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MONTREAL - Rene Bourque had just nine goals and 16 points in 63 regular season games, but the Canadiens forward has become a key cog in Montreals offence during the playoffs. A trade bait name brought up over and over again on local radio, web message boards and social media all season, Bourque netted his first career playoff hat trick in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final Tuesday, giving him eight goals and 11 points in 16 playoffs games and helping his team stave off elimination with a 7-4 victory over the New York Rangers. A while his sudden emergence as a scoring threat in the playoffs has surprised many, its nothing new to his teammates. Despite his regular season struggles, they never doubted the 62, 217-pound power forward would shine through when it mattered most. "Ive said it before and Ill say it again, hes got world class speed and a world class shot and its showing right now in the playoffs," said forward Max Pacioretty, who also chipped in Tuesday night with a goal and an assist. "Hes a bigger body and he plays a simple game and that suits him well in the playoffs. Its a great time for him to step up and he was huge tonight, he helped out a lot." After the Canadiens blew a 4-1 lead in the second period on Tuesday night, Bourque halted the Rangers comeback scoring his second goal of the game at 15:10 of the second period to make the score 5-4 and give Montreal a lead they wouldnt relinquish. Bourque then added another goal at 6:33 of the third period to complete the hat trick and help the Canadiens avoid elimination for the third time in these Stanley Cup playoffs. Montreal will try to repeat the feat for a fourth time in Game 6 in New York on Thursday and force a Game 7 back in Montreal on Saturday. "Even going back to last year, he just loves this time of year," said forward Brendan Gallagher. "Hes leading by example again. For him to go out there and score not only three goals but very timely goals was big. Anytime you give up the lead like that and can come right back and score thats big. Thats what clutch guys do at this time of year, they score timely goals." Since being acquired from Calgary two years ago in a trade that saw popular scorer Michael Cammalleri go the other way, many have doubted Bourques role on this team. But not Gallagher and his teammates. They saw a hard-working character player that could come up big when it mattered most. "You just gotta understand the character he has," Gallagher explained. "Hes big. Hes a guy that we rely on. He showed up and thats what we expect from him. Hes a competitor. He loves the atmosphere and he loves the opportunity we have right now and thats kind of expected from him." Michel Therrien was also thrilled with Bourques performance. "He played a great game; he was a force out there," the Canadiens head coach said. "On the forecheck, he took the man. He was moving his feet. He was going hard to the map mat. Hes a very good scorer, so definitely that was a great performance by him." The always quite and humble Bourque wasnt about to take all the credit though. "Everybody was ready for this game," he said after the game. "We knew the situation. We got a big power-play goal early and a few others. "It was just a see-saw battle back and forth. (Dale) Weise made a great play to me. I called for the puck and somehow it got through. It was nice to get in there." The pucks have gotten through for Bourque just one less time than they did in the regular season and the Canadiens are hoping his clutch run continues as they try to come back from what is now a one-game deficit. James Murphy is a freelance reporter who also writes for NHL.com, the Boston Herald and XNsports.com. He covered the Boston Bruins/NHL for last 11 seasons writing for ESPNBoston.com, ESPN.com, NHL.com, NESN.com, the Boston Metro, Insidehockey.com and Le Hockey Magazine. Murphy also currently hosts the radio show "Murphys Hockey Law" heard Saturdays 9-11 AM ET on Sirius/XM NHL Network Radio and 4-6 PM ET on Websportsmedia.com. In addition to that, he is a regular guest TSN 690 in Montreal and Sirius/XM NHL Network Radio as well as a hockey analyst on CTV Montreal. Joe Morgan Jersey . Diego Costa headed in Gabis corner seven minutes from time to secure victory ahead of the return match in Madrid on March 11. "We know that at Madrid it will be another game, which will also be important and very difficult," Milan coach Clarence Seedorf said. Catfish Hunter Jersey . Acclaimed by world football leaders but held in contempt by many football fans. 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Matt Joyce Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings have claimed forward Travis Outlaw off waivers under the NBAs new amnesty provision, filling out the frontcourt with another veteran.NEW YORK, N.Y. - A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by 1,300 former players against the NFL, writing that the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the union was the appropriate forum to resolve claims that teams damaged the players by routinely dispensing painkillers.In ruling against the novel claims asserted herein, this order does not minimize the underlying societal issue, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. Northern District in California wrote Wednesday. In such a rough-and-tumble sport as professional football, player injuries loom as a serious and inevitable evil. Proper care of these injuries is likewise a paramount need.Last month, Alsup asked the NFL Players Association to state its position on the lawsuit. The union responded that the collective bargaining agreement did not provide a mechanism to file grievances over the handling of painkillers on behalf of former players.Alsup ruled the other way, agreeing with the NFLs argument that the lawsuit was pre-empted by the collective bargaining agreement. He wrote that no court has ruled that a pro league must police its independent clubs on health and safety issues.We were surprised and disappointed by this judges ruling and plan to file an amended complaint or appeal, said plaintiffs attorney Steve Silverman. Our clients were courageous for bringing this case, proud of the changes theyve already made for current and future players, we will continue to avail ourselves of the judicial process to further those goals.The lawsuit alleges the NFL and its teams, physicians and trainers acted without regard for players health, withholding information about injuries. At the same time, they were handing out prescription painkillers and anti-inflammatories to mask pain and minimize lost playing time. Among other claims, the players contend prescriptions were filled out in their names without their knowledge.ddddddddddddAlsup wrote that the league has addressed these serious concerns in a serious way — by imposing duties on the clubs via collective bargaining and placing a long line of health-and-safety duties on the team owners themselves. These benefits may not have been perfect, but they have been uniform across all clubs and not left to the vagaries of state common law. They are backed up by the enforcement power of the union itself and the players right to enforce these benefits.Nine players were named as plaintiffs, including Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent. The judge gave them until Dec. 30 to file an amended complaint.I hope we appeal, or else have all 1,300 or so of us go to the NFLPA and ask them to file grievances, said Jeremy Newberry, who played for San Francisco, retired in 2009 and is now a sports agent. We need to clean up the game going forward, so more guys dont suffer kidney failure in their 30s and die young because of the stuff the teams distributed so freely. Thats why the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) started investigating. That was the whole point of participating in the lawsuit. ...Now, as an agent, I go into kids living rooms and tell their parents, Well look after your son, he said. Its going to be harder now to do that with a clear conscience.Federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents conducted spot checks last month of at least five NFL visiting teams medical staffs as part of an ongoing investigation. The probe was sparked by claims in the lawsuit from former players, including dozens who said the teams lax controls over dispensing painkillers continued until 2012.Any violations of the Controlled Substances Act after 2009 could be used in a criminal investigation.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping China Womens NFL Jerseys China Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '