RENTON, Wash.
Sammy Watkins Jersey . -- Pete Carroll told Percy Harvin that the Seattle Seahawks were considering placing him on injured reserve to open up a roster spot ahead of the post-season. Harvins response: "Coach Im ready to play ball." That conversation less than two weeks ago was the start of a return that took another significant step on Thursday when Carroll announced Harvin would play on Saturday against New Orleans in an NFC divisional playoff game. "Were excited about him going and excited for him. Its been a long, long haul for a guy thats such a great competitor and it means so much," Carroll said. "For him to have the opportunity to join us now is really exciting, I know, for him and us, too." There will be no limitations on how Seattle can use its biggest off-season acquisition, brought to Seattle in a trade with Minnesota. Harvin ended up a spectator for most of the 2013 regular season, but now could make his biggest impact in the playoffs as a wide receiver and kick returner. It could be a big boost to Seattles offence, which slumped late in the season. "Im just glad to be out there helping my team win right now. The playoffs, thats what we all dream about, to have home-field advantage, to have all the things the team has put in place. It would be hard for me to try to not be out there," Harvin said. "Everything worked out for the best and Im looking forward to being out there and helping this team win." Harvin missed the first 2 1/2 months of the season following hip surgery in early August. He returned in Week 11 against Minnesota and caught one pass and had a 58-yard kickoff return. Harvin was then sidelined again by what Carroll called "soreness." But Harvins problems went beyond just soreness. He had fluid buildup and swelling in his hip following that game against the Vikings, a 41-20 Seattle victory. "I kind of knew during the game. Something quite didnt feel right," Harvin said. "But it was expected. It was expected but we didnt know to that extreme. It came and that was a setback that we had. We had two, three of them but they are in the past." The turning point for Harvin came on Dec. 30 when Carroll essentially gave an ultimatum, saying the team was considering putting him on injured reserve. Harvin was impressive enough during a 15-minute workout with quarterback Russell Wilson that Carroll delayed making a roster decision. Harvin took part in practice both days last week while Seattle was on its bye and was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday this week. "Im just looking to fit in anywhere I can. This offence has done its share and wouldnt be in this position that it is right now," Harvin said. "This team is already set. The foundation is set. Im just looking to jump on the bus and enjoy the ride." The Seahawks also expect rookie tight end Luke Willson to be able to play less than two weeks after he was taken off the field on a cart after injuring his left ankle against St. Louis in the regular season finale. Willson was initially feared to have a fracture, but was later diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday. "They checked him out right off the bat and looked like he had a broken leg, and they checked him out again later that night and he didnt," Carroll said. "So all I can tell you is it was remarkable whatever happened in there."
Sammy Watkins Womens Jersey . JOHNS, N.
www.authenticbillsshop.com/Cyrus-Kouandjio-Bills-Jersey . AS Roma said Monday that the 24-year-old Strootman will undergo surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and possibly damaging the meniscus in his left knee during Sundays 1-0 loss at Napoli.TORONTO -- Randy Carlyle had plenty of chances to hold his breath. At one point his Toronto Maple Leafs gave up the lead on a breakaway and another time had a power-play goal waved off. But when goaltender Jonathan Bernier stopped Reid Boucher in the shootout, the coach and players got a chance to exhale with a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils Sunday night at Air Canada Centre that snapped their losing streak at four. "Well, we can breathe," Carlyle said. "Theres been a lot of gasping going on, and even in this game there was a lot of gasping going on (with) how tight it was. ... Hopefully this relieves a little bit of the stress thats involved for our hockey club." Plenty of stress had been building up for the Leafs (22-20-5), who hadnt won since the Winter Classic. They still have just two regulation victories in 26 games dating to Nov. 21 and arent yet back in a playoff spot, but the sound of their victory song -- "We Cant Stop" by Miley Cyrus -- brought with it some relief. "Well take any points we can get right now," defenceman Cody Franson said. "Weve had some tough bounces lately, and weve put in some efforts that couldve went either way, and fortunately tonight we were able to get a couple points due to a shootout. You try and manage your emotions with shootouts not getting too high, but for us its a little bit of weight off our shoulders." Bernier made 36 saves on 38 shots in regulation and overtime and stopped all three he faced in the shootout to do his part to end the skid. James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak had the Leafs goals, and van Riemsdyk scored in the shootout to beat a fatigued Devils team playing its third game in four nights. "I think under the circumstances, that team over theres desperate (and) we were coming in here short-handed and under a tough schedule," New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer said. "I thought we gave them everything they could handle. Theyre probably pretty fortunate they got two points and we feel a little bit robbed, but thats the game and weve got to pick up and move on to Montreal." Adam Henrique and Ryane Clowe scored for the Devils (19-19-9), who fell to 0-7 in shootouts this season. Jaromir Jagr, Clowe and Boucher were all unsuccessful this time. "The way weve been in shootouts, lets get it out," Henrique said with a laugh. "I mean, they try things with shootouts, I think everyone has different opinions on it." Opinions varied during the game, too, especially on the call by referee Ghislain Hebert that negated Bozaks power-play goal at 6:23 of the third period. Hebert ruled that van Riemsdyk interfered with Devils goaltender Cory Schneider. Carlyle said it was one of tthose plays it was hard to agree with the official after looking at it on the replay.
Ross Cockrell Bills Jersey. Van Riemsdyk agreed. "I was very surprised," said van Riemsdyk, who scored his 17th goal of the season in the second period. "I looked at it after on video in between periods and Im still kind of wondering. He gave me his thought and I asked him if he could watch it after the game and maybe next time we have a game he can apologize or something because that was pretty brutal." It would have been Bozaks second of the night and eighth of the season. Instead, it represented another roadblock for the much-maligned Leafs to overcome. Carlyle estimated his team had 15 scoring chances leading up to that point. "For the next 12 minutes we didnt get any," he said. "So it just shows the mental state and how, I guess, fragile we were at that point." But the Leafs didnt cave. Earlier on in the night they withstood a 7-1 shot deficit and gave up a breakaway goal to Clowe -- his first of the season -- 27 seconds after van Riemsdyk scored to give them the lead. In managing to push the game to overtime and then a shootout, Toronto left things to chance. But players were happy to get tangible evidence of the improvement they saw in a loss at Washington on Friday night. "Our job is to win games," captain Dion Phaneuf said. "We know that the points just keep getting bigger and bigger, and I felt that we stuck with it tonight against a team that played very well." DeBoer was more than satisfied with his teams effort, saying players competed their butts off. "The shootout doesnt take away from the effort that we gave tonight," DeBoer said. Schneider, who made 23 saves on 25 shots, said it was a bit upsetting not to come away with the victory. On Saturday night, the Devils beat the Florida Panthers with two seconds remaining in overtime but couldnt pull off a similar trick against the Leafs. That wouldve been a crushing result for Torontos players, who needed something to go right. "We needed this bad," Bernier said. "We found a way. If thats what it takes to go into a shootout and get points and move on like this, it feels good for the confidence." NOTES -- Five Leafs players -- Bozak, winger Jerry DAmigo, defencemen Tim Gleason and Mark Fraser and goaltender James Reimer -- missed Sundays morning skate with illness. All but Fraser were in the lineup. ... Schneider started for the Devils despite making 29 saves in an overtime victory Saturday night at home. Coach Peter DeBoer said its "always a decision" because of franchise goaltender Martin Brodeur but elected to go with Schneider because of his strong performance against Florida. ' ' '