PITTSBURGH STEELERS (13-4)
New faces: S Morgan Burnett Authentic Mike Cammalleri Jersey , LB Jon Bostic, rookies S Terrell Edmunds, WR James Washington, QB Mason Rudolph, OL Chukwuma Okorafor.
Key losses: LB Ryan Shazier (injured), WR Martavis Bryant, S Mike Mitchell, S Robert Golden, CB William Gay, OL Chris Hubbard, offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Strengths: Offense returns seven Pro Bowlers Charles Clay Jersey , including QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Le’Veon Bell and WR Antonio Brown. Brown is arguably best receiver in NFL and seemingly impervious to constant double coverage. Bell is most versatile back in league and is just as comfortable lining up in slot as next to Roethlisberger. Offensive line (LT Alejandro Villanueva, LG Ramon Foster, C Maurkice Pouncey, RG David DeCastro and RT Marcus Gilbert) that allowed just 24 sacks in 2017 remains intact for at least one more year, though Gilbert was slowed by knee injury during preseason. DT Cam Heyward is coming off career-high 12 1-2 sacks while spearheading defense that set franchise record and led NFL with 56 sacks year ago.
Weaknesses: Consistent production at outside linebacker is issue. Steelers flipped Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt in offseason, hoping Dupree will be more effective rushing from quarterback’s blind side. Dupree’s sacks total has inched up in each of his three years but he’s struggled to make weekly impact. Secondary underwent serious overhaul after giving up 45 points to Jacksonville in playoffs. Position coach Carnell Lake stepped down and veterans Mitchell, Golden and Gay walked. Burnett provides experience but Edmunds will be given plenty of opportunities to justify first-round selection. Depth behind Brown and second-year WR JuJu Smith-Schuster may be issue after Steelers traded away enigmatic Bryant. Washington put up record-setting numbers at Oklahoma State and will get every shot at becoming slot receiver. After those three, however, there’s not much.
Fantasy Players To Watch: Brown. Only player in NFL history to post five consecutive seasons with at least 100 receptions remains very much in his prime at age 30. He led NFL in receiving yards (1,533) Matt Slauson Jersey , yards per game (109.5) and yards per touch (14.2) last season while launching MVP candidacy thanks to series of clutch grabs that fueled Pittsburgh’s second straight AFC North title. Brown said repeatedly he’s not focused on his numbers but winning Super Bowl. Only way Steelers secure their seventh Lombardi Trophy, however, is with Brown being heavily involved.
Vegas Says: Super Bowl 10-1. Over/under wins 10.5.
Expectations: Atlanta or bust. Steelers believed they were destined to take down New England last winter only to get tripped up by Jacksonville in divisional round. While Roethlisberger insists he’s in remarkably good shape, he turned 36 in March and this could represent his last best chance to win third Super Bowl. Bell is almost certainly gone via free agency next spring. His imminent departure should help provide sense of urgency to talented group that wants to make most of window of opportunity before it closes.
The Golden Knights want a Stanley Cup title to conclude their already amazing inaugural season in the NHL.
Vegas is on its way, beating the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Tuesday night and becoming the first expansion team in league history to sweep its first playoff series.
”All season long, I didn’t know any records about expansion teams,” goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. ”We just do what a regular team would, we just play the game and try to win. That’s it.”
Brayden McNabb scored against his former team in the second period and Fleury stopped 31 shots as the Knights finished off their fourth one-goal victory of the series. It was the goalie’s second shutout of the playoffs.
”I didn’t picture this happening, me scoring a goal against the Kings,” McNabb said, ”but it feels real good to get this win and finish this series.”
The Knights poured into the net to hug Fleury at the final horn. Vegas fans in the crowd chanted the goalie’s name in celebration.
”We knew we were getting a superstar when we got him Jack Doyle Jersey ,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. ”He has playoff experience and he’s been a part of three Cups and he makes us better. LA put on the pressure on him but he was huge for us.”
The Knights became the second team to win their first four playoff games, joining the 1970 Pittsburgh Penguins.
McNabb scored from the right circle, beating Jonathan Quick’s glove, at 4:04 of the second for his first career playoff goal. The Kings left the defenseman exposed in last year’s expansion draft and the Knights snapped him up.
The Kings pulled Quick in the closing seconds, when Dustin Brown skated straight toward the net and just missed.
”That’s what the playoffs are all about. It’s so close,” Kings center Anze Kopitar said. ”It’s not like we were blown out of the water.”
Brown also hit the left post with 10 minutes to go in the third, typical of the close calls that failed to generate goals for the Kings in the series. They outshot the Knights 31-21 in the game.
”It was crazy in the final minute of the game. They were buzzing around,” Fleury said. ”We had to keep pushing to the very end.”
Facing elimination, the Kings came out aggressively and outshot the Knights 14-8 in the opening period. Quick stopped two shots on goal during the only power play in the period when Adrian Kempe was sent off for hooking.
”I thought our hockey team got better through the series,” first-year Kings coach John Stevens said. ”Tonight was our best game and created the most quality chances, just didn’t finish off.”
Quick made 20 saves and allowed seven goals in the series Youth Matthew Tkachuk Jersey , but he and the Kings couldn’t duplicate the rally they pulled off in 2014. Los Angeles lost its first three games to the Sharks in the first round that year and went on to win the series and eventually the Stanley Cup.
”We just got knocked out of the playoffs. I don’t care what the score was,” defenseman Alec Martinez said. ”It’s a lot of disappointment in this room. We can’t forget how this feels.”
Vegas, the third expansion team since 1968-69 to clinch a playoff berth, awaits the winner of the series between Anaheim and San Jose, which the Sharks lead 3-0.
The Kings managed just three goals in the series and lacked offensive punch from Kopitar (one goal) and wingers Brown and Tyler Toffoli (no goals).
Brown fired a team-high six shots in the game, while Toffoli had three and Brown two.
Toffoli took a puck to the face, drawing blood from his nose to his mouth. He got stitches and returned 10 minutes later.
NOTES: Quick had a 1.55 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage. … Fleury earned his 66th playoff victory, breaking a tie with Dominik Hasek for 11th on the NHL’s all-time list among goaltenders. … The Kings fell to 12-31 all-time in Game 4s. … Retired Hall of Fame Kings announcer Bob Miller attended the game.
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