TORONTO – He deftly bounced the Tyler Bozak feed off his left skate and onto the blade of his stick before beating a flabbergasted Craig Anderson with the eventual game-winner, and third goal of yet another scorching night. It was the summation of the fifth career hat trick and fifth career 30-goal season for Phil Kessel – he also added an assist – whose scorching play continues to lead a burning Leafs run, one that reached nine wins in 11 games at the ACC on Saturday night. “Its fun to watch,” Nazem Kadri said of Kessels play after a 6-3 win over Ottawa, the 23-year-old catching fire himself in recent weeks. “Hes making plays out there left, right and centre so well just keep letting him do what he does.” Kessel has mesmerized with his electric production amid the Leafs charge – which has them three points back of Tampa for second in the Atlantic division – totaling 10 goals and 23 points in the past 12 games. He has vaulted into fourth in league scoring with 61 points, now trailing only Alex Ovechkin with 30 goals – the fourth time hes reached that mark in five seasons with the Leafs, the lockout-shortened 48-game season the lone exception. The 26-year-old, set to join Team USA for the second time at the upcoming Olympics in Sochi, appears well on his way to eclipsing a career-high of 37 markers and could very well challenge the 40-goal plateau for the first time. “Its hard to really put a limit on him,” said Bozak, who had a goal and an assist and now has 29 points in 33 games this season. “He can get so streaky. Three goals tonight, who knows next game. You never know with him. I definitely wouldnt doubt him getting 40 goals by any means.” Kessel is on pace for 43 goals and 88 points, both of which would prove career-highs. Toronto is 16-3-3 when he scores this season and 26-6-4 when he records a point. Five Points 1. Kessel vs. Ottawa With their third win in three tries against the Senators this season, the Leafs have now beaten their Ontario rival nine times in the past 10 meetings. Much of that success is owed to their leading scorer, who toys with Ottawa like no other. Kessel has 18 goals and 35 points versus the Senators in 25 games as a Leaf and more career goals (25) and points (46) against them than any other team. 2. Kessels All-Around Game Though his performance is aptly judged on the level of offence he produces, Kessels all-around efforts and competitiveness have notably risen during the Leafs sizzling run, which sees them with 66 points on the year. Pointing first to the deadly shot and skating ability of his teammate, Joffrey Lupul observed that “you know when [Kessels] really playing well because of how hes competing on pucks down-low in the offensive end – turning his back, protecting the puck – and hes been doing that for a while now. It makes him really effective down there.” Added Randy Carlyle: “Hes been classified as this one type of player and we think that hes got more of an all-around ability too because he can distribute the puck, he can pass the puck, he can find people, he can do a lot more things than just shoot.” Kessel has 13 assists during the 12-game run. 3. Secondary Hot Streak Kadris hot streak also kept marching on against the Senators. The 23-year-old set up Lupul for the Leafs second goal – which erased a 2-0 deficit – infuriating the Ottawa bench as he did so. Aggressive on the forecheck, Kadri connected with rookie defender Cody Ceci from behind before digging out the puck and feeding his teammate, who was all alone parked in front. The visitors believed a penalty should have been called on the hit from behind and the goal waved off. “I think he turned just to try and give himself a little more room,” Kadri said of Ceci. “At that point Im just fully committed to hit and I just finished my check. To be honest, I did let up a little bit and the puck was laying there and I just put it in front.” Kadri, who played over 23 minutes (nearing a season-high), also added an empty-netter and has 14 points in the past nine games. He is up to 40 points in 53 games this season. 4. Back on Track In a stretch of 20 games between November and December, Joffrey Lupul failed to find the score-sheet 16 times, producing points (10) in just four games. Bouncing between left and right wing, Lupul played with a rotating cast of centres that included everyone from Jay McClement to James van Riemsdyk to Peter Holland and Trevor Smith. “You would like to stay on one line the entire year because that means, for me youre staying healthy first of all, and having success with your linemates,” the 30-year-old told the Leaf Report late last month. “But weve had so many guys in and out of the lineup – myself included, Clarkson, Kulemin, Bozak, everyones been out – theres been nothing really set in stone other than Phil and JVR together, thats been pretty much the only thing.” Entrenched with the same linemates – Nik Kulemin and Nazem Kadri – for the past eight games, while back at his preferred left wing, Lupul is finding a more consistent offensive touch. He scored his 17th goal against the Senators and now has eight points in the past eight games, totaling 33 points in 48 games this season. “Hes a different player on the left side,” said Carlyle. 5. Riellys Improvement Questioned on where he had improved most from the start of his first full NHL training camp, 19-year-old Morgan Rielly pointed to the defensive end. “Id like to think there are a few things Ive improved on,” he told the Leaf Report. “I would say playing defence in my own end. I think thats an area of the game that as a team weve been trying to improve. I think as we kept practicing that and keep talking about it I think that Ive been able to improve at that. But I think I can keep working at it.” More specifically, Rielly said hes improved in his ability to close out on opposing forwards, sealing them against the glass and thus more quickly erasing offensive opportunities. “Just trying to end plays,” he said. “I think that in the past I was just trying to keep them outside. I was a bit too cautious. I think Ill get stronger at just closing in on them and just trying to end the play.” Now paired with Tim Gleason, Riellys defensive assignments are getting tougher and included Ottawa captain Jason Spezza on Saturday evening. Stats-Pack 23 – Points for Phil Kessel in the past 12 games, totaling 10 goals in that span. 14 – Points in the past nine games for Nazem Kadri. 8 – Times in the past nine games that Kadri has registered at least a point. 6 – Consecutive wins for the Leafs at home, the first time theyve accomplished that feat since Mar.6 – Apr. 7, 2007 (9-game streak). 26 – Power-play goals for the Leafs at home this season, most in the NHL. 16-3-3 – Leafs record this season when Kessel scores a goal. 18 – Goals for Kessel in 25 career games as a Leaf against Ottawa. 3:43 – Ice-time for Greg McKegg in his NHL debut. 10-10 – Toronto penalty kill in the past three games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-5Season: 22.7% (3rd) PK: 2-2Season: 78% (28th) Quote of the Night I “Its a new one for me. To me, its crazy. A guy wears a new pair of skates in the morning, plays the game that night and the next morning hes got lace bite. Go figure. Im at a loss to explain it.” -Randy Carlyle, on the injury which kept Peter Holland out of Saturdays lineup. Quote of the Night II “Hes talking. Four points and he talks.” -Tyler Bozak, upon seeing the media-relunctant Phil Kessel speaking with reporters. Up Next The Leafs head south, visiting the Panthers in Sunrise on Tuesday before taking on the Lightning in Tampa on Thursday. Ibraheim Campbell Jersey . Moments after his Brooklyn Nets teammates ran out onto the court to congratulate him following their 100-98 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Johnson could only shake his head at scoring only 13 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Keke Coutee Jersey . With the win, the Marlies complete a three-game series sweep of the Admirals and move on to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. T.J. Brennan added an empty netter with less than 25 seconds remaining for his second of the playoffs. http://www.texansrookiesproshop.com/samm...-texans-jersey/. Cavaliers shooting guard Craig Ehlo makes a solid play on the ball, but still Jordan hits the amazing shot. Justin Reid Texans Jersey . -- Kevin Harvick pulled away on a restart with 47 laps to go and ended Chase Elliotts two-race winning streak in NASCARs Nationwide Series with a dominating victory early Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. Justin Reid Jersey . Kerr said he had dinner with Jackson, his former coach with Chicago and the new Knicks team president, on Friday night and they talked again Saturday. Kerr is in New York to work the game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors for TNT.SAN FRANCISCO - Down three runs and in danger of getting pushed to the World Series brink, Pablo Sandoval and the San Francisco Giants raised up some Panda-monium.Sandovals single set up the tying run in the fifth inning and the 2012 Series MVP followed with a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth that sent the Giants surging past the Kansas City Royals 11-4 Saturday night at pulsating AT&T Park.Hunter Pence, eyes ablaze, had three hits, three RBIs and a nifty sliding catch in the ninth inning, and Joe Panik hit a two-run double in a four-run seventh. San Francisco piled on 16 hits in a marathon of exactly 4 hours.We never give up, thats the thing, Sandoval said. Weve been doing it all year in these situations. We know how that feels.The Series is tied at two games apiece, ensuring the title will be decided at Kansas Citys Kauffman Stadium next week.Madison Bumgarner tries to put the Giants ahead Sunday night when he starts against Royals ace James Shields in a rematch of the opener, won by the Giants 7-1.This was a great ballgame, I thought, especially the way we came back, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. So I enjoyed it.Showcasing baseball at its exciting best, the game included a sprawling catch by Royals centre fielder Jarrod Dyson that left a pair of divots, and the first use of expanded video review in Series history — which became a turning point. Jeff Kelloggs safe call at second base was upheld on catcher Salvador Perezs pickoff attempt of Joaquin Arias, helping the Giants build the pivotal rally.Four fans in the first row near the Giants dugout wore giant — of course — white panda heads as they cheered on Sandoval, nicknamed Kung Fu Panda and a veteran of the teams World Series titles in 2010 and 12. The switch-hitter batted just .199 right-handed during the regular season but came up with his first two-hit game from that side of the plate since Aug. 25, emphatically tossing his bat after lining a single to centre that put the Giants ahead.Clutch hitter, Royals manager Ned Yost said. I thought we had the situation right in the palm of our hand.Lost in the torrent of runs was the earlier fit of pique by Bochy, who threw his hat to the dugout floor when his infielders botched a third-inning grounder. The mood was different by the eighth, when former Journey singer Steve Perry sprinted to the front row of the second deck behind home plate and led the crowd of 43,066 in a sing-along of When the Lights Go Down in the City.The outlook seemed far different in the third inning, when ominous, dark clouds formed over the bayside ballpark, and the Royals burst ahead 4-1 against Ryan Vogelsong with the help of the botched grounder. Orange-clad fans quieted, and there even were scattered boos.But Yusmiero Petit settled the NL champions with three innings of scoreless, two-hit relief to improve to 3-0 in the post-season, and 11 different Giants had hits, including three of 10 in thee No.dddddddddddd 9 spot; Petits single made him the first Giants reliever to get a Series hit in 78 years.Yost stayed with starter Jason Vargas into the fifth, removing him after Paniks leadoff double. Royals relievers had been 7-0 in the post-season and in Game 3 pitched four hitless innings to preserve a 3-2 win.But Yost couldnt get to his HDH triad of hard-throwing relievers: Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland.Jason Frasor and Danny Duffy combined to allow the tying run in a two-run fifth. And Brandon Finnegan, the first player to appear in the College World Series and World Series in the same year, allowed Sandovals two-run single and Brandon Belts RBIs single in the sixth.There was intermittent light rain in the early innings. Pences RBI forceout in the first gave the Giants a short-lived lead.Kansas City went ahead with a two-out four-run rally in the third with the help of two infield hits that gave the Royals 18 in the post-season, matching the total of all other teams combined. Eric Hosmer hit a slow tapper to the right side. Belt ranged far off first base to field it, and quickly looked to see if he could get a forceout at second.With no play there, Belt whirled around and tried to toss to Vogelsong. But the pitcher didnt get to the bag cleanly, messed up his footwork and had no chance to prevent Hosmer from reaching with a tying single.Bochy slammed his cap to the dugout floor. Omar Infante grounded a two-run single up the middle for a 3-1 lead, and Perez followed with a bloop single for a 4-1 lead.Occasionally I do show emotion in that dugout, Bochy said. I just felt for him. I mean, this guy was making great pitches, and we couldnt get that last out.Buster Posey cut the deficit in the bottom half with an RBI single, tying Barry Bonds team record of 21 career post-season RBIs. Pences RBI single in the fifth caused Frasor to throw up both arms in frustration, Sandoval singled Pence to third and Juan Perezs sacrifice fly made it 4-all.Oh, man, somewhere inside of me secretly I had hoped that it would go seven games for the excitement and the thrill of it, Yost said. Sure looks that way.UP NEXTRoyals: Shields has a 7.11 ERA this post-season, totalling 19 innings in four starts.Giants: Bumgarner is 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA in five post-season starts this year.PITCHERS AT THE PLATEVargas became the first AL pitcher to bat twice in a Series inning since Bostons Luis Tiant in the 1975 opener.MUSIC TO THEIR EARSCarlos Santana played The Star-Spangled Banner on a guitar, joined by son Salvador Santana on keyboards. Just before that, the ceremonial first pitch was thrown — from the rubber — by Mone Davis, the 13-year-old who this year became the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series. Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who sustained a traumatic brain injury when he was beaten outside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 2011, yelled Play Ball! China Jerseys Cheap Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale NFL White Jerseys ' ' '
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