CINCINNATI - Three seasons in the NFL, three times in the playoffs. Andy Dalton has done something special during his just-getting-started career. Now he gets another chance to win one when it matters most. Dalton threw four touchdown passes on Sunday, and linebacker Vincent Rey returned an interception 25 yards for a score and the Bengals had another big day at home, beating the Minnesota Vikings 42-14 on Sunday. A few minutes after their game ended, the Bengals (10-5) clinched a playoff berth when Miami lost at Buffalo 19-0. They later clinched the AFC North title when Baltimore lost at home to New England 41-7. Its Cincinnatis first division title since 2009 and the Bengals eighth overall in their 46 seasons. And it makes it 3 for 3 for Dalton, who will be in the spotlight more than anyone else at playoff time. Its the first time in their history that the Bengals have reached the playoffs in three straight seasons. "To be in the playoffs every year since Ive been here is huge," said Dalton, only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to make the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. "It gives you a chance to accomplish the ultimate goal." Something about Paul Brown Stadium brings out the best in Dalton and the Bengals, who are 7-0 at home. Theyve topped 40 points in each of their past four home games, a franchise first. Dalton has thrown for five, three, three and four TDs in those games. "He was really grooving out there today," said A.J. Green, who caught two of the touchdowns. "We got everybody involved today." The Vikings (4-10-1) had knocked off playoff contenders Chicago and Philadelphia in the past three weeks. Even with Adrian Peterson back from a foot injury, they couldnt keep up. The Vikings had allowed the second-most points in the league heading into the game. They gave up 40 for the third time this season. Two of Cincinnatis touchdowns came off their defence. "Turnovers definitely decided the game," said Peterson, who sat out the second half with the Vikings far behind. "We put them in a position to play the game the way they wanted to play. "Its tough getting behind the 8-ball like we did." Dalton has thrown 31 touchdown passes this season, one shy of Carson Palmers club record from 2005. Dalton replaced Palmer in the 2011 season and has led the Bengals surge. His biggest shortcoming: 0-2 with two poor showings in the playoffs. The Bengals havent won a playoff game since the 1990 season, tied for the seventh-longest stretch of futility in NFL history. Dalton had good conditions for throwing the ball — breezy with temperatures in the 50s. And the defence helped out, too. Dalton threw touchdown passes of 29 yards to Green and 16 yards to Jermaine Gresham as the Bengals pulled ahead 28-7 before halftime, the most points that Minnesota had allowed in an opening half. Two of Cincinnatis first three touchdowns came courtesy of the defence. Reys interception and touchdown return made it 21-7. Giovani Bernard pulled off the games flashiest play, turning a short pass into a 41-yard play in the third quarter by doing a complete spin to avoid a tackler, stiff-arming another and reaching the 7-yard line. Dalton passed to Mohamed Sanu for his third touchdown. Green made a one-hand grab of a 2-yard pass for another TD. Peterson returned after missing a game with a sprained right foot. He got the ball on Minnesotas first two plays and gained only 4 yards. On third down, Cassel was sacked on a blitz and fumbled. End Carlos Dunlap picked up the ball and returned it to the 4-yard line. Two plays and 12 seconds later, BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran it in for a 7-0 lead. Peterson was limited to 45 yards on 11 carries. Cassel was 13 of 27 for 114 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. The Vikings took advantage of Dre Kirkpatrick for their first touchdown — the cornerback played off Jarius Wright, went for a fake and stumbled, allowing the receiver to run past him for a 36-yard score. Notes: Pat Haden of the Rams, Dan Marino of the Dolphins, Bernie Kosar of the Browns and Joe Flacco of the Ravens are the other four QBs to lead their teams to the playoffs in each of their first three seasons. ... The Vikings were 0 for 9 on third down and 0 for 2 on fourth down. ... Minnesota managed only 209 total yards, its second-lowest total of the season. ... Bengals TE Tyler Eifert sat out the second half with a pinched nerve in his neck. Dick Butkus Youth Jersey . An in-person hearing allows for Garbutt to be suspended for five games or longer as per the leagues Collective Bargaining Agreement. Garbutt delivered a high hit to Penner in the second period of Sundays game. Mike Ditka Womens Jersey . Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup. http://www.chicagobearfootballauthentic....e-bears-jersey/. Patty Mills scored 15 points, Tim Duncan had 10 points and 11 rebounds in limited minutes, and San Antonio trailed for only 11 seconds late in the first quarter of a 103-90 victory over Portland on Wednesday night. Anthony Miller Jersey . According to a report from ESPN, Lynch wants a new contract from the Seahawks, and will likely skip all off-season workouts until he can renegotiate his deal with the Seahawks. Mike Ditka Bears Jersey . Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Allen Craig on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee contusion on Sunday.With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Los Angeles Kings, who look to defend their 2014 Stanley Cup. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Pacific GM: Dean Lombardi Head Coach: Darryl Sutter 2013-14: 46-28-8 (3rd in Pacific) Playoffs: Stanley Cup Champions Goals For: 206 (25th) Goals Against: 174 (1st) PP: 15.1% (27th) PK: 83.1% (11th) That Was Then: They didnt storm through the playoffs as a surprise eighth seed last year, and being the first California team to win the Stanley Cup was already off the table, but the Los Angeles Kings were still more than able to make history on the way to their second Stanley Cup championship in three years. While some teams struggled to find their footing coming out of the Sochi Winter Olympic break, the Kings were on firm ground, winning their first seven games. They then backed that up with another six straight wins from March 20-29th to solidify their place in the playoffs. Despite being the lower seed in the opening round, the Kings, backed by another stellar season from goaltender Jonathan Quick, headed into a matchup with the San Jose Sharks that looked for all intents and purposes to be even. However, the Sharks came flying out of the gate capturing the opening two games of the series by 6-3 and 7-2 margins before taking Game 3 in overtime and grabbing a commanding 3-0 series lead. It was from there that the Kings began to write their names into the NHLs history books. Forward Justin Williams scored twice in Game 4 and Quick posted a Game 5 shutout to help the Kings back into the series with back-to-back victories. Anze Kopitar carried them to a victory in Game 6 and with the Sharks reeling, the Kings scored five unanswered goals in Game 7 to advance into the second round in historic fashion. Joining only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, and the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, the Kings became the fourth all-time team to advance in the NHL playoffs after dropping the first three games of a best-of-seven series. The battle-tested Kings needed that resolve a second time as they faced elimination twice against the Anaheim Ducks, but once again led by the heroics of Williams, were able to keep the season alive with two victories to close the series out in seven. In a rematch of the previous seasons Western Conference Final, the Kings avenged their elimination at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks in another seven-game battle that cemented Williams reputation as Mr. Game 7. After tying the all-time record for Game 7 goals earlier in the deciding contest, he assisted on the Alec Martinez winner that sent the Kings to their second Stanley Cup Final in three years. From there, the Kings stormed through the New York Rangers in five games to capture the Stanley Cup, thanks to a double overtime winner by Tyler Toffoli in Game 5, allowing the Kings to celebrate the title in front of the home fans. Not surprisingly for his work in the post-season, Justin Williams was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Scott Cullens Analytics Kings 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.70 2.40 7.8% .925 56.5% .675 21-41 2.48 1.81 8.5% .958 53.9% .643 42-62 2.00 2.33 5.8% .924 55.3% .476 63-82 2.70 2.05 11.1% .926 58.9% .650 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Even with slightly above-average percentages, a strong start due to possession dominance. Games 21-41: Didnt control play quite as much, but incredible goaltending from Ben Scrivens and Martin Jones kept Kings rolling. Games 42-62: Aside from Carter and Kopitar, went through a team-wide scoring slump. Games 63-82: The addition of Marian Gaborik helped jumpstart tthe attack and, with sky-high percentages, the Kings finished strong.dddddddddddd Key 2014 Additions: RW Adam Cracknell Key 2014 Subtractions: C Colin Fraser, D Willie Mitchell This Is Now: Just as they did after winning their first championship, the Kings concentrated on locking up key members of the team rather than making many changes to the roster. Acquired in midseason, Marian Gaborik was given a seven-year contract worth $34.125 million to ensure that he remains a member of a team once again trying to reach the summit of the league. His arrival from the Columbus Blue Jackets helped spark the teams offence in the same way that picking up Jeff Carter from the same team did in 2011-12. He led the league in playoff goals with 14 and played on a dynamic line with Kopitar who had 21 assists and 26 points during the post-season. Quick is one of the best goalies in the world, and posted a 27-17-4 record with a 2.07 goals against average in 49 games during the regular season. When the American Olympian was battling injuries earlier in the season, backup Martin Jones established himself as one of the best second options in the league with a 12-6-0 record and a 1.81 GAA in 19 games. Incredibly, in addition to a great offence and stellar goaltending, the Kings also boast Drew Doughty one of the best defencemen in the NHL. His skills are on display in both the offensive and defensive zones and he is supported by a strong group of blue liners down the depth chart. The Kings enter the season with capturing the Stanley Cup as their only goal, but also with the knowledge that the Blackhawks have reloaded and are ready if the teams lock horns in the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The Western Conference is tough to win but the road to that title and a place in the NHLs final could very well run through Tinseltown. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Marian Gaborik Anze Kopitar Justin Williams Tanner Pearson Jeff Carter Tyler Toffoli Dustin Brown Jarret Stoll Trevor Lewis Dwight King Mike Richards Jordan Nolan Kyle Clifford Jordan Weal Adam Cracknell Andy Andreoff Nick Shore David Van Der Gulik Defence Left Right Jake Muzzin Drew Doughty Robyn Regehr Slava Voynov Alec Martinez Matt Greene Jeff Schultz Brayden McNabb Derek Forbort Andrew Bodnarchuk Goaltenders Jonathan Quick Martin Jones Jean-Francois Berube Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Valentin Zykov TSN Scout Craig Button on Valentin Zykov: Valentin has a game that is both skilled and heavy. Skilled in the scoring areas twenty-five feet in and around the net, he has the ability to score multiple ways. Quick to the net from below the goal line, an accurate shot from out and the ability to free his hands, makes him a very dangerous scorer. Hes heavy not in a punishing way but in the manner he becomes very difficult to push away from the net and in which he uses his size to gain advantageous positions to receive the puck. He is comfortable playing in a quick-paced game or a cycle game which allows him to be factor regardless of how game unfolds. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Tyler Toffoli Even after he was a contributor in the 2013 playoffs, the Kings were slow to give Toffoli a regular role last season, starting him in the AHL, where he scored 15 goals and 23 points in 18 games before getting recalled. His rookie season had ups and downs, but he finished with 29 points in 62 regular-season games, playing under 13 minutes per game. Then, in the postseason, Toffoli added 14 points in 26 games, making an impact on a line with Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter. If that trio stays together this year, and he gets at least a few more minutes of ice time per game, then Toffoli a chance for breakthrough production. ' ' '