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Saracens will face powerhouse Parisians Racing 92 in Saturdays European Champions Cup final on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 3.45pm. The Premiership champions travel to the Grand Stade de Lyon hoping to become the first team to win all of their pool matches and go on to lift the trophy.Saturdays final will be the sixth meeting between the sides. Racing won their first encounter but Sarries have won the last four, including a last-gasp 12-11 victory in Paris in last seasons quarter-finals. Will Saracens make it five in a row or will Racing emerge victorious in their first European final appearance?We examine five key talking points for the showpiece showdown.Get Carter Dan Carter talks tactics with Maxime Machenaud during Fridays captains run Leicester failed to keep their promise not to fixate on Dan Carter in their Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Racing 92. The Tigers duly went hunting the All Black World Cup winner, only to find the masterful fly-half always just out of reach.The temptation to go after the New Zealand great is overwhelming, but Saracens must not fall into the very same trap as Leicester. Carter ready for Farrell scrap All Blacks legend a big fan of Farrells competitive nature Carters ability to shape-shift around Racings full inside-back cordon leaves him almost impossible to pin down.Saracens must defend each circumstance on its own merits, rather than fret about Racings linchpin.Machenaud the mastermind Maxime Machenaud will marshal the Racing backline If Carter pulls the strings across the midfield, the man who generates the time and space for him to do just that is France scrum-half Maxime Machenaud.Les Bleus general knows just how to marshal a backline, but more than that, takes both pressure and focus off his half-back partner Carter. Pundit predictions Our panel of experts preview Saturdays Champions Cup final The further away from the breakdown that Saracens allow Machenaud to operate, the more havoc he will wreak. If Saracens shut him down at source, then they will have hit their first objective in the daunting battle to keep Carter quiet.Miserly defences Can Saracens unlock the Racing defence? Arguably Europes top two defences will collide in all their mean-spirited glory in Lyon this weekend.Saracens have long since been famed for their ability not just to shut out opponents, but also to wield their brutal defensive strategy as an attacking weapon all of its own. Former Saracens hard man Jacques Burger has a message for his wolf pack ahead of the Champions Cup final Racing have done likewise in their measured rise to prominence in the French Top 14. Former Ireland fly-half Ronan OGara has whipped the Parisians into a formidable defensive unit this term, as finely evidenced in that semi-final victory over Leicester.International combo George Kruis and Maro Itoje have forged an impressive second row partnership at club and international level Maro Itoje was playing LV=Cup rugby just last season. His meteoric rise to Test prominence since, albeit despite missing out on the World Cup squad, has garnered as much attention in rugby circles as Leicester Citys smash-and-grab Premier League title drive.Itoje and George Kruis underscored everything industrious and intelligent about Englands Grand Slam Six Nations campaign. Now the Saracens team-mates have the chance for yet more glory on French soil after England swept the Grand Slam in Paris. Graham Simmons catches up with Saracens lock George Kruis ahead of the Champions Cup final The men in blacks finest can put another one over the French this weekend. The lock pairing have coped with every physical demand placed upon them so far this term, but will most likely face another step up on Saturday.Dangers out wide Juan Imhoffs pace will trouble the Saracens defence Racings former All Black wing Joe Rokocoko has packed more than most into his stellar rugby career, and at 32 the powerful finisher is still in fine fettle. Last year, he suffered relegation from the Top 14 with Bayonne, but now he is on the cusp of a remarkable trophy-winning return to the big time.Argentina flyer Juan Imhoff offers a constant menace on the other wing, with Brice Dulin also a dangerous counter-attacking option. Paths to the final How Racing 92 and Saracens reached Saturdays decider in Lyon As much as Saracens have expanded their own front-foot repertoire in recent times, Mark McCalls men must be on point at every turn to keep their French foes at bay.Watch Racing 92 v Saracens live on Sky Sports 2 HD on Saturday from 3.45pm. Catch the match for £6.99 with a NOW TV day pass Also See: Pundit predictions Team news: Brits starts at hooker Past Anglo-French finals WATCH: Paths to the final Nike Air Max Suomi . - Novak Djokovic beat John Isner 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-1 on Saturday to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open, where hell resume his longtime rivalry with Roger Federer. Nike Air Max Kengät Ale . The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the league hasnt announced the award. Crawford was the Clippers third-leading scorer and the NBAs top-scoring reserve with 18. http://www.suomiairmax.com/ . As their best player continued to orchestrate his dramatic exit from the club, the Whitecaps added size and creativity at Thursdays Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Nike Air Max Osta . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. Nike Air Max Kengät .com) - Robert Upshaw made a putback jumper to put 17th-ranked Washington ahead with 1:27 remaining in the game and the Huskies held on to beat Eastern Washington 81-77 on Sunday.PHILADELPHIA – Like the rest of his teammates, Carl Gunnarsson was doing what he could to remain positive after yet another loss, the seventh straight for the sinking Leafs, but it wasnt easy. The 27-year-old wants to believe that a turnaround is still possible, that his team can salvage the season, dig out from a deepening slide and claim a second straight playoff berth. But as time ticks down and the results continue to linger in the wrong direction, that belief is tested. "Its a struggle," he said in a near-empty visitors dressing room at Wells Fargo Center. "Ill tell you that. We thought we had something going here tonight." Whatever fight they mustered in a 4-2 loss to the Flyers didt matter by the time the night was through. It was just another empty loss, another opportunity to regain ground for not. "Overall, I didnt think that we had that bad of a night," said coach Randy Carlyle afterward, but we were on the wrong side of the score and thats what counts the most." Never more evident than at this late stage in the season, the difference between winning and losing remained painfully thin. And for the Leafs it was just enough for defeat. Two power-play goals against, a few too many odd-man rushes, a bad break or two and a key mistake at the wrong time. Claude Giroux was the benefactor of one such mistake that sealed defeat for the visitors. The Flyers captain picked off former teammate James van Riemsdyks neutral ice pass attempt - the puck ricocheted off the skate of Scott Hartnell - and zipped a bullet beyond the glove of Jonathan Bernier. "Right now every big scoring chance they get, I think it feels like its going in," said Bernier afterward. "When its not going your way, thats usually what happens." "I thought we played pretty good," he continued. "A few mistakes that end up being goals. From the last game, obviously, I think we played a lot better." But like their harrowing loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, one that saw them manhandled for half the game by the top team in the West, Fridays defeat in Philly counted all the same. It was just another loss at a critical point in the season. "We worked hard," Carlyle said. "Did we work smart enough in some areas? No." Any chance the Leafs have at resuscitation starts Saturday night in a massive showdown with the Detroit Red Wings. A victory reignites whatever belief and hope still lingers. They may have no hope of catching either the Montreal Canadiens or Tampa Bay Lightning, but sitting on near-equal ground with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Washington Capitals - all have 80 points, but with games in hand - a wild card position is still in play. "Obviously, this one, its going to be a tough one to swallow," Bernier said. "But, at the same time, we cant feel sorry for ourselves. [Saturday] is a big game and we all know that." Five Points 1. Carlyles Approach Carlyle has tried to push a few different buttons in midst of his teams recent slide. "Some days, it is a little bit more harsh. Some days, its a pat in the back. Some days its a hug," Carlyle said on Friday morning. "Whatever it is, whatever you feel is necessary. Nobody in life feels like coming to work and being ground into the dirt everyday and thats part of the process. Youve got to pick and choose when to apply pressure and when not to." As to his preferred approach of late, Carlyle said, "Its been more reality of the situation. Just showing and trying to get an understanding that were not that far away. But there are some areas that need to be addressed. Thats as simple as I can put it. Our compete level has to go up. We havent won enough one-on-one battles. Weve given up too many odd-man rushes and breakaways. Weve got to play better on the defensive side of the game." 2. Penalty Kill The Flyers scored twice on the power play, marking the 12th time this season that the Leaf penalty kill has given up two goals in a game this season. Vincent Lecavalier fired a laser for the first of two, a five-on-three goal that was not without some controversy. Jay McClement, taking the draw as Torontos lone forward, was thrown out of the face-off ciircle, charged with knocking the puck from the hand of linesman Michel Cormier.dddddddddddd Dion Phaneuf promptly stepped in and lost the first (and likely last) face-off of his career, Lecavalier blowing the one-timer by Bernier just three seconds later. "Thats not something that you want to happen," McClement said of the face-off incident. "I dont think [Cormier] wanted to do it either. But he explained to me that its black and white when I knocked it out of his hand." Scott Hartnell would add the second power-play marker, redirecting a Kimmo Timonen point shot just beyond the grasp of Bernier. The Toronto penalty kill remains third-worst in the NHL this season. 3. Bollands Comeback Dave Bolland scored for the third time this season in Philadelphia and the first time since his left ankle was sliced by the skate of Zack Kassian on November 2. The 27-year-old hasnt played more than 13 minutes since he returned from the injury and he was kept right in that region against the Flyers. "I just see that in some of the situations, hes struggled with the mobility," Carlyle said of Bolland before the 4-2 loss. "Its not sore, [but] it just doesnt have the strength there. Wre going to try to find a way to get him some more minutes. We know what kind of player he is." 4. The 18-Wheeler Luke Schenn was there in 2012 when the Leafs collapsed and knows all too well how quickly the pressure rises in Toronto. "Lose a couple in a row and everything magnifies that much more," he said. "You lose three in a row and people tend to get on you a little bit. All the fans and the media think that everythings falling apart. Thats just the way it is over there. "Its obviously a tough market to play in when things arent going the way you want them to, but its a great market when things are going well. Theres always adversity in Toronto. Its never going to change. Im sure those guys are going to get through it." Reflecting back to the infamous 18-wheeler skid two years earlier, Schenn couldnt put his finger on just what wrong. "There is no exact reason why. Its probably a combination of different things. Id have to go back and look. Obviously, youre probably getting off to some tough starts in games. Special teams probably werent as good as they need to be. At the end of the day - when I was there - it probably just came down to being outcompeted some nights. Obviously, you lose a couple in a row, confidence isnt always there. Thats just the way it goes. Youve got to find ways to get out of it." 5. Gardiner Offence Just ahead of a clash with the Flyers three weeks ago, Jake Gardiner revealed his disappointment with the offence hed put together to that point. "I dont think my point production has been that great this year,"he said. "Id like to improve on that." The 23-year-old scored a goal the next night in a 4-3 overtime win, rounding up nine points in the past 11 games, including a helper on Bollands seventh goal this season. "Ive tried to jump in the play a lot more and be an offensive threat from the blue line," he explained of his recent surge prior to the game. Gardiner has 26 points on the year. Stats-Pack 1-8-0 – Leafs record in the past nine games. 9 – Points in the last 11 games for Jake Gardiner. 3 – Goals by Dave Bolland in Philadelphia this season. 24:31 – Ice-time for James van Riemsdyk opposite his former team Friday, tied for the team-lead. 15 – Consecutive games without a point for David Clarkson, who has just 10 this season. 8 – Number of times the Leafs have allowed the first goal in the past nine games.4 – Seconds elapsed in the second period before van Riemsdyk scored the first Leafs goal. It was the fastest goal to start a period for the team this season. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4Season: 20.6% (4th) PK: 2-4Season: 78.1% (28th) Quote of the Night "Overall, I didnt think that we had that bad of a night, but we were on the wrong side of the score and thats what counts the most." -Randy Carlyle, following a seventh straight loss in Philadelphia. Up Next The Leafs return home to host to the Red Wings on Saturday night. 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