With the NBAs salary cap expected to be somewhere around $63.2 million for next season

TORONTO -- Just like after previous home victories, "We Cant Stop" by Miley Cyrus blared from the Toronto Maple Leafs locker-room. Seattle Mariners Store . The victory song that became synonymous with a season of good fortune was the same, but after beating the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Tuesday night the mood was much more relief than happiness. The result snapped a streak of eight straight regulation losses to keep the Leafs slim playoff hopes alive. "It feels like a lot of weight lifted off of our team," captain Dion Phaneuf said. "We can feel good about ourselves because we won this game." The Leafs allowed themselves to feel good by picking up their first points since beating the Los Angeles Kings on March 13. They improved to 82 with five games remaining and passed the Washington Capitals (81, six games left) but still trail the Detroit Red Wings (84, seven games left) and Columbus Blue Jackets (83, seven games left) in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. Catching either the Red Wings, who play the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, or the Blue Jackets, who blew a two-goal lead and lost in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche, remains a daunting task. But for Toronto (37-32-8), any victory represented a confidence boost. "Its been a long time. Its been too long," coach Randy Carlyle said. "You hope that you can build on it, but I dont want to get too far ahead of ourselves because we didnt paint a Mona Lisa here tonight." In getting goals from Jay McClement, Dave Bolland and then the game-winner from David Clarkson, the Leafs managed to prevent what wouldve been their first stretch of nine straight regulation losses since 1967, the last time this franchise won the Stanley Cup. "We were flat for a big part of that game and gave up three rush chances," said ex-Leafs forward Matt Stajan, who scored his 13th of the season for the Flames on a breakaway. "Thats how that team scores goals. You could say they got a bounce on the one. Im guessing they havent had many bounces the last month so weve just got to be better." A loss of any kind to the Flames (31-38-7) wouldve been devastating to a team that knew it would have to run the table and get some help just to give itself a chance. Step 1 was beating the Flames. "It beats losing, thats for sure," said defenceman Cody Franson, who set up McClement for the games first goal 50 seconds into the second period. Anything beats losing for the Leafs, who not too long ago were in second place in the Atlantic Division before going into this free fall that saw them lose to the Capitals, Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and then Detroit again. Calgary didnt make it nine despite goals from Stajan and defenceman Kris Russell. Goaltender Karri Ramo stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced. "I dont think we got outplayed," Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "Its just they got one goal more than us. They were opportunistic at the right time and we got our chances late and we couldnt capitalize on them but its not by a lack of effort." In the same vein, Clarkson said Torontos losing streak wasnt for a lack of effort. But in a results-oriented business, they simply werent there. They came Tuesday night because McClement drove hard to the net, Bolland banked the puck off Flames defenceman T.J. Brodie and Mason Raymond sprung Clarkson on a breakaway. Jonathan Bernier also made 22 saves for his first victory since March 10. "It wasnt pretty, but well take it," Bolland said. "I dont think we played the prettiest game or we made the prettiest moves. But in a slump like that, just to get out of that, its great to get out of it." One victory wont get the Leafs out of the hole they dug over the past few weeks, but players hope is that this is at least a start. "Hopefully its big," said Clarkson, whose goal was his first point in 17 games. "At this time of the season, you stay positive, you continue to get better and youve got to stick together. Weve got to stick together in here and back each other up." And get some help. Phaneuf was keenly aware of the Capitals 5-0 loss to the Dallas Stars and the Blue Jackets 3-2 overtime loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday night. "Were definitely aware of where were at, and youre aware of the scores and what else is going on around you," he said. "You dont want to be in the position that youre scoreboard-watching, but thats the position that were in. We accept that, and any time you get help around the league, you take it." More than anything else, the Leafs have to take care of business in front of them. The remaining schedule includes home games against the Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets and then three on the road at the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. Its possible theyll need five more in a row to make a suddenly improbable run to the playoffs. But all the talk after beating the Flames had to do with Wednesdays practice and then Thursdays game against the East-leading Bruins. "We know were going to play a Boston team, but we should feel good about ourselves because weve had a lot of things that have been negative for us, so lets enjoy the win and lets get ourselves ready tomorrow to play a real tough opponent in the Boston Bruins," Carlyle said. NOTES -- Phil Kessel played for the Leafs despite a bruised right foot. More than once he took a puck to that foot. "Its like, Here it is, hit me. He had the sign on his foot," Carlyle said jokingly. ... Paul Ranger dressed as the Leafs seventh defenceman in his first game since suffering a neck injury against Tampa Bay on March 19. Forwards Colton Orr and Jerry DAmigo were scratched. ... Bryce Van Brabant made his NHL debut for the Flames, becoming the 10th Calgary player to do that this season. Mariners Jerseys 2019 . The same for both the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. Seattle Mariners Pro Shop . On the day the club activated Casey Janssen from the 15-day disabled list, his return from a strained oblique that cost him the first six weeks of the regular season, it announced Sergio Santos would be placed on the disabled list on Monday with discomfort in his right forearm. https://www.cheapmariners.com/ . Jurrjens signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati in May, and was 2-3 with a 4.46 ERA at Triple-A Louisville. He has a 53-37 record with a 3.63 ERA in seven major league seasons, including five with Atlanta. MIAMI -- LeBron James went first. Dwyane Wade followed a few days later. And now Chris Bosh has made it a clean sweep. The Big 3, for now anyway, are free. And Pat Riley will soon have the chance to make the Miami Heat even better. Bosh told the Heat on Sunday that he, like James and Wade, will be exercising the early termination option in his contract and forgoing the final two years on his Miami deal -- making him a free agent. The move was not unexpected, and gives the Heat a gigantic amount of financial flexibility to shop with when the free-agent window officially opens at midnight Tuesday. Boshs decision was the last domino that the Heat needed to fall in order to free up the biggest amount of money possible heading into free agency. "Chris is one of the most versatile and dynamic big men in this league, and he has been an instrumental key to our championship success over the last four seasons," Riley, the Heat president, said in a statement released by the team. "We look forward to meeting with Chris and his agent in the coming days to discuss keeping him in Miami for many years to come." Riley expressed similar sentiments when James opted out Tuesday and Wade exercised his option Saturday. "I like it here," Bosh, who averaged 16.2 points this past season, told The Associated Press this month. "Its Miami. Enough said. People are dying to get here." Like James, Bosh could have made $20,590,000 this coming season, and $22,112,500 in the 2015-16 season. Wade was due to make slightly less in each of those years, but between those three and Udonis Haslem -- who did not exercise a player option to make $4.6 million next season -- thats about $66 million in salary that Miami could have been locked in to paying if these decisions went another way. Instead, the thinking seems to be that inn order for the Heat to get better, players knew they needed to give Riley room to work. Cheap Mariners Jerseys. "Being able to have flexibility as a professional, anyone, thats what we all would like," James said earlier this off-season, shortly after the finals. All three will be free to sign elsewhere, but theres no indication yet that theyll even look at other clubs -- and if they agree to new deals with the Heat, the team would almost certainly have more than enough financial freedom to upgrade a team that has been to the NBA Finals in each of the last four seasons, winning two championships. With the NBAs salary cap expected to be somewhere around $63.2 million for next season, the Heat will have tons of spending power -- though much of that, they hope, will go right back to keeping James, Wade and Bosh together. The luxury tax threshold should be around $77 million next season, and perhaps up to $81 million for the following year. Reserve guard Norris Cole has a guaranteed contract for just over $2 million for next season, and little-used centre Justin Hamilton has a partially guaranteed deal that could wind up being worth $816,000. Everyone else from the team that lost to San Antonio in five games in this seasons finals either will be a free agent, or in Shane Battiers case, has retired. Among other key Heat free agents: Ray Allen has indicated he would think about returning, point guard Mario Chalmers is expected to listen to other teams but said late in the season that he enjoys Miami, and forward Chris Andersen said hes prepared to play the waiting game. Andersen said last week that he expects to hear what James, Wade and Bosh will do before Miami makes any decisions regarding the filling out of the roster. "You know how it goes, man," Andersen said. "Big money goes first." ' ' '