TORONTO a€“ Coaches, parents, agents, friends, teammates, they all keep telling Morgan Rielly the same thing and hea€?s tired of it. Cheap Jerseys From China . The 20-year-old Maple Leafs defender doesna€?t believe, even remotely, in the myth of the sophomore jinx despite everything hea€?s heard about it. They all keep telling him to lower his expectations, to prepare for the dip many experience in their second twirl through the NHL, to simply shoot for the status quo of a standout rookie year. Rielly rejects it. He wants more and is determined to prove it. a€?Therea€?s people trying to say a€?just try to do what you did last yeara€? but I want to try to improve this year and I want to try to make a difference on this team, try to be a leader,a€? said Rielly in conversation with TSN.ca. a€?Ia€?m not going to be okay with being good or average, I want to be even better.a€? Rielly doesna€?t buy the questionable rationale of the sophomore slump. He doesna€?t think therea€?s any reason his play should dip after a rookie trial that saw him get better and better over the course of 73 games. Whata€?s to stop him from taking all that he did and learned as a first-year player and improving upon it? a€?Absolutely,a€? he says before repeating the word once more. a€?Absolutely. Therea€?s always players that have those slumps, wea€?ve talked about that. Ia€?ve heard all about that stuff, but therea€?s plenty of players that have had great years after their first year; like Drew Doughty, like Kris Letang, have all had really good [sophomore] years. I think thata€?s what Ia€?m trying to focus on. Ia€?m not trying to focus on the guys that have had slumps. I want to be like the guys that have had great years going into their sophomore years.a€? He keeps hearing, though, that he should be prepared for the falloff, the advice trickling in from all walks of life. And while Rielly appreciates the sentiment, he also has no intention of limiting himself in a year that kicks off in less than a week. He wants to tell them all a€“ coaches, parents, agents, teammates, all of them a€“ that he can handle himself, that hea€?ll be just fine. Sophomore or not, hea€?s going to improve. He knows Doughty did it. The Kings cornerstone and 2014 Olympic hero leaped from six goals and 27 points as a rookie to 16 goals, 59 points, and a Norris Trophy nomination as a sophomore. Letang, near the top of Riellya€?s hockey idols, virtually doubled his production from year one to year two; six goals and 17 points as a Penguins rookie to 10 and 33, not to mention a dominant playoff run. But even Riellya€?s head coach here in Toronto, Randy Carlyle, treads carefully around the subject. Hea€?s told Rielly as much. a€?When I chat with Randy he always told me to just not have high expectations and just try to come back this year and try to do what I did last year,a€? Rielly said of his conversations with Carlyle. a€?But I mean I dona€?t know if thata€?s my personal goal. I think I want to make improvements in a whole lot of areas. Ia€?m going to try to do that this year, just try to get better every day and just keep learning. Ia€?ve only played one year so Ia€?ve got lots of room to learn and improve.a€? Carlyle is fearful of thrusting too much on the shoulders of his young defender, especially in a market that tends to swallow its own. a€?I dona€?t like to put any pressure on a young player, specifically a second year player because we all have heard of the sophomore jinx,a€? he said. a€?I would rather caution ourselves and tread against giving him too much too early; just get his feet underneath him and do what he did last year until hea€?s very comfortable.a€? Rielly learned a lot in that first year, so much that he doesna€?t know where to start when questioned on the subject. What stands out first, he said, is just how difficult the league is, how it will eat you up in a hurry if youa€?re not ready for it. There are no nights off. a€?In junior,a€? he says, a€?you could just not play great, but I could always get by a€“ score, get an assist, it looks fine. Playing in this league, if youa€?re not playing the best that you can the whole building notices. I think thata€?s one thing, just because the players are so good that if you make one mistake ita€?s probably going to end up in the back of your net. So youa€?ve got to be on point and if youa€?re not, people are going to know.a€? That means learning to perform when the legs dona€?t feel so great, when a cold is kicking in, when youa€?re tired from the third game in four nights. Ita€?s about battling through those things, he says. A surprise to even make the team out of training camp last fall, Rielly got noticeably better with each passing practice, game and day. It was apparent in his swagger on the ice. He was joining the rush with more frequency in February and March. He was taking more chances. He was using the gifts that allowed him to be picked fifth overall in 2012 to stand out on many more nights. If therea€?s one specific area for personal improvement this season, ita€?s in the defensive zone. Rielly, like the team at large, is intent on retrieving the puck quicker, finishing plays more decisively, winning more battles, anything that will allow him and his teammates to spend less time on defence and more time on the attack. He had 27 points as a rookie, two more than Seth Jones, the player picked fourth overall by Nashville in 2013. Peter Horachek, spent a great deal of time behind that Predators bench as the teama€?s No. 2 to Barry Trotz, the since-deposed and now Washington Capitals head coach. He and Trotz shared a rich history in developing NHL defencemen, particularly the two players who would come to define much of the franchisea€?s history: Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Horachek speaks with admiration for Weber and Suter, calling them friends to this day. He doesna€?t believe in putting limits on emerging young talent. He wants them to learn from their mistakes, grow to be better because of those mistakes. And like Rielly, hea€?s definitely not a believer in that whole jinx thing. a€?His development is limited to himself,a€? said Horachek, the still-new Leafs assistant. a€?Therea€?s no limit. Hea€?s limited only by his maturity of where he is and his decision-making. I hopefully can help him make good decisions and he can continue to grow. a€?I dona€?t believe in any superstitions or second-year jinxes,a€? he continued. a€?Why would a guy not have a good second year? Is it because he relaxes? He doesna€?t train as hard? He feels like Ia€?ve made it, I dona€?t have to be on edge all the time? Every player, no matter if theya€?re in the fifth year or second year, [has] to be ready to play and focus. Thata€?s part of their maturity and mental development is saying Ia€?m ready to practice today, Ia€?m going to do a little bit more today in practice.a€? Rielly, who played just under 18 minutes a game last year, spent most of the offseason back home in Vancouver where he trained alongside Mike Santorelli, one among the newer crop of Leafs. The two have been training together for years, met at the gym when Rielly was still in the 10th grade. a€?Hea€?s a bit more quiet than I am so he keeps me focused,a€? Rielly says of Santorelli, nearly a decade his senior. Rielly kept his workouts the same as in yearsa€? past though he insists on feeling stronger and quicker this fall, his already NHL-ready frame continuing to grow. His drive to improve crosses many paths. He continues to pick the minds of more experienced teammates, searching for tips and bits of advice that will help him conquer his second NHL season. He and the teama€?s captain, Dion Phaneuf, had dinner together recently and discussed such things. Phaneuf was a Calder Trophy finalist as a rookie, busting out of the Red Deer Rebels junior ranks with 20 goals and 49 points for the Flames. He followed it up with 17 more goals and 50 points a€“ numbers Rielly can recount off the top of his head. a€?Ita€?s not really hard-hitting stuff,a€? Rielly says of his conversation with Phaneuf, a€?but he told me what he experienced. He was experiencing exactly what Ia€?m dealing with. He just tried to give me some advice, give me some confidence and have some fun with it.a€? Phaneufa€?s wisdom hinged on confidence and belief in onea€?s own ability. He advised Rielly to ignore what was being said, to brush off the crowing of a furious hockey market that scowls when Phil Kessel goes more than three games without scoring. a€?He told me to not worry about what everybody else is saying,a€? Rielly said. And that, it would appear, is what Rielly is intent on doing. Hea€?s going to ignore the calls for a sophomore slump, ignore rationale that says he should stay the same, ignore anything thata€?s going to keep him from getting even better, from remaining merely good. What does getting better mean? a€?Hard work,a€? he says abruptly. China Jerseys Wholesale . Winners of two straight, the Flames will try to become the first team in 25 years to go three consecutive games without taking a penalty Saturday night in San Jose. Fake China Jerseys . - John Elways philosophy is to address immediate needs in free agency, even though some of his own veterans may prove too pricey to keep around. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/ . James scored 25 points against his former team, leading the energized Heat to a 114-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade added 24 points and Chris Bosh had 22 for the Heat, idle since a 90-84 loss Tuesday at Indiana.LOS ANGELES -- Patrick Kane skated to a patch of open ice near the painted Stanley Cup logo and fired a long, low shot at the Los Angeles net, hoping to hit an invisible hole. His Chicago Blackhawks teammates werent shocked when he found it. Kanes career has been defined by his brilliance in the Blackhawks biggest moments, and his tiebreaking goal with 3:45 to play in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals will rank among the best. "Theres still not much room out there in this series," Kane said. "Right now, you have to take advantage of your opportunities when you do get space." Almost nobody seizes an opportunity like Kane, who scored two goals and set up Duncan Keiths tying goal with 8:26 left as the Blackhawks forced a decisive seventh game with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night. Game 7 is Sunday night in Chicago. The winner hosts the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. After trailing with less than nine minutes to play in Game 6, the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks avoided elimination for the second straight game in an already memorable playoff series between two NHL powers at the top of their games. Chicago is heading home with a chance to advance thanks to the forward who saves his best for the brightest lights. "Its amazing what he can do in these big games when our season is on the line," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said about Kane. "Nobody else seems to be able to do it the same way he does. Its pretty amazing." Kane, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season, had one point in the series first four games. He has scored seven more in Chicagos consecutive dramatic victories, capped by Kanes dangle for a seeing-eye goal past Jonathan Quick, the 2012 Conn Smythe winner. "I didnt see anything off the rush," Kane said. "I took it up the line and tried to get a shot through. I think (Andrew Shaw) was in front getting a great screen. Luckily, it went in." The conference finals rematch between the NHLs last two champions will be decided in a winner-take-all Game 7 -- the third of the post-season for the Kings, who are 6-0 in elimination games this spring. Both teams blew late leads in the third period, and Drew Doughty was primed to be Los Angeles hero with a tying goal and a tiebreaking assist on Alec Martinezs score with 12:22 left. But after Kane took control, Corey Crawford came up with several late saves as Chicago hung on. "There is the Wow factor in this series, especially the last two games," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. China Jerseys Cheap. "Weve got two competitive teams that have experience in the situation. Its been amazing. I mean, as good as it gets." Chicago trailed 3-1 in the conference finals after its second straight loss at Staples Center on Monday, but the Blackhawks prolonged the series with an epic double-overtime victory in Game 5. Crawford made 26 saves and exchanged harsh words with counterpart Jonathan Quick as the Blackhawks won for the ninth time in their last 11 elimination games. Dwight King scored an early goal and Doughty played 26 minutes in another dynamic game for the Kings, who were half a period away from clinching their second trip to the Stanley Cup finals in three years. "Im frustrated, but Im over it pretty quickly," Doughty said. "And weve got another game to play, Game 7. Weve had two chances to close out this series, and we are not going to blow a third one." Chicago led 2-1 entering the third after getting goals from Kane and Ben Smith early in the second period, and Staples Center echoed with worry until Doughty tied it with 14:28 left with a wrist shot past a screened Crawford for his third goal in four games. Doughty then fed Martinez for a low shot through traffic, putting the Kings ahead 3-2 and setting off a deafening celebration. A few minutes later, it turned to silence when Keith and Kane beat Quick. "We get the privilege of playing with a guy like that every day and seeing what he can do," Keith said of Kane. "You know when it comes down to crunch time, him and Johnny (Toews), I dont know if there are two other guys Id rather have on my team." But Kane was just one problem for Los Angeles normally solid defence, which gave up numerous scoring chances. "I feel like Im a broken record here, but weve got to be sharp in our own end," Martinez said. "We werent making plays that we normally make. Weve got to be quick to contact on them. We werent very sharp." Crawford exchanged contact and angry words after the second-period horn with Quick, who had just been hit by Shaw. Crawford shook his glove and blocker at his waist, miming his willingness to fight. NOTES: The Blackhawks went with seven defencemen for Game 6, dressing Sheldon Brookbank for the first time since May 13. Kris Versteeg and Peter Regin were scratched. ... Kings owner Phil Anschutz made a rare appearance at Staples Center. Prospective new Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and point guard Chris Paul also attended the game. ' ' '