that coaching style and then A.V. comes in, theyre opposites. As a player, you learn from both, and I enjoy both. But its refreshing when you see a new coaching style that you havent had before and the way he handles pressure situations. ... Hes pretty consistent with the way he talks to us good or bad." Vigneault is the picture of calm, although he is no automaton. "Yeah, he gets worked up. Hes a human being, and hes a coach," said Richards. "Coaches have to do things sometimes to get things going. But his worked up is different than other peoples worked up. Different from my worked up and your worked up, everybody has different ways of showing it. "I think youve just got to be around it and be behind closed doors, and youll know when he wants a little more of a practice or a little more preparation or whatever hes doing. He still sets the tone when you see him that day, if things need to be changed or need to be worked on."
Patrick Mahomes Chiefs Jersey . His right arm rested in a sling and was encased in a cast from above the elbow to his hand. "Im excited," Fernandez said with a grin.
Khalen Saunders Youth Jersey . Tepesch, back from the minor leagues, earned his first major league victory in more than 10 months and the Rangers edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday.Gerrie Nel, lawyer for the prosecution, finally got the opportunity hes been waiting for: cross-examining Oscar Pistorius. And he didnt waste any time getting down to business. In what was a relentless cross-examination, Nel set the stage early: Nel: "You killed a person. You killed Reeva Steenkamp, thats what you did. You shot and killed her. "Say Yes - say I killed Reeva Steenkamp." Pistorius: "I have a responsibility to Reeva and myself to tell the truth." Nel: "You will not hide things from the court." Pistorius: "Im human, I have faults, I have sins. Im a Christian. The Lord came down to this world for people who have sinned." Nel: "As a Christian you will not lie." And so the most critical confrontation of this trial began: seasoned litigator Nel versus Olympic double amputee Pistorius. Here are the key points covered in this first day of cross-examination. Pistorius: Intent To Kill Pistorius testified that not only did he not intend to shoot Steenkamp, he didnt intend to shoot anyone. Heres what he said, and as youll see, he made sure he was clear about it: Pistorius: "The discharge was accidental. I believed there was someone in the toilet coming out to attack me. I never intended to shoot anyone ... I went to the bathroom and felt in danger. I didnt have much time to think. I just discharged my firearm. I didnt intend to shoot someone. I shot out of fear. I didnt shoot at someone. I didnt intend to kill anyone...I didnt have time to think about what I was doing. I had finger on my trigger. I didnt intend to shoot anyone. I fired before I had a moment to comprehend what was happening." Nel: "Was the only way out for you to shoot an intruder?" Pistorius: "I didnt have time to think or not think about shooting an intruder. My life was in danger and I was worried what could happen to Reeva. People had been tied up on the estate before. Before thinking I fired four shots. When I realised the scale of what was happening I stopped firing. It was an accident, the way I discharged the firearm. I didnt intend to shoot." This is a massively important piece of testimony for Pistorius and a critical component of the trial. Heres why. Pistorius can still be convicted of murder if it can be shown that he intended to kill - period. It doesnt matter who - just that he intended to kill someone and that the force he used was disproportionately excessive given the circumstances. Remember, in order to make out the charge of murder against Pistorius, it must be shown that he had the requisite intent to kill and followed through on tthat intent.
Darwin Thompson Womens Jersey. If convicted of murder, he would face 15 years in prison. So he wants to avoid a murder conviction and look to settle on a lesser charge of culpable homicide, which means killing someone by accident. If convicted on culpable homicide, he would likely only go to jail for five to 10 years. So despite firing four shots through a locked bathroom door at 3am, Pistorius repeatedly declared that he "didnt intend to shoot anyone" and the discharge was an "accident". These statements are designed to establish that Pistorius lacked the intent needed to make out a conviction of murder. Its not enough to say he didnt intend to shoot Steenkamp; he needs to say that he didnt intend to shoot anyone. Pistorius testimony shows that he was well prepared by his lawyers. He hit on the key legal points in ordinary English. However, the issue of plausibility remains. As Nel pointed out, "was the only way out for you to shoot the intruder?". For example, he could have grabbed Steenkamp and fled. This is the most important element from Day 1 of the cross-examination of Pistorius. Zombie Stopper Nel was relentless in his cross-examination. In part, that was designed to try and break Pistorius and push him to admit he intended to kill Steenkamp. One way Nel tried to apply pressure on Pistorius was by presenting the Melon Video. The video was also produced because it helped paint Pistorius as reckless and gun-crazed. In the video, Pistorius and friends blow up melons with guns and Pistorius is heard saying this: "Its a lot softer than brain but its like a zombie stopper." This was followed by Nels blunt question: Nel: "One can see the effect the ammunition had on a water melon. It exploded. You know the same thing happened to Reevas head?" Reconstruction or Reworked Evidence Nel also focused on inconsistencies in Pistorius statement to police right after the death of Steenkamp. Nel accused Pistorius of "reconstructing" or "reworking" his evidence. For example, in Pistorius bail application, he said that he went to the balcony to retrieve a fan. However, on the stand today he denied that. While some of these inconsistencies may not seem important, Nel told Pistorius they were in fact not "insignificant" as they show "you are lying." Before the trial was adjourned for the day, Nel made a point of referring to todays testimony as "Day 1" of the cross-examination of Pistorius. This suggests that the cross may continue for days. Indeed, there is more in store for the most critical witness of this trial. ' ' '
