Liverpool the most inviting of free kicks. Luis Suarez appeared

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Instead of getting ready for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, in what would surely have been a rocking Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers quietly packed up their lockers and headed toward summer vacation. The pain and disappointment of Friday nights season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Kings was still palpable Monday as players went through exit interviews at the teams suburban practice facility, but one by one they took positive looks back on their unexpected post-season. After all, it had been 20 years since the Rangers played with the Cup on the line. "Its a little early," star goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. "I am proud of the team and what we did and how we overcame different challenges -- not only in the past couple of months but throughout the entire season. "We have a lot to be happy about, but right now youre still disappointed about not winning." Had they been able to score in overtime on Friday or in either of the first two games of the finals in Los Angeles -- which were both decided in overtime -- New York would have hosted Game 6 on Monday night. The series would have been 3-2, one way or the other, and Rangers fans would have been firmly behind their club as it moved closer to a championship. "The last two or three days have been even worse than today," forward Carl Hagelin said. "Now its kind of faded off. Its enough crying now. You cant cry much more. "It couldve been a game tonight, but were going to have to live another day." The Rangers have reached the conference finals in two of the past three seasons, and now have taken it a step further. Only a few veterans in their room, such as Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis, had gotten to the finals before this run. The collective experience they now share as a group could bode well. "Its hard to swallow right now, but give it a couple of weeks," forward Derek Stepan said. "I think well look back and well see how much fun we had as a group and be able to look at it and say, Hey, we played some really good hockey. "Weve got a good balance of guys. The organization did a good job of building this team, getting the young guys and getting the old guys. Weve got a good blend." As is always the case at the end of the season, changes will be made before the team gets back together for training camp in about three months. One player who likely wont be there is Richards, who has become a prime candidate to have his contract bought out by the Rangers to give the club much needed salary cap relief. New York has one remaining amnesty buyout available, and it must be used by July 1. The cap room that would be saved by getting Richards contract off the books could go a long way to signing potential free agents the Rangers have and others who could come in from other teams. "Were going to work on putting a good team on the ice, but every year is different," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "Next years team is going to be different, and youve got to go through the same process. Its going to be a challenge to make the playoffs, and then you take it one series at a time." Richards took on a bigger leadership role after captain Ryan Callahan was traded to Tampa Bay for St. Louis in March. His voiced carried in the room even as his play declined as the playoff run got deeper. Vigneault limited his ice time to fourth-line minutes in the final two games against Los Angeles. "If you look at Brads overall season he had a real good year," Vigneault said. "In the final series, I dont know if it was a combination of some other guys might have been playing a little bit better than he was, but we had some decisions to make in Game 4 and Game 5." No decision on Richards status had been made by Monday afternoon, and he didnt speak to reporters to discuss what might lie ahead for him, either. Vigneault excelled in his first season as coach, after he replaced the fiery John Tortorella, and he will also be looking to win that elusive championship. The Rangers havent hoisted the Cup since their last finals experience in 1994. Vigneault took the Vancouver Canucks to the final step, too, only to fall to Boston in 2011. "Each year you play, your drive gets bigger and bigger," Stepan said. "This group has been close, and certainly that drive is going to be there for next year." Fake Jerseys 2020 .J. -- The New York Jets have promoted Tony Sparano Jr. Wholesale Authentic Jerseys . Called on from the college ranks to replace Andy Reid, Kelly implemented a whole new atmosphere in the City of Brotherly Love and now has the Eagles in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. http://www.jerseyscheapcustom.com/ . Patton told The Baltimore Sun that he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished, trying to improve his short-term focus. "I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun. Cheap Jerseys 2020 .The Canadiens will visit the Boston Bruins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on New Years Day 2016, taking hockeys oldest rivalry outside.It was special in 2010 just to be there with the history behind Fenway Park and all that, Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron said. Fake China Jerseys . The former central defender calmly nodded it down and quietly went about celebrating a win with his staff. For a man who has had a lot on his shoulders this season, it was an appropriate moment.HULL, England -- Hull beat Liverpool 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday for its first ever victory against the Merseyside club. Hull went ahead after Jake Livermores shot from outside the area took a deflection off Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel and looped over goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in the 20th minute at the KC Stadium. Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge could be sidelined for up to eight weeks after spraining his ankle during training earlier this week. The England forward has scored 11 goals in 14 matches for the Reds this season and his partnership with Luis Suarez has proved decisive in many occasions. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said before Sundays 3-1 loss at Hull that "Daniel is probably going to be out six to eight weeks. Its a big blow for us because hes been brilliant since hes come in." Steven Gerrard equalized seven minutes later with a well-placed free kick through a sudden hole in the wall created by Skrtel. David Meyler put Hull ahead again in the 72nd with a left-footed shot and Skrtel finished a miserable afternoon for Liverpool with a spectacular own-goal header in the 87th. Liverpool trails league leaders Arsenal by seven points. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers had recalled Victor Moses and Raheem Sterling, the latter making his first start since Oct. 5, but they proved inadequate replacements for Sturridge. For Hull, it was a memorable afternoon and a seasons best performance -- just the boost required after last weeks defeat to lowly Crystal Palace. The match quickly settled into a pattern of Liverpool going forward and Hull clearing its lines. The Reds forced three corners in the first six minutes, buut the hosts stood up well to Gerrards delivery.dddddddddddd There were hints that Hull was not going to be completely passive, though, with Yannick Sagbo and Livermore creating a promising counter-attack in the 14th minute only for Robert Koren to linger too long over a final ball. Nevertheless, it was still a major surprise when Hull went ahead six minutes later. Moses was culpable, giving the ball away to Ahmed Elmohamady when trying to attack from the back and bringing Livermore into the game. He exchanged a quick one-two with Meyler, advanced on goal and saw his 20-yard strike loop past Mignolet via a heavy deflection off Skrtel for Livermores first goal of the season. With 26 minutes gone Curtis Davies felled the advancing Jordan Henderson and offered Liverpool the most inviting of free kicks. Luis Suarez appeared interested but Gerrard pulled rank and bent the ball brilliantly past Allan McGregor after Skrtel pulled away from the wall to create a gap. The leveler settled Liverpool and both Gerrard and Suarez began to play with greater freedom as they probed Hull for further openings. Yet they did not have a shot of note between them until the stroke of half time when Suarez hit an unusually tame effort from Sterlings clever through ball. Liverpool started the second period shakily with Moses and Sterling offering little cutting edge in support of Suarez. Meyler grabbed the second, driving into the bottom corner after his initial strike was blocked by Kolo Toure. With Liverpool throwing numbers forward, a third goal seemed inevitable and came when Tom Huddlestones shot looked to be heading well wide until Skrtels deflection. ' ' '