Indianapolis Colts fans received some great news on Friday
Cheap Pernell McPhee Jersey , as GM Chris Ballard (via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport), said that quarterback Andrew Luck is ready to go for training camp, and he won't be limited in any form.Big news: #Colts GM Chris Ballard tells reporters that QB Andrew Luck is 鈥済ood to go鈥?for training camp. No limitations when he鈥檚 out there, but won鈥檛 throw for 7 days straight. Still, huge.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 20, 2018Luck, who turns 29 in September, missed all of 2017 following offseason shoulder surgery. The team used Jacoby Brissett as quarterback, but they slumped to a miserable 4-12 record. Luck only began to start throwing footballs again recently, but it's an extremely encouraging sign that he's good to go in training camp now.When healthy, Luck has been one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks. He led the Colts to three consecutive 11-win seasons and playoff berths from 2012-14, and led the NFL with 40 touchdown passes in the 2014 season.However, Luck missed nine games in 2015 after suffering a lacerated kidney, and the Colts missed the postseason. He returned to form in 2016 with 4
Panthers Authentic Jerseys ,240 yards, 31 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions, but the Colts missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.Luck will be working with a revamped Colts team, should he return in time to start the 2018 season. Future Hall of Famer running back Frank Gore is gone, as is No. 2 wide receiver, Donte Moncrief. The Colts also fired head coach Chuck Pagano and replaced him with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, who helped the team win Super Bowl 52 behind backup quarterback Nick Foles. If Luck is healthy, the Colts will have a legitimate shot at competing for the postseason, but his long-term health is the top priority. If Indianapolis doesn't think he's ready to start the season, they'll have to roll with Brissett once again.Luck was considered a generational talent out of Stanford when the Colts drafted him first overall in 2012. The organization can only hope that his shoulder will be fully recovered, and that Luck can lead them back to championship contention in 2018 and beyond. Just saying the Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final has a magical ring to it.
But what’s even more mystical is thinking the Knights are a mere five wins from hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup in its inaugural season.
Five more wins, over a potential 10 games.
And while this might be a first-year team writing a fantastical Hollywood screenplay nobody could’ve scripted last summer when the roster was constructed, the NHL playoffs are nothing new to a core of characters in this cast.
Everybody knows about three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury
Connor Williams Jersey , a key figure during Pittsburgh’s reign the last two years, and 10-year veteran James Neal, who was with Nashville for last year’s run to the final against the Penguins.
But between guys such as David Perron, Luca Sbisa, Deryk Engelland, Ryan Reaves, Reilly Smith, Cody Eakin and Tomas Tatar, the Golden Knights aren’t as new to the playoffs as people may believe.
The players’ individual postseason pedigree could be part of the reason the team is one game from clinching the Western Conference. Another reason is the eagerness of Fleury and Neal’s co-stars in this feel-good story.
”We don’t see ourselves as an expansion team for a long time now,” said Perron, a 13-year veteran who is playing in his seventh postseason. ”But at the same time, it’s always nice to keep proving people wrong and we know that even at this point, I don’t feel like people believe we’ll close it out. So, we’ve got to find a way.”
Coach Gerard Gallant has shown he has confidence in all his players
Bills Phillip Gaines Jersey , as they’ve all experienced pressure situations and performed well in all three round of the playoffs, including seven one-goal games. Not including Fleury’s 129 career playoff games, or Neal’s 94, the players who skated in Friday night’s 3-2 Game 4 victory now have a combined 489 games of postseason experience to their credit.
”It’s not new for those guys, I don’t think you get here if you don’t use your hockey players,” Gallant said. ”We’ve done it from Day One and there’s no reason not to use them because everybody competes, everybody battles and everybody’s a part of our team. That’s what we do. Guys work hard and compete hard and do your job and you’ll play. I feel comfortable putting most of our guys on the ice. There’s no issues there.”
And that’s because the Golden Knights have always done a good job of living in the moment, and not looking past each game.
Erik Haula spent his first four seasons in Minnesota and went to the playoffs every year, but it didn’t take long for him to realize he was with a special group of players.
”We got off to a great start, won two on the road (to open the season),” said Haula, who has three goals and four assists in the postseason. ”Right after that first home game, that was special. It was a special night for the whole community. Right there, I think we came together as a community
Patrick Omameh Color Rush Jersey , as a team. We never looked back. We just kept going.
”We just have a close group. We respect every single person in here. We need every single person in here.”
Luca Sbisa has been in the league nine years and been to the postseason five times. His presence on defense has bolstered the crew on the blueline, helping to neutralize Winnipeg’s depth on offense.
”Coming in I just wanted to help this team and do what I could, especially on the ice,” said Sbisa, who went to the playoffs in four of the five seasons he was with Anaheim. ”I wanted to give our team a chance to win every night and here we are. We can’t look too far ahead, you gotta take it one game at a time. If you think about the next game you’re probably going to shoot yourself in the foot. We just have to find the balance of being aggressive and being smart. It’s been a long and fun ride so far.”
The fun continues Sunday, when the Jets host Game 5 and will look to stay alive against the fairy tale Knights from Vegas.
”I would say that winning and having fun go hand-in-hand,” said Eakin, now in his seventh year and playing in his third postseason. ”I’ve been on a few teams that have been pretty good, won a few times. We know we got to play our best hockey. Especially this time of year, there’s not a team that is going to roll over and die.”
.
