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TORONTO -- It was nothing new to see these Toronto Maple Leafs beaten. Cheap Air Max Torch 4 . A 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings was their eighth straight in regulation. But Saturday night in the home locker room at Air Canada Centre, the Leafs looked defeated for the first time during this losing streak or this once-hopeful season that has quickly gone off the rails. "I cant describe it right now," winger Joffrey Lupul said. "This was as close to a do-or-die as you can get. But obviously were not going to throw out hope until its mathematically set in stone. But we pretty much had to have this game." Seven losses piled up and yet the Leafs still sounded like a team that had hope. Giving up huge leads in the standings to the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals to fall into a four-way tie at 80 points was one thing. Squandering the most important game of this stretch so far to a fellow Eastern Conference wild-card competitor felt like the breaking point. "This loss is the most disappointing out of the eight. Theres no hiding that," captain Dion Phaneuf said. "We come tonight against a team that was battling for that same spot and they win this hockey game. This is the toughest loss for sure." Detroit (34-26-14) got a hat trick from Darren Helm and another from the NHLs hottest goal-scorer, Gustav Nyquist, to reach 82 points. "It was the first hat trick I ever had, which is pretty special," Helm said. "Big game to win, too. I was happy to win the game, first off, but the hat trick is a nice thing to take home." The Red Wings werent the only ones in the race to win Saturday night, as the Blue Jackets beat the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime to take over the top wild-card spot in the East at 82 points. Columbus leads Detroit because they have more regulation and overtime wins (33 to 29). With just six games remaining -- two less than each of the three teams theyre competing with for two spots -- the Leafs are fourth among those teams and know the difficult task in front of them. "Weve got to win the rest of our games and get help now, I think," said Lupul, who scored the Leafs second goal of the night late in the second period to give some life that evaporated in the third. "All we can control right now is winning the rest of our games, and were going to have to have every one, probably." Phaneuf didnt want to consider that daunting task. The defenceman whose miscues cost the Leafs in previous defeats didnt want to think too far ahead but also called this a "very trying" time for a group that was in second place in the Atlantic Division as recently as Mar. 16. This was the first time in franchise history that Toronto (36-32-8) went eight straight games without a point since 1996 and the first time it lost eight consecutive in regulation since 1985. "Its not like were playing bad hockey, its just one of those things where every mistake that we do make ends up (in our net)," said defenceman Cody Franson, who opened the scoring 10:57 into the first period. "Its the end of the season, everybodys clamping down and your little mistakes end up costing you. Plain and simple." Mistakes like a turnover by Phil Kessel on the power play early in the second that led to Helms first, a short-handed goal. Or like the puck taking a bad hop off Franson and right to Helm for his third. "It just isnt meant to be for us right now, and this is the tough ones," coach Randy Carlyle said. Asked what he figured the difference was in the loss, his third straight since returning from a groin injury, goaltender Jonathan Bernier (24 saves on 28 shots) said: "Odd-man rushes." Lupul agreed. "We gave up odd-man situations repeatedly for whatever reason," he said. "Its tough to say from the bench, thats something you notice when you watch the game again. But the try is there, just we didnt get the job done and we have to pay for that now." The Leafs have been paying since they last won a game, Mar. 13 at the Los Angeles Kings. Most importantly they havent been picking up valuable points with the games whittling down to the end of the regular season. On the other hand, Detroit has picked up 11 points and gone on an impressive run without star forward Pavel Datsyuk and captain Henrik Zetterberg. The injuries have piled up, but the Red Wings have gotten 21 goals in 26 games from Nyquist and continued solid performances from goalie Jimmy Howard (25 saves) to remain in the playoff race. "Weve been devastated this year, no question about it, but we found all these kids and were better for it going ahead, so thats a positive thing," coach Mike Babcock said. "Weve had a lot of fun doing it. Weve been in the grinder since day one, theres no question about it, but weve had a lot of fun doing it and weve got a big game against Tampa tomorrow." Every game down the stretch is big for the Leafs now. They return to Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night to face the Calgary Flames before hosting the Atlantic Division-champion Boston Bruins on Thursday and the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. They finish the season with three on the road: at the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. But unless they manage to string together a home winning streak, those games will be too late. The task in front of them is to prevent doing even once more what theyve done eight consecutive times. As the Leafs seemed to realize Saturday night, they can no longer afford to lose. "Weve won six in a row in the season," Bernier said. "Obviously its hard to snap the long losing streak like that, but weve got to find a way. If not, then well be home very soon." NOTE -- Winger Phil Kessel took a pass from James van Riemsdyk off his right foot in the first period and laboured to the bench in pain. Kessel was seen limping after the game, but Carlyle did not have any information on his condition. ... Bernier started on back-to-back days for the first time this season and just the second time in his NHL career. The only previous time was March 5, 2013 with the Los Angeles Kings, when Bernier was pulled after giving up three goals on eight shots. ... Defenceman Paul Ranger and enforcer Colton Orr were scratched for the Leafs, who recalled forward Jerry DAmigo earlier in the day from the AHLs Toronto Marlies. ... The Red Wings were playing their 14th straight game without Datsyuk (knee) and 16th straight without Zetterberg (back). Theyve played 35 total without Datsyuk and 29 without Zetterberg. ... The game was broadcast live on CCTV in China. Cheap Air Max 2006 . There is no argument that the line of Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Thomas Vanek was one of the hottest in the NHL leading into the post-season, and they did combine for three goals and seven points, but it was the depth of all four lines that helped propel Montreal. Cheap Air Max T-Zone . But Paul Osbaldiston, Hamiltons assistant special teams and kicking coach, said the team still relished the championship game workout. http://www.cheapwholesaleairmax.com/cheap-nike-air-tailwind-92/ .What they got was a bevy of players chipping in to pick up the slack.Josh Smith scored 18 points and James Harden added 17 as the Rockets used a balanced scoring effort to outlast the Mavericks for a 99-94 victory.WASHINGTON -- Dirk Nowitzki is the 13th-leading scorer in NBA history. On Wednesday night, in his words, he was reduced to "an expensive decoy." Nowitzki was held to a season-low nine points, and missed 11 of 14 shots from the field, but the Dallas Mavericks still beat the Washington Wizards 87-78. Monta Ellis scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and Vince Carter had 13 as the Mavericks won despite equaling their season low in points. "It was an ugly game. I think we set the NBA back a couple years today," Nowitzki said. He rolled his left ankle in the games first minute, for "probably the 200th time in my career," Nowitzki said. "It was obvious that I wasnt moving well. I didnt get any elevation on my jumper." The key to the game was Dallas holding Washington scoreless for more than 4 minutes late in the game. The Wizards led 74-70 with 4:58 to play, but the Mavericks scored nine straight points on a 3-pointer by Carter, a hook shoot by Brandan Wright, two free throws by Carter and a jumper by Ellis to give Dallas a 79-74 lead with 2:14 to play. Washington didnt score again until John Wall, who led the Wizards with 22 points, made two free throws with 46 seconds to play. The Mavericks won despite shooting just 38.5 per cent, but they held Washington to 37.5 per cent. "It was a beautiful game," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle laughed. "It was such a competitive game, up and down the stretch, whoever won was going to be the survivor." Trevor Booker had 10 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for Washington. "We wasted a good defensive effort," coach Randy Wittman said. It was Dallas fourth straight win on the road and their eighth straight over the Wizards (14-15), who failed in their attempt to rise above .500 for the first time since Oct. 31, 2009. It was the second time this season Washington failed to get over the .500 mark. "Its a great opportunity in front of us, and we continue to get there and we just lay an egg in the next game," Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. Beal, who shot 4 for 13, was pleased that Washington thwarted Nowitzki. Cheap Air Max Triax 94. "Whenever you can hold a great scorer like that down to a minimum, you always love your chances," Beal said. Ellis, who signed with the Mavericks as a free agent last summer, was a career 77 per cent free throw shooter. This season, hes boosted his percentage to 83, and on Wednesday made 9 of 10. "I thought tonight was Monta Ellis best game with us. He had such great command of the game offensively. He was under control, he was finding people," Carlisle said. Ellis hit all six of his free throws in the fourth quarter. "I want to get better, for that opportunity down the stretch to make those free throws, because I know theyre going to put the ball in my hands," Ellis said. In its last game, Dallas escaped with a win at Minnesota on Monday. On Tuesday, the NBA released a statement saying that the Timberwolves Kevin Love should have been awarded two free throws late in a two-point Mavericks win. Shawn Marion should have been assessed a foul, the NBA said. The Mavericks finished the first quarter Wednesday on a 15-5 run to take a 25-20 lead. Washington went on a 9-0 run to take a 36-35 lead with 3:48 to play in the first half. The Wizards led 42-39 at halftime. The Wizards led through nearly the entire third quarter, surrendering the lead briefly on a 9-0 Dallas run, but led 61-59 after three. Wall, who had seven rebounds and five assists, but tied a season high with seven turnovers, left the court with about 3 minutes to play in the first quarter. His left eye was cut and after the game he continued to wear a bandage. Wall said he was elbowed in the eye in a scrum, but wasnt sure who hit him. "I just know there was four of us down there," Wall said. NOTES: Carlisle declined comment on the NBAs statement about Mondays game. ... Washington swingman Glen Rice, who had surgery on his right wrist last month, had the sutures removed from it Tuesday, Wittman said. ... This was the second consecutive year the Mavericks and Wizards played on New Years Day in Washington. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '