Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh

ANNAPOLIS Sonny Milano Jersey , Md. (AP) Shortly before he walked outside Friday at Navy’s Memorial Stadium, Mike Babcock said: ”Hang on to your hat.”Babcock’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals might want to hang on to everything with high wind in the forecast for Saturday night’s outdoors Stadium Series game at the U.S. Naval Academy. The storm knocking out power and disrupting travel up and down the East Coast forced both teams to practice indoors Friday, where they were left to contemplate what sustained winds of 15-20 mph and gusts as high as 32 mph might have on their game.”I have no idea,” Maple Leafs center Tyler Bozak said. ”Hopefully we’re skating with the wind more than we are against it.”The wind is enough of a factor that the game could be postponed to Sunday. The glass had to be removed from the on-field rink because of safety concerns.The NHL has played 24 previous regular-season outdoor games and this one could easily see the worst conditions when it comes to wind. Temperatures just above freezing would not rank it among the coldest, but there are concerns how the wind could make a real difference.”I haven’t played in anywhere it’s been super windy,” said Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk, who will be taking part in his fifth outdoor game. ”It’ll definitely make a unique dynamic, I know. It seems like in today’s game there’s lots of high flips and stuff like that, so it’ll be interesting to see how the puck reacts getting flipped in the air and a gust of wind comes up.”Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby thinks strong wind would only possibly affect dump-ins or high flips of the puck and that it could make it difficult for players to keep their eyes open when it’s head on. Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen is more concerned for the skaters – and that’s a shared concern.”If you have a turnover and you’ve got to backcheck, that’s probably when it’s going to be a little tough http://www.bluejacketsshoponline.com/authentic-zach-werenski-jersey ,” Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom said.NHL players are more accustomed to climate-controlled arenas – a long way from their younger days when playing on frozen ponds or lakes meant dealing with the conditions.”It won’t feel good on your body, that’s for sure,” Toronto forward Mitch Marner said. ”It probably won’t help with the puck or anything like that.”Capitals coach Barry Trotz was more worried when the wind rumbled around trees outside his house Thursday night and joked about a coin toss to pick directions like a football game.Previous outdoor games have included teams changing ends at the 10-minute mark of the third period to negate an unfair wind advantage. At the least, that’s likely, and players are prepared for the wind even though they don’t know exactly what it’ll do.”The wind wouldn’t be ideal, but part of playing these games is you have to deal with the weather,” Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said. ”She was a little windy out there (Friday), but hopefully she clears up a little bit for us.”Rielly, who played outdoors on New Year’s Day in Ann Arbor, Michigan Authentic Alexander Radulov Jersey , in 2014 and again in Toronto in 2017, figures wind would be more difficult to deal with than snow. But the 23-year-old has a sunny disposition about wacky weather.”It definitely has an impact on the game,” Rielly said. ”But that’s all part of the experience. Players, two teams have to deal with it. It’s not going to change the game plan or anything. It’s just going to make it a little bit more difficult and it might be kind of fun.”— PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks gave Pittsburgh a head start — and still grounded the surging Penguins.Again.Dylan Strome broke a tie 1:48 into the third period and the Blackhawks beat Pittsburgh 5-3 on Sunday night to end the Penguins’ winning streak at eight games.“We’re not going to quit, we’re going to play until the end,” Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “It certainly wasn’t the start we wanted, we kind of gifted a couple, but credit to those guys in there. I was really happy with how hard we competed and it was nice to see the guys get rewarded.”Strome scored seconds after a power-play expired, beating fallen goalie Casey DeSmith off a pass from Patrick Kane. Jonathan Toews added an empty-net goal and had an assist to run his points streak to six games.Alex DeBrincat scored on a power play for his 19th of the season, and Chris Kunitz and Duncan Keith both scored their first for the Blackhawks. They won their 10th straight against the Penguins Womens Ben Bishop Jersey , including five straight in Pittsburgh. The Blackhawks haven’t lost to the Penguins since March 30, 2014, in Pittsburgh.“Considering (Pittsburgh) won eight in a row coming into the game, they’ve obviously been feeling pretty good about themselves,” Kane said. “I think it’s a team we can kind of compare ourselves too as far as what happened in the past and different history, so a lot of us get excited to play these guys.”Chicago snapped a two-game skid and has won three of five and six of nine following an eight-game losing streak in November.Kane had three assists. He’s the 20th player in NHL history and the first American-born skater to begin his career with at least 12 straight seasons with 30-plus assists. Cam Ward stopped 31 shots.“It’s nice to beat one of the top teams in the league,” Kane said. “I think we know the recipe for success, the way we need to play and the way the coaches want us to play to be successful. If we do these things, we give ourselves a chance every night.”Jake Guentzel, Patric Hornqvist and Derick Brassard scored for the Penguins http://www.starsshoponline.com/authentic-brett-ritchie-jersey , and DeSmith stopped 26 shots.Pittsburgh scored twice in the first 4:33.Hornqvist opened the scoring at 2:43 with a blocker-side, one-timer from the right faceoff dot, and Guentzel gave Pittsburgh a two-goal lead when he swept a rebound underneath Ward from the top of the crease.Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was happy with his team’s start, but he said his players were “lured into a track meet” the rest of the way against the Blackhawks.“(Chicago) has a quick transition game and they like to stretch the ice,” Sullivan said. “They’re looking for a quick-strike attack, so you have to make sure you manage the puck. If you don’t take care of the puck, you’re going to play into their hands and play the game they want to play.”DeBrincat put Chicago on the board with a power-play goal. He scored his eighth goal in 13 games on a one-timer from Kane.Kunitz tied it for Chicago at 6:46 of the second period. Kunitz, who won three Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh, scored on a night when the Penguins honored their 2009 Stanley Cup championship team.“Building good friendships and having those good memories is something you never forget,” Kunitz said.The Penguins regained the lead at 9:49 of the second when Brassard squeezed a one-timer from Phil Kessel between Ward’s pads from the right circle. Keith tied it at 3 with a slap shot from the left point just as a power play expired.“I think that was a real positive Dennis Cholowski Jersey Womens , finding a way to get back into it, crawl back into it, take the lead and keep it,” Keith said. “We worked hard and got what we deserved.”NOTES: Penguins’ D Kris Letang played in his 722nd career game, tied with Rick Kehoe for sixth on the franchise list. Letang’s assist gives him a seven-game points streak. … Chicago D Erik Gustafsson has a five-game points streak after registering an assist. . F Drake Caggiula made his Blackhawks debut after he was acquired in a trade with Edmonton on Dec. 31. … Penguins D Justin Schultz, who has not played since Oct. 13, skated on his own for the first time before Pittsburgh’s practice Saturday.UP NEXTBlackhawks: Host Calgary on Monday night.Penguins: Host Florida on Tuesday night.