opponents. ... The Rangers will recall RHP Ross Wolf and OFs Engel Beltre
The New York Rangers withstood early pressure from the Montreal Canadiens and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was on top of his game as the New York Rangers took Game Two with a 3-1 win. Knockoff Football Jerseys . Before the game started, the Canadiens had announced that G Carey Price would be out for the series, with a knee injury suffered in a collision with Rangers LW Chris Kreider, and head coach Michel Therrien made the decision to go with Dustin Tokarski in Prices place. Tokarski, 24, has posted a .921 save percentage in 56 games with Hamilton of the AHL since he was acquired from Tampa Bay last year, and stopped 88 of 93 shots (.946 SV%) in three games with the Canadiens this year, but Tokarski has also started 10 NHL games in his career, so the decision came with a certain amount of risk. Montreal opened the game asserting territorial control, with 24 of the first 34 unblocked shot attempts in the game. Habs LW Max Pacioretty got the Canadiens on the board first, 6:14 into the game, with his third goal in the past four games. At that point, the Canadiens were looking good. Only 17 seconds later, Rangers D Ryan McDonagh scored on a shot that deflected off D Josh Gorges and past Tokarski. McDonagh added an assist later, giving him six points in the first two games of the series. As the first period neared a close, the Rangers looked like they might be able to escape with a tie score despite getting the wrong end of the puck possession game, but then circumstances got even better for the Blueshirts. A quick-break three-on-two, following a defensive zone face-off, resulted in a goal for Rick Nash, the second straight game in which he has scored. Tokarski could have come across the crease quicker, perhaps but, even so, Nashs one-time snap shot was stoppable. It was the kind of goal for which Tokarski shouldnt really be blamed -- he didnt give up the three-on-two break -- but, especially in the playoffs, it was the kind of goal that comes under more scrutiny. So the Canadiens, who might have been somewhat frustrated to end the first frame tied despite dominating play, werent even tied, they were down by a goal. Then, 8:03 into the second period, Rangers RW Martin St. Louis scored a power goal, with a rocket shot inside the post, and the Canadiens climb got much steeper. Montreal was stifled for much of the rest of the game, with a few surges, particularly on a power play, with Tokarski pulled, in the last four minutes, but Lundqvist was there to turn back any Habs attempts. In his last five games, Lundqvist has stopped 162 of 168 shpts (.964 SV%) and, over the past three seasons, has a .933 save percentage in the playoffs. Not exactly an easy head-to-head matchup for Tokarski to win. The Canadiens got LW Alex Galchenyuk back in the lineup -- his first game since suffering a knee injury April 9 against Chicago -- and the line of Brendan Gallagher, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty was on for more than 86% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when they were on the ice. D P.K. Subban had 18 shot attempts (nine on net, six blocked, three missed the net) and Gallagher had 13 attempts. More problematic for the Canadiens is that Thomas Vanek didnt register a shot on goal. In the past seven games, Vanek has registered either one or zero shots in six of them. Its not as if the Canadiens have altogether no hope, but its not an easy task to come back from a two-games-to-none series deficit, and doing so with questions in goal makes that scenario all the less likely. They will need a dramatically different performance in New York if they are going to reverse the path which is currently leading them to the offseason in short order. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Wholesale Football Jerseys China . The judge sternly instructed the prosecutor to restrain himself and he apologized -- then went right back to trying to pick holes in the testimony of the double-amputee runner. It was a harsh day of cross-examination for Pistorius, challenged relentlessly about his account of the moments just before he killed Reeva Steenkamp, as well as circumstances related to several firearms charges against him, including the firing of a gun in a crowded restaurant. Cheap Football Jerseys . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand. https://www.fakefootballjerseys.com/ . THE THUNDER & PACERS BENCHES: In a nutshell, not impressive at all.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Unlike early September last year, the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers are neck and neck chasing the AL West title. Both clubs are ready for this race to go right down to the end -- again. Coco Crisp hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth that was confirmed by a video review, and the As pulled into a first-place tie with Texas by beating the Rangers 4-2 on Monday. "You enjoy the race," As closer Grant Balfour said. "Id like to say were sitting here 10 games up." Yoenis Cespedes homered leading off the second inning and Chris Young added an RBI single in Oaklands fourth straight win. David Murphy hit a tying two-run shot in the Texas fifth for his first homer since Aug. 1. But the Rangers loaded the bases against Dan Otero with one out in the sixth and couldnt deliver. Crisp set a career high with his 17th homer that stayed just fair of the left-field foul pole, topping his 16 for Cleveland in 2005. He homered for the third straight game to help the As (79-58) move a season-best 21 games over .500. "I didnt think it was going to stay fair," he said. Crisp fouled a ball off the area below his right knee in the sixth. He stayed in and struck out, and then was removed for what the team called a shin contusion. Crisp said he felt fine afterward. In games so meaningful, he will do all he can to stay on the field. "Its a back and forth that kind of pumps your blood a little bit," Crisp said. "Obviously you want to be close or you want to be in front, in first place or as far in front as possible. Were fortunate were in the situation we are now." As lefty reliever Brett Anderson, pitching at home for the first time since April 29, worked a 10-pitch seventh, helped by Ian Kinslers inning-ending double play. Ryan Cook worked out of a jam in the eighth and Balfour finished for his 36th save in 38 tries as the Rangers left the tying run at second. "I was running on fumes," Balfour said of pitching for the fourth time in five days. "I was just trying to pitch with some guts." Oakland won for the seventh time in eight games and is hoping for another strong September like its 17-11 showing last year on the way to the West crown on the final day. The Rangers, who were unable to hold off streaking Oakland last year, fell out of sole possession of first place for the first time since Auug. Replica Football Jerseys. 9, the last time the As shared the lead. "I expect it to go all the way down to the end. Division champs over there," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "I dont expect them to go away and I certainly dont expect us to go away. Everything goes through Oakland. Doesnt matter where positioned in the standings right now." If Washington intended to put a target on the As, manager Bob Melvin quipped, "Ill flip it back to him." The Rangers had their three-game road winning streak snapped with just their third defeat in the last 15 games away from Arlington. Young singled in a second run for the As three batters after Cespedes connected for his 21st homer, against Derek Holland (9-7). Center fielder Leonys Martin missed the ball on Youngs base hit and it got past him for a two-base error. Young tried to score on the play and was thrown out at home after stumbling slightly rounding third. "Were playing OK, maybe not our best, and were tied for first with a team playing well, too," Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre said. "Well take our chances. Our destiny is in our hands." Top As prospect Michael Choice went 0 for 2 with a walk in his major league debut as the designated hitter. Dan Straily (8-7) pitched five innings to win back-to-back starts for the first time since early July, putting together two solid outings following a seven-start winless stretch in which he went 0-5. "You come out there and understand the magnitude of the situation, and youre very determined to get the job done," Straily said. Cespedes singled in the fifth for consecutive multihit games as the As began a stretch with 19 of their final 26 games against divisional opponents. Lance Berkman started at DH and went 0 for 4 one day after Texas activated him from the disabled list. He had been out since July 7 with left hip inflammation and a sore surgically repaired right knee. The Rangers won three of the teams first four series this year -- and, after this week, the clubs play once more in Arlington from Sept. 13-15. NOTES: Holland allowed more than one home run for just the third time all year. ... The As are 14-4 when Cespedes homers. ... Oakland is 20-22 vs. the West since May 19 compared to 41-18 against other opponents. ... The Rangers will recall RHP Ross Wolf and OFs Engel Beltre and Joey Butler on Tuesday. ' ' '
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