This story was tired during round 2, but the media keeps hammering it like it has the narrative of a Philip Roth novel. The passing of St. Louis mother was tragic, as is any unexpected death. Or death in general. Death is tragic. Thats why tragedies end in death. This is a narrative trope older than the playoff beard. But did it "galvanize" the Rangers efforts? Perhaps. But when reporters answer their own questions by asking players, "Did the passing of Martys mum bring this team closer together?" the story is being written and not reported. Its one of the tragic flaws of sports journalism. Additionally, part of the story being left out is how St. Louis sulked like a petulant child when not named to Canadas Olympic team, played poorly when added to the squad justifying managements decision to leave him off in the first place as he did not fit into their system, and then forced his trade to New York. Good player and teammate? Maybe. Virtuous hero of a tragic narrative? Hardly.Celebrities(Source: FameFlynet Pictures)Welcome to TMZs NHL final. With the Stanley Cup being played in New York and Los Angeles, the opportunity presents itself for endless celeb spotting. Coverage will no doubt be tirelessly freckled with shots of Robert De Niro, Michael J. Fox, and Wayne Gretzkys daughter. "Oh hey, look! Its venerable character actor ?eljko Ivanek! He watches hockey just like a normal person!" I fully expect at least one, if not two, Scott Oake "Inside Hockey" features on Matthew Perrys beer league for displaced Canadians in L.A. If somehow Jay-Zed and Beyoncé make it rinkside, NHL media types might actually spontaneously combust, leaving a trail of iPhones and unwritten columns about who will play Marty St. Louis in the movie version of the postseason smoldering in the press box.Major Markets(Source: cgodley - Hollywood Reporter)Yes, L.A. and New York are the two largest media markets in the league, so ratings for this final should get a bump from years past, at least stateside. But in actuality, a Stanley Cup final on NBCSN 7 or whoever it is who televises hockey poorly in the United States these days still rates lower than a Reba marathon on CMT. Add in the fact that the NBA finals feature a rematch of last years epic Heat-Spurs series, a compelling Lebron as Jordan narrative, and the dichotomy of the Heats talents in South Beach and the Spurs team first philosophy, some Americans might not even find time to watch Reba. Certainly a major market clash is good for the NHL, and good for hockey. But it wont be the epic sea change in the sports national visibility and popularity that the media will portray it as.Canadians (Source: nhl.com/kings)In the absence of Canadian teams in the final, the nationalist hockey media will do its best to attach Canada to the series narrative as best they can. Theyll count the amount of Canadians on each team. Theyll do a feature on the Sutters, how theyre cheering on Darryl from Viking, but cant make it to the games because the spring crop needs a plantin. There will be mention of how many Canadian Olympians are on each team. Stephen Harper will somehow make an appearance. Therell be something about a loonie at centre ice. And, of course, the annual Bettman-MacLean smug-off where Ron will ask about Quebec City and Gary will wish he were still with the NBA. If it goes 7 games, the contrived Canadiana will get thicker than a beer commercial. The Unmentioned(Source: Dirk Shadd - Times)The final will be notable not just for the tired recycled stories of rounds past, but also the issues facing hockey that will not be mentioned. Sure, a wedding isnt the place to discuss your partners flaws, but during its second biggest moment of the year (to the inexplicably popular outdoor games) certainly some of the sports challenges could be included in the pre-game and intermission discourse. It would be interesting, and beneficial, to have the pundits debate why fighting barely exists in the playoffs yet is apparently crucial to the game, if Zenon Konopkas PED use is an isolated case or hockeys dirty little secret, or have an open dialogue about concussion protocol, or the lack thereof, especially in the postseason. And Dominic Moores story is a truly heartbreaking tale, but some moment should be found to mention how it has been ten years since Todd Bertuzzi ended his brothers career, how Dominic was at times ostracized from NHL circles because of it, and how the case has yet to go to trial. But, you know, Don Cherry trying to pronounce Anze Kopitar is interesting in its own way.The Stanley Cup final matchup promises an entertaining series. Both the Rangers and Kings are built around speed, hard forechecking, and timely goaltending. There will be plenty of stories that will grow organically. This is the beauty of sport; the story writes itself, and that story will be best told if its storytellers eschew the contrived and indulge in its evolution. 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Ilkay Gundogan Jersey . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp.CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are headed toward the All-Star break on a high note. So is Anthony Bennett, the much-maligned No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. As the Cavaliers avenged a 44-point loss to Sacramento with a 109-99 win over the Kings on Tuesday night, Bennett had 19 points and 10 rebounds -- both career highs -- in Clevelands third straight win. "Youre starting to see a little bit of what we see in practice and the reason why we drafted him," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Hes a talented young man and hes starting to come to life a little bit. Hes even better than what you saw tonight." Former general manager Chris Grant, who was fired last week, was roundly criticized for taking Bennett with the first pick in June, but the rookie from UNLV has made major strides after being a non-factor until mid-January. "Anthony Bennett kicked our butt," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "Im sure Chris Grant is smiling at home -- and deservedly so -- because that was his No. 1 pick." Bennett was smiling, too. Asked when the last time he had fun playing basketball he said, "I dont remember, but today was one of those days." Bennett hit two 3-pointers in a little over a minute in the second quarter and scored 11 points in the first half. His 3-pointer with 4:40 left in the game gave Cleveland a 100-85 advantage. Bennett was aggressive going to the basket -- going to the line nine times. Bennett had shoulder surgery before the draft and didnt play in the summer league. He adjusted slowly once the season began, and his minutes were limited when he played. That has changed. "It feels great," Bennett said. "All the hard work Ive put in with the players and coaching staff is paying off." Brown began giving him playing time last month after he showed progress in practice. "Its not anything that all of a sudden happened overnight," Brown said. "Hes a good basketball player. He can pass it. He can shoot it. He can run the floor. He can finish in traffic. He can rebound." Luol Deng led the Cavaliers with 22 points, and Dion Waiters added 20. The Cavaliers, beaten 124-80 in Sacramento on Jan. 12, took a double-figure lead early in the second quarter and were in control the remainder of the game. Cleveland has won three in a row for the second time this season. Cleveland also won threee straight from Dec.dddddddddddd 7-13. The Cavaliers will go for a season-high, four-game winning streak in their final game before the All-Star break on Wednesday at Detroit. Cleveland has won all three games since Grant was fired. DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points to lead the Kings, who have lost 10 of 12 and seven straight on the road. The Cavaliers built a 67-49 lead in the third quarter. The Kings cut their deficit to seven points early in the fourth, but Cleveland went on a 7-0 run, sparked by Kyrie Irvings 3-pointer, to go ahead 91-77. Irving, who was 3 of 14 with seven points in the first meeting, had 13 points and six assists. The Cavaliers broke a three-game losing streak against the Kings. Cousins, taking advantage of a matchup with Cleveland centre Tyler Zeller, had 11 points and six rebounds in the first quarter. The Cavaliers played without starting centre Anderson Varejao, who missed the game with a sore back. Cousins didnt score again in the half. The Cavaliers used a combination of Zeller, Tristan Thompson and Henry Sims in an attempt to neutralize Cousins, who was averaging 22.7 points going into the game. The 6-foot-11 centre attempted only two more shots the rest of the game and was 11 of 16 from the foul line. "The effort wasnt there," Cousins said. "It was just bad overall. I dont really have an answer, but whatever it is, it needs to be fixed. After the All-Star break, well start fresh, which is what we need right now." Tristan Thompson had 16 points and 13 points for the Cavaliers. Isaiah Thomas scored 16 points, and Rudy Gay added 14 for the Kings. Sacramento has dropped the first three games of a four-game trip that ends Wednesday against New York. The Kings are 6-19 on the road. C.J. Miles (sore right foot) also missed the game for Cleveland. NOTES: Asked to describe Varejaos injury, Brown said, "With Andy, its his back and really his whole body that is sore, so it will be good to get him some rest, but obviously, you hope that its not a long-term thing." ... Varejao wont travel to Detroit ... Malone spent five seasons as an assistant under Brown with the Cavaliers from 2005-10. ... Thomas and Kings F Jason Thompson each picked up two fouls in the first quarter. Thompson committed his third foul 34 seconds into the third quarter and was scoreless for the game. 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