CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Panthers coach Ron Rivera said hes never experienced a season like this one since he joined the NFL 30 years ago.Carolinas journey to the NFC divisional playoffs has included quarterback Cam Newton flipping his truck and being hospitalized with two fractures in his lower back, franchise defensive end Greg Hardy being convicted on two counts of domestic violence, and Riveras house catching fire and causing $500,000 worth of the damage five days before the biggest game of his coaching career.It has been different, Rivera said. You cant make this stuff up.Theres been nothing ordinary or predictable about the Panthers on the field, either.Carolina became the first NFL team to go more than two months without a victory and reach the playoffs. The Panthers won the NFC South despite a 7-8-1 record. And last Saturday, a defence that gave up 35 or more points in four of its first seven games held Arizona to 78 yards in the wild-card round, the fewest ever allowed in the NFL post-season.Safety Roman Harper said he wasnt expecting this type of adventure in his first season in Carolina. The Panthers visit Seattle (12-4) on Saturday with a trip to the NFC championship game on the line.It isnt the prettiest thing, but we got a date to the prom at the end of the day, Harper said, laughing. Were here. Shes probably not the best-looking one; shes not going to win prom queen, but well have a good time.The Panthers arent apologizing for their record.In fact, in some ways they believe the season has toughened them and left them playoff ready.They had to win their last four games just to get into the playoffs.Newton has fought through ankle and rib injuries and the back fractures, and he has the Panthers on a five-game winning streak.Rivera is already hunkered down preparing for Seattle while his wife handles the details of where hell live for the next 6-8 months while their burned-out home is rebuilt.Hardy still isnt eligible to play, but his absence paved the way for fellow defensive end Charles Johnson to step out of character and become one of the teams vocal leaders.Cornerback Josh Norman is convinced the Panthers have benefited from some divine intervention — particularly when it came to Newtons accident.If it werent for Gods angel covering him in that truck, I dont know what would have happened, Norman said. We could have been talking about missing our quarterback, our leader, forever. But he was blessed.The idea the Panthers are even still playing after a 3-8-1 start speaks volumes about the team, said centre Ryan Kalil.Some strange things have come up, Kalil said, but its been very telling of the character and closeness of this team that whether it is something happening inside or outside the locker room, this is a group that stuck together and continue to work and work.Kalil said that is also a reflection of Rivera, the 2013 NFL Coach of the Year, for staying positive and keeping everyone together when it would have been easy to quit on the season.Rivera said he never once lost faith in his team.At the end of the day you learn how to deal and cope with these things, Rivera said, and if you can keep your focus then you will have an opportunity and a chance.Then again, maybe Carolinas season isnt that unusual.Former Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery was asked about this year and simply laughed.Well, I played in New York, Cotchery said, so I wont even go there.NOTES: The Panthers have moved practices inside their stadium this week and are piping in crowd noise to help simulate playing in Seattle, which features one of the loudest stadiums in the league. ... Rivera said hes sticking with returner Brenton Bersin despite a muffed punt that resulted in a turnover against Arizona. ... Wide receiver Philly Brown (shoulder) did not practice Tuesday. Bersin is taking his reps in practice.___AP NFL website:
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Alisson Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season.DALLAS -- After winning the last three games by a 14-1 margin, Dallas coach Lindy Ruff and goalie Kari Lehtonen believe the Stars latest win was their best this season. Lehtonen made 24 saves for his second shutout in three games to lead the Stars to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. "The last three games have all been excellent in all three zones," Ruff said. "This one against a highly skilled team and taking care of special teams probably knocks the other two down a little bit." Sergei Gonchar, Jamie Benn and Rich Peverley had Dallas goals, and Lehtonen also had an assist for the second consecutive game. "This is up there," Lehtonen said. "That teams really good. We were able to play a lot better than them. We dominated the power play and the penalty kill. Overall, it was a great effort." The Metropolitan Division-leading Penguins have lost two games in six days by a combined 8-1 to Dallas and Florida, teams fighting to get into playoff contention. Gonchar had a power-play goal, his second score this season, with just under 5 minutes remaining in the first period against his former team. Dallas has scored with a man advantage in seven consecutive games. Alex Goligoski, another former Penguins player, had an assist when Benn scored to make it 2-0 at 3:14 of the second. Peverley closed the scoring a little more than 7 minutes later. "This is desperation for (the Stars) and we saw that in their last two games. We saw it again tonight," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. "This was a desperate team, played hard. We have to be able to match that regardless of where our position is or what the standings look like." Lehtonen faced only 12 shots during the first two periods, before the Penguins doubled their attempts in the third. "There were a couple of good (saves) in the second period when it was 2-0," Lehtonen said. "After that, we were able to score to make it 3-0. After that, it was quite relaxing. If I let one in, there would still be a two-goal lead." He stopped Pittsburghs Evgeni Malkin point-blank 9 1/2 minutes into the third. "With the team in front of him for the first 40 minutes, you couldnt find more than one or two good chance," Ruff said. "In the third period when he really needed them, he stood tall." Daallas line of Cody Eakin, Antoine Roussel and Ryan Garbutt neutralized the line centred by Penguins scoring leader Sidney Crosby.dddddddddddd. "We were sharp, quick and crispy, and it worked out for us," Eakin said. Dallas dominated the first period, with 10 shots on goal to Pittsburghs 4, and scored first. Gonchar took a pass at the top of the slot from Ray Whitney on the right wing boards, and fired a high shot over Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Lehtonen also received an assist on the score. The Penguins Kris Letang went off for roughing at 1:14 of the second period. One second before the penalty expired, Benn took a pass from Goligoski in the right faceoff circle and shot over Fleurys shoulder to make it 2-0. The two power-play goals came against Pittsburghs league-leading unit, which entered the game with a streak of 11 successful penalty kills. "They capitalized on their power plays. We didnt," Crosby said. "We didnt execute when we got chances. They carried the play for the first two periods." Bylsma added: "I think momentum changed, we turn over the puck in the neutral zone. That led back to a chance against and then we took a penalty. That got their first power-play goal and in this game, were minus-2 in the special teams battle. That was a big part of the story tonight." Midway through the second period, Shawn Horcoff stole the puck in the neutral zone and passed to Peverley, who skated into the right circle and shot into the upper right corner of the net with 9:40 remaining. The Stars again outshot Pittsburgh in the second, 12-8. NOTES: Lehtonen leads NHL goalies with four assists this season. He has 31 in his career, with a high of six in 2010-11. ... Goligoski has five assists in his last three games. ... The Stars power-play streak is their longest since a seven-game run Dec. 11-23, 2010. They have improved from 29th in the league this season to 24th. ... Dallas penalty killers have succeeded on their last 15 opportunities, including four Saturday. ... Pittsburgh had won seven of the previous eight games against the Stars, dating back to 2003-04. ... Fleury had entered the game 6-0 with a 1.95 goals against average vs. Dallas. . Defenceman Matt Niskanens career-high six-game point streak ended for Pittsburgh. ... Benn has nine points in the past seven games.
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