NEW YORK (AP) — Vic Hadfield joined his former GAG Line teammates as the latest to have his number retired by the New York Rangers.A banner with his name and No. 11 was raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden on Sunday in a ceremony before the Rangers hosted the Winnipeg Jets.Hadfield had 262 goals and 310 assists in 841 games over parts of 13 seasons in New York before he was traded to Pittsburgh in May 1974 and finished his career with the Penguins in 1976. With the Rangers New Jersey Devils Hoodies Authentic , he was the left wing on a line with Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert — dubbed the GAG Line for “goal a game.”Hadfield, a Rangers captain from 1971-74, received an ovation from the crowd when he was announced and walked out on the red carpet on the ice, and then again when he was called up to the podium by Gilbert.“I can’t explain how incredible and amazing it is to stand before you and accept this tribute tonight,” the 78-year-lold Hadfield said. “This is such an honor, a privilege for any player.”Hadfield became the 10th player to have his number retired by the Rangers, and his No. 11 — also retired for Mark Messier — is the second to be selected for two players. The other is No. 9, retired for Adam Graves and Andy Bathgate. Ed Giacomin (1), Brian Leetch (2), Harry Howell (3), Gilbert (7), Ratelle (19) and Mike Richter (35) have also been honored.“A special thank you to Rod and Jean,” Hadfield said. “I certainly wouldn’t be able to be here without you two.”Giacomin, Richter, Messier, Leetch New Jersey Devils Hats Authentic , Graves, Ratelle and Gilbert also attended the ceremony, while Howell and Bathgate were represented by family members. Some of Hadfield’s former teammates were also present, including Ron Greschner, Steve Vickers, Bob Nevin, Bruce MacGregor, Ted Irvine, Bill Fairbarn, Pete Stemkowski,k Walt Tkaczuk, Tim Neilson, Brad Park and 91-year-old former coach Emile Francis.The GAG Line’s big season was in 1971-72 when they finished third, fourth and fifth in the league in points and Hadfield and Ratelle became the first two Rangers to reach 100 points. Hadfield was the first Rangers player to score 50 goals that season, and Ratelle — who suffered an ankle injury late in the season — set a franchise record with 109 points that stood until Jaromir Jagr had 123 in 2005-06.“Our line had great chemistry and we made each other better players,” Ratelle said.Francis added: “I’m so proud all three of their names will be together on the roof.”Hadfield was presented with a specially inscribed commemorative watch Custom New Jersey Devils Jerseys , a standard-sized sideboard with names of his 132 teammates during his tenure with the Rangers, and a five-day cruise with his family.Current Rangers players sat on the bench during the ceremony, all wearing No. 11 jerseys with Hadfield’s name on the back.The ceremony for Hadfield was announced on Feb. 28, after Ratelle had his number retired.“I didn’t have a clue,” Hadfield said before Sunday’s ceremony. “When Rod announced it, it was quite a shock, and emotional.” WASHINGTON (AP) The Stanley Cup Final is a block party for the Washington Capitals.For all of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s points on offense and Braden Holtby’s saves in net, the Capitals are one win away from blocking their way to the Cup. They’ve gotten in front of almost a third of the Vegas Golden Knights’ shots, blocking with enough smarts and precision to take a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 Thursday.”There’s more to blocking shots than just going out there and trying to get hit,” Holtby said. ”We’re doing a great job of creating the right layers, guys going out there strategically to know which lane I’m picking for sight lines and they’re taking away the other half and making big blocks.”Washington is blocking in quantity and quality in the final, 86 total, in limiting Vegas to 124 shots on Holtby – many of which he’s seeing and stopping . Even star captain Alex Ovechkin is blocking shots as he gets closer to tasting his first championship.”You see `O’ jumping in front of shots, it makes everyone on the team want to do the same,” winger Devante Smith-Pelly said.Blocking shots is a team-wide commitment right now and comes from a season’s worth of skaters, goaltending coach Scott Murray www.officialislanders.com , Holtby and Philipp Grubauer getting on the same page. The goalies have worked on making sure they can see past blocks to give players the confidence to get in front of pucks.And in return, Capitals players study opponents’ tendencies and consciously decide when to try to block a shot and not so Holtby isn’t at a disadvantage.”You obviously don’t want to cross in front of him,” center Jay Beagle said. ”You don’t want to become a screen. So if you miss the block, which happens, guys are good at shooting pucks and stuff, you want it still so from your standpoint you didn’t hinder Holts’ view.”Defensemen have an understanding of which half of the net is their responsibility and which half is Holtby’s. Forwards closer to the blue line have to react quickly, take the right angle and get to the shooter.”If guys have time and space, they’re going to be able to sift one through,” Smith-Pelly said. ”For the forwards, it’s just going out there pretty hard and just getting in the way.”The amount of shots the Capitals have blocked through four games seems to be getting in the Golden Knights’ heads. They’re struggling to get quality shots through and resorting to settling for lower-danger scoring chances.”If you’re going to take shots, make sure they pay a price for blocking those shots,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. ”Shoot it harder.”Capitals coach Barry Trotz doesn’t want his players thinking too much about blocking shots or hesitating. He doesn’t care much about Ovechkin’s blocking form or the philosophy of shot-blocking as long as it keeps the puck out of the net.”If you’re positionally sound, if you’re in shot lanes, block the shot,” Trotz said. ”It’s all about will.”And that will can turn into skill. Washington has been comfortable and confident enough in the final to push the puck up ice quickly, and a well-timed block shot can set the table for an odd-man rush.”The less shots they have New York Islanders T-Shirts Authentic , the more opportunities we’re gonna have in offensive zone,” defenseman Dmitry Orlov said. ”Sometimes when you block it, you get quicker pass and you jump on the rush and you got 3-on-2 or 4-on-3.”The Golden Knights by this point are well-aware of that. But they don’t really have a solution.”You just have to – I don’t know – defensemen, puck fake, maybe move around, or maybe look for a guy off to the side, or put it off the end wall,” forward Alex Tuch said. ”There are a bunch of different plays that could happen and when they’re blocking shots they’re getting momentum from it, and if they’re blocking shots and having odd-man rushes that’s even worse. ”In addition to a suffocating neutral-zone trap that’s not easy to play but has frustrated opponents for four rounds, the Capitals have embraced a shot-blocking-when-it-matters mentality.”It’s not exactly fun, but you got to do if you really want to win,” Smith-Pelly said. ”Everyone is on board with doing those things.”—More Stanley Cup coverage: apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals—