News/Ankündigungen » Panthers have won five of six to pull out o

TORONTO -- Jerry DAmigo has watched the Toronto Maple Leafs seven-game losing streak from the nearby Marlies of the AHL. In a hockey market like this, its impossible to avoid hearing all about it. Now DAmigo will likely be thrust into the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night to try to do his part -- however small it might be -- to end the skid and save the Leafs playoff hopes. "Im not trying to solve the whole thing here," DAmigo said. "Im just going to put in my best effort and give the guys some energy here. Hopefully (raise) them up a little bit." Unless DAmigo manages to score or create a big goal, itll take much more than a fourth-line energy guy to make the Leafs rise up and find a consistent level of play that has been lacking of late, even against a banged-up opponent. If theres any time to find that extra gear, its against a Red Wings team the Leafs are tied with at 80 points. "Obviously weve been fighting it of late," winger Mason Raymond said. "But this is a team we are battling with for a playoff spot. Theyve been doing well of late so we have quite the test ahead of us." Figuring 92 points as a legitimate target to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, a loss to the Red Wings at Air Canada Centre would just about force the Leafs to win out in their final six games. A victory and some help from the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals puts Toronto right back into it. Coach Randy Carlyle knows this is a difficult spot but doesnt find it difficult to remain positive when speaking with his players. "This isnt a fun place to be right now, Ill tell you that, and theres pressure being applied in different areas, but the No. 1 thing that we have to do is we have to focus on self-improvement by a certain amount, and that will help the team grow," Carlyle said. The Red Wings havent been in a tailspin like the Leafs, but theyve been in the thick of this playoff race long enough to know what to expect Saturday night. "They need a win and we need a win and thats been the case each night weve played probably for 20 games," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "So were used to the environment were in. It should be a lot of fun here tonight. They need a win and we need a win, its just that simple." NOTES -- Jonathan Bernier is expected to be in goal for the Leafs, which would mark the first time this season he starts on back-to-back days. Jimmy Howard starts for Detroit. ... Toronto is 6-9 in the second half of back-to-back games, including losses in the last two of those situations. ... Defenceman Paul Ranger (neck) is "an option" for the Leafs, according to Carlyle. If Ranger plays, it could mean going back to 11 forwards and seven defencemen, though it was not clear which forward would come out of the lineup. Brand Shoes Factory Outlet . -- On any given day here at his companys Silicon Valley headquarters, Vivek Ranadive is ready to compete against any employee who wants to challenge him to any contest. Balenciaga Shoes Clearance . As they are wont to do, the Spurs made things real easy. The Spurs signed Parker to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, ensuring that the six-time All-Star point guard will be in the fold whether Duncan and Ginobili are able to continue their careers or not. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/wholesale-air-max-china/max-270-clearance-sale.html . It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Brand Name Shoes Wholesale China . The team said they will announce a corresponding roster move prior to their series opener on Tuesday night in Kansas City. Wholesale Balenciaga Speed Trainer . As their best player continued to orchestrate his dramatic exit from the club, the Whitecaps added size and creativity at Thursdays Major League Soccer SuperDraft. GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Talib Zanna had 19 points and a career-high 21 rebounds to help Pittsburgh beat No. 15 North Carolina 80-75 in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals Friday. James Robinson also scored a career-best 19 points for the fifth-seeded Panthers (25-8), who used a dominating start to build a huge lead before having to hold off a late rally by the fourth-seeded Tar Heels (23-9). Pittsburgh led by 20 points with 7:22 left before UNCs frantic comeback behind Marcus Paige, who scored 20 of his 27 points after halftime before fouling out with 25.4 seconds left. UNC got it to 78-75 on Nate Britts jumper with 11.4 seconds left but couldnt complete the comeback. James Robinson knocked down two free throws to make it a two-possession game again right after Britts score, then Lamar Patterson rebounded a hurried 3-pointer by James Michael McAdoo with 4.3 seconds left to essentially seal it. Now, after a dominating performance in Thursdays second round and a bumbling-but-successful finish Friday, the Panthers will face sixth-ranked and top-seeded Virginia in Saturdays semifinals. Zanna, a 6-foot-9 fifth-year senior, came within two rebounds of tying the single-game tournament rebounding record that had stood since 1959. He fouled out with 1:03 left. Zanna had 10 offensive rebounds -- one shy of UNCs team total -- and helped Pitt control the boards while taking a 21-6 edge in second-chance points against a team that was third in the league in rebounnding margin for the regular season.dddddddddddd With all those point-blank extra looks off offensive rebounds, Pitt shot 52 per cent for the game. North Carolina spent all day trying to recover from a terrible start. It missed 16 of 19 shots and fell behind 25-8, though its late comeback at least gave them some hope of sticking around Greensboro a little longer. North Carolina shot 42 per cent, though much of that production came after Pitt had built a 61-41 lead on Josh Newkirks three-point play midway through the second half. The Panthers have won five of six to pull out of a three-game losing streak that started to threaten their NCAA tournament chances, with this ranking as probably their best of the year. Now the Tar Heels are suddenly struggling. The Tar Heels started 0-3 in the ACC and stood at 1-4 before running off 12 straight wins, including a home win against Pittsburgh, to earn a top-four seed and double-round bye that came with it. But UNC didnt play well in the final two games of the streak and lost at Duke to close the regular season last weekend, sending them into Greensboro coming off their first loss since Jan. 20. The rebounding trouble was particularly alarming for UNC considering it managed just 20 rebounds in last weekends loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium. During one demoralizing second-half stretch, Zanna tipped in offensive rebounds on consecutive possessions and had 17 rebounds to UNCs 16 with nearly 14 minutes still left. ' ' '