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Leaking goals and tears in similar amounts - nobody who witnessed the scenes from Selhurst Park Monday could not have a sense of sympathy for Liverpool as the title slipped from their grasp. Their misery completed 24-hours later as the Etihad was reminded yet again why, for many, Yaya Toure and not Luis Suarez is the player of the year this season. Falling at a final fence is a BPL curse which has quivered the bottom lip of even Sir Alex Ferguson previously. Most famously, 2 years ago when added time heroics ensured the name Manchester City was etched onto the famous trophy for a first time. With just West Ham standing in the way, Manchester City appear the overwhelming favourites of securing a second title in three years. Not so fast. West Ham has gatecrashed a BPL parade previously. Before the top tier of English football turned into the global juggernaut it has now become, a bus parked by West Ham in the final match of the 1994/95 season denied Manchester United the title as the teams played out a 1-1 draw. With United denied the win, it was Blackburn managed by Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish who won the league. Even after they suffered defeat at the hands of his old club on the final day of the season. After waking up this morning to the headlines he would be fired, West Hams much maligned Sam Allardyce, who just a few weeks ago witnessed his own fans turn on him following their win over Hull, will be chomping at the bit to prove his naysayers wrong and end the season on a winning note. Its not like West Ham has not got form this season when it comes to destroying the plans of top clubs. Jose Mourinho branding their football as 19th Century following a dire Stamford Bridge stalemate back in January. With the relegation places all decided and handed out to teams who believed a managerial change was needed to inject survival into their BPL life, all attention Sunday will be on the Etihad and Anfield. Brendan Rogers put his best brave face on earlier today at his pre-match press conference when he emphatically stated the title race was not over. With not a hint of irony on his face, Rodgers singled out Andy Carroll, a player he immediately discarded after taking over at Anfield in summer 2013, as Manchester Citys destroyer. Its not known if it was Rodgers who addressed the Liverpool dressing room in the aftermath of the Selhurst Park devastation. It may well have been Dr. Steven Peters the renowned psychiatrist who Steven Gerrard credited recently as saving his career following an injury the Liverpool captain suffered in 2010. Drafted in by Roy Hodgson as part of Englands backroom staff for the World Cup, Peters has been working with Liverpool since last fall. He is widely credited with the rehabilitation and rejuvenation of Luis Suarez this season. Stevens theory holds that the secret to success is in effective management of our "Inner Chimp" - that emotive part of the brain which affects our ability to make rational choices and decisions. Manuel Pellegrini likely didnt have full control of his inner chimp when he proclaimed shortly after Wednesdays Aston Villa triumph, "Of course I expect to win the title because now we are top of the table." Being top of the table has been a poisoned chalice all season long. Manchester City leapfrogging Liverpool was the 25th such change at the top since opening day last August. Arsenal has spent the longest period on top, followed by Chelsea, then Liverpool. Manchester City has spent less than two weeks at the BPL summit. Remarkably, if just for 48-hours, even David Moyes experienced top-spot euphoria. As Liverpool still has a remote chance of been crowned champions come noon hour on the east coast Sunday, very early in the morning the Premier League trophy will arrive at Anfield. En route it is not likely going to drive past the homes of Luis Suarez or Steven Gerrard. Much folly and merriment has been made of Gerrards slip allowing for Demba Ba to score Chelseas opener a fortnight ago. Video and images of which, could shadow and stalk the Liverpool captain the remainder of his playing days and after. With the curtain about to come down on a season which has had more twists and turns than a John La Carré best seller - there is no player more deserving of a winners medal than Gerrard. Even Ferguson, who we learned earlier in the season had less than complimentary words for Gerrard in his autobiography, will likely be cheering for Liverpool under his breath and that a quiet hush comes over his old noisy neighbour Sunday. Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel On Sunday, beginning with a pre-game show on TSN 2 at 9:30am et / 6:30am pt TSN, TSN Radio and TSN.ca has you fully covered for the exciting BPL season finale. Cheap Predators Jerseys . MacArthur scored two goals, and the Senators outlasted Detroit in a testy third period to beat the Red Wings 4-2 on Saturday night. Cheap Nashville Predators Jerseys . According to Dave Stubbs of The Montreal Gazette, preliminary talks have begun between Markov - an unrestricted free agent this summer - and general manager Marc Bergevin. http://www.adidaspredatorsjerseys.com/. He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. Cheap Adidas Predators Jerseys .com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No. Wholesale Predators Jerseys . The Rays hope to stay alive for the postseason and salvage the finale of this series Sunday at Rogers Centre, where they dropped a 7-2 decision Saturday. Chris Archer lasted 2 1/3 innings in the no-decision, charged with a run and five hits, and Alex Torres suffered the loss in relief.With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Los Angeles Kings, who look to defend their 2014 Stanley Cup. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Pacific GM: Dean Lombardi Head Coach: Darryl Sutter 2013-14: 46-28-8 (3rd in Pacific) Playoffs: Stanley Cup Champions Goals For: 206 (25th) Goals Against: 174 (1st) PP: 15.1% (27th) PK: 83.1% (11th) That Was Then: They didnt storm through the playoffs as a surprise eighth seed last year, and being the first California team to win the Stanley Cup was already off the table, but the Los Angeles Kings were still more than able to make history on the way to their second Stanley Cup championship in three years. While some teams struggled to find their footing coming out of the Sochi Winter Olympic break, the Kings were on firm ground, winning their first seven games. They then backed that up with another six straight wins from March 20-29th to solidify their place in the playoffs. Despite being the lower seed in the opening round, the Kings, backed by another stellar season from goaltender Jonathan Quick, headed into a matchup with the San Jose Sharks that looked for all intents and purposes to be even. However, the Sharks came flying out of the gate capturing the opening two games of the series by 6-3 and 7-2 margins before taking Game 3 in overtime and grabbing a commanding 3-0 series lead. It was from there that the Kings began to write their names into the NHLs history books. Forward Justin Williams scored twice in Game 4 and Quick posted a Game 5 shutout to help the Kings back into the series with back-to-back victories. Anze Kopitar carried them to a victory in Game 6 and with the Sharks reeling, the Kings scored five unanswered goals in Game 7 to advance into the second round in historic fashion. Joining only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, and the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, the Kings became the fourth all-time team to advance in the NHL playoffs after dropping the first three games of a best-of-seven series. The battle-tested Kings needed that resolve a second time as they faced elimination twice against the Anaheim Ducks, but once again led by the heroics of Williams, were able to keep the season alive with two victories to close the series out in seven. In a rematch of the previous seasons Western Conference Final, the Kings avenged their elimination at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks in another seven-game battle that cemented Williams reputation as Mr. Game 7. After tying the all-time record for Game 7 goals earlier in the deciding contest, he assisted on the Alec Martinez winner that sent the Kings to their second Stanley Cup Final in three years. From there, the Kings stormed through the New York Rangers in five games to capture the Stanley Cup, thanks to a double overtime winner by Tyler Toffoli in Game 5, allowing the Kings to celebrate the title in front of the home fans. Not surprisingly for his work in the post-season, Justin Williams was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Scott Cullens Analytics Kings 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.70 2.40 7.8% .925 56.5% .675 21-41 2.48 1.81 8.5% .958 53.9% .643 42-62 2.00 2.33 5.8% .924 55.3% .476 63-82 2.70 2.05 11.1% .926 58.9% .650 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Even with slightly above-average percentages, a strong start due to possession dominance. Games 21-41: Didnt control play quite as much, but incredible goaltending from Ben Scrivens and Martin Jones kept Kings rolling. Games 42-62: Aside from Carter and Kopitar, went through a team-wide scoring slump. Games 63-82: The addition of Marian Gaborik helped jumpstart tthe attack and, with sky-high percentages, the Kings finished strong.dddddddddddd Key 2014 Additions: RW Adam Cracknell Key 2014 Subtractions: C Colin Fraser, D Willie Mitchell This Is Now: Just as they did after winning their first championship, the Kings concentrated on locking up key members of the team rather than making many changes to the roster. Acquired in midseason, Marian Gaborik was given a seven-year contract worth $34.125 million to ensure that he remains a member of a team once again trying to reach the summit of the league. His arrival from the Columbus Blue Jackets helped spark the teams offence in the same way that picking up Jeff Carter from the same team did in 2011-12. He led the league in playoff goals with 14 and played on a dynamic line with Kopitar who had 21 assists and 26 points during the post-season. Quick is one of the best goalies in the world, and posted a 27-17-4 record with a 2.07 goals against average in 49 games during the regular season. When the American Olympian was battling injuries earlier in the season, backup Martin Jones established himself as one of the best second options in the league with a 12-6-0 record and a 1.81 GAA in 19 games. Incredibly, in addition to a great offence and stellar goaltending, the Kings also boast Drew Doughty one of the best defencemen in the NHL. His skills are on display in both the offensive and defensive zones and he is supported by a strong group of blue liners down the depth chart. The Kings enter the season with capturing the Stanley Cup as their only goal, but also with the knowledge that the Blackhawks have reloaded and are ready if the teams lock horns in the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The Western Conference is tough to win but the road to that title and a place in the NHLs final could very well run through Tinseltown. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Marian Gaborik Anze Kopitar Justin Williams Tanner Pearson Jeff Carter Tyler Toffoli Dustin Brown Jarret Stoll Trevor Lewis Dwight King Mike Richards Jordan Nolan Kyle Clifford Jordan Weal Adam Cracknell Andy Andreoff Nick Shore David Van Der Gulik Defence Left Right Jake Muzzin Drew Doughty Robyn Regehr Slava Voynov Alec Martinez Matt Greene Jeff Schultz Brayden McNabb Derek Forbort Andrew Bodnarchuk Goaltenders Jonathan Quick Martin Jones Jean-Francois Berube Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Valentin Zykov TSN Scout Craig Button on Valentin Zykov: Valentin has a game that is both skilled and heavy. Skilled in the scoring areas twenty-five feet in and around the net, he has the ability to score multiple ways. Quick to the net from below the goal line, an accurate shot from out and the ability to free his hands, makes him a very dangerous scorer. Hes heavy not in a punishing way but in the manner he becomes very difficult to push away from the net and in which he uses his size to gain advantageous positions to receive the puck. He is comfortable playing in a quick-paced game or a cycle game which allows him to be factor regardless of how game unfolds. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Tyler Toffoli Even after he was a contributor in the 2013 playoffs, the Kings were slow to give Toffoli a regular role last season, starting him in the AHL, where he scored 15 goals and 23 points in 18 games before getting recalled. His rookie season had ups and downs, but he finished with 29 points in 62 regular-season games, playing under 13 minutes per game. Then, in the postseason, Toffoli added 14 points in 26 games, making an impact on a line with Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter. If that trio stays together this year, and he gets at least a few more minutes of ice time per game, then Toffoli a chance for breakthrough production. ' ' '