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NEW YORK -- Yasiel Puig knew the question was coming. What about that rocket throw to third base Tuesday night? The one you made when the inning was already over? Before it was even translated into Spanish for him, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger broke into the sheepish grin of a forgetful schoolboy who keeps getting sent to the principals office for the same silly offence. And he was ready with a playful response: Blame it on teammate Juan Uribe. See, only a few days before, Uribe and third base coach Lorenzo Bundy, who doubles as a translator for Puig, were marveling out loud about how the young right fielder hadnt goofed in more than a week. Turns out, they jinxed him! At least thats the way Puig tells it. "So when he made the mistake last night," Bundy said Wednesday, "Juan came off the field, he was looking for me and he goes, Lorenzo, hes back! Hes back!" The Dodgers are accustomed to those sort of untamed miscues from Puig -- over-exuberant baserunning, wild throws from the outfield, huge hacks at the plate. They laughed off his latest gaffe against the New York Mets because it was harmless: Puig caught a routine fly for the third out and immediately whipped a laser beam across the diamond to hold an opposing runner who was only headed back to the bench. Puig got razzed in the dugout, for sure. He may have forgotten how many outs there were, but hes been right on point at the plate. The second-year star from Cuba has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games, batting .408 with seven homers and 23 RBIs during that stretch. Hes all over the National League leaderboard, ranking second in RBIs (37) and slugging percentage (.610), fourth in on-base percentage (.427) and fifth in home runs (10). Puig credits Uribe and fellow teammate Adrian Gonzalez, among others, with helping him polish his game. Hes laying off bad pitches and having more disciplined at-bats. Hes hitting the cutoff man and eliminating fundamental mistakes on the bases. "I just think hes making adjustments," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Really his whole game has just matured, so I think that maturity has really been the key for him." All without losing the unique effervescence thats already made him a fan favourite around the majors. "Guys that love to play, you can just see it. And I think thats what people love about Yasiel," Mattingly said. "You get that Little League quality thats just lovin playing baseball. And I think thats what people really like seeing. A guy that plays hard with that energy, and then the talent." The 23-year-old Puig is a rare talent, indeed. That quickly became clear when he burst into the majors with a bang last June. But hes also riled opponents with his antics on the field. Some dont like the way he flips his bat when he connects. Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner took exception to that this season and barked at Puig after he rounded third. "Its his style. Its been a way that hes played baseball for a long time," Bundy said, translating for Puig. "He doesnt really worry about the other team or what other players think about him -- other than his team, our team. "He says he tries to play the game hard, he tries to play the game happy. He wants to have a good time when hes playing. He said this is a game of entertainment. He doesnt really play it to offend people, but he does have a good time playing the game of baseball. But he doesnt really worry about the opinions of other teams." Details of Puigs dangerous escape from Cuba in June 2012 were revealed last month in a story first reported by Los Angeles Magazine. According to court documents in a federal lawsuit in Miami, smugglers who helped Puig leave his country on a speedboat have made death threats against him and a boxer who says he defected with Puig. The outfielder signed a $42 million, seven-year contract with the Dodgers, a record for a Cuban defector. And in his first visit to Citi Field this week, Puig has put on quite a show. He got three hits and reached base five times in Tuesdays series-opening victory over the Mets. He and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in a 4-3 win Wednesday night. Asked if hed had a chance to do any sightseeing in New York, Puig said he planned to get to the Statue of Liberty on Thursday and maybe the Empire State Building. Wearing a white T-shirt with "PUIG" written in big red, white and blue letters, he said hes still not used to all the attention and he misses his friends and former teammates in Cuba. Cheap Air Max 97 Uk Sale . -- Canadian ski cross star Marielle Thompson accomplished two goals in one race Saturday. Air Max 97 Uk Sale .ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston. http://www.cheapairmax97uksale.com/ . The (14-15-5) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 33 points. They trail sixth place Nashville and fifth place Dallas by two points. Cheap Air Max 97 Sale . But when it was all over they had wasted another lead, seen another pitcher flame out on the mound and lost their fourth straight at home. Wholesale Air Max 97 . "This is my city," the Toronto native said upon his arrival Wednesday night. And the 35-year-old former league MVP says he is hoping to making 2014 a memorable year.With the Montreal Canadiens losing an overtime heartbreaker to the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their second round series on Thursday, Michel Therrien isnt too worried about his teams play so far. Matt Fraser scored 1:19 into the extra period as the Bruins grabbed a 1-0 win over Montreal in a game that saw both rivals evenly matched from the net out throughout the night. "I like the way were playing," Therrien told reporters on Friday morning as the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5. "Anything can happen in a best two-out-of-three situation. Were gaining confidence every game." Playing in his first-ever playoff game, Frasers heroics helped the Bruins even the set at two games apiece after the Bruins dropped a 4-2 decision on Tuesday. The Bruins had 35 shots on Carey Price compared to Montreals 33 on Tuukka Rask. While the shots and scoring chances were pretty much even, Therrien and his coaching staff drew considerable criticism for playing veteran blueliner Douglas Murray - who some pundits and fans thought could not handle the speed and puck-cycling game of thhe Bruins.dddddddddddd "They were physical, blocked shots and contained well," said Therrien of Murray and his defensive partner Mike Weaver. "(They) did a fantastic job for us." Murray, who was signed as a free agent last summer, had a team-leading eleven hits in the Canadiens two home games against the Bruins. "Its always been important for me to try to play physical but play clean and not take penalties," he told reporters on Friday. "Anytime you get praise from the coach, it feels good." The same couldnt be said for Montreals go-to threesome of Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Thomas Vanek. The line was split up for much of the night, with Vanek playing alongside Tomas Plekanec. Pacioretty, who scored 39 goals during the regular season, has just one in the playoffs - the power play game-winner in Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. "Some guys are having trouble contributing offensively," said Therrien. "They need to adjust to the intensity of the playoffs." Game 5 is Saturday night in Boston. ' ' '