WASHINGTON - The San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals both missed the post-season last year. [url=https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/641j-matt-miazga-jersey-usa.html]Mat t Miazga Jersey[/url] . Thats pretty much where the similarities end heading into Fridays NL Division Series opener.Bruce Boch

WASHINGTON - The San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals both missed the post-season last year. Matt Miazga Jersey . Thats pretty much where the similarities end heading into Fridays NL Division Series opener.Bruce Bochy has managed the Giants to two of the past four World Series championships. Nationals skipper Matt Williams is about to lead a team in the playoffs for the first time.The Giants have won eight consecutive post-season games, including an 8-0 wild-card victory at Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.The NL East champion Nationals, most of whom have never won a playoff series, spent Wednesday at their home ballpark playing an intrasquad scrimmage between groups they dubbed The Face-Eaters a€” a reference to Jayson Werths 2013 comment about showing up for a game ready to eat somebodys face a€” and Team Alpha.It was dressed up to look and sound like the real thing: Fake crowd noise was piped in; videos were shown on the scoreboard; the game-day PA announcer introduced players; rookie reliever Aaron Barrett even sang the national anthem.All in all, it was good camaraderie and good competition and got the juices flowing a little bit, which is what was needed, reliever Tyler Clippard said, referring to the four-day break the Nationals will have had between Sundays regular-season finale and the series start. It was a game situation. We in this clubhouse are very competitive people, and want to beat each other just as bad as we want to beat everybody else.First baseman Adam LaRoche joked the Giants confidence is up because of their win against the Pirates, but we just had a big intrasquad yesterday, so our confidence is up, too.Both teams worked out at Nationals Park on Thursday, and both managers announced their starting pitchers for Games 1-3.Fridays matchup between Washingtons Stephen Strasburg and San Franciscos Jake Peavy a€” pals who sometimes work out together in San Diego a€” gives one indication of the gap in experience the series represents. Strasburg, held out of the 2012 post-season to protect his surgically repaired elbow, will be making his playoff debut; Peavy will be making his sixth October start, including as a member of last seasons World Series champion Boston Red Sox.Their catchers are also illustrate the difference between the teams: Strasburg will be throwing to Wilson Ramos, who was injured in 2012 and never has participated in a playoff game; Peavy will work with Buster Posey, a member of the Giants 2010 and 2012 title teams, along with the 2012 NL MVP winner.Game 2 will feature Jordan Zimmermann against Tim Hudson, and Game 3 will have Doug Fister against Madison Bumgarner, who threw a four-hit shutout against Pittsburgh in San Franciscos seventh consecutive victory in an elimination game.Once we get to the post-season, its like a new season for us, said Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, who hit a grand slam Wednesday. We have plenty of ups and downs during the regular season, but now its kind of a new slate for us.The Giants finished second in the NL West at 88-74 after going only 41-40 in the second half. Washington went 53-28 in that span, and a majors-best 21-9 in its last 30, to finish 96-66, the NLs best record.We may not match up with a lot of people on paper, Hudson said. But I think once you get out there and play, the guts and the heart that this team has ... gets this team over the hump a lot of times.What the Nationals insisted Thursday is that their trip to the playoffs in 2012 a€” which ended with a gut-punch loss in Game 5 of their NLDS against St. Louis a€” provided plenty of know-how.We kind of know what to expect a little bit more now, said Ryan Zimmerman, whose injured right leg seemed fine Thursday as he put in work in left field. We went into 12 not really knowing what to expect and thinking that everything would be the same. And its not the same. ... Every pitch is so much more intense. Its just a different feel.Something the Giants know well.They have a similar-type club that we have. ... Guys not necessarily that are the best players, but they play well together, which is good. We do the same exact thing, Clippard said, and I think, you know, were the better club.___Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich Russell Canouse Jersey . - Jordan Addesis shootout goal helped the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste. Auston Trusty Jersey . Spains victory rendered Frances 3-0 win against Finland meaningless as Spain needed just one point to secure passage to Brazil. Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema scored either side of Joona Toivios own-goal as France advanced to the playoff among the eight best second-place finishers. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . The former Toronto FC designated player played three of his 15 professional seasons with the team.DETROIT – Randy Carlyle made sure he was being asked about James Reimer after a one-goal loss in Detroit, pausing before he offered an assessment of the now 26-year-old understudy. “I thought he was okay, you know, just okay,” said Carlyle with a tone of evident frustration after a 3-2 defeat to the injury-riddled Red Wings squad, the Leafs third in the past four games. Long a point of stability this season Toronto goaltending has suddenly been thrown into question with Carlyles remarks, Reimers performance and the uncertain status of injured no. 1 Jonathan Bernier. Starting in place of Bernier for the second straight game – his fourth consecutive appearance – Reimer allowed three goals on 31 shots, including a game-sealing squeaker under the left arm from Daniel Alfredsson with the Leafs down one in the final minutes of regulation. It was the kind of stop Bernier has made routinely this season, one that Reimer needed to make at that point in the game and perhaps what soured Carlyle most afterward, Torontos comeback attempt ultimately falling short. “So he said I was just okay,” said Reimer, responding to Carlyles comments. “I thought I played good, but obviously youd like to make at least one of those saves in the third.” Such blunt discontent was certainly out of character for Carlyle, who rarely, if ever, singles out any one player, even under the most obvious of circumstances. He was surely agitated by the loss – which saw the Leafs drop further behind Tampa and Montreal in the race for second in the Atlantic – unhappy with the officiating and displeased with a schedule that has his club right back at it Wednesday following 10 long days on the road. To land Reimer in the cross-hairs though on this night was unfair. His team started slowly opposite a Detroit squad that was missing a slew of key components, including Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. They also suffered breakdowns – Tim Gleason and Paul Ranger both caught flat-footed at the offensive blue-line – that led to Nyquists two breakaways, while also managing just two goals for the third time in four games (all losses). Whatever his motivation the remarks wont help a sketchy dynamic between coach and player, one that includes a very public stare-down from Reimer in the first period of a loss to these same Red Wings on Dec. 21. Further inflaming the matter afterward were the words of Reimers agent and close friend Ray Petkau, who tweeted, "As is customary in Toronto, when your team plays poor defensively game after game you blame your goalie." Petkau later said the tweet was not in response to Carlyles comments. Doubted and dissected often throughout his Toronto tenure and a restricted free agent to be in the summer of 2014, Reimer will probably use this latest bit of critique as motivation and for the Leafs that may be a good thing. Bernier remains out for the foreseeable future (more on that in Five Points) leaving Reimer as the go-to guy in goal with key division battles ahead against the Lightning and Canadiens. They need him to regain the form he showed last year and displayed recently in relief against the Kings, a brilliant performance that saw him turn aside all 31 shots he faced in an impressive road win. “I dont know if I was great and I would like to be great, but I thought I made some good saves when I needed to,” Reimer concluded of his evening. “Unfortunately at the end, especially that third one, you want to come and make a big save for your team there. Unfortunately wasnt the case tonight.” Five Points 1. Kessel Cools Off Cooling off from an unsustainably scorching stretch that saw him post 31 points in a 17-game span, Phil Kessel had seven shots and was a force against the Red Wings, but ultimately went point-less for the fourth straight game and sixth time in the past eight. Its the fifth time this season that the 26-year-old has gone three games or more without a point. The Leafs are now 6-19-2 on such occasions, two of those wins coming in recent weeks against the Flyers and Kings. Chasing the first 40-goal season of his NHL career – he has 34 currently – Kessel has just one goal in the past eight games. James van Riemsdyk, who thrived through a recent stretch of 11 goals and 21 points in 17 games, has also cooled some, snapping a seven-game drought with the late marker in Detroit. The Leafs have leaned heavily on their top line – which also includes Tyler Bozak – for offence, needing the likes of Nazem Kadri (two goals in the past 13 games), Joffrey Lupul (two goals in the past 13), David Clarkson (one in the past 22) and Mason Raymond (the hottest of the group with six in the past 15) to chip in regularly for support. Aside from the odd contribution, however, theyve not done so consistently. Toronto forwards were responsible for only five goals (of 12) during the five-game road trip. 2. Road Trip A road trip that began with so much promise for the Leafs – following wins in Anaheim and Los Angeles – soured at the end with losses in Washington and Detroit. Toronto finishes the season-long swing with a 2-3-0 mark, not bad, but hardly desirable.. Antonee Robinson Jersey. “I wouldnt call it a success,” said Jake Gardiner, who scored for the fourth time in the past six games. “We were thinking three out of five wouldve been good. Two of five is okay. Games on the road are always tough, something we have to move on from.” “This game and the last game I dont think that we played as well as we have been playing or can play so thats the negative about it,” said Carlyle. “But we battled back, we didnt quit, we found a way to get two goals tonight and make a game of it. Flush this and get ready for tomorrow.” The Leafs have played two more games than the Lightning, whom they host Wednesday, and trail them by a point. They sit three back of the Canadiens, whom they face at home on Saturday. 3. Wearing Down? Second and third among Toronto forwards in ice-time this season and both key members of Team USA at the Sochi Olympics, one might be led to wonder whether Kessel and van Riemsdyk are simply wearing down at this late stage in the season. Both have seen their ice-time rise (slightly) in March as the Leafs trend toward an 11-forward, seven-defender lineup. Kessel, who had a second period breakaway attempt stopped by Jimmy Howard, actually entered the night as the team-leader in ice-time this month, averaging more than 22 minutes. van Riemsdyk was just a touch behind at nearly 22 himself. “Its been very demanding,” said Carlyle of the schedule and its effects on playing time. “Its the first time in my career that you go out on a 10-day road trip and you come back and youve got to play back-to-back at home with your first game back. I dont know where that one comes from.” van Riemsdyk led all Toronto forwards this night with more than 22 minutes, Kessel a shade behind with just under 21, including exactly nine minutes in the third. Carlyle employed eight forwards for most of that final frame as the Leafs looked to even the score. 4. Bernier Status Nursing a groin injury, Bernier remained off the ice for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday. He then missed his second straight game in Detroit and will sit out again at home on Wednesday when the Leafs host the Lightning. With a likely day off for the team on Thursday, his status for the weekend also appears in real doubt with a back-to-back looming against the Canadiens and Devils. That would mean a return next week at the earliest, all of which ups the pressure on Reimer to perform. “Theres always going to be that push to get your people back,” said Carlyle ahead of a tilt against the Red Wings. “Bottom line is the player makes the decision. All we can do is treat him medically, provide him with the right environment, give him the opportunity to test his injury if hes good enough to go and well make the decision based upon input from him the player.” Though hes split each and every back-to-back set between his two goaltenders this season, Carlyle would be hard-pressed to not come back with Reimer on Wednesday even in light of Tuesdays circumstance. Though hes enjoyed a fine season with the Marlies, Drew MacIntyre has yet to start an NHL game. 5. Phaneuf Scare Upended by the stick of David Legwand in the final frame of Tuesdays affair, Dion Phaneuf remained down on the ice before quickly departing for the Toronto dressing room. He returned to the bench a few moments later, chirping at ref Dan OHalloran for the non-call on Legwand. “Theres no point in talking about it,” said Phaneuf afterward. “It wasnt a slew foot, it was actually a stick, but its done and over with.” The Leafs captain said he had the wind knocked out of him on the play. He still managed to lead his team with more than 23 minutes on this night. Stats-Pack 2-3-0 – Leafs record on five-game road trip. 1 – Goals for Phil Kessel in the past eight games. 208 – Man games lost to injury for Toronto this season, a pittance compared to the 322 lost by Detroit, who were without the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Stephen Weiss, and Darren Helm on Tuesday night. 6-19-2 – Leafs record this season when Kessel does not record a point. 4 – Consecutive appearances by James Reimer, doing so for the first time this season. 6 – Consecutive games with a goal by the Toronto defence, four of which have come from Jake Gardiner. 5 – Goals from Toronto forwards on the five-game road trip. 41-48 – Leafs penalty kill over the past 16 games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-4Season: 20.7% (5th) PK: 4-4Season: 78.7% (28th) Quote of the Night I “I thought he was okay, you know, just okay.” -Randy Carlyle, on the performance of James Reimer against Detroit. Quote of the Night II “So he said I was just okay. I thought I played good, but obviously youd like to make at least one of those saves in the third.” -James Reimer, in response to Carlyles assessment. Quote of the Night III “Nobodys feeling sorry for us two months ago when we were missing our top two centres. I didnt see you pointing the question at us then.” -Randy Carlyle, questioned on the Red Wings injury troubles ahead of Tuesdays game. Up Next The Leafs host the Lightning Wednesday night in a key division battle at the ACC. ' ' '