Allgemein » why the familiarity of this rivalry makes it so inten

The Los Angeles Kings hope to lock up their second Stanley Cup title in three seasons Wednesday, when they try to complete a sweep of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Listen to the game on TSN Radio and watch live streaming of the post-game news conferences on TSN.ca and TSN GO. The Kings own a 3-0 lead heading into Game 4 of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals. Los Angeles won the first two tilts of this series on home ice, posting comeback victories to win Games 1 and 2 beyond regulation before grabbing Mondays Game 3 meeting in New York by a 3-0 score. L.A., which beat New Jersey in six games for the franchises first Cup victory in 2012, can become the first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup Finals in a sweep since Detroit claimed four straight against Washington in 1998. However, the Kings also held a 3-0 lead over the Devils in 2012 but then dropped two straight before clinching the title on home ice in Game 6. The Rangers, meanwhile, will try to stave off elimination in Game 4 and send the series back to L.A. for a fifth meeting on Friday. New York is still shooting for its first win in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994, when it beat Vancouver in seven games for its first title since 1940. The first Cup Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 20 years didnt go the way the Rangers planned, as the Kings used a strong performance by Jonathan Quick to deliver a 3-0 win and push New York to the brink of elimination. Quick made 32 saves to record his second shutout of the 2014 postseason and ninth of his playoff career. Jeff Carter, Jake Muzzin and Mike Richards all scored for the Kings, who needed overtime in Game 1 and double-overtime in Game 2 to win their two games at home. They got a late goal in the first period in Game 3, however, then scored twice more in the second to back Quicks stellar effort. "It was a playoff hockey game. We were trying to win a hockey game," said Quick. "We did a lot of things the right way. We were able to do that. Now we get ready for the next one. The fourth one is always the most difficult." The Rangers were playing their first home game in the Cup Finals since a Game 7 win against Vancouver on June 14, 1994. New York was hoping a familiar setting would get them in the win column, but that was not the case. The Rangers were unable to solve Quick, though, and Henrik Lundqvist was victimized for all three goals on just 15 shots. "He was obviously the best player on the ice tonight," said New York head coach Alain Vigneault about Quick. "Give them credit, though, because they found a way to put the puck past a real good goaltender and we couldnt do it." If New York is to win this series, it will have to do something only four other teams have done in NHL playoff history -- win four straight games after falling in a 3-0 hole. One of those clubs is the Kings, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the San Jose Sharks in the first round of this years playoffs. The only time a team erased a 3-0 deficit to win the Cup was in 1942 when Toronto defeated Detroit. Shortly after killing off a New York penalty and with time winding down in the first period, the Kings skated down the other way. Justin Williams gained the zone through the middle, slipping over to the right before sending a short pass back to his left. Carter took the feed and snapped a shot from the top of the right circle that hit off the tip of the left skate blade of a diving Dan Girardi and in off the glove of Lundqvist with just 0.8 seconds left. It was the first time the Kings had a lead in a game since the third period of Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, a span of 249:14. "Well, I know there wasnt a lot of shots on net," said Lundqvist about the goal. "But we felt we played a real good period, the pace was good, there wasnt a lot of room, both teams were battling real hard for ice. That was their only chance in the first period. We out-chanced them 4-1. We had some real good looks. Stuff like that happens." Muzzin made it 2-0 L.A. less than five minutes into the second stanza when his shot from the point hit off Rangers forward Martin St. Louis before beating Lundqvist, who was screened in front by Carter. Richards then completed the scoring with 2:46 left in the second period. Los Angeles forward Anze Kopitar had an assist in the game and has 21 helpers in the postseason. His 26 points leads all skaters in the postseason, while Carter and Williams are tied for second with 24 each. Williams has recorded a point in five straight games, and has two goals and seven assists over that span. If the Rangers are to make a series of this, they will likely need forward Rick Nash to contribute on offense. Nash has yet to register a point in this series despite totaling 15 shots on net in the first three games. Nash, who led New York with 26 goals during the regular season, has had a disappointing playoffs overall, recording just 10 points (3G, 7A) in 23 contests. Cheap Air Max 720 Uk . -- The Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Sidney Rice have agreed to terms on a deal. Fake Air Max Trainers . The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. http://www.fakeairmaxukoutlet.com/ . If one fighter gases, he usually gets beat up pretty bad from that point on. Cheap Air Max 90 Trainers . He was 90. The team announced Monday that Adams had died, saying he "passed away peacefully from natural causes." The son of a prominent oil executive, Adams built his own energy fortune and founded the Houston Oilers. Cheap Air Max 200 Uk . Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner.The 2014 FIFA World Cup is nearly behind us, a tournament thats been repeatedly called the best of all time. And Canadians have bought in, consuming the games on radio and television, mounting flags to their cars and following the news from Brazil with great anticipation throughout. Theres only been one thing missing for fans in this country – Canada. No matter how big a soccer fan you are, theres just no doubt the tournament would take on a different kind of appeal if Canada had a stake in the game. The diversity of teams being followed across the country over the past month is a reflection of the mosaic that is Canada, which is fine. But wouldnt it be a heck of a lot more fun if we all had a common rallying point, from one coast to another? Our struggles in mens soccer are well documented, with just one World Cup appearance in 1986, despite the fact that participation levels for soccer players in Canada surpassed hockey during the late stages of the last century. The national mens team is currently tied with Bahrain for 110th in the world. Fortunately, the state of things in the womens game couldnt be more different. Which is why there will be a much different dynamic surrounding the 2015 FIFA Womens World Cup which will take place next summer in Canada. For while this will be a tournament about hosting the world in a global game at venues in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Moncton, Winnipeg and Edmonton next June and July, it will also be about showcasing and getting behind Canadians in the sport of soccer. Team sports tend to get overshadowed at the Olympics. But there is no doubt the most compelling story of the 2012 Summer Games in London was Canada winning bronze in womens soccer. The Canadian women losing in dramatic -- and controversial -- fashion against the United States, and subsequently defeating France to win a medal were two of the most memorable international sporting moments in recent Canadian history. Throw in the fact Canada possesses a world-class star player in Christine Sinclair and you have the kind of dynamics behind which an entire country can rally. Canada currently ranks seventh in womenss soccer worldwide, ahead of such traditional soccer nations as England, Italy and the Netherlands, countries our men couldnt touch on their best days.ddddddddddddSo the optimism about what Canada might accomplish is based on more than just the 2012 Olympic result and the fact that the tournament will be played here. At the top of the heap in womens soccer is the United States which, besides being the tournament favourite, also represents Canadas greatest rival. What will it be like when Canada and the U.S. play next summer? What kind of television audience will it draw? Well consider the factors that could make this one of the marquee events on the Canadian sporting calendar next season. First, the proximity of the U.S.to Canada means the U.S. will have a strong contingent of supporters along with them. Then there is the recent history, the bitterness of the Canadians and the raw feelings over the manner in which they were defeated by the U.S in London. Throw in the fact that the Canadian team is comprised almost exclusively of players who got their training in the U.S. and you can understand why the familiarity of this rivalry makes it so intense. But the real payoff to having the Womens World Cup is what it may mean to the sport of womens soccer in Canada in general. Weve seen the effect that the womens national hockey team has had on the growth of the sport among young girls and women. By its very nature, soccer is a more accessible sport than hockey, which means the potential to seed future generations of womens soccer players is immense. Its one thing to present the worlds game to Canadians and tell them to pick a country to get behind. Its something completely different, and far, far more compelling to tell them they can get behind their own. Soccer isnt a new game in Canada, and from widespread participation to the emergence of Major League Soccer in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to the technology that allows fans to follow it around the globe, its become a significant part of the sporting fabric of Canada. But safe to say we have never experienced the sport like we will next summer. ' ' '