Stars und Sternchen! » raising expectations

LOS ANGELES -- Henrik Lundqvist knows how Jonathan Quick felt after giving up an embarrassing, inexcusable goal. Lundqvist and the New York Rangers didnt let empathy get in the way of their excitement about their first victory of the season. Brad Richards scored two goals, Ryan McDonagh got credit for a short-handed goal on a comical mistake by Quick, and the Rangers beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Monday night for their first win under new coach Alain Vigneault. Quick stopped 25 shots in the Kings home opener, but the star goalie also misplayed McDonaghs harmless cleared puck from deep in the New York end early in the third period, knocking it into his own net. "I feel for him," said Lundqvist, who made 28 saves. "It happens sometimes, but well take it." Quicks first home game since his 10-year, $58 million contract extension kicked in featured maybe the most regrettable goal allowed by the Kings Conn Smythe Trophy winner. After Brian Boyle won a faceoff to Lundqvists left, McDonagh quickly cleared the puck off the far boards. Quick skated to his left to play it, but his stick slipped out of his hands as he knelt, and he reached for it while the puck glanced off his right pad and ricocheted straight into his net. "I didnt watch it go down (the ice)," McDonagh said. "I didnt know what happened at all. Still trying to get the full story. I was just kind of looking over at our bench, and guys started throwing their sticks up in the air." The Staples Center crowd howled in disbelief, and Quick hung his head. He didnt stay down for long -- and when the Los Angeles crowd gave him a Bronx cheer when he stopped the Rangers next dump-in shot, he waved his glove at the fans. "You play 60 minutes and you try to stop the puck for your teammates, thats the thought process," Quick said. "Everyone gives up that goal, and its part of the game." Rick Nash assisted on both of Richards goals for the Rangers (1-1), who are opening the season on a nine-game road trip. New York had three days off after losing the season opener at Phoenix. With Madison Square Garden getting extensive renovations, New York is on the road until Oct. 28, facing all three California clubs this week. Vigneault is using the time away as a test for the Rangers. "I really liked the way we responded after they scored," Vigneault said. "We came right back at them and we kept pushing the pace. Obviously, we got a little bit lucky on the third goal, but part of this game. You need a little bit of luck, and we got it there." Jake Muzzin scored for the Kings (1-2), who have scored just six goals this season after splitting the first two games in the upper Midwest. The sellout crowd didnt see much excitement from the Kings, who won their first Stanley Cup title and six playoff rounds in the past two seasons. Los Angeles reached the Western Conference finals last June before losing to eventual champion Chicago, raising expectations for this winter in a hockey town not familiar with consistent success. "Our five-on-five play needs to improve," right wing Justin Williams said. "Its non-existent right now. Certainly we need to get dirty. We need to become whole, put our work before skill, and get dirty and greasy, bang some in and rebound." Richards flirted with the Kings as a free agent two seasons ago before signing a nine-year, $58.5 million deal with the Rangers, but he stumbled to his worst pro season last season with just 11 goals in 46 games. New York considered buying out Richards contract, but brought him back this fall. Richards scored the games first goal in the first period after a scramble created by a turnover from Kings defenceman Drew Doughty. The Kings struggled to keep consistent possession, and Richards scored easily on a break with Nash after another turnover by Muzzin midway through the second period. Just 1:25 later, Los Angeles answered when Mike Richards got the puck to Muzzin in the slot for a nasty wrist shot. New Yorks Taylor Pyatt missed most of the first period after taking a puck to the face. Rangers captain Ryan Callahan, making his season debut after shoulder surgery, then went to the dressing room early in the second period after cutting his mouth in an open-ice collision with Anze Kopitar. Callahan skated up to check Kopitar with a shoulder to the Slovenian centres chest, but dropped flat to the ice when Kopitars stick caught him in the face after the hit. He eventually returned to the lineup. NOTES: The Rangers road trip is their longest to open a season, breaking the record set two years ago. It matches the longest road trip in franchise history back in the 1955-56 season. ... The Rangers made their first visit to Staples Center since Feb. 2, 2010. ... Muzzin scored seven goals last season, second among rookie defencemen. Mason Rudolph Steelers Jersey . - Vince Carter, heading into his 17th NBA season, doesnt consider age a big issue anymore. Terrell Edmunds Jersey . Curtis Davies and Robert Koren secured the victory with goals inside 35 minutes of the fifth-round replay against the second-tier side. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Sean-Davis-Elite-Jersey/ .com) - The San Francisco Giants delivered plenty of big hits to tie the World Series. Jon Bostic Steelers Jersey . "Ive got a lot of work to do on this team and the sooner that I can get back to my office and start that work, itll be better," he said straight-faced as the rest of the room erupted in laughter. Morgan Burnett Jersey . There was little fanfare, though, when the Yankees captain was taken out of his final regular-season Subway Series game in the eighth inning. Jeter watched the last four outs from the bench, pulled off the field during a double switch Thursday night as the Yankees held off the Mets 1-0. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Tampa Bay Rays put switch-hitting second baseman Ben Zobrist on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of a dislocated left thumb. "Right now, were just doing treatment and weve got to let the inflammation get down," Zobrist said before the Rays began a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels. "As far as everything else, I can throw, I can do exercises and I can run, so I can keep my body in complete shape -- outside of swinging and catching balls. "So once it starts feeling good enough, Ill be able to be able to hit left-handed first. Catching the ball will probably be the last thing." Zobrist was injured on a headfirst slide while trying to steal second base in Wednesdays 2-0 victory at Seattle. "I knew it was dislocated when I looked at it," he said. "But I was definitely relieved that it wasnt broken, too." The headfirst slide is a part of Zobrists game, and something he plans to continue when he returns to the lineup. "Ive slid headfirst a whole lot in my career," said Zobrist, who turns 33 in less than two weeks. "And every time Ive slid normally headfirst, Ive been safe -- not safe on the play, mind you -- but as far as not getting hurt. The oonly two times Ive tried to avoid a tag diving headfirst are the two times Ive hurt myself.ddddddddddddSo for me, its not a matter of sliding headfirst. Its a matter of trying to do something crazy while youre sliding headfirst." Zobrist played in a career-high 157 games last season, becoming the first player in franchise history to appear in 150 or more games in five consecutive years. The nine-year veteran and two-time All-Star is batting .260 with three homers and nine RBIs for the Rays, who came to Anaheim last in the A.L. East -- but just 3 1/2 games out of first. "This guy is a regular part of our heartbeat," manager Joe Maddon said. "Hes the guy that puts you back into a normal rhythm a lot of times, so its no fun. But weve had to go through these moments before -- and some of our best years we had to go through a lot of adversity early with injuries. The fact that nobodys running away with the division while were going through our maladies is a good thing." The Rays selected the contract of Cole Figueroa from Triple-A Durham. The 26-year-old infielder was hitting .299 with three homers and 16 RBIs at Durham. This is his seventh season in professional ball and his first trip to the big leagues. Blackhawks Jerseys Store Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Penguins Jerseys Store Capitals Jerseys For Sale Blues Jerseys Store Cheap Kings Jerseys Adidas Lightning Jerseys Stars Jerseys For Sale Cheap Predators Jerseys Ducks Store Sharks Jerseys For Sale Cheap Sabres Jerseys Rangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '