12-20-2019, 08:06 AM
The Philadelphia Flyers will try to get by without their No. 1 goaltender when they visit the New York Rangers on Thursday for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Flyers announced Wednesday that Steve Mason will not suit up for the opener of this best-of-seven series. Ray Emery will get the start instead and Cal Heeter, who made his NHL debut Sunday in a loss to Carolina, will serve as the backup. Watch the game on TSN and TSN GO at 7pm et/4pm pt. In 36 career playoff games, Emery is 20-15 with a 2.57 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and three shutouts. He led Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007, but hasnt seen action in the postseason since playing for Anaheim in 2011. Emery was the backup to Corey Crawford in Chicagos run to a Stanley Cup title last spring, but didnt get into a game. "I get excited to play in these situations, especially the playoffs, especially with a group like this," Emery said. Of course, Henrik Lundqvist will be the goaltender across the rink from Emery. The Rangers undisputed No. 1 netminder had another solid campaign in 2013-14, setting club records for regular season wins and shutouts along the way. Although the 32-year-old Swede was 33-24-5 with a 2.36 goals against average and .920 save percentage it still was a down season by Lundqvists lofty standards. His GAA was the highest its been since Lundqvist posted a 2.38 in 2009-10 and the netminders save percentage was his worst effort since finishing the 2008-09 campaign at .916. New York only has made it out of the second round once since Lundqvist took over the starting role in 2005-06, but its hardly been his fault. In 67 playoff games, Lundqvist has posted a 2.28 GAA and .920 save percentage. The Flyers and Rangers have been divisional rivals for decades, but this series marks the first playoff meeting between the clubs since 1997 when Philadelphia downed New York in five games for the Eastern Conference title. Overall, Philadelphia has won six of the 10 playoff series between the franchises and has claimed three straight and four of the past five encounters. The Flyers and Rangers split four meetings in 2013-14, with each team winning twice at its home arena. New Yorks home-ice advantage could loom large in this series, as the Blueshirts have claimed eight in a row at home against the Flyers, who last won at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 20, 2011. The Rangers finished second in the Metropolitan Division and two points ahead of Philadelphia to capture home ice in this series. Flyers captain and star centerman Claude Giroux only managed two assists in the four meetings with the Rangers this season and thats certainly not a good sign for Philadelphia. Forward Matt Read and defenseman Mark Streit were the best offensive players for the Flyers in the season series, posting one goal and two assists apiece. Meanwhile, New Yorks best weapon against the Flyers this season was speedy forward Chris Kreider, who had two goals and two assists in three games against Philly but does not expect to play in this set. Brad Richards had one goal and two assists over four games, while Rick Nash had a goal and an assist in three outings. Lundqvist went 2-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA against the Flyers this season. Emery did not face New York this season, but is 7-2-0 with a 1.87 GAA in 10 career regular-season games against the Blueshirts. One concern for New York heading into the opening round is the health of No. 1 defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who sat out the last five games of the regular season with a bruised left shoulder. Although McDonagh expects to play in Game 1, it will be interesting to see how his shoulder holds up against the postseason grind. McDonagh led New Yorks blue line this season in goals (14), assists (29), plus-minus (plus-11), penalty minutes (36) and shots (177). He also led the club with an average ice time of 24 minutes, 59 seconds and finished fifth on the teams overall scoring list with 43 points. Rangers forward Derick Brassard left practice on Tuesday with a back issue, but expects to play tonight. Brassard was fourth on the team this season with 45 points off 18 goals and 27 assists. Philadelphias Steve Downie is out with an upper-body injury, but fellow forward Zac Rinaldo could play Thursday after completing a four-game suspension. Rinaldo received the ban for delivering a head shot against Buffalo defenseman Chad Ruhwedel on April 6. New York will host the second tilt of this series on Sunday before the venue shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. The Rangers were 20-17-4 as the home club this season, while Philly was 18-16-7 as the guest. Projected Rangers lines Nash - Stepan - St. LouisPouliot - Brassard - ZuccarelloHagelin - Richards - FastBoyle - Moore - Dorsett McDonagh - GirardiStaal - StralmanMoore - Klein Lundqvist - Talbot Projected Flyers lines Hartnell - Giroux - VoracekRaffl - Schenn - SimmondsRead - Couturier - AkesonRinaldo - Lecavalier - Hall Timonen - CoburnStreit - GrossmannMacDonald - Schenn Emery - Heeter Authentic Custom Cubs Jersey . The Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back Darren Sproles from the New Orleans Saints for a fifth-round draft pick on Tuesday. Kyle Ryan Jersey . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-j...-730n.html. Speaking on Leafs Lunch with Bryan Hayes and Jamie McLennan on Thursday, Bernier said it was "very hard" at times being entrenched behind Jonathan Quick and is now excited at the prospect of getting an opportunity to compete with Reimer for the top spot with the Leafs. Jody Davis Jersey .Dawson also birdied two of the last four holes to reach 12-under 132 on TPC San Antonios AT&T Canyons Course. He won his only title in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in 2002 in the Web.com Tours LaSalle Bank Open.Im not going to lose any sleep, believe me, Dawson said. I used to be a perfectionist, but my attitude now is to play like Im in the pro-am. Cubs Jerseys China .com) - NFL owners have unanimously approved the sale of the Buffalo Bills. JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar exchanged birdies and bad breaks and wound up tied for the lead at The Barclays. Kuchar, who completed five holes of his second round Saturday morning for a 6-under 65 and a two-shot lead, was tied with Woodland on the reachable par-4 16th when his putt ran into a sprinkler and stopped, costing him a reasonable chance at birdie. He wound up with a 70 in the third round. Woodland had a one-shot lead until his tee shot on the 17th plugged in the far end of the fairway bunker, effectively costing him a full shot. He blasted out sideways, made bogey and had to settle for a 68. They were at 12-under 201, one shot ahead of Kevin Chappell, who broke the tournament course record with a bogey-free 62. Chappells round was so strong that it was 10 shots better than the average score at Liberty National, where the wind was blowing about 10 mph. "In the wind, if you would have told me someone was going to shoot 62 today, I would probably have laughed at you," Chappell said. Tiger Woods spent another round grabbing his lower back and bending over gingerly to put his ball on the tee and retrieve it from the cup. He was on the fringe of contention for much of the blustery afternoon until two solid shots on the par-5 13th for a birdie, driving the 16th green for a two-putt birdie and closing with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 69 that left him very much in the picture at 8-under 205. "It starts off great every day, and then it progressively deteriorates as the day goes on," Woods said of his lower back, which he hurt from what he said was a soft bed in his hotel room. "Hopefully, tomorrow it will be one of those days again. Fight through it and see if I can win a tournament." David Lynn of England, who earned his PGA Tour card a year ago from his runner-up finish in the PGA Championship, also had a 69 and was tied with Woods, four behind. The large group at 7-under 206 included 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler. With a dozen players separated by five shots, pure greens at Liberty National and limited rough, the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs is still very much up for grabs. Chappells round was evidence that even in windy conditions, low scores are available. For the former UCLA Bruin, it was really waas simple as making putts, most of them in that 10-foot to 15-foot range.ddddddddddddThere were a few par saves on the back nine, and six birdies on the front. "I just really holed all the putts that you kind of expect to hold but you dont always hole," he said. Kuchar and Woodland will be in the final group for the second straight day, and they certainly arent strangers. Their caddies knew each other from the LPGA Tour, and they became friendly enough that Kuchar picked Woodland to be his partner in the World Cup two years ago. The Americans won for the first time in over a decade. Earlier this week, they were at the Braves-Mets game and went into an indoor batting cage. Kuchar pitched and was impressed with how well Woodland swung the bat, which is not to say he was surprised. Woodland is regarded as one of the best athletes on tour -- a promising baseball player in high school who first went to a Division II school to play basketball and then transferred to Kansas to play golf. But he has disappeared since winning at Innisbrook two years ago, mainly from injuries to both wrists. He began working with Claude Harmon in the spring, and he hired mental coach Julie Elion right before his season turned around by winning the Reno-Tahoe Open. "Ive really let my game take over," Woodland said. He surged into the lead during a four-hole stretch to close out the back nine -- a 5-iron into the par-5 sixth, a sand wedge to 10 feet for birdie on No. 7, a 4-wood for his second shot on the par-5 eighth for birdie, and a 6-iron for a fourth straight birdie on the ninth. Kuchar caught up by playing bogey-free on the back nine. DIVOTS: Rory McIlroy had an even-par 71 and was six shots out of the lead. ... Aaron Baddeley shot 66, and at No. 119 in the FedEx Cup standings, stands a good chance of being among the top 100 players to advance to the second playoff event next week outside Boston. ...Greg Chalmers made a hole-in-one on the 135-yard 14th, with the Statue of Liberty in view to the right. In the next group, K.J. Choi almost made an ace. ... David Lynn was squatting to read the line of his putt on the 10th green when he toppled backward and landed on his seat. Looking over, he made a motion that he had been drinking, and the gallery ate it up. ... Chappell has gone 25 consecutive holes without a bogey. ' ' '