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WASHINGTON -- The Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals both began the game one point away from a playoff spot. Cam Phillips Jersey . The Stars? They played like a team determined to get to there for the first time since 2008. The Capitals? They looked like a group tired of having their yearly routines disrupted by such a trivial thing as post-season hockey. It was no contest. The Stars 5-0 win over the Capitals on Tuesday night was a victory of confidence over embarrassment. Dallas has won five of six, outscoring opponents 16-5 over their past three games. "Its a big obstacle," said Ray Whitney, who scored in the second period. "Its been, what, five years now? ... Were no different than anybody else whos been out for a while. We want to get in pretty bad." The victory, at least for a few hours, moved the Stars one point ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes for the final post-season berth in the Western Conference. The Coyotes then moved into a tie with Dallas by picking up a point in a shootout loss to Winnipeg later Tuesday. "Its scoreboard-watching time," Whitney said. The Capitals, meanwhile, were booed heavily in their home rink, particularly after an abysmal stretch in the second period in which they allowed several odd-man rushes, took a slashing penalty and gave up two goals in 34 seconds. "If I was a fan, Id be booing us right now," said goaltender Braden Holtby, who relieved Jaroslav Halak in the second period after Dallas third goal. "A playoff race like were in? To lose 5-0, its awful. Theres no words for it." The Capitals began their run of playoff seasons in 2008. Like Dallas, they started the day as a ninth-place team, but they ended up dropping a spot to 10th. They would lose a tiebreaker against every team contending for the final post-season spots in the Eastern Conference. They have lost four straight and were shut out for the seventh time this season. Alex Ovechkin - the leagues leading goal-scorer - hasnt scored a 5-on-5 goal in more than a month. "If somehow we make the playoffs playing like this, who are we kidding?" coach Adam Oates said. "We have to figure out a way to get better. We have to stick together." Tyler Seguin scored his 33rd goal, Dustin Jeffrey got his first two of the season, and Whitney and Ryan Garbutt also scored for the Stars. Alex Chiasson had three assists, and Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves for his fourth shutout. After over-relying on Seguin and Jamie Benn to carry the scoring load, Dallas suddenly has been getting points from seemingly everyone. "If you look at our top line, I think a lot of teams are focusing on that. Theyre getting the harder matchups," said Jeffrey, who has been back and forth to the minors after being claimed off waivers in November. "We have to be able to score up and down our lineup." Seguin redirected Benns wrister from the left circle in the first period, then there were Capitals miscues aplenty in the second, with the Stars taking advantage. Alex Goligoskis long pass sprang a 2-on-0 break for Whitneys goal. Jeffrey scored shortly afterward, then again in the third. Garbutt capped the scoring with a short-handed goal on a breakaway. "We had a lot of 2-on-1s, and we even had a 2-on-0," Whitney said. "Not often do you see that many scoring chances." Ovechkin last had a 5-on-5 point on Feb. 27, a streak of 16 games. Nicklas Backstrom, who leads the teams in points, is also without a 5-on-5 goal since Feb. 27. Multiple players in the Capitals locker room faulted the teams lack of urgency. "It cant be justified. Its terrible. ... Its like we expect the next guy to make the play," defenceman Karl Alzner said. "Its been kind of off and on like that for a lot of the season, and weve got away with it at times. It clearly hasnt worked the last little bit, and you pay for it in the end." Notes: D Patrik Nemeth made his NHL debut for the Stars as D Aaron Rome sat out with an injury. . Capitals D Patrick Wey sat out after taking an uppercut in a fight that forced him out of Saturdays loss at Nashville. Washington RW Dustin Penner (illness) and D Jack Hillen (upper-body injury) also missed the game. ... Capitals F Chris Brown played after getting called up from the AHL earlier in the day. Cheap Bills Jerseys . To get things started, heres a little photo tour to get you acquainted with all the main characters. Victor Bolden Jr. Jersey . The Twins announced Thursday the 28-year-old Albers cleared waivers. He will join the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. http://www.wholesalebillsjerseys.com/ . - The Jacksonville Jaguars are leaning more toward playing injured quarterback Blake Bortles against Tennessee on Thursday night.TORONTO - Manager John Gibbons and Jose Bautista have differing opinions about the star players bizarre decision to attempt a steal of third base with the Blue Jays down 5-0 in the fourth inning of Friday nights loss to the Red Sox. "Ive got no idea," said Gibbons after the game when asked what Bautista was thinking. "Its not smart, winning baseball and Im sure he wont do it again." If Bautistas read on the situation is any indication, it seems that under similar circumstances, he would do it again. "I thought it was a great chance to get two guys in scoring position, even though we were down 5-0," said Bautista. "Obviously, the only thing I regret is that I didnt make it." Bautista had doubled with one out in the fourth. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a walk. Dioner Navarro was at the plate. It was the first time in the game the Blue Jays had mounted anything resembling a threat. When Bautistas decision didnt work out the inning was, essentially, lost. Talking through his thought process, if you completely ignored the situation, Bautista makes sense. "I thought I had a pretty good idea that the pitch was going to be a breaking ball and I also know that the catchers not the best catch-and-throw catcher in the league," said Bautista. "Maybe my lead wasnt that big. Maybe I didnt get off to a great running start. But I thought it was a great opportunity for us to get two runners in scoring position with less than two outs." The argument is solid, if youre ignoring the situation, except Encarnacion clearly wasnt prepared. He didnt break for second when Bautista took off for third. "I wasnt thinking about (stealing) the whole at-bat," said Bautista. "It was just something that kind of just came about. I noticed the situation. I didnt see it building up to the situation or I would have given Eddie a sign that he and I have. But I stumbled upon the thought of it and didnt get a chance to give that sign to him." Asked if he accepts the risk/reward nature of the play, Bautista was blunt. "I do," he said. JANSSEN TO THROW BULLPEN ON SUNDAY The timetable for Casey Janssens return from an oblique strain issnt clear. Vladimir Ducasse Jersey . Hes slowing progressing. "Starting to trust it a lot more," said Janssen. "Im starting to be a lot more active on it. The recovery is quicker. I guess if Im active on it within a few hours its probably gone. You wake up with a fresh start everyday, which is nice. Just got to continue to progress and the further we get away from that Montreal date then the healthier its going to get." Janssen plans to throw a bullpen session on Sunday. If he feels good, hell throw another either Tuesday or Wednesday in Kansas City. If that goes well, hell head back out on a minor league rehabilitation assignment. "Im going to go as good as I can go," said Janssen of Sundays scheduled bullpen. "I havent pitched since that rehab outing (April 15). You dont want to just go out there and blow the doors off it. You want to a: make sure your sides ready but b: again, continue to re-train your arm to do what its supposed to do. Im not going to be lobbing the ball but its probably not going to be my best fastball either." LIND UPDATE Adam Lind, whos been on the disabled list since April 16 with lower back tightness, is swinging a bat down in Dunedin, Florida. He could appear in an extended spring training game as early as Monday. Theres no timetable for his return, although Lind is eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday, May 1, when the Blue Jays are in Pittsburgh. DIAZ GETS HIS RING Jonathan Diaz received his World Series ring from the Boston Red Sox and was happily showing it off before Saturdays game. "I keep saying its really surreal because of how it all happened," said Diaz. "I was a long time in the minor leagues. I got a week in the big leagues and now Im holding a World Series ring and it doesnt make sense. There are some guys whove played the game for so long in the big leagues who dont have one and now Im sitting here with one. Its almost like a dream." Diaz treasures the ring. It wont be sitting on his mantel. "Im going to put it away, man," said Diaz. "Ill probably put it in a safety deposit box. I dont know how Im going to get it to the States. Im afraid to have my wife take it back." Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale NHL Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '
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