ams Capsule PP: 1-3 Season: 24.7% P | Forum

(SportsNetwork. Cheap Jerseys Throwback .com) - Jon Lester eyes his fourth win this postseason on Monday when the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals play a pivotal Game 5 of the World Series at Busch Stadium. Lester gave the Red Sox the early advantage in this series, as he scattered five hits over 7 2/3 scoreless innings to nail down the Game 1 win and improve to 3-1 this postseason, while lowering his ERA to 1.67. He is also 2-0 lifetime in the World Series and has yet to allow a run in 13 2/3 innings. "His physical strength and endurance is unique," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "I think the one thing we all recognize is that power stuff wins in the postseason. Hes got it. He maintains it. And in addition to his physical strengths, theres a degree of concentration that hes capable of maintaining that gives him the ability to execute consistently." Of course, during his Game 1 win a St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguer tweeted out a picture and suggested that Lester may be hiding a foreign substance in his glove. Videos then surfaced and the story seemed to take on a life of its own before the Cardinals and Major League Baseball both said there was nothing to it. "Im sure theres going to be a focus on my glove and focus on my hands and what Im doing, but Ive got to worry about the Cardinals," said Lester. "If Im worried about what people are looking at, Im worried about the wrong things. Im going to go out and pitch my game." St. Louis, meanwhile, will turn to its ace Adam Wainwright, who will be trying to bounce back from a poor showing in that Game 1 assignment. Wainwright lost his second straight postseason start in that one and allowed five runs -- three earned -- and six hits in five innings. The NL wins leader this season with 19, Wainwright is 2-2 this postseason with a 2.25 ERA. "I honestly dont know why my mechanics were as bad as they were, why my delivery was off as much as it was," Wainwright said. "But I feel like Ive put in a lot of good reps in front of the mirror and watching film and feeling my delivery, learning the basics all over again. I feel like Ive made a lot of good adjustments to be ready to throw some quality pitches the next time. I threw maybe four or five quality pitches the whole time I was pitching (in Game 1)." Wainwright is 4-0 with a 1.07 ERA in eight postseason games -- four starts -- in St. Louis. Boston evened this best-of-seven set at two games apiece on Sunday with a 4-2 win, as Jonny Gomes cracked a three-run homer in the sixth inning to break a tie and David Ortiz reached base in all four plate appearances. The Red Sox bounced back nicely after losing Game 3 Saturday night on the first walk-off obstruction call in World Series history. Sundays game ended abruptly with a pickoff when Red Sox closer Koji Uehara caught Kolten Wong leaning off first base with Carlos Beltran at the plate as the tying run for the Cardinals. Wong said his foot slipped as he turned to get back to the bag. "I knew I was dead," said Wong. Gomes -- a late replacement when Shane Victorino was scratched from the lineup because of lower back tightness -- homered into the Boston bullpen behind left field with two outs off reliever Seth Maness, who had just entered for St. Louis starter Lance Lynn. "The one thing you can guarantee is when Im in the lineup, Im going to be swinging," said Gomes. Maness threw Gomes five sinkers, leaving the last one up in the zone. "I just missed my spot," said Maness. Beltran had an RBI single in the defeat for the Cardinals, who lost for the first time this postseason when scoring first (8-1). Of the previous 42 times that a World Series has been tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series 27 times, but just three times in the last 10 occasions. This is the 10th time that St. Louis has been in this position and has won Game 5 just four times. However, it has gone on to win the series in eight of those instances. Boston, meanwhile, has been tied 2-2 three other times and has lost the series on all three occasions, despite winning Game 5 twice. This series will shift back to Fenway Park for Game 6 on Wednesday. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. http://www.cheapjerseysthrowback.com/ . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less.PITTSBURGH – The good was ultimately overshadowed by the bad. Unraveling at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, the Leafs dropped their third game in the last four, falling prey to the potency of a relentless Penguins attack. The visitors failed to land even a single shot in the third period and overtime. "I thought we did some things good for parts of the game," said James van Riemsdyk, who had three points in the 6-5 shootout defeat, "but obviously against a team like that you give them an inch and theyre going to take it all." A string of penalties, an increasingly ineffective penalty kill, and a submissive third period spelled doom for the Leafs on this night. Leads of 4-1 and 5-3 evaporated into another concerning loss, this one on the heels of a 6-0 pounding from Columbus on Monday night. "Therere some good things we did in the game tonight that put us in the position we were in," said Cody Franson, referring to the aforementioned leads, "but weve got to do a better job from the position of holding a lead." Riding out the wave of an early first period storm, momentum was firmly on the Toronto side in the opening moments of the middle frame. Bang-bang goals from van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel 29 seconds apart in the first minute of the second bumped the lead to 4-1 while ending the night of Marc-Andre Fleury. What followed, however, was a disastrous string of five consecutive penalties, the imposing Pittsburgh power play scoring three times before Evgeni Malkin finally evened the score at five early in the third. Owning the final frame, the Penguins outshot the Leafs 17-0, not a single shot coming the way of rookie netminder Jeff Zatkoff until the shootout; he stopped both Tyler Bozak and David Clarkson. "We stopped skating. We stopped forechecking. We stopped playing," said Randy Carlyle of his teams final 25 minutes, frustrated with a number of issues including the officiating on this night. "Theres no explanation for us not getting any shots in the third period." The Leafs are now 4-5-2 in the month of November – only two of those wins in regulation – the underlying concerns of a seemingly quick start coming to the forefront. Carlyle has been banging loud on the drum for improvements all year – even amid a 6-1-0 start – more urgently of late though. And while the Leafs certainly did some good on this night, including an effective fore-check that helped generate two of the four even-strength goals – they had 10 such goals in the previous 10 games – it was disturbingly overshadowed by the ills of what went wrong. Defensive issues, both at even-strength and on the penalty kill – Jonathan Bernier faced 48 shots, four nights after James Reimer faced 50 – amid an inconsistently produced style have left the group in search of answers as a three-game road trip continues in Buffalo on Friday night. "There was obviously some really good stuff," said Carl Gunnarsson, "but how it ended doesnt feel that good. "We got one point, but the way it looked going into the third I think we all wanted more than that." Five Points 1. Struggling Penalty Kill As the second-best penalty kill in the NHL last season the Leafs allowed only 19 power play goals in 48 games. Disjointed in recent weeks and now ranked 20th overall this season, the unit has already allowed 20 power play goals in just 25 games. The Penguins scored three on Wednesday night, the fourth time already this season that the Leafs have yielded two or more in a game (they gave up two or more only three times all of last season). Over the past 11 games, the special teams unit has yielded 13 goals on 44 opportunities for a shallow success rate of 71 per cent. "PK wasnt really there today," said Gunnarsson. "We took too many stupid penalties." Increasing the pressure on the troubled penalty kill has been the number of penalties. Only one team (Ottawa) has taken more minor penalties this season than the 113 the Leafs have been whistled for. Jerred Smithson was called for a questionable hold in the offensive zone moments into the third and van Riemsdyk was then penalized less than a minute later for hooking, also in the offensive zone. James Neal scored on the subsequent five-on-three advantage, the third Pittsburgh goal with the man advantage. "It gave them all the momentum," Carlyle said of the penalties. "You cant take penalties in the offensive zone. You cant take penalties when youre down a man. It was a hooking and a hold." 2. More Pressure on the Goalie Yielding 48 to the Penguins the Leafs are now dead-last in shots against this season (36.1 per game). While Bernier and Reimer both succeeded amid relentless onslaughts early and often this season, including a 49-save performance from the latter on Saturday night, the heavy pressure has, of late, been too difficult to withstand. During this recent four-game struggle, of which the Leafs have lost three, Bernier and Reimer have combined to post an .892 save percentage. 3. Disaster Frame Cody Franson hadnt realized his team had faailed to generate even a single shot in the third until it was announced in the arena. Cheap Jersyes. It was the first time since April 2000 that the Leafs landed zero shots on goal in a period. "We received most of that period," Franson said. Unable to mount any kind of resistance to the Penguins attack the Leafs wilted under the considerable pressure and skill of their opponent. Rarely was a moment or more spent in the offensive zone, almost no work to be had for Zatkoff and plenty on the opposite end for Bernier. "They were coming and we couldnt really ride out the storm," said Gunnarsson. "Weve got an old enough group and a veteran core that should be able to grab a hold of it and make a difference with our structure and the way we were playing," Carlyle said. 4. Officiating Concerns Among the frustrations for Carlyle and the Leafs was the officiating. Most disturbing to them was the non-call on Malkins game-tying goal. "He pushed the goalie first and then deposited the puck," said Carlyle of Malkin, who edged Bernier into the goal before pushing the puck across the line. "But were not supposed to complain about that stuff." Asked if he received any explanation, Carlyle said, "By that time they didnt want to talk to anybody. They get to a position where they think that they dont have to talk to people I guess." The Leafs coach also wasnt pleased with the "soft call" on Smithson early in the third. "I dont know what hes supposed to do," Carlyle said. "He got on the right side of the guy and he took the man out. They saw it differently." Additionally befuddling Nazem Kadri was a goaltender interference call that opened the doors to the home teams comeback. Bumping incidentally into Zatkoff behind the Pittsburgh goal, Kadri and the opposing Penguins were initially told that no call would be made; Zatkoff, they said, had caused the contact. An official behind the play though deemed it a penalty. 5. Gardiner Scratched A healthy scratch 10 times last season, Jake Gardiner was scratched for the first time this season on Wednesday night. Gardiner, who actually led the Leafs with nearly 24 minutes against the Blue Jackets on Monday, didnt appear pleased with the news but seemed to understand it. "I didnt play good so I wasnt too surprised," Gardiner said of his last game, which also saw him on the ice for three goals against in a 6-0 defeat to Columbus. "Ive just got to make better decisions with the puck." Carlyle, who had a lengthy chat with Gardiner at Wednesdays morning skate, said lineup changes would be made with the "best interest of the team" in mind. "That wont change," he said. "Thats our DNA and weve been very honest and forthcoming with our players that thats the decisions we make and sometimes it doesnt always sit well with individuals and it shouldnt. If your numbers not called you should be upset." Paul Ranger replaced Gardiner in the lineup against the Penguins. Teamed with Morgan Rielly, Ranger played nearly 22 minutes after sitting the past two games himself. "Just be a little more consistent, just all around with decisions," Ranger said of re-entering the lineup. "Keep pushing to get back into the pace of the game here. Be reliable in my own and make some good breakout passes and play the system that were playing." Bonus Point - Lupuls Luck Over the course of his first five seasons in the NHL, Joffrey Lupul rarely missed a game. Lupul played in 372 of 405 games (with the Ducks, Oilers and Flyers) or 92 per cent of the time. The next five seasons would bring with it a different strain of luck. The now 30-year-old played in 181 of 316 games (with the Ducks and Leafs) or just 57 per cent of the time. Having already missed time in Toronto with a dislocated right shoulder, fractured right forearm, concussion, and bruised foot, Lupul will now miss at least two weeks with a groin injury. "Thats the ballpark figure they gave us," said Carlyle, who replaced Lupul in the lineup with Peter Holland. Stat-Pack 71% – Success rate for the Leaf penalty kill in the past 11 games. 19 – Number of power play goals allowed by the Leafs in 48 games last season. 20 – Number of power play goals allowed by the Leafs in 25 games this season. 3 – Multi-goal games for James van Riemsdyk this season. 0 – Shots in the final 25 minutes for the Leafs on Wednesday night. 2 – Even-strength points for Phil Kessel in November. Kessel scored his team-leading 13th goal this season in the middle frame on Wednesday night. 24:37 – Ice-time for Tyler Bozak against the Penguins, first among Leaf forwards. 113 – Minor penalties for the Leafs this season, second most in the NHL. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 Season: 24.7% PK: 2-5 Season: 79.4% Quote of the Night "We cant expect our goalies to stop 50 shots a night." - Carl Gunnarsson, following a 48-shot outing for Jonathan Bernier on Wednesday night. Up Next The Leafs make their final trip to Buffalo on Friday, clashing with the Sabres for the third time this season. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '