PITTSBURGH -- When Daniel Alfredsson pulled off the stunner of the NHL off-season by leaving the Ottawa Senators as a free agent, the rationale he gave was simple: He thought the Detroit Red Wings offered him a better chance to win the Stanley Cup. Delon Wright Jersey . At the time, skeptics looked at the Senators and questioned if that was true. They had just overcome injuries to Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and Craig Anderson to reach the second round of the playoffs, and even Alfredsson saw a bright future ahead. Playing into his 40s, Alfredsson just didnt "have the time to wait for that." As a disappointing season unfolded in Ottawa, it became clear the longtime Senators captain was right, and on Wednesday night the Red Wings validated his decision to sign in Detroit by making the playoffs and giving him another opportunity to chase the Cup. "Thats what you play for: to get into the playoffs," Alfredsson said after the Red Wings clinched with a shootout loss in Pittsburgh. "I played a long time in this league, I played a lot of playoff games but I havent won the Stanley Cup, and thats what you dream about. Thats the only reason Im still playing." The easy move, as Alfredsson acknowledged July 5, wouldve been to re-sign with the Senators and play out a career that would then include his No. 11 being raised to the rafters and maybe a statue being built outside Canadian Tire Centre. Leaving immediately clouded his legacy. In the wake of Alfredssons departure, the Senators couldnt seem to get out of a fog early and were never able to catch up. They missed the playoffs for the third time in six years, but even from afar the former face of that franchise didnt get any satisfaction in watching the Sens struggle. "I was hoping that they would do well, theres no question," Alfredsson said Tuesday in Buffalo. "Other than that, my focus is solely on this team and on the present and finishing out this season strong." Led by Alfredsson and fellow Swede Gustav Nyquist, the Red Wings made a strong push to qualify for the playoffs on the night they played their 80th game of the season. And they did so despite missing stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg for almost half the season due to injuries, while Alfredsson, himself, missed 13 games. Thanks to major contributions from young players like Nyquist and Tomas Tatar, Detroit overcame those and many more injuries to make a 23rd consecutive playoff appearance. The Red Wings also leaned heavily veteran defenceman Niklas Kronwall, Alfredsson and coach Mike Babcock to steady the ship. "I think theres a few factors: goaltendings been consistent for us, I think Kronwall has pulled a really heavy load throughout the year on and off the ice for this team," Alfredsson said. "And (the) coaching staff, as well, adjusting to the team we have and giving us a chance and a game plan to win every night. Theyve been pushing us hard. Its been hard-fought to get here, but it feels great." A season full of injuries putting a coach in line for a Jack Adams Award -- sound familiar? Ottawas Paul MacLean won it last year, and Babcock will be a serious candidate given how many Red Wings regulars missed time this season. Of course someone has to score to make that happen. Alfredssons 49 points on 18 goals and 31 assists have him tied with Kronwall for the team lead with two games left. Alfredsson was all smiles in the visiting locker room Wednesday night after helping Detroit pick up the one point it needed to make it. And while clinching a playoff spot was a proud accomplishment, he didnt deny doubts crept in when the Red Wings learned Datsyuk and Zetterberg would be out for a while. "We knew it was going to be tough," Alfredsson said. "We had a similar situation in Ottawa last year where we lost Spezza, Karlsson, (Milan) Michalek and Anderson for longer periods of time. "If you get something going and you get a good feeling within a locker-room, you can accomplish a lot of things, and I think thats what weve done. Were a good group, we have fun and we know how to work for each other. Its kind of contagious when you see everybody going. Everybody kind of drags along and knows that they have to pull their share, as well." Taking a step back from the situations, Alfredsson didnt see much more of a correlation between the triumphs of the 2013 Senators and the 2013-14 Red Wings. In his estimation, this year was worse. "I think in Ottawa it was more right away we knew a few guys were out for longer periods of time," he said. "It wasnt as much guys coming back, guys coming out. Weve been shuffling lines for most of the year but still found ways to get everybody contributing." Alfredsson was one of 34 skaters to dress for the Red Wings this season, second only to the Penguins (37) among playoff teams. Beyond Nyquist and Tatar, Detroit likely wouldnt have extended its NHL-best playoff streak were it not for minor-league call-ups Riley Sheahan, Luke Glendening and Tomas Jurco. The kids -- a couple of whom werent even alive the last time the Red Wings missed the playoffs -- are all right in Alfredssons eyes. But he also believes Babcock and his staff deserve some credit. "They gave them that chance and didnt make it a big deal," Alfredsson said. "Its just, You can do this. I think that gave them confidence. They definitely made the most of it. I think Coach gave them a chance, and they repaid him with solid play." Anything less than solid play wouldve meant an early summer for the Red Wings and a quicker start to the retirement questions for Alfredsson. Instead, the 41-year-old winger gets to compete in the playoffs for the 15th time in his NHL career. This time is extra special because of how difficult it was. "I think we worked extremely hard to get to this point, and it feels great," Alfredsson said. "This group has overcome a lot of adversity and that makes it even more fun." Tracy Mcgrady Jersey . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. Serge Ibaka Jersey . LOUIS -- To stay a step ahead of goaltenders, T. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Customized/ . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open.Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Marian Gaborik scored his sixth goal in the last four games to help the Los Angeles Kings top the Arizona Coyotes, 4-2, Saturday at Staples Center. His goal tied the game at 2-2 at the end of the second period, and the Kings received goals from Alec Martinez and Trevor Lewis in the third to win their second straight game. Jeff Carter scored the Kings first goal and Jonathan Quick made 15 saves in the win. Devan Dubnyk was under siege all game, facing 35 shots and allowing all four Los Angeles goals. Arizona, losers of six of its last seven, picked up goals from Martin Hanzal and Kyle Chipchura in the second period. Final Score: Colorado 5, Buffalo 1 Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Rookie Calvin Pickard made 28 saves to backstop the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. Erik Johnson and Cody McLeod scored in the first period for the Avalanche, who have earned at least a point in four straight games (2-0-2). In the third period, Alex Tanguay scored twice and set up John Mitchell for a power-play goal. Jhonas Enroth stopped 18-of-22 shots for Buffalo, which has been outscored 10-2 while dropping its last two on the heels of a four-game winning streak. Final Score: Philadelphia 7, Toronto 4 Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Claude Giroux posted two goals and two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers in a 7-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Jakub Voracek had four assists while Michael Raffl and Sean Couturier each gave a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who snapped a two-game losing streak to open their eight-game road trip. Ray Emery allowed four goals on 25 shots in the victory. Joffrey Lupul posted a goal and an assist while James van Riemsdyk, Peter Holland and David Clarkson all scored for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped their past two. Jonathan Bernier allowed all seven goals on 41 shots, while James Reimer played the final 10 1/2 minutes and stopped the one shot he faced. Final Score: Montreal 4, Ottawa 1 Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) - Carey Price settled in to make 24 saves after allowing a short-handed goal a few minutes into the game and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Saturday. Montreal scored four unanswered goals to win its fourth game in its last five. Brandon Prust and Brendan Gallagher scored in the first and second periods, respectively, and Tomas Plekanec and Alex Galchenyuk scored third-period markers to put the game away. Erik Condra potted Ottawas only goal as it had its brief two-game winning streak snapped. Robin Lehner made 25 saves on 29 shots in the Senators loss. Final Score: Washington 4, New Jersey 0 Newark, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Nicklas Backstrom scored a pair of goals and Alex Ovechkin notched a highlight-reel tally, leading the Washington Capitals to a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday at the Prudential Center. Mike Green also scored and Backstrom added an assist for the Capitals, who have won two straight and are 6-0-2 in their last eight games. Braden Holtby needed to stop only 21 shots for his second shutout of the season. Cory Schneider was back in the net for the Devils, who were coming off a 3-2 shootout win over Tampa Bay behind rookie Keith Kinkaids first NHL win on Friday night. The veteran netminder finished with 17 saves. Final Score: NY Islanders 3, Tampa Bay 1 Uniondale, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Islanders scored a pair of goals in a 12-second span late in the third period to lift them to a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. John Tavares whistled a wrister from the slot past Andrei Vasilevskiy with 3:09 remaining to tie the game at 1-1. Travis Hamonic then put a wrister on net from the right point, which was re-directed by Anders Lee into the topleft corner to put the Islanders in front. Nikolay Kulemin added an empty-net goal for New York, which outshot Tampa Bay 48-21 and improved to 12-2-1 in its last 15 home matchups against the Lightning. Jaroslav Halak made 20 saves for the Islanders, who have won four straight games on the heels of a three-game losing streak. Vasilevskiy stopped 45 shots for Tampa Bay, which has dropped six of its last eight contests. Brett Connolly netted the lone goal for the Lightning in defeat. Final Score: Pittsburgh 3, Florida 1 Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Derrick Pouliot scored in his NHL debut, Marc-Andre Fleury made 45 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Saturday night in the first of a home-and-home set. Sidney Crosby and Nick Spaling also scored in the Penguins fifth consecutive home win. They are 5-0-2 in their last seven games overall. Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck provided the lone goal for Florida, which had played beyond regulation in its previous four games, winning three in shootouts and losing the other in overtime. Despite the loss, Panthers coach Gerard Gallant was pleased with his teams effort. Roberto Luongo stopped 31 shots in defeat. Final Score: NY Rangers 3, Carolina 2 (SO) Raleigh, NC (SportsNetwork. Kyle Lowry Jersey. com) - Kevin Klein tied the score late in the third period and the New York Rangers went on to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in a shootout Saturday night to open a home-and-home set. Mats Zuccarello scored the only goal in the shootout and Henrik Lundqvist made two stops, including a glove save on Chris Terrys backhand to end the game. A third Hurricanes skater shot wide. J.T. Miller had a power play goal in regulation for the Rangers, who extended their season-high winning streak to five games and finished off a 4-0 road trip. Lundqvist made 18 saves, including three in overtime. Terry and Jeff Skinner scored for the Hurricanes, who were coming off a 4-1 win over Toronto on Thursday night, their only victory in the last eight games. Cam Ward played well in defeat, making 32 saves, plus one in the shooting to give Carolina a chance. The Hurricanes havent won back-to-back games since a four-game winning streak Nov. 1-7. Final Score: Columbus 3, Chicago 2 (SO) Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Jack Johnson scored the deciding goal in the ninth round of the shootout and Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar as the Columbus Blue Jackets ended a 13-game losing streak to the Chicago Blackhawks with a 3-2 victory on Saturday. The Blue Jackets seem to prefer playing more than the required 60 minutes as they went to their sixth straight beyond regulation (5-0-1). Each goaltender was perfect through four rounds before former Blackhawk Jeremy Morin beat Corey Crawford with a quick wrister. Andrew Shaw kept Chicago alive, however, as he snapped a shot over Bobrovskys glove. Brandon Saad, the Blackhawks eighth shooter, had Bobrovsky beaten, but his shot rang off the left post. Johnson followed by dragging Crawford out of position with a slick backhand-forehand move and wristed the shot into an open net to put Columbus ahead. Bobrovsky stood tall and sealed the win by denying Bryan Bickells shot from the slot. The Blue Jackets defeated the Blackhawks for the first time since a 4-3 win on Feb. 18, 2011. Final Score: Nashville 6, Minnesota 5 (OT) St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Mattias Ekholm scored the game-winning goal 1:45 into overtime to lift the Nashville Predators to a 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. An extra session was needed after Minnesota pulled its netminder and Thomas Vanek tied the game with 47.8 seconds remaining. The Predators, however, did not let the two points slip away. Ekholm battled along the boards behind the Minnesota net, emerged with the puck and scored off a wrister from the right circle for the win. Craig Smith, Matt Cullen and Roman Josi each had a goal and an assist, while Calle Jarnkrok and Filip Forsberg also lit the lamp for the Predators, who have won four of their last five games. Pekka Rinne earned the win despite allowing a season-high five goals on 27 shots. Zach Parise finished with two goals and an assist in defeat. Vanek and Marco Scandella each tallied a goal and a helper and Jason Zucker also scored for the Wild, who dropped their third straight game. Niklas Backstrom gave up three goals on 30 shots in relief of Darcy Kuemper, who stopped 11-of-14 shots during the first period. Final Score: Vancouver 3, Calgary 2 (OT) Vancouver, BC (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Tanev celebrated his 25th birthday with the game-winning goal just 18 seconds into overtime, lifting the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday at Rogers Arena. The Flames, who battled back from a 2-0 deficit that included an own goal, had the first shot of the extra period. It went wide and the Canucks raced the other way. Henrik Sedin carried the puck into the Calgary zone along the left wing and sent a pass back to a trailing Tanev, who snapped a shot from the slot past Jonas Hiller for his second goal of the season. Radim Vrbata scored and Yannick Weber was credited with a goal for Vancouver when the Flames shot the puck into their own empty net on a delayed penalty. Ryan Miller made 26 saves for the Canucks, who snapped a five-game skid. Vancouver forward Jannik Hansen collapsed on the bench during the second period, but was apparently better in the locker room. He did not return for precautionary reasons. Final Score: San Jose 3, St. Louis 2 (OT) San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brent Burns scored with 38 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the San Jose Sharks to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. The Sharks tied the game on Marc- Edouard Vlasics goal with 20.6 seconds remaining in regulation and the goaltender pulled, then skated 4-on-3 thanks to Alexander Steens tripping infraction with 2:03 remaining in overtime. Joe Pavelski skated up to the right circle and dished the puck to Burns, who stepped into the pass and blasted it past the blocker of Jake Allen for the win. Andrew Desjardins also scored and Antti Niemi stopped 18-of-20 shots for the Sharks, who have won eight straight home games. Patrik Berglund and Steve Ott each lit the lamp for the Blues, who have dropped two in a row on the heels of a five- game winning streak. Allen made 27 saves in defeat. Black China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap NFL T-shirts Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo ' ' '