Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is closer than ever to playing for the Stanley Cup Cheap Lamar Jackson Jersey , and he’s determined to make the most of the opportunity.

”I’ve never been in this position before,” he said Tuesday, looking ahead to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The winner Wednesday night earns a berth in the Stanley Cup Final opposite the Vegas Golden Knights, who will try for hockey’s biggest prize in their inaugural season.

Ovechkin and the Caps are hoping to shed a label as playoff underachievers, a franchise that dazzles during the regular season only to disappoint at the most important time of the year.

”I’m excited. We’re all excited. … We all want to be in this position and move forward,” said Ovechkin, who is playing in the conference final for the first time during his prolific 13-year career.

”(Wednesday night) is probably biggest game in my life, this team, organization probably. … We still haven’t reached our goal. Tomorrow is going to be a huge step forward.”

Not if the Lightning have their way.

Tampa Bay is playing Game 7 in the conference final for the third time in four years. It beat the New York Rangers on the road to advance to the 2015 Cup Final, but fell short the following year against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

”Experience is always a good thing, but it’s nothing I’m going to sit and lean on http://www.buccaneersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-alex-cappa-jersey ,” said Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman, who is 7-1 in Game 7s during his career. ”It’s about doing your job at the highest level you possibly can.”

Washington forced Wednesday’s winner-take-all matchup with a dominating 3-0 victory in Game 6.

In a series where home ice has not been a clear advantage, the Lightning are hoping it provides an edge in Game 7.

Washington won Games 1 and 2 in Tampa, then dropped the next two at home. The Capitals are 7-2 on the road this postseason.

”When you get this deep into a series, everyone knows each other by heart. Now it really comes down to a little bit of will. You have to will yourself for this moment,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

”I do like the fact there will be 19,000 people helping us, to will us to victory. I want the guys to enjoy the game. It will be a phenomenal experience. … You just have to remember, don’t let the game get bigger than it really is. Go out there, execute, leave everything out there and we’ll see what happens.”

This will be Washington’s 11th Game 7 since the start of the 2008 playoffs http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jalyn-holmes-jersey , most among all NHL teams in that span. None of them, however, have been for a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after Monday night’s win in Washington that there’s no other team he has coached that he would rather lead into a seventh game.

”We just keep taking whatever challenge is thrown at us and build off it. This group doesn’t waver. It has a spirit about it, a strong spirit,” he said.

”This team has done a lot of special things this year, it’s grown, it continues to do that,” Trotz added. ”What an opportunity going into Tampa. … We’ll see if we can earn the right to keep playing.”

And while that undoubtedly would be a major breakthrough for Ovechkin, Trotz reiterated the Capitals all have a lot invested.

”The opportunity is not only for Alex, but for everybody,” he said. ”Everybody that gets a chance to be in a Game 7 http://www.steelersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-mason-rudolph-jersey , which will allow you to go to the finals. It’s exciting, it’s fun.”

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Exactly one year ago, the Toronto Raptors clinched a postseason series on the road.

The location was Milwaukee, but the Raptors are hoping to experience the same feeling Friday night when they visit the Washington Wizards in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Toronto won two of three road games in last season’s series, including a 92-89 win at Milwaukee in Game 6 when DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points.

The Raptors’ series against Washington reached six games because the home team is unbeaten. Toronto allowed 122 points last Friday in Game 3 and then blew a double-digit lead and scored 18 points in the fourth quarter of a 106-98 loss in Game 4 on Sunday.

Toronto, which did not lose three straight all season, rebounded nicely Wednesday by getting a 108-98 win in Game 5 Wednesday. DeRozan scored 32 points on a night when the Raptors tried a different alignment down the stretch.

Center Jonas Valanciunas played fourth-quarter minutes for the first time all series alongside Delon Wright, Kyle Lowry, DeRozan and C.J. Miles. That group played seven minutes together, but the unit was put together with about nine minutes remaining and Toronto facing a five-point deficit.

DeRozan scored 30 points before the fourth quarter while Wright scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth, Valanciunas totaled six points and seven rebounds Kalen Ballage Color Rush Jersey , helping the Raptors control the glass by a 15-12 margin in a game where they were outrebounded 50-35.

“We understand each other’s capabilities,” DeRozan said. “When guys line up out there, (we know) what we’re all capable of doing offensively, defensively. It showed tonight. Everybody stepped up. Delon stepped up big. With C.J. out there, he spaces the floor tremendously. You’ve got to worry about a knock-down shooter like him. We just exploited everything individual-wise that we could do.”

If the Raptors do everything DeRozan mentioned down the stretch like Wednesday, they will avoid a Game 7 at home on Sunday, something they were able to do last season.

Besides the relatively new lineup, the Raptors also reverted to its style emphasizing 3-point shooting. Toronto made 11 of 25 3-pointers after only attempting 18 in Game 5.

“We took the shots that we normally take, and there’s nothing abnormal about it,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “That’s what was uncharacteristic about the two games in Washington, the fact that guys were turning down shots. I thought ball movement was better (Wednesday).”

The Wizards have yet to lose to Toronto at home in a postseason game.

Three of Washington’s four home postseason wins over the Raptors have been by double digits. The Wizards also won Games 3 and 4 of a first-round series three years ago when they swept Toronto.

Now they are facing elimination after fading down the stretch by shooting 8 of 24 in the final 12 minutes.

Washington guard John Wall is averaging 26.6 points in the series and was 2 of 6 in the fourth Wednesday. Bradley Beal scored 20 on 8-of-20 shooting but missed five of six shots in the fourth.

“We feel like we let one slip away Sam Darnold Jersey Elite ,” Wall said. “They made the biggest shots at the end of the game.”

Those were Wall’s words after the Wizards missed seven straight shots and now they are hoping to avoid a repeat display of stagnant offense on their home floor to keep their season going.

“For sure, to be that close at home against this team, it was there,” Washington forward Markieff Morris said. “We just have to execute towards the end.”

The Wizards have been able to execute at home in the postseason recently. They are on an eight-game playoff home winning streak in the postseason.

Washington’s ability to execute might be missing a key component in Otto Porter Jr., who is dealing with a strain in the lower part of his right leg, his status is unknown and could be based on MRI results.

“We don’t know yet, but he’s banged up,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said. “So hopefully we will find out some good news and see how he feels tomorrow.”

Porter was initially injured April 10 against the Boston Celtics. He averaged 14.7 points in the regular season but is averaging 10 points in the series.

“We need Otto,” Brooks said. “We need Otto to be more of a nine or 10-point scorer for us to win this series.”

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