tic Coast Conference in two of the past three years and last

NEW YORK -- The Tampa Bay Lightning continue their six-game road trip on Sunday night when they visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.After starting the jaunt with victories against the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, the Lightning have dropped consecutive 3-1 decisions to the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils. Although the Lightning started 5-1-0 and hold a 5-3-0 record, slow starts have been an issue all season -- the team has scored in just one first period in eight games.Weve got to find ways to start games on time, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said to the Tampa Bay Times. You can have all the skill in the world, but if you dont stick to the game plan and structure and work at it, youre going to win a couple games because youre more skilled than the other team. But usually youre not going to win in this league. The parity is too great.Goaltender Ben Bishop is expected to get the start in net after watching backup Andrei Vasilevskiy allow three goals on 23 shots Saturday. Right winger Nikita Kucherov, who missed the game Saturday with an upper-body injury, is listed as day-to-day.Is it possible that Kucherov, who led the team with 30 goals last season, is back in time to face the Rangers?Could is the word. Can he? Im not so sure, coach Jon Cooper said to the Tampa Bay Times before Saturdays game. But I know hes feeling much better today...Its not a good situation, but lets just hope its only a couple games or maybe one game.Kucherovs offensive talents could be sorely missed against the Rangers (5-3-0), who lead the NHL in goals per game at 3.63. They remodeled the team in an attempt to add speed throughout the lineup and it has worked beautifully.The problem is whether the quick team has the makeup to score enough ugly goals when the pretty ones arent coming. That was the case in a 3-2 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, when the Rangers couldnt get anything done in the dirty areas with their opponent sitting back and playing it safe with a lead.You know that teams are going to be patient back there, captain Ryan McDonagh said to the New York Daily News. Weve had a couple of games now needing a goal like that. We certainly had some chances, but you know theyre going to be sagging, theyre going to be taking away a lot of the slot area...So guys going to the net and getting a rebound is something we have to look at a little bit when we find ourselves in that situation.If the Hurricanes gave the league a blueprint for slowing the Rangers offense, it may be something the Lightning employ Sunday. After all, they are playing the second half of a back-to-back while the Rangers are at home and rested so turning the neutral-zone to mud could benefit the road-weary Lightning.Shooting pucks...thats something weve got to learn, Rangers center Derek Stepan said to the New York Daily News. When teams get up and are going to sit in that neutral-zone trap or whatever you want to call it, we have to find a way to get through it with speed and generate offense. Wayne Gretzky Rangers Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Brett Howden Rangers Jersey . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. http://www.rangershockeyonlineshop.com/martin-st-louis-hockey-jersey/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Sergei Nemchinov Jersey . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Chris Kreider Jersey . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. CLEMSON, S.C. -- It has been a long time since any Clemson basketball team made the NCAA Tournament.Head coaches Brad Brownell and Audra Smith are looking to change that as quickly as possible -- and hope a $63.5 million renovation at Littlejohn Coliseum can help.The mens team has not made NCAAs since 2011, Brownells first season and the end of a run of four straight trips to the Big Dance. Its been even longer for Smiths womens team, which had not gotten a bid since 2002 -- three coaches ago.Brownell spent much of his previous six years meeting donors about the basketball project and building a base of support to fill up Liittlejohns increased premium seating areas when it officially opens Nov. 11 as the Tigers face Georgia.Brownell said hes built a respectable, competitive program and wont worry about those on the outside who think a shiny new building brings instant success.A better office, nicer TVs and couches, doesnt win you any games, said Brownell, starting his seventh Clemson season. Now, hopefully, it brings guys together in an environment where you can spent more time together, bond better and become closer, that togetherness helps you win games.Brownell and Smith each acknowledge what the facility can mean to their future programs in attracting top talent.Smith said last week she had several prospects on campus whose eyes widened at the modern, expanded weight rooms and additional practice courts. Brownell is glad for the chance to show off a finished product to high school coaches, players and their families instead of planning sketches.Its the owner of the Taj Mahal, one supporter said to Brownell as they shook hands Wednesday.Athletic ddirector Dan Radakovich made the aging Littlejohn one of his first priorities when he took the job four years ago.dddddddddddd He thought a modern facility would boost Clemsons basketball programs the way updating and expanding football facilities -- an initiative begun more than a decade ago -- has Clemson fighting for a second-straight trip to the College Football Playoff.Brownell knows it will take time to see benefits, especially with the Tigers having to recruit against ACC powers like Duke, North Carolina and Louisville.You go to ACC media days there are probably 14 out of 15 teams saying theyre going to the NCAAs, the coach said.Clemson has gone 10-8 in the Atlantic Coast Conference in two of the past three years and last season had a three-game run like few others in program history, defeating ranked league opponents Louisville, Duke and Miami over a weeks span.Just because we havent made the NCAA Tournament, and were all disappointed with that, look at ACC play over the last three years especially, weve been a pretty good team. I think we have a lot more respect in our league than sometimes were given credit for.Smith has struggled in rebuilding Clemsons once powerful womens basketball team, going from 13 wins her first season to nine in 2014-15 and four last winter. Its a frustrating process she hopes is about to trend upward in a fresh building.All the amenities in place for our kids to be successful is something that will definitely help us as the season goes on, she said.---Online: www.collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '