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PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers turned the worst start in team history into a playoff berth. Geronimo Allison Super Bowl Jersey . They forced Game 7 after a 3-2 series deficit. The Flyers simply ran out of comebacks. Just as it has in every season since winning it all in 1975, Philadelphia heads home without a Stanley Cup. The New York Rangers eliminated the Flyers with a 2-1 win in Game 7 in the first round on Wednesday, extending their championship drought to 38 seasons, the sixth-longest streak in the NHL. There was one sliver of consolation Thursday when team captain Claude Giroux was selected as a Hart Trophy finalist, the leagues MVP award. Giroux matched a career high with 28 goals and finished third in the NHL scoring race (86 points), helping the Flyers rally from a 3-9-0 start. Hes the fifth Flyer to be a finalist, joining Bobby Clarke, Eric Lindros (who both won), and goalies Pelle Lindbergh and Bernie Parent. Individual award nominations are nice, and this one was sweet for Giroux after Team Canada bypassed him for the Olympics. But they simply dont compare to the thrill of hoisting the Stanley Cup. „We do have to be proud of what we did,“ Giroux said. „Last place and being able to come back and get everybody back on the same page. We had a lot of fun doing it. But right now, it stings a lot we cant be in the second round.“ Giroux had his chance in 2010 when the Flyers reached Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. But since that tantalizing run, theyve shown few signs of establishing themselves as a perennial contender. As they rallied from the bottom of the East all the way to the playoffs, the Flyers found two key cogs to their future are already in place: Coach Craig Berube and goalie Steve Mason. General manager Paul Holmgren made the right call when he fired Peter Laviolette after an 0-3 start and promoted the coach known as „Chief.“ After a small adjustment period, he had the Flyers playing as one of the top teams in the conference, leading to a 42-30-10 (94 points) finish. „We were stuck in a hole for a while and they battled out of it,“ Berube said. „They stuck together and went to a Game 7.“ Mason, the NHLs rookie of the year in 2008-09, pushed aside the doubts that lingered from Columbus that he could become a No. 1 goalie and blossomed into their goalie of the future. His mix of sensational saves and easygoing personality helped the Flyers start to erase the memories of Ilya Bryzgalov from their consciousness. „This teams a lot of fun to play with and Im looking forward to growing them in the future,“ Mason said. Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek form a nice offensive nucleus. Veteran defenceman Kimmo Timonen may decide to retire, though of the rest of the D was a sore point for the Flyers, especially in the post-season when Mason faced tough shot after tough shot with little break. The Flyers might not have made the playoffs without Mason. They might have beat the Rangers with even a solid defensive effort. „At no given time were we feeling we were out of the series, or out of it this season, for that matter,“ Mason said. This year, the Flyers celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Broad Street Bullies team that left a lasting mark on the league, but has done nothing to get them closer to holding that third championship parade down Philadelphia. The Flyers havent advanced past the second round since the surprising Stanley Cup finals run in 2010. But a year after missing the playoffs, the Flyers at least stabilized themselves and proved that an addition or two on the blue line can push them deeper into the post-season. „Game 7. Lose 2-1. Cant get closer than that,“ Giroux said. „For a young team, I think its great. Its only going to make us stronger.“ Mason Crosby Super Bowl Jersey . MLB.com reported that the Dodgers locked the left-hander in for one year at $10 million with up to $4 million in incentives. ZaDarius Smith Super Bowl Jersey . 3 Ohio State. Amedeo Della Valle had 15 points, Marc Loving scored a career-high 13 and the bench provided 38 points as the Buckeyes sprinted past Nebraska 84-53 on Saturday. DETROIT — Jhonny Peralta is trying to make the most of a second chance with the Detroit Tigers that was far from guaranteed. The Detroit portion of Peraltas career looked like it might be over when he was suspended 50 games on Aug. 5 following Major League Baseballs investigation of the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic. Despite the long layoff, hes been able to contribute in the post-season, saving the Tigers with a big home run in the division series and adding needed power to the lineup. Peraltas return has raised the usual questions about doping in baseball and whether his punishment was harsh enough. The Tigers are happy to have him back, whether hes at shortstop or in the outfield. „I think I have a new life, a new opportunity,“ Peralta said. „Its important, how Detroit gave me the opportunity to come back here. I appreciate everything.“ Peralta was in the middle of a fine season when his suspension began. The Tigers had anticipated his absence, acquiring smooth-fielding shortstop Jose Iglesias from Boston shortly before the suspension. Eligible for free agency after the World Series, Peralta returned for a three-game series at the Miami Marlins as Detroit closed the regular season. That didnt leave him much time to prepare for any playoff games. He had gone to the Dominican Republic to try to stay in shape during the suspension, then spent some time in the instructional league. As they closed in on their third straight AL Central title, the Tigers said theyd give Peralta a chance to earn a spot on the post-season roster. Because Iglesias had impressed as the new shortstop, Detroit said Peralta would have to learn to play left field. „It was a cram course,“ said manager Jim Leyland, who has used Peralta at shortstop and left field during these playoffs. „I dont know how this is happening. Im not sure hes totally comfortaable in left field yet. David Bakhtiari Super Bowl Jersey. Id be lying if I said I was totally comfortable with him in left field yet.“ But with Miguel Cabrera hobbled and Prince Fielder struggling, the Tigers have needed offence in this post-season, and Peralta has provided it. In Game 4 of the AL division series against Oakland, Detroit trailed 3-0 and was facing elimination when Peralta connected for a three-run homer in the fifth inning — perhaps the biggest swing of the playoffs for the Tigers so far. Detroit went on to win that series in five games. Now the Tigers trail the AL championship series 3-2, with Game 6 at Boston set for Saturday. Peraltas RBI single brought home the only run of Game 1 against the Red Sox. Hes hitting .367 this post-season, with four doubles to go along with that big home run. „Instructional league I think helped,“ Peralta said. „They really have good pitching over there. They throw hard, and they throw everywhere.“ Peralta has been the target of derisive chants from opposing fans — par for the course for a high-profile player implicated in a drug investigation. The San Francisco Giants did not bring back Melky Cabrera last year after his suspension. They ended up winning the World Series without him. The Tigers chose a different course, not feeling any obligation to add more punitive measures once Peralta had served his ban. „I think the majority of the club felt that he handled it as well as he possibly could. He made a mistake, he admitted he made a mistake, he apologized, he worked hard to get back,“ general manager Dave Dombrowski said. „He paid his due, he paid his penalty, and who am I or who are we to really enforce more?“ Now Peralta is doing his best to make up for lost time. „I try to be positive and try to help our team,“ he said. „And try to win games every day.“ ‚ ‚ ‚