are. Weve got to be a defence-first team not a three-point shooting team. We got

HAMILTON - The Syracuse Crunch benefited from two strange bounces in the second period en route to a 3-1 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs in the teams final game of the American Hockey League season on Saturday. Evan Rankin, Luke Witkowski and Jonathan Marchessault had goals for the Crunch. Cedric Desjardins made 22 saves. Nathan Beaulieu scored the lone goal for the Bulldogs, and Dustin Tokarski stopped 23 shots in a losing effort. With the win, Syracuse finishes with a record of 31-32-13 and ends the season 12th in the Eastern Conference standings. The loss also concluded Hamiltons season with a 33-35-8 record, ensuring that the Bulldogs can finish no higher than 12th in the Western Conference. A noticeable edge in speed had the Bulldogs carrying play early on Saturday, and Christian Thomas enjoyed the first quality scoring chance when Sven Andrighetto sprung him on a breakaway three minutes in. Thomas moved to his forehand and attempted a low wrist shot that Cedrick Desjardins sprawled to kick aside. Another breakdown from the suspect Syracuse defence allowed Mike Blunden a breakaway of his own four minutes later, but Joey Mormina recovered to break his stride with a slash. Denied on his own chance, Blunden assumed the role of creator on the ensuing power play as the Bulldogs opened the scoring at 8:14 of the first period. The winger held the puck along the right boards and fired a hard pass across the slot that the pinching Beaulieu latched onto and tipped past Desjardins at the far post. Hamilton seemed to be well in control of its lead until a bad bounce victimized Tokarski and tied the game at 15:07 of the second. A centring pass from Rankin missed the mark, but clipped the skate of Bulldog defenceman Joel Chouinard and trickled past Tokarski at the far post. Another bizarre deflection gave Syracuse the lead just over a minute later. Witkowski fired an attempted dump-in to Tokarskis left, but the puck took a radical deflection off Beaulieu in front and caught Tokarski entirely by surprise at 16:17 of the second. The Crunch added an insurance goal late in the third to effectively put the game beyond reach. A 3-on-1 rush developed with Marchessault heading it on the left wing, and he decided to keep the puck before firing a low wrist shot through the five hole of Tokarski at 15:27. Hamilton finished 1 of 4 on the power play, while holding Syracuse goalless three times on the penalty kill. Tom Rathman Jersey . Almost 40 years to the day, the two teams will meet again, this time at BC Place, to celebrate the past and try to earn important points for the present. Dwight Clark Jersey . HEROES Alex Ovechkin – Scored a pair of goals in Washington’s 4-0 win over Pittsburgh. With 13 goals in the past 13 games, Ovechkin now has 29 goals on the season to lead the league. http://www.authenticsf49erspro.com/Ya-tittle-49ers-jersey/ . Gorges is believed to have suffered the injury while blocking a shot with a hand during Montreals win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The Canadiens added to their defensive depth this week by acquiring veteran Mike Weaver from the Florida Panthers. Frank Gore Jersey .com) - They didnt meet in the regular season, so Sam Houston State might be saying it won the de facto title game between the two Southland Conference co-champions Saturday. Patrick Willis Jersey . -- Stanley Johnson scored all 18 of his points in the second half, T.TORONTO - Old habits die hard. When the Lakers hosted Toronto 10 months ago, the Raptors held a 15-point first half lead before Kobe Bryant put on a show - as he has been known to do - and engineered a comeback victory, playing out in overtime. Undermanned hours after consummating what turned out to be a season-altering trade, the Raptors returned to Los Angeles nine months later, stealing the game from the Lakers and Bryant, who returned from injury that evening. Even if you believe theyve played over their head during a 14-7 stretch since that fateful night in LA, theres no denying the Raptors are a different team than they were 42 days ago. Still and for whatever reason, there are certain hurdles they dont seem ready to conquer. The Lakers are one them. "We played their game," coach Dwane Casey said after his team surrendered two big leads - a 19-point advantage in the second quarter and a 17-point cushion in the third - falling to the vulnerable Lakers, without the re-injured Bryant, 112-106 at the Air Canada Centre. For the second time in the span of a week, Caseys club had squandered a golden opportunity against a fallen NBA superpower. Four days after extending their winless streak in Boston to 11 games, the Raptors failed to complete what would have been their first ever season series sweep of the Lakers. Since the trade their offence has been much improved but Casey has and always will prioritize his teams effort on defence. The Raptors coach would rather win ugly than lose pretty, his team had gotten quite good at it, but on Sunday they lost that identity. "We didnt [play] a defensive game and that allows big runs," said Casey, his team giving up 112 points, the most theyve surrendered since Dec. 23 against the Spurs. "Thats not who we are. Weve got to be a defence-first team not a three-point shooting team. We got caught up in their quick threes, which theyre very good at and thats not who we are." Assisting on 13 of their first 14 field goals, the Raptors shot 5-of-6 from three-point range in the opening quarter before going 4-of-24 the rest of the way. The Lakers connected on 12 of 22 attempts from long distance and 26 of 28 free throws as the home team got to the line just 11 times. "They dictated the game a little bit more than we did [today]," said Kyle Lowry, who was spectacular again, scoring 21 points and recording nine of his teams season-high 30 assists. "They did a good job of playing the way they want to play and making us play that way also." "Weve got to understand that no matter how big the lead is no team is going to lay down," said DeMar DeRozan, who led the Raptors with 23 points. "Theyre going to play extremely hard to try to get back and weve got to understand that and withstand the runs they try to mmake.ddddddddddddquot; DeRozan continued to struggle down the stretch, hoisting difficult, out of rhythm jumpers and letting frustration get the better of him after a questionable call late in the game. The Raptors leading scorer made just two of his eight attempts in the fourth quarter, missing another key free throw, and is now shooting 4-of-21 from the field in the final period of his last three games. On the season, DeRozan is shooting 33 per cent in the fourth, down from 45 per cent the rest of the game. The minutes hes logged - hes fifth in the NBA in minutes played - could be a factor late in games in addition to some poor decision making, but Casey pointed to the opposition keying in on Torontos best player down the stretch. "Teams are loading up on him, teams are making it rough for him to get those same shots," said the Raptors coach. "Theyre putting their best defender on him and hes working really hard to get the buckets hes getting. Weve got to do a better job of helping screening him, getting him open, getting the ball to the weak side then coming back because hes expending a lot of energy to get his points." Lakers guard Nick Young scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in a back-and-forth final frame. There were eight lead changes in the fourth and 18 total on the afternoon. For the first time all season, Casey was forced to improvise without two of his rotation players. Tyler Hansbrough missed his ninth straight game with a sprained left ankle and John Salmons was inactive nursing a back ailment. Without Salmons, Casey opted to play small. Julyan Stone logged 13 scoreless minutes - the most playing time hes seen since Dec. 6 - and Greivis Vasquez was used in the backcourt alongside Lowry. Vasquez had one of his better games as a Raptors - recording 11 points and eight assists - so too did Chuck Hayes, who played the bulk of the fourth quarter in place of starter Jonas Valanciunas. "He needed to do a better job on (Pau) Gasol," Casey said of Valanciunas, who played just 14 minutes after picking up a pair of early fouls. "I thought Chuck and Amir (Johnson) did a better job on him and we want for the defensive matchup." Although the Lakers successfully treaded water without Bryant prior to his return in the last meeting between these teams, they have come apart ever since. While the Raptors have vaulted up the Eastern Conference standings, LA had lost 16 of 21 games prior to Sundays rematch. Historically and regardless of the personnel, the Lakers have owned Toronto. Now, having lost two of three, the Raptors travel to Charlotte to face another, albeit more perplexing demon in the Bobcats. The Raptors havent won in Charlotte since Mar. 29, 2010, a span of six straight losses to a mostly dreadful Bobcats team. Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '