ers and leukemia, Howard said. Craig is a close friend of mine, family. Hes part of the NBA family. You hate to see anybody

When the New York Rangers limped off the ice after being whacked by the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games in the first round of the playoffs last spring, it was hard not to imagine that it likely marked the end of an era. Goalie?Henrik Lundqvist had been yanked twice and looked beaten down. The Rangers defense that had backchecked the team to the Stanley Cup finals in 2014 and conference final appearances in 2012 and 2015 looked broken. Rick Nash was a nonfactor.In short, it was hard not to imagine the future as anything but bleak for the Broadway Blueshirts. But credit general manager Jeff Gorton with somehow retooling the Rangers on the fly by acquiring highly touted college free agent Jimmy Vesey, intriguing center Mika Zibanejad and free-agent forward Brandon Pirri. Was it a shuffling of the deck chairs or a bold reinvigorating of the Rangers lineup that will help get them back in the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons?Biggest new facesI must admit Im still not sure how Vesey ended up with the Rangers, given how they finished the season and the fact that it looked like the window was closing on their championship potential. But good on Gorton and assorted New York celebrities for making the Rangers an attractive option for the collegiate star.Pirri had 22 goals in just 49 games for the?Florida Panthers?in 2014-15 but has struggled to find a permanent NHL home, having bounced from the?Chicago Blackhawks to the Panthers to the Anaheim Ducks,?for whom he played just nine games last season before signing with New York. But he has impressed from the get-go with the Rangers and could be another important depth piece.Zibanejad came at the expense of Derick Brassard, but hes younger, brings more size and has, in theory, a better two-way game. Michael Grabner and Nathan Gerbe?will help fill in spaces among a much-different-looking forward contingent. On the blue line, neither?Nick Holden?--?acquired from the Colorado Avalanche -- nor?Adam Clendening?will replace Keith Yandle,?who likely was the Rangers most consistent defender over the last half of the season but who ended up signing a big contract with Florida.Biggest unknownsWill the blue line return to its former state, or are those days gone forever? I chatted with Ryan McDonagh in Minnesota during the offseason, and the Rangers captain said he is committed to returning to his former status as a nightly difference-maker. The same must happen for Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, both of whom saw their games slide dramatically last season.Up front, how will all the new, younger faces meld together? And is there enough offense there to keep the Rangers comfortably in the playoff picture? The talent is certainly there, so its up to coach Alain Vigneault to get the most out of this group. Speaking of Vigneault, can he help the Rangers penalty kill get up off the mat after the unit finished 26th last season?Sure thingsWe actually wrestled with where to slot in The King in this preview. Is Lundqvist a sure thing or big question mark? As noted, the playoffs ended on a sour note for the one player most responsible for the Rangers significant success over the past decade, with Lundqvist sporting a 4.39 goals-against average. Its fair to say this season looms large for the 34-year-old Lundqvist. But he was excellent at the World Cup of Hockey (even if his Swedish teammates were less so).The bottom line is that Lundqvist has to be, well, Lundqvist, and if he is, the team is playoff bound and should be a handful. If hes not, if time is starting to wear down the former Vezina Trophy winner, then it wont really matter what else has been done to this lineup. The Rangers will be in trouble.PredictionI still think Lundqvist is capable of delivering the goods, and I like what the Rangers have done to get younger and faster up front without really sacrificing skill. I fully expect them to be better in their own zone and ultimately finish where they end up pretty much every spring -- in the playoffs. Fourth in the Metropolitan Division.Marco Fabian Mexico Jersey . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Giovani dos Santos Mexico Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. http://www.nationalsoccermexico.com/miguel-layun-mexico-jersey/ . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Javier Aquino Mexico Jersey . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Jorge Torres Nilo Mexico Jersey . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period.Longtime Turner Sports broadcaster Craig Sager has died at the age of 65, the network confirmed in a statement.Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades and he has been a true inspiration to all of us, Turner president David Levy said in a statement. There will never be another Craig Sager. His incredible talent, tireless work ethic and commitment to his craft took him all over the world covering sports.While he will be remembered fondly for his colorful attire and the TNT sideline interviews he conducted with NBA coaches and players, its the determination, grace and will to live he displayed during his battle with cancer that will be his lasting impact. Our thoughts and prayers are with Craigs wife, Stacy, and the entire Sager family during this difficult time. We will forever be Sager Strong.Known for his colorful and distinctive suits during his more than 40-year career, the legendary sideline reporter battled acute myeloid leukemia since he was first diagnosed in 2014.Sager was admitted back into the hospital in late November 2016.In a statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said teams will observe a moment of silence in Sagers memory.I -- along with the entire NBA family -- am deeply saddened by the passing of Craig Sager, Silver said. Craig was as vital to the NBA as the players and coaches. A true original and an essential voice on Turner Sports NBA coverage for 26 seasons, Craig chronicled some of the most memorable moments in league history and was a ubiquitous presence with his splashy suits and equally colorful personality.Craig earned widespread respect for his insightful reporting and inspired so many, most recently with his courage. Our hearts go out to his wife, Stacy; his children, Kacy, Craig Jr., Krista, Riley and Ryan; and his friends and colleagues.After his initial diagnosis, Sager, who worked for Turner for more than 30 years, missed the 2014 and 2015 NBA playoffs and part of the 2014-15 regular season, as well as the 2015 NCAA mens basketball tournament. During the 2014 NBA playoffs, his son Craig Sager Jr. did a sideline interview with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose interviews with Sager had become must-watch television.You did a great job, Popovich said to the younger Sager, but Id rather have your dad standing here. Craig, we miss you, youve been an important part of all of this for a long time doing a great job. We want your fanny back on the court, and I promise Ill be nice.Popovich didnt take questions from reporters prior to Thursday nights game in Phoenix. Instead, he walked out of the visiting locker room and, with a somber tone, spoke only of Sager for close to two minutes.A day like this, basketball has to take a back seat, as we all think about somebody who was very unique, very special, Popovich said. Whether you really knew Craig or not, you got the feeling that he was a very special person in a lot of different ways, and right now I just feel for his family.Sagers passing brought out condolences from every corner of the NBA, and Hall of Famer Larry Bird expressed what many were feeling.He was as identifiable with the NBA as any player or coach, Bird said. The league will not be the same without him.Magic Johnson echoed those sentiments on Twitter.Through a partnership between Turner Sports and ESPN, Sager worked his very first NBA Finals game in June, sideline reporting with ESPNs Doris Burke for Game 6 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors, which the Cavaliers won.First of all, let me ask you a question, LeBron James said after the game. How in the hell do you go 30-plus years without getting a Finals game? That dont make no sense.But Im happy to see you, man. Much love and respect. Im happy I was able to witness it in front of these fans. We really appreciate you.Shortly after that, ESPN presented Sager with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the 2016 ESSPYS.ddddddddddddWhatever I mightve imagined a terminal diagnosis would do to my spirit, Sager said when receiving the award, its summoned quite the opposite -- the greatest appreciation for life itself.So I will never give up. And I will never give in. I will continue to keep fighting, sucking the marrow out of life, as life sucks the marrow out of me. I will live my life full of love and full of fun. Its the only way I know how.Said ESPN president John Skipper: Our thoughts are with the Sager family and our friends at Turner Sports. Craig was a universally respected and beloved reporter and a one-of-a-kind personality. His memorable ESPYS speech demonstrated his exceptional strength and a relentlessly positive energy that inspired millions of us.Sager underwent three bone marrow transplants -- the most recent via an anonymous donor in August 2016 -- and more than 20 chemotherapy cycles, including one that lasted for two weeks, around the clock. He also was hospitalized numerous times for pneumonia, among other ailments. In March 2016, Sager said on HBOs Real Sports that hed been given three to six months to live, without treatment.I go, Well, whatever it takes, lets get doing it, Sager said. Im not going to be that three to six months. Im going to be that five years. I think were going to make medical history.Born June 29, 1951, in Illinois, Sager graduated from Northwestern University in 1973 with a degree in speech -- and with a run as the school mascot, Willie the Wildcat. He first made his name at age 22, when he interviewed Hank Aaron on his way to home plate, moments after Aaron hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruths record.Sager was in the middle of the scrum as the world tried to congratulate Aaron. When asked years later what Sager thought would have happened if he tried to interview Aaron the same way today, he told Yahoo! Sports, Id be shot.He later worked for CNN, handling the networks first live remote report from the 1980 MLB playoffs. He co-anchored CNN Sports Tonight and anchored College Football Scoreboard in the 1980s.Although Sager covered a wide variety of events, including college football, the NFL, the World Series, the Goodwill Games, the Pan Am Games, World Cup soccer, golf, tennis and the Winter and Summer Olympics, his home was the NBA.Players and fellow broadcasters rallied around Sager during his fight. Reporters began using the hashtag #SidelineForSager and dressing in colorful outfits to show their support. In April 2016, Rockets center Dwight Howard and his D12 Foundation held a blood drive to honor Sager.I know a lot of people deal with a lot of different types of cancers and leukemia, Howard said. Craig is a close friend of mine, family. Hes part of the NBA family. You hate to see anybody who is a part of you go through anything. I just want to do whatever I can to help.The National Basketball Players Association said in a statement that Sager was a one-of-a-kind reporter who embodied the spirit of the game of basketball in a truly colorful fashion. Through his work, he was able to connect players, coaches and fans to the game we all love. The passion and fight he displayed during his battle with cancer is an inspiration to us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Sager family at this extremely difficult time.After a Final Four loss at the 2016 NCAA tournament, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told Sager, Im proud of you. Im really proud of you and what youre doing. Youre a fighter. Its something we should all aspire to be, and youre setting an example that we all should be very happy to try and follow.Sager and his wife, Stacy, a former Chicago Bulls dancer, have two children together, Riley and Ryan. Sagers other three children -- Kacy, Krista and Craig Jr. -- are from a previous marriage. ' ' '