of baseballs grandest ballparks, the Tomlins story was as sweet as it gets.I knew where he was, and what this meant to him and

PITTSBURGH -- Ottawa offered no answer for the surging Penguins. The way Pittsburgh is playing now, with offence up and down a lineup that isnt being dominated by stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Senators couldnt help but wonder if any team does. James Neal scored a hat trick as the Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the third time in six seasons by closing out the Senators 6-2 in Game 5 on Friday night. Just as Ottawas franchise icon Daniel Alfredsson foresaw following a 7-3 Penguins rout in Game 4, the Senators werent good enough to rally from a 3-1 deficit for the first time in six attempts in franchise history. After winning Game 3 on home ice with a comeback that started in the final minute of regulation, they were outscored 13-5 in two runaway Penguins victories. "They were better than us in each and every game and I was just trying to put the pressure on them," said Alfredsson, who acknowledged after Pittsburghs 7-3 win in Game 4 it would be extremely difficult for the Senators to rally. "I still believe that we could do it, if we win one game I think that comment helps us, and thats where it came from." The 40-year-old Alfredsson, an Ottawa fixture since 1995, said he will decide at some point in the off-season whether he will return for a 17th NHL season. "Its really tough with four young kids at home," Alfredsson said. "Thats kind of where I struggle personally. Ill talk to (the Senators) and see what they think. I think I still can play, I really enjoyed the playoffs and had a lot of fun with it. Ill take a little bit of time, I dont want to make a quick decision." Coach Paul MacLean said of Alfredsson and defenceman Sergei Gonchar: "My expectations are they will come back until they tell me." After beating Montreal the opening round following an injury-filled season in which they surprisingly made the playoffs, the Senators were good enough to win only once in a series decided by Pittsburghs offensive execution and a scoring depth that ranges far beyond Crosby and Malkin. Brenden Morrow, Kris Letang and Malkin each added singles for the Penguins on Friday, while Neals goals gave him five in the final two games of the series. "We got to our game a lot. The depth we had showed," Crosby said. "Different guys chipping in, the whole way through we didnt have many lulls where we lost momentum at any point." The Penguins were aided by the solid goaltending of Tomas Vokoun, who made 29 saves and doesnt appear willing to give back his job to former Stanley Cup winner Marc-Andre Fleury any time soon. Pittsburgh, which led the conference during the regular season, will play either the Boston Bruins or New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals. Boston leads 3-1 in a series that resumes Saturday night. "They have a good team and theyre really pushing for it," Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson said. "Right now, theyre playing the way they want to. The first two games (in Pittsburgh) we werent prepared for what they were bringing, they played really well and we definitely didnt play the way wanted to. ... They came out and started stronger the last game (Game 4) and this game as well." For the Senators, who generated only goals by Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris, it was yet another disappointing conclusion to a season. They have failed to advance past the conference semifinals since reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2007, but they advanced one round further than they did a season ago. "A lot of things have to go right for you to get past each round," goalie Craig Anderson said. "The deeper you go, the harder it gets. The better teams keep advancing and the opponents get tougher and tougher. We have to continue to get better. If youre not growing youre dying, and we need to keep growing." Much like the series, Game 5 didnt take long to decide as the Penguins overwhelmed Anderson with waves of scoring attempts -- even when Crosby, who had just an assist, and Malkin werent on the ice. "We didnt respond to start Game 4 and we didnt respond after losing Game 4," Turris said. Malkin did get Pittsburghs fourth goal, his fourth of the playoffs, on a short breakaway created by the turnover Neal generated at mid-ice in the final minute of a second period in which Pittsburgh scored three times. Neal added his second of the game unassisted at 11:07 of the third, and his sixth of the playoffs and third of the game with 2:39 remaining. "Everything hes done, especially the last couple games, hes created a lot of chances for himself," Crosby said of Neal. "That whole line (Jarome Iginla-Malkin-Neal) has been pretty hard to stop. Theyre not fun to play against." The Penguins are averaging 4.27 goals a game through 11 playoff games, the best such pace of any team since the 1992-93 Penguins averaged 4.17 goals per game. Pittsburgh has also scored at least four goals in nine of 11 playoff games, only once failing to score fewer than three, a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 3 in Ottawa. But they recovered from that lone defeat in the series to easily win the final two games, including the Game 4 rout in which MacLeans post-game news conference lasted only 13 seconds and Alfredsson couldnt generate much optimism for a series comeback in a quiet dressing room. "I think weve been confident the whole series against Ottawa," Letang said. "We knew that playing a north-south (fast-paced) series would get us rewarded." In Game 5, the Penguins never trailed after Morrow, who missed Wednesday with an undisclosed injury, beat Anderson down low off a pass by Mark Eaton 6:25 into the first. The play was started after longtime Senators antagonist Matt Cooke beat Jared Cowen to the puck and threaded a pass to Eaton. The goal was reviewed briefly before it was determined Morrow did not use a distinct kicking motion while directing the puck by Anderson. Neal made it 2-0 on a power play created by Jean-Gabriel Pageaus interference penalty nearly 7 1/2 minutes into the second, and Letang pushed it to 3-0 with a 4-on-4 goal just over five minutes later. Tyler Kennedy skated the puck out of his own zone before sending a pass to the left circle to Letang, who cut into the high slot to beat Anderson with a hard wrist shot. Michalek, reunited on a line with Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, finally got Ottawa on the board late in the second period. But the Senators didnt have nearly enough -- not in this game and not in the series. "They (the Penguins) really showed the step you have to take to continue to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs," MacLean said. "I can tell them its going to be hard, its going to be hard, its going to be harder, but I think we got a solid lesson in terms of what it takes." Adidas Gazelle γυναικεια . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Adidas NMD γυναικεια . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. http://www.nmdgreece.com/adidas-superstar-greece/i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i.html .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Adidas NMD R2 ανδρικα Adidas NMD R2 φθηνα . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. CHICAGO -- When Josh Tomlins night was done and he made the walk to Clevelands dugout, his eyes scanned the Wrigley Field crowd searching for his dad.He found Jerry Tomlin, who made it to the World Series -- just like they both had dreamed.With his dad watching from a wheelchair, Tomlin pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings Friday night as the Indians spoiled a game Chicago fans had waited 71 years to see by blanking the Cubs 1-0 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the Series.On a historic night in one of baseballs grandest ballparks, the Tomlins story was as sweet as it gets.I knew where he was, and what this meant to him and me and my mom, Tomlin said after Cody Allen struck out Javier Baez for the final out. So it was pretty special, one of the most emotional starts Ive had in my career.Jerry Tomlin nearly died two months ago from a circulatory malformation that has left him paralyzed from the chest down. He spent two months in the Baylor Rehab Institute in Dallas before being released on Joshs birthday, which happened to be the day the Indians clinched the AL pennant.And although he cant walk, and faces a daunting future, Jerry wasnt going to miss seeing Josh pitch in the Series.He made it all right, and as he sat in Section 122 swallowed by an ocean of Cubs fans, the elder Tomlin couldnt stop smiling.Its hard to put into words, he said about 30 minutes before Josh threw his first pitch. I didnt know what I was going to say when I got here and I still dont. The way everything planned out and the way people helped me to get here, man, its definitely a dream come true.There was no way I was going to miss this.And his son, who used to pretend he was in the World Series when he threw to his dad in their backyard, pitched the game of their lives.Jerry Tomlin made the trip to Chicago accompanied by his wife, Elena, who stood in the aisle as game time approached.We both have butterflies, she said. This is a day (Josh) has been waiting for since he was 4 years old. Hes been playing baseball his whole life. What more can you ask for than when your kid gets to live his dream?On his way to the weight room before the game, Tomlin was told where his parents were sitting along with some friends who helped them transport Jerry from his home to Chicago.ddddddddddddI wanted to know where he was, so I could look up and see him, Tomlin said.And when he felt his mechanics were off or he wasnt doing what he needed to, Tomlin looked for his dad.If the game was speeding up to me, just to find that sense of calm there, he said. What hes gone through, I mean, thats nothing to what were going through right now. So to be able to find him and see him in the stands, it kind of calmed me down and just let me go out there and settle into the game and try to go out there and do the best that I could for him.Once again, Tomlin came through for the Indians, holding the Cubs and their fearsome lineup without a run on two hits before he was lifted by manager Terry Francona, who gave him a hug before taking the ball.The Indians entered the postseason down two starters as both Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar were injured in September, and then when Trevor Bauer cut his pinkie open while repairing one of his drones, Clevelands chances to go very deep in the postseason seemed remote at best.But Tomlin has delivered, entering Fridays game with a 2-0 record and 2.53 ERA.Hes been a rock, just like his dad always has been for him.Jerry Tomlin coached Josh until he was in high school and the 31-year-old, who is the longest-tenured player on Clevelands roster, said he has friends who tell him to this day that his dad was the best coach they ever played for.Tomlin knew nothing would stop his dad, who fell ill at work in August and initially thought he was having stomach problems. However, doctors were examining him when he lost all the feeling in his lower body from a condition that affects blood vessels on his spine. Surgery saved his life, and Josh left the Indians to be with his dad following the operation.As his dad recovered, Josh kept pitching but his mind was never far from thinking about family.Hes called me a couple times. Never complaining, Jerry said. I told him just go back to work and do what you do. Quit worrying about your dad and go get `em.Josh did just that. ' ' '