among defencemen to

The Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild both took advantage of home-ice. Rod Streater Raiders Jersey . Notes on P.K. Subban, Dale Weise, Erik Haula, Mikael Granlund, Ilya Bryzgalov and more. HABS HOME COOKING Returning home for Game Three of their series against the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens delivered their best game of the series and took a 4-2 decision, gaining a 2-1 lead in the series. As he has been throughout the postseason, Canadiens D P.K. Subban was front-and-centre for the Habs. He had a goal and an assist, giving him 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in seven games this playoff. He has 27 points in 33 career playoff games and his 0.82 points per game in the playoffs is the best among defencemen to have played at least 30 playoff games since 2000. Subban also played a game-high 27:50, bumping his postseason average to 27:34 per game, most among Eastern Conference skaters still alive in the second round. Montreal got a goal and an assist from Dale Weise, giving him four points in seven playoff games and five goals in 24 (regular season plus playoff games) since he was acquired by Montreal. Lars Eller also contributed a goal and an assist, notching the empty-netter, giving him eight points in seven playoff games to lead Montreals forwards; quite a change in fortune for a player that had six points in his last 35 games of the regular season. Habs veteran defence pairing of Mike Weaver and Douglas Murray was dominated possession-wise, both on for less than 32% of 5-on-5 shot attempts but, to be at least a little bit fair, they also started nearly all of their shifts in the defensive zone. Rookie LW Michael Bournival, skating mostly with Tomas Plekanec and Thomas Vanek as the Canadiens shuffled lines, was the only Hab on for better than 60% of shot attempts for. Patrice Bergeron scored Bostons first goal and had another strong all-around game, generating a game-high 10 shot attempts. Montreals leaders in shot attempts were left wingers Rene Bourque and Max Pacioretty, with seven apiece. For a big rivalry game, the Canadiens took a very disciplined approach -- each team had just one power play -- and it removed some of the emotion from the proceedings, which worked for the Habs. They raced out to a 3-0 lead and, this time, held on to win. With another game in Montreal, suddenly there is some pressure on the favoured Bruins. WILD BACK IN THE SERIES The first couple period of Game Three between the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild were snooze-worthy, with the two teams combining for 25 shots on goal in a scoreless affair. The Wild, though jumped on the Blackhawks with a couple of goals early in the third period, tacked on a couple more late and skated away with a 4-0 win, cutting the Blackhawks lead in the series to 2-1. Rookie Erik Haula scored the first goal for Minnesota, giving him five points (2 G, 3 A) in 10 playoff games. Haula scored 15 points in 46 games this season, but finished the year with seven points in the last seven games as he filled the second-line centre role for an injured Mikael Granlund. Speaking of Granlund, the second-year centre scored a pair goals, including the empty-netter. He missed time late in the year due to injury, but Granlund had 22 points in his last 24 regular season games and now has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in 10 playoff games. Wild G Ilya Bryzgalov stopped all 19 shots he faced for the shutout. It was Bryzgalovs first playoff shutout since 2006, but he still has an abysmal .860 save percentage in six playoff games this year. Unable to generate offence, the Blackhawks tried shuffling lines part way through the game, putting Patrick Kane with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp, while Marian Hossa skated with Bryan Bickell and Ben Smith, but to no avail; they couldnt beat Bryz. Blackhawks D Nick Leddy, a Minnesota native, was scratched, for Sheldon Brookbank. An interesting choice for coach Joel Quenneville, considering that Leddy has the teams best possession numbers in the playoffs. When a team like the Wild comes into a series as prohibitive underdogs, one way to reduce the advantage of a more skilled club is to reduce the number of shots and hope that increases the role that randomness can play in the proceedings. So far, the Blackhawks are averaging 21.0 shots per game (the Wild at 23.0) through three games, which is decidedly lower than the 33.1 shots per game that the Blackhawks averaged during the regular season and its probably the way it has to be if the Wild are going to build on their Game Three win. Scott Cullen can be reached at [e-mail] and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Rod Streater Womens Jersey . The biggest winner of Super Bowl week so far may be retired NFLer and former Giant David Tyree, whose against-the-helmet catch during the Giants game-winning drive at Super Bowl XLII will be on constant loop this week. Derek Carr Elite Jersey . No man in the modern era has held the top office in one of the ‘Big Four sports longer than Stern and the NBA that we know today was largely molded under Sterns watch and his impact on the league is indelible.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - John Elways philosophy is to address immediate needs in free agency, even though some of his own veterans may prove too pricey to keep around. Eric Decker and Knowshon Moreno both said theyd love to stay in Denver, but they might find more lucrative offers elsewhere when free agency begins in a month. Unlike the Seattle Seahawks, who throttled the Broncos in the Super Bowl, Denver has a high-priced quarterback who takes up a good chunk of the salary cap, limiting what the team can spend elsewhere. Mannings salary cap charge for 2014 is $17.5 million, same as last season, which was more than Seattles entire starting defence and about 25 times as much as Russell Wilsons $681,000 cap number. "Yeah, but Ill tell you right now its worth it for us to have Peyton Manning," Elway said. "Thats just part of when you get a quality quarterback like that that we have in Peyton Manning. You know thats going to be a big chunk of your salary cap, but we got to figure out ways to find the right players." At the right prices. Elway said he has no problem continuing to build a team around Manning even though nobody knows how long No. 18 will be in the Broncos huddle beyond next season. "Well, were going to keep building like Peyton is going to be here," Elway said. "And you know, when Peyton decides to hang em up, we have expectations hopefully to make that transition." Manning confirmed during Super Bowl week that he intends to play next season, pending clearance from his doctor at his annual checkup next month to see if his surgically repaired neck is sound, which seems like a formality given the way he played last season when he won his fifth MVP award. Manning and the Broncos are out to do something that no team has done since the Buffalo Bills in 1993 — make it back to the Super Bowl the year after losing it. Elway, the teams executive vice-president, had been busy on a blueprint long before the Super Bowl blowout. He knows he could lose Decker, Moreno and guard Zane Beadles on offencce and he has to rebuild a defence that was obliterated by an injury epidemic. Tyvon Branch Raiders Jersey. The Broncos have 18 unrestricted and three restricted free agents, but Elway has to be prudent because big deals are looming next year for Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and maybe Von Miller. Hes hit the jackpot in free agency two years in a row, first with Manning in 2012 and then with Wes Welker, Louis Vasquez, Shaun Phillips, Terrance Knighton and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last year. Elway expects to be busy again this year. He has about $25 million in projected cap space right now but could free up more by asking Champ Bailey and Jacob Tamme to restructure their contracts and by releasing Chris Kuper and Joel Dreessen. Elway said using free agency to address immediate needs gives the Broncos freedom in the draft. "We dont have to sit there and reach for some guy because of a need. So, if we can get rid of really the absolute needs that we need to do in free agency, then that opens it up, we can fire free at the draft, take the best players," he said. If Moreno leaves, the Broncos have Montee Ball ready to step in as the featured back. He came on strong down the stretch, finishing the season with 120 carries for 561 yards and four touchdowns. Nearly a third of his carries moved the sticks, ranking third in the league and tops among rookies. His pass protection also vastly improved. "We have high expectations out of Montee," Elway said. "Well see how things flush out with Knowshon." Decker, who has 32 TD catches over the last three years, would be missed. But Manning has plenty of other targets and teammate Bubba Caldwell, another unrestricted free agent, could prove a cheaper alternative. "This is an organization any player wants to come to," Decker said. "They treat you first class, its a winning organization. Theyve built a culture thats phenomenal. I would love to play here and unfortunately it isnt something thats always in my control." ' ' '