WASHINGTON -- Every point matters more than ever to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, who are part of a logjam in the E

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WASHINGTON -- Every point matters more than ever to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, who are part of a logjam in the Eastern Conference -- and on the outside of the playoff race, looking in, at the moment. Kyle Williams Jersey . So blowing two-goal leads, as the Capitals tend to do, and losing key players such as centre Nicklas Backstrom to injury are not exactly what they want. All of those bad things happened to the Capitals in a 5-4 shootout loss Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, who came back after Ovechkin scored two early power-play goals. "Obviously, you miss Backy, but every team has guys that go out," said Capitals coach Adam Oates, who would only say that Backstrom has an upper-body injury. "Youve got 19 other guys that have got to do the job. Weve got plenty of guys that can do the job." Also "being evaluated," as Oates put it, after the game was defenceman Jack Hillen, who was involved in a scary moment halfway through overtime, colliding with Ovechkin at centre ice. Hillens helmet slammed into Ovechkins chest, and the game was put on hold for a bit. Ovechkin got the wind knocked out of him and took a knee, but returned to the game. Hillen got the worst of the impact and remained face-down on the ice while a trainer checked on him. Washington is ninth in the East, one spot out of the playoffs based on tiebreakers, even though it is one of four teams with 80 points, alongside No. 7 Columbus, No. 8 Detroit and No. 10 Toronto. The Capitals have nine games left, starting Saturday at home against Boston. So among the Capitals, there was a mix of relief at the idea of picking up one point against Los Angeles -- and disappointment at failing to get two after leading 2-0 thanks to Ovechkin before the game was 7 1/2 minutes old, and then being ahead 3-1 entering the third period. "Theres no excuse. We have to find a way to win when we are up two goals," Washington forward Marcus Johansson said. "It hurts a lot. You never know when it comes down to it -- in or out (of the playoffs) by one point." Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter scored in the shootout for the Kings, and goalie Jonathan Quick caught Eric Fehrs attempt after rookie forward Evgeny Kuznetsov whiffed on Washingtons opening shot. Kuznetsov had tied the wild, back-and-forth game with 41.5 seconds left in regulation on his first NHL goal, a short-hander that came when he reached in to knock home a loose puck after it trickled through Quicks pads on Ovechkins shot. Plenty of fans thought Ovechkin was responsible for his third goal of the night, and they tossed their hats onto the ice. But his total stayed at a league-leading 48. While Kuznetsovs goal got the crowd excited, in the end, the Kings wound up winning their seventh consecutive road game and their fourth game in a row overall. They began Tuesday sixth in the West, and their playoff status is looking a lot more secure than Washingtons. Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter wasnt pleased with the way his team started Tuesday. But he liked the way his players turned things around. "We just kind of hung in there," Sutter said. Mike Richards, Dwight King, Marian Gaborik and Dustin Brown scored for the Kings in regulation. The most important goal might have been Kings, which came 45 seconds into the third period and pulled Los Angeles within 3-2. "The boys stuck together, stuck with it," Kings defenceman Drew Doughty said. "We knew the whole time we were going to get back in that game." NOTES: LW Dustin Penner netted his first goal for the Capitals since arriving from Anaheim at the trade deadline. ... The Kings have seven victories in a row over Washington. ... Midway through the second period, Capitals F Troy Brouwer and Kings D Willie Mitchell were both called for penalties after a skirmish in front of Quicks net. Brouwer stayed down on the ice for a bit, then was helped up and led to the locker room. It wasnt immediately clear what was wrong. ... The Kings record is eight straight road wins, in the 1974-75 season. Jordan Mills Jersey . Luis Enrique signed the deal with club president Josep Bartomeu two days after it was announced by the club. That was two days after coach Gerardo Martino stepped down when Barcelona finished its first season without a major trophy in six years. Preston Brown Jersey . Hollis-Jefferson went 5-for-6 from the field and added six rebounds, while Stanley Jefferson contributed 14 points for the Wildcats, who used their trademark tough defense to dominate the games final 24 minutes and advance to Tuesdays winners bracket matchup with Kansas State. http://www.authenticbillsfanatic.com/c-73-bills-corey-brown-jersey.aspx . Altidore strained his left hamstring in the Americans opener against Ghana on June 16 and didnt play in their next two games. "We dont know how much because we need to see how hes going, but hes available," U.Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals is in the books and while the Spurs took care of home court to little surprise, the circumstances were somewhat interesting. Will Strickland and Duane Watson from TSN 1050s 1 On 1 With Will & Duane are joined on the Three Man Weave this week by On Points Drew Ebanks. On Point is a series of basketball films featuring prominent basketball personalities from across Canada. The trio look at what happened and what needs to happen for Game 2. The heat or The Heat couldnt slow the Spurs. Who and what can? Strickland: The HVAC Havoc in the AT&T Center is another in a long line of arena mishaps and strange occurrences in the history of San Antonio professional hoops, be it snakes in a locker, bats on the court or having the old Boston Garden heat trap trick in play. Whether you believe or not weather was the biggest culprit here, when history is at stake on both sides, you do what is necessary to improve your chances for victory. That said, Miami has to have better contributions from their bench or its One For The Thumb deep in the heart of Texas soon! Ebanks: Only the Spurs can truly stop the Spurs in these playoffs. When this collection of future Hall of Famers and highly productive role players and veterans are moving the ball, spreading the court and creating havoc for rotations they are almost impossible to slow down, never mind stop. If their 3 pointers are falling the only thing left to do is pray. San Antonio plays a beautiful style of basketball, making the game looks so easy and effortless, which in turn causes problems for opposing defenses. Watson: I wouldnt be entirely surprised if Spurs Head Coach Greg Popovich was behind the AC "failure" in the arena. Im sure it will come to light in an ESPN 30 For 30 one day. Despite Miami forcing 22 turnovers, it was the smaller stars for San Antonio that shined bright in Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and Boris Diaw. If the Heat expect to compete in this series, it cant be solely on the backs of the Big Three who scored 62 of their 95 points. LeBron James: Cant Stand The Heat... Or Human? Strickland: I loved the analysis of instant athletic trainers and non-athletes on social media who spent days pontificating on what they or someone else whose name rhymes with Michael Jordan would have done in that situation, but… There will always be a difference between fans and fanatics. Did LeBron shrink in the moment? No. Miami lost the game once James went down. Be sure that preventative maintenance will be the goal to keep James on the court for the rest of the Finals. Ebanks: Of course LeBron James is human. Look, this man is one of the most incredible physical specimens/athletes in the history of sports. 69", 265 lbs. who can play and defend all 5 positions, has the speed of a sprinter and the strength of a power lifter. Hes been pretty much an ironman throughout his career despite being hammered by defenders consistently in his career on his forays to tin. Plenty of players have succumbed to cramps. Heck, if youve played sports and havent had cramps you probably werent playing as hard as you should have. Watson: He cramped up, it happens and has happened in the past. It was a hotbox in the AT&T Center; that much was obvious. The only thing I found interesting was that he didnt seem to be taking any fluids while agonizing on the bench. How vital were bench contributions to Game 1? Strickland: Its no secret that the Spurs may have one of the most productive and diverse benches in NBA Finals history. It was surely an advantage in Game 1, where Manu Ginobili almost outscored the entire Miami bench alone and Booris Diaw combined with him to dish out 17 of the Spurs 30 assists off the pine. Nick OLeary Jersey. Vital? No question. The Heats subs not named Ray Allen have to show up for Game 2 to give Miami a chance to take their talents back to South Beach with a split. Ebanks: For any basketball team, especially at the NBA level, benches are extremely important. The less drop off a team has from its starters to their subs means more success, generally speaking. In this series, the Spurs clearly have a definite advantage. In Game 1, San Antonios bench of super-sub Manu Ginobili, Boris Diaw, Marco Bellinelli and Patty Mills outscored the Heats bench of Ray Allen, Norris Cole, Chris Anderson and Shane Battier, 34-20. The Spurs margin of victory was 15, so there you go. One other point: San Antonios bench is also more crucial for them because their main players are older and have more mileage than Miamis. Watson: There hasnt been a more obvious stat disparity between these two teams and it was clear in Game 1. The depth of the Spurs bench has never been secret, outscoring the Heat 34-20. Yet, the rebounding (20-10), assists (17-9) were both overwhelmingly in San Antonios favour. What does Miami need to do to win Game 2? Strickland: No wholesale changes by the Heat are necessary except preventing 36 point 4th quarter explosions. Other than that, continue to impose their defensive identity on the game, crafting live ball turnovers that they convert into fast break points and fouls for the Spurs and getting multiple Triple Singles off the bench from players other than Walter Ray Allen. Ebanks: They need to LEBRON! Hows that for an answer? As King James goes, so do the Miami Heat. Before LeBron James went down in Game 1, the Heat were actually right in the ball game. LeBron has to bounce back and lead Miami to victory in Game 2. If I were the Heat, Id bring in some Miami Air Conditioning specialists of their own, just in case. I mean who knows more about air conditioning than Floridians?!? Watson: The Heat were only down by 94-92 when James left the game for the final time with 3:59 left and then effectively choked on a Spurs 14-3 run to close out the game. They were very much in Game 1 and the defensive pressure on the ball clearly worked. They need contributions from the supporting cast not named Ray Allen. What does San Antonio need to do to hold serve in Game 2? Strickland: They won Game 1, which they did in Miami last year, only to lose the Finals in 7. It will be a long series and this veteran Spurs team knows it. Popovich will implore his charges to protect the pumpkin better despite shooting almost 60 per cent vs the Heat because 22 turnovers are never good. When players 1-12 contribute as they did in Game 1, Game 2 should be no problem because Teamwork Makes The Dream Work! Ebanks: The Spurs I think have to be smelling blood and its only Game 2. Their opponents best player (LBJ) is hobbling, meanwhile San Antonios leader and floor general, Tony Parker, coming off ankle issues, played well and says he feels great and is ready to go for the next game. Watson: More of the same, their game plan was effective. While only five players can play on the court at a given time, everyone gave them something; whether, scoring, defense, ball movement, three-point shooting, or rebounds. That balanced approach has been the cornerstone to the franchises success. The Three-Man Weave contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane, Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1) and Duane Watson (@byDuaneWatson) and guest air conditioning and 3-point specialist Drew Ebanks (@DrewEbanks) China Jerseys China Jerseys Jerseys NFL Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '