Gäste Forum » open the season, when Winnipeg rallied from t

So much discussion this week as we enter the second round of NASCARs playoffs has been about the effects the third and final race of this round on competitors.That race, of course, is Talladega!No team wants to pin its hopes on a perfect restrictor-plate performance, because most know perfect doesnt exist at NASCARs largest track.Talladega can be summarized by this: 95 percent of the race is rehearsal and the last 5 percent is where the chess match is played, and settled.Because of this unique form of competition, there is an elevated urgency to capitalize at Charlotte and Kansas leading up to Talladega.Martin Truex Jr. demonstrated in May at this track how one can control their own destiny. A fast car, a precise pit crew, a focused driver guided by a very wise crew chief.It resulted in a dominant win.All of those same ingredients guarantee little at Talladega, where a spotter might actually become the key component in determining a drivers fate.Those considered the fastest of the fast, Truex, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, need to capitalize this week and next to avoid entering Alabama with the same mindset one would carry to Las Vegas.Who Wins??This will be a heavyweight match between Harvick and Truex.Both teams are peaking at the most critical time, both drivers are the envy of others because it seems as though the No. 4 and the No. 78 carry speed and authority to each track regardless of its size and personality.The 1.5-mile racetracks are the most abundant on the schedule, they make up half of the Chase races and they are the strength of Harvick and Truex.Harvick gets the nod, barely, in what I believe will represent a preview between the two drivers most likely to battle for the title at a similar track in Miami.Austin Dillon will be the surprise transfer to round three. Surprise because hes never won a Sprint Cup series race, and hes a driver few expected to make it out of Round 1.The No. 3 team didnt qualify for the Chase by mistake. It has had moments of brilliance and thats come at high-speed racetracks.Their finishes at these three tracks this year were strong, and Dillon with more than 100 cup races under his belt appears comfortable and confident.Because it has led only eight laps all season, its hard to make a statistical case for the 3 team being one of the eight best teams.But Im going with my gut on this one as I believe the team has enough inertia to power into the next round.As I so often say, the Chase format depends on an underdog being in the equation to be most entertaining. We had that with Chris Buescher to begin the playoffs.The role now belongs to the 26-year-old Dillon in the second round.The Bottom LineIn sports youre taught dont look too far ahead, focus on whats in front of you: this game, this matchup, this race.The risk with worrying about a particular event down the road usually comes in the form of making mistakes in the near term?This time of the season requires laser focus; you must plan your work and work your plan.The vulnerability of competing at Talladega in two weeks will more than likely lead to teams making some extreme decisions during the Charlotte and Kansas races.Some will be rewarded, while others will lead teams to exactly what they were attempting to avoid ... depending on a Talladega win to advance to the next round. Clarence Moore Jersey . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Iman Marshall Jersey . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. http://www.customravensjersey.com/custom-matthew-judon-jersey-large-2213d.html . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Jim Leonhard Jersey . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. Patrick Onwuasor Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolinas kids have the Hurricanes rolling, and now they get to take the show on the road.Victor Rask got his eighth goal of the season and Noah Hanifin scored his first, helping the Hurricanes beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Sunday night for their fourth straight win.The 23-year-old Rask was the oldest of Carolinas goal scorers in this one, backed by the 19-year-old Hanifin and 21-year-old Elias Lindholm.All but one of the Hurricanes 12 goals during this winning streak have been scored by players 24 or younger. The stretch has helped Carolina find its footing after a 3-6-4 start to the season.Its a great bunch of guys, said goalie Cam Ward, who is the fourth-oldest player for Carolina at 32. Its a fun group. Its an exciting group. There is a lot of potential in this locker room. Its great to see us putting it together. Guys want to score goals.Carolina finished this homestand 4-1-0 and now starts a three-game swing through Canada.Lindholm also got his first goal this season in the first period, and the Hurricanes kept up the pressure from there, challenging goalie Connor Hellebuyck with 40 shots.We got the first one early, Lindholm said. Hopefully for me, it will build some more confidence. I turned down some opportunities in the last two games and didnt believe in myself and my shot. Hopefully now I can get some more and take some more.Carolinas young legs took advantage of the Jets in the third period after Winnipeg played the night before, a 4-1 loss in Boston. It was the third game -- all losses -- of a five-game trip.Its going to be big to get a couple of days between games, captain Blake Wheeler said. Its been a pretty big grind, one like Ive never experienced before. Were a tired hockey team, theres no question about that. But weve got a group that can fight througgh it.dddddddddddd We just need to get our rest.Winnipegs next game is on Wednesday.Rask made it 2-0 on a power play early in the third, and after Mark Scheifele got his 11th goal for the Jets, Hanifin put it away with a power-play score with 1:43 left.Lindholm got on the board 6:45 in. He swept in from the left side along the goal line and ripped a shot past Hellebuyck on the short side. The goalie was screened by defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and couldnt find the puck.Rask stretched the lead by taking slick pass from Lee Stempniak in close and lifting it past Hellebuyck.Scheifele took over the NHL points lead (23) when he narrowed the deficit to 2-1. The 23-year-old one-timed a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers after Ehlers chased down a loose puck in the corner.Hanifin restored the two-goal lead with a hammered one-timer from the right point.The teams also played to open the season, when Winnipeg rallied from two goals down to win 4-3 in overtime.Ward stalled the effort for a similar rally Sunday with 28 saves. He helped kill off a hooking penalty on Viktor Stalberg with about six minutes left by stopping three shots.Carolina was perfect on the penalty kill for the ninth straight game. It killed three penalties Sunday and leads the NHL with a 91.3 percent success rate, including 19 straight. The Hurricanes have allowed only four power-play goals, killing off 42 of 46 tries.Game notes Carolina D Ron Hainsey picked up an assist in his second straight game. ... Scheifele has a point in 14 of Winnipegs 21 games. ... Rask recorded his second straight game-winning goal.UP NEXT:Jets: Continue trip at Minnesota on Wednesday night.Hurricanes: Play at Toronto on Tuesday night. ' ' '