(SportsNetwork. Balenciaga Speed Trainer Black Cheap .com) - Its fair to call Mike McCarthy one of the best coaches in the NFL but its also more than objective to point out that the veteran mentor bookended the Green Bay Packers season with two, truly awful game plans in Seattle. Back on Kickoff Weekend, McCarthys stubborn insistence on staying away from Richard Sherman made his offense predictable by the second quarter after it became painfully obvious the coach had no interest in targeting the All-Pro and quarterback Aaron Rodgers was going to acquiesce. The result was a 36-16 Seattle rout and, more importantly, the difference between the NFC Championship Game being held in CenturyLink Field instead of Lambeau. Fast forward to Sunday where McCarthys multitude of mistakes cost the Packers a trip to the Super Bowl despite the fact that his charges dominated a sloppy Seattle team for almost 58 minutes. The Seahawks miraculously overcame five turnovers and a 12-point hole in the waning minutes of regulation to reach the big game for a second consecutive season by downing Green Bay 28-22. This is a hard one to swallow, McCarthy admitted. We had opportunities, particularly at critical times to make plays. We had plays and Seattle made some of those big plays to keep the game alive so you have to give them credit. The Packers coach can drop the self-deprecating act, though, because he deserved plenty of credit for the outcome also. Apologists for McCarthy are trying to peddle the narrative that if reserve tight end Brandon Bostick, who was supposed to be a blocker, just snared a rather easy onside kick attempt, the Packers would be during up the itinerary for Glendale. And while thats true, it doesnt address McCarthys poor decision-making throughout the game which put Bostick in the position to fail. Brandon, just like anything, you get in to one of those critical spots, McCarthy said. It is important for everybody to do their job. Unfortunately that wasnt the case on that play. And thats the result of it. The coachs ultra-conservative mindset in the first quarter -- most notably, kicking two Mason Crosby field goals from 18 and 19 yards out -- received most of the attention but his incompetence in the final frame was even more egregious, as he ran five out of six plays on consecutive three-and-outs despite possessing the presumptive MVP in Rodgers. And, on one of the three-and-outs, it was the pedestrian James Starks carrying the football not the hard-nosed Eddie Lacy. We had some chances early, had some chances late to do some things and didnt do it, Rodgers said. When you go back and think about it, at times we werent playing as aggressive as we usually are. Field goals early in the game, we knew that points were at a premium, McCarthy added. Frankly, I would have liked to have gone for it there on fourth down, but based on what we saw, on second and third down, I just felt that you had to take points. To be fair some of McCarthys shaky choices had to do with Rodgers health as the All-Pro was hardly himself because of a left calf injury but neither were Seahawks star safety Earl Thomas or Sherman, who was playing with one arm late in the game. Meanwhile, A-Rod sure seemed capable of doing some things when leading the Packers down the field to force overtime in the final seconds. Weve finished off games before in four-minute (offense), Rodgers said while treading lightly, no bout aware of McCarthys ample ego. We had a chance to do some things; didnt do it. To many, any criticism of McCarthys strategy is off base because of Bosticks miscue but that ignores nuance, and while plenty contributed to this collapse, none were more culpable than McCarthy. You cant let (the Seahawks) complete a pass for a touchdown on a fake field goal, you cant give up an onside kick and you cant not get any first downs in the fourth quarter and expect to win, Rodgers said. And thats on top of being really poor in the red zone in the first half. Put all of that together, thats how you lose games. This was a great opportunity. We were right on the cusp. Until McCarthy directed them off of it. If anything, it was the Packers coach who failed Bostick and Rodgers and Lacy and every other player you can name that was wearing the Green and Gold on Sunday, not the other way around. McCarthy is a micromanaging, joystick coach, albeit a very good one. Instead of adjusting in-game or coaching with any kind of feel, however, he walks into a contest with a plan and loathes to deviate. If you want to question my playcalling ... Im not questioning it, McCarthy boated. I didnt think it would take a lot of points to win this game. I came in here to run the ball. The one statistic I had has as far as a target to hit was 20 rushing attempts in the second half, I thought that would be a very important target to hit for our offense. Unfortunately for Green Bay fans, the target can change and sometimes you need a coach to realize it. Balenciaga Speed Trainer Black Sale . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday. Balenciaga Triple S Neon Green For Sale . -- The guys in green raced off the court and into the locker room where they danced and sang, compared whose shot was most likely to end up featured on "One Shining Moment," and checked Twitter to see who was giving them a shoutout. http://www.balenciagacheapshoes.com/balenciaga-speed-trainer-sale.html . Amaro broke the NCAA all-time record for receiving yards in a season for a tight end with 1,352 during his junior campaign, eclipsing the mark of 1,329 set by Rices James Casey in 2008.TORONTO – The workload is rising again. And like the near entirety of last season, Jonathan Bernier and Torontos goaltending tandem is up to the task. Bernier turned down 40 Anaheim shots Tuesday night as the Leafs rolled to their sixth straight victory and 10th in the last 12 games (10-1-1). Despite the stunning string of success over the past month, head coach Randy Carlyle wisely noted that his team has slipped recently. Theyve allowed an average of 37 shots in the past nine games, but have had the goaltending and mighty offence to hold strong. Leaf goalies have combined for a superb .939 save percentage since Nov. 29. Bernier has carried that bulk of that workload, mustering a .936 mark himself in his last seven starts, yielding two or less in five of them. Obviously the shot totals got to get down, said Nazem Kadri following a 6-2 win over the West-leading Ducks, but the way Bernies been playing, hes got those so I dont think were too worried about that. Bernier did most of his damage in the early going. He turned down 30 of the 31 shots he faced over the first two periods, including a pair on Ryan Getzlaf on a late first period Ducks power play. Later, after the Leafs pounced for their second goal, he made a fine save on Ryan Kesler. He made some big stops for us early in the hockey game, Carlyle said. It seemed like wed weather a little bit of a storm, wed get a chance and wed score so it made us feel good about ourselves. And he was the main reason that we put ourselves in a position to win the hockey game. Berniers counterpart, Frederik Andersen didnt fare quite as well. Making his 19th straight start in goal, Andersen was pulled after the fourth Toronto goal, one that saw Kadri outwait Ducks defender Mark Fistric, before firing the puck into the upper reaches of the Anaheim cage. The Leafs would add two more goals after that, burying Anaheim in the third. Theyve scored in crazy bunches during the past month, scorching with 49 goals during the 12-game run (or more than four per game). Thats kept the recent slippage in overall performance in the background, but has Carlyle rightfully concerned no less. Now I feel that we are slipping, he said of the teams recent play, which has included wins over powerhouses from Detroit, L.A. and now Anaheim. We have to get back to that more energetic, more stop-and-go, more straight-line hockey. Carlyle felt his team lacked energy and a forceful forecheck against the Ducks, who often bullied their way to long stretches in the Toronto zone. But we won, said Carlyle, in a triumphant mood. Bernier, meanwhile, has turned things around after a so-so start to the season. Tuesdays 40-save performance pushed him up to a .922 save percentage after 22 starts, good for ninth-best among regular NHL starters. His .932 mark at even-strength is also back at the superb level he managed in his debut as a Leaf last season. The worst shot suppression team in the league a year ago, the Leafs are fourth from the bottom so far this year, yielding nearly 34 per game. Five Points 1. Killer Instinct The Leafs are an astounding 14-0-0 when they score first this season, one of only two teams with an unbeaten record (Montreal being the other). Toronto is also a coinciding 13-0-0 when leading after two periods. Up 2-1 after 40 minutes on Tuesday, the Leafs scored a pair in the first five minutes of the third; that highlight marker from Kadri and the first of David Booths Toronto tenure. I think were getting much better when we have the lead, said Bernier. We keep playing hard. And I think last year maybe we would stop playing and they would come with a lot of speed. There were times last year when we went into games with the lead in the third period when we didnt have that killer instinct that we have today, addedJoffrey Lupul, scoring his seventh of the year early into the middle period. The Leafs were actually 27-9-4 last year when they scored first – good for only 19th best overall – and 26-1-2 when leading after two periods. 2. Top Line Torontos top line has been a constant source of production on the power play all year, but has sputtered at even-strength over the past month, spending long stretches in the defensive zone. í think it starts in the offensive zone, Carlyle said before Tuesdays game. I think that, at times, theyve been a one-and-out [offence]. Theyre a rush line that has to try to develop more of a puck-possession game in the offensive zone. I think thats more important than anything. Its 200 feet away from their net. Theyve got to find ways to maybe stop up and not take the bad angle shot and get two guys caught or three guys caught. I think that theyre quality players that will find a waay to do that, he concluded. Balenciaga Shoes For Sale. I just think right now theyre in a little bit of a dry spell. And indeed, the trio of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, and James van Riemdsyk had a much better night in that regard against the Ducks. The line came up with three of the six Toronto goals – including a pair at even-strength – sustaining more frequent stints in the offensive zone. Carlyle gave them lighter competition, however, matching the trio up against the Ducks youth-infused third unit of Andrew Cogliano, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg. In my mind, they should have a good night if theyre playing up against the youth of Anaheim right now, said Carlyle. Kessel had two even-strength points in the victory, equaling the mark he had in the previous 11 games (minus empty-netters). The 27-year-old, who also led his team in possession against the Ducks, has six goals in the past eight games and leads the Leafs with 34 points in 31 games. 3. Studying Getzlaf Drafted by the Ducks in 2009, Peter Holland only suited up in 29 games with the club, but he got a brief, up-close look at Ryan Getzlaf. Hes continued to study Anaheims captain since then, even watching video of about five of his games so far this year. Just trying to take little bits and pieces from his game and try to incorporate it into my own, says Holland. His patience with the puck is top of the league, for sure. He just seems to know where the quiet areas of the ice are and he can hold onto the puck for a couple extra seconds before he makes a pass. The game slows down for him. Holland says Getzlafs presence on the ice is incredible and hes doing what he can to work some of the aforementioned tactics into his own game. Im trying to, yeah, said the 24-year-old. Its a lot easier said than done obviously, but just watching the way he handles the puck and distributes it is something special to be honest. Holland, who had an assist in the victory, split the matchup against Getzlafs line on Tuesday night – Kadris line being the other – spending the other half of the evening opposite the equally challenging unit fronted by Ryan Kesler. 4. Home Ice The Leafs now have a league-high 14 wins at home – while playing the most games – taking full advantage of a comfy early schedule. Theyll play 17 of their next 22 on the road though, a huge mountain to climb with the World Juniors coming to the ACC for the latter stages of December. Its going to be a different challenge, for sure, said Lupul. Its weird, at the start of the year it seemed we were more comfortable playing on the road than at home and now we obviously have a good thing going here. Toronto has a plus-17 goal differential at home versus a plus-4 mark in just 10 games on the road. 5. 100 Morgan Rielly crossed the 100-game plateau last week in Detroit, a feat celebrated by his teammates. Its obviously a pretty cool moment, he said later of the recognition. Riellys sophomore season hasnt been all ups though. Hes endured the predictable swings of a young defender in the league. But of late, the 20-year-old has been more actively involved in the play, finding something of a groove. I think so, he agreed. [But] I think its just a matter of trying to be consistent. Ive had times where I think Ive played well and Ive been happy with it and I think the coaches have been happy with it as well. But its about doing that every night. You cant do it in spurts, youve got to be consistent and thats what Ive got to work on. For Rielly, the key to that consistency is the asset that made him a top-5 pick: his skating. I think youve got to be involved in the play and youve got to try to make a difference, he said. You cant be a passenger. Youve got to help this team in each way you can, whether its carrying the puck, whether its playing defence, blocking point shots; youve just got to do what you can and try to help the team. Rielly played more than 21 minutes against the Ducks. He and partner, Stephane Robidas, struggled at times with the size and strength of their Western Conference opponents though. Stats Pack 17 – Even-strength points for Nazem Kadri this season, third-best on the Leafs. .936 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier in his past seven starts. 7-2-1 – Leafs record against the West this season. 49 – Goals in the past 12 games for the Leafs. 37 – Average shots allowed by the Leafs in the past nine games. 14-7-0 – Leafs home record. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 Season: 21% PK: 2-2 Season: 84% Quote of the Night Youve gotta like it. - Randy Carlyle, upon being informed that the Leafs were 14-0-0 when scoring first. Up Next The Leafs visit the Hurricanes on Thursday night. ' ' '