UNIONDALE, N. Air Max 95 For Sale Cheap .Y. – Randy Carlyle could handle and might even expect some rustiness for 20 minutes or so after an 18-day Olympic break, but not for the entirety of what proved a dud for the Maple Leafs on Thursday in Long Island. "We gave them three goals," said Carlyle, still steaming after a 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders. "You cant win in the NHL giving three goals. Gifts. Total gifts." This was not the way Carlyle imagined his team starting the final lap of a long race to the playoffs – a blistering stretch featuring 21 more games in a hectic 44 days – but thats what he got, a sloppy, uninspired performance opposite a team that had lost seven of its previous eight games and was without its best player, John Tavares. Lacking the zip of their pre-Olympic pace – which included wins in 11 of 14 games – the Leafs managed to give away two shorthanded goals in a span of 48 seconds on the same two-minute power play before dropping a pair of third period leads. They lost the undeserved extra point in overtime when James van Riemsdyk could not corral a bouncing puck in the slot, essentially handing it to incoming Islander defender Lubomir Visnovsky, who snuck one through Jonathan Bernier. "I think mentally we looked like we were going to out-skill the hockey club we played against and they had a different attitude. They tried to grind it with us," said Carlyle afterward. "We tried to out-skill a hockey club tonight." Rust was to be expected after the two-plus week Olympic break, but not to the degree that it lingered on this night against a vastly inferior opponent. Two times in the third period did the Leafs vault in front – on goals from Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul – only to be jilted twice for that lead by Anders Lee, who scored twice in his first NHL game. Lee tapped in his first on a New York power-play, evading Phaneuf and Bernier on the fourth and final game-tying goal late in regulation. "You can expect it for a period," Carlyle said of rust, "but I think when you get down to the third period and youre up in a hockey game youd expect to be able to grind it out, tighten it up and finish the team off. "We were lucky to get a point." Perhaps the effort will offer an early warning to a club itching for a second consecutive spring of playoff hockey. While still comfortable as the first wild card in the East with 71 points that comfort has the potential – however unlikely at this point – to disappear if the Leafs were to catch a fever of bad hockey down the stretch. And with rivals in Montreal and Tampa Bay still there to be caught and Detroit just a smidge behind, heavy incentive remains to lay the foot on the pedal with just over a month left to play. "We know that we left a point here," said Phaneuf. "Thats something we have to recognize and learn from." Five Points 1. Stretch Drive Mentality It was a race to the 2008-09 postseason and Tim Gleason and the Carolina Hurricanes were in a desperate hunt to claim one of the final spots in the East. Winning 13 of their final 18 games they snuck in, landed the sixth seed and proceeded to march all the way to the conference finals. "Thinking back I think thats what it was," Gleason told the Leaf Report. "You play as hard as you can because you needed those two points every night." Though his current team sits firm in a playoff position at the moment, Gleason hopes they latch onto his former clubs sense of nightly desperation. Thursday was in no way, shape or form a good start. "Its like a new season, a new beginning and you know youve got to come and play and get the wins when you can," said the 31-year-old. "...youve got to push when everyone else is pushing and you have to push harder than everybody else." The Olympic break could not have come at more inopportune time for the Leafs, who entered the stoppage on a scorching run that saw them emerge with points in 12 of 14 games (11-2-1). Gleason too was settling into a groove in Toronto after eight seasons in Carolina. "Its interesting because everybody is anxious for the break because its good to have a break, but you think in the back of your mind you dont want it to end because it was going in the right direction," he said. "Now I think its just more of a mental thing, knowing where we left off and what we have to do to keep the pace and pick up points when we can." 2. Lacking Defence In winning 11 of those 14 games before the break, the Leafs scored and scored quite a bit – averaging 3.64 goals per game, a number that would easily lead the league if somehow sustained. And yet in that same stretch, Toronto also gave up nearly three goals per game itself and still ranks as one of the NHLs worst defensive clubs (all of this with terrific goaltending from Bernier). Team defence remains a sore spot for the Leafs and a worrying concern ahead of the playoffs when the hockey tends to tighten with goals ever the harder to come by. "Weve talked so much about defence and we havent really applied ourselves as a team in that area," said Carlyle on Thursday morning, "and thats one of the things that weve stated from the beginning of the season that we wanted to be stingier on the defensive side of it." No team allows more shots nightly than do the Leafs and only five teams have yielded more goals, none of them currently in a playoff position. The Islanders managed five on this night, playing without their top centre, Tavares, and their second-best centre, Frans Nielsen. "Weve talked about it so many times about our goaltenders having to be taxed in too many situations," Carlyle said. "Wed like to be able to say that its a new season for us, were starting over. The defensive aspect of it has to be part of it. But it takes goals to score in the league too. We just dont want to give up too many of the quality scoring chances..." 3. Bernier Workload Only one goaltender in the NHL has faced more shots this season than Bernier and thats Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes. Of course, Smith has also started 10 more games than the 25-year-old, who made his 39th start of the season at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Bernier faced 35 shots and allowed five goals, ending a run of 12 consecutive starts yielding three or fewer. "I thought my rebound control wasnt great tonight and Ive got to make more saves," he said afterward. "Five goals, its not a good night, but at the same time we got a point and weve got to move on." Shining in his first go-around as an NHL no. 1, the stretch drive will prove an interesting testing ground for Bernier. He has not played this many games in a season since 2009-10 when he was still in the American League with Manchester. 4. No Olympic Letdown? Back in 2010 and then the bench boss in Anaheim, Carlyle had a slew of players return from the Olympics in Vancouver emotionally spent and missing the gas required to carry the Ducks as per usual. But on Thursday morning, Carlyle raised the belief that Sochi Olympians Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Nik Kulemin could actually have a leg up on their teammates having played the past few weeks. And he turned out to be fairly prescient, at least for a game. van Riemsdyk had a hand in three of the four Toronto goals, matching a career-high with three assists, while Kessel chipped in with his 32nd goal of the year, also adding a helper to what has been a scorching 2014. The 26-year-old is now tied for second in league scoring with 67 points, 30 of which have come in the New Year. "Its not too hard to get back into it," van Riemsdyk said prior to the game. "Obviously we know whats at stake. All my attention is here on the Maple Leafs. The Olympics is done and over with. Its all about the rest of the season here and what we have to accomplish here." 5. Olympic Experience An Olympian with the American squad for the first time, the 24-year-old van Riemsdyk said the experience was memorable despite a disappointing finish which saw the U.S. bounced by Canada in the semifinals and then trounced in the bronze medal game by Finland. "Obviously the ending wasnt necessarily how we wanted it go which is unfortunate, but in a tournament like that where its single elimination thats how it goes sometimes unfortunately. As far as the whole Olympic experience I thought it was pretty cool. It almost reminded me of being back in college again as far as just even the dorms and being at the cafeteria with all the other athletes." Stats-Pack 1479 – Shots faced by Jonathan Bernier this season, second most in the NHL. 67 – Points this season for Phil Kessel, now tied for second in league scoring. 29 – Points for Kessel in the past 16 games. 12 – Goals for Kessel in that same 16-game stretch. 2 – Shorthanded goals scored by the Islanders in 48 seconds of the same Toronto power-play on Thursday. 3.67 – Goals per game for the Leafs since Jan. 12. 3 – Goals against per game for the Leafs this season. 3 – Assists by James van Riemsdyk against New York, matching a career-high. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4Season: 21.8 per cent (4th) PK: 3-4Season: 77.9 per cent (29th) Quote of the Night "Gifts. Ive got no other word to describe the goals that we gave up." -Randy Carlyle, following the overtime loss to the Islanders. Up Next The Leafs head to Montreal for a Saturday showdown with the Canadiens. Cheap Air Max 95 Rose . LeBron James leads the Miami Heat in a quest for three consecutive championship titles, while Tim Duncan looks to add his fifth ring with the San Antonio Spurs when the series tips off with Game 1: Miami @ San Antonio on Thursday, June 5 at 9 p. Cheap Air Max 95 All Blue .ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. http://www.airmax95cheap.us/ .ca. Mr. Fraser, I think everyone would like to hear your opinion on what sort of suspension Zac Rinaldo should get. His comment after the game of I changed the whole game, man.Opportunity. First you have to recognize it before you can capitalize on it. I believe that in a sport, that is why there is always an emotional response after losing; because you realize the opportunity was there and you or your team could not capitalize on it. And it means you have not one less that year but one less in life. For the Bengals, Eagles, Packers and Chiefs, its over. For the Colts, Saints, Chargers and 49ers the next opportunity is next week. It is so true, the statement that losing hurts more than winning feels good because when you win you have another chance but when you lose in the playoffs, its like someone has taken away a moment in time you will never get back. An opportunity. In San Francisco, my number one observation was how well Colin Kaepernick handled the cold. The atmosphere that he performed in was brutal but he grew up in Wisconsin and was why he played so well in that weather. There he was in his sleeveless shirt running with conviction and gazelle speed. His greatest moment? After he almost lost the game by throwing right at Micah Hyde for an interception he stayed mentally tough, dismissed it and moved on to the next one when he hit Michael Crabtree changing third down to first down. That was Payton Manning/Tom Brady maturity under pressure. My second observation came from Green Bay and Eddie Lacy . Like Kaepernick, Lacy played a physical game in -18 Celsius weather. Lacy is from the University of Alabama, where I doubt it has ever been -18 in a football game. Extreme heat takes away your energy and second effort because of internal fatigue. It takes away your will to do extra because you sub-consciously pace yourself. Extreme cold is different; its limiting because it is so uncomfortable and painful too hit and be hit. I saw now hesitation from Lacy due to the cold, which is remarkable considering how hard and constant he dealt and receive punishment. In Cincinnati, the loss to San Diego has ruined Andy Daltons next six months. Five overthrows, two interceptions and one contact fumble he will think about day after day, month after month. And there is nothing he can do to rectify it until the season starts again. You can tell that Dalton is mentally tough but to keep it in perspective and move on is a mental mind set only developed when created in the first place. You cant prepare; only react and accept. In Indianapolis, I thought it was over but after the first comeback touchdown by Andrew Luck and how fast it happened I realized it wasnt. The Chiefs lost six players to injury in one game, quarter-by-quarter, and the biggest was Jamaal Charles oon the sixth play. Air Max 95 Clearance. That was devastating because as good as the back-up Nail Davis was (lost him too), he is not Jamaal Charles. Full credit to the Colts but I am sure Bill Belichick in New England is not anticipating losing Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Donald Jones, Aqib Talib and Rob Ninkovich. That would be the equivalent. I will say this, though; if you can put the negative behind you and truly only concentrate on the present, given talent, you can overcome just about anything. Andrew Luck is an athlete that is way up there – bright, intelligent and a product of Stanford. I remember playing Stanford every year in college football. It was always an unusual game and almost different than any game that year. When you played Stanford, you (for lack of a better term) you played brains as much as bodies. They were always under control and focused; like robots. Andrew Lucks greatest asset is the emotional self-control he assimilated at Stanford; staying in the present to create the future. With New Orleans, I though one of the best football analytical moments was when Mike Mayock (who is very good) pointed out how Keenan Lewis was shutting down DeSean Jackson and then receives a neck stinger or concussion and Jackson then - and only then with Lewis out - becames effective. It just showed that it is 11-on-11 but if you have players who can dominate 1-on-1, it directly effects the other 10. Great moment From Mayock. Finally, the best week of the year may be this week because the questions have so many layered answers and speculation. New Orleans at Seattle; the environment is a big challenge for the Saints but this is the second time in a month and it just may be more manageable than ever before. In Carolina, the 49ers and Panthers are identical in so many ways. Carolina defended the 49ers to nine points in the first game but can they do it for a second time? That is a challenge. In Denver, you would have to think that the Chargers were the last team they wanted to play compared to others out of division. San Diego knows Payton Manning, having beaten Denver in Denver and the head coach, Mike McCoy, was the former offensive coordinator of the Broncos. Payton Manning destroys teams that are not familiar with him, those that have a chance. San Diego has a chance. In New England, with two weeks to prepare, I have to lean to the Patriots. After what we saw in the second half, the preparation video for New England is gold. The last one for the Colts was against the Bills in a cold monsoon. Aqib Talib on T.Y. Hilton; that could determine that game. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '