Stars und Sternchen! » Lindbacks .881 mark

There is a split of fixtures this weekend as the Premier League continues in tandem with the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. In the top flight, Manchester City will look to reignite their title challenge at Norwich, live on Sky Sports 1HD on Saturday afternoon, with the Canaries in need of a win to boost their survival hopes.Tottenhams bid to put pressure on leaders Leicester continues at Aston Villa while Bournemouth and Swansea meet as they look for points that will keep them up. Harry Kane will be looking to find the net against Aston Villa on Sunday Stoke also entertain Southampton in a clash of European hopefuls at the Britannia Stadium, while Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are all in action in the FA Cup.Here is what to look out for over the weekend, starting with the Premier League before moving on to the FA Cup… Ed Chamberlin is joined by Paul Merson to discuss this weekends Premier League fixtures Can Norwich keep a clean sheet and end their winless run? (Norwich v Manchester City - Saturday, 12.45pm, Sky Sports 1 HD)Citys last visit to Carrow Road on FA Cup business two months ago was a clear turning point in Norwichs season as they thrashed the home team 3-0.Since then, Alex Neils side have failed to win in each of their nine games and all 10 fixtures have seen them fail to keep a clean sheet. Manchester City have an excellent record against sides in the bottom half of the Premier League table, including Norwich Having been as high as eighth in the first few weeks of the season, they have slipped further down the standings the longer their winless run has gone on.While City must win to keep their title hopes alive, Norwich desperately need a victory too as their hopes of survival begin to look bleak.The last time Neils men won they also managed to keep a clean sheet as they defeated Southampton 1-0. How home fans would welcome both this weekend. Would a win ensure survival for either Bournemouth or Swansea? (Bournemouth v Swansea - Saturday, 3pm)Results in recent weeks have seen a gap open between the Premier Leagues bottom four teams and the sides directly above them.Bournemouth and Swansea are two of the clubs who have shown improvement since the turn of the year, each taking 14 points from their last eight fixtures. Both Swansea and Bournemouth are nearing Premier League safety It may be both are already far enough ahead of 18th-placed Norwich - Bournemouth are 11 points clear and Swansea have a nine-point gap - to avoid a relegation scrap.A win for either side would certainly enhance their hopes of staying up and while not mathematically safe yet, it could prove to be enough in the long run.Can Stoke or Southampton make a late push for fifth? (Stoke v Southampton - Saturday, 3pm)As the Premier League has intensified since the turn of the year, there has been plenty of focus on who will secure Champions League football.The race to the Europa League is arguably just as engrossing and several teams will still consider themselves to be in contention for fifth place. Southampton will need Sadio Mane to get back among the goals Southampton and Stoke may well be outsiders given they occupy eighth and ninth respectively at present but both are within sight.A win for either could be the catalyst for a late surge into European contention.Will Tottenhams Europa-to-Premier curse derail their title challenge? (Aston Villa v Tottenham - Sunday, 4pm)Tottenham return to Premier League action on Sunday at Aston Villa, three days after a heavy Europa League defeat to Borussia Dortmund, and a return to winning ways would put pressure on leaders Leicester.Whether they get it is another matter - even with Villas four-match losing run in mind - and more pertinent for Spurs fans is their own teams indifferent form after European games.Tottenham have notoriously struggled with the Thursday-Sunday schedule in recent seasons, although Mauricio Pochettino did make seven changes in Germany to keep things fresh. Tottenham will look to avoid a Europa League hangover when they travel to Aston Villa This term they have been inconsistent - winning just three of their eight fixtures immediately after European ties - and their heavy run of games could take a toll once again.Meanwhile, the last eight of the FA Cup throws up four intriguing fixtures as seven Premier League teams and Championship side Reading all turn out knowing they could be just 90 minutes from Wembley… Ed and Merse discuss this weekends FA Cup quarter-final fixtures How do Chelsea react after their Champions League exit? (Everton v Chelsea - Saturday, 5.30pm)Knowing they will be without Champions League football for the first time in 13 years is a situation Chelsea are still getting used to.If they think thats bad, their fans will travel to Goodison Park with the odd prospect of their team having nothing significant to play for in the last two months of the season if they lose to Everton. Will Chelsea bounce back from their defeat by Paris Saint-Germain? Guus Hiddink has admitted Chelsea are in transition and with the club heavily tipped to appoint Antonio Conte as their new manager, it appears there is a new man to impress.An FA Cup win this season would clearly help but as is the case for Everton, Chelseas season will effectively be over with a defeat in this fixture after Wednesdays loss to PSG.Will Arsenal continue to stutter in their FA Cup defence? (Arsenal v Watford - Sunday, 1.30pm)Arsenal are bidding to become the first team in 130 years to win three consecutive FA Cups but you wouldnt know it with a look at how their defence of the trophy has gone so far.After coming from behind to beat Sunderland, they were then pushed all the way by Burnley and went to a replay against Hull before winning 4-0 on Tuesday night. Arsenals title challenge takes a back seat when they face Watford in the FA Cup In Watford, they face a team that has adapted well to life in the Premier League and they should be the Gunners toughest opponents yet in the competition.Watford have been workmanlike in a trio of 1-0 wins over Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Leeds in the previous rounds.Combine that with Arsenals growing injury list and they should provide a difficult afternoon for the holders on Sunday.Can West Ham keep up their good record against big-name sides? (Manchester United v West Ham - Sunday, 4pm)West Ham supporters have good reason to believe they will see European football at the Olympic Stadium next season, particularly with their results against the countrys biggest sides in mind.Under Slaven Bilic, they have made a habit of pulling off their best results when they are seen as underdogs and that will give them hope going to Old Trafford. The two sides played out a draw at Old Trafford earlier this season In 11 games against Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham they have lost only once to the latter - and pulled off seven wins.Progression here would keep hopes of a Europa League spot next term alive, with the possibility of going one better and claiming Champions League football through the league still strong. Also See: Europes future stadiums Citys woes against the best Where would Zlatan fit in? Live on Sky Cheap Air Jordan Authentic . Rockhold." Known as an aggressive striker, Belfort (23-10) instead paced himself as the engaged in the early going and showed restraint by not overcommitting against the larger Rockhold (10-2). But when the opportunity presented itself, Belfort delivered an incredible spinning heel kick that landed flush on Rockholds chin and sent him toppling to the floor. Cheap Air Jordan Free Shipping . After losing Brett Cecil to groin tightness on Friday, the Blue Jays watched as R. http://www.airjordanoutletsale.com/ . Wiggins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward who plays his first exhibition game on Wednesday against Pitt State, was the top prospect in the class of 2013. Jordans Shoes Online Wholesale . Plata blasted a rising shot to the upper left corner for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. He got the kick after referee Allen Chapman ruled Chris Tierney fouled John Stertzer in the penalty area. Air Jordan Clearance . -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh says he isnt going to change what he does on the field. Scott Cullen checks in with notes on the Habs sweep, the Bruins defensive dominance, Rangers vets leading the way and the Sharks putting the Kings in a hole. HABS ADVANCE Max Pacioretty tucked in the winning goal, on a last minute power play, giving the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, ending the series in a four-game sweep. While he didnt register a point, Game Four was yet another big game for Canadiens LW Rene Bourque, who led the Canadiens with seven shots on goal and a plus-14 Corsi (68.4%), during a game in which the possession battle was virtually even (60-59 in shot attempts, favouring Montreal, at 5-on-5). Even so, it was also a dominant game for Lighting D Victor Hedman, who was on for 72.5% (29 for, 11 against) of the shot attempts at 5-on-5, while the Lightning were just under 38% (30 for, 49 against) when Hedman was off the ice. Lightning rookie LW Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist in the Game Four loss, giving him three points (in three games) in the series, tying Hedman for second on the Lightning. Steven Stamkos was their top scorer in Round One, with four points in four games. RW Ryan Callahan, who played more than 20 minutes per game, was held off the scoresheet in the series, registering five shots on goal. After Hedman, who was plus-15 in shot attempts for the series, RW J.T. Brown (+13), D Andrej Sustr (+10) and C Cedric Paquette (+8) were the next-best possession players for the Lightning. On the other hand, D Matt Carle (-23), C Tyler Johnson (-23) and D Radko Gudas (-16) -- who missed Game Four with an injury -- were on the low end of the possession scale for Tampa Bay. Surprisingly, the Canadiens won the possession game -- a facet of the game at which the Lightning were better throughout the season. Canadiens D Josh Gorges was a net plus-22 Corsi through four games, best on the team, ahead of Thomas Vanek (+19), Brendan Gallagher (+19) and P.K. Subban (+17). Montreals leading scorers in the series were C Lars Eller (2 G, 3 A), RW Brendan Gallagher (3 G, 2 A) and P.K. Subban (5 A). To get a series sweep, and production outside their potent No. 1 line, has to be encouraging for the Canadiens. Coming into the series, it looked like a tough spot for the Lightning, turning to backup G Anders Lindback with Ben Bishop hurt late in the regular season, and while Lindback was hardly the only reason the Lightning lost, he wasnt nearly as strong as Carey Price, who finished with a pedestrian .904 save percentage; though that was better than Lindbacks .881 mark, which isnt good enough to win. The result might have happened a little easier than expected, but this series matched the forecast. BRUINS GAIN ADVANTAGE Tuukka Rask stopped 23 shots and Patrice Bergeron had an empty-net goal and an assist to give the Boston Bruins a 3-0 win in Game Three at Detroit, giving the Bruins a 2-1 series lead over the Red Wings. The Bruins controlled play early, outshooting the Red Wings 11-4 in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Caron. Even with the Red Wings trying to mount a rally in the final two periods, the Bruins still ended up with a slight edge in puck possession. Even with that being the case, the best individual Corsi for the game belonged to Red Wings RW Gustav Nyquist, who was one for 18 shots for, seven against (+11, 72.0%). Without Nyquist on the ice, the Red Wings had 36.1% (17 for, 30 against) of the 5-on-5 shot attempts. With one goal total in the past two games, the Red Wings are finding it difficult to get on track against the Bruins and Nyquist, who leads the team with 10 shots on goal, still has yet to record a point. Detroit might be holding its own in the possession game for this series, but theyre not going to get very far if they dont find a way to finish against Rask and the Bruins. RANGERS OVER FLYERS Martin St. Louis, Rick ;Nash and Dan Girardi each recorded two points as the New York Rangers downed the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 in Game Three, taking a 2-1 series lead.dddddddddddd The Flyers may well have deserved a better fate in this game, outshooting the Rangers 32-23 and getting 80 total shot attempts to the Rangers 49; that indicates a rather decisive territorial edge. Every Flyer had a positive Corsi, led by RW Wayne Simmonds, who was on for 76.2% (16 for, 5 against) of the shot attempts at 5-on-5. The mirror image, for the Rangers, was RW Mats Zuccarello, who was on the ice for 20.8% (5 for, 19 against) of 5-on-5 shot attempts. Put into the lineup against his former team, Rangers LW Dan Carcillo scored the Blueshirts fourth goal to ice the game; a nice contribution from a player that had one goal in his final 20 regular season games. Overall, though, the Flyers are having a hard time generating shots on goal. D Luke Schenn led the way with five shots on goal in Game Three and hes now tied with call-up RW Jason Akeson for the team lead, with eight. At the very least, Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell should all be getting more pucks on net. But, in Game Three, the bigger issue was in goal, where Ray Emery surrendered four goals on 20 shots and while he wasnt terrible, Emery was yanked in favour of Steve Mason with under eight minutes remaining. That could be an indication that Mason will be ready to start Game Four. Flyers captain Claude Giroux is confident that Philadelphia will take Game Four, and go back to New York with the series even, but Giroux is going to be front and centre in that effort. If Philly wants to even up the series, they need their top guns firing. KINGS ON THE BRINK A series that was supposed to be a first-round classic is in danger of going to a sweep after the San Jose Sharks 4-3 overtime win in Game Three against the Los Angeles Kings. Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist and Brent Burns scored the games first goal and contributed seven shots on goal in the winning effort. The nature of Burns first goal of the game and Marleaus last goals of the game shows just how important it is to get shots at the net. Burns flubbed a one-timer and the puck floated, virtually in slow-motion, past Quick. Marleaus goal was a weak backhand that deflected off Kings D Slava Voynov and past Quick. Add in a rebound goal for Tomas Hertl, for the game-tying third goal, and a deflection by Sharks RW Matt Nieto past a fallen Quick, who had been knocked over by D Robyn Regehr, and the quality of San Joses goals wasnt nearly as high as it had been in Game Two, when clean shots were beating Quick at every turn. After complaining about his Game Two ice time, Kings D Drew Doughty had a couple of assists and played a game-high 28:31, even though he missed some time while dealing with a shoulder injury. As if a 3-0 series lead isnt daunting enough to overcome for the Kings, but trying to do it with their No. 1 defenceman playing through injury is a virtually impossible task. The possession game for each team was won by Kings C Mike Richards (22 shot attempts for, 11 against) and Sharks LW Tomas Hertl (20 for, 13 against). At the wrong end of the scale, Sharks D Brad Start was on for 26.5% (nine for, 25 against) of the 5-on-5 shots against, though that meant the Sharks captured 53.7% of the shot attempts when Stuart was off the ice. For fans of high level hockey, its disappointing to see the Kings down 3-0, because a goal by Los Angeles in overtime (where they outshot San Jose 5-1) would have improved the odds of a long series. As it is now, theres little reason to imagine that the Kings can overcome this deficit against a Sharks team that is playing as well as any in the postseason. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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