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one of these games," Odorizzi said.
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. Charlie Simmer Jersey . - Sidney Crosby understands the price of disappointment. And while others — namely Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma — will likely face the consequences following another early playoff exit, the NHLs brightest star isnt shirking his share of the blame. The way Crosby sees it, Pittsburghs failings lie with the guys who pull the sweaters over their heads. "At the end of the day we feel responsible," Crosby said Thursday. "We are the guys that go out there and want to perform and want to win and we have that expectation." Ones that werent met for a fifth straight spring after the Penguins frittered a 3-1 series lead in an eventual seven-game loss to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. A half-decade after hoisting the Stanley Cup in Detroit at age 21, Crosby and the franchise he represents are still searching for a bookend. "Its difficult to win and I dont think theres been any lack of effort from players, coaches, anybody in the conversation," Crosby said. "I dont think its been a lack of trying." There has, however, been a lack of doing. The Penguins have been a marvel during the regular season under Bylsma, who is 252-117-32 since taking over for Michel Therrien in the late stages of the 2008-09 season. Yet all those regular-season triumphs havent prevented Pittsburgh from being knocked out of the playoffs by a lower-seeded team five straight times. Pressed on what needs to change, Crosby didnt point to the coaching staff but instead a shift in mindset, particularly when the post-season begins. "Maybe we need to adjust the way we play a little bit better and play more physical," Crosby said. Its a challenge the Penguins have faced relentlessly during the Crosby era. The leagues leading scorer and likely MVP scored just once in 13 playoff games — a career low — and spent plenty a month on the receiving end of punishment from Columbus centre Brandon Dubinsky and New York defenceman Marc Staal. Crosby insists he wasnt rattled, even if at one point in Game 6 against the Rangers he found himself on the bottom of a dog pile with New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist squirting him with a water bottle. Not exactly the best position to ward off a comeback. "Im not saying I cant be better," Crosby said. "I dont think my focus was lost. ... You can go back to the years we won and youre not going to see anything different but we won and thats a big thing." And it will be the focus going forward regardless of who is in the front office or behind the bench. While Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will have their numbers hanging in the dressing room when the club reconvenes in September, there could be plenty of new ones hanging alongside them. Forward Jussi Jokinen — whose seven playoff goals led the Penguins — is an unrestricted free agent. So is Lee Stempniak, who never quite meshed with Crosby after being brought in near the trading deadline. Defenceman Brooks Orpik, the teams longest tenured player, may be done in Pittsburgh after 11 seasons. Matt Niskanen, arguably the teams best defenceman all season, will hit the open market and may command too high a price to stick around. Then theres goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who played steadily throughout the playoffs but knows he could be expendable with one year left on his current deal. "I really hope I stay," Fleury said. "Its my team here. Its where I want to play." Its a sentiment echoed throughout the locker room. For all the misery that accompanied the stunning fall against New York, Pittsburghs talented core remains in the midst of their primes. Crosby is 26. Malkin is 27. So is defenceman Kris Letang. Fleury is still months away from turning 30 and bounced back from a miserable 2013 post-season by holding the Rangers to just 15 goals in seven games. "I dont know if theres many problems," forward Brandon Sutter said. "I think its more little things that arent really huge. Maybe fresh ideas can change that. I dont think theres much that needs to be fixed, maybe a few things shaken up. Theres a few different ways. It doesnt necessarily mean anyone has to leave." In theory, perhaps. The Penguins know they are constructed to raise championship banners, not flame out in the post-season. Yet it keeps happening. "Expectations are high," Crosby said. "If you dont deliver you have to own up to that as players and as an organization. We all understand that. Well see what happens from here." Wayne Cashman Jersey . - Rookie Kyle Larson will start from the pole position Saturday night in the NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway after a thunderstorm arrived just in time to wash out qualifying. Connor Clifton Jersey . -- The Denver Broncos locked up a shutdown cornerback, only his name wasnt Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Back on the mound at Tropicana Field, Kansas Citys James Shield looked and felt right at home. The right-hander sparkled in his return to the stadium where he earned a living for the first seven seasons of his career, limiting the Tampa Bay Rays to three hits and striking out 10 in seven innings to help the Royals beat his former team 6-0 on Monday night. No pitcher has had more success at The Trop than Shields, who remains Tampa Bays all-time leader in victories with 87, including a franchise-best 47 at home. "Its definitely special to come back here," said Shields (9-4), who was dealt to the Royals in December 2012 as part of a seven-player trade in which Kansas City sent 2013 AL rookie of the year Wil Myers and another top young prospect, Jake Odorizzi (4-8), to Tampa Bay. "Theres so many memories. Ive thrown some shutouts here and Ive also thrown some champagne on the field," the 32-year-old said. "The fans were great tonight to me, welcoming me back, and thats always a great feeling." Shields allowed singles to Ben Zobrist and James Loney in the first two innings, then worked through a jam in the third after giving up a one-out double to Kevin Kiermaier. He retired 10 straight, six by strikeout, before hitting Evan Longoria with a pitch leading off the seventh. Alex Gordon and Omar Infante drove in runs in the third inning for the Royals, giving Shields all the offensive support he would need to beat Odorizzi. "Weve seen that act before," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said of the performance by Shields. "Wrong uniform this time, though." Shields, who had struggled in his three most recent starts, rebounded from allowing five runs and nine hits over five innings of a 10-2 loss at Minnesota last week. "You could tell right off the bat that, OK, lets get this guy a couple of runs and lets ride with it," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Thats exactly what happened." The Royals tacked on two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth -- with Infante and Gordon both collecting their second RBIs of the game -- and finished with 14 hits. Brad Marchand Jersey. Wade Davis, another former Tampa Bay pitcher the Royals obtained in the Shields trade, worked a perfect eighth. Scott Downs finished the combined four-hitter, giving up a ninth-inning single to Zobrist. The loss was just the third in 13 games for the Rays, who were coming off a road trip in which they went 9-2 to climb out of the AL East cellar. Odorizzi allowed two runs and six hits, struck out eight and walked two in his third career appearance against the Royals, who beat the 24-year-old in Kansas City on April 9. "All the series we played on the road we played fantastic. I guess we were kind of due for one of these games," Odorizzi said. "I dont think this game is really going to set us back that much in the long run." Shields won his only previous matchup against his former team 8-2 at Kansas City on April 30, 2013. He remains Tampa Bays career leader in starts, strikeouts and innings pitched, in addition to wins. He won the franchises first-ever post-season game and owns the clubs only World Series victory. NOTES: Rays RHP Jeremy Hellickson will make his season debut Tuesday night, returning from right elbow surgery. The Royals will counter with LHP Jason Vargas (8-3, 3.32 ERA). ... Kansas City DH Billy Butler, who entered mired in a 3-for-23 slide, was dropped to seventh in the lineup. Its the lowest spot for him this season. ... The Royals sent OF Nori Aoki (strained left groin) to Double-A Northwest Arkansas for a rehab assignment. ... The Rays announced the signing of Dominican Republic prospect Adrian Rondon for $2.95 million on the shortstops 16th birthday. Minor league pitcher Matt Ramsey was traded to Miami for the Marlins second, third and fourth international bonus slots, a move that provided the team with more than $1 million to go toward the signing of Rondon. ' ' '