Reiseplan » Hossa threaded a pass across the crease. Anisimov didnt q

Were about to see what we didnt get two years ago, but would have enjoyed: a best-of-five series between Minnesota and Phoenix in the WNBA playoffs.The No. 8 seed Mercury continued their pay-no-attention-to-the-regular-season run with a 101-94 victory over No. 3 seed New York on Saturday. Phoenix ended Tamika Catchings career with an 89-78 win at Indiana on Wednesday, and did the same to Swin Cash by beating the Liberty.This single-elimination stuff seems to agree with the Mercury, whose 16-18 regular-season record currently has little relevance. But the format abruptly changes now to a best-of-five series. There in the semifinals waits the No. 1 seed and defending champion Lynx, who were 28-6 this season and are a bit peevish because they feel like theyve been forgotten in the past week of one-and-dones.That is part of the nature of the new playoff system, though: The top two teams -- Minnesota and Los Angeles -- wait for a week and a half to play. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve took to Twitter on Saturday to express her irritation and disappointment in current media coverage of her team, and you totally can understand her point. This setup takes the focus off the best teams for quite a while to start the postseason.The interesting thing is, the Lynx and the Mercury were likely part of the impetus to change the system, at least in terms of no longer having the playoffs divided by conference. Starting this year, its just the top eight teams.That was not the case in 2014, and it led to an anti-climactic WNBA Finals. Phoenix beat Minnesota 2-1 back then in the best-of-three Western Conference finals, which pitted the top two teams in the league that season by far.The Mercury were 29-5 and played defense as well as they did offense, which made them almost unbeatable. The Lynx, who were 25-9, were the only team that really had a shot to upset them. Just one other team in the league even had a winning record that season: 19-15 Atlanta, which was upset in the Eastern Conference semifinals by 15-19 Chicago.So the West finals felt like the peak of the 2014 playoffs. The Mercury were dominant in the opener in Phoenix, 85-71. The Lynx fought back with an 82-77 win in Minneapolis. In the decisive third game back in Phoenix, the Lynx were in striking distance in the third quarter, but were buried in the fourth, falling 96-78.In the WNBA Finals, Phoenix swept Chicago, taking the first two games by 21 and 29 points, and the last game -- even without an injured Brittney Griner -- by five. The Mercury would have been favored to defeat Minnesota in the WNBA Finals, too, but that matchup would have been a lot more compelling.This year, were not getting a WNBA Finals meeting between the Lynx and Mercury, but we are getting a longer series. However, Minnesota would like to make it as short as possible, and if it goes the way the regular season did, that will be the case. The Lynx won all three meetings, with those games in the early part of the summer.The teams met in their season opener, May 14 in Minnesota, with the Lynx prevailing 95-76. On May 25 at Phoenix, the Lynx won 85-78. That loss dropped the Mercury to 0-4.Their third meeting was June 7 at Minnesota, and was a little closer -- 89-81 -- but by then we knew that this season was not going to be what was expected from Phoenix. The Mercury didnt even secure their playoff berth until just before their second-to-last game of the regular season on Sept. 15, when Washington lost to Atlanta. Then, knowing they were in the postseason, the Mercury seemed to relax a little and just play. They beat Seattle 86-62 that night in Phoenix as the Mercury fans honored Penny Taylor, who will retire at seasons end, in what might have been her final?home game. Then the Mercury closed out the regular season with an 81-65 victory at San Antonio.Two playoffs wins mean the Phoenix fans will get to see Taylor at least once more at home: Sunday, Oct. 2 in Game 3 of their series with the Lynx. The first two games will be at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, which will also be the Lynxs home facility all of next season because of refurbishments to Target Center.So while the Mercury might have taken a meandering path to this showdown with the Lynx, they still got there.A star-studded series? You better believe it. Between them, the teams have 11 players who competed in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and six who are former No. 1 draft picks. Two players are past MVPs: Diana Taurasi for Phoenix in 2009, and Maya Moore for Minnesota in 2014.The Lynx and the Mercury each have three WNBA championships, so if either wins this season, they will tie the now-defunct Houston Comets for the most in league history.Of course, winning this series doesnt guarantee that for either, because then theres another five-game series to go. That will be against the winner of Los Angeles vs. Chicago or Atlanta, with the latter two meeting in Rosemont, Illinois, on Sunday (ESPN2, 1 p.m. ET).For the Lynx, this all might be rather irritating: They earned the top seed, so theoretically should have the easiest path to the WNBA Finals. Phoenix is not looking like a No. 8 seed. But thats how this has played out, and for WNBA fans, it should be a whole lot of fun. Wholesale Kevin Durant Shoes .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. Kevin Durant Shoes From China . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. https://www.kevindurantshoescheap.com/ . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. Clearance Kevin Durant Shoes .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Kevin Durant Shoes Free Shipping . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. CHICAGO -- Corey Crawford was perfect when needed, and the Chicago Blackhawks finally came through with a complete effort.Crawford made 32 saves, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa each had a power-play goal and Chicago beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 on Sunday night.?All areas of our game were solid, coach Joel Quenneville said. I thought we had a real good rotation of our lines, had the D moving and skating, and had the puck way more.Much better and more representative of how we need to play.Artem Anisimov also scored to extend his career-best point streak to seven games. He has six goals and five assists during the run.Toews got his first goal of the season after having just three assists in the Blackhawks first eight games.I still feel like around the net I need a few bounces, and finally got one tonight, Toews said. Whenever you get that result, it gives you confidence.Hossa scored into an empty net with 1:10 remaining.The Blackhawks jumped to a 2-0 lead, and then managed it well to improve to 3-0-1 in their last four.Chicago also killed both of Los Angeles power plays and for the first time in nine games didnt allow a power-play goal. For the season, the Blackhawks have allowed a league-worst 15 goals in 32 times short-handed.Theyve killed five straight, dating to a 3-2 overtime win at New Jersey on Friday.Were going to need to keep that going to get that percentage down where it needs to be, Toews said. We got those kills and when we needed him, (Crawford) was big.Crawford earned his 20th shutout, and the Kings were blanked for the second straight game. Los Angeles concluded a two-game Midwest swing after losing 1-0 in regulation at St. Louis on Saturday.That was our best game defensively, Crawford said. Were on the same page in our zone. And we were moving the puck out quick, too.Hossa was honored in a pregame ceremony for becoming the 44th player with 500 goals, a milestone he reached on Oct. 18.Los Angeles Peter Budaj madde 26 saves.ddddddddddddWeve got to find more ways to get more scoring chances off the rush, off the cycle game and get our D activated a little more as well, Los Angeles defenseman Jake Muzzin said.Kings coach Darryl Sutter remained stuck on 599 wins. Sutter launched his coaching career with the Blackhawks following eight seasons with them as a forward and ranks 14th in NHL coaching victories and fifth among active coaches.The Blackhawks had four power-play chances in the first period and Toews connected on the first one at 6:54 to give Chicago a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.Toews wrist shot from the top of the right circle beat Budaj on the glove side while Kings defensemen Jake Muzzin and Tom Gilbert screened Budaj.Anisimov made it 2-0 from the left edge of the crease with 6:30 left in the second, set up after Hossa threaded a pass across the crease. Anisimov didnt quite handle the feed cleanly but controlled the puck with a quick move and chipped it over Budaj.Game notes Hossa held his daughter Zoja while being honored and got a big reaction from the crowd when the 2-year-old pinched his nose and then waved while the scoreboard camera zoomed in. ... Los Angeles D Brayden McNabb, who suffered an upper body injury in Saturdays 1-0 loss in St. Louis, sat out Sunday. Kings D Matt Greene, a healthy scratch since the second game of the season, was in the lineup. ... Blackhawks rookie D Gustav Forsling missed his second game with an upper body injury. ... Chicago rookie C Vincent Hinostroza, a scratch for the last four games, returned. ... Blackhawks F Andrew Desjardins, out since blocking a shot in Chicagos exhibition finale on Oct. 8, has resumed skating.UP NEXT:Kings: Host Anaheim on Tuesday to start a three-game homestand.Blackhawks: Host Calgary at the United Center for the second time in eight days. ' ' '