Dein erstes Forum » Longo worked his way up to big-time college footba

CHICAGO -- For all the difficulties they endured along the way, the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings are still standing. They might want to buckle up, though. The ride could get even wilder. The Blackhawks and Kings are poised for what could be a tight and lengthy Western Conference final, with Game 1 at the United Center on Saturday (TSN and TSN Moblie TV at 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt). The Kings already have more playoff losses than they did a year ago when they went on a 16-4 run through the post-season to capture the Stanley Cup as an eighth seed. "I cited critical moments last year," Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said. "There were several of them this year where they were severely tested. They keep finding a way to fight through, as theyve done at times during the playoffs. " The Blackhawks? All they did was rally from a 3-1 deficit to beat Detroit in the conference semifinals, taking Game 7 by 2-1 on Brent Seabrooks overtime goal to remain in the hunt for their second title in four years. "You dont draw it up, you dont plan to win a seven-game series coming back from 3-1," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "Looking back, I think it is a good thing for our team to have gone through what we just went through, to kind of be pushed to the end, for a moment (to) feel like that was it. You have certain negative thoughts that kind of creep in. You try not to think about them, that youre up against a tough team and the odds are against you. "But we stayed positive. We stuck with it. We just had that attitude that you take it one shift at the same time, you win one game at a time, anything can happen." The next challenge is a big one, too. No goalie is more on his game at the moment than the Kings Jonathan Quick. All the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has done is allow just 20 goals in 13 post-season games while carrying Los Angeles to its second straight conference final. He leads the playoffs in goals-against average (1.50), save percentage (.948) and shutouts (three), and the Kings have needed it with their offence generating little. Theyre averaging just two goals per game in the post-season, and they realize they need to rediscover their scoring touch. That wasnt an issue during the regular season, when they were 10th in the NHL and boasted the Western Conferences top goal scorer in Jeff Carter. Getting centre Jarret Stoll back would help. He suffered an apparent concussion on an illegal hit to the head in the series opener against San Jose and has been sidelined since. He skated with the team this week, but coach Darryl Sutter had no update Friday. "Hes been our best faceoff guy all year, so thats one of our strengths, and on the (penalty kill), even on the (power play) if he does play," centre Anze Kopitar said. "It gives us a right-handed faceoff man that we didnt have." Despite their difficulties putting the puck in the net, the Kings have gotten by. They dropped the first two games at St. Louis and needed seven to take out San Jose in the semifinals, with all four wins coming at home. It was a physical series that probably didnt earn many style points. And to that, the Kings basically say so what. "Well, I dont really care what you think, if that has anything to do with it," Sutter said. "Is that what theyre saying in Boston, too?" Dustin Brown added: "We could bore you all to death. If we keep on winning, I could care less what people think of our game. We found something thats successful for us as a group, and sometimes people dont think its exciting. It depends on your opinion." Now, its the Blackhawks with the home-ice advantage and games on back-to-back days in their arena. Clearly, they see an opportunity there. But they also had their difficulties with a physical Detroit team, and here come the hard-hitting Kings. "Yeah. Theyre big, and they do a good job protecting the net," Patrick Sharp said. "Theyre physical, as well, so weve got to be aware of that. Hopefully we can use our speed and our skill to kind of neutralize that, but this is all just talk. Well see what happens this series." NHL Jerseys . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. Authentic NHL Jerseys . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta. https://www.cheapnhljerseysjustwholesale.com/ .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Wholesale NHL Jerseys .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. NHL Jerseys 2020 .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. OXFORD, Miss. -- Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze hired new offensive and defensive coordinators in an effort to overhaul his program following a disappointing 5-7 season.The school announced on Friday that Phil Longo will run the offense. Longo was the offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State, which had a 12-1 record this season and has made the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in each of the last three seasons.Wesley McGriff returns to Ole Miss as defensive coordinator following four seasons away -- including one at Auburn and three with the New Orleans Saints.The Bearkats offense averaged 547.3 yards per game this season, which was No. 1 in the nation at the FCS level. Like Freeze, Longo worked his way up to big-time college football after starting his career as a high school coach.We explored every name for this position, but Phil has been on my radar for a long time and it was clear that he is the man that can take our offense from good to great, Freeze said in a statement. Over the past three years, he has authored one of the most prolific and innovative offenses in all divisions of college football.Longo inherits an Ole Miss offense that threw for 314.9 yards per game in 2016, which was No. 1 in the Southeastern Conferrence.dddddddddddd He also has a young quarterback in Shea Patterson -- who started three games as a freshman this fall -- to build the offense around.Longos biggest challenge will be improving an Ole Miss running game thats been inconsistent the past few seasons. The Rebels have also struggled in the red zone, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns.At Sam Houston State, Longos offense scored touchdowns in 80.3 percent of its trips to red zone in 2016, which ranked No. 1 in FCS.McGriff was on Freezes staff in 2012 as a co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach.Wesley is the total package -- an outstanding leader, creative coach and dynamic recruiter, Freeze said. The defenses have been outstanding at every place he has been, and his most recent experience at Auburn has him well prepared for this opportunity.McGriff will take over an Ole Miss defense that struggled in 2016. The Rebels gave up a SEC-worst 34 points per game and were particularly bad stopping the run, giving up more than 246 yards per game.-----More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . ' ' '