WILMINGTON, Mass. Laurent Koscielny Jersey . -- The speed and scoring touch that made Jaromir Jagr one of the NHLs best players are gone. Even the famous mullet that flowed from beneath his helmet disappeared many moons ago. But his passion for hockey remains. Now hes bringing that back to Pittsburgh, the city where he won Stanley Cups in his first two seasons. More than two decades later, the 41-year-old right wing can help the Boston Bruins win their second title in three seasons. First, they must beat the offensively potent Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals. The first two games are in Pittsburgh, with the schedule to be announced after the Western Conference semifinals end Wednesday. "I dont really remember the last time I was in this position," Jagr said after practice Tuesday. "It doesnt happen very often and the players should realize that. Its not automatic to make the playoffs or automatic to be in the last four teams to play for the Cup." Jagr was just 18 when his rookie season began in 1990. He was on the Penguins team that beat the Bruins in six games in the conference finals. A year later, Pittsburgh swept Boston in the same round, winning the first game on Jagrs overtime goal. The Penguins went on to win their first two Cups those seasons. Way back then, he didnt concern himself with how long he might keep playing. "I dont think you think that way at all," he said, but "if you love something, it doesnt matter what it is. If you love your job, you love your wife or somebody or something, you just want to be with that all the time. So, to me, I love this game. So as long as I can play, I want to play. Thats the reason Im playing. I just love it." That desire has taken him to six NHL teams, with a three-year break from 2008-11 to play in Russia. He brought it to the Bruins, who needed an offensive boost, when they obtained him from the Dallas Stars on April 2. But Pittsburgh is the city where he established himself. "A lot of people still remind me (of) that, but it happened 13 years ago, the last time I played for them," Jagr said. "So its a long time and 23 years ago was my first game." But what if someone had told him when he was starting out that hed be playing for the Bruins against the Penguins in the playoffs all these years later? "I dont think anybody would have told me that," Jagr said with a laugh. "I was 18 years old so I didnt think that far ahead. I was kind of thinking, Whats going to be tomorrow? not Whats going to be 20 years later?" Hes already won a playoff round this season against a former team. The Bruins won the conference semifinals in five games over the New York Rangers, where Jagr set the clubs single-season record with 54 goals in 2005-06. Bruins fans havent seen that scoring skill all that often. Jagr scored just two goals in 11 regular-season games and none in 12 playoff games for Boston. "I always love to score. Nothing is going to change me," he said. "Maybe something greats going to happen a little later." Its not as if he hasnt come close. "I think its unfortunate that his numbers dont reflect his play," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "I can remember twice, hes got the open net, right next to it, and gets robbed twice. Its got to be a little frustrating for a guy like him. "Hes there. Hes in the right position." With his big body and vast experience, Jagr still controls the puck while shielding opponents from it until he can make a good pass. When he was moved up from the third to the second line during the playoffs, his new linemates, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, started producing. "Hes made a lot of good things happen with that line," Julien said. And Bergeron expects Jagr to score soon. "Its right there. The goals are coming," Bergeron said. "Hes an amazing player. Im learning a lot. You need to learn where to be on the ice with new linemates." The Penguins certainly arent taking him lightly -- not one of the greatest players in their history. "Hes still got that good ability to get a shot off in tight spaces," Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby said. "So, yeah, I definitely think hes still a threat out there." Brenden Morrow was Jagrs teammate with Dallas this season until being traded to Pittsburgh on March 24. "Hes still just as excited as any 18-year-old in the locker room," Morrow said. "His skills are still there. His big bodys tough to move when hes planted and has possession of the puck. He played real well for us in Dallas, scored some big goals. "Hes a threat every time hes on the ice." Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, just 17 months older than Jagr, agrees. "I dont look at birth certificates," he said. "Hes still got game, maybe not the same hair as he did when he was in Pittsburgh, but hes still got game." A game that -- as it did 22 years ago -- can still help a team win a Stanley Cup. "We knew what we were getting out of a 41-year-old (future) Hall of Famer and that was that he was going to be solid," Julien said. "Hes been nothing but a great asset." ------ NOTES: Pittsburgh won all three games it played against Boston this season, all by one goal. ... Bruins defenceman Andrew Ference returned to practice after missing the last seven games with a lower body injury. Julien said he wasnt ready to say Ference would play in Game 1 if hes healthy. Toni Kroos Jersey . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Antoine Griezmann Jersey . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. http://www.soccerpro.us.com/Germany/Julian-Draxler-Jersey/. The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round.NEW YORK -- Feeling he was close to a deal for Paul Pierce, a thought crossed Billy Kings mind. "I asked, What about KG?"" the Nets general manager said. Yes, Brooklyn is also getting Kevin Garnett -- and a real shot at contending for a championship. "I would say ending today its a good day for the organization," King said Friday on a conference call. And its the close of a championship chapter in the Celtics storied history. Bostons blockbuster breakup is complete. Pierce and Garnett are Brooklyn-bound, and its the Nets who are thinking big as they head into their second season in their new home. "Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets," team owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. "With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against." Its a nine-player, three-draft-pick swap agreed to on draft night and centred on the two aging champions who won a title in Boston in 2008. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge eventually agreed to put Garnett in the deal, and Garnett waved his no-trade clause after some lobbying from new Nets coach Jason Kidd and point guard Deron Williams. The Nets also got Jason Terry and D.J. White from Boston, while sending Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans and first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018 to the rebuilding Celtics. Boston also gets the right to swap first-round picks in 2017. The teams agreed to the deal on June 27 but it couldnt be completed until after next seasons salary cap was set. The Nets plan to introduce their new stars Thursday at Barclays Center. Boston won five straight division titles from 2008-12 before falling back last season, the first following Ray Allens departure to Miami. Then the Celtics let coach Doc Rivers out of his contract after the season by acquiring a first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers. This trade signals a new phase for the team that has won an NBA-high 17 championships and got used to being in the hunt again after Garnett arrived in 2007. "Paul and Kevin exemplified everything it means to be a Celtic," Celtics managing partner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck said. "They were instrumental in bringing back Celtic Pride and providing our fans with the franchises first championship in over 20 years in 2008. We wish them nothing but the best in the future." The Nets went 49-33 in their first season in Brooklyn and have spent big in hopes of bettering that in 2013-14. They also signed versatile forward Andrei Kirilenko, re-signed backup big man Andray Blatche and added reserve guard Shaun Livingston. They blew well past the luxury tax line and are facing a bill of $80 million in taxes, but Prokhorov wanted a title within five years of owning the team. Kellyn Acosta Jersey. A starting five of Garnett, Pierce, Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, along with former Sixth Man of the Year Terry, has a chance to compete for one. The window to win is small, two years at the most given the ages of Pierce and Garnett -- though King sees those as incentive more than detriment. "I enjoy the fact that people keep questioning Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce because I know that theyll come out and prove people wrong," King said. The Celtics hadnt won a title since 1986 before they acquired Garnett and Allen in 2007. They joined with Pierce to form the core of a team that won 66 games and a title their first season together, reached the NBA Finals again in 2010, and returned the Celtics to their longtime place atop the league. But Garnett is 37, Pierce will be 36 by opening night, and Ainge realized the Celtics days of competing for titles with this group were finished after a first-round exit, and chose to go in another direction. "We would not have won Banner 17 without Paul and Kevin and they will go down amongst the all-time great players to have ever worn a Celtics uniform," Ainge said. "At the same time we are excited to welcome Gerald, Kris, Keith, MarShon and Kris to the Celtics family. They bring a wealth of talent, experience, depth, and flexibility to our team." The Celtics thanked Garnett and Pierce, who is second on the teams career scoring list, with a full-page ad in Fridays Boston Globe. Wallace was a starter for the Nets last season, and Humphries and Bogans sometimes started. They join a Celtics team led by first-year coach Brad Stevens, the former Butler coach who was hired to replace Rivers. The Nets also will be led by a rookie in Kidd, who was hired shortly after retiring as a player and will see much more talent when he looks down his bench. Garnett is a 15-time All-Star and Pierce a 10-time selection, and both are among the NBAs top-20 career scorers. Even while slowing down a bit as they near the end of their careers, Pierce averaged 18.6 points last season, and Garnett added 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds while remaining one of the NBAs most tenacious defensive big men. Terry averaged 13.5 points last season, his only one in Boston. Kirilenko agreed to his contract Thursday and was signed Friday. He will make $3.2 million this season and has an option for the second year. The forward opted out of a deal that would have paid him $10 million in Minnesota this season and will play again for former CSKA Moscow boss Prokhorov. "He is a true talent with tremendous versatility," Prokhorov said. "As a fellow countryman, I am especially proud that the best Russian player in the history of the NBA will be wearing a Nets jersey." Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
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