NASHVILLE – There were a group of them there from the Knights family at the local sports bar in London, Ontario watching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final this past June. nike vapormax φθηνα . They observed with no surprise whatsoever their former teammate scoring what proved to be the Cup-clinching goal with 59 seconds left on the clock at TD Garden. "The more pressure, the higher he rises," former Knights teammate Dylan Hunter told the Leaf Report. Boasting a pair of Stanley Cups to his name, Dave Bolland, a native of Mimico, Ontario, has made a striking impression in the initial days of his tenure with the Leafs. Known to possess a knack for winning, he has proved a versatile addition to the Toronto lineup and a particular favourite of head coach Randy Carlyle. "He always took his role," said Hunter, "and took it to the maximum that it could [go]." Linemates in London years ago, Hunter and Bolland were joined by Robbie Schremp on one of the most dangerous combinations junior hockey has seen in recent memory. Now an assistant coach with the Knights and still a close friend of the 27-year-old Leafs centre, Hunter recalls a player who owned a lot of the same traits which have found him success at the NHL level. "Hed piss a lot of people off just by the way he played," Hunter remembered, noting the grittier aspects of Bollands game. "But at the same time he was an offensive juggernaut I guess you could say in the OHL." Shortly after he swung the summer trade with the Blackhawks, Leafs general manager Dave Nonis hinted that Bolland might be capable of more offence in Toronto than he had provided in Chicago, his junior history lending credence to the theory. In his final season with the Knights, Bolland finished second in the OHL scoring race, totaling a sizeable 57 goals and 130 points. Crowding the charts, Schremp finished first, Hunter just a shade back in the fourth spot. "He was well-rounded when it came to his offensive skills," Hunter said of Bolland, who has scored 15 goals or more three times in six NHL seasons. Climbing up the lineup early this season, most recently onto a unit with Mason Raymond and Joffrey Lupul, Bolland has shown those gifts, tallying two goals and an assist in the first four games. "Hes got good skill with the puck, hes smart with it, he protects it well with his body and hes got a good set of hands so he can be very effective in making plays," Cody Franson explained to the Leaf Report, with the 26-year-old former Predator squaring off with Bolland in the first round of the playoffs in 2010, and the Blackhawks capturing their first Cup in 49 years later that spring. Though he was acquired with a well-rounded game in mind, hints of offence from the former Knight could prove consequential, especially with the loss of Mikhail Grabovski to a buyout this past summer and likely regression from Nazem Kadri, who raced to 44 points in 48 games last season. Now the boss in Toronto, Carlyle got his first hints of what Bolland could offer while he was still leading the bench in Anaheim. He took note of how his counterpart in Chicago, Joel Quenneville, employed the 2004 second-round selection, using him as a defensive matchup opposite the Ducks best weapons, Ryan Getzlaf and former Knights teammate, Corey Perry. "The little light goes on," Carlyle said recently. "You remember those things." Its that versatility which has made him an attractive asset to the Leafs head coach. He can employ Bolland in an array of situations – penalty kill, power-play, end of game defensive spots, top-6, bottom-6 – almost a plus-version of Jay McClement, the former bringing more offence to the table. "He was always that guy," Hunter recalled, "whatever the coach needed or the team needed he was always ready to fill that role no matter what." The Leafs got their first look at that "dynamic" ability in training camp. They took note of how strong Marlie-bound winger Spencer Abbott looked alongside Bolland and Raymond, quickly gleaning that Bolland was the instigator of such success. That look extended into the early stages of the regular season. Needing a more suitable match-up for Vincent Lecavalier and the Flyers second line early in the second game of the season in Philadelphia, Carlyle slid Bolland up onto a line with Joffrey Lupul and Nik Kulemin, replacing Kadri. His efforts would be rewarded. Bolland scored twice, including the eventual game-winner. Bolland has shown a knack for winning throughout his career, even stretching back to his junior days in London. The Knights were a fearsome juggernaut in 2005, led by the likes of Bolland, Perry, Hunter and Schremp, in addition to future NHL talents such as Brandon Prust, Marc Methot, and Dan Girardi. Not to be trifled with, London would march to a staggering 59-7-2 record in the regular season, outscoring foes by an incredible 310-125 margin. They would coast through the OHL playoffs with a 16-2 mark, capping a perfect hometown Memorial Cup with a 4-0 stomping of Sidney Crosby and the Rimouski Oceanic in the final. Five years down the road, Bolland would muster up eight goals and 16 points when the Blackhawks won their first Cup in the modern era, teaming with former Leaf Kris Versteeg and future Jets captain Andrew Ladd on a sturdy third line. Sliding down the depth chart in 2013, he would nevertheless string together three goals and five points in the Cup Final against Boston, his history-catching moment ending the Bruins season in Game 6. "Hes one of those guys that lives in the big situations," Franson said of Bolland. "Hes a guy that you can count on to be calm and confident in those last dying seconds in the defensive zone. Hes a guy that you can put out there to get the puck to the net when you need a goal. Hes just a guy that you can count on in a bunch of different circumstances. "Having went through what we through with Boston at the end of last year that experience wouldve been huge for us," he continued, referencing the stinging Game 7 loss to the Bruins. "Having that experience back there is just something that you cant teach." Its part of the equation that made him attractive to the Leafs this past summer. A more suitable fit for Carlyle than the soon-to-be departed Grabovski, Bolland finally became available after the Blackhawks victory, since Chicago needed to pay playoff star Bryan Bickell. The deal would cost the Leafs three draft picks, including a second-round selection in 2013. Sharing a house in downtown London with Bolland as a teenager, Hunter described Bolland then as "hyper" and someone who "was always up for anything", also chuckling at his buddys interest in furniture and interior decoration. "Were all still pretty tight," Hunter said of the group that captured the Memorial Cup that one dominant year last decade. "They always say, you win a championship with a team its something that bonds you and it did with us. Were still going strong, 10 years later." Like a lot of the old Knights, Bolland even bought a house in London. He and Hunter remain close, golfing and barbequing in the summer, his former teammate paying a visit to Toronto last week. Asked if he was surprised by the level of success Bolland had attained at the NHL level thus far, Hunter didnt blink. "No," he said. "Hes one of those guys that for as many points as he put up he was always a team-first guy. Anybody that watches him play knows that." Nike air vapormax plus skroutz . The Wizards announced Friday that Webster had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. The operation was performed Thursday in Los Angeles. nike vapormax plus γυναικεια . The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics finished their recent trek at 3-1 on Monday in Salt Lake City when Rajon Rondo made a key jumper with 24.1 seconds remaining, as Boston held off the Utah Jazz, 107-102, at EnergySolutions Arena. http://www.vapormaxgreece.com/ . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders.TORONTO - Moments after the Raptors storybook regular season came to an end, losing a meaningless game to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden Wednesday, Kyle Lowry addressed his teammates in the visitors dressing room. Turning the page, the focus immediately shifted to the challenge that lay ahead of them, their most arduous test yet and one many of them have only dreamt of, heard about or watched on television. With the battle-tested Brooklyn Nets looming - their first playoff game set to tip-off early Saturday afternoon - the Raptors are leaning on their veterans, on Lowry, his experience and leadership. What did he say to rally his troops ahead of the crucial preparation stage that precedes a postseason series? "Thats for me and my guys to know," he said, chatty as ever. "Kyle came in here, hes been in the playoffs, and told us it starts [Thursday]," DeMar DeRozan clarified, offering a little more insight. "[Thursday] morning, as soon as we come to work its going to start there - studying, understanding what they run, their tendencies." As youve probably heard by now, the Raptors are a young, inexperienced team. Theyve heard about too, its the narrative that drives this series. Lowry and Amir Johnson account for all 24 games of playoff experience in the Raptors starting lineup. Neither have been to the dance in five years, neither have ever started a postseason game. Meanwhile the Nets starters have played in 399 postseason games. They have six players who have logged more than twice as many playoff minutes as any Raptor. Theyll be reminded of it over and over again for two weeks and then, should they advance to round two, itll be revisited once again. They cant run from it, not until they prove its a non-factor, but give them credit for the effort. "I mean, it aint like its rocket science or nothing," said DeRozan, asked about making his playoff debut on Saturday. "Everybody keeps talking to me like, bringing it up like its rocket science or Ive got to know trigonometry or something. You just figure it out. You just go out there. Ive been playing this game long enough, Ive been in the league long enough, been in a lot of situations. So it shouldnt be hard." He has a point. Playoff basketball is still basketball, after all. The game is the same; its the stage that changes. The stakes that are higher and the room for error is narrowed. Some adjust to it better than others. "Everythings at stake so youve just got to be ready for everything," the all-star guard acknowledged. "I think Ive watched enough playoff basketball to see how physical it is and to see how things go. Even superstar players dont get calls out there. So Im conscious of it. Im not naive of anything. Now Im in a position to go through it myself." That heightened, more physically punishing brand of basketball has burned Raptors stars of the past. Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh all shot below 40 per cent in their first playoff series, with Carter barely breaking the 30 per cent barrier and scoring six points fewer than his average that season. "Its a different level," said Dwane Casey, who will be making his playoff debut as a head coach after winning a title as an assistant in Dallas. "Its a different level in intensity, moore physicality, less fouls called. nike vapormax Ελλαδα. Youve got to play through it and thats one thing that theyll learn. The only way you can do that, though, is to go through it." "I dont want to overhype it to scare our guys. Its still basketball but guys will see the difference, theyll feel that as soon as they walk on the court." Along with DeRozan, sophomores Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross, as well as fourth-year forward Patrick Patterson are among the teams rotation players who have yet to experience playoff basketball. How big of a role does experience play in the postseason? Given the staggering discrepancy between the two teams, this series could solve that query as much or more than any other in recent memory. Theres no telling how Torontos players might react to the adjustments theyll have to make, both in terms of their mental approach and on-court toughness, but they wont have the luxury of a grace period, not against the team theyre up against. The Raptors cant afford to ease their way in, hosting games one and two at the Air Canada Centre - where they won 22 of their final 29 contests - before the series shifts to Brooklyns Barclays Center, a building the Nets have dominated in since Jan. 1. The most promising quality the Raptors players displayed following Thursday afternoons practice was fearlessness. Theyre not the least bit shaken by the Nets, their experience or the theory that they may have been at the top of Brooklyns postseason wish list. "I mean, were all in the same league, man," DeRozan said. "Honestly, thats how I look at it, man. Credit to them, they did what they did but we play against guys who are experienced all season, honestly." As DeRozan has pointed out, their young legs may also be beneficial against an older, slower club. Although they rank towards the bottom of the league in fast break points - just marginally ahead of the Nets - the Raptors have been able to get out and run against Brooklyn this season. However, the spaced out schedule - with their first four games spanning nine days - at least appears to favour the veteran Nets, who will get a chance to recharge their batteries following each contest, a concern Patterson expressed on Thursday. Torontos true advantage my lie in their size and strength up front, if they choose to utilize it. The Nets turned around their once disastrous season in part by featuring their small lineup, with two point guards in the backcourt and Paul Pierce at the four spot. Although closing out on Brooklyns shooters and defending Pierce on the perimeter presents a challenge in and of itself, they were ranked second to last in rebounding and the Raptors bested them on the boards by 19 this year. Kevin Garnett, who played in just two of the four meetings this season, is nearing his NBA swan song but is still a difference maker defensively and on the glass when hes on the court. The Raptors could force the issue by attacking the paint, putting pressure of Garnett and the Nets frontcourt, void of a true shot blocking presence. "We know who the match-ups are," Casey said. "Weve just got to take it and dissect it and take advantage of the things we have an advantage in, which is our speed, athleticism and our energy. Weve got to keep a fast tempo in the game." ' ' '