Begrüßung » Jimenez hit Daniel Nava with a pitch

PITTSBURGH, Pa. Cincinnati Reds Pro Shop . - The New York Rangers have momentum, a unified locker room and Henrik Lundqvist. The Pittsburgh Penguins have two of the worlds best players and a coach who could be needing a win to keep his job. No pressure or anything, just a Game 7 that could alter the long-term future of one of the NHLs most stable franchises and boost the immediate prospects of an emotionally charged group rallying around one of the games most respected veterans. Looking overmatched and overwhelmed while falling behind 3-1 to the Penguins four games into the Eastern Conference semifinals, its the Rangers who head to Game 7 on Tuesday night looking like the team ready to move on. Martin St. Louis, just days removed from the death of his mother, scored the first of New Yorks three goals in Game 6 to provide the jolt that carried the Rangers all the way back from the brink. The way St. Louis figures it, he is simply repaying the guys in a dressing room hes still learning after arriving in New York after a trade with Tampa Bay in February. "I think when something like that happens to one person to see the support you get from everybody else, it really makes it real," he said. "Theres not phoniness about the family feeling you want to create." Its a feeling that ebbs and flows in Pittsburgh. Dominant and disruptive to start the series, the Penguins have spent the last six periods giving New York every reason to believe it can rally from a 3-1 deficit for the first time in franchise history. Centre Sidney Crosby has just one goal in 12 games. The power play — which tied with Washington for the leagues best in the regular season — has converted just one of its past 19 chances. And now coach Dan Bylsma finds himself 60 minutes away from either taking the Penguins back to the conference finals for the third time in six years or possibly looking for work. Not that Bylsma is ready to talk about the big picture yet. The task at hand is worrisome enough. "These are the ones you dream about playing," Bylsma said. "This is one were going to remember." The memories havent been kind to the Penguins in deciding games on home ice. Pittsburgh is just 2-6 at home in Game 7s in franchise history, including losses to Montreal in 2010 and Tampa Bay three years ago. The Penguins played the entire series against the Lightning without Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, who sat out with injuries. Both have been healthy this time around, skating alongside each other in the hopes theyll provide offence. Only Malkin, who has six goals in 13 games, has delivered. Though Crosby ended a 13-game playoff goal drought in Game 3, he spent as much time in Game 6 jawing with the Rangers and getting water squirted on him by Lundqvist as he did trying to become the magnetic force that can sometimes change the course of a game with his will. Crosby insists he is healthy even while averaging just .75 points per game during the post-season, well below his career playoff average of 1.28. The leagues leading scorer received a pep talk from Penguins co-owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux in the aftermath of Game 6. Having a quick chat is nothing new for Crosby and his mentor. "He definitely has a pretty good understanding of dealing with the pressure," Crosby said. So does Lundqvist. The goaltender thrives when the pressure is its highest. He was New Yorks best player early in the series, the main reason 3-2, 2-0 and 3-0 losses didnt look worse. When it looked as if the Rangers were out of it after falling behind 3-1, he responded by stopping 67 of the next 69 shots he faced and is 9-2 with a 1.35 goals-against average with the Rangers facing elimination. The three-time All-Star is 4-1 in Game 7s. "He takes his game up to another level," New York coach Alain Vigneault said. "But this Game 7 against this team, its going to have to be a team level. Its going to have to be everybody taking their game to another level." The same can be said in the Penguins dressing room, which could have a very different look. If the team built to become a dynasty after winning it all in 2009 falls short of the Stanley Cup finals for the fifth straight season. The Penguins won that title in Game 7 on the road against Detroit, the defending champions. To take the next step back they have to find that magic at home. "We worked hard all year to get home ice in the playoffs," Crosby said. "To get to this point weve got to look at this like an opportunity and make the most of it." Curt Casali Jersey . His apology came before a pregame ceremony in which the team honoured its 2004 team that won Bostons first World Series championship since 1918. "I realize that I behaved bad in Boston," Ramirez said. Barry Larkin Jersey .C. -- Unable to get much lift off his sore right ankle, Bobcats centre Al Jefferson figured it was time to make an adjustment. https://www.cheapredsjerseys.us/ .C. -- Marcus Paige and his North Carolina teammates have endured so many wild swings -- big wins, surprising losses, NCAA drama -- that no one can blame their Hall of Fame coach for wondering whats next. BALTIMORE -- Even though the Boston Red Sox insist that theyve turned the page from last year, their first win of the season was eerily reminiscent of 2013. David Ortiz and Mike Napoli homered, John Lackey threw six sharp innings and Boston ruined the Baltimore debut of Ubaldo Jimenez with a 6-2 victory Wednesday night. Dustin Pedroia had four hits for the defending World Series champion Red Sox, now 1-1 after losing to Baltimore on opening day. "Dustin, David and Mike. Thats three of the better hitters in the league," said Boston manager John Farrell, who rode the trio to 97 wins during the 2013 regular season. Lackey (1-0) looked even sharper than he did last year, when he had a 3.52 ERA in 29 starts. In this one, the right-hander allowed two runs and three hits before handing the ball to the bullpen, which finished with three scoreless innings. "I just threw country hard balls the first few innings, then was able to mix in other pitches later on," Lackey said. "I was very pleased for the first time. It felt pretty good. Its something I can keep building on." Lackey said he made "one mistake" -- an 0-2 pitch that Nelson Cruz hit over the right field wall for his second homer in two games. But the Orioles did little else right against Lackey, who walked one and struck out six in improving to 14-5 lifetime against Baltimore. "He had command and he was throwing strikes and he was working fast," Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said. "It seemed like it was the fourth or fifth inning before we really started to see some pitches over the middle of the plate. Youve got to tip your hat to him. When he can locate like that with his kind of stuff, youre going to have success." Ortiz connected in the third inning and Napoli made it 4-2 with a two-run shot in the fifth. Both homers came off Jimenez (0-1), who signed a four-year contract with the Orioles in February after winning 13 games with Cleveland last year. "The one to David, that was a good pitch," Jimenez said. "It seems like he was looking for that pitch and he hit it good. But the one to Napoli, I would definitely like to have that back. Oh-and-2, biig mistake. Billy Hatcher Jersey. I was trying to go away and left it right down the middle." Jimenez allowed four runs, five hits and three walks in six innings. He struck out six in his lamentable Orioles debut. "You always want to win. But it is part of the game," he said. "Thats how it goes. I still have 30 more games to go. I have to get ready for my next one." Ortiz put the Red Sox up 2-0 in the third inning with a drive to right following a single by Pedroia. Ortiz was 0 for 7 lifetime against Jimenez before connecting. "The pitch to Ortiz wasnt a bad pitch," Wieters said. "He was probably looking for something in and he got it and he didnt miss it. Youve got to give him credit." Lackey gave up a leadoff single to Nick Markakis, then retired 11 straight before Chris Davis walked with two outs in the fourth. Cruz followed with an opposite-field drive to right on an 0-2 pitch. Signed as a free agent in February, Cruz has accounted for all of Baltimores four runs this season -- three RBIs and a run scored. In the fifth, Jimenez hit Daniel Nava with a pitch and Napoli homered on an 0-2 count. Boston pulled away in the seventh against Ryan Webb. After two singles and an intentional walk to Ortiz loaded the bases, Napoli lined a two-run single to left. Napoli had a major league-leading 31 RBIs last year with the bases loaded. And this year, nothings changed. "In that situation, youve got one out and the bases loaded, so Im just trying to hit a flyball to get the run in," Napoli said. "I just happened to get a base hit, so thats extra. Its nice to come through in those situations." NOTES: Thursday nights series finale features a duel of left-handers: Bostons Felix Doubront against Wei-Yin Chen. ... Baltimore LHP Johan Santana, seeking to rebound from shoulder surgery, threw 30 pitches off a full mound Wednesday in Florida. "Its encouraging to see that Johans throwing all his pitches," manager Buck Showalter said. ... David Lough went 0 for 4 and Steve Lombardozzi went 1 for 3 in their Orioles debut. ... Lackey has gone at least five innings in 23 of 24 starts against Baltimore. ' ' '