They are sure to be even more hyped

[wh3171]

MONTREAL -- It looked like it would be easy when Rene Bourque scored for the Montreal Canadiens only 11 seconds into the game. Cheap Nets Jerseys . But the Canadiens needed a third-period goal from Tomas Plekanec and some fine saves from Carey Price to down the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Sunday night and take a choke hold on their NHL Eastern Conference playoff series. The victory gave Montreal a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven set with a chance to sweep the Bolts on home ice in Game 4 on Tuesday night. "Weve seen many scenarios in the playoffs and we have to have the same approach for the next game as we had for the last three," said Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban, who had a pair of assists in a standout performance. "Theyre a good team. "They had a lot of opportunities to score. They fought their way back into the game. They put pucks on the net and came hard to the end. We know theyll fight until the final buzzer, so we have to be ready next game." Brendan Gallagher also scored for Montreal while Ondrej Palat, back after missing a game with an injury, and defenceman Matthew Carle replied for Tampa Bay. Montreal outshot the Lightning 31-29, but there were nervy moments and a disputed, disallowed goal as the visitors pushed back in the second and third frames. "We were determined, we played with passion, I thought we responded unreal," said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. "Its tough to walk into that locker-room and look those guys in the eye. "Clearly, that was the best game weve played in this series. I though they deserved a better fate. Ultimately, its a loss and thats what hurts the most." The Canadiens have a chance to avenge their only previous playoff meeting with the Lightning, who swept them in 2004 before going on to win the Stanley Cup. After winning the first two games in Tampa, Fla., the Canadiens returned to a rousing welcome from their fans and a spectacular pre-game show. The crowd of 21,273 was still roaring after joining old-time Quebec pop singer Ginette Reno in the Canadian anthem when Subban bounced a pass up the middle of the ice and Bourque collected it behind the Lightning defence. The unexpected scoring hero put his third of the series past Anders Lindback at the 11-second mark -- and the noise got even louder. "I didnt really know who (Reno) was, but by the reaction I knew it was somebody popular," said Bourque. "She did a great job getting the fans fired up. "We didnt plan it at all. It was a lucky bounce." Lindback made up for it with some strong saves as the Lightning cancelled the Canadiens early emotion by killing off a four-minute high-sticking call on rearguard Mike Barberio. Palat tied it 8:39 into the second frame as he buried the ricochet of a Steven Stamkos shot off Mike Weavers skate on the Bolts first power play. Then the Lightning poured it on, and looked like they had the go-ahead goal, only to see Subban bat a flying puck out of the air behind Price. Seconds later, Ryan Callahan put the puck in at 15:38 only to see it waived off due to what was ruled as incidental contact on Price by Alex Killorn. The Bolts felt the goal was good. "I was (angry) then and Im (angry) now," said Cooper. "Thats just my opinion. Ill let the court of public opinion take care of the rest." Of course, the Canadiens thought the officials got the call right. "It was a pass across, it got deflected in the air," said Price. "Subban batted it out of the air and it wound up kind of a scramble. "I tried to come back across the net and tripped over their guy, who was right in the middle of the crease. At that point, I didnt know what was going on." Less than three minutes later, the teams were each down a man when Subban picked up the puck, skated through the defence and around the net to set up Gallagher for his second goal of the series at 18:10. "I just tried to create space," said Subban, who had a team-high 28:03 of ice time. "I took a penalty earlier in the period and I felt good when I came back on the ice and the guys had killed it off. "Larry (Lars Eller) made a great play behind the net to move it to open ice. I tried to draw the forechecker to me and see what happened. I went behind the net. Gally did a great job to get himself open. It makes it easy for me to get it to him." Plekanec scored what would be the game-winner when he threaded a shot through from the right circle 5:43 into the third period. But Carle made it close with a point shot that looked to deflect off a body in front at 11:36. The Canadiens held off a late charge to put the win away. The lightning got a scare at 16:09 of the second when Stamkos fell after jostling with Brandon Prust and got hit in the head by Alexei Emelins knee. But the Bolts scoring star was able to return for the third period and picked up his second assist of the night on Carles goal. Cooper made four lineup changes, bringing in forwards Palat, Tom Pyatt and B.J. Crombeen and defenceman Barberio and scratching Sami Salo, Michael Kostka, Richard Panik and Nikita Kucherov. Salo reportedly has an upper body injury. Montreal made no changes. Notes: The Canadiens called up a taxi squad from AHL Hamilton, including goalies Dustin Tokarski and Devan Dubnyk, defencemen Nathan Beaulieu, Davis Drewiske and Greg Pateryn and forwards Sven Andrighetto, Mike Blundin, Gabriel Dumont, Louis Leblanc and Christian Thomas. . . Bourques goal was not a team record for fastest to start a game. Bo Gainey scored seven seconds into a playoff game in 1977. Nets Jerseys 2020 . Mueller is the grandson of the late Ron Lancaster, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback and longtime head coach in the CFL. Last season, Mueller was quarterbacks coach of the University of Regina Rams, his alma mater. Nets Jerseys 2019 . The Bruins forward has been fined $5,000 by the National Hockey League for spearing Red Wings defenceman Danny DeKeyser in the groin. https://www.cheapnetsonline.com/ .500 ball against teams with winning records, so they needed a huge lift from somebody Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Its Justin Verlander and Sonny Gray, the encore. These decisive Game 5s sure are becoming familiar for Verlander. Not so much for the Oakland rookie. Just like last October in Oakland, the Tigers have been pushed to a winner-take-all fifth game in their AL division series against the Athletics. And Detroit will have Verlander on the mound again Thursday night after he pitched a four-hit shutout in the 2012 clincher at the Oakland Coliseum. "Well, you dont pretend. Its not just another game," Verlander said after the Tigers evened the series with an 8-6 win Tuesday at Comerica Park. "The season is on the line. It was on the line for us tonight, too. This whole season, the way we battled and played as a team, comes down to one game, may the best team win. You cant treat it just like another game. Its a little bit different. There is more to it." The As will counter with Gray against Verlander a second time after these two put on a pitching show Saturday night at the Coliseum. "Hes a little bit of a bulldog, hes scared of nothing," manager Bob Melvin said, noting Grays experience on the big stage just last week. "Everything that went on in that game factored into it. ... When he came up, we were into the season and a pennant race already and we threw him right into the fire and right away he pitched very well with a lot of confidence and always has that mound presence." Melvin said he doesnt know how he might use, if at all, 18-game winner and Game 1 loser Bartolo Colon, who is "willing to do anything." He hasnt been ruled out as a reliever. "Obviously we had two great options," Melvin said. Verlander dominated in a thrilling pitchers duel with Gray, who matched the ace as each threw zeros but had nothing to show for it in a 1-0 As win. "Im not really sure we liked what we saw, it was pretty good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Gray. "At least weve seen him now." Verlander is riding a 22-inning post-season scoreless streak against the As, and has 33 strikeouts over the past three playoff matchups with Oakland, 11 in each outing. Not that the As are counting. "Hes been beaten before, it can happen again," third baseman Josh Donaldson said. Verlander acknowledged it would have been great to pitch the playoff opener, while also noting 21-game winner Max Scherzer more than earned the nod. Now, Verlander gets the ball for his most meaningful start this year -- to extend the season Thursday night. "We all have a lot of confidence, were playing at home, we know what were up against in Verlander," As shortstop Jed Lowrie said. "Were all prepared for one, winner-take-all scenario." With Scherzer pitching in relief Tuesday, Verlander became the automatic Game 5 choice for manager Jim Leyland. "Thats kind of why we pitcheed him Game 2 so wed have an option," Leyland said. Custom Brooklyn Nets Jerseys. "We were in a pretty good comfort zone to pitch Verlander if necessary, and it was necessary because we had to win (Tuesday). Were comfortable any time Verlander goes out there." Both clubs chose to use Wednesday as a full day off without on-field workouts after two long flights in four days. Who to start was quite a choice for 2012 AL Manager of the Year Melvin, whose team is trying to avoid having the season end at the hands of Detroit for the third time in as many postseasons -- last year and also a four-game sweep by the Tigers in the 2006 AL championship series. The last time the As won a winner-take-all post-season game was in Game 7 of the 1973 World Series against the New York Mets. Oakland has lost its last five Game 5s in the AL division series since 2000. The AL West champion As know whats at stake -- and realize full well the challenge of facing Verlander again. Last falls frustrating finish is still fresh for everybody. "We feel like this time we have a better chance to turn the tide," Melvin said. "Its awfully tough to go out there each and every time and consistently beat a team in the fashion that he has with us." Verlander has hardly had the kind of dominant season like he had the past two years, including 2011 when he won both AL MVP and Cy Young Award honours. Yet that hardly affected Leylands decision-making as he insisted Verlanders 13-12 record was hardly indicative of how well he pitched much of the season aside from a couple of rough stretches. Oakland rookie Stephen Vogt delivered a walk-off single in Saturdays win once Verlander was out of the game. But he also had a wild 10-pitch at-bat with Verlander in which the left-handed hitting catcher fouled off the first five pitches and seven in all before striking out to end the seventh. "We can expect pretty much what we saw from him the other night. Hopefully he makes a couple mistakes and were able to capitalize," Vogt said. "Its a tough loss but were not done. We still got one more game. Were not done." Neither are those 48,000-plus fans with their swirling yellow rally towels packing the Coliseum. They are sure to be even more hyped up and fiery Thursday night after watching a disputed home run at Comerica Park in Tuesdays loss. On that play, a pair of fans reached out to grab the ball as right fielder Josh Reddick was leaping for it at the wall. The homer went to replay review and stood as a solo shot for Victor Martinez in the seventh. "We just do it like we have been doing it all season long, we end up winning a pretty good ballgame and its over, turn the page," Martinez said. "We go to Oakland now and play another game. We all know its a tough place to play ... we go to the next day and play a brand new ballgame and see what happens." ' ' '