g how "The Trade" has had a ripple effect through | Forum

The Toronto Maple Leafs surprised many by making the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. Jim Brown Browns Jersey . They have also impressed many more with their efforts against Boston in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series that now stands at 3-2 in favour of the Bruins, after Torontos 2-1 victory in Game 5 on Friday. One of those who has been impressed is Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky spoke with TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com on Saturday and offered his thoughts on the Maple Leafs, the team he watched growing up in Brantford, Ontario. "Theyre up against a really good opponent, a team thats just two years removed from winning the Cup, but any time you can win a Game 5 in that situation against a team of that caliber, obviously youve got character and it builds even more character," Gretzky told LeBrun. "Theyre legit. Theyre playing on high-emotion right now." Gretzky was quick to point out that much of the credit for the Leafs play of late should go to head coach Randy Carlyle and his system. "Its about believing in your system. The system starts with the head coach," added Gretzky. "Hes got tremendous credibility after winning a Stanley Cup himself [2007 in Anaheim]. Its not a question of players saying, Are we sure he knows what hes doing? Because theyre absolutely positive he knows what hes doing. The credibility starts right there with the coach." Gretzky also singled out goaltender James Reimer for his play throughout the season and into the post-season. "There was so much talk throughout the hockey world wondering if their goaltending was strong enough to get through the season and get into the playoffs," Gretzky told LeBrun. "I think their goaltender has answered that question extremely well." Win or lose, Gretzky feels this series will go a long way to improving the long-term outlook of the Leafs, a team that had not made the playoffs in nine years before this season. "You know, theyre still young and theyre still learning," said Gretzky. "This is how you learn, by getting a chance to play in big games like this. Game 5 in Boston was probably one of the biggest games those kids have played in for a long time. From that point of view, its just going to help their maturity and their growth a lot quicker. The Maple Leafs host the Bruins in Game 6 on Sunday night. Should they win to force a seventh game, it would be played back in Boston on Monday night. Karl Mecklenburg Broncos Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. Anthony Munoz Bengals Jersey .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. http:///...OE-THEISMANN-JERSEY/ . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players."Now Im the other man. No ones rooting for me." - Chris Murphy Under any circumstances, it would have been difficult to justify trading Wayne Gretzky in hockey terms. On Wednesday, SportsCentre looked at the man tasked with being the centrepiece of Edmontons return for trading its greatest asset. "The Kid In The Shadow: The Story of Jimmy Carson" aired on SportsCentre as part of the continuing look at the 25th anniversary of the trade that sent Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. "Youre renegotiating a contract. You just bought a house," remembered Carson of that fateful day. "You outfitted it and, oh, by the way, you were just involved in the biggest trade in the history of sports. Now what?" Carson came to Edmonton with great pedigree as one of the five pieces the Oilers obtained in the trade. Arriving hot on the heels of a 55-goal season, Carson - just 20 years old - was supposed to be a building block to keep the on-ice juggernaut that had already won four Stanley Cups rolling. In fact, he still holds the NHL record to this day for most career goals scored before the age of 20 with a total of 92. "He was a phenom," said then Kings owner Bruce McNall. "He had the respect of everybody because he could score." Carson, however, would not last long in Edmonton. "I think his personality was much different than Waynes, so I dont think he was [as] accepted as a person,"; said Oilers stalwart Kevin Lowe. Joe Klecko Jets Jersey. His numbers were excellent - posting 49 goals for the Oilers in 1988-89 - but the young American was unable to withstand the pressure of replacing Gretzky. He would be dealt by the Oilers just four games into the 1989-90 season for a package that included soon-to-be Stanley Cup Final hero Petr Klima. "He called me up and said that he was going home," recalled then Oilers coach John Muckler of the morning Carson requested a trade. "He said I just cant walk back into that dressing room again." TSN Drive host Dave Naylor looked at Carsons struggles, triumphs, and how he learned to chart his own course while being part of someone elses history. TSN.ca also features a host of exclusive content all week long at www.tsn.ca/tradeat25. Visit the site now for videos from 1988, including Gretzkys famous farewell news conference as well as vintage SportsCentre clips from the day the trade broke, as well as clips from the previous "Trade at 25" features that have aired on SportsCentre earlier this week. TSN.ca will also be posting photo galleries all week long examining how "The Trade" has had a ripple effect through the NHL that is still being felt today. Interact with TSN on various social media platforms as well - including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - for vintage Gretzky photos, trivia questions and links to exclusive TSN.ca content all week long. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '