Allgemeine Themen » knew he was good offensively, but the defen

NEW YORK (AP) John Tavares heard the New York Islanders fans chanting his name in the closing minutes of the team’s final home game of the season.The captain Adidas Patrik Berglund Jersey , set to be a free agent this summer, was thankful for the support and reiterated he hopes to be back next season.”It was really nice from the fans,” Tavares said after the Islanders continued their recent mastery of the Rangers with a 2-1 victory over their crosstown rivals Thursday night.”I’ve always been treated since Day 1 very well,” he said. ”They’ve always stuck by me and been really proud to have me here and made it a lot easier for me to just kind of grow into the player and person that I am. I’m just appreciative of that. I’m not trying to look at it as it’s the end because obviously that hasn’t been determined. I’ve always wanted it to work out and stay, so that’s still what I hope transpires.”Thomas Hickey and Anthony Beauvillier scored 2:32 apart in the second period and Jaroslav Halak stopped 34 shots as the Islanders beat the Rangers for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings.They swept the four-game season series for the second time in the past three seasons, after never previously doing it since joining the NHL in 1972. The Islanders are also 6-0-0 at home against the Rangers since moving to Barclays Center in 2015.”We just want to beat them no matter what the game is,” Halak said. ”Obviously tonight, for both teams we are out of the playoffs and it doesn’t really mean anything but we still have to finish the season strong. … It’s always a good feeling after these games when we beat them.”Halak improved to 18-7-0 in his career against the Rangers, including 10-2-0 since joining the Islanders before the 2014-15 season. This season, he went 4-0-0 with a shutout and a 1.47 goals-against average against them.”The numbers are eye-opening,” Islanders coach Doug Weight said. ”It’s not just a good roll, he gets up for those games. He competes and finds a way to beat them.”Kevin Hayes scored and Ondrej Pavelec finished with 20 saves for the Rangers, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games (2-6-2).”We got quite a few pucks at the net but against a goaltender that’s got our number the way their guy has right now, you need to get on the inside,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. ”You need to get more traffic and you need to create second opportunities and we didn’t do that well enough.”This is the first time since 2010 – and just the second since 2001 – that neither team will be in the postseason.The Rangers will miss out for the first time since that 2009-10 season, and second since the lockout wiped out the 2004-05 campaign.The Islanders Adidas Vladimir Sobotka Jersey , who won for the fourth time in the past nine overall but just the fifth in 21 (5-12-4), are missing the playoffs for the second straight year, and eighth in the past 11.”We’re a skilled team, were a good team. We should be a playoff team,” Weight said. ”We have to find a way to be more consistent because we don’t belong where we are right now.”The Islanders trailed 1-0 after one period and were outshot 13-5 in the second, but scored twice to take the lead.Hickey tied it on a one-timer off a pass from Mathew Barzal as his shot from the left point deflected off a Rangers player and past Pavelec at 4:55.Beauvillier put the Islanders ahead on a give-and-go with Andrew Ladd for his 21st at 7:27. It gave the second-year forward a goal in five straight games.The Rangers got on the scoreboard on a power play 4 1/2 minutes into the game. Brady Skjei’s one-timer went over the net, bounced off the glass to Hayes on the left side and he quickly put it in for his 25th. It gave Hayes a point (four goals, one assist) in five straight games.NOTES: Barzal got his 61st assist, moving one away from tying Sergei Makarov (62 for Calgary in 1989-90) for third-most by a rookie since the 1983-84 season. Barzal is also two away from tying Bryan Trottier for the Islanders’ rookie mark set in 1975-76. … Anders Lee was initially given credit for Hickey’s goal, but it was later changed. That kept Lee one away from becoming the first Islanders player to have 40 since Jason Blake in 2006-07. ”He came off the ice and said `I didn’t touch it,”’ Weight said. … Barzal has 10 goals and 14 points in his past 12 games. … Beauvillier has seven goals and 11 points in his past eight games. … Hayes has 15 goals and 26 points in 32 games since returning from an injury Jan. 25. … Vigneault remained tied with Ron Wilson for 10th place on the career wins list at 648.UP NEXTRangers: At Philadelphia on Saturday in the season finale.Islanders: At Detroit on Saturday night in the season finale.—Follow Vin Cherwoo at www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP— TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs play nine of their next 11 games at home, but for now their coach, Mike Babcock, has eyes only on the first one at Scotiabank Arena, Thursday night against the Florida Panthers.“I don’t worry as much about the stretch as I worry about tomorrow,” Babcock said at practice Wednesday. “Florida beat us the other night Adidas Scott Wedgewood Jersey , we weren’t prepared at the start and they outplayed us, and then we were able to get the game back even in the third period.“We would like to start on time, like we did (Tuesday) night (at New Jersey). We know we’re playing a real good team. (Aleksander) Barkov ran our show last game. Dominated us, basically. We have to look after that.”Article continues below ...The Panthers (13-13-6) defeated the Maple Leafs in Florida on Saturday 4-3 in overtime with Barkov scoring three goals, including the winner.The Maple Leafs (22-10-2) completed their five-game trip Tuesday night with a 2-2-1 record after a 7-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.The Panthers, meanwhile, used the victory over the Maple Leafs as a springboard and defeated the Sabres in Buffalo 5-2 on Tuesday with four third-period goals.“We’ve been in that situation so many times this year — one-goal games, trailing and coming back, letting a game fall again,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “It was important that. … I think we’re learning from our mistakes, to be honest with you. If I had to say one thing, I think we’re getting more mature in those situations.”Playing for an extended period at home might not be such as big advantage for the Maple Leafs as it might be for some other teams. The Maple Leafs have the best road record in the NHL at 13-5-1.“I just think we have good team depth, so if we play right we give ourselves an opportunity on most nights so we feel fortunate about that,” Babcock said.The Leafs are 9-5-1 at home.The Maple Leafs have been getting excellent play all season from defenseman Morgan Rielly, and he was strong in New Jersey again. He made a big defensive play on a Devils two-on-one to set up a Maple Leafs three-on-one on the counter attack that resulted in the first goal of the game.Rielly also scored his 11th goal of the season in the final second of the second period.“I knew it was getting down to it, so I just tried to get it on net Adidas Carter Hutton Jersey ,” Rielly said. “The fact that it went in before the end of the period was a little lucky. A nice break, I guess.”“Well, he’s got way better,” Babcock said. “His stick and his feet in the D-zone and defensive awareness have become way better. I think getting Ron Hainsey has really helped him that way. Obviously, he’s got good growth, we all knew he was good offensively, but the defensive part it’s been a huge difference. He’s doing a good job, he’s a good player. He skates really well which would be his greatest asset, he’s competitive and has lots of energy.”The Panthers, who are 6-8-2 on the road, defeated two of the better teams in the NHL in their past two games to get their record to .500.“We’ve been talking all year about being composed and protecting leads, and I think that’s probably the best we’ve done all year,” Boughner said. “It was good puck decision and puck management. I thought that we played hard D, and we never stopped going at ’em, which was important. (The Sabres) do come out hard in this building. We knew that. I think they’ve only lost three games here all year. They’re a good hockey team over there. This was a big road win for us.”