season into a special one by making a lot of good decisions.Like the addition of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.”He makes an expansion team not be an expansion team
Custom Boston Bruins Jerseys ,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said.No one outside the organization expected the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights to be this good so fast. With less than a month left in the regular season, they easily have the largest divisional lead and are chasing Nashville for the most points in the Western Conference.The odds are not long that Vegas could hoist the Stanley Cup.”The expectations weren’t high, but we all thought we could be better and we showed it,” Fleury said after his 47th career shutout, a 4-0 win in Detroit. ”Sometimes earlier in the season, I would wonder, `Wow. Are we really still in that position?’ And, we kept winning and holding strong in the standings.”Fleury has a lot to do the startling success.Pittsburgh left him unprotected in the expansion draft after he waived his no-movement clause, allowing the Penguins to keep 23-year-old Matt Murray after he led the franchise to its second straight Stanley Cup championship.”I had a good idea it was going to happen, but you’re never sure until your name is called,” Fleury said. ”I was still in a shock for me and my family. But the organization in Vegas from the staff, the coaches, the GM, the owner, was very welcoming and helped us with the transition.”The Penguins even gave Vegas a second-round pick in 2020 to take Fleury, who had two years and more than $11 million left on his contract. He has provided a return on the investment.”The fit has been perfect
www.officialsabres.com ,” Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said. ”His leadership was something we wanted for our locker room.”Fleury ranks among the league leaders with career bests in goals-against average (2.15) and save percentage (.930). He also became a three-time All-Star this season.”I feel pretty good, but my teammates have been good in front of me,” he said. ”By blocking shots and clearing rebounds away, that makes me look better.”Fleury has won 25 of 37 starts in a season stunted only by a concussion that kept him out of the lineup for two months. Earlier this week, he became the 13th goaltender in NHL history to win 400 games , trailing just Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist among active players.”At the start of the year, he was our best player,” Vegas forward David Perron said. ”When he got hurt, we found out we had a really good team because we kept winning. Then, we got him back and we took another step and we haven’t stopped.”GAME OF THE WEEKBoston at Tampa Bay on Saturday night, the second of their four scheduled games. The winner of the season series increasing their chance at securing the Presidents’ Trophy for having the most points in the NHL and earning home-ice advantage through the playoffs. In the first matchup on Nov. 29, Brad Marchand had two assists in the first period and the Bruins scored the first three goals in a 3-2 win at home over the Lightning.LEADERSThrough Tuesday’s games:Goals: Alex Ovechkin (Washington), 42; Assists: Jakub Voracek (Philadelphia) and Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg), 59; Points: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), 91; Wins: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay), 40; Goals-against average: Carter Hutton (St. Louis)
Buffalo Sabres T-Shirts Authentic , 2.02; Save percentage: Hutton, .934.— TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is used to playing in packed arenas under the bright lights. Put him in a colorful costume at The National Ballet of Canada, however, and it’s an entirely different story.Matthews and teammate Mitch Marner made cameo appearances as Cannon Dolls in a performance of “The Nutcracker” on Wednesday night, a decision Matthews was having second thoughts about moments before stepping in front of the crowd.“It was nerve-wracking,” Matthews said Thursday morning. “We jumped at the idea to do it. About 20 seconds before we went on stage I was really contemplating it, but I’m happy I did it. It was a pretty neat experience. Something not many people can say they’ve been able to participate in.”The roles lasted about three minutes and didn’t involve any actual ballet — but both players said it seemed like an eternity.“It felt like we were up there so quick,” Marner said. “But when we were in the moment it felt so long, which is kind of crazy.”Clad in baggy pants, shirts and hats, the 21-year-olds were tasked with accompanying a cannon operator in the show. Matthews played the role of the excited Cannon Doll, waving his arms like a windmill, while Marner’s character was scared, often covering his mouth with his hands.“My pants were massive on me,” said Marner, who claimed he didn’t have the same nerves as Matthews. “I kept joking around that I could fit three people into them.”“Those outfits were pretty interesting
Buffalo Sabres Hoodies Authentic ,” said Matthews, who has appeared a couple of fashion publications already this season. “Probably one of the most comfy outfits I’ve ever worn.”So how did they determine the roles? Simple, because one doll had to jump in the arms of the other.“Mitch said he couldn’t catch me,” said Matthews, 3 inches taller and nearly 50 pounds heavier than Marner. “That’s how we decided.”“I wasn’t going to carry Matts off the stage,” Marner added.Matthews and Marner, who watched the second act from the audience, were amazed at the athletic ability of the ballet dancers.“They’re very talented,” Matthews said. “It’s crazy what they can do. Every time they jumped I was thinking in my head I would for sure fall and break my ankle doing this.”Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly took in the show with his mom and was proud of his teammates.“I got nervous for them so I’m sure they were nervous, but they were great,” Rielly said. “Good for those guys for getting up there.”Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, whose team visited Toronto on Thursday night, playfully tweeted: “After such a big night should probably consider giving them the night off tomorrow no?”
