Offtopic » PITTSBURGH (AP) Having home ice is supposed to be an advantage

in the NHL. So far in the 2018 playoffs http://www.officialflyersproshop.com/authentic-adidas-shayne-gostisbehere-jersey , the only guarantee to playing at home is a monochrome backdrop provided by fans in team-specific T-shirts.Consider the following:– The Pittsburgh Penguins finished with the second-worst road record among the 16 playoff teams. Then the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions ripped off three wins in Philadelphia to kickstart their pursuit of a three-peat and backed it up with another victory in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series in Washington.– The Capitals dropped Games 1 and 2 at home in overtime against Columbus in the opening round only to beat the Blue Jackets three times in Columbus on their way to advancing to the NHL’s final eight for the fourth consecutive year.– Winnipeg posted an NHL-high 32 wins on home ice. One of their seven regulation home losses, however, was a wild 6-5 setback at the hands of Nashville in February. The Predators‘ triumph helped them win the Presidents Trophy and guarantee home ice through the playoffs. The Jets, of course, won the series opener in Nashville to steal that advantage.Home teams are just 26-26 so far in the playoffs heading into Tuesday, when Pittsburgh hosts Washington (7:30 p.m. Eastern, NBCSN) and Winnipeg welcomes the Predators (8 p.m., CNBC). Both series are tied after the visitors claimed their respective openers on the road.Asked why the games have become a coin flip regardless of venue, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan – whose team was outplayed at PPG Paints Arena by Philadelphia in Game 2 and Game 5 in the opening round – admits he can’t really come up with a reason.”I don’t know if I have answer for you that makes sense,” Sullivan said Monday. ”Sometimes when teams go on the road, they have tendency to simplify their game … I know our team historically has been very good at home and I believe we will continue to do that.”If Pittsburgh wants to become the first franchise in 35 years to win three straight titles, it doesn’t really have much of a choice. Though Sullivan is right in that the Penguins are pretty good at PPG Paints Arena, they’ve only been so-so when facing the Capitals. Washington won Game 3 and Game 6 in Pittsburgh during the 2017 postseason and wrapped up its third straight Metropolitan Division title with a 3-1 win there on April 1.”You’ve got to create your own momentum, but it gives you good memories Travis Konecny Jersey ,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. ”If you have to go back into the memory bank, at least we have one. Those are things that you can bank on maybe for some positive feeling going forward.”Predators forward Nick Bonino couldn’t offer up any specifics about Nashville’s victory in Winnipeg even though it happened all of two months ago, saying only ”I’m sure we played a solid road game.”The road does offer the visiting team a sense of routine. There aren’t as many friends or family around. No kids waking up in the middle of the night. No traffic to deal with in most places. Just wake up, suit up and go play.”You go out to dinner, there’s not really any distractions,” Bonino said. ”You’re there for hockey.”And the hockey in both series has been spectacular. Nashville avoided heading to Canada in an 0-2 hole with a thrilling double-overtime escape in Game 2. Washington responded after blowing a two-goal, third-period lead in Game 1 by winning a predictably chippy Game 2.That chippiness included a questionable hit by Washington’s Tom Wilson to Pittsburgh defenseman Brian Dumolin’s head in the second period that sent Dumolin into the concussion protocol. Dumolin skated with his teammates on Monday and his status – much like the status of star center Evgeni Malkin (lower body) and Carl Hagelin (upper body) – won’t be determined until Tuesday.Wilson was not penalized for the hit and received a pass from the league when it opted not to schedule a disciplinary hearing to review the play. While Dumolin said he didn’t see Wilson coming because he was bracing for a hit by Alex Ovechkin, Wilson claimed Dumolin turned his head just before impact leaving Wilson with no time to react.”He stops and turns and I’m kind of right there as (Ovechkin) is coming in pretty aggressively,” Wilson said. ”It’s a collision.”Pittsburgh star Kris Letang wasn’t surprised Wilson’s hit wasn’t deemed illegal. Why?”Because we don’t know anymore (what’s legal and illegal),” he said.And we don’t know what a given night is going to bring anymore either. Home teams get to sleep in their beds. They get the luxury of the last line change before faceoffs, allowing them to get the matchups they want. And so far it has made zero difference in the result.”It doesn’t have to be pretty always on the road,” Predators defenseman Matt Irwin said. ”I think we embrace that.”—AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Washington, D.C., and AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville Adam Cracknell Jersey Womens , Tennessee, contributed to this report. BOSTON (AP) Maybe Brad Marchand won’t be as surprised to find an ”A” sewn on his jersey before the Boston Bruins‘ next game.Marchand delivered once again, this time as a surprise alternate captain, scoring with 22 seconds left in the third period to lift Boston over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Thursday night.”I think it’s just a product of everybody doing their job the right way and keeping it simple,” said Marchand, who has scored the winner in three straight during Boston’s five-game winning streak.Marchand and David Pastrnak both swiped at the rebound off a shot by Zdeno Chara, and the puck slowly trickled behind goalie Alex Lyon. Marchand nudged it across the line for his 29th goal.”I would have scored on that,” joked Boston goalie Tuukka Rask, who had 31 saves. ”He’s a battler. He never quits on a play so it’s good that he gets rewarded.”Marchand was coming off a five-point night against Detroit on Tuesday, when he scored twice in regulation and then scored 34 seconds into overtime. He also scored Saturday in Boston’s 2-1 win at Montreal.The Bruins improved to 5-0 since losing center Patrice Bergeron, the alternate captain who is out for a couple weeks with a broken right foot. Marchand said he was surprised to see before the game that the Bruins had given him the ”A” for the evening, calling it an honor.”I think we all have to carry the load a little bit. I think we’re all feeling that,” Marchand said.Chara and Pastrnak had two assists each, and Riley Nash and Brian Gionta also scored for Boston Wayne Simmonds Jersey , which won despite getting outshot 33-27 by the slumping Flyers.Jakub Voracek and Jori Lehtera scored for Philadelphia, which is 0-4-1 in its last five and is clinging to third place in the Metropolitan Division. Coming off a 5-2 loss at home the night before against Pittsburgh, Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol said he was pleased with the Flyers’ 24-hour turnaround.”Our guys worked their tails off from start to finish. It’s hard when you have nothing to show for it at the end,” Hakstol said. ”We took a big step in the right direction. We got back to who we are tonight.”Nash tapped in a rebound after Pastrnak’s wraparound attempt at 9:14 of the first to tie it at 1, then Gionta scored on a breakaway with 26 seconds left in the period to give Boston a 2-1 lead. It was the first goal as a Bruin for Gionta, who signed with Boston as a free agent serving as captain for the U.S. Olympic team.”We stuck with it and obviously found a way late to get one. Those are the games you need to win coming down the stretch,” said Gionta, who has a goal and three assists in four games for the Bruins.Lehtera tied it on a short-handed goal 7:21 into the second. The Flyers took an early lead on Voracek’s power-play goal 1:38 into the game, just nine seconds into a double-minor called on Kevan Miller for high sticking. Nolan Patrick set up Voracek’s one-timer from the right side with a backward pass through his legs.Notes: Bruins F David Backes sat out the first of a three-game suspension for a hit on Detroit’s Frans Nielsen on Tuesday night. … The Bruins shut out the Flyers 3-0 on Dec. 2 in the first of three meetings this season. … The Bruins have owned the Flyers over the last few years, going 10-1-2 in the previous 13 games entering Thursday. … Gionta and Simmonds needed to be separated after exchanging words at the end of the first period. … Claude Giroux’s assist on Philadelphia’s first goal moved him four points behind Eric Lindros (659) for fifth in Flyers’ scoring history.UP NEXTFlyers: Host Winnipeg on Saturday.Bruins: Host Chicago on Saturday, wrapping up a six-game homestand.—