time we’re out there,” Carolina forward Justin Williams, who scored against the Maple Leafs, told NHL.com. “That was a tough one because we were right there.” The Hurricanes were tied 1-1 with the Maple Leafs after Williams scored at 12:44 of the second period.“We had that game 1-1 and we were hanging

BUFFALO Adidas Vladimir Sobotka Jersey , N.Y. (AP) This wasn’t the first time Devante Smith-Pelly has had racial taunts directed at him during a hockey game.And the Washington Capitals forward knew immediately what the intent of the message was when a few fans began chanting ”basketball, basketball, basketball,” while Smith-Pelly sat in the penalty box during a 7-1 loss at Chicago on Saturday night. Smith-Pelly, a black player in a sport dominated by white athletes, heard a similar taunt years before while playing in a tournament in British Columbia.”It’s pretty obvious what that means. It’s not really a secret,” Smith-Pelly said after the Capitals practiced in Buffalo on Sunday. ”Whether it’s that word or any other word, I got the idea. And I’m sure they got the idea, too. Just one word, and that’s really all it takes.”Article continues below ...What stunned the 25-year-old is how incidents such as these keep happening.”It’s disgusting,” Smith-Pelly said. ”You’d think there would be some sort of change or progression, but we’re still working toward it, I guess, and we’re going to keep working toward it.”The Blackhawks and United Center officials reacted swiftly by ejecting four fans shortly after an off-ice official sitting next to Smith-Pelly – serving a fighting major for a scrap with Chicago’s Connor Murphy – notified building security.NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement Sunday, saying the league condemns the fans’ behavior as being ”unacceptable and reprehensible.””While this was isolated in nature Adidas Scott Wedgewood Jersey , no player, coach, official or fan should ever have to endure such abuse at one of our games,” Bettman said.The Capitals released a statement saying they are ”extremely disappointed by the intolerant behavior” by a select group of fans in Chicago.In thanking the Blackhawks and arena security, the Capitals said: ”It is crucial to confront such appalling conduct.”The Blackhawks issued a statement apologizing to Smith-Pelly and the Capitals following the game, and said they ”are committed to providing an inclusive environment.”Video shows Smith-Pelly seated in the penalty box while looking and pointing to his left. He then gets up with his stick and gets into a verbal exchange with a male fan on other side of the glass.Smith-Pelly said he stepped forward publicly to call out the fans for what they said because he didn’t want to ”brush it under the rug.””I guess I’m trying to get the conversation started and show whoever these people were their true colors,” he said.Joining the Capitals on their road trip, which concludes at Buffalo on Monday, are players’ fathers, allowing Smith-Pelly an opportunity to discuss what happened with his dad.”We’ve had this conversation before,” said Smith-Pelly, who is from Toronto. ”So he said, `It’s just a few idiots being ignorant.”’Smith-Pelly has seven goals and nine assists in 54 games is in his first season with the Capitals. He has 40 goals and 53 assists in 320 regular-season games with in seven seasons with Anaheim, Montreal, New Jersey and the Capitals.Capitals rookie defenseman Madison Bowey said what happened in Chicago made him ”sick to my stomach.”Assistant captain Brooks Orpik said: ”I wish I could say it’s surprising but it’s probably not all that surprising.””I think no matter what you do Adidas Carter Hutton Jersey , you’re going to find pockets of ignorance anywhere you go,” Orpik said. ”Devo is as well liked as anyone in this room. I think it’s important for him to know that, and to know that everyone respects him a ton in this room.”Capitals coach Barry Trotz reiterated his post-game comments by saying there’s no place for racism in hockey or the country.”For the 22,000 people in Chicago at the game last night, there were a lot, a lot, a lot of good people,” Trotz said. ”And a few individuals keep bringing the ugly part of society out, and that was unfortunate.”The fans’ taunts occurred during the NHL’s monthlong ”Hockey is for Everyone ” campaign to promote the game as being inclusive for all players regardless of race, color, religion, national origin or gender. February is also Black History Month in the United States.The NHL has had to previously deal with racial insults.During the 2014 playoffs, the Boston Bruins denounced fans who posted racial comments on social media targeting then-Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban, who is black, after he scored in double overtime.In 2011 Adidas Conor Sheary Jersey , a fan was fined $200 after pleading guilty to engaging in a prohibited activity for throwing a banana on the ice at Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds, who is black, during an exhibition game at London, Ontario.—AP freelance reporter Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.— The Montreal Canadiens will be looking to rebound from their most lop-sided loss of the season on Thursday when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Bell Centre.The Canadiens were defeated 7-1 by the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday to close out a three-game road trip that had started with wins over the Ottawa Senators and the Chicago Blackhawks.“It was a disgrace,” forward Nicolas Deslauriers told montrealcanadiens.com. “We had a game plan. Things were going well on this trip. We had an opportunity to pick up another win, but we didn’t start well and we had to play from behind. We left our goaltender to try and do the impossible and that’s what happens in those kinds of situations.”Article continues below ...Canadiens goaltender Antti Niemi, playing for the first time since Nov. 23, gave up seven goals on 24 shots before being pulled. Carey Price is expected to get the start against the Hurricanes, who defeated the Canadiens 2-1 in their last meeting at Bell Centre Nov. 27.The Canadiens (15-11-5) are holding onto the second wild card position in the Eastern Conference.“We can choose to look at this two ways,” Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher told the team’s website. “It can crush us for a few games or it can show the type of character we have in this locker room. Honestly, I don’t think we’ve been tested like this in this locker room this year, so I think it’s a good opportunity for us to respond and show the character we have in this locker room.“I think we need to regroup here and understand the mistakes that we made. Not only the mistakes, the compete level, the battle level and the work ethic that’s been there, for the most part Adidas Matt Hunwick Jersey , all year.”Offence has been the issue for the Hurricanes (13-12-4) and in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes have been held to two goals or less in six of their past seven games (2-4-1) and to one goal or fewer in five of those games. Carolina is coming off a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at home on Tuesday.“We said it before the game, that we were playing one of the best offensive teams in the league and we needed everyone on board tonight,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour told NHL.com. “They didn’t have to play great, but everyone needed a good game, and I don’t think we got that.”“We’re not committed enough to doing it every single time we’re out there,” Carolina forward Justin Williams, who scored against the Maple Leafs, told NHL.com. “That was a tough one because we were right there.” The Hurricanes were tied 1-1 with the Maple Leafs after Williams scored at 12:44 of the second period.“We had that game 1-1 and we were hanging in there, but we lost some battles on the walls and the second goal deflated us,” Brind’Amour said. “The third one broke our backs. The bench just felt like that was it, and it was.”The Hurricanes placed veteran forward Jordan Staal on injured reserve with a concussion on Wednesday. He had missed the previous two games. The Hurricanes called up their leading scorer for their American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte, forward Janne Kuokkanen, who has 11 goals and 16 assists and is eighth in the AHL with 27 points. He was the No. 42 pick in the 2016 NHL draft.Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland left the game against the Maple Leafs in the first period with an upper body injury. He missed the previous four games with a concussion.